The Meaning of Freedom

As another day dawns, the birds chirp, the people awake… and a nation lazily awakens to an anniversary. And a very important one at that. Today is afterall the Independence Day. A day when we got freedom from the ‘tyrannical’ British rule of over 200 years. A day which symbolized the formation of a new nation. A day which brought hope in the eyes of so many people about a new life, a better life.


It was a day that was supposed to change the destiny of the nation forever. Each year on 15th August , people have celebrated it…initially as a remembrance of the end of a long struggle and as a tribute to the countless selfless martyrs…and later increasingly as an occasion to explicitly display one’s patriotic quotient.

Time and again a question has been raised about the relevance the day holds in the eyes of the modern generation. My grandparents were actually a part of the period and could relate to the events, the horror stories of the era, the change brought in the society post independence.

My parents were part of the immediate post-independence era. In that era, the wounds of the raj were still fresh and the national identity was worn and displayed with pride. They had parents, uncles, aunts and other acquaintances with whom they had a first person account to understand the independence struggle and its importance.

For my generation, the independence struggle was partly a lesson in the history textbook and partly a real life experience with the struggling nation of the pre-liberalization 80’s which suddenly transformed into an all encompassing modern India in 90’s. The definition of freedom and as we understand it today has very little to do with the actual history and is more about the capacity to do whatever one wants, freedom of movement and freedom of speech. The rights have taken the limelight but how we reached a stage where the rights were awarded to the citizens is conveniently pushed to a back burner.

And for the present generation, I think beyond the fact that it was a historical event that they are supposed to know through textbooks, it is a holiday in the country and patriotic songs and movies abound the media. Also it’s a dry day so the fun is confined to hanging out with friends.

I wonder where has the meaning of the original struggle been lost in these 64 years. What has independence come to become today? A means to segregate states based on language? A means for corrupt politicians and caste based politics to become a norm in society? Probably just a means to move around freely cursing and cussing on the streets and let the media do its job…of pseudo patriotism.

Why only on one day, why can’t we be patriotic everyday…and improve our interaction with all those around us. Try to enrich their lives. Stand up, speak up and try to bring a change. Independence has to be in a continuum. If you do not evolve and be proactive, you are liable to be chained in your views and thoughts…Go on think, act…and be independent. Happy Independence Day!

The Homecoming...

Work has started and 1.5 months have passed since i joined. With a 6-day week hardly giving any breathing space, life had earnestly begun in the mean corporate sector. Each passing day added new survival and behavioral techniques to my repertoire. Suddenly out of whack, my placid lifestyle was shaken and I was asked to come along for a meeting to Hyderabad.

Now Hyderabad is one city that both Radhika and I have fallen madly in love with. The winding roads, the food options, the bustle of the city, the frequency of "awesome mausam" updates on FB etc and of course, ISB were some of the reasons for that. I needed no second thought to be convinced. However, the catch was that it was a touch and go trip and I was supposed to travel back to Chennai the same evening. Still, there was a silver lining to this entire thing. Radhika was supposed to go to Jaipur and coincidentally I was booked on the same flight! I got to give her a sendoff to Jaipur by accompanying her to Hyderabad, how many husbands get a chance to do this!!!

Nostalgia hit harder than the landing of the plane at Hyderabad airport and memories of driving up and down to the airport came rushing by accompanied in full Technicolor by all the sights, sounds, smells and background music that accompanied all the driving sprees on the bypass road from ISB to the airport. That is when things started to change...for good!

It was felt during the meeting that I needed to stay for one more day. In spite of not having any change of clothes, I jumped at the opportunity and immediately booked a room at ISB Exec Housing through Sushant who was on campus for a project. I just couldn’t believe my luck and was waiting eagerly like a little boy about to open the birthday presents, for the day to end and get a chance to slip in to a shade of my previous life.

It was just some days ago that Radhika and I had been thinking of ISB, the campus, the places, the parties, the friends and the countless memories and daydreaming about Solstice when we could actually be there and relive the whole thing and this happened. Even though the fun was halved with Radhika missing out on this but still, I think she was able to visit the campus through our conversations, as she sounded really happy when we talked!

I never thought that I would get so deeply attached to the campus in such a short span of time but the reality speaks so differently. To some extent I felt like an anxious parent, whose child has just left the nest and who wants to visit just to see that the child is taking care of himself and all is well. All such anxieties were laid to rest the moment I entered the campus for the first time as alum. The same warmth and familiarity enveloped me. The difference was that now I had access to the executive housing and it's famous bar ;)
You have to see it to believe it, the prices are rock bottom!!! Sushant and i watched the world cup match on big screen while generally chatting and then left for ‘Goel’.

Aahhh...Goel, the devil himself. A place everyone loves to hate...there were a few changes in the style and organization but the food was still the same! They have separated half of the dining hall exclusively for mini-meals...do I hear the end of the buffet? Probably...

The post dinner stroll around atrium revealed a site which was funny for me and totally scary for the current batch...it was the two DMOP submission boxes. The campus had no activity from the students side...guess they have all been caught up in DMOP, Markstrat, Compstrat and GLEC too deeply for their own good...hope they learn soon.

Even though I didn’t want to sleep and savor each moment, fatigue got better of me and eventually I crashed

Day 2:

Day 2 came bright and sunny. I could almost hear house"picking" come and knock on my door when reality swept in and I got up. The highlight of the day was the breakfast!!! After 2.5 months I got a chance to eat like a glutton again to the extent that it’s almost 5 in the evening now and there is no space to eat anything!

I walked around the campus on the ring road after walking down the steps towards SV3. Walking past the operations building, I saw that the ISB bull now actually stands guard to them. The boy with the stick appears to be a watchful enforcer, lest they run away before time. Moving around SV2, I recalled with Sushant, the names associated with the rooms from our section and batch. I saw F2 as well, as peaceful and welcoming as before and that is where I was convinced that the child is in safe hands.

Amidst all this, soon it was time to bid adieu, to the campus and the place.

As I sit at the airport waiting for my flight back to Chennai, trying to appear all grown up and sober, the child within me is craving for more. Yet, I feel contended and happy and I find myself looking forward to the next visit to the place where it all began...once more.

Chapter Chennai

It has been almost 2 months now since i left the safe cocoon called ISB. Luckily i had some gap before jumping into the rut of the big bad corporate world and hence i was able to spend time in another cocoon - home :).

The drive back home from hyderbad was pretty nice and relaxing. We never realised that we were doing almost 600 Kms in a day. All thanks to the superb highway all the way. It took us 4 days to reach Jaipur but the remaining 20 days that i spent there were in total relaxation.

I have never been so lazy in my life ever!!! I just refused to move out of the house and do anything. I had to be literally pushed to do even the most trivial of chores. No wonder i earned the name "Ajgar" !!!

Amidst the tension of an impending househunting spree and a passport renewal, the 20 days passed by in a jiffy and lo and behold i found myself in Chennai.


Chennai, the name itself conjures up an image of traditional bharatnatyam dancers lined up on both sides of the road for me. But this city seems to have stopped in an era that was 20-30 years ago and has stopped changing. It seems people are satisfied with the status quo and do not want anything new to come up lest it disturbs the existing facade and policies.

There was an apprehension for an unfamiliar language, unfamiliar culture - all coming and staring at you in the face and demanding that you change yourself or perish.At least that is the impression that is created when you stay in N. India.

But after a period of 3 weeks since joining work, things are appearing more in place. The language is a barrier only if you want it to be. People understand english and are generally helpful. The streets have started appearing familiar. The excessive traffic feels normal. The heat and humidity, which used to trouble so much, seems to be a part of the daily life too.

Having a car is the biggest plus. It totally removes the daily battle with the autowallas - now no more beginning of the day with a fight! Small factors, but they go a long way in helping you acclimitize and get used to the new phase. Most importantly, it helps a lot to have Radhika around to take care of me and our daily encounters and experiences!!

As for now, mission relocation is nearing closure...It's now mission life that beckons :)

This is it...

And so it ends... The day that everyone (or atleast I) had thought about to end in a particular fashion is finally upon me. But what was to be expected out of it,really...why did it have to something different? Afterall, it is just the end of an academic cycle. An innocuous cycle that promises to enrich lives and change perspectives.

It feels like any other day, the shrill bell of the alarm in the morning, half open eyes and sleepily nodding heads in the class, the bustle of the college; its all the usual. Probably the unusual will start tomorrow when there are no more classes to go to, no more assignments to finish, no more parties to attend, but yes...an office to go to, unfamiliar faces to see, new acquaintances to make.

I'd rather enjoy the day than think of the morrow, i too feel like a clinger. Even though i do not want to be one...but for once, the humane side is kicking in strongly.

This is it...for now yes! but...this is surely not the end...for it is just the end of a chapter, not the book. Turn the Page...

The Season of GoodByes

"Baby won't you tell me why, there is sadness in your eyes...I don' want to say Goodbye to you..." - MLTR

What is it about goodbyes that makes us feel so melancholic. Why is it that we do not want to part ways - with people, with objects, with places, with memories too? I once heard somewhere that in order to appreciate the joy of meeting, you need to endure the pain of separation. How true it is still why is it that we are all down and blue at the prospect of separation...

I came here an year ago with a barren landscape greeting me out of the beautiful french windows of the bedroom. The Dry and Spindly branches, brown with age and parched in the heat; dry twigs, brown leaves, dusty earth and a surreal stillness all around. Time passed and with the rains, the barren landscape was brought to life - New Life, Green Life, Vinrant and Fresh Life, a Promising life; The greenery gave way to bright flowers and shade, the comfort it brought made me feel good about life and now again the cycle is almost completing itself, the life has faded away and the barren landscape is reforming in my backyard. The sunlight seems to be draining away the energy as if the vegetation is being forcibly pulled away from something it loves dearly. A solemn indication that it is time to leave the place that has served as home for the last year - the year of weeks. A full circle has been completed.

In this day and age, how difficult is it to stay in touch? I feel, it's all in the mind, you just need the will to connect and your friends and family are near you. Objects/Possessions et al are all perishable (pretty philosophical) and can be upgraded/lugged along; It is, however, the people around us that we miss the most. I am a firm believer that it just takes one phone call and an updated phone directory to get in touch and relive all the moments all over again.

Goodbyes should not be undertaken with a heavy heart, they are an opportunity to explore newer vistas, newer people, newer places and newer things. It is only when the human spirit is not bound by any shackles (physical or emotional) that we can appreciate the change. B-schools worldwide, typically have a change management course. I have not studied the same so i am not an authority to comment on the content but i feel it should teach more of personal change enduring capabilities and the capacity to adapt to change in life per se. You should become strong enough to face any problem in life with a smile and an optimistic attitude.

All I see these days are countdowns for days to leave, farewell parties and future plans...topped off with a generous dose of rememberance and a lost gaze as people drown themselves in the uncharted sea of their own thoughts. Emotions - beautiful , good, bad and ugly are all in a whirlpool distracting you from all that is far more important and needs immediate attention. It's the safety of the past that everyone is seeking as the future is unsure. Why do we keep forgetting at all times that the future is in fact secure due to the wonderful set of people around us that makes our present. We all have a cushion and no one is alone. Even if we do not realize, there are people around you to take care of your persona, your emotions, memories and whims. Just call out loud!!!

Life is not a full stop at any junction, its an opportunity to slow down, reflect, learn and carry on. Its only due to these pauses that we become wiser by the day.

So, please do not let the dry branches, tree stumps and harsh sun dry your spirits in your quest to move on. Everyone is there just for you.

"In my search for freedom and peace of mind, I've left the memories behind...Wanna start a new life, but it seems to be rather absurd, when i know the truth...is that I always think of You...Someday...Somewhere, together we'll be baby...." - MLTR once again to the rescue :)

An Year in Weeks

Much has been said about how time flows especially when you are in the midst of doing something exciting,creative or relaxing but this was one exception where time flew in a setting where we were actually slogging!
The year at ISB that just started on 11th April 2009 is almost on the verge of culminating in a mixed emotional potpourri. What seemed like a long time to pass, has already passed and here i am ready to take on the world! (or so it seems).
Life here has been compartmentalised into a weekly orientation. It started off with the O-week, then it was the Pre-term Week and finally the weeks that composed the terms. All Assignments, classes, activities, outings, parties etc. were oriented around the weekly schedule. The terms also had the midterm week and the endterm week but their seriousness diluted as the weeks progressed.
Never in my life has an year passed so fast. Was it the effect of the week or was it a dirty sleight of my mind?
And here we are at the juncture where after the 'placement week', many of us are looking for a working week and many more are looking for placement week(ends).
Ah! the importance of a week.
Till now it was deadline oriented and now it will be weekend oriented once i move out of here. But the quintesstial week will continue to mould the lifestyle of a new, fresh and nuevo-enthu breed of aspiring managers.
Looking forward to this week and the next and the weeks beyond!