ISSUES AND CONCERNS

EMPOWERING HUMAN POTENTIAL AS A CORPORATE PHILOSOPHY: THE KP RAMASWAMY SAGA Speaking on “A PHILOSOPHY WITHOUT FACE”, as eminent management expert of Yesteryears, Mr. Shanu Rangnakar had observed “Two grabbing hands are all that the private enterprise could present before the people. There is a crisis of image in this sector”. This was in early 1975, that is close to half a century ago. How has this image undergone transformation during this past, close to fifty years? It’s a question with profoundly mixed answers in this era of World Trade Organization and consequent globalization. “People must come to accept private enterprise not as a necessary evil but as an affirmative good” was a dictum attributed to late Eugene Robert Black, the third president of the World Bank. He was president during 1949 to 1962, probably the longest served president of World Bank. They were truly the transformative years of World Bank also known as International Bank of Reconstruction and Development. The a...

New Delhi : All living beings are in transit through this sorry world. The day our mandate is over we just have to vacate the space, doesn’t matter even if it’s Buckingham Palace. So, the reigning Queen of England left her mortal self to rest in her eternal space. She is no more. Elizabeth Alexander Mary, born on 21st April 1926, was anointed Queen of England on 6th Feb 1952 ended on 8th Sept 2022, uninterrupted and unquestioned for all the 70 years. Born Princess Elizabeth of York, in Mayfair, a suburb of London she was coroneted on 2nd June 1953, born to King George the VI and Queen Elizabeth. Indians by and large need not be interested in knowing more of the queen, either as a monarch or as a person of English origin. Our interest is only with reference to India in general and Jalianwala Baag in particular. 13th April 1919 was some 7 years before Queen Elizabeth was even born. It was on that day a crowd of non-violent protestors along with Baisakhi pilgrims had gathered in Jalianwal...

AAZAADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAV: An Open Letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Stories of Sannidhi, of Indra, of Bilkis Maananeeya Pradhan Manthri Narendra Modiji, Jai Shree Krishna, Hope and wish this finds you hale and hearty and in good spirit in the midst of all your multifarious activities. This is my 3rd open letter to your honourable self. The first was in April 2012, published in ISSUES & CONCERNS in its May 2012 edition. That was the period you were Chief Minister of Gujarath. The 2nd letter was published in January 2016 edition of ISSUES & CONCERNS, when you were already the Prime Minister of India. Modiji, whether as the Prime Minister of India or as the Chief Minister of Gujarath or even plainly as Narendra Damodardas Modi, no other Indian has ever been written about, so much in black and white, or so much spoken about in such endearing terms or pathological hatred at the same time. Both who admired you and those who did not like you are a legion. Modiji, cele...

New Delhi : The New Delhi datelined report “SC: Child’s welfare, not wish should determine custody”, is a disturbing piece of news coming from the highest court of the land. Here is a case of a child, 11 year old, born in the U.S. to Indian parents. In U.S., estrangement of couples is not uncommon. So, this Indian couple too decides to part company. For sure they were married for over 12 years, since they have a male child 11 years old. Relationship having soured between the mother and father of this 11 year old male child, one day mother simply leaves U.S. with the child and travels to India, reportedly without the knowledge of boy’s father. Child was born in the U.S. and therefore had U.S. citizenship, lived for over 10 years in the U.S. with schooling there. Now, that the child has travelled to Bengalooru in India, got into a local school, started enjoying the local atmosphere with maternal grandparents in attendance. So, the child, name not available, got acclimatized to the new en...

NIKHAT ZAREEN-HIJAB & ‘LIBERALS’ Sometime in 2018, there was this film, ‘Secret Super Star’, which has done well at the box office for its off-beat content. It is a story of a family- father, mother and daughter. Being conservative, the father was very strict with the growing daughter. Insia, the daughter, dreams of being a singer. Father Farooq Malik, says ‘No’. But passionate Insia secretly pursues her ambition. She gives herself another name. Her mother Najma Malik nurses the desire of her dear daughter secretly without the knowledge of her husband. Life goes on. One day father of the girl gets a job in Saudi Arabia and family plans to shift to Saudi. In the airport, the luggage of the family was such that it was beyond permissible weight. What can be left behind was the worry of the father and he finds the guitar of his daughter packed among other things. In anger he rips it apart and throws it. Outraged at the action of her husband, Najma, the mother of the ‘Secret Super Star’...

TELANGANA: NIKHAT ZAREEN GOES ON TO BECOME WORLD CHAMPION. WHEN MUSLIMS GIRLS STUCK IN HIJAB All of 25, the girl from Telangana, Nikhat Zareen, was an unlikely boxing heroin on the podium at an Istanbul sports facility in Turkey. She won her gold medal in the 52kg category, being only the 5th Indian woman to win medal at international boxing events. The girl from the tiny Mohalla of Vinayak Nagar in Nizamabad district in Telangana emphatically carved a niche for herself. Coming from a conservative family, it was a huge personal achievement for young Nikhat. She made an indelible statement of having arrived on the global scene of boxing, especially when there are these college students stuck in Hijab controversy. Recent report on Hijab in Karnataka College informs about a dozen or so girls makings rounds of District collectors office and other officials to influence the decision of colleges not to allow Hijab clad girls from sitting in the class. These girls, supported by their fathers,...