Postings: The Ailment of Every Army Wife

August 12, 2013

How would we describe an army wife’s life… Rather than tragical, I would say being an army wife is magical. What exactly makes it magical? One small word: postings. All the sweat and tears come and go as per this small word.

The armed forces, the Indian army in particular, take you through the length and breadth of the country. And sometimes, if you are lucky, abroad as well! Life changes for an army wife every two and a half years – sometimes, even less. I have heard countless “horror” stories where the officer would have just reached a station and his wife would have proudly unpacked her last box, when news of a sudden border posting would come through. The house gets packed once again in a span of five days and they set sail: hopes high, and the inconvenience completely forgotten. Well, then we have the various kinds of postings. Life has taken me from one hamlet to a smallish town and finally to the big bad city of Delhi. In between, I have seen Indore and one or two others places intermittently. Wellington was the high point all thanks to the gaggle of friends and the constantly bussing weekends that would start on Wednesday nights only to finish in the wee hours of the following Tuesday morning. If the army wives were missing something vital in terms of convenience and opportunity, they were too busy to notice.

Notice you do when you are in tiny speck on the highway. Mirthal was one such place. Just like Jaisalmer. Just like Lalgarh Jatta. Just like the North East. Nothing visible for miles around except cattle, villagers, paddy fields or sand. So what do a group of six ladies (and their children), do there? Kept our inverters well charged so that we could face the eight hour long power outs with at least two fans and the TV (always the TV!), made ice cream at home because, ahem, the villagers had not heard of it (not until 2010 at least), and make do with badminton for entertainment in the evenings.

Yet, the quality of life was thriving. We were doing what a real army wife does: welfare. The jawans and their families flourished under our one-on-one care. We were given a free hand to decide on how we would help and educate ladies and kids from other ranks. The experience was always more than just satisfying; it created a bond, a sense of being meaningful to so many people. And for that, I only have the Indian Army to thank. And now there is Delhi. Where do I start? Delhi was, more than anything else, an eye opener. To begin with, it demonstrated just how hard life can be in a big city where everything is spread out. A trip to the grocers, for example, is never just a trip to the grocers. You drive through traffic, fight with the auto rickshaw driver about the fare, get there only to realise that they do not stock the milk you are used to. Then you finish shopping, sifting through the rubble of commercialization, and head to another place. Just for milk. That’s not all. There are no friends in sight. You might be used to the close bonding you enjoyed in Wellington, Mirthal, Jaisalmer, or even Pune cantonment: but now all that is over. As you shift accommodation every three months until you are allotted permanent accommodation, you realise it is already time for the next posting. But the brain of an army wife or an army brat takes to anything new in no time at all. And that is precisely what I am trying to do. I know there is the fear of getting too used to this; to the point of not being able to adjust to a smaller station! However, I am yet to come across an army wife who looks me in the eye and admits as much. Anyone who has been in Delhi before meeting you in that small station will always have a special light in her eye when she speaks of Delhi – even when speaking of the negative aspects. Yet, the memories are merely that, memories. Meant to be cherished rather than pulling you down when you reach that small station two years later. I think I’ll let Delhi wash over my Army wife soul before I move on to the next scene.

Some Great Books About Indian Armed Forces

We Recommend…

Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage

We Recommend…

Soldier & Spice: An Army Wife’s Life: 1

We Recommend…

Guns, Guts and Glory: Stories from the Battlefield

Factfile –
http://www.thehindu.com
http://sainiksamachar.nic.in
http://www.awwa.in

The Great Luxury Trains of India

Caleidoscope

August 8, 2013

Three brothers who reunite to travel across India on a luxury train named the Darjeeling Limited is the setting and plot to Wes Anderson’s 2007 film “The Darjeeling Limited”. Although the luxury railway in the movie is fictional, the concept is very real across India. For those who want to explore the country but avoid the crowded and unkempt roads, there’s a much better way.

Luxury Trains of India - The Maharajas' Express — Photo by Simon Pielow via Flickr

Luxury train is not a new concept in India, but one that’s growing in popularity. India is a beautiful country to explore, but congested airports and poor road conditions make the journey difficult. Recently, safety concerns about the country’s transport infrastructure have created a push for more to travel by luxury train, reports Forbes.

However, it’s not just convenience and safety that make these trains so popular. What a passenger gets to experience between destinations could be just as rewarding as the cities and tourist spots they travel to see. Here are some reasons for choosing a luxury train for travelling in India:

1. A Specific Itinerary

Similarly, the “Golden Chariot” train down south offers a glimpse of the historic glory of bygone times in South India. The Golden Chariot takes passengers along the historic sites in Karnataka state that were ruled by Hoysala, Chalukya and Vijayanagara dynasties. The “Pride of the South” route runs across Karnataka, while the “Southern Splendour” is an expanded route covering Tamil Nadu and Kerala states.

2. ‘First Class’ Travel

Luxury Trains India — Photo by Simon Pielow via Flickr

Similar to first class travel in the air, Indian luxury trains feature adequate space that doesn’t skimp in amenities. Cabins are well-furnished, comfortable and offer a variety of food and beverages. Since the passengers are typically diverse, the food served is both Indian and international. These trains even offer Wi-Fi, though it’s not the most reliable!

3. Safety First

Unfortunately, the news about passenger safety in India hasn’t been pleasant. Crimes against both Indian citizens and foreign travellers have caused a drastic decrease in tourism, especially female travellers (Forbes). Travelling by luxury train adds an extra level of security and peace of mind. Taking on the airports and bus stations in India, depending on the region, could leave tourists vulnerable. Moving from city to city by the same train takes that risk out of the equation.

4. When In Rome…

Riding a luxury train in India is like driving the Autobahn in Germany. Like in the movie “The Darjeeling Limited”, luxury trains of India are now part of the country’s culture and one of the best ways to see the region. If some rough roads are all that’s keeping you away from this great country, it’s time to go ahead and start making new plans!

The Magical Era of Doordarshan Serials – Part 2

Rashmi Raj

August 5, 2013

Before starting the article if you have missed the Part I please read it first. The Magical Era of Doordarshan Serials – Part 1

The TV serials telecast on Doordarshan during the 1980s had such a universal appeal
that we are still nostalgic about them. Here is a list of TV shows from the golden era of DD National channel:

1. Fauji

Doordarshan Serials - Fauji — Image Via India-forums.com

In 1989, a soldier entered our lives and kept us hooked to our TV sets. This was the story of Abhimanyu Rai and his transformation from an irresponsible truant youngster to a responsible army officer. Fauji, which got aired on Doordarshan for just 13 episodes, was extremely popular for its in-depth showcasing of the training of the Indian Army commando regiment. This was a fresh storyline and a completely new concept. Fauji also gave us the first Indian TV superstar! The now world-renowned Shah Rukh Khan, also fondly known as the Badshah of Bollywood, made his television debut with this serial, was trying his best and unknowingly taking huge leaps towards stardom. Directed by Colonel Raj Kapoor, the serial was acclaimed for its authentic portrayal of the tough life of an army commando, though lightened by the irresponsible behaviour of Abhimanyu Rai!

2. Udaan

Doordarshan Serials - Udaan — Image Via Reliancehvg.co.in

We can never thank Doordarshan enough for telecasting Udaan; probably the first Indian TV show on women empowerment, which instilled in us the confidence to take the “sabse oonchi udaan”. Udaan was the story of an average girl from a middleclass family and her determination to become an IPS Officer (Indian Police Service). And she doesn’t stop at that. Once inside the system, she makes every attempt to make it more accessible to people. The appeal of this inspiring story lay in its ‘real’ness, which was written and directed Kavita Choudhary. Many people, who faced similar problems, saw their own feelings of inadequacy and angst mirrored in the protagonist, who one fine day decides that enough is enough. When the series of 32 episodes was aired on Doordarshan in 1989, it was rare to find women pursue the dreams to join the top government services in India such as the IAS and IPS. Things are much different today, but Udaan was a very inspiring story that helped change many a mindset.

3. Karamchand

Doordarshan Serials - Karamchand — Image Via Cbwap.in

Who has been able to escape the lure of a thrilling mystery……from Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie, there have always been those who fixed our craving for a good detective story. In the ‘80s, Doordarshan gave us Karamchand, one of India’s original detectives. The lead character, Karamchand, played by Pankaj Kapur, is depicted as a detective who helps the local police in solving murders in his unique style using unmatched intelligence. Unlike other serious detectives, Karamchand a sunglass-wearing eccentric detective who is shown eating a carrot at all times and tagged along by a funny assistant, Kitty, who keeps asking silly questions. When Karamchand answers her silly questions and ‘enlightens’ her, Kitty says, “Sir, you are a genius!” These dialogues got a cult following and are remembered even today. Director Pankuj Parashar tried to revive the old magic on Sony later in 2007, but he could not bring back that spark.

4. Turning Point

Turning Point was a well packaged science magazine programme aired on Doordarshan in 1991 and fetched several international awards for Doordarshan. The presenter of this show was renowned Kannada actor & playwright, Girish Karnad. Prof. Yash Pal, the well-known Indian scientist and educator, also made regular appearances on this show and together they unveiled and explained the great discoveries of science. The appeal of this most amazing science show lay in the fact that these really great scientists introduced us to the wonders of science and explained scientific concepts in an easy language that even a layman could understand. Every serial ended with a reminder to a god fearing nation, “Develop scientific temper”. This was in an era when there was no Discovery Kids or National Geographic channel to expand our horizon. It is heartening to note that this year Prof. Yash Pal has got the second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhusan for his efforts to inculcate scientific temper among the youth.

Factfile –
http://indiatoday.intoday.in
http://www.rediff.com
http://koausa.org
http://sidroy.wordpress.com
http://doordarshan-serials.blogspot.in

Birds Of The Same Feather… Celebrating Friendship

Devangini

August 1, 2013

Once you enter the life of a vagabond, there really is no looking back. Any Indian Army Wife will tell you that. It is not about the new places; rather, it is all about the excitement of the new faces. With these hopes in my heart, I had joined my husband on a posting in the hills. I was prepared for long months of boredom, even though I had heard of fun times happening. Where was all the fun, I wondered, as I pushed the stroller carrying my daughter (a little over a year old at that time), walking down the meandering paths, reflecting at the silent, isolated beauty of the hills.

As I walked, an awesome thing happened. Like many walkers would report, I felt a sense of happiness and elation: the inevitable happy hormones were released. I went back home and cooked a batch of stew. The next thing I know, a lady from the apartment upstairs rang my bell and asked me what the amazing fragrance was. I laughed and asked her to come on inside to try a bowlful. Soon, over daily cups of green tea, we gradually included other ladies from the two adjoining blocks. And before we knew it, friendly chats turned into gregarious potlucks. Home sickness and memories from previous cantonments were shared and soon forgotten, as we unknowingly made new ones for the future.

Art clubs, cooking classes, weekends spent driving around the hills and picnicking: there was little we did not do. When our husbands left on tour, we rounded up the kids, got together, played blaring music, danced and then played dumb charades until the wee hours of the morning. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to get those times back. Those songs, dances, and play dates with all the kids from the block; those all night chats and those late night phone calls, while the husband would haplessly await his turn to gain our attention!

There were times when we would come to each other’s rescue; for instance, when preparations for a dinner party would come to an abrupt halt due to some missing ingredients in one’s house; the neighbour would supply the said ingredient. When a lady had to stay up all night working on a presentation, there were at least two others supplying her with courage and coffee. Another one left her purse at an ATM only to realise that late in the night, but a helpful neighbour took charge, drove her there and did not rest until it was found.

Is this friendship? It had to be. Because it did not merely cling onto good times; it held steadfast and proved itself worthy even in the not so good times. When this particular posting came to an end, there were tears and broken hearts. Some of those hearts are yet to heal; some still cry for the separation they had to endure; and all of them vow to keep in touch.

Today, my friends from that cantonment are not just friends; they are my soul mates. They have seen me through my crazy projects, egging me on and giving up a good night’s sleep to stand by me. They have seen me through my tears and hormones, asking me to hold still and let the torrid time pass, assuring me all along that I am not alone. They had asked me for courage when they had fallen prey to a particularly hard time, and they have left me with a non-stop stream of cherished memories.

We all came from different parts of the country: Jaipur, Ludhiana, Shimla, Kolkata, Mumbai, Dehradun, Agartala… an endless list. But somehow, we managed to overcome any instincts regional. We had only one instinct: and that was called fun. Each one of had decided to bring fun to the table, and the rest as they, was history.

This Friendship Day, I would like offer a toast, not to any one individual, but to the gaggle of women, who will always remain girls at hearts, irrespective of the magnanimity of the rank their husbands happen to pick up (God willing)! I would like to offer a toast to the spirit of those times; to the coming of age of friendship; to the fact that we all hold something more precious than those school or college-time stories. We have seen it all; and we have seen it all together!

I will cherish and celebrate friendship with those girls who will always be in my heart; to my soul sisters… Have an immensely Happy Friendship Day! We may not necessarily have been birds of the same feather; but what makes us special is that, in our own individual way, we all flocked together!

Getting Your Photos Printed Fast!

Kumar Lakshay

August 1, 2013

Digital photography has revolutionized how we document and communicate human memories. Although they have overcome in many ways, with the worldwide web playing a big role, but can digital photos replace paper ones? This is like the age old debate between kindle and traditional paper books. But even the most devout kindle supporters agree that despite all its merits, it can’t mimic the feel and experience of a real book. That is how it is with physical photographs and if getting your favourite photos ever seemed to be too much of a hassle; you might be tempted to try on of the photo printing apps that are available in India. The Photojaanic app is definitely one to try.

The app, which is only available for android devices, is well laid out with four sections. The “create section” is where you build your print order. Starting from there, I was surprised how little time it took for me to open the app, get the print job ready, and place the order. You can get all this done in less than five minutes, Or if you believe The Photojaanic marketing folks, in less than a minute.

You can obviously choose pictures from your smartphone’s gallery, but what makes the app more useful, and probably more appealing for the shutter happy generation, is the option to import pictures from your Instagram or Facebook gallery. Personally, I find the option for Google Photos import more useful as the higher quality images there will ensure that the prints have a good amount of detail.

In the create section, you get the options to choose the kind of print you want. This is pretty easy and straightforward. You can get square prints, polaroids, and framed wall prints. If you want a photobook, you can get one with a personalised cover, or if you prefer a professional design, you can choose the “designer cover’ option. The photobooks start at 399 rupees for 30 pages, which is pretty hefty a size for the price.

The worst part of the experience is probably the wait, it takes around four days for the prints to reach you. But we’ve all become somewhat accustomed to that thanks to the e-commerce boom. But the wait is kind of reimbursed when you feel the crisp polaroids of your memories in your hands.

The prints I ordered were pretty sharp and the colours vivid. It was also because I used high quality images, which I knew were good for printing. Mobile phone screens make it hard to decide what is high quality and what is not. So, I suggest you look at the pictures on a larger display, like a tablet, television, or a computer monitor, before ordering the prints.

The printing however doesn’t have to be limited to photographs. If you’re an artist working digitally, you may like to see or distribute your work in print. In other cases, you may want to get prints for a particular poster for your wall. The uses can be many.

Why not the website

The Photojaanic website offers much more options in every category. You can get your photos printed in Kodak Photobooks, on stationery, calendars, and pretty much every gift item. The website also gives you access to a Pro plan, which gives you the option to use custom album designs, using different paper finishes, among other things. This is useful if you’re a professional photographer. It is easy to get lost in the horde of options that the website provides, especially, if you don’t have a clear image of what you want.

If you know what you want, dimensions and all, and prefer using a computer, you should use the website. For all others like me, who want to get good prints, easy and fast, the Photojaanic app serves them right on purpose.

The Magical Era of Doordarshan Serials – Part 1

Rashmi Raj

July 29, 2013

The 1980s are considered to be the golden era of Doordarshan in India. For those who are ignorant, Doordarshan is the mother of all television channels in India, which still clings onto its legacy role as a public broadcaster. Particularly, DD National was the only channel available to the masses before the advent of cable TV in India in 1991. This was the time when most of today’s generation was young and impressionable. When I look back, I have to agree that nothing we see on TV today seems matches up to it! What gave the TV shows of that era their universal appeal? How did those shows manage to mesmerize an entire generation that they are still nostalgic about it? Was it merely the newness of having a TV set in your house or was it something beyond that? Here’s an attempt to find out.

1. Humlog

Doordarshan Serials, Hum log serial — Hum log serial – Courtesy: Wikinewforum

Humlog was Doordarshan’s longest running television serial, having aired over 150 weekly episodes! This serial was quite popular when it was telecast in 1984 and many characters from this serial had a fan following which rivalled even film stars at the time. Even today they have a fan page on Facebook and my mother refers many of Humlog’s actors by their character names! Humlog was a story of a middle class family with each member of the family having a unique quirk and different aspirations. 52 episodes of this serial were originally written and telecast and then the story was stretched as per the audiences’ response. Bollywood doyen Ashok Kumar as the ‘Sutradhaar’ used to sum up each episode in a unique interaction with the audience. The show received audience response letters in huge numbers. There was a time when people thought that one of the characters was really a social worker and Ashok Kumar had to subsequently clarify that she was just an actor and not a real social worker! The appeal of this serial lies in the fact that many Indians during the ’80s could relate to the characters and the issues it dealt with.

2. Nukkad

Doordarshan Serials, Nukkad serial — Nukkad serial | Courtesy: Flipkart

Nukkad was another popular TV serial telecast on Doordarshan during late 1980s. This was a show about the activities of a lower income suburban locality and the hardships they faced. Matching with an India that was urbanising, this show saw a lot of people identifying with the different colourful characters and could relate to their problems. Each episode was based on an everyday issue that often revolved around one or two specific characters at Nukkad. At the end of their day, members of the group met at Kaderbhai’s tea shop and talk about their day. Some of the characters from this show, like ‘Guru – the leader’, ‘Khopdi – the chronic drunkard’, ‘and ‘Gupta Seth – shop keeper’ became memorable. The first run aired for 40 episodes and each of them dealt with different everyday issues and concentrated on one or two of the main characters. Every episode ended either on a happy note or on a sad note, but what made each episode endearing was that it was true. People could see the reflection of their life, their issues in there. Subsequently there were attempts to revive the show, but nothing could match the magic of the original.

3. Malgudi Days

If there was one show that fascinated both the young and the old alike, that was Malgudi Days! It was based on the short stories and novels of renowned author R. K. Narayan such as “Swami and Friends” and “The Vendor of Sweets”. Directed by the late Kannada director, Shankar Nag, the series was shot near Agumbe in Karnataka. The main story, “Swami and Friends” revolved around the life of a ten-year old boy Swaminathan (Chamy), living in a fictitious town of Malgudi. Swami hates school and prefers to roam around the town with his two best friends, Mani and Rajam. The story also included the day-to-day travails of the people in the town in general. The serial’s titles were showcased with beautiful sketches by Narayan’s brother and acclaimed cartoonist, R. K. Laxman along with the immensely hummable tune, “Taa naa na, tana nana naa…” Doordarshan aired 39 episodes of Malgudi Days in its first season. The show is running even today on Doordarshan and is aired every Saturday morning at 10am. The appeal of this series lay in its simple and realistic look; and the children, of course, couldn’t wait to see what mischief Swami got into next!

Ramayan

This was the first mythological epic TV series that gained incredible popularity in 1987-88 when 78 episodes were aired on Doordarshan. The series directed by Ramanand Sagar, was a TV adaptation of the great Hindu religious epic and was based on “Ramcharitmanas” written by Tulsidas. The Limca Book of World Records claims it to be “the world’s most viewed mythological serial”. Being a country of God fearing people brought up on mythological stories, Ramayan was bound to attract immense appeal by bringing these mythological characters to life. Incidentally, Doordarshan officials were initially sceptical about the response for such a serial and wondered if it would breed an atmosphere of communalism. But they were in for a surprise when Ramayan achieved such a popularity level due to which daily life used to come to a standstill on a Sunday morning when hordes of people gathered around the closest available TV set. Arun Govil and Deepika Chikhalia who played the roles of Ram and Sita were revered as demigods where ever they went!

Factfile –

http://en.wikipedia.org
http://akshaygn.blogspot.in
http://movies.rediff.com
http://www.flipkart.com/
http://www.malgudidays.net

Myths About School Drop Outs

Priyanka Rele

July 22, 2013

Everyone says that childhood days are the best days of our life and that we should enjoy it while it lasts. Schools, playgrounds, chocolates and lots of laughter; life seems so perfect and carefree. But what do we find when we zoom into those schools and playgrounds? Headmasters, teachers, punishments, bullies, homework and dreaded exams seem to make life miserable. Zoom in a bit more and we’ll find exam results, peer pressure, comparisons and lots of confusion. Doesn’t it seem like this “best part of life” also has other aspects to it that we tend to overlook? Just the way we overlook the real stories about those kids who drop out of school!

We live in a society that expects us to excel; they do not judge us on what we excel in, only the fact that end of the day we are the best at what we do. However, this opinion is voiced only after we excel in our chosen field. When we were kids and were about to give our first exam, our parents expected us to excel in exams even if we had other interests. You would hardly find parents asking their kids to take their exams lightly just because they were more interested in dramatics or sports. Curricular activities are viewed as the first major milestone in life that you have to excel in.

There are so many myths around school dropouts; one of the most common myths is that such kids are not very smart. When smart kids who don’t score a distinction are often questioned, what chances do the other kids have who don’t clear their exams! With such a strict narrow mindset in place, it’s only natural that school dropouts are viewed as a lost cause. Our education system does try to identify what every kid is good at, but in the end they always rate all kids based on their scholastic scores. Some kids may not be great at cracking those exams, but they could be brilliant at other skills that are not evaluated in schools. The massive turnout at reality dance and music competitions indicates that children are desperate for an outlet to their extracurricular talents.

School-education — Excellence beyond studies

Another myth about school dropouts is that these kids belong to underprivileged families. Kids belonging to middle class or upper class families are believed to have almost everything going for them, and so the necessity to drop out never comes up. A perfect example to bust this myth would be that of K. Kamaraj, one of the well known chief ministers of Tamil Nadu. This man did attend school briefly and his family was able to afford school. However tragedy struck soon and Kamaraj had to quit school immediately to work in his uncle’s cloth shop as a salesboy. Later, he got into politics and achieved great success. Kamaraj belonged to a family of traders, and he wasn’t exactly from a poor family, yet he got out of school. So, let’s not get judgemental when a kid drops out of school and assume that it is because of his/her financial status.

Indian families are closely knit; most of us live with our parents almost all our lives. In such a society, we get judged based on how our parents brought us up. If a kid fails in his/her exams or decides to quit school, parents get labelled as – being too easy on their kids, not teaching them responsibility, not making them understand the value of education, etc. However, we need to realise that parents can only guide their kids; forcing these little adults to do something they do not like will not to do any good for the kid or the parent.

Famous School Dropouts	Career Details
Dhirubhai Ambani	Ambani started his career at the age of 17 by working with an oil firm in Yemen in the 1950s and moved to Mumbai in 1958 to start his own business in spices.
Gautam Adani	Choosing not to join his father’s textile unit in Ahmedabad, Gautam set up his own diamond brokerage business in Mumbai, at the age of 20 during the 1980s.
K. Kamaraj	In 1914, at the age of 11, Kamaraj dropped out of school to support his family by working in his uncle’s clothshop as a salesboy.
Micky Jagtiani	Born in 1952, Jagtiani joined a London accounting school from which he dropped out. He drove a taxi in London for a while before taking over his family’s shop in Bahrain.
P N C Menon	At the age of 10, Menon lost his father and he had to drop out of college to do interior decoration business. Later at the age of 26, he met an Arab businessman who invited him to do business in Oman.
Sachin Tendulkar	Not a classic case of school dropout, Tendulkar scored a world record partnership during his school days in Shardashram Vidyamandir at a tender age of 15. He could not continue his education afterwards due to his international cricket career.
Shahid Balwa	Born in 1974, Balwa dropped out of college and joined his family’s hotel business. Today, he is the youngest Indian billionaire to be featured on the Forbes List.
Subhash Chandra	Born in 1950 in a small north Indian town, Chandra dropped out after Class 12 and entered his family’s rice export business at the age of 19.
Vasantdada Patil	Born in 1917 in Maharashtra, Patil could only study up to the secondary school. While working on his father’s farm, he took interest in politics and joined the Indian freedom struggle in 1942.

Gautam Adani is a billionaire commodity trader; he had his dad’s flourishing business to take care of. He was admitted into a good school but soon he dropped out. Gautam could have easily taken over his family business and settled quite comfortably. Instead he moved out of his dad’s shadow, and started his own trade to become one of the richest men in the world. Gautam broke another myth that kids who drop out of school have their ancestral wealth to fall back on.

The famous saying – “Don’t judge a fish by its ability to fly”, is quite fitting. School dropouts are much more than these myths; each one has their own stories and destinies to work towards. Not all of them achieve great success and not all of them waste their life either. Schooling is only as important as we make it to be. In the end, we are only remembered for what we have achieved and not our degrees.

Factfile –

http://www.boostup.org/en/facts/reasons
mythdebunked1
http://www.myjourneytobillionaireclub.com
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com
http://www.nytimes.com

Historic Brands That Transformed India

Levine Lawrence

July 12, 2013

After India shed its socialistic legacy, the country has become a breeding ground for world’s leading corporate brands. While most of these brands have emerged since the days of liberalisation, some of them are historic brands that date back to the pre-independence era. In this compilation, I have tried to collect a few historic brands that have shed their old image and donned a new identity in sync with a nation in transformation. So don’t be perturbed if you can’t find great names like Godrej, ITC and Bata that have not changed their logos much.

Gattu to Gradient ribbon – Asian Paints

Asian Paints old logo

The origin of a brand that is India’s largest and Asia’s third largest paint company is surprisingly humble. In 1942, the founders, Champaklal H. Choksey, Chimanlal N. Choksi, Suryakant C. Dani and Arvind R. Vakil, chose their company’s name ‘The Asian Oil & Paint Company’, by picking a name randomly from a telephone directory! However, the founders of Asian Paints understood the concept of design much before any Indian company realised the value of branding and design. In 1954, they commissioned the famous cartoonist R K Laxman to design their mascot: “Gattu”.

Asian Paints new logo

After over four decades, Gattu was eventually phased out in 2002 during a rebranding exercise. Again in 2012, the Asian Paints logo was rebranded, but this time, the previous logo’s logotype has been kept intact, with a change of colour and accompanied by a gradient ribbon.

http://rupeeblog.wordpress.com
http://brandingsource.blogspot.in

Bajaj Auto

Bajaj Auto old logo

It is hard to forget the famous Bajaj Auto ad, “Bulandh Bharat ki bulandh tasveer, Hamara Bajaj!” Aired at a time when there was only one TV channel across India, that ad became imprinted in every young Indian’s mind. The company was founded in 1930 by Jamnalal Bajaj and soon the Bajaj brand gained a foothold in every Indian household through its omnipresent Bajaj scooter emblazoned with the hexagonal Bajaj logo.

Bajaj Auto new logo

However, the advent of liberalisation brought in a wave of latest technology Japanese bikes and scooters that made Bajaj look jaded. By early 2000s, motorcycle sales surpassed scooter sales and Bajaj Auto lost its market share to Hero Honda. In an attempt to recapture market share, Bajaj Auto restructured its business and launched new motorcycle models under a new brand. ‘Inspiring Confidence’ became the leitmotif of Bajaj Auto in 2004 with a dynamic, stylised and trendy ‘B’ with the logotype moving from lower caps to upper caps.

http://www.icmrindia.org

Banyan tree revitalised – Dabur

Dabur old logo

While Bajaj had to undergo a total transformation to shed its old jaded image, Dabur wanted to remain connected to its roots, literally! This homespun herbal specialist brand was started way back in 1884 by a Kolkata based doctor, Dr S K Burman. His name became so trustworthy that the company’s name ‘Dabur’ is derived from his name, ‘Daktar Burman’! The original logo had a banyan tree – a symbol of nature and protection – and a logotype underneath it.

Dabur new logo

The current logo adopted in 2004 retains the tree image, but gives it a dynamic and vibrant visual. The tree trunk mirrors the form for three people with their arms raised conveying exultation in achievement. The broad trunk represents stability and its multiple branches represent growth. The transformation in the company has reflected the change in its brand, which has become the world’s largest ayurvedic products company with a billion dollar turnover today.

http://www.business-standard.com
http://www.dabur.com
http://kikkidu.com

Hindustan Lever to Unilever

Hiindustan Lever old logo

Established in 1933, Hindustan Lever Ltd has dominated the Indian consumer goods market as though it was born in India. In fact many people did not even realise that it is an Anglo-Dutch multinational company until the company’s name was changed to Hindustan Unilever Limited! The erstwhile logo of Hindustan Lever had a bold typography in letter ‘H’ with a foundation of a steady effect of an angular, growing leaves, depicting the letters ‘LL’. The logo’s dark green colour lent an evergreen appeal to the visual that has high recall value even in current times.

Unilever new logo

Just before completing its 75 years in India, the company became Hindustan Unilever Limited in 2007 and adopted a new logo with a new visual treatment of 25 different icons inside the letter ‘U’ (signifying the organisation’s diversity). However, I feel the distinct leaf green image of HLL was far better than the present cluttered look of HUL logo!

Hero Honda to Hero Motocorp

Hero Honda old logo

Remember Hero Puch? The trendy 50CC handgeared moped was the favourite mode of transport for youngsters in 1980s. The moped’s manufacturer soon joined hands with a Japanese motorbike maker and a new brand was born. Hero Honda Motors began producing India’s first 100CC bikes that were light, easy to manoeuvre and affordable as well.

Hero Motocorp new logo

By the time the 5 millionth bike was rolled out in 2001, the joint venture between Honda and Hero Motors was beginning to wear out. Both the partners decided to separate amicably and in 2011, Hero Honda became Hero Motocorp. As part of its major rebranding exercise, a new logo was created utilising the negative space to depict ‘H’, forming as part of a ‘Closure’ technique. The designer also claims to have incorporated the Indian catapult in the design, which is not easy to spot! Whatever that is, the company’s rebranding was a phenomenal success with the “Hum mein hai Hero” TV ad becoming the anthem for the youth.

http://www.desicreative.com
http://www.heromotocorp.com

———-

Here is a book that talks about the inspiring journey of booming brands that are proudly Made in India.

We Recommend…

Booming Brands – Inspiring Journeys of 11 “Made In India” Brands

Life in Big Indian Cities!

Levine Lawrence

July 11, 2013

Image – Satish Krishnamurthy

I was speaking to an old friend who is working in Mumbai. He said there is no life in the big city these days; just a mind-numbing rat race between 9-to-9 with no work-life balance whatsoever. Another friend from Delhi echoed similar feelings. “Every day it’s an uphill struggle just to get to office and return home. Weekends are lost in just lying around and recuperating from the pain. Even if you go out for shopping or cinema during weekends, the crowd everywhere just squeezes out all the fun!”

Image via Flickr by Padmanaba

These words made me think… Is there any life left in big cities? Can we rate Indian cities based on standards of living and quality of life? Studying the latest data from the Census of India, 2011, I found an interesting way to find cities with better living standards. I filtered out cities with more than 3 million people and ranked them on literacy rate, gender ratio and population density. Accordingly, Nagpur, Pune and Chennai led the ranking, followed by Bengaluru, Lucknow, Ahmedabad. Surprisingly, Surat the top ranked city ‘Quality of Life’ surveys, shares the bottom rank with Kanpur due to its poor male-female ratio of 1000-758, which is one the lowest among all cities in India!

Ranking based on Human Development Indices
City	Population	Sex Ratio	Literacy Rate	Population Density	Rate
Nagpur	2,405,421	961	93.13	10,550	1
Pune	3,115,431	946	91.61	11,205	2
Chennai	4,681,087	986	90.33	25,501	3
Bengaluru	8,425,970	914	89.59	6,642	4
Lucknow	2,815,601	915	84.72	4,218	5
Ahmedabad	5,570,585	897	89.62	22,473	6
Mumbai	12,478,447	852	90.28	22,937	7
Hyderabad	6,809,970	945	82.96	18,480	8
Kolkata	4,486,679	899	87.14	27,774	9
Delhi	11,007,835	875	87.61	29,155	10
Jaipur	3,073,350	898	84.34	27,613	11
Surat	4,462,002	758	89.03	23,196	12
Kanpur	2,767,031	842	84.14	1,366	13

Incidentally, some recent surveys have also rated cities based on other criteria. Chandigarh ranked first in the national sanitation and cleanliness survey conducted under the National Urban Sanitation Policy in 2010. It is followed by Mysore, Surat and New Delhi. Similarly, the newly launched Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems by Janaagraha, Surat was the top-ranked city for urban planning, cleanliness, water supply, crime control and government services. It was closely followed by Pune and Ahmedabad. So is there life in big cities or should we all move to smaller ones? Check the data and decide.

Quality of Life Ranking
City	Rank
Surat	1
Pune	2
Ahmedabad	3
Mumbai	4
Chennai	5
Kolkata	6
Jaipur	7
Hyderabad	8
Bengaluru	9
Delhi	10
Kanpur	11

Factfile –
http://pib.nic.in
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
http://www.ronanlyons.com

Memories of A Simpler Childhood

Rashmi Raj

July 8, 2013

The other day, the 1980s Bollywood classic ‘Mr. India’ was being shown on TV and my entire family was glued to the set. The scene where the protagonist finds the bracelet which could make him invisible brought out squeals of delight from my kid. All through the movie, whenever Mr. India, the invisible messiah ran out to help the oppressed, my son cheered for him. He laughed uncontrollably every time the unseen hero performed his antics and pounded his enemies and made them scream “Jai Bajarang Bali!”

My five-year old, who saw the movie for the first time enjoyed it so much that I felt really proud. Proud to be of a generation that made simple films like Mr. India, which impress children even today when they are exposed to all sorts of super-hero flicks. I was proud to belong to the generation that knew the simple joys of being children, to be born at the time when Google was not an answer to all the questions in the world!
Unlike today’s children, for us playtime meant fresh air and getting drenched in the rain; playing for hours soaking wet and then returning home to be scolded by our moms; only to be rewarded with a hot steaming cup of Horlicks or Bournvita. Our favourite games were not the destructive and very addictive Xbox games or the Angry Birds; but ‘land and water’, ‘hide and seek’, ‘lock and key’, Gilli Danda, Lagori, skipping, Kite flying, etc. Today’s games on the computers, game consoles and tablets are no match to any these outdoor games. Playground rules were simple, ‘finders keepers, losers weepers!’

Galli cricket, with our own indigenous rules was another highlight. If you hit the ball till the building compound wall you scored four runs and a six if the ball went out on the road. You got out for breaking a glass and had to be the one facing the music when the uncle or the auntie would come out screaming and threatening to never ever return the ball. The disappearing act that we pulled then would impress Mr. India himself!

My son got his first cycle when he was two years old. I never owned one! And yet, I love cycling more than he does. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we used to rent bicycles and ride around the neighbourhood. Fifty paise for a half hour and one rupee for an hour were the standard rentals. One of our favourite things to do on Sundays was to get up really early and go rent a cycle. Ride around for an hour or more and then get back home in time for ‘Rangoli’, the Doordarshan TV show that featured Hindi film songs.

I also belong to a time when chai and pakoda meant just that, Chai & Pakoda! We were all treated with homemade hot fried snacks the best ‘happy meal’ ever! Laddoos, farsaan, chivda, chakli, shev, bhel, dhokla-the list is endless. It felt like our mothers and grandmothers had the powers of a genie. Chocolate was a rare item that was something that a relative staying abroad brought us once in a while. On a regular basis, candies were more than enough.

The white and black striped candies that tasted like today’s Polo, Ravalgaon Mango-bite and Pan Pasand; and the half-moon shaped orange and lime coloured candies were the most in demand. Cone ice-cream was a treat that one got only when our exam results were declared and that too, only if one had scored good marks! Nariyal pani, the hygienic fresh juice was available in abundance and Maggi was just then sneaking into our lives.

Hindi Horrorcore VCR | Courtesy: Finderskeepersrecords

Recording a collection of our favourite songs on audio cassettes, renting video cassettes and VCRs once in a while to watch movies with the entire family and neighbours… There’s so many more memories, so much more to fondly remember. Apart from watching movies on VCR at home, going to a theatre for the latest release was also a community activity. The entire neighbourhood used to be locked out and the keys handed over to one hapless neighbour who was unable to come!

However, my heart goes out to all the children of today. How different is their childhood from ours… Ours was much simpler and yet fun. Now, I think things have changed drastically due to our urban concrete jungle where there is no community feeling or any outdoor activity! Children are locked up at home since there is no security outdoors nor there is any outdoor space left to play. They have ended with their expensive gadgets and 24×7 cartoon channels; but are they really having as much fun? Or maybe they are, and I am just missing my simple childhood!

Factfile –

The Magical era of Doordarshan Serials

https://www.facebook.com
http://ezinearticles.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.facebook.com

1...221222223...244 Page 222 of 244