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Global economic meltdown has concerned many countries. People are coming up with their own views as what would be the impact? There are lots of data, statistics given on different forums. Top politicians, businessmen, and media, everybody is talking about it. I looked at different blogs, forums and noticed some interesting debates about impact on India Inc. Here are my thoughts as how India Inc should / will deal with this?

I would prefer to say India Inc 2.0 as I believe India Inc 1.0 got over after Y2K and .Dot doom. India started looking into new business dimensions and its economy grew like anything. So, let’s see how India Inc 2.0 should / will deal with this recent economical crisis.

Majority of Indian IT business derive it’s more than 70% of revenue from US economy and they are bound to hit. They will feel the heat as their clients in US will not go for more projects and more work. What could be the impact? Few Indian companies will go for cost cutting, job cutting, and few will prefer to explore new avenues. This might boost the IT product initiative in India. And if it happens, it would create a better prospect for IT business in India.

Tourism is the other sector which is likely to see the impact of this global recession. Everybody is on cost cutting path and the first thing which comes in mind is to cut the traveling and vacation cost. How the industry should deal with this? Ok, if the scenario is not cooperative enough to motivate people then how about going for some innovative things. Let’s consider some innovative ideas for tourism industry. How about promoting health tourism, spiritual tourism, and cultural tourism? Yoga, Meditation, Ashrams, Gurus, Pundits, Bodhgaya, Hrishikesh, Dharamsala, etc. could be few significant words to consider.

More than 50% of India’s workforce is still employed in Agriculture, a sector which is likely to be untouched. These are the people who are least bothered about what’s happening in urban India or the Global village. They would continue doing their regular work and their lifestyle will remain same. India Inc 2.0 can see this global meltdown as an opportunity to enter Agriculture sector. They can come up with a plan which would help this sector to grow and also to enhance the lifestyle of these people. There are multiple problems in this sector and most of them are because of lack of knowledge / information. Some initiatives have been taken by Government / Private sector companies but this recession could act as a booster for making more such investments.

Web 2.0 is another area which can help in combating this recession era. India Inc 2.0 must consider this as an opportunity to build a broader IT enabled business network. Around 10% of Indian population uses Internet and a business model based on recent happenings of Internet can surely create more jobs, more money. It would also help other sectors by providing information / infrastructure to deal with their issues in much better way.

Innovation with technology, Innovation with business model and engaging more people with growth cycle will be crucial for the next business boom. I hope to see a more confident, independent and robust India Inc 3.0. 

Is baar ghawon ko dekhna hai
Gaur se
Thoda lambe wakt tak
Kuch faisley
Aur uskey baad hausley
Kahin toh shuruat karni hi hogi
Is baar yahi tay kiya hai

We can’t agree more on this. We salute the courage and patience of India but how long? We need to wake up some day. We need to learn someday that it’s not just about patience, it’s also about battle. Let us not become a victim of ongoing tolerance. Let’s not sing the old song of “Ahimsha”. Slowly and steadily we are getting used to. Each and every attack has compelled us to go on back foot, to become more defensive. Let’s shake our soul, our mind and our body. Let’s understand the simple thing, “we can’t avoid confrontation”. We need to face it, challenge it, and do it proactively before it’s too late.

War is MUST. It’s not just this time. History has taught us this many times that the war is must. It’s must to survive, to protect sovereignty. Stop making noises. Come out of your caves and uproar, and uproar to the extent that it reaches to each and every corner of the world. From thousands of years we have taught the lessons of peace and tranquility to entire world. Now it’s time to teach other proficiency. Let the world see the power of India. Let the world feel the anger of India.

We know, war is not a solution but it surely demonstrates our will to fight against this heinous mentality. It’s a way to destroy our enemies. This destruction is must so that the world can live in peace. There’s a saying in Sanskrit, “Ati Sarvatra Varjayet”, which means “excess of anything is bad”. So, the excess of our tolerance is also bad, the excess of our patience is also bad. Let’s not cross the “ati” here. Let’s be proactive in deciding our own fate. Let’s make sure that nobody can dare to challenge India. Let’s teach a lesson of confrontation. Let’s teach how to battle and how to win a war. We did it in Kargil. We won the toughest battle the word had ever seen. Now it’s time to do it again. We have different circumstances and we might need to fight on different soil. Let’s take it as a challenge. Don’t waste time in arguing when there’s nobody to care your argument. Let the weapons speak and most important DO IT NOW.

Mile kisi se nazar to samjho ghazal hui..
Rahe na apni khabar to samjho ghazal hui..

When we see those lovely eyes, ghazal comes out in the form of words. When we tend to forget our own existence and just crave for someone special, Ghazal comes out in the form of words.

Main Shayar to nahi magar aiye haseen,
Jab se dekha maine tujhko mujhko shayarii aa gayi..

When we see a lovely face, when we feel something special, we tend to become a Shayar.

But..

Do you know how a song was born? Do you know how music was born? Do you know who the first composer of music was? Do you know who the first lyricist was? Do you have any idea about first singer? Have you heard the very first songs / poem?

I know in most of the cases the answer would be NO. When I started finding answers for all these questions, several thoughts came in my mind. Music must be born from some blissful heart. It must be a lovely moment when somebody wrote the first song / poem. Love must be the inspiration behind the birth of music / song. These all feelings prompted me to hunt for the real answer. There’s a behind the answer. Let’s start with that.story

Once upon a time sage Valmiki (Author of Ramayana) went to the river Ganga to bathe. A disciple by name Bharadwaja was with him carrying his clothes. On the way they came across the Tamasa Stream. The water in it was very clear. Valmiki said to his disciple, “Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man ! I will bathe here today.”

Valmiki was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, when he heard the sweet chirping of birds. Looking up he saw two birds flying together. Valmiki felt very pleased on seeing the happy bird couple. Just then one of the birds fell down hit by an arrow. It was the male bird. Seeing the wounded one, its mate was screaming in agony. Valmiki’s heart melted at this pitiful sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby. The hunter had shot the bird for food. Valmiki became very angry. His lips opened and words came out:

mAnishAda pratishTAtum samagah ssAshvatIssamAh
yat krouncha mithunAdEkam sokam avadhIm kAma mOhitam

“You who have killed one of the birds engaged in the act of love, thus, may you not yourself live long!”

The form he used is called a ‘sloka’ in Sanskrit. It means a couplet. A sloka was born out of his mouth automatically in a mood of sorrow.

Later Valmiki composed entire Ramayana on the order of Lord Brahma in the same meter that issued forth from him as a sloka. Thus this sloka is revered as the “first sloka” in Hindu literature. Valmiki is revered as the first poet, and the Ramayana, the first Kavya.

It was the first form of poem. Later people started using songs based on these slokas and with time music was added to these songs to make them more rhythmic.

There’s no mention of any song / poem before Ramayana age anywhere in the world, so we can claim that this is the birth of poem / song / music.

Meri aankho ne dekha ek sapna,
Sapne me tha koi apna,

Arzoo thi kuchh sunaane ki,
Unhe hale dil bataane ki,
Kuchh pyar ki, kuchh takraar ki,
Aur kuchh lambe sath bitaane ki,

Woh pal the kuchh khwab bunne ke,
Yadon ke daaman me kuchh nagme sath gaane ke,

Unka ehsaas hi kafi tha dil ki vina me rag bharne ko,
Man ke chaman me phool khilaane ko,
Labo pe muskaan laane ko,
Aur zindagi me rang bharne ko,

Ek pyare pal me,
Aasha ki kiran me,
Humne chhedi ek raag,
Aur suna daala unhe apne dil ka haal,

Humaare dil me thi unke chahat ki madhoshi,
Lekin badle me mili hume unki thandhi khamoshi,

Unki khamoshi humse kuchh keh rahi thi,
Lab khaomosh the, aankhe ishara kar rehi thi,

Isse pehle hum samajh pate un aankho ki bhasha,
Unhone humse doori kar li,

Humne dil ke dard ko sambhala,
Chakchhu ke aanshoo roke,
Woh hume khoob rulate,
Usse pehle humne bhi apni raah badal li,

Raah badalte hi humaari aankh khuli,
Hum sapne se jaage,
Aine me dekha,
To humari aankhe ab bhi nam thi !!!

That was a breezy cold night and the child was still sitting with his grand father. The entire village had gone in slumber. Moon had also come straight at head. His grand father was saying a story, story of a King, who used to speak only truth. He has never lied in his life. His name was Harishchandra. The child was listening carefully. He was fascinated with the king. The king was renowned for his piety and justice. Apart from uttering truth he has one more quality. He never broke his promises. Whatever he promised he obeyed that. He always stood to his principles in the face of all ordeals and persevered to become a symbol of courage. Even in the second period of that breezy night he was not feeling sleepy. His grandfather asked him whether he wants to continue with the story or he’ll prefer to sleep. He enthusiastically said, “Please continue, I want to listen the complete story.”

His grandfather continues. Once great sage Vishwamitra approached Harishchandra and informed him of a promise made by the king during the sage’s dream to donate his entire kingdom. Harishchandra was so virtuous, that he immediately made good his word and donated his entire kingdom to the sage and walked away with his wife and son.

Since, the entire world was under the sage after he donated his kingdom; the king had to go to Kashi. It was a town dedicated to Lord Shiva. These days it is called as Benaras. This was now the only place outside the influence of the sage. But, the sage, proclaimed that for an act of donation to be completed, an additional amount as Dakshina (honorarium) had to be paid. Harishchandra, with no money in his hands, had to sell his wife and son to a Brahmin Grihastha to pay for the Dakshina. When the money collected still did not suffice for the purpose, he sold himself to a guard at the cremation ground, who was in charge of collecting taxes for the bodies to be cremated. Story was becoming more interesting for the child. He had started accumulating the hidden morale from it.

His grandfather asked for some water as others at home were sleeping. He went to the other part of his house where the kitchen was located. He filled the glass and quickly came back. After gulping the water in one go his grandfather continues with the story. The king, his wife and son had to sustain tremendous hardships doing their respective chores. The king helped the guard cremate the dead bodies, while his wife and son were used as household helpers at the house of the Brahmin. Once, the son had been to the garden to pluck flowers for his master’s prayer, when he was bitten by a snake and he died instantly. His mother, having nobody to sympathise for her, carried his body to the cremation grounds. In acute penury, she could not even pay the taxes needed to cremate him. Harishchandra did not recognize his wife and son. He asked the lady to sell her golden Mangalasutra and pay the tax. It is at this instance that his wife recognizes him. She has a boon that her husband only could see her mangalasutra. Harishchandra then came to her and recognized her as his wife and was stung by pangs of agony.

But, Harishchandra, was duty bound by his job to perform the cremation only after the acceptance of the tax. So, he asked his wife, if she was willing to undergo further hardships and stand by him in this hour of calamity. The faithful wife readily gave assent. She had in her possession only a saree, a part of which was used to cover the dead body of her son. She offers half of her lone dress as the tax, which Harishchandra could accept and perform the last rites of his son. When she proceeded to remove her dress, miracles happened.

Lord Vishnu, Indra and all Devas and the sage Vishwamitra himself manifested themselves on the scene, and praised Harishchandra for his perseverance and steadfastness. They brought his son back to life. They also offered the king and his wife, instant places in heaven. The virtuous king refused saying that he cannot leave behind his subjects. He asked for a place in heaven for all his subjects. But the gods refused, explaining that the subjects had their own Karma and they have to undergo them. The king was then ready to forego all his virtues and religiousness for his people, so that they could ascend to heaven leaving him behind. The gods, now immensely pleased with the unassailable character of the great king, offered heavenly abode to the king, the queen and all their subjects.

The sage Vishwamitra helped to populate the kingdom again and installed Harishchandra’s son as the king.

The story had a happy ending and his grandfather thought that the child would be happy see all smiling in he end. Yes, the child was smiling in the end but he also had lots of questions in his mind. He asked his grandfather, “If God does well to good people, why did the king suffer so much?” His grandfather says, “He also wants to test people. He wants to see whether you follow your principles in bad days also or not. People generally don’t do misdeeds when they are living a happy life. They do wrong things when the time is not with them. God wants to test you in all days. If you will be true he will not harm you in the last.” He also insisted him to remember, “Satyameva Jayate“, which means truth always prevails.

The story was finished and his grandfather asked him sleep now. He collected the blanket and closed his eyes. His eyes were closed but he was not sleeping. He was still in deep thinking. He was thinking about the King and he decided that he will also not do anything wrong in his life. He also decided that he will never break his promises. He didn’t remember when he went for sleep but next morning when he woke up it was a new morning for him. He had learned the lesson of truth which he was going to follow in his entire life.