Balakot – A war that didn’t happen, but everybody won.

Now that battle lines in the aftermath of Pulwama have pretty much drawn to a close, both the sides are out with their version of the Scorecard, each claiming its Victory

And since the twitter army has also retreated with its WtsApp allies and Newsroom warriors have calmed down, one can afford the risk of an objective view of the outcome.

Anger among the common public had made it important, if not necessary for the Modi govt. to take some tangible action.  And many a times, being victim of his words, Modi had to flex his proverbial 56 inches chest, else his strong man image would have taken major beating.

Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed the responsibility of the attack and given that it operates out of safe havens in Pakistan, it was only natural for the blame to land squarely on its doorstep. And the talk from Imran Khan of punitive action against perpetrators if provided actionable evidence, despite all the sincerity it may have been appealed with, had a huge baggage of apathy from its previous governments on similar incidents. Tons of documents and dossiers were submitted by the earlier Indian govts that were best used as scrap for some petty change to help their ailing economy
It was tough, if not naive for Indian govt. to accept Imran Khan on face value.
One cannot deny that BJP sniffed an opportunity to drive Mileage and create a muscular narrative for election campaign that panders to its nationalist constituency. But it wasn’t not fraught with its risk. Things could have gone either way. But Risk taking has a certain currency in Politics and Modi is not averse to that.
But more importantly, India had to send out a strong message; that this proxy war comes at a cost; that the surgical strikes of 2016 were not a one- of act of retaliation but the beginning of a new approach. To paraphrase Stephen Cohen, Pakistan for long has held India and the world to ransom by putting the nuclear gun to its own head.  India needed to create a counter to Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent.
First round clearly belonged to India. Having crossed the Pakistan border, dodging the Radars and Air Defense systems and bombing the targets. All the major global powers rallied behind India. And enough dopamine of the victory had been released by media for common public.

Now it was Pakistan’s turn to respond. Imran Khan had already declared his stance should India choses to attack. At the same time, his army spokesperson had started de-escalation even before striking back when it played down the impact of Indian strikes. The narrative of forcing Indian aircrafts to retreat, preventing them from causing any casualties or material damage managed the Public sentiments well. But the fact that Indian jets flew all the way deep into Pakistan, even if was for dropping leaflets, as tweeted by a Pakistani Journalist, was in itself embarrassing enough for a nation whose military wear nuclear bombs on its sleeves. To be fair, they had retaliate in some form
And in what ensued as Pakistan’s response, one Indian Pilot evacuated in POK after a dogfight. Abhinandan’s exemplary valour and composure won hearts in India, and also dominated the popular narrative back home. An already high decibel paean of Patriotism in the media reached its crescendo, muffling the fact that with his capture the plot had started turning in Pakistan’s favor. In the brief contest, the only irrefutable proof of having caused a damage to the enemy rested with Pakistan.  

Here was Imran’s opportunity to score a point and he played well by announcing the release of Indian Pilot. For all the talk of his large-heartedness, the fact remains that Pakistan was not in a position to escalate. With less than 17 billion dollar in foreign reserves, it would have been foolhardy, if not suicidal to go to war. And guarantees from Chinese, their new imperial lords were not forthcoming either.
For those who see Imran Khan as a paragon of India-Pak peace,  over-enthusiastically nominating him for the Nobel, would serve the logic better by recalling that throughout his electioneering he took jibes at Nawaz Sharif by calling him ‘Modi Ka yaar’ , denouncing latter for his so called ‘Soft corner’ for India.

Bound by Vienna  convention or not, his decision was informed by pragmatism and realities, and definitely not Morality. Pakistan had evened the scores by winning the second round of Optics, at least in their country and Global Media. As much as we in India might not like it, by choosing to address the country himself, Imran Khan also stole the limelight from Modi. So Imran Khan had nothing further to gain politically.
From here, truce was predictable and easy. Tensions had hit that spot in the escalation axis from where both Imran Khan and Modi could claim political points; It was a unique contest that ended in a tie, where politicians from both sides of the border could claim victory.

 And media played its part by keeping the public intoxicated with uninterrupted supply of adrenaline and notional pride. Enough for them to forget the real problems of life. 

Imran Khan - A Life of many missions, and a lesson

To chronicle Imran Khan’s life in a movie would be a challenge and delight for a film-maker in equal measure. Its full of Highs and Lows; Plots and Sub-Plots; Unexpected Twists and Turns; and with triumphs for the protagonist. But there are too many of them to do justice to in 180 minutes. Probably, it’s far more befitting of a Netflix Series, with multiple seasons. And for students of life it makes for a compelling case study; Of a man having lived with a purpose; one at a time.
As much feared as revered by his teammates, he came back from retirement, with a single minded objective; To win the World Cup for his country. And he did so heroically, spearheading a team that not many placed their bets on.  
But more noteworthy is the fact that he could have, on the back of that phenomenal achievement, continued to play some more cricket. But he didn’t drag his feet, like some of his contemporaries and even from later generations did.
His task achieved, he walked out on a high. And moved on to another one. Building a Cancer Hospital in the memory of his deceased mother, who had passed away after a long battle with Cancer. Today, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is Pakistan’s biggest cancer hospital, and with international repute
Not long after setting up the hospital, he embarked on another journey tirelessly, and that too of treacherous nature, called Politics. With not so proud record, its Prime Ministers sentenced to death, incarcerated, and exiled ignominiously, Pakistan was never a safe pitch for a play of democracy.
Imran Khan was already a hero, perhaps the brightest star in the country with not many ideals in its young history; a global icon, arguably, the biggest contribution of Pakistan to the world, after terrorism. With this kind of fame and riches, not many would have been able to avoid succumbing to the temptation of an easy and glamourous life.
Instead, he plunged into the unpleasant and dangerous world of Pakistan’s Politics. Good governance for Pakistan was his next calling. And after 22 years of relentless pursuit, having faced humiliating defeats, he is at the helm of the Pakistan.
He may be criticized for kowtowing to the army and a soft corner for radical elements, but his journey from a cricketer to the Prime-Minister is hugely inspiring. It teaches us the importance of a Purpose in one’s life. Although some would say Journey is more important than the destination, it’s the latter that lends the journey its meaning and gives the driver the force to keep driving and the focus to stay at it despite the hurdles.
Imran Khan pretty much embodies that spirit. I hope he succeeds in transforming Pakistan into a prosperous and well governed nation, and the midgets like myself are able to find our purpose, the goal post that keeps us focused, engaged and gives us a more meaningful existence.  

A spoonful of glory to the original bhakts of Politics

A spoonful of glory to the original bhakts of Politics

During my recent weekly Sunday tryst with the TV , I stumbled upon a news channel playing  an old clip of Navjot Singh Sidhu, arguably the biggest Oratorical Discovery of the 21st century,   blaring hyperboles in a jam packed auditorium. Since the audience seemed quite in thrall of the rhetorical Extravaganza, I decided to watch the entire speech on YouTube.

As it turned out, he was speaking at the Congress party’s 84^th plenary session. A large part of his half an hour loud fest was dedicated to litany of praises for the Gandhi Family. Right from  the mention of ‘Sonia Ji’ as the most respected Lady of the country  to his Pledge-until-death for catapulting ‘Rahul Bhai’ to the Ramparts of Red Fort’ to his expression of gratitude for Priyanka Gandhi,  his words were laced with fawning veneration.

Whilst the supporters of BJP, for their zealous and uncritical following of Narendra Modi have been garnering all the attention,  ith Bhakt becoming  new buzzword, Navjot Singh Sidhu, with this speech has brought back the spotlight on the real champion of the Indian Political system;  the real force that has been moving the creaky wheels of Indian politics for ages.  And thy name is Chamcha.

Long before Bhakts bursted onto the scene, this species has dominated the Indian Polity. And every party has its own flock completely submitted to the pantheon of their political gods.  Sprawled over the floor genuflecting to their Behan jis, Cleaning shoes of their Neta jis and devoutly placing pictures of Ammas and Thalavars on their car dashboards, these Chamchas are the original Bhakts of Indian Politics. 

Unfortunately, they have been overshadowed by  the tech savvy, tweet happy army of trollers with nothing much but a few swear words in the lexicon,  disregard for contrarian point of View and lack of logic to their credit.

Chamchas on the other hand are hard-working, tireless servants of Indian Politics (Oops Politicians) . They celebrate the birthdays of their leaders with festive fervor and scale.  They offer them Laddoos as large as a proverbial dinosaur egg, skyscraping birthday cakes that pierce through the stratosphere, and Garlands that can encircle almost half the earth. 

They brave scorching sun, severe cold, Harsh rains for just a glimpse of their leader. And a handshake or even a glance of approval from the Supreme Being in their direction is enough of a reciprocation to make it all worth it.
 Bhakts display their valiance from comforts of an AC room in the safe battlefields of social media pages, with their venom spewing words.
But It’s the  chamchas that wield the real bravado. Willing to kill and be killed, cause notwithstanding.  

Its high time we get over bhakts and restore the glory of the real stars of Indian Political ecosystem. Its time we give the chamchas their pride a place in the table.  Long live the chamchagiri

An appeal to Baba Ramdev - The Marketing 'GURU'

Dear Baba Ramdev,

THE BABA LAND

What makes India a fertile place for pseudo Holy Men?

Abraham Maslow might have an answer 

Religion is an indispensable part of our country’s moral and cultural fabric. For many rich, it is an easy way to purge themselves of the vices rationalized as essential to survive and prosper in the material world.  It isn’t uncommon to see some of the most corrupt politicians and unscrupulous businessmen making generous donations, perform elaborate yagnas and bend beyond their back, sometimes quite literally, for the blessings of almighty.  Besides public posturing, it’s also the lingering fear that stems from consciousness of their deeds that drives them to the sanctum sanctorum of god and its self- proclaimed agents.
Deal making is a way of life for them and that’s what they try to make with the god as well, in exchange of a tiny bit of their wealth and a few moments of humility.

However,  for the vast majority of Indians, the bottom 50% with only 10% of the country’s resources - as pointed out by Thomas Pikkety - religion delivers at a far more elementary level.
Failed by the apathetic administration and opportunistic Politicians, it becomes their principal provider of hope.

When governments fail, middlemen prosper. That’s where some Spiritual gurus find their sweet spot. These agents of hope are lurking around in every nook and corner of the country, peddling their new-fangled theories that promise divine grace in this life and beyond.
In a recent article titled ‘Godmen-theirs and ours, Pakistani sociologist, Pervez hodbhoy mentioned “India and Pakistan have more influential holy men per square mile than anyone has ever counted.”
They are rich, powerful and dangerously influential. In some cases, their writ runs larger than the system.  The most commonly brandished rationale behind their incredible popularity is the gullibility of the uneducated and superstitious masses.  While true to an extent, it doesn’t add up to the obsession, that borders madness, of followers willing to shed their blood and lives for their Guru
For a well- rounded perspective, one needs a more nuanced understanding of the operating models of these babas. They make enormous amount of investments, of money and skill, towards making a larger than life image for themselves.
 
Wittingly or unwittingly, they exhibit a great understanding of the Human behavior, appealing to the different level of human motivations, as prescribed by Abraham Maslow in the hierarchy of human needs.
Although the initiation happens through the pitch to the highest order motivation of self-Transcendence,  the relationship is nourished and sustained through more fundamental offerings

Anyone who has ever visited the Ashrams and deras, some even more modestly called Kutiyas(HUTS) -euphemisms for the mini kingdoms built over many acres -  can vouch for the divine abundance that flows in the form of food. In a country with more than 194 Million undernourished people, highest in the world, two square meal is a huge incentive.   They provide means of living to thousands of unemployed ‘volunteers’

Some of India’s biggest hospitals and education institutions are run under the patronage of these babas, offering subsidized education, quality affordable healthcare to the large section of deprived population. 
These centers in turn feed in to the image of benevolence. Every child that passes out of these schools is positively disposed, if not already indoctrinated.
Many such pseudo holy men are renegades of organized religions.  Besides being less regimented and ritualistic, they also appear to be more egalitarian than otherwise upper caste dominated dispensations.
 Their sects develop into a microcosm of society, with its unique ecosystem.  Bonded by the common love of ‘the Guru’, followers have a deep sense of belonging and communion among them.  They forge new ties, make friends and in some cases find their life partners from the community.  The Shared sense of Sect identity takes precedence over the common religious identity.
Not just identity, the followers also derive pride and self-esteem from the stature of ‘the Guru’, who in turn draws it from his powerful audiences. This is where the Guru also turns from a benefactor to a beneficiary. The more the asset base of followers the spiritual lords can parade, the longer is the march of political and other heavyweights genuflecting at their doorsteps. As the showcase of celebrities gets bigger, so does the perceived strength of their divine power.

Touching their lives at so many levels, association with these sects becomes more than just a matter of faith. It starts defining their place in the social order and in many cases, a support system for everyday existence.

And when their Guru is under fire, it is seen as a challenge to the entire ecosystem that runs under his patronage.  Illusory or real, their sense of safety, security, identity and place in the order is threatened. The desperation to hold on to it overshadows their judgment. So much so that they are willing to take on the might of the establishment.

Given how strongly our beliefs and value systems are conjoined at the roots with divinity, God Men are here to stay. They have played an important role in the building of a moral, tenacious, righteous and progressive society. But as long as our governments leave a void, black sheeps like Ram Rahim’s and Ram pals will keep finding the green patches to feed on.
As Nicolas Taleb mentions in his best seller ‘The Black Swan’,  ‘It’s not possible to stop charlatans from existing, but you can definitely prevent them from duping’

Outsider's edge - Is Unfamiliarity a new asset?

It’s incredible how robes have swayed their way into the boardrooms dominated by slick suits and are now sweeping the stakes off the table.

Who would have thought that the complete outsiders to the world of business, ominously high on the abstracts of metaphysics and religion can pose a serious threat to the champions of P&Ls, armed with real world theories of Adam Smith and Philip Kotler.

Infact a whole new breed of new age entrepreneurs in their jeans and chappals are pulling the rug from under the oxfords.

If corporates in India are facing heat from unexpected quarters, far in the west, outsiders from the boardroom have stormed into the elusive corridors of politics, trampling many a career politicians on the way. While trump is arguably the most powerful outsider in the white house today, France has just witnessed, what many political commentators have termed as the unprecedented battle between the two ‘rookies’ for entry in the Elsee Palace.

Around the world, in the range of fields, from business to literature, increasingly, the old bastions are being broken into by the un-experts and the un-initiated.

Chetan Bhagat, an investment banker, famously changed the course of English fiction writing in India, much to the chagrin of many a reputable authors.

Air BNB, The most valuable hospitality brand in the world today is the brain child of three youngsters for whom the only experience with commercial hospitality was as guests.

And both Garret Camp and Travis Kalanick don’t claim any training in the world of transportation before Uber.
The course for next big thing in the automotive industry is being driven by the internet giant, Google, with their driver-less cars.

Although a lot can be attributed to the success of these proverbial outsiders, one is particularly compelling; Today’s world order that is at the cusp of extremities; Economically, Politically, environmentally, and most importantly technologically.

These extremities have led human race to be far more receptive to lateral changes in their lives, mostly either out of urgency or aspirations. 

We've become far more flirtatious as consumers and increasingly less loyal with our political affiliations.

It is reflected in our choice of Governments, and how readily we are embracing new products and technology.

Tesla is borne out of the urgency caused by the rising threat of Climate change, whereas the attempt at the first civilian flight to space is sign of our aspirations, backed by enormous wealth, shooting through the sky, quite literally
Political commentators aver that the lack of trust and frustration with traditional politicians had reached the tipping point, resulting in the rise of Donald Trump.

As the new world order sets in, there are extremely important lessons for the custodians of businesses and brands.

1) Disruption is the new constant in these extraordinary times.
When world around us is moving exponentially, incremental improvements are not enough.
A better mobile handset with larger screen and a bigger pixel camera might not help Samsung continue its dominance for long.  But introducing a new operating system before an outsider breaks the monopoly of Android and iOS could set the stage for the bigger things.
We’ve witnessed how  legacy brands like Nokia and more recently, the struggling Indian IT outsourcing industry have been struggling to hold their ground against ‘outsiders’.

2) A healthy pipeline of new ideas
This holds as much significance for a services company as much for a product. As we run full throttle into a hurricane of uncertainties, a solid bench strength of ideas, informed by ground realities of consumer needs and aspirations is fundamental to survival.
Google and Apple are leading examples of the organizations on the constant look out for the next breakthrough. Whilst brands do undertake annual brand health surveys to take stock of present, an annual internal audit of the innovations pipeline should be commissioned to understand the preparedness to take on the future

3)  Let ideas dictate expertise. Not the other way round.
When the pace of change is as rapid and in an unforeseen way, unfamiliarity can be the new asset, devoid of ‘expertise biases.  It can help you think using the first Principles, what Elon Musk describes as the ability to boil things down to their most fundamental truth and reason up from there. Rama Bijapurkar defines this as finding the ‘Next Best Practice’.
A lot of organizations have identified the importance of the new skills and are hiring people from outside their industry to being in the new perspective and usher in the next best practice. In 2015, Amazon has reportedly hired automotive engineers to work on its spaceship programs. Advertising industry is aggressively hiring people from diverse backgrounds and skills to bring on the table new perspectives, ideas and inclinations for their client.

4)  Go beyond solutions and create new possibilities. When brands show the world what is possible, they are truly loved. Steve jobs, created possibilities in the world of music and communication. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are creating new possibilities in the Astrophysics.

Back home, Fab India Showed how we can look cool and chic in Indian ethnic wear

In nutshell, brands will need to look at the consumers and their lives from ground up. To continue challenging their own models, notwithstanding its success.

To live up to all of this, organization will need to occupy a place on the doors of their Comfort Zones, keep their ears to the ground, sniff out the opportunities and remain an outsider,  permanently. 

Feminism and the art of choosing battles

Indira Nooyi’s interview a few weeks back drew a lot of attention from social and media hawks. Not surprisingly though. When one of the world’s most powerful businesswomen speaks, it usually makes for a meaty news. And when the conversation travels beyond her office to her kitchen, it can be fairly juicy as well.
 Seemingly an innocuous avowal, her statement ‘women can’t have it’ all whipped up frenzy of sorts, with ‘Social Eagles’ , tearing her apart for their piece of flesh. Too much for mere selection of wrong words!

Chauvinists smugly took delight in the ‘validation’ of their anachronistic beliefs and the over-zealous flag bearers of Feminine rights were astonished by the ‘blasphemy’ committed by their most priced ambassador. Whilst the former have never made any bones about their views on the fairer sex and are usually given short shrift, it’s the latter that ended up, unbeknown to them, revealing the frailty of their conviction.
Something that should have been passed off as a common agony of any busy senior executive of a global organization, triggered a panic, prompting defense like a culprit desperately fending off an allegation.
 After all, men can’t have it all too. Max Schireson, CEO of a leading Database company quit a high paying job as it required him to travel more than 300,000 thousand miles this year, leaving very little time for his family.
This is not the first instance of over reaction from the self-appointed emissaries of Eve. The recent Airtel ad has become their latest smashing board slamming it as outrightly ‘regressive’.

 Here's how the ad rolls (An excerpt from NDTV.com)
  A perfectly turned out super-boss asks her team to get a job done the same day. She indicates that "can't be done" is not an option. The boss leaves while her subordinate is hard at work. Alone in the office, he gets a call from his wife who is whipping up dinner for him. She suggests he abandon work and come home to a great meal. For good measure she video calls him.

Peeved by the wife’s dinner making act, gang of hyper feminists have snubbed the script for stereotyping women. This allergy to kitchen smacks of fanaticism defining emancipation in very narrow terms. It also insinuates against the working women who have taken to the dual role by choice. What this holds for a housewife  is anyone’s guess.
 This version of equality also has strong undertones of hatred for males resulting in competition and comparisons. Therefore, any depiction of women that deviates from their tunnel vision, seeking to mirror the male archetypes is slammed as an act of discrimination. Blinded by obsession, they fail to foresee that benchmarking men runs the risk of stripping women of their individuality, the very essence of empowerment. Feminists must understand that it is not a zero sum game where the rights for women can only come at the cost of men. It is rather a function of mutually accepted arrangement enabling uncontested co-existence of both with their own set of successes and struggles owing to the choices they make. I know enough working women who would rather prefer sweating for domestic errands than toiling in air-conditioned offices. And there are enough men out there who are being equal partners with their working spouse in household chores. It’s all about the freedom to make the choices and not the choices made.
Am I claiming it to be an ideal world? No. But are we getting there? Yes. Until then, the feminist brigade would do good to choose their battles to fight, lest the world starts giving them short shrift as well.