Challenging the obvious!

Web is abuzz with with diverse perspectives as news of Steve Jobs resigning CEO of apple was announced a couple of days back. This is no wonder given the current state of economy as well as much debated dependence of apple on Steve Jobs as a person.

IT industry has seen emergence of many geeks, entrepreneurs, innovators, etc but Steve Jobs has demonstrated a multi-dimensional personality, rolling apparently diverse roles  of visionary, entrepreneur, innovator, business man, marketer, etc into one.... Thomas Edison of our generation!

He emerged from out of the blue introduced Macintosh  in 1980s. This disruptive vision brought power of computing to desktop, effectively ending an era of computing dominated by mainframes and 'dumb' terminals and forcing giants of the times like deep blue to realign themselves to the new wave; due credit, of course, to deep blue for having survived the onslaught which killed many. Yet again, when everyone thought that world of computing, networking and communication is converging into a kind of equilibrium, new set of gadgets unleashed by the innovator par excellence disrupted the market place once again, setting established players on the run

The big question now is, what shall Apple be, with Steve Jobs exiting as CEO.  Well, He has resigned from role of CEO but it is expected that he would continue inspire and guide Apple. Yet it is time now for Apple to realign to like life ahead, without its charismatic leader.... and latest development ought to be good when looked at from that perspective!

My hypothesis on organization is that every organization is a living being, like every one of us with its of identity, lifecycle, character, values, intellect and ecosystem. Early stages of its life is guided by its founders just as a toddler depends on his/her parents. Over a period of time, child will and must learn to emerge out of shadow of his/her parents to establish itself in the larger world; it is a gradual distancing that helps to establish distinctive existence with formation of clear identity, character etc. These may be influenced, or inspired, by parents and world around but yet distinct. Distancing can be catastrophic at a stage as early as toddler but mandatory at teen

So I would expect that Apple would live through this natural phase in its evolution and continue to enrich our of world of technology

Hyperactive media, and news nonsense!

Case in point is the news 'Tendulkar's intervention led to Bell's reinstatement: Report.'

What does this report seek to convey? What this report does this clarify?

Like any other person who enjoy cricket as a game,  I too love to watch when a person like Sachin plays.  But deification is ridiculous, and works against team spirit.

Media reports like this makes me wonder quite often, whether there is more to news reporting than meets the eye. Does this not border on politicking and mind games?

Does quality of a person, as a player or as an individual, need to be discussed in comparison? That too, eclipsing his own team member; team captain at that? Can quality of a person not stand scrutiny by its own merit?

Fairness in game and sportsman spirit must be upheld, and it was upheld. I am glad about that.

How does it matter whether Sachin was the person who argued for it or whether it was some one else? Is media trying to prove Sachin is God and the rest are lesser mortals?

Worse, is there any means of proving authenticity of this report? It sounds like speculation to a discerning reader.

Innocent, invisible waves of corruption!

Are stories in folklore for real? So it seems, going by recent happenings in Indian political scene. Story goes like this:

Once upon a time, there was a corrupt official in King's royal staff. King came to know of this official's dirty track record but then this official was so powerful that even King could not actually throw him out or mete out any severe punishment. The meek King, caught in helpless plight caught between his own conscience to act up on the evil and his own 'very human limitations', transferred the official to an apparently innocuous assignment. That is, he was assigned the task of staying put on a seashore at the country's border and counting every wave. He was neutralized, or the king thought thus. But then, as always, devil's hands were at play and corrupt official came out with innovative ways of converting innocent waves into private wealth. He stopped every boat passing by and threatened with punishment. His argument was every boat passing by was preventing him from complying with royal command, and exhorted money from each passer by in this pretext.

Times have changed but second generation waves is now getting converted into private wealth! Innovative, yes.. but unfortunately in the wrong place.... Is history repeating itself?

An old joke

Recent turn of events in Indian political scene reminded on of an old joke.

The joke falls in genre of Namboothiri jokes. These, a private pride of every malayali, have multiple levels of depth to a discerning listener and are, often, more than a joke.

Well, the joke that I am reminded of is that there was a theft in some Namboothiri's home and he came to report the same to the king. Listening attentively to the story, the king remarked that it was so sad. To this, Namboothiri replied that his wife too said the same. King is reported to have got the message and taken appropriate action to nab the thief and return money to the victim.

I hope our leaders now would also rise up to the occassion

A wake up call, any one listening?!

A feeble but powerful wakeup call but are we listening yet?

Conscious compromise of social progress!

I recently came across a letter reported to have been written by American Indian chief in 1853. I do not authenticity of the letter or its contents but what is worth noting is that every words written there must resonate in our minds. 

There is no point lamenting, or getting into knee jerk reactions, when disasters like epidemics, floods and Tsunami strike. The fact I see is that we (mankind), as a race, have plundered earth and its resources for too long.

India was a land where nature was worshipped. Every facet of nature was worshipped attributing divine properties in it. Perhaps, the message was to learn to respect each other, every other being, and live together in harmony.

For instance, we worship snakes. But as we took more and more of their territories, we confined them to temples in human habitats. It was not too late when we started trespassing into these as well in the name of progress.

Where to is this progress? For whom is this progress?

When I read the letter of American Indian chief quoted earlier, I am reminded of story of sage Dadichi who sacrificed his life.

My dad is no more!

As the time moved on, the inevitable happened.

My father ((Kodungallur Sudhakara Raja, son of Ikkavutti Thampuratti and Chettani Mekkattu Vasudevan Namboothiri) completed all his duties and responsibilities in this world and left us all, day before yesterday (February 16, 2011) in Delhi (where he lived his last couple of years with my mother, my sister and her family).

He was suffering from Meningioma, and Alzheimer's disease. He was further aflicted with Pneumonia and septisemia in his last days. He was under intensive medical care for about 10 days but he could not survive despite the best medical care we could extend

Born in the royal family of Kodungallur (Kodungallur Kovilakam), he was an expression of unexpressed love and affection of a simple man living true to the great tradition, culture and values of the family.

 A photo with his brother and sisters, taken a couple of years back

A photo with my mother, taken a few years back

His body was cremated in Delhi in Nigam Bodh Ghat.


Our close relative-friends in Delhi were with us through the hard times. Their advice and help all along made our unbearable pain as bearable as can be

Redeeming a moment from archives!

My father (extreme left, middle row) along with his siblings and cousins

From Indira Mandiram, Chirakkal Palace, Kodungallur

A great soul departs!

Fate has made its final assault on physical life of a great soul.

Grim reality of the moment for me is, Maruammavan is no more. My mind is turning numb, recalling concluding lines from Veena Poovu, a classic (which I remember as one of his favorites) from Kumaran Asan:

Kanne Madanguka Karinjumalinjum Aasu
Mannaakumee Malaru Vismruthamaakumippol
Enneedukaarukum Ithu Thaan Gati Saadhaymentu
Kanneerinaal Avanivazhvu Kinaavu, Kashtam

It roughly translate to mean:
Turn way, oh eyes, This flower will decay and desolve into oblivion now
Alas! Know it's everyone's fate, Tears don't help, Worldly life is hard

My memories are taking me years back into a cold winter morning of 19th December 1984! My train was fast approaching Delhi, and I was on way to join for duty for the first time.

Yes, almost as I had completed my studies, I landed on a prestigious job with Government of India. I was filled with the loneliness of going away my home for the first time ever, of the excitement of starting a new independent life and of anxiety of being transplanted into the heart of India from my remote hometown deep south of India.

My parents, in their concern about my safety in the wilderness of a faceless city, made a few arrangements for my pick up, and one of them was Maruvammaavan, a distant paternal relation, whom I had never met till then.

Of all, I could find only Maruvammavan in Delhi railway station, extending a warm welcome in his characteristic style. Thus started a relation that I cherish all along.

Curious as I am, I asked him once as to why did he take the trouble of coming to the railway station in the cold winter night to pick me up, though he does not know me.

He said, "I do not know you, but I know your father, though I have not met him for years now, since school days", exposing the sweetness of affection in his heart which he skillfully hides in his routine nonchallant demeanour. I found these pointing to deeper values of Indian culture (or, should I rather say human values) that are rare to find in the dog-eating-dog modern world

Association with him, though a short one, was so profound for me personally that it transformed thoroughly into a different person. He challenged me to challenge every unchallenged beliefs, dogmas and systems. It helped me break out of my social conditioning and live life the way I like, not the way others in the society expects me to live

Knowing values that he stood for, knowing what he has been going through, I do not want to shed tears as he departs.

My best memories about him are with his family, a family which bustled with vibrant life and radiated high positive energy. I saw him withstand a tough fate, with ammayi's departure in late 1980s. I saw his smile years later. But, I suspect life, deep within, was never the same since then.

As the inevitable fate catches up his great soul, I pray to the almighty that his soul may join Ammayi and rest in peace in the heavens above.