you are what you think

India celebrated 75th Independence day this 15th August. Many of us were thinking that we failed to avail one public holiday as 15th August is Sunday this year. Independence day does not evoke gratitude and respect in many of us now-a-days, since widespread corruption and painstakingly slow judicial system of India have dampened positive attitude of the citizens towards India's democratic system. Of course, some of us observe this day with vigour and high emotion. I heard people questioning the validity of our democracy in view of the fact that regional sentiments often supersede national unity leading to ugly form of racism in many places, even seven decades after independence. Freedom fighters of India dreamt of a nation connected with the feeling of brotherhood and respect to each other. Does this dream sound unrealistic today? Once American business magnet Warren Buffet had a conversation with Barack Obama on wealth tax . Buffet was of the opinion that people who have achi...

   "Where do you see yourself 10 years down the line?" . This is one of the frequently asked questions in interviews. Of course, I also ended up answering this question couple of times in my professional life. But I will never forget the reaction of the panel to my answer in one of such interviews. It was final round interview with IIM Bangalore in 2011. I prepared a lot for this interview. When the moment came, I was both amused and nervous to interact with the esteemed panel. After asking few analytical questions, they wanted to know my long-term goal. I gave an honest reply, "I wish to set up a rotary service to train unprivileged women in job-oriented skills". I tried to convince the panel how my life journey made me realize the value of financial independence in women's life and how my MBA degree from a premier institute will enable me with vision and resources to materialize my goal. One of the panelists smiled and replied that this kind of goal really do...

Year 2020 has itched a special mark on our mind. And its impact on our life is continuing. The epoch-making events like World War I, World War II and 1930 Great Depression had touched the life each and every living human being on this planet before. We read about those eras. This time we are living such an era. I survived calamities like 2015 Chennai flood and couple of cyclones in my lifetime and used to consider my experiences worth documenting. I never thought life has bigger surprises for me in its store!  This decade started with lots of excitement, introspection and hope for me. I started a long-cherished chapter in my career that changed my daily routine. I completed a long-awaited trip to one of my favorite destinations. And I was contemplating an investment decision. Then came March 22nd. I remember the kind of anxiety I used to feel while travelling to office every day in spite of the assurance from our company management. The news of lockdown in other nations was raisin...

A famous Economics professor was teaching his class. The topic of discussion was liquidation of asset once a company goes bankrupt. The professor was trying to explain how the creditors due is paid off and the effect on the share market during such event. One student asked how an investor can be persuaded to acquire such a business so the legal heirs can get a chance to resurrect. Professor replied,  facts presented should offer convincing answer to the buyer's question, "What is there in it for me?". We undertake any task only if we gain something by accomplishing it. This 'something' may be anything that satisfies interest of the undertaker. It may be material gain or assurance of future material gain or getting rid of any external force or resolution of inner pain.  I dont consider myself a social media butterfly. Rather I am tagged as unsocial by some of my acquaintance since I do not have Twitter and Instagram accounts and sparsely active in Facebook. Yet I h...

Corona pandemic has pushed us to confinement for couple of months now. Some of us are managing this isolation with regular work schedule and family support. Some are fighting with health issues. Some are trying to cope up with financial difficulties. Apart from these, social distancing is leading to mental stress for many people. People are unable to express their mind in conventional way. Television and digital world seem to fall short in compensating this void. There are people who already know how solitude feels like e.g. older people, people with motion related disability, people with depression, people sailing for months etc. Many people feel lonely even in the company of family. Artists and writers often turn solitude into inspiration for beautiful creations. But for majority, solitude is not a viable choice. Rather it is a punishment. This affects both the extroverted and introverted alike. By design, human being is a social animal. Our basic instinct made us connect with...

Each of us has some favorite place to go where some strange comfort awaits us. It may be some place with childhood memories or some religious place or a remote place away from chaos of daily life. I feel that kind of connection with Mumbai - Maya Nagri (magical city) of India. I visited Mumbai in 2011 for official work. It was a 2 day trip. I landed Mumbai on a rainy evening in August. The city cast a magical spell on me in the next 24 hours. I made a promise to myself that I would return to this city one day as an explorer. I kept this promise. I revisited Mumbai this January. This time it was a 4 day trip and I explored the main attractions of the city. I was trying to sense the same old charm that I felt ten years ago.  And I was trying to understand how this city is different from other cities I visited so far. People say life in Mumbai is very fast paced. Of course, urbanization has reached its highest peak in Mumbai making it center of business for many major industri...

We meet many people in real and virtual world every day. Some strangers turn into friends. Some are forgotten. In pre-internet era, we often used to lose track of the people we had met during a journey. Strangers open up to us just as much as our friends, sometimes even more for whatever reason. I came across some wonderful strangers during my travel who left mark in my mind. I used to travel from Howrah to Asansol, my home town, every alternate Friday during my graduation days in early 2000.  This used to be six hour long train journey. I loved to watch the scenic beauty of rural Bengal from the window of the compartment and feast on snacks and tea. Some days some co-passenger used to catch my attention.  One day I met a middle-aged woman who was unnaturally silent and almost oblivious of the surrounding. Few hours passed. Slowly she regained her composure and noticed my curious stare. We started talking. After few pleasantries she opened up to me. She lo...