( In this article, I am not claiming that those who drink are bad nor that teetotalers are gods. I know once's character and personality has nothing to do with his habit).
Yes- habit!! This is nothing but a dangerous habit. According to the latest statistics, Kerala tops in the net alchohol consumption levels in India. To put it bluntly, our State has the largest number of drunkards. I have personally felt that this is true. During my student days in America, I have stayed and interacted with lots of Northies. I have also studied undergrad in CET. So, I know what these stats mean. Only a very small fraction of Northies are addicted to alchohol. In CET, the scenario was totally different. At the tender age of 21, close to 75% of my batchmates were prone to drinking.People say that drinking is not as dangerous as smoking. The fact is that both are equally bad ...
Many a times I have wondered why Keralaites are more prone to drinking. Well, there are many reasons for that.. One is the unique demography that we have without a solid Hindu influence.( This is not to say that Hindus do not drink). But the biggest factor, according to me, is the influence of the media- the electronic and visual media. There are many films that openly depict heroes as outright drunkards. A typical plot of a Mallu" hit" Mohanlal movie is like this.. This guy is the best in everything..in studies, in sports, in singing, in dancing, in running after girls and last but not the least drinking..Added to that he has a battalion of friends who play stooge to him. What an impossible, unrealisticplot is this? Have you ever seen such a personality in real life? O.K agreed this is reel life.. We can give the benefit of the doubt to Mohanlal and people like Renjith who craft these movies.. The fact is that young people try to take this close to the heart and start imitating these characters. They believe that if you are a man you should drink, you should womanise or whatever..
We should understand that during the 1950s and 1960s , the heroes were potrayaed as good people. Most of the movies had some solid theme to take home.. Not a cliche plot like rivalry between two ancestral properties ( of course based in ottapalam) and how the hero crushes all the villains. Why have our movies stooped to such low levels of entertainment? The film makers should realize that they are setting a really bad precedent for the future generations. The electronic media is adding fuel to the fire..
When you are in college, there will be lot of people around you who seem like " friends". They instigate you to do lot of things including drinking.. If you don't drink, you are classified as an outcast..less of a man..After some years, maybe 5, these so called " friends" diminish by half.. At the end of 10 years, you will still have only 4 to 5 friends- which are you real true friends.. The rest are just a crowd.. This is the case with 99.99% of the people. One thing is certain.. No true friendship can be built over a whiskey bottle. True friendship is something more than that..It may not be visible, but yes, that will remain ..
In any place, there are heroes.. When you enter college, the heroes are the ones who take a bike to college in the very first semester, who is adept at both drinking and smoking and one who can command a good female fan following.. This guy is the eternal maverick., who never sits in class yet passes all exams., who has some level of political influence, who acts like the rough and tough guy. From my personal experience, I have seen that these " heroes" become big zeroes after college.. Then, all these friends and fan circles diasppear and he is left to fight his real battle alone..
I am not a big fan of Hollywood movies.. I am a Malayalee wherever I go. But our film makers should take a cue from some English movies like say," Remember the Titans". This is a truly inspirational movie. These are the kind of movies that our youngsters should watch and try to emulate.. I tell you.. drinking is a easy habit to take up.. anyone can do that.. some filmstars do that on screen..But let that be just on screen. As youngsters, pls try to avoid that dirty , dirty habit.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Searching for greener pastures....
Wow USA.... The name itself is synonymous with hip-hop, raggae and excitement. The easiest name to get a recognition in the society( I mean our Indian society) is by living in the USA. Each year the number of foreign students coming to the U.S have increased by leaps and bounds and as of 2007, Indians make up the largest percentage of the student population with the Chinese coming a close second. Infact, the Chinese had the No.1 rank as recently as last year. It is not surprising that even with globalaization and a strong Indian economy and job prospects, a large percentage of Indians are still making a beeline to the States. Many of my younger brothers are waiting to walk this trail and many of my elders are living the so called U.S ' dream". I would like to analyze from the view point of an ordinary Malayali youth many of the bare facts.
First of all this is a splendid country with immense resources and opportunities. The civic sense is simply outstanding. One doesn't have the luxury to spit or urinate in public places. The laws are strict but no one dares to tamper with your freedom. You are sure to get a seat in a bus or a train . No one requests you to share anything be it a pen, pencil, bat or ball. Some of the Indian youth may have some misleading information about the country from Hollywood flicks..But be rest assured, the U.S is totally different from the India that you have seen. Americans are generally brought up with good manners. They try their best to promise only if they are able to deliver. I am emphasising this point a lot because Indians generally have a habit of giving great hopes and quite often reneging on that. Yes, we love short cuts. Maybe, that is why we give empty promises just to bail out of a siituation.
Having said all these, let me mention one thing about myself. I really hate to lie. I am not claiming that I have never said a lie..mostly all of mine were white lies. So let us face the reality. The cultural difference one has to face when somebody starts living here is stark. When you have a certain notion of city and when you may not see that here, that is the time when you really wonder- " Is this the right place for you"? I believe in change and to a certain extent broadminded. But, change, to me is a characterestic that has to be developed within you. There are so many Indians who come here, try to dress up as Americans, try hard to speak with a Americo-Indian accent and say that they are broadminded. That is outright absurdity. The funny thing is that Americans never expect us to dress nor speak like them. It is when we put on these odd appeareances do we make a mockery of ourselves. There are other things, I mean good characterestics, that you can learn from them- like punctuality, keeping promises and cleanliness. I feel these are the things that we should adapt and say that " I have changed". Most of us are trying to implement some superfical make overs and saying that " I am broad minded".
The higher education system is quite good over here. In India apart from the IITs, IIMs and some NITs the higher education still does not meet international standards. In the job scenario, merely working in the U.S does not mean that you are having a great job. Just compare this.. If somebody has a job in Microsoft or Qualcomm , Bangalore and someone else has a job in some unheard of company ABC in USA. Which do you think is a better option. There are still fools out there who believe that the latter is a better option. But people with common sense will tell you that the company and the work profile is more important that the place. Also, regarding the salary, if somebody gets a salary of $ 80,000 per annum-we tend to say that WOW he has a salary of 42 lakhs per annum or roughly 3.5 lakhs per month. This is totally misleading. One should consider the living expense here and also the purchasing power of the dollar vs the Rupee. It is generally assumed that the amount of dollars you earn is approximately equivalent to the amount in Rupees over a factor of 2.5. Which means that a salary of $ 80,000 which counted in Rupee terms is roughly equal to $ 32,000. Consider the other trade offs- One has to live half a world away from their families for years together,Almost non existent social interaction..( except for some weekend " visits" from some made up friends).
I read in an article recently that the percentage of IITians coming to the U.S has dropped sharply from about 70% to about 16%. Most of them opine that India is the country to be in with the kind of developments going on. Most of the IITians are opting to top rung management courses or IIScs for their higher education and are staking their careers in India. Even the vast majority of IIM graduates prefer to stay in India than go abroad. Their thought process is quite simple. India is proving to be the hot bed of technogical growth and development in this century. Why sacrifice so much and live an aloof life for just a few more dollars( I will discuss the cultural aspects of bringing up your off springs here in a future article). This is a golden opportunity to work in the best of technologies and earn a decent living within the comforts of your motherland. Why squander that?
I know that my thoughts will change the attitude of a few. But my humble request is that the work profile of a person should be respected- Not the country of work nor the dollars in hand. And as you all know, the IITians and IIM grads are an intelligent lot. They rarely bet against high odds. The reverse brain drain will be the norm, not the exception.
First of all this is a splendid country with immense resources and opportunities. The civic sense is simply outstanding. One doesn't have the luxury to spit or urinate in public places. The laws are strict but no one dares to tamper with your freedom. You are sure to get a seat in a bus or a train . No one requests you to share anything be it a pen, pencil, bat or ball. Some of the Indian youth may have some misleading information about the country from Hollywood flicks..But be rest assured, the U.S is totally different from the India that you have seen. Americans are generally brought up with good manners. They try their best to promise only if they are able to deliver. I am emphasising this point a lot because Indians generally have a habit of giving great hopes and quite often reneging on that. Yes, we love short cuts. Maybe, that is why we give empty promises just to bail out of a siituation.
Having said all these, let me mention one thing about myself. I really hate to lie. I am not claiming that I have never said a lie..mostly all of mine were white lies. So let us face the reality. The cultural difference one has to face when somebody starts living here is stark. When you have a certain notion of city and when you may not see that here, that is the time when you really wonder- " Is this the right place for you"? I believe in change and to a certain extent broadminded. But, change, to me is a characterestic that has to be developed within you. There are so many Indians who come here, try to dress up as Americans, try hard to speak with a Americo-Indian accent and say that they are broadminded. That is outright absurdity. The funny thing is that Americans never expect us to dress nor speak like them. It is when we put on these odd appeareances do we make a mockery of ourselves. There are other things, I mean good characterestics, that you can learn from them- like punctuality, keeping promises and cleanliness. I feel these are the things that we should adapt and say that " I have changed". Most of us are trying to implement some superfical make overs and saying that " I am broad minded".
The higher education system is quite good over here. In India apart from the IITs, IIMs and some NITs the higher education still does not meet international standards. In the job scenario, merely working in the U.S does not mean that you are having a great job. Just compare this.. If somebody has a job in Microsoft or Qualcomm , Bangalore and someone else has a job in some unheard of company ABC in USA. Which do you think is a better option. There are still fools out there who believe that the latter is a better option. But people with common sense will tell you that the company and the work profile is more important that the place. Also, regarding the salary, if somebody gets a salary of $ 80,000 per annum-we tend to say that WOW he has a salary of 42 lakhs per annum or roughly 3.5 lakhs per month. This is totally misleading. One should consider the living expense here and also the purchasing power of the dollar vs the Rupee. It is generally assumed that the amount of dollars you earn is approximately equivalent to the amount in Rupees over a factor of 2.5. Which means that a salary of $ 80,000 which counted in Rupee terms is roughly equal to $ 32,000. Consider the other trade offs- One has to live half a world away from their families for years together,Almost non existent social interaction..( except for some weekend " visits" from some made up friends).
I read in an article recently that the percentage of IITians coming to the U.S has dropped sharply from about 70% to about 16%. Most of them opine that India is the country to be in with the kind of developments going on. Most of the IITians are opting to top rung management courses or IIScs for their higher education and are staking their careers in India. Even the vast majority of IIM graduates prefer to stay in India than go abroad. Their thought process is quite simple. India is proving to be the hot bed of technogical growth and development in this century. Why sacrifice so much and live an aloof life for just a few more dollars( I will discuss the cultural aspects of bringing up your off springs here in a future article). This is a golden opportunity to work in the best of technologies and earn a decent living within the comforts of your motherland. Why squander that?
I know that my thoughts will change the attitude of a few. But my humble request is that the work profile of a person should be respected- Not the country of work nor the dollars in hand. And as you all know, the IITians and IIM grads are an intelligent lot. They rarely bet against high odds. The reverse brain drain will be the norm, not the exception.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Some politics
My first interest has always been politics. I should admit that I am quite fascinated with the entrapments of power. But what has always mesmerized me is the dynamics of politics. There is a saying that " a week in politics is more than a life time". How true that is !!!! Imagine a party that was virtually gutted in the 2004 parliamentary elections is back in the reckoning. BJP ( Bharaitya Janata Party), which was once touted as the pro Hindu, pro Hindi party has taken the prized Southern state of Karnataka. B.S Yediyurappa created history by being the first Southern CM of the saffron party. L.K Advani has certainly set his eyes on the once elusive prime ministerial chair.
Here is a flashback. BJP had just 2 MPs in 1984. By 1989, the party had grown to 80+ seats. The Ayodhya wave catapulted the party to the centre stage of national politics by the 1990s. However, the party peaked during the late 1990s when A.B Vajpayee became the first BJP PM in 1998. Vajpayee was touted as the most acceptable " public face " of the party while Advani had to remain in his shadows. Barring some occasional hiccups ,it is to their credit that the PM and the Deputy PM ( Advani) had no major friction between them. I would say that this was the major factor that kept the party together during its rough times in 2004 and 2005. The duo remained the best of friends and Vajpayee passed over the baton to Advani without hesitation.
Manmohan Singh did not do a bad job. Infact he was the most erudite PM to have been in the chair after Pandit Nehru. We should remember that Manmohan was the leader of a motley coalition with an invisible leftist authority. Given the circumstances,I doubt whether anyone else could have done a better job. Some say that he was a weak P.M. I doubt whether that statement is true. The definition of " weak" and " strong" is certainly relative. Dr. Singh was less of a talker and more of a doer. He may never had the charisma of a great leader like Rajiv , Indira Gandhi or A.B Vajpayee. Nevertheless, he was second to none in his commitment to the nation.
But what he lacks , the personal charisma and lack of connectivity to the masses, may well prove to spell doom to the Congress party in the coming general elections. During normal times none of these prime ministerial traits would have mattered. But these are torrid times- those of sky rocketing inflation and high unemployment. The Consumer Price Index is at an all time high and the gasoline prices have shot over the roof. The P.M himself has said that the latest hike has not covered the losses of the oil companies. That would mean that more increases are impending. The Aam aadmi is feeling the pinch and this will unleash a tsunami of anti incumbency.
This has already been felt in the six or so states that went to the polls in the last year. Congress could not even win a single one of them. It should be noted that none of these states were won by the BJP on Hindutva brand of politics. All of them were a clear case of anti incumbency.
Time is running out for the Congress government. Lal Krishna Advani is no longer the political pariah one dared not to touch. Instead, he is the next best bet for the BJP after Vajpayee and a seasoned statesman. The same allies that ditched the party last time around will be flocking to their fold this time around. Unless something dramatic happens, I predict that the 2009 General election finals belong to the BJP and the NDA. But again, I would like to repeat what I said earlier.." A WEEK IN POLITICS IS MORE THAN A LIFE TIME".
Here is a flashback. BJP had just 2 MPs in 1984. By 1989, the party had grown to 80+ seats. The Ayodhya wave catapulted the party to the centre stage of national politics by the 1990s. However, the party peaked during the late 1990s when A.B Vajpayee became the first BJP PM in 1998. Vajpayee was touted as the most acceptable " public face " of the party while Advani had to remain in his shadows. Barring some occasional hiccups ,it is to their credit that the PM and the Deputy PM ( Advani) had no major friction between them. I would say that this was the major factor that kept the party together during its rough times in 2004 and 2005. The duo remained the best of friends and Vajpayee passed over the baton to Advani without hesitation.
Manmohan Singh did not do a bad job. Infact he was the most erudite PM to have been in the chair after Pandit Nehru. We should remember that Manmohan was the leader of a motley coalition with an invisible leftist authority. Given the circumstances,I doubt whether anyone else could have done a better job. Some say that he was a weak P.M. I doubt whether that statement is true. The definition of " weak" and " strong" is certainly relative. Dr. Singh was less of a talker and more of a doer. He may never had the charisma of a great leader like Rajiv , Indira Gandhi or A.B Vajpayee. Nevertheless, he was second to none in his commitment to the nation.
But what he lacks , the personal charisma and lack of connectivity to the masses, may well prove to spell doom to the Congress party in the coming general elections. During normal times none of these prime ministerial traits would have mattered. But these are torrid times- those of sky rocketing inflation and high unemployment. The Consumer Price Index is at an all time high and the gasoline prices have shot over the roof. The P.M himself has said that the latest hike has not covered the losses of the oil companies. That would mean that more increases are impending. The Aam aadmi is feeling the pinch and this will unleash a tsunami of anti incumbency.
This has already been felt in the six or so states that went to the polls in the last year. Congress could not even win a single one of them. It should be noted that none of these states were won by the BJP on Hindutva brand of politics. All of them were a clear case of anti incumbency.
Time is running out for the Congress government. Lal Krishna Advani is no longer the political pariah one dared not to touch. Instead, he is the next best bet for the BJP after Vajpayee and a seasoned statesman. The same allies that ditched the party last time around will be flocking to their fold this time around. Unless something dramatic happens, I predict that the 2009 General election finals belong to the BJP and the NDA. But again, I would like to repeat what I said earlier.." A WEEK IN POLITICS IS MORE THAN A LIFE TIME".
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The great Trivandrum slang
Entheredey.. Some Keralaites who do not belong to Trivandrum mockingly say that Trivandrum has an extra day in a week.. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,.....Sunday, Enthereday.. Trivandrumites have a bad reputation primarily for their slang. Frankly, I have not found it to be odd. It is just another way of speaking malayalam..
My wife belongs to Trichur where they " sing "as they speak. A person who is not from the Trichur belt feels that they are conducting a ganamela. Fortunately, my wife does not sing that much. In the early days of my career , for a few months, I worked in Calicut and Manjeri.. The kind of Malayalam they speak there is totally different.. For everything they say " Kazhichillayi".. means that problem has been solved.. At first, I did not understand what they meant by that. When I used to go to shops and take out my stock of " entharu" , they used to laugh. When you go further north to Kannur, everything becomes " Enakku". Kasargode has a totally different version of Malayalam- MalKannada-- 65% Kannanda and 35% Malayalam. The only person from Kasargode whom I have seen speaking decipherable Malayalam is actress Kavya Madhavan. In Ernakulam, Alwaye belt they even call guys the age of their son " chetta".. " chetta ee auto poneyaana". The Achayan malayalam in the Kottayam, Pala, Pathanamthitta area comprises of " Oh Enna venam...".
I can agree to the fact that there are different slangs spoken in different parts of the state. I can also agree to the fact that Trivandrumites do not speak the text book malayalam. But what I cannot agree to is mocking of the Trivandrum version by others as if they are speaking some great Malayalam. Everyone claims that their version of Malayalam is the best. Trivandrum is the state capital and definitely the melting pot of different cultures. So we may have more words in our dictionary. Typical films have a version of Malayalam that is spoken in Palaghat-Ottapalam and people claim that it is the pure form of Malayalam. Personally, I don't believe so.
Only few Malayalam films have the Trivandrum slang spoken by the heroes and one we had recently, Rajamanikayam was the biggest blockbuster of our times. When I went to the theatre, I found some non Trivandrumites thoroughly enjoying the movie quite ironically for the slang.
Our media and filmmakers have painted Trivandrum Malayalam in such a way that any kind will laugh at us.
I hail from Trivandrum.. I am proud to speak my slang.. Of course I do not speak to a stranger in Thrissur with my usual phrases like " Entharadey", " povuve" etc etc not because I am ashamed but just because I am showing some courtesy.. I am not claiming that Trivandrum language is the best Malayalam version . But others should also realize that their version also have their defects.. But I would like to add what my wife says to me " Trivandrum language is the coolest version of Malayalam". Yup,maybe we are less formal...
My wife belongs to Trichur where they " sing "as they speak. A person who is not from the Trichur belt feels that they are conducting a ganamela. Fortunately, my wife does not sing that much. In the early days of my career , for a few months, I worked in Calicut and Manjeri.. The kind of Malayalam they speak there is totally different.. For everything they say " Kazhichillayi".. means that problem has been solved.. At first, I did not understand what they meant by that. When I used to go to shops and take out my stock of " entharu" , they used to laugh. When you go further north to Kannur, everything becomes " Enakku". Kasargode has a totally different version of Malayalam- MalKannada-- 65% Kannanda and 35% Malayalam. The only person from Kasargode whom I have seen speaking decipherable Malayalam is actress Kavya Madhavan. In Ernakulam, Alwaye belt they even call guys the age of their son " chetta".. " chetta ee auto poneyaana". The Achayan malayalam in the Kottayam, Pala, Pathanamthitta area comprises of " Oh Enna venam...".
I can agree to the fact that there are different slangs spoken in different parts of the state. I can also agree to the fact that Trivandrumites do not speak the text book malayalam. But what I cannot agree to is mocking of the Trivandrum version by others as if they are speaking some great Malayalam. Everyone claims that their version of Malayalam is the best. Trivandrum is the state capital and definitely the melting pot of different cultures. So we may have more words in our dictionary. Typical films have a version of Malayalam that is spoken in Palaghat-Ottapalam and people claim that it is the pure form of Malayalam. Personally, I don't believe so.
Only few Malayalam films have the Trivandrum slang spoken by the heroes and one we had recently, Rajamanikayam was the biggest blockbuster of our times. When I went to the theatre, I found some non Trivandrumites thoroughly enjoying the movie quite ironically for the slang.
Our media and filmmakers have painted Trivandrum Malayalam in such a way that any kind will laugh at us.
I hail from Trivandrum.. I am proud to speak my slang.. Of course I do not speak to a stranger in Thrissur with my usual phrases like " Entharadey", " povuve" etc etc not because I am ashamed but just because I am showing some courtesy.. I am not claiming that Trivandrum language is the best Malayalam version . But others should also realize that their version also have their defects.. But I would like to add what my wife says to me " Trivandrum language is the coolest version of Malayalam". Yup,maybe we are less formal...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Small things do add up
Recently, I was quite fascinated with Barack Obama's campaign. He is almost sure to clinch the nomination. In 2007, he was the underdog, looking at a long shot candidacy . How he became the front runner is not the crux of a fairy tale but a story of hardwork, meticulous planning and sheer determination. While the other candidates were concentrating their energies on bigger states ( those with the maximum number of delegates), Obama was spending his efforts also on a number of small states. At the end of the day, this was the main factor in his candidacy. This article is not about the Democratic Presidential race but about the state of affairs in Kerala...
Recently, we all have been swamped with the news that the foodgrain and other grocery prices are on the rise in Kerala. The inflation has been felt not only in Kerala but also in the rest of India and across the globe. There has been reports of civilian unrest in Bangaldesh and Haiti due to the shortage. But what sets Kerala apart from the rest is that this effect is felt significantly in the beautiful and fertile state. Why is this? We all know the answer to this. Kerala is the No. 1 consumer state in India with very few exports and importing even its principle staple food - Rice.We are heavily dependent on Andhra and Tamil Nadu on all our needs. The extent of dependence on our neighboring states is such that we should pray that there are no bandhs/hartals in these states- lest we will starve. The only crops that we produce are cash crops like cashew and rubber which do not require continuos monitoring.
Do you think that Kerala is a very rich state that we can enjoy the luxury of a consumer state? The answer is a simple "NO". Barring some investment from the expatriate population, the economy is in shambles. We are running a deficit budget for a very long period of time. Sometimes the Treasury barely has the funds to even give salary to the state employees.
Keralaites should change their attitude towards life to get out of this mess. We should not think of agriculture as a lowly profession. Many people in Kerala own land . Why can't they start cultivating some vegetables that could feed atleast one family. Lady's finger ( okra), spinach, tapioca are some of them that can cultivated in any house hold. Rather than idling time in "junctions" commenting on girls , the youth should do these simple things. Otherwise, a time will come when the vegetables become so costly that an average Keralaite can consume only fish.
Even educated people can do this. Agriculture is not a blue- collared job. Earning a degree doesn't mean that you should be allergic to taking a shovel. Being a doctor /engineer or a senior officer wouldn't make someone great. Every profession has its dignity.We should give due respect to farmers. The government should invest heavily in agriculture. IT is not the panacea for hunger. No economy can focus entirely on IT .Recently, I saw a news item about a man ( who after completing his engineering) employed his skills to cultivate high yield crops. He was making a profit of Rs. 30000 p.m. Not everybody can be a farmer like him..But, atleast we can contribute our bit. As I said earlier, small things do add up. Kerala really has to come out of this mess.
Recently, we all have been swamped with the news that the foodgrain and other grocery prices are on the rise in Kerala. The inflation has been felt not only in Kerala but also in the rest of India and across the globe. There has been reports of civilian unrest in Bangaldesh and Haiti due to the shortage. But what sets Kerala apart from the rest is that this effect is felt significantly in the beautiful and fertile state. Why is this? We all know the answer to this. Kerala is the No. 1 consumer state in India with very few exports and importing even its principle staple food - Rice.We are heavily dependent on Andhra and Tamil Nadu on all our needs. The extent of dependence on our neighboring states is such that we should pray that there are no bandhs/hartals in these states- lest we will starve. The only crops that we produce are cash crops like cashew and rubber which do not require continuos monitoring.
Do you think that Kerala is a very rich state that we can enjoy the luxury of a consumer state? The answer is a simple "NO". Barring some investment from the expatriate population, the economy is in shambles. We are running a deficit budget for a very long period of time. Sometimes the Treasury barely has the funds to even give salary to the state employees.
Keralaites should change their attitude towards life to get out of this mess. We should not think of agriculture as a lowly profession. Many people in Kerala own land . Why can't they start cultivating some vegetables that could feed atleast one family. Lady's finger ( okra), spinach, tapioca are some of them that can cultivated in any house hold. Rather than idling time in "junctions" commenting on girls , the youth should do these simple things. Otherwise, a time will come when the vegetables become so costly that an average Keralaite can consume only fish.
Even educated people can do this. Agriculture is not a blue- collared job. Earning a degree doesn't mean that you should be allergic to taking a shovel. Being a doctor /engineer or a senior officer wouldn't make someone great. Every profession has its dignity.We should give due respect to farmers. The government should invest heavily in agriculture. IT is not the panacea for hunger. No economy can focus entirely on IT .Recently, I saw a news item about a man ( who after completing his engineering) employed his skills to cultivate high yield crops. He was making a profit of Rs. 30000 p.m. Not everybody can be a farmer like him..But, atleast we can contribute our bit. As I said earlier, small things do add up. Kerala really has to come out of this mess.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Real Estate and some economics
( These views are not from a seasoned economist. I am a common guy working towards a business degree. So my views are from a layman's point of view and I use simple arithmetic to substantiate my argument).
For the past couple of years,most of us are hearing these advices- " Better buy some land now or ELSE........In the next two years you won't even get to buy anything close to that". Hmmmm.. pretty clever isn't it? A great way to trick somebody into buying some overvalued crap. For real estate brokers, times have never been brighter thanks to the hype generated by the media and the real estate mafia. People who own land boast of the property value and buyers fret when they hear the skyrocketing prices. This phenomenon is not concentrated in any particular region or country but is spread across. But these prices are definitely in for a downward correction- PRICES WILL COME DOWN SOONER OR LATER. I can bet on that..
Before we discuss the situation in India, let us analyze what happened in America. Since 2005, most regions in the U.S have experienced a 10-20% dip in prices, thanks to the overinflated value tags they carried. For example, in the place that I live one of my friends bought a house for $ 500,000. ( This is the median price of a house here). Two years hence, the value of the same house has depreciated to $ 375,000 ( and a recession has not even begun). This has happened in California, the hottest place on earth in terms of immigration and jobs. Now, my friend like many others were so enthralled looking at the positive sloped price graph that he decided to take the plunge. Little did he know that the saturation point has reached for that area.
The inputs that come into play that affect the price of land/house in any area are the following: The potential of the place, market speculation ( on say some projects that may be coming up), the general state of the economy and the buying capacity of the public. All these factors have to work together to affect the value of these assets.
Now, let us look at what is happening in Kerala. Take a look at the land quotes from at least two cities Kochi and Trivandrum. Even some well to do professionals that I know of cringe on hearing the land prices in these places. As i had mentioned earlier, the main factor that drives these prices are market speculation. Many places in Kochi fell vicitim to this " speculation". Kochi is a great port city. To this day, there is practically no IT industry there since 80% of the software exports in the State is done by Technopark. There is no solid industry at the moment in Kochi , only some market speculation. Though Smart city is being touted as a big project, a lot of hype is given to this project since this is mostly in the private sector. But the fact remains that Smart city , even when it happens, is smaller than the Technopark-Technocity IT corridor in Trivandrum and considerably smaller than IT parks in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. So, why this hype.. The answer is the real estate mafia.
From various sources, we came to know the role the media and the real estate mafia played in inflating the actual prices. How they works is like this.. They overhype any project through the media- both print and electronic to the extent that most of the general public falls prey to these tactics. By this time, the so called real estate mafia would have already controlled most of the land and people will be so overawed that they would want to purchase some land from these guys ( to sell at a profit later). Here is a classic example. Some agent will inform us ( the buyers) that they have 6 cents of plot close to some proposed XYZ project. The value now is 5 lakhs/cent ( though the actual value may be considerably lower) and they may also give an example of a transaction of an adjacent plot for 5.2 lakhs/cent. The point to note here is everyone including the buyer and the seller overstates the price of property. So you never get to know the truth of the actual transaction. The agent also says that in less than 2 years time, you can sell the same property for 10 lakhs/cent. WOW, that is a 500% return on investment. What other investment in the world will yield this? Now , this poor guy shells out 30 lakhs for a mere 6 cents plot in the hope of making 30 lakhs profit in 2 years( of course not considering the interest he pays in the meantime). COMMON GUYS, do you think this is a feasible transaction. No economist will say so. Do your math- 6 cents of land is the bare minimum you need to render utility to the land ( like building a house). So, now the base line is that you purchase the land for 60 lakhs plus you have to shell out another additional 35 lakhs for building a house. So you spent close a crore for a normal house on a mere 6 cents of land. Even if you imagine that an IT guys saves Rs. 50000 per month in India and considering the fact that he puts in the whole amount as EMI for this, he will take atleast 200 months to get off this debt.. That is roughly 17 years.. That too for a mere 6 cent plot plus house in a relatively small city in India.
Is this sustainable? No. The land prices are definitely in for a downward correction. When you get the feeling that even people with considerable disposable income cannot afford these prices, there is something wrong here. What has happened in California and rest of US will happen in Kerala also. Not only in Kochi but also in other cities including Trivandrum. But in the case of Trivandrum there is a flip side. The projects in Trivandrum do not get as much media coverage as those in Kochi. Why is this? Because, contrary to Trivandrum, most of the projects supposedly coming in Kochi are in the private sector. So they need the media coverage to sell their projects. I am a development oriented Keralite. I want all cities, towns and villages to develop equally- but not at the cost of the general public. Here is the scoop- Who are the clear winners in the whole episode- the so called real estate mafia.
For the past couple of years,most of us are hearing these advices- " Better buy some land now or ELSE........In the next two years you won't even get to buy anything close to that". Hmmmm.. pretty clever isn't it? A great way to trick somebody into buying some overvalued crap. For real estate brokers, times have never been brighter thanks to the hype generated by the media and the real estate mafia. People who own land boast of the property value and buyers fret when they hear the skyrocketing prices. This phenomenon is not concentrated in any particular region or country but is spread across. But these prices are definitely in for a downward correction- PRICES WILL COME DOWN SOONER OR LATER. I can bet on that..
Before we discuss the situation in India, let us analyze what happened in America. Since 2005, most regions in the U.S have experienced a 10-20% dip in prices, thanks to the overinflated value tags they carried. For example, in the place that I live one of my friends bought a house for $ 500,000. ( This is the median price of a house here). Two years hence, the value of the same house has depreciated to $ 375,000 ( and a recession has not even begun). This has happened in California, the hottest place on earth in terms of immigration and jobs. Now, my friend like many others were so enthralled looking at the positive sloped price graph that he decided to take the plunge. Little did he know that the saturation point has reached for that area.
The inputs that come into play that affect the price of land/house in any area are the following: The potential of the place, market speculation ( on say some projects that may be coming up), the general state of the economy and the buying capacity of the public. All these factors have to work together to affect the value of these assets.
Now, let us look at what is happening in Kerala. Take a look at the land quotes from at least two cities Kochi and Trivandrum. Even some well to do professionals that I know of cringe on hearing the land prices in these places. As i had mentioned earlier, the main factor that drives these prices are market speculation. Many places in Kochi fell vicitim to this " speculation". Kochi is a great port city. To this day, there is practically no IT industry there since 80% of the software exports in the State is done by Technopark. There is no solid industry at the moment in Kochi , only some market speculation. Though Smart city is being touted as a big project, a lot of hype is given to this project since this is mostly in the private sector. But the fact remains that Smart city , even when it happens, is smaller than the Technopark-Technocity IT corridor in Trivandrum and considerably smaller than IT parks in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. So, why this hype.. The answer is the real estate mafia.
From various sources, we came to know the role the media and the real estate mafia played in inflating the actual prices. How they works is like this.. They overhype any project through the media- both print and electronic to the extent that most of the general public falls prey to these tactics. By this time, the so called real estate mafia would have already controlled most of the land and people will be so overawed that they would want to purchase some land from these guys ( to sell at a profit later). Here is a classic example. Some agent will inform us ( the buyers) that they have 6 cents of plot close to some proposed XYZ project. The value now is 5 lakhs/cent ( though the actual value may be considerably lower) and they may also give an example of a transaction of an adjacent plot for 5.2 lakhs/cent. The point to note here is everyone including the buyer and the seller overstates the price of property. So you never get to know the truth of the actual transaction. The agent also says that in less than 2 years time, you can sell the same property for 10 lakhs/cent. WOW, that is a 500% return on investment. What other investment in the world will yield this? Now , this poor guy shells out 30 lakhs for a mere 6 cents plot in the hope of making 30 lakhs profit in 2 years( of course not considering the interest he pays in the meantime). COMMON GUYS, do you think this is a feasible transaction. No economist will say so. Do your math- 6 cents of land is the bare minimum you need to render utility to the land ( like building a house). So, now the base line is that you purchase the land for 60 lakhs plus you have to shell out another additional 35 lakhs for building a house. So you spent close a crore for a normal house on a mere 6 cents of land. Even if you imagine that an IT guys saves Rs. 50000 per month in India and considering the fact that he puts in the whole amount as EMI for this, he will take atleast 200 months to get off this debt.. That is roughly 17 years.. That too for a mere 6 cent plot plus house in a relatively small city in India.
Is this sustainable? No. The land prices are definitely in for a downward correction. When you get the feeling that even people with considerable disposable income cannot afford these prices, there is something wrong here. What has happened in California and rest of US will happen in Kerala also. Not only in Kochi but also in other cities including Trivandrum. But in the case of Trivandrum there is a flip side. The projects in Trivandrum do not get as much media coverage as those in Kochi. Why is this? Because, contrary to Trivandrum, most of the projects supposedly coming in Kochi are in the private sector. So they need the media coverage to sell their projects. I am a development oriented Keralite. I want all cities, towns and villages to develop equally- but not at the cost of the general public. Here is the scoop- Who are the clear winners in the whole episode- the so called real estate mafia.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Cell phones, beggars, coolies and India
I love cellphones. I am not a gadget freak. But, i can't live without cellphones. They are my lifeline. My heart literally pounds when I try to call my beloved ones and when they do not respond. I bet that that is the case with almost everyone who reads this. Just imagine this- In late 1999, when I got my first cellphone ( by default), it was a marvellous piece of equipment for me. " Equipment", because this an important component in my job. Once, while I was working in Manjeri, I remember some lads hooting at me when they saw me speaking on the phone . I got pissed off, but I should have remembered that owning a mobile phone then was considered to be a privilege of the bourgeosis class. Those were the times of Rs 8/minute mobile calls and nobody could even imagine a 22 yr old chatting away to glory for hours together.
2008- India overtook the U.S as the country with the second largest mobile phone subscribers, next only to China. India's teledensity is around 25, which means that out of every 100 people in India only around 25 have mobilephones. Considering that the saturation point is about 75, consider the potential India holds. No wonder all the international operators are making a beeline to the country which until recently considered owning a landphone as a luxury of thenchosen few. Beggars and coolies have mobile phones. Engineers and doctors own them too. So do toddy tappers, cobblers, blacksmiths etal. The Ambanis and Tatas use the same newtork too with no preference. It is no more a luxury but a big necessity. India has one of the cheapest call rates in the world and a youth population of more than 60%. SMS,MMS etc etc are keywords to any mobile user in India. In 2 years time, there will be a technological revolution with the launch of 3 G services. To those who are not familiar with 3G, it is a broadband connection on your mobile phones- of course on a 3 G ( UMTS) handset. That would mean using internet while on the go at speeds greater than 1 Mbps while on the go.
I am just mesmerised with how India has adapted considerably to technological changes. In telecom for example, it is way ahead of other nations-including many developed countries. Most of the handset manufacturers have set shop in India. The majority of the youth are gizmo geeks. I won't hoot back at those Manjeri lads if I see them again with their sleek gadgets.
2008- India overtook the U.S as the country with the second largest mobile phone subscribers, next only to China. India's teledensity is around 25, which means that out of every 100 people in India only around 25 have mobilephones. Considering that the saturation point is about 75, consider the potential India holds. No wonder all the international operators are making a beeline to the country which until recently considered owning a landphone as a luxury of thenchosen few. Beggars and coolies have mobile phones. Engineers and doctors own them too. So do toddy tappers, cobblers, blacksmiths etal. The Ambanis and Tatas use the same newtork too with no preference. It is no more a luxury but a big necessity. India has one of the cheapest call rates in the world and a youth population of more than 60%. SMS,MMS etc etc are keywords to any mobile user in India. In 2 years time, there will be a technological revolution with the launch of 3 G services. To those who are not familiar with 3G, it is a broadband connection on your mobile phones- of course on a 3 G ( UMTS) handset. That would mean using internet while on the go at speeds greater than 1 Mbps while on the go.
I am just mesmerised with how India has adapted considerably to technological changes. In telecom for example, it is way ahead of other nations-including many developed countries. Most of the handset manufacturers have set shop in India. The majority of the youth are gizmo geeks. I won't hoot back at those Manjeri lads if I see them again with their sleek gadgets.
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