PAUPER TRADE

A joint effort by: SOUVAGYA RANJAN MOHANTY & ANURAG SAHOO

It gives me immense pleasure to post my 20^th article in this blog. I am thankful to my brother, my friends and everybody else who have been through my blog and provided me encouragement. Time sure passes away and this blog is a testimony to that. I invite my friends, readers and anybody who has something to say or share in this blog.

I can’t understand why we, people of earning class, often satire a different class of our society called BEGGARS. We mock at them and look at them with utter disgust as if they are not human. We strongly disapprove and discourage their way of living. But we fail to see that behind them there is a story. The story which , whether we like it or not, has MARKETING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP and what not.

Let’s make an in-depth analysis which is unique in our country. First of all, let me ask my readers a question. CAN ANYBODY SAY WHO IS NOT A BEGGAR IN THIS WORLD? Technically speaking, the answer is NO. We, members of the IZZAT KA ROTI class, pray to God to get a job and have a steady income. Is it not begging? Every human begs and does it in a different way. The difference is since majority of the population is not begging so, we have forcibly assumed that our method of begging is socially acceptable. A beggar does it in a plain, stereotypical and in a way described in books because he has the courage to do so.

We pray to God to give us this or give us that. We should mock at ourselves. We should mock at the Entrepreneurs who don’t seem to learn anything from the beggars. BEGGING IS A BUSINESS OF SYMPATHY. If you are getting money, then why would you worry about the means. It is not illegal at least in our country. Coming to the marketing part, Yes a beggar does marketing of himself/herself and that too without any form of investment. A beggar motivates his target customers by emotion. He tries to draw their attention on him. He himself is the product in the market. He does field jobs. He tries to create a position in the mindset of the customers that they must pay him in order to get wishes (DUA) exactly like advertising. He is a psychological means for the people to wash off their wrong-doings.

All this they do without shelling out a single penny but on the contrary, they earn. He has confidence on himself than a CEO of any business firm. Success and failures are parts of his life. He has targets to fulfill every day. Target of whether to get enough to stay alive for that day. Financially analyzing, it is the only business in the world which is risk-free and offers returns. Maybe, a beggar is not an entrepreneur but he surely is a smart businessman. So, next time you see a beggar, try to find a case study of a B-SCHOOL in him. See him not as a dreg of the society but a follower of the discipline which is called BUSINESS.

SPICY ONTOGENY

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

FOOD WITHOUT SPICE IS A REMINDER OF HOW EARLY MAN WERE EATING. Spice is one of the sought after commodity which made The BRITISH EAST INDIAN COMPANY to travel such far off distant place like India. Spice trade in India includes trading of turmeric, chilies, peppers, seed spices, etc. India accounts to 45% of spice supply all over the world. Spice industry is an almost risk free business. From the chillies of Rajasthan to cinnamon of south, India offers a variety of spices to make your dishes a culinary delight. When it comes to spices, one name strikes our mind. The name is MDH or mahasian di hatti.

Ontogeny means growth and in this post I’ll write about the incredible growth story of MDH. The company came into existence as a small spice shop in 1919 at SIALKOT (now in Pakistan). It was owned by MAHASHAY CHUNNI LAL. Within years, the shop became famous by the name of DEGGI MIRCH WALE(pot chilly people). After independence and partition of India, his son MAHASHAY DHARAM PAL(the turbaned man we see in the ads of MDH) came to Delhi and opened up a shop in Ajmal Khan Road, KAROL BAGH area. The name of that shop was MAHASIAN DI HATTI DEGGI MIRCH WALE. The term means the shop of the magnanimous.

Initially the business relied on humans to process and ground the spice but then they automated their business by purchasing machines. Today, this small spice shop has grown into a position where it can touch the sky. As for this date, it has a capacity of producing 30 tonnes of spices every single day. It has manufacturing plants in UP, HARYANA, RAJASTHAN and PUNJAB. It has a network of 1000 wholesalers and over 4,00,000 retailers to sell its products. Besides this, it exports its product to NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE and AUSTRALIA.

MDH is also instrumental in charitable works. It has built a 250 bed hospital. It also operates a mobile hospital for slum and 4 schools. With these facts, MDH indeed offers
a story which has a SPICY ONTOGENY.

WHO OWNS WHOM

Written by: ANURAG SAHOO

In the dynamic business world, merger and acquisition holds an important position in the minds of corporates. It forms the cornerstone of various advanced strategies like DIVERSIFICATION, GROWTH ,etc. From the investor’s perspective, it puts a direct impact on the value of the companies securities, financial instruments,etc. These strategy can work in favour or adversely for the company. I was amazed when I came to know about these calculated risk which large corporations took by acquiring another company. In this post, we take a glance on some major business acquisitions that had taken place over the years.

§ German Sports wear giant ADIDAS has acquired British giant REEBOK for 3.8 billion USD.

§ Google bought video sharing major YOUTUBE for 1.8 billion USD.

§ TATA acquired Anglo-Dutch Steel major CORUS for a whooping 12.11 billion USD.

§ MITTAL STEEL merged with Luxembourg based ARCELOR STEEL to form the world’s largest steel maker.

§ South Korean automobile major HYUNDAI purchased 51% of KIA AUTOMOBILES.

§ VIDEOCON acquired THOMSON SA which is a major electronics giant .

§ VIDEOCON acquired PLANET M from BENNET COLEMAN for 200 CRORE INR.

§ Italian Coffee giant LAVAZZA acquired BARISTA from STERLING INFOTECH.

§ Japan’s No.3 company DAIICHII SANKYO acquires 51% of RANBAXY, India’s largest pharmaceutical company.

§ German auto company VOLKSWAGEN acquires SKODA AUTO of Czech republic.

ABBREVIATIONS FOR YOUR HEADS

Compiled by: ANURAG SAHOO

IBM- International Business Machine
DHL-Dalsey Hillblom Lynn
ITC-Imperial Tobacco Company
DLF-Delhi Land & Finance
GSK-Glaxo Smithkline
ADAG-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group
MMTC-Mines and Mineral Trading Corporation(The most costly traded share in BSE)
NASDAQ-National Association of securities dealers automated quotient.
SENSEX-Sensitive Index
ADIDAS-Adolf Dassler/All day I dream about sports
HSBC-Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Corporation
HP-Hewlett- Packard
ESPN-Entertainment and Sports Programming Network
HBO-Home Box Office
CNN-Cable News Network
S&P-Standard & Poor’s
BNSF-Burlington Northern Santa Fe
UBS-Union Bank of Switzerland
RBS-Royal Bank of Scotland
PLC-Public Limited Company
POSCO-Pohang Iron & Steel Company
HTC-High Tech Computers
GM-General Motors/Gay marriage(just kidding for the latter)
KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines
HCL-Hindustan Computers Limited
IBN-Indian Broadcasting Network
NDTV-New Delhi Television
HDTV-High-definition Television
MDH-Mahasian Di Hatti
HUL-Hindustan Unilever
AIG-American International Group
ING-International Netherlands Group

EVERY MINUTE THAT WE SLEEP

WRITTEN BY : PURNENDU NANDA
MODIFIED BY: ANURAG SAHOO

First of all the entire credit goes to an anonymous friend who has given such a funny topic. Complete humor have been added to make this post as much entertaining as possible.

“Every minute that we sleep”- it may be an incomplete sentence but the word “we” means the students and they can understand the value of sleep between the off-classes and the in-classes.

Let me share an example- In class and out class, there are huge scopes of sleeping for those students who think the class has no value addition to their life or feel that the lecture is not motivating enough to help them keep their eyelids open. It’s the pride of the BACK-BENCHERS who sleep every minute sitting in the painful chair in a painful posture. Those people are the soft targets for a faculty to launch an all round assault of asking questions- as it’s obvious to the faculties that the back benchers belong to the PREMIUM SLEEPER CLASS. But how come they never realize that like every leader has followers, so, every front bench have a back bench. It’s the student’s honesty to sit there and proclaim himself as the back benchers.

Another amazing fact about this great classroom activity is the types of postures that we inherit just to get a sleep. Some sleep open eyed like a predator, some cook-up an old aunt’s tale of “not feeling well” and the smarter segment prefer to take cover by deliberately sleeping behind the fattest kid of the class. They prefer to be in stealth mode from the teacher. Whenever they sit, they sit exactly at the back of their cover and all this includes some calculations.

Now coming back to the topic, out class sleeping is done on bed and mattresses. Before sleeping we always set up an alarm in our clocks or cell phones. Some people hardly get one or a couple of hours to sleep and some sleep so soundly that they miss their classes. But since setting alarm is a liability which is to be done, so be it. We never get up to the alarm ring. It’s our inner self which pulls you back to the bed and says “c’mon, what’s the heck? Maybe some few more minutes.” So, for that, EVERY MINUTE THAT WE SLEEP really counts.

THE AXE EFFECT

CONCIEVED BY: CHANDRASEKHAR BARIK
WRITTEN BY: CHANDRASEKHAR BARIK and ANURAG SAHOO

Guys just guess what am I talking about? If You think it as AXE – the irresistible deodorant and its sex appeal, then you are absolutely wrong. I am talking about AXE- the destroyer of trees and its not so green appeal. I have tried hard to put emotions to this sensitive post. It is a question to be asked to each and every individual living on this planet. The axe effect on the environment is a cruel slap we are giving to planet earth which is our mother. While we are planning to colonize in moon, we have failed to notice that our own home is on the verge of destruction. The common man is lost in the journey to earn their GOD(money). It is true that “money can buy you a mare but it cannot buy you a life.” Leaders of 192 countries are all set to discuss the fate of earth in a conference this December at Copenhagen, Denmark.

The deforestation is an ugly process to develop any country but unfortunately it is our harsh reality and we have to digest this fact. The materialistic life of the human race has made us forget that every step we put out of our bed, car, office is on the surface of our planet. Even jets and helicopters fly but eventually they also have to land. But we are relieving our planet of its adornment. This is an entirely unacceptable process as we have got no right to kill any trees or plants as God has also bestowed life on them just as He/She did to us. We should realize that there should be an ecological balance between us and the plants. We should not forget that plants and trees can live without us but we cannot live without them. So, in this case we are the debtors.

I guess we are not far away from that day when we will see trees as a rare commodity being sold I a retail or antique shop for a high price. And yeah, I would advice you to watch the disaster scenes of DAY AFTER TOMORROW again and again if you want to get a feel of how our end will be. So, it’s better said that if we don’t mend our wicked ways to protect nature, then nature will punish us and will do it in an unimaginable way.
It’s better if we restrict the AXE EFFECT to deodorants and not a nature spifficating process.

INDIA-2020 THE VISION

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world and ranks second in the PURCHASE POWER (PP). India’ the world’s 12th largest economy. With this facts backing our country’s image, let us put our focus on the upcoming URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS which promises to transform India from a rural based country to an citified fantasy. From the lands of paddy field to utopia of skyscrapers. Let’s take a look at a revitalized and revamped vision that is known as INDIA 2020.

TAJ INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ,NOIDA- is a proposed international passenger and cargo handling airport near NOIDA.

METRO RAIL SYSTEMS are being built in MUMBAI, BENAGALURU, HYDERABAD, PUNE and the existing lines in NEW DELHI and KOLKATA are being extended. Indian Government has decided to invest 2,00,000 CRORES INR by 2020 in metro rail construction. Moreover, monorail construction have already been proposed.

Infrastructure giants like UNITECH, DLF, PARSVNATH, HIRANANDANI and RAHEJA BROTHERS are investing crores of rupees in constructing IT CENTRES, SHOPPING MALLS, RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS,etc.

Heavy investments in construction of thermal and hydro power plants are done to cater the power needs of the booming economy.

World class expressways and highways are being constructed and existing ones are being upgraded to 6 lanes and 8 lanes.

West Bengal will see the country’s first AEROTROPOLIS which will house an international airport, commercial complexes, hotels, malls and space for IT services.

With these projects already proposed, INDIA will surely move towards new heights of modernity.

UK LIVES FOR SIEMENS

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

Siemens, when we hear this name we get reminded of siemens mobile and erstwhile BENQ SIEMENS mobile phones which were not so successful brand in India. But siemens is actually a brand to be reckoned in the world and India is no exception to that.

SIEMENS AG is a Germany based engineering giant who offers a wide range of products that includes communication systems, home appliances, medical equipment, power generation. It is a perfect example of how technology can touch the lives of million and make their present and future secure, reliable and convenient.

Let’s take a look at how SIEMENS AG has made the great nation of UNITED KINGDOM live. As everybody says, statistics provide the quantitative analysis about a fact. So, get ready to play with numbers and facts to feel the greatness about this global brand i.e. SIEMENS AG.

In UK, siemens sells about 2,00,000 domestic/home appliances per year..

Siemens AG provided technological support to broadcast LIVE 8- a string of benefit concerts held in G-8 nations to provide aid to poor nations. Siemens AG made that broadcast a global phenomenon.

9 out of 10 cars made in the UK contains parts manufactured by Siemens AG.

Siemens provide technical support to traffic lights in UK which helps 1,00,00,00
people to cross the roads safely every day.

It provides baggage handing systems to all major airports in UK.

Siemens AG is the second largest manufacturers of trains in UK.

Now for the cricket lovers, SIEMENS AG is the inventor of HAWK-EYE technology.

Siemens AG’s finance arm provides financial support to 2,50,000 businesses.

75 out of 100 companies listed in LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE uses Siemens’s communication system.

Siemens AG’s machine processes 6 million passports a year.

Siemens AG provides equipments which generates about a third of UK’s total electricity.

These are facts enough to prove that these companies run the economy of the nation. The undying spirit deserves an ovation as I lay my respect to such a great brand which believes in itself. The endurance shown by this company truly is amazing. So, next time you see the words SIEMENS, just think about one line. UK LIVES FOR SIEMENS.

EXXON MOBIL- NUMERO UNO

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

EXXON MOBIL- the name may not be as familiar to Indians as pepsi or mcdonalds. But this oil and gas major is, hold your breath, the world’s largest JOINT STOCK COMPANY. In 2009, it surprassed retail giant WALMART to emerge as the Rank 1 position holder in the FORTUNE 500. It is part of the six oil supermajors which also includes ROYAL DUTCH SHELL, CHEVRON, CONOCO PHILLIPS, BRITISH PETROLEUM and a French company TOTAL SA

It is formed by the merging of two companies- EXXON and MOBIL corporations. The amazing thing about these two companies are that these two companies took birth from the breakdown of the same company i.e THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY.

Now let’s me share some facts about THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY. It was an oil and gas founded by JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, the wealthiest man ever. It achieved supernormal profits as it grew to demonic proportions. It got a near monopoly situation in the market of oil and gas when the US FEDERAL COURT and the government decided to break the company down to smaller units. Thus, major companies like CHEVRON, EXXON, MOBIL came into existence. Incredibly, these companies also made it to TOP 10 companies of FORTUNE 500.

Shifting our focus again to EXXON MOBIL, in 2008, it’s total assets stand at a whooping 228 billion USD. It has a reserve of 72 billion barrels which would last for 14 years.

I hope the readers have a good idea about a corporation, not well known in INDIA but is THE WORLD’S NO.1 in terms of market capitalization. So, next time when you are asked about No.1 company in FORTUNE 500, don’t tell it’s COCA COLA or SAMSUNG. We must not forget the fact that OIL is the most essential mineral we need.

MEDIA CONGLOMERATES:THE FACTFILE

Written by ANURAG SAHOO

Media is the mirror of the society that we live in. But today, media is a MULTI-BILLION INDUSTRY. In this blog, we’ll discuss about the TOP 4 MEDIA CONGLOMERATES(collection of businesses) of the world.

We start with the 4th position. The winner of this position is VIACOM The name stands for video & audio communication. I have decided to directly provide the information. So, here it comes. Among its most prized possession are MTV NETWORKS,NICKELODEON,VHI,CBS NETWORKS, PARAMOUNT STUDIOS and its acquired DREAMWORKS STUDIO.

Let’s move to 3rd position. The bronze goes to NEWS CORPORATION. It is owned by Australian RUPERT MURDOCH. It owns the movie production major TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX and FOX SEARCHLIGHT. Along with it, NEWS CORPORATION also owns FOX CHANNEL, SKY CHANNEL, 20% of TATA SKY DTH, publishing house HARPER COLLINS( HC India is a JV between NEWS CORPORATION 40% and INDIA TODAY GROUP 60%). It owns STAR TV bouquet. It has acquired NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TELEVISION. In print segment, it has THE SUNDAY MAIL and fashion magazine VOGUE. It holds 20% of RADIO CITY, the top FM channel of India. In the website world, it has IGN, GAMESPY,ASK.COM to name a few.


The silver medal i.e 2nd position goes to TIME WARNER INC. It owns WARNER BROTHERS STUDIO, CABLE NEWS NETWORK(CNN), CARTOON NETWORK, HOME BOX OFFICE(HBO), AMERICAN ONLINE(AOL), WINAMP MEDIA PLAYER, NEW LINE CINEMA MOVIE PRODUCTION, DC COMICS(SUPERMAN, BATMAN). It is the result of a merger between TIME INC and WARNER BROTHERS. TIME INC. consists of renowed publications like TIME MAGAZINE(THE MOST POPULAR MAGAZINE OF THE WORLD), FORTUNE(THE MAKERS OF FORTUNE 500,1000 LISTS AND THE NO.1 BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THE WORLD), MARIE CLAIRE and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.

The pole position is taken by a company which many of us thought is merely into cartoon making and toy business i.e WALT DISNEY CORPORATIONS. Besides owning everything in this world which has the word DISNEY in it, it owns AMERICAN BROADCASTING CORPORATIONS(ABC), ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS PROGARMMING NETWORK(ESPN), WALT DISNEY PICTURES(makers of blockbuster like PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN),PIXAR(THE ANIMATION ARM OF DISNEY and makers of ICE AGE), MIRAMAX FILMS(makers of the classic PULP FICTION), DISNEY LAND- AMUSEMENT PARKS, RESORTS AND CRUISE LINERS. In India, Its biggest investment is 32% Stake in UTV SOFTWARE COMMUNICATIONS and its partnership with YASH RAJ FILMS for movie production and distribution.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT A MOVIE

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

My friends always criticize me for preferring foreign movies to our own bollywood movies. Yes, I admit I do so. At first, I preffered only action movies but my choice changed. I find many foreign movies to be informative since they deal with international issues of various kinds. And through this, I also gained some knowledge about these issues which I would have never known otherwise. I would like to cite some examples. The highly-acclaimed animated Israeli movie, “WALTZ WITH BASIR” focuses on the horrors of 1982 israel-lebanon conflict from the perspective of a soldier. The Steven Speilberg directed Tom Hanks starrer 1999 classic, “SAVING PRIVATE RYAN” shows one of the largest military operation in the history i.e the INVASION OF NORMANDY by the allied forces during the second world war. The scene of that movie in which the landing of allied forces on Omaha beach is shown still gives me the chills in my spines. Another classic, the 2001 academy award winner BLACK HAWK DOWN shows modern warfare during the UN peacekeeping operation in Mogadishu, the somalian capital which took place in 1993 in which two US Black Hawk choppers were lost by RPG shots. Leonardo DiCaprio starrer BLOOD DIAMOND shifts our focus on the civil wars which have ravaged sierra leone and many other African nations and all these civil wars are financed by diamonds which are purchased by common people in Europe, USA and other countries. The 1984 Al Pacino starrer SCARFACE which achieved a cult following showcases the rise of a Cuban refugee to a rich druglord. This movie is based in 1980s Miami which was really the drug haven in the USA. Through this movie I came to know about the drug trade which has boomed in the US. Even a comedy movie like TROPIC THUNDER informed me about golden quadrangle of opium production which are Vietnam, Myanmar and spans to Afghanistan. The 1998 Academy award winning movie AMERICAN HISTORY X deals with the sensitive issue of racism in the cosmopolitan city of Los Angeles. And yes, how many people in India knew about dinosaurs before JURASSIC PARK was released. DAY AFTER TOMORROW provides a dangerous view of what will happen to the world if we get defeated in the war against global warming. The soon to be released movie 2012 also shows disasters to befall on earth following the predictions of Maya Calenders about the Doomsday( a term given to the day the world will end). The Mel Gibson directed movie, “APOCALYPTO” shows about the lives and wars of the native Central American before the Spanish invasion in the 15th or 16th century AD. It never hurts to know more about anything. After watching these movies, I came to know about these international issues. I would say what is the harm if you become a well informed citizen. Likewise, there’s something about a movie and for me the thing is INFORMATION.

INDIA IN RHYME

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

NEAR TO THE RIVER INDUS
THERE IS INDIA WHICH WAS PROSPEROUS

UNTIL THE BRITISHERS CAME
TO MAKE INDIA LAME

OF COURSE THEY GAVE US RAIL AND TELEPHONE
BUT REGULAR FAMINES SHOWED SKELETONS OF BONE

THEN CAME THE LIGHT OF INDEPENDENCE
BECAUSE GANDHIJI’S WORD MADE SOME SENSE

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HAPPENED
BUT THE INDO-PAK CRISIS DARKENED

THREE TIMES IN A ROW
INDIAN FORCES GAVE PAKISTAN THE BLOW

INDIRA GANDHI ORDERED TO COUNTER KHALISTANI INSURGENCY
SHE DID PUT THE NATION IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY

BUT DURING HER TERM, RAKESH SHARMA WENT TO SPACE
AND THE INDIAN CRICKET TEAM SHOWED THEIR ACE

POST LPG, INDIAN MARKET OPENED THEIR GATES
TO THE FOREIGN COMPANIES WHO PLACED THEIR BETS

IN 1992, SEBI WAS FORMED TO REGULATE STOCK EXCHANGE
AFTER WHICH STOCK TRADING IN INDIA BECAME A RAGE

IN 1999 STARTED THE KARGIL CONFLICT
IN WHICH PAKISTAN AGAIN HAS TO FACE DEFEAT

WHILE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IS BOOMING
AND PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ARE MUSHROOMING

SOFT DRINKS ARE FOUND WITH DEPOSITS OF PESTICIDE
AND DEBT RIDDEN FARMERS ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE

BOOM ALSO TOUCHED AVIATION AND RETAIL
WHICH LESSENED DUE TO FORAYING OF COMPANIES WITHOUT MUCH DETAIL

WHILE AVIATION THOUGHT INDIA TO BE THE JEWEL
THE THOUGHT BECAME A NIGHTMARE DUE TO RISING PRICE OF FUEL

AND RETAIL WAS IN THE UPPER HAND
BUT HIGH REAL ESTATE COST MADE IT HARD TO ACQUIRE LAND

NAXALS ARE HARRASSING INDIA WITH DILLIGENCE
AS THEY WERE FED UP WITH GOVERNMENT’S NEGLIGENCE

TELECOM BOOM SAW IN EVERY INDIAN HANDS A PHONE WHICH WAS MOBILE
IT WAS A TREND WHICH ATTRACTED OLD PEOPLE AS WELL AS JUVENILE

WHILE EDUCATION AND HEALTH IS STRIVING FOR DEVELOPMENT
DELHI METRO IS A NOBLE STEP BY THE GOVERNMENT

BRANDS HAVE GOT AMPLE SCOPE OF PENETRATION
LET ME GIVE YOU A GOOD ILLUSTRATION

INDIANS ARE DRIVING BMW, MERCEDES AND JAGUAR
WHILE TATA ALSO LAUNCHED NANO THE CHEAPEST CAR

WHILE FOREIGNERS FIND OUR DIVERSITY AS PECULIAR
BUT WE ARE PROUD BECAUSE WE ARE SECULAR

I AM STILL HOPEFUL THAT ONE DAY MY GREAT NATION
WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING ECONOMIC DOMINATION

ANDAMANS- THE UNDER RATED PARADISE

ANDAMANS- THE UNDER RATED PARADISE

Me and my family were in great dilemma while deciding for a place where we could spent our puja vacation of 2009. Then suddenly my mind flashed to a place in the Indian map which is probably the most isolated part of India i.e, ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS. It is an Indian union territory which is nearer to south east asian nations than the Indian mainland. This small archipelago territory doesn’t strike any chord in the minds of us mainland Indians but still my family gave a go ahead signal for spending our vacation there. Andaman and nicobar’s capital is PORT BLAIR which houses the territoty’s only civilian airport VEER SAVARKAR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Port blair is connected by air from Chennai and kolkata. Also vessels like MV SWARNA DEEP which operates in high tides between Chennai and port blair can be of service. It takes 2 and a half hours by air and 3 days by sea. The majority of the population is Bengali or tamil origin. The capital is entirely cosmopolitan and almost everybody speaks good HINDI. So tourists will not have any communication problems. The weather is generally cloudy and windy and rain lasts for hardly 10-15 minutes. The A& N CONSISTS OF 576 islands while port blair is located at the SOUTH ANDAMAN ISLANDS. There are lots of economical hotels and restaurants provide every kind of dishes but sea food especially lobster and golden prawn is the island’s gourmet speciality.

Among the places of interest are HAVELOCK ISLAND which is among the top 5 beaches of the country. Just off the coast of port blair is ROSS ISLAND which was touted as the PARIS OF THE EAST. It accommodated an ENGLISH barracks. It is really fascinating to see the way or the style the Englishmen lived on Indian soil before independence. Ross island was captured by Japanese army during 2nd world war. LIMESTONE CAVE AND nature hike in MANGROVE RAIN FOREST in BARATUNGA is an unique experience to enjoy the flora and fauna of this beautiful island. The local boatmen can also take you to uninhabited and isolated island where you can spend hours in complete solitary and bliss enjoying the sights of miles of unspoiled white sands and blissful serene coral beaches. CORAL SPOTTING by snorkeling i.e underwater diving or by glass bottomed boats are a not to miss activity. Finally the greatest attraction is the CELLULAR JAIL- an epitome of tyranny by britishers and valourism of Indian freedom fighters. Coined as the ALCATRAZ OF INDIA or KAALAPANI( black waters) it was one of the most dangerous and alienated prison of the world where Indian revolutionaries like veer savarkar, mahavir singh and hundred others were kept and tortured everyday. There was a gallow where several prisoners were hanged to death. The light and sound show at the cellular jail will leave you spellbound as you will get to know about the dark history of the JAIL. Andamans is also home to many tribes like JARAWA TRIBES who are about 250-300 in number now. Lookswise, they are exactly similar to the African pygmies. They still live in the forest and has little or no contact with outside world. International societies like NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC or SURVIVAL.ORG has declared them as one of the most isolated tribe of the world. Besides all these, port blair is very clean city and offers amazing view of nearby island from the waterfront.

But everything has a flip side and ANDAMANS is no exception. Since the government intervention in the tourism sector of this islands is next to nil, majority of tour is operated by private business. They have formed a sort of cartel as they have associates everywhere starting from hotels to car rentals to ferry service to shops. The buzzword for the entire operation is MISMANAGEMENT. Tourists have been flocking to Andaman in large numbers but handling tourist has been a pain in the neck. One has to wait for hours for a ferry to get from one island to another islands.THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA has put a prohibition of any tourist from interaction with any member of JARAWA TRIBE but still it is done. When any vehicle has to go to baratunga, it has to use ANDAMAN TRUNK ROAD which passes through the JARAWA RESERVE. So always a convoy of vehicles are made and that convoy is escorted by police.

But still, ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS remains as one of the best tropical getaway destinations of India which boasts of unspoiled serene beaches and monuments which speaks of the pre independence culture of India. Like I said it before, this place is the under rated paradise which carves for divine intervention from the government.

AB PICHE KYUN BAITHNA……………

CONCIEVED BY SUNANDA DAS
WRITTEN BY ANURAG SAHOO

Before starting on this one, first I would like to extend my gratitude my dear friend SUNANDA DAS for giving me this wonderful idea to think about WOMEN LIBERATION. Let’s get started.
Our country has rich culture and diversity. Since Indus Valley Civilization, the position of women has been held with high respect. Women has many facets like caring one in the form of mother, destroyer in the form of MAA KALI ,etc. The movie WHAT’S YOUR RASHEE potrays an awesome picture of girls. But does our nation really does what it preached. Well, women /girl have to suffer a lot in this hypocritic society. But still today’s female is marching forward. And what’s a better way to celebrate women liberation than TVS SCOOTY.
Women of today have got the power to create brands. Example are multi million MNCs like pond’s,l’oreal, TVS most sold scooty,etc. Sorry I used the word women a lot. Let’s use GIRL which would be more appropriate for our young readers. Girls are now bold, energetic, self reliable and what not else. They are competing boys in education, corporate, MTV ROADIES and many things else. Girls do not prefer to seat behind their men’s back and act like a damsel in distress. But now they are forming their own identity and also entering into BOY’S TURF. Today’s girls have came outside and with a bang.
So, THREE CHEERS TO WOMEN’S LIBERATION.

WEB IS GOD

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

Internet is probably one of the best thing that happened to the modern world. Through world wide web(www), the entire world was opened to the eyes of a common person. My tryst with the internet began sometime in the year 2001 when I was in 8th standard. At that time the hourly charge of using internet was, hold your breath, Rs.40.
The first thing I saw in the net was……… its hard to mention. It happened because of the persuasion by some friends. But time and again, I find better use of the internet.
The most liked use of internet was on-line chatting. I readily opened an account in yahoo. I could chat with nationals from Brazil, USA and even countries like Puerto rico.
After that, santabanta.com became a favoured destination as it offered spicy bollywood and Hollywood gossips, jokes and most popularly wallpapers of different genres.
But the real madding point came with the launch of ORKUT. The largest online social networking system, as it claims so, Orkut developed a chain link between me and my long forgotten school friends. Picture sharing helped me see how my friends are leading their life. Orkut is the most visited website in all the cyber cafes.During graduation days, net was made available in my home and yup, I saw a site which was founded by James Wales. Nothing fancy, the site is named as WIKIPEDIA. It remains my homepage till this date as it is the depository of knowledge. It is a site which would give any physical encyclopedia a run for its money. Another great thing to happen is YOUTUBE, the ultimate video sharing website. I saw rare videos like the bombing of Hiroshima or interview of Gandhiji. Apart from these, IMDB which stands for the internet movie database has all the information and reviews of virtually every movie, old or new, of any language. The internet also made way to on-line share trading, banking, ticket reservations and many thing more. So the journey with the internet had been an entertaining as well as a learning one. Like I said earlier, WEB IS GOD

BURJ AL ARAB-THE ROYALE EDIFICE

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

Dubai has been a success story in the Arabian peninsula. It has become an investment hotspot. Dubai is a befitting example of how nature defying modern architecture can be. It houses some of the world’s most bizarre architecture projects like THE PALM ISLANDS, THE WORLD and the BURJ DUBAI. But have you ever wondered what dominates Dubai’s skyline. When it comes to Dubai always one structure comes to our mind- THE BURJ AL ARAB. According to an advertisement, it is an important example of Dubai’s transition from a desert land to a magical wonderland. It symbolizes the heights human spirit can achieve.
This grand seven star hotel is shaped as a sail of the boat. Some people say it is the only 7 star hotel in the world. This hotel is built & managed by Dubai based Jumeirah Group. The architect behind this magnamonious structure is TOM WRIGHT. Now let’s take a tour to this hotel starting from the airport.

You should make reservations to get a room. BURJ AL ARAB is not the quintessential business hotel but it’s more like a royal palace. You will be escorted from the airport to the hotel by ROLLS ROYCE or HELICOPTER. As you will approach the artificial island where the great structure is soaring high, you will notice GOLDEN CAMEL STATUES in the roads. When you will enter the hotel, you will be inside WORLD’S LARGEST ATRIUM. The hotel has a height of 321 metres. The interiors are decorated with gold plated rods. The hotel is made of the finest materials humans can lay their hands upon. Let’s share some statistics regarding this. 250 designers, 9000 tons of steel,43000 square meter of glass,13000 square meter of carrara marbles, 12000 square metres of brazillian granite, 32000 square metres of Italian mosaic & 1500 square metres of 24 carat gold leaf characterize the magnitude at which this masterpiece has been built. Each room is duplexed and costs 1000$ a night. The most deluxe suite costs a whooping $28000 a night.It holds a workforce of 1200 employees. There is an underwater simulated restaurant. Apart from these, BURJ AL ARAB has many other outrageous features which redefines the term LUXURY.

Truly, BURJ AL ARAB is a symbol of opulence. It marks the spirit of success human can achieve.

COMBATING NAXALS- WE HAVE THE POWER

WRITTEN BY: ANURAG SAHOO

Many of us know about the menance of naxalism in India. Nearly every other day, we come across the news that naxalites have destroyed a mobile phone tower or have killed security personnel. But how many of us know what does the word “NAXALISM” means. Well, it refers to the extremist movement started by farmers against feudal system and the government for their lands. This movement started from a place in west Bengal which goes by the name NAXALBARI. So the movement got its name as naxalism. Today, naxalism is a massive extremist process which is spread in the under-developed areas of Orissa, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh where people are still under the scourge of malnutrition in the year 2009 which is called as the e-chip age. Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh described Naxalism is the biggest internal threat of India. But the question of the hour is whether India can tackle Naxalism or not. I feel the answer is YES. It can be done both economically and by force. While Hyderabad, bhubaneswar, kolkata are becoming the hubs of Information Technology(IT) companies, areas like malkangiri, koraput in Orissa are known for its lack of communication, inaccessibility and malnutrition. Economic development alone can persuade the naxalites to shed arms and live peacefully. The discovery of Chinese made arms and ammunition and the recent revelation of a Pakistani manufactured mineral water pouch alarms us against the involvement of foreign forces behind naxalism. If we go the military way, the recently executed OPERATION NALAMALLA gives us a scale to measure our capability to combat naxalism. In the biggest post independence manhunt in the Indian history to search YSR Reddy, the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, we saw the deployment of more than 5000 CRPF personnel, greyhound and octopus commandoes, more than a dozen IAF helicopters and a sukhoi jet fitted with laser guided missiles and thermal imaging device. Also the services of an ISRO satellite was used. All this happened in a matter of few hours. If this operation of such high magnitude was undertaken for a search of a head of state, then to combat a 20000 strong naxalism maybe a similar operation with more commandoes would be enough. Especially when CRPF maintains a force of about 2,00,000 infantries. But still maybe a state of war is the last thing India wants as it is going through an economic developmental phase. Better health and education, proper transportation infrastructure and active participation of government and NGOs towards the upliftment of the downtrodden and naxal affected areas both socially and economically are the key to eradicate the plague of naxalism in the Gandhian Way.

NORTH EASTERNERS- ARE THEY NOT INDIANS?

WRITTEN BY:ANURAG SAHOO

The north east India consists of 7 states called the rainbow states. It includes Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura. Also includes assam. The region is very beautiful and at the same time rich in heritage and culture. It has also have an added advantage of having high literacy rate. It shares its border with china, Bangladesh and Myanmar. I had myself been there and was simply awestruck by its beauty and people. But lately some facts really disturbed my mind.
I wondered what people and the government of the Indian Mainland think about these north easterners. Not much good or kind. People in orissa and even some of my educated friends still see them as foreigners just because of their appearance. The people in north India especially in metro like New Delhi which is supposed to be cosmopolitan address the north easterners as “CHINKIS” just as we saw in the movie Chak De India. Chinkis is a term mentioned for small eyes and moreover to Chinese.
This is the type of reaction the north easterners get from the people of their own country that is India. Economic development is nearly nil in those states as it appears to be in the same condition as it was decades ago. No road infrastructure, tourism infrastructure or utility infrastructure. Of course the establishment of Rajiv Gandhi IIM- Shillong was a welcome step but still that is not enough. It looks like the only thing that the government is doing lately is the exploitation of the oil fields at Assam. While India has planned to invest a whooping 2,00,000 crores INR by 2020 to built metro rails in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, cochin, pune but it has ignored the fact that north eastern states need development. Another startling fact is that the budget of entire Manipur is less than the budget of a single administrative department of Andhra Pradesh. The only time the government shifts its focus to north east India is when china tries to infiltrate. While India is boasting of a robust economic future, it is alienating north east from the rest of India. Jackie chan is more popular than SRK in north east and rock music is popular than bhajans. That’s their uniqueness but it could be the result of isolative attitude which we, ignorant people, of the Indian mainland. I was also disappointed when I came through an article in the net by a north easterner in which the author wrote that maybe it would have been better if they would have been a part of china. It is not wrong in their part to expect something from India as the constitution of India states equal rights to all people. If India continues its step motherly treatment, then maybe that day is not far when China will try to take advantage and a revolt from north east would snap all ties of itself from India. As closing comments, the least I would do is extend my salutations to the beautiful people of north east India who call themselves Indians despite the fact that India has given them not much.

PASSIONATE ABOUT GAMING:

WRITTEN BY:ANURAG SAHOO

My tryst with video games began when I purchased a TV video game console i.e. GAMEBOY. During that time, players should put cartridge in order to load a game. Mr.MARIO the fun loving jumping Japanese dwarf or the hot headed militant shooting the enemies in CONTRA are some of the notable characters in that console. Then came the PC evolution and Sony Playstation which saw the advent of games like DOOM, PROJECT IGI and many first person shooter game. But the games which have really taken the gaming industry to dizzy heights are AGE OF EMPIRES, GRAND THEFT AUTO, THE SIMS and HALO. Age of empire is a strategic game in which you get to collect resources, build an empire, gather an ARMY of different type of combat units and defeat your enemies. It was a game which history teachers in USA recommended their students to play. That game launched MICROSOFT GAMES in the mainstream. But the phenomenon which changed our style of play from map based to sandbox(without no limits) is GRAND THEFT AUTO(GTA) series. Another innovative game was THE SIMS which was developed by WILL WRIGHT. Sims is the short for simulation. In this game, you get to create human, their homes and live their life.The launch of alien shooter game HALO 3 saw Microsoft Chairman BILL GATES personally distributing copies in a mall in US because for Microsoft also, gaming means big business and more bucks. Video games have also been inspiration to many movies. There are movies like ANGELINA JOLIE –starrer LARA CROFT,BLOODRAYNE,HITMAN and DISNEY’S soon to be released PRINCE OF PERSIA which are based on video games.Today, gaming is a multi billion dollar industry like the movie industry. There is always high anticipation among the masses when a sequel of any popular franchisee is due to be released. Next generation gaming consoles like SONY PLAYSTATION 3, MICROSOFT XBOX 360 or NINTENDO WII are raking in moolahs with their sales. The graphics are giving the game near realistic type feel to the gamers. And according to NASSCOM, India also will have a billion dollar gaming industry by 10 years. So as MICROSOFT SAYS………..GAME ON.

10 POINTERS FOR THE DUDES:

Magnanimously written by: Chandrasekhar Barik.
Slightly modified by: Anurag Sahoo

1.DO WHAT YOU ALWAYS CRAZE FOR.(FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS)

2.ALWAYS TAKE THE WRONG WAY, THAT’S THE BEST WAY TO LEARN

3.WHEN YOU GET PISSED, THERE’S ALWAYS THE BOTTLE. GET DROWNED IN BEER.

4.DRIVE FAST ELSE SOMEONE ELSE WILL REACH THERE.

5.ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR FINANCE MINISTER: YOUR DAD.

6.ALWAYS USE THE ANGLE OF ELEVATION TO GET CAUGHT OF ALL NATURAL BEAUTIES.

7.SOMETHING ABOUT HMMM….ETHICS, JUST THINK OUT OF BOX.

8.ABOUT LOVE- IT’S LIKE A SHARE MARKET, VERY VOLATILE

9.EXAMINATION-WILL NEVER END UNTIL YOU DIE, SO ALWAYS PLAY YOUR GAME TO WIN.

10.ALWAYS KEEP YOUR LAST TRUMP CARD TO WIN.


ENDING NOTE: LIFE=PLAY SAFE/ ENJOY THE MOST.