From Vijay Mujumdar

"दिवस आलापल्लीचे"  लेखिका निलिमा क्षत्रिय एक वाचकाचे मनोगत दिवस आलापल्लीचे हे पुरस्कारीत पुस्तक वाचले व फार आवडले म्हणून हे लिहीत आहे. आधी उज्ज्वलाने  वाचले आणि मला वाचण्याची शिफारस केली कारण हे मला नक्की आवडेल ह्याची तिला खात्री होती. ह्या आकाराचे पुस्तक वाचायला मला एक आठवडा तरी लागतो पण मी ते अतिशय वेगाने दोन दिवसातच संपवले. उज्ज्वलाने मात्र तिच्या नेहमीच्या वेगवान पद्धतीने काहीं तासांतच वाचले असावे. लेखिकेची विचार मांडण्याची पद्धत, भाषेवरील पकड, सुंदर व चपखल शब्दांचा वापर, मनुष्य स्वभावातील खाचाखोचा, कणव, सर्वत्र विनोदाची झालर आणि देवदत्त स्मरण शक्ती प्रकर्षाने जाणवली व आवडली. सगळ्या घटना एका दहा बारा वर्षीय मुलीच्या डोळ्यानी पाहिल्या व स्मृति पटलावर रुजवल्या, अनेक दशकानंतर मनात घोळवल्या आणि पुस्तकाच्या रूपाने बाहेर आणल्या. हे सगळं नैसर्गिक वाटते, कुठेही कृत्रिमपणाचा लवलेशही नाही. आलापल्लीचे वर्णन डोळ्यासमोर चित्र उभे करते. गाव, घरे, सॉ मील, रस्त्ते, फॉरेस्ट रेस्ट हाउस, आउट हाउस, क्लब हाउस, शाळा इत्यादी रूप धारण करतात. त्यातली माणसे जिवंत होतात.आलापल्लीत हिवाळा, उन्हाळा, प...

Goa - An adventure gone awry For two septuagenarians driving from Pune to Goa during the pandemic is an adventure in itself; although Ujjwala & I have done many road trips to Goa from age 25 until now. Our journeys had been from places of my postings like B'lore, Mumbai & Pune. As both of us enjoy driving we have made long and short drives in vehicles such as Fiat, Ambassador, Jeep, Maruti 800, Esteem, Hyundai Accent, Nano & WagonR across North and South India. I have lost count of our entries into Goa over 50 years - may be 50 or so, including about 25 by air from Mumbai for company work. We have an emotional bond with Goa, the abode of our family deity & the land of our ancestors, a beacon as much of spirituality as it has been for fun and frolic. Ujjwala remembers childhood visit with parents during Portuguese rule & I have memory of my first visit in 1969 to a pristine and easygoing Goa.  On Nov 22nd we filled the car-tank, packed our bags and set ourselves ...

2020 & 1962 Indians often say that 2020 is not 1962. Meaning India is now stronger and can face Chinese military threat effectively. But then China of 2020 too is not China of 1962.  Attitude and actions of Chinese show that they are not overly worried about Indian Army. They push us around at will. For them it's a cat & mouse game. China being the cat. They have demonstrated this time and again. During this skirmish we brought back 20 bodies of our brave soldiers. How many enemy soldiers were brought down has remained a matter of speculation or hot debate between political parties, as had happened during the so-called surgical strikes.  We Indians enjoy debating what Panditji did six decades ago or what vengeful opposition is saying now. Indians never ask why after 4 wars POK, Gilgit Baltistan have remained unliberated or why Aksaichin is still with China? They don't want to know if Indian army is strong enough to face Chinese onslaught? Or is India as a nation physic...

I came across following well written & poignant piece by an Indian on settings up business in China. Makes a lot of sense in current emotionally charged atmosphere. It also matches with my understanding of business friendly processes employed there. Over ten years of my association with lighting business in that country I too witnessed firsthand their astonishing progress.  This article brings out what India needs to do to compete-complement China to become significant on the world-stage of business. *"EXPERIENCE OF INDIAN MANAGEMENT  IN CHINA*   *I am the Vice President  of a medium sized Indian corporate* .  We are one of the largest manufacturers of Drum Closures in the world.  These are a closing devices used in the manufacture of 200 litres Steel drums.  It is a very high precision engineering product.  We are also one of the largest  manufacturers and exporters of scaffolding system out of India.  These are also highly eng...

The Galwan Incident Painful but a reality. If one goes by reports in the media, our leaders are mouthing usual platitudes. Same worn-out phrases every time we take back bodies of brave soldiers. There is never any attempt to avenge such wanton killings. The whole world knows that 20 Indian soldiers were killed. But we do not know what damage was inflicted on the enemy. If none, then we must know why & what action the government plans to take other than trade sanctions? Efficacy of such sanctions is always in doubt and in the long run may even hurt India. Chinese have delivered a powerful message on the battlefield. Are we simply going to get cowed and whimper or fightback, if not today-tomorrow then at least at a time of our choosing? https://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Home/MShareArticle?OrgId=18636d94451&imageview=0 Vijay Mujumdar 18.06.2020

Banning Game We Indians are either born with a warped sense of humour or have an irrepressible urge for simian antics.  Before banning chinese software or hardware, as proposed by armchair strategists, how about taking back huge chunks of territory captured by them in 1962? Current provocation by Chinese has given ample opportunity to our bold leadership to test our military prowess. Do we or our leadership have the guts to take Chinese on in the battlefield? Or do we have the ability of winning even a small share of the world market for products such as laptops, TVs, Smartphones, LEDs, Lights & Fixtures, Masks, Gloves and thousands of other products where China dominates? Look at the nose-dives lndian Rupee has been taking since independence when it was 1:1 & now 1:76. If the currency of a country continuously loses value that country is sick and must seek course correction instead of beating the drum of spurious patriotism as often seen in times of distress.

तिळा उघड / खुलजा सिम सिम 'तिळा उघड' हे अरेबियन नाईट्स मधल्या 'अलिबाबा आणि चाळीस चोर' ह्या कथेत वाचले होते. सद्य परिस्थिती काहीशी तशीच आहे. आपण सगळे तिळा उघडण्याची वाट पाहत आहोत. चाळीस चोर मात्र उघडायला फार वेळ घेत आहेत. उघडणाऱ्या गुहेतून हळू हळू काही गमतीजमती बाहेर येताहेत.  उदाहरणार्थ: १ उघडणाऱ्या कार्यालयात सुरवातीला साधारण 30% हजेरीची परवानगी असून दोन मीटर अंतर ठेवण्याची अट आहे. कॅम्प मधल्या एका मोठ्या सरकारी कार्यालया समोर सकाळी लांब पण विरळ रांग दिसली. ती मुंगीच्या पावलांनी पुढे सरकत होती. प्रत्येक चाकरमान्याची सावकाश तपासणी करून आत सोडत होते. ह्या गतीने ते बहुतेक लंच ब्रेक पर्यंत आपल्या टेबलाशी पोहचले असावेत व तातडीने हक्काच्या मधल्या सुट्टीत गंमतीला बाहेर पडले असतील.  सरकारी कार्यालयांना ही 30℅ हजेरीची अट मात्र फारशी जाचक नसावी कारण जरी पूर्वी 100℅ अटेंडन्सचा शासकीय आदेश असला तरी काम करणारे 30% च असायचे. बाकीचे चहा प्यायला किंवा आपल्या महत्वाच्या निजी व्यवसाया करता कार्यालयाच्या वेळात पसार व्हायचे. राहिली 2 मीटर ची अट. ही मात्र जरा कठीण आहे कारण ऑफिसमध्ये गोपनीय ...