Back in Oulu, and What! Oh! What!

The first picture is the absolutely delightful gift given to us by the Patni team in Bangalore after they hosted us for a great dinner.



Now, in its proper location in Oulu in our living room. The birds and the background lighting, in a special place chosen by Annikki for this work of art, makes it truly magnificent.

Thank you boys - Uncle Jacob cannot thank you enough for this stupendous gift which made it BACK in one piece back to Finland.

It was late on Wednesday evening when we hit Oulu. I drove the 600 km rather slowly and carefully as I was really tired. The roads were clear, and while the sun was up, it was brilliant and a beautiful clear blue sky. The temperature during the journey was hovering between -15 and - 18 C, but the car heating was perfect.

We saw the sun set at 14:30 when we were passing through Jyväskyla, about halfway through our journey from Helsinki to Oulu.

What a difference, when just 6 months ago I stopped at 02:30 am to see the sun rise at Jyväskylä!

Today afternoon, Annikki gave me a shopping list of urgent provisions to obtain so that we did not starve! I went to our local supermarket. As I was coming out I bumped into one of Joanna's friends, Terhi-Liisa. She stopped to say hello.

The first thing she said was that she had read most of our experiences I had blogged of our trip around India. She asked how Annikki's cough was faring! So she was really reading the blog. (Terhi-Liisa told me that just recently lost her dad, so I conveyed condolences from our family.)

I decided to check through my readership statistics. Normally I have about 60000 to 80000 readers for all my 10 active blogs put together. From what I was able to gather, I had a possible 130000 to 135000 readers from all over the world who were reading of our Indian exploits on Jacob's Blog.

Phenomenal as it may seem, considering that many of the readers sent me email (such as Shilpa from the Middle East) and one (Ebbi) actually took up the phone in California to ring and speak at length to me, shows how much the blogging was appreciated.

I was happy that several of the older members of my immediate family, who know nothing about computers and blogging, actually got people to print out my entries so that they could keep track of this journey through this Incredible India.

Cathedralites, Stephanians, Findians, Facebook friends, Twitterers, LinkedIn professional friends, Orkut friends, Plaxo companions, Oulu University staff and students, O-Indians, Chaff friends, Kandathil and Maliyakal relatives, and stray readers searching on Google for keywords - what a cosmopolitan mix of readers.

And what is wonderful is that I was able to hold them together for the last seven weeks!

Many thanks to the younger generation for activating a readership which I thought I would never reach!

Does Salegram look like my chauffeur or my dear friend?

But I am jumping the gun again. Let us go back to Delhi when we were leaving last Friday. It was a very emotional farewell for me to say goodbye to my friend from my adolescent days, Salegram. He looked after Annikki and me so well. He is such a lovely man who has given devoted service to our family and family companies, that it shows above all that some of my family members in India have retained the principles espoused by my grandfather, the late K. C. Mammen Mappillai.

My problems with the ICICI Bank went on till the very last minute of my stay in India. When I left Delhi, they had assured me that everything would be just perfect from then on. They gave me two debit cards saying that I could use them in Mumbai.

Boy, were they sadly mistaken.

They said that another debit card would be delivered to me on Saturday morning.

What, oh, what do you think happened?

I had a terrible amount of shopping to complete in Mumbai. I went to Akbaraly's in Flora Fountain and bought a lot of stuff! When I was about to pay using this brand new debit card provided that morning by the Delhi Regional Manager of the ICICI Bank, the cashier told me that I could not use that debit card for paying - all I could use it for was to draw money out of an ATM!!!

Luckily I had cash with me so I was saved another devastating embarrassment.

I went promptly to an ATM, only to find that the cards were not usable - I had not been provided with the PIN numbers!

What competence, what efficiency, what in-depth knowledge by a Regional Manager and his staff of smart goons!

The next morning at precisely 9 am, I rang the Customer Service Manager who had organised the debit cards I told her that I could not use the card and the reasons. She confirmed that the cards they had provided me were only ATM withdrawal cards.

She then said I could call Customer Care and generate my own PIN!

Of course, the Regional Manager was most apologetic and assured me that the PIN would be generated from the phone number they would give me.

About half an hour later, I received a Bombay phone number and went through the entire rigmarole of generating a PIN, only to be told by the human being at the end of this long winded process, that as I was an NRI, the PIN could only be sent to my communication address IN FINLAND!

I rang the Regional Manager and he assured me that the PIN would be delivered to me. That was at 10:42.

In the meantime, the other debit card which was to be delivered by 12 noon had not arrived. Then I got a call from the Mumbai Branch stating that the man had gone back to the office as he could not enter my building, or he had found some other address, or....!

It transpired that he had come to the gate of my building and instead of ringing me, as my phone number was on the delivery slip, he had just gone away as the Security Guard did not believe his story. He appeared at about 11:30 and gave me the so-called debit card. When I opened the packet I found there was no PIN to use that card and it was an International Debit Card, which was no use to access my Indian Rupees in my NRI account!

I was in a rage as all my money was locked out.

When the Customer Care phoned me, I threw my fit at him, telling him what a nin-com-poop bank he worked for. I slammed down the phone as I had had enough of this nonsense.

Promptly I got a call from the Delhi branch telling me that if I waited another hour or so, the PIN numbers would be delivered to me.

I had other plans and asked them to stuff the PIN where you think it should be stuffed. I had wasted half a day and was at a position worse than my starting state.

At least at that point I had hope.

I went to the largest ICICI Bank and drew out 80% of the money in my rupee account, leaving just enough to see what would happen and as I had no chance of stopping the dividend cheques that would be deposited this week!

With cash in my hands I was able to do some of what I had planned to do, but communicating with my suppliers in Kottayam and Cochin late on a Saturday afternoon just was impossible, leaving most critical parts of my tasks undone.

Of course, when I reached home, there appeared the messenger from the ICICI bank, bearing the PIN numbers.

Later that evening I decided to give a try to the PIN received - and do you know what was the result - The ATM spewed out a receipt which said

Transaction Declined
Unable to Process

Does this bank even understand the chaos that they caused in my life, the embarrassments that I had faced, the humiliation that I was forced to undergo?

I do not think so.

They are immune from the realities of the banking world.

When one looks at their online banking page, this is more than obvious. It is a confused presentation showing that they expect their customers to do everything out of one page, and that is why their online banking is doomed to be a complete and total failure.

I am so sorry to bore you with this experience, but we have almost 40000 to 50000 NRI readers of this blog, many trusting their money with this bank.

They could ask for no worse experience in their life than what I was forced to undergo in my 7 weeks with ICICI Bank!

Let us move on to more delightful things.



Dinner was to be with Malathi and her husband, the Dr. of Dharavi, Ashok, and also Malathi's brother from Bangalore, Chandu. Malathi and Ashok's younger son Dishan, joined us later in the evening.

Annikki was not well. heer cough having become chronic, that I advised her to stay at home. But she would have none of it and undertook the arduous long journey to the finest fish restaurant in Mumbai.



I had fried fish, crab, tandoori fish and finished with one of the best prawn biriyani that I have ever tasted. Annikki managed to eat a morsel or two, but she was very very poorly.

Despite the late hour we went to Malathi's beautiful home in Powai and they showered us with gifts.

We finally got home around midnight.

On Sunday morning I had an early lunch with my uncle Peelukuttychatan (97, Mr. K. M. Philip), my aunt Chinnammakochamma (91) and my cousin Suresh (Peter Philip) and his wife, Meera. (Fear of passing on whatever infection she may have to Peelukutychayan and Chinnammakochamma prevented her from joining us.

I rushed home to see Annikki was OK and then rushed to second appointment with a few of my 59ers, as we were celebrating Noel's birthday with a chocolate cake before he left for the USA. I was so happy to meet Ranju Lalwani (58er) and his wife, Anju. Piloo, Ooky, Rivca, Suchita and Vijay were there for the occasion to say farewell to us two 59ers. It was an emotional parting.

Annikki still had some urgent shopping to do, so we made an attempt to reach Phoenix High Street in the early evening. About 100 metres from our Guest House I realised that this was a foolhardy attempt - we would probably miss our flight at 2 in the morning if I decided to get this shopping done. The traffic was abominable.

So we returned home. As I was going to buy some medicines from the nearby pharmacy, Annikki, accompanying me, spotted a hole in the wall shop, maybe 1.5 metre wide and 5 metres deep. In it she found all that she had intended to buy! Cotton vests, nightdresses, etc., etc. Incredible Mumbai, where one even has a bookstore at every traffic light, in between the cars!

We set off for the airport by around 22:45.

I think I should leave the next part of our trip for my next blog entry.

Last day in Delhi

I set out at 07:30 to go to the diagnostics centre to do my blood test. I had to return home and go there again after two hours after my breakfast for the second part. I will get my results today, and hopefully the one month of medication and little stricter diet would have helped improve the situation than what it was a month ago.

I went to see the Regional Manager of ICICI Bank. He had no explanations for the chaos and no solution to my problem. They had even clobbered me for debit cards they claim to have issued, whereas all they had done was freeze the only debit card I had been issued with, completely shutting me out of the banking process. And there was no explanation for this fiasco!

I managed to get them to pay the binder in Bangalore and hopefully this morning I will get my transaction password and also my debit cards to try to get hold of some of my money! I later had a call that the debit card in Annikki's name would be delivered in Mumbai! What's your guess on that?

NRIs - My advice stays unchanged as of date. If you want to safeguard your hard-earned money and live sane - get out of the ICICI association as it will only lead to misery!

Lunch was with Ambassador K. P. Fabian at the Indian International Centre where I met some of the senior most retired IFS and IAS officers who were scattered around as grains of rice in a paddy field. Over lunch we touched on many topics and hopefully something will come out of this association as KP is a person with immense knowledge, a bowlful of sweet contacts of the most senior level and the capacity to get things done. Our association of 25 years can now take shape as we are in a position to help each other currently at a level which neither is interested in the material benefits of such an association.

After a quick cup of coffee and it was off to Gurgaon to meet a friend of 25 years past, Navin Bahl. And what a reunion. It was so wonderful to tie up with someone whoh I had holidayed with in 1964 in St. Tropez. we had lived in a tent together, gone through the hardship of driving through France in a run down Bedford van held together with underwear, and shared many experiences together, which we recalled with such gusto.

It was a shock to know that Navin is the Chairman of a company, Noorjehan, which supplies some of the most exquisite home furnishings to the topmost company in Finland - Stockman, which is the Harrods of Finland. I went around his two factory buildings and witnessed the dedication with which he and his son have built this enterprise. And now they are about to make a grand entry into the flagship of Finnish textiles and home furnishings, but more about that later. Suffice to say that his product may be on the lips of every Finn in a short while!

Before I realised it the time was already 6 pm and I wanted to visit my nephew in Gurgaon.



Ashwin Thomas is the son of my cousin Gita (née Matthan, daughter of my father's younger brother, the late Matthan Matthan). He lived in another sector in Gurgaon.

Driving there was a nightmare as the traffic and pollution is so intense that it makes one sick. But thanks to the excellence of Salegram, we reached there and I was able to spend a short time with Ashwini and his wonderful wife, Mac-fan Meghan (hope I got that right; the name, not the Mac-fan bit!) and their frisky Golden Retriever. A couple of bhajias, a cup of tea and I had to be off, although they were trying to persuade me to stay for dinner. But Salegram had had a long day. I knew the drive back was going to be rough. But Salegram knew the back roads and got me back in record time. I had to do my packing and be ready for a series of appointments in the morning as we had to leave for the airport by 10 am!

And my good internet and Stephanian friend, and one of the persons I most admire on this planet, John Dayal, is dropping in at 8 am! (Of course, I also do have an appointment at the ICICI bank, if it will do any good!)

Closing down

The stay at the Malayala Manorama Guest House has been perfect. The atmosphere inside and outside is serene.

The garden in front of the Golf Links Guest House.

Thank God I checked my flight plan yesterday. I was under the impression that we were leaving Delhi on Saturday morning. I thought I had my last crucial appointment in Mumbai on Saturday evening. When I checked my diary yesterday, I found that the appointment in Mumbai was on Friday evening and our flight booking was for noon on Friday.

I had lots of programmes scheduled in Delhi for Friday, which I had to cancel or rearrange. Navin Behl, my friend and travel mate from our 1964 trip from London to St. Tropez (before Brigette Bardot made it famous) and back in an old Bedford van, along with friends Ashok Kapur, Ajit Mehra, Noel Ezekiel and Viney Sethi, was scheduled for lunch on Friday at the Golf Club. That has been brought forward to a meeting at his office in Gurgaon on Thursday afternoon. I was to meet my nephew (Ashwin Thomas) and his wife in town on Friday evening, as they live far out of town in Gurgaon. I will also meet them on Thursday evening at Gurgaon, saving them a long hike into town.

Annikki and I had been invited to take part in the Philosophy session at St. Stephen's College to give our view of life in Finland vis-á-vis India - that programme had to be dropped. Also, I had planned to attend the Carol Service on Friday evening at the College - that had to be dropped.

With the sudden change of programme, I was worried that the glasses we had ordered for Mika would not be obtained. They were promised for delivery on Friday evening. Yesterday evening I took a chance to go there to ask them how we should proceed. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the glasses had already been received. So that was one more headache not created! Thanks guys.

Many friends could not be met because of the lack of time, and not, as in Bangalore, the inability to move around. Delhi transportation, although bad, is much superior to Bangalore. I was able to keep all my appointments within a couple of minutes of the scheduled time!

Annikki has been unwell for a few days, so our trips to Agra and Chandigarh were also dropped. She would not have been able to stand the strain of a drive there and back.

I am not reporting on my meeting with my cousins, as much water has to flow under the bridge before I can comment on the discussions, if at all. We had a wonderful get together and laughed our guts out over lunch at the India International Centre. We joked and pulled each others leg as only we can. It was a wonderful afternoon of three cousins and one nephew (but bracketed with us cousins) and Annikki. Before we realised it, it was time for them to take off to their respective destinations.

Annikki set off on her own to a couple of shops she had seen advertised in the newspaper. She had a traumatic time as nothing they offered in their ads was available and the shopkeepers, as they did not have her size in the clothes she wanted, kept trying to sell her men's clothing. She came back, traumatised, after a couple of hours. I was glad that Salegram, our driver, stayed at her side throughout! Oh for the wonders of dear friends.

Yesterday, I also managed to meet some of the Technical Team (Project Coordinator S. C. Jain and PCS/ Unit Manager V. D. Dubey) at the AFPRO (Action for Food Production) NGO programme and had a very valuable discussion about their work on Check Dams, Gobbar Gas Plants, as well as their entire rural development programme. Maybe there is still some hope for our Rural Urbanisation programme as such organisations know how to get the Government Funding mobilised, and when they have honest and competent people manning the different levels of their organisation, they can still be effective. I hope to be doing more with AFPRO, especially in some of the work we are planning in Zambia.

The trauma with ICICI Bank sees no end. They have goofed, big time, yet again and again. It is a tragi-comedy of enormous proportions and it grows bigger by the hour! Today I will meet the Regional Manager in New Delhi and see what explanations he can come up with, what worthwhile apologies can be obtained. I will explore whether it is at all worth looking at this bank as a partner, especially as there are several large investments to be made or realigned over the next few months. I doubt that it will turn out positive, knowing the mindset of such persons in authority.


Transformed. Do I keep this image on returning to Finland?

Those who know me, know that this is NOT me! I am the carefree type, not the suited, booted one. The real question is whether I should stay transformed on my return to Finland? :-)

I am also going for my check up this morning in a diagnostic clinic to see whether there has been any improvement since I have been on medication since Chennai. Hopefully, once I get back to Annikki's dietary control in Finland and my stricter daily schedules there, the blips that we are seeing will vanish. But today will tell me whether I should continue the medication that has been prescribed - which is a nuisance, taking 7 pills a day!! That is for a person who has never taken any pills in his adult life!

I finally got it

(Also posted on the Kooler Talk Blog!)

I have been waiting almost three years to get my hands on this. I had asked several friends passing through Delhi to try and pick it up. with no success.

The very day I arrived in Delhi, I went to the nearby store and asked if it was available.

First they said it was, but after a search, they said it wasn't.

They promised that they would order it for me. They did it straight away. They told me it would come immediately.

That was on the Monday the 30th of November. I have been going almost every day to check whether it had arrived.

Imagine my joy when I went in this evening and found it had come.



I quickly thumbed through it and found where my Kooler Talk Web Version was mentioned. On page 85.

Sadly, probably the only spelling mistake in the book is the name of the town where I live - it has been spelt as Ouli whereas it should be Oulu!



Not that it matters. Unfortunately the URL

http://koolertalk.blogspot.com

has not been given, so many will not know how to reach the longest surviving version of Kooler Talk!

The book "St. Stephen's College : A History" was written by Ashok (Tony) Jaitly. Tony was three years ahead of me in school in Mumbai and also the same in college. He was a great sportsman, much like his brother, Ravi. He is also a wonderful friend as are all the Jaitly family.

As I went through this book, I found it very readable.

I think I am going to enjoy my flight to London from Mumbai on Sunday night as I get through this book. It will provide me much material for the blog as I recall many of the incidents recounted therein!

Unfortunately, things are getting worse as far as the College is concerned.

Such immature childishness is hard to understand. It was reported in today's newspaper that the Bishop has now filed a show cause notice against the College Chaplain for being outside his house with some protesters.

Does it not as if he is behaving like the Pharisees and Sadducee's when the went after Jesus Christ?

Delhi Roundup....

St. Stephen's College Founders' Day being Sunday, the official programme was put over to Monday. The Communion Service in the College Chapel was scheduled for 08:30 am. I was already at the College by 07:45 am.



I walked around the Chapel and took some photographs. Compared to a few days ago, the grounds looked clean and tidy, with lots of flowers, etc.

It reminded me of a story my dad used to tell me that some friends of his, a husband and wife, were the model of a great relationship on the surface to the outside world, but once they were on their own, they were bitter enemies.

It is not enough to put on a show for the neighbours. That is not the genuine thing!

I waited in the Chapel as people started to roll in. The Chairman of St Stephen’s College’s Supreme Council and Governing Body, Bishop Reverend Sunil Kumar Singh went in through the vestry door. The Principal, Reverend Valson Thampu, showed his colours by coming in through the Chapel main door.

That the atmosphere between them was at the lowest of lowest ebbs was visible to me as they each silently fought to show that each was in control of events.

It was a regular communion service. The sermon by the Bishop was not a very moving piece. I think I could have written a more inspiring one for the assembled gathering.

The service was followed by coffee / tea and some snacks on the Chapel lawn. A far cry from the breakfasts that used to be hosted in our day by the Principal.



I managed to speak to a few of the assembled gathering including the pastor who had been the one in St. James Cathedral in Kashmeri Gate when I was around. Surprisingly, he looked quite young considering his 59 years in service to the Church in India.



There were a couple of Alumni who attended the service, but in the main, it was the students, and predominantly girls.

There was about an hour to spend before the Chief Guest for the Founders' Day commemoration programme in the Assembly Hall was due. The former Indian President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was to address the gathering.







I spent time roaming the gardens and the building taking photographs.

I sat in the seating meant for Guests, just behind the Teachers, who had streamed in, in their colourful robes denoting their status, followed by the Bishop, Principal and the former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam.

Here, again the bitter feud between the Principal and the Bishop was more than evident to those assembled.

In this day and age, to honour the Founding Fathers, there are far better ways than doing a physical read out, totally incomplete, of their names. But Principal Rev. Valson Thambu wanted to hold centre stage and show he was in charge of proceedings. He used this opportunity to show his position - sadly the approach of one lacking in knowledge about the ways of the world.

What a world of difference between Founders' Day in Mumbai for our school, where the entire St. Thomas Cathedral was packed to the brim with the alumni and a moving tribute was made to our Founders, and this today, where there were just a handful of alumni present.

Give me the Mumbai celebration any day as a strong alumni means a strong institution. There has been criticism of senior alumni who do not show any interest in the affairs of the college. This was expressed to me during this Founders' Day.

Is that because of their indifference or the indifference of the college to the alumni? In my opinion it is the latter. The alma mater should instill a sense of belonging to its alumni, whereupon, the alumni will respond. I know that I get that response on my Kooler Talk Blog, as everyone loves nostalgia!

In his attempt to make this a solemn occasion, Rev. Thambu advised the audience not to clap during the proceedings.

When the Chief Guest was introduced, the clapping of the audience was instantaneous. When he finished his speech, it was again a sound of appreciation!



Did President APJ Abdul Kalam say something stirring and moving. In my opinion - No! He talked about some of the teachers who had inspired him by their concern for him, but that is hardly anything soul moving. For instance, he talked of the kindergarten teacher who came to his house because he missed a day of school! Presideent Kalam spoke as if he was speaking to bunch of kindergarten kids! He pushed his own web site more than once!



There was a samosa, gulab jamuun, tea and coffee serving on the lawn outside the Assembly Hall. I did manage to meet a few former Stephanians, including a 55er. It sort of reminded me of tea we had offered (thanks to Principal Sircar) after the first ever JCR Evening we had held in 1961-62 when I was the President!

I rushed back for lunch with some dear old friends including Balan, the professor of economics in Hansraj College (and a wizard about cricket politics) and my old and dear friend, Krish Veerappan, formerly of MRF and now CEO of OSS, an MNC company marketing helicopters.

It was Balan and Krish, who with my late cousin, Ravi Mammen, and Ratnam in Madras, who had put together and successfully run the 1989 Cricket World Cup and also put together the MRF Pace Foundation.

Balan reminded me that the first choice to be the coach at the Pace Foundation had been Madan Lal. Madan Lal had said he wanted to operate out of New Delhi, where he would fly out to Madras when required. Ravi had countered this by telling him that he would have a permanent flight ticket between Madras and Delhi, but it was necessary to operate out of Madras. MRF used to have 5 seats blocked on every Madras - Delhi flight those days. As luck would have it, the negotiations fell through, and the job was given to T. A. Sekhar, who with Ratnam, did a phenomenal job for the MRF Cricket Division and the Pace Foundation through the next two decades along with Dennis Lillee. In the background Balan and Krish kept the atmosphere going in New Delhi!

Although I was in Finland at that time, my close friendships with many of those involved kept me briefed on almost all the major developments during that time. Those were indeed exciting days!!

Gossip has it that Sekhar who was drawing a very nominal salary in MRF has now moved to Reliance at 50 times his previous earnings. He certainly deserves it as besides his job as the coach, he was a person who could pick up the phone and speak to any top cricketer, world wide, and Reliance intend to use him just for that!

It was Cathedralite 64er Deepak and his business partner, Kuki Chawla, cousin of my dear Stephanian 63er friend Ajay Verma, who organised this reunion of old friends.

We had a solid gup shup session where we got to renew our old friendships.

Amazing how we are intertwined at the hips in spite of all of us being poles apart in our regular life! The bond is so deep as if we are one family. I always consider Krish as a younger brother, and he has always treated me as his elder brother, showing deep respect for our friendship. Krish and Nair (and Guptaji) have contributed so much to the success of MRF during the days of licence Raj, so much so that till my uncle (Kochappachen, K. M. Mammen Mappillai) passed away, Krish did not leave his post as the one running the Corporate Office in MRF, Delhi. Nair, had to come twice to the Guest House where I am staying in an attempt to see me. Such is the depth of friendships that has existed between us that time and distance cannot change them. Personal loyalties far exceeded the demands of personal goals, something which is rare in professionals.

Then it was time for me to hit the wayward ICICI Bank. Despite their apologies, nothing has worked. Maybe tomorrow will see some progress as I have asked them to give me a concrete solution as to how THEY intend to solve my problem!

In the evening it was time to meet my cousins, Suresh (Peter Philip) from Mumbai and Ashok (Kuriyan) from Bangalore, as we intended to get together today, to thrash out some issues. More about that, possibly, in another update.

We tried to go to Karim's in Nizzamuddin for dinner, but found it shut, as it was Monday. So we went to our old college day haunt, Pindi Restaurant in Pandara Road Market.

And so ended another exciting day in the Indian Capital!

Running behind schedule...

My spat with the ICICI Bank, now rated as the worst bank in India, has delayed my overall programme and also my blogging. I have been sitting for hours in the bank, trying to solve this enormous problem.

I was able to quote the Rs. 50 lakh fine slapped onto their Delhi Branch by the Delhi Consumer Commission as an example of how bad a bank they really are.

This is a comment from my Facebook page:

The Delhi Consumer Commission fined ICICI Bank a whopping fine of Rs 50 lakh for employing "goons" to recover a loan and deplored the practice of banks intimidating consumers to pay installments.

The Branch Manager kept trying to tell me that this was a one off case. I assured her it certainly was not as from the correspondence and Facebook comments I have been receiving ever since the story hit my blog, I know differently.

Yesterday, I spent more than a hour and a half with the Branch Manager of the Pragati Vihar Branch giving her a bit of my mind, which was not for very long, as I am a man of few words, but then waiting over 40 minutes just to get a cheque book to make one payment.

The new password given to me failed to function yet again.

This exercise was done in the bank in the presence of the Bank Manager.

Now they are trying to get me another password - another month down the tube?

I think ICICI should give up trying to be a online bank. They are clueless on how such a system should operate and they have no idea how to solve the problems of online banking. The use big words as back end, etc., but they have not got their front ends or their back sides, which needs a kick in the pants, working!

Of course, their normal banking operations are also in a mess if it takes 40 minutes to get hold of a cheque book!

To them, the time of the banker is important, forgetting that chaos they cause in the lives of their customers because of their incompetence and inefficiency.

Absolutely no prizes for guessing whether I have changed my mind.

Sunday was a great day as we had been invited by my niece, Shilpa Pookkatt (née Eapen, daughter of Mammen Eapen, aka Kunjumonchayan), to a party at the Indian International Centre Annexe. She had said she was just calling a few friends over for lunch.

We were, of course, among the first to arrive with our Finnish Time Module, where only an old-school ICS Officer and his wife being there before us. We were greeted by Shilpa and Joseph and the co-hosts, his partner in the law business and his wife. I still did not guess the reason for the event, but I recognised that this was no small event.

My computer throws up the birthdays of all my main friends and relatives on the morning of the day. It was no wonder I did not recognise it was Joseph's birthday, as it was being celebrated a day ahead of schedule.


The birthday boy and my gorgeous niece.

A young man of 40, and now with a fabulous reputation as a Supreme Court lawyer, his wife, Shilpa (also a very competent lawyer but now spending time bringing up her children), had called his many friends in the legal profession and also many from the colony where they live, for this occasion. A large cake with 40 candles, the singing of Happy Birthday, and a fantastic spread of food, personally chosen by Shilpa, was the order of the afternoon.

Both Annikki and I had a whale of a time, meeting many old friends like former Indian Ambassador to Finland, K. P. Fabian and his wife and their most interesting son, who is now working for the UN and settling down in Bangalore!?! We met several senior retired IAS and IFS Officers and even an ICS Officer, plus many lawyers and their wives, which made for a great deal of fun and discussion on topics which we have been writing about.

We did not find a single soul who disagreed with us on all the topics we have touched upon: the demise of Bangalore, the lack of civic sense among Indian citizens, the hypocrisy of the Indian top leaders starting with the President and Prime Minister of India, the absurdity of the planning of cities, and also the rating of ICICI as the worst bank in India. (So it was not only the common man who holds this opinion, as we had thought earlier.)


Joseph, Shilpa and Ilyaan


Yohaan.

Shilpa was gracious and her two children are adorable.

I recalled my close association with Shilpa's dad, who was in fact my closest cousin for the formative days of my life in Banaglore when he was virtually my next door neighbour.

We spent the evening with another niece, Ayesha. She is the daughter of my cousin from my father's side, Arun Matthan, and his wife, Yasmin, who hails fronm Hyderabad. Sadly, we had not been able to meet Yasmin during our visit to Bangalore, so Ayesha updated us on the family as we enjoyed a nice Thai meal at Khan Market in a restaurant called The Kitchen.

She had not slept for three nights as she had been completing her assignments. Yet she looked so radiant and so full of confidfence. Great spirit. We were greatly honoured that she came to meet us despite her schedule.


Ayesha, another stunning niece. (This picture is from her Facebook page, as I was not carrying my camera - and she really does look like this picture itself!)

Ayesha is a graceful young lady and with a great brain. She has one important characteristic - she thinks before speaking. In my humble opinion, she is one of my nieces who is going to make it big in the world that lies ahead of her. She only needs to focus on what she really wants to achieve and it will be there for her taking.

She has the talent and drive of her maternal grandfather (and also her mother), whom I had known during his career in Vazir Sultan of which he became Finance Director, and is still doing well at the age of 91 in Hyderabad.

On the whole it was a delightful Sunday, only overshadowed by my depressing banking problems!

Delhi hosts us

It was so great that the Delhi Cathedralites Alumni organised a special event so that Annikki and I could meet with them yesterday.

Two of us present were wearing the new Alumni tie - 49er Yezad and myself. Deepak has one, but he thought the event was informal, so did not wear it. After all, he organised it, so his strict definition of "smart casual" was tieless! :-)

The Cathedralite Delhi Chapter had so thoughtfully brought back a tie for his classmate, Jamshed, which was presented to him at the occasion by Yezad. I was so touched that Jamshed made it to the party.



Among those who attended included 49ers Jamshed Desai, Raj Bhandari and Yezad Kapadia (with wife Rati). 54er Rahul Bajaj, Savage House Captain and also a Stephanian, stayed back in New Delhi especially to be present at the occasion. Ravi Jaitly, another 54er attended with his wife Krishna. 55er Anil (Bobby) Bhalla was present. 56er Pradeep Anand was there. The 57ers present was Tony (Ashok) Jaitly, who is also a Stephanian, and Annelita (nee Uttamsingh) Thadani and her husband, Ravinder K Thadani (Baby). 58ers were represented by Maiti Sayal. 59ers included Harmo Rani Malik (née Uberoi) accompanied by her daughter, 82er Priya and Vijay Nayar, (and myself). 60ers were Dellinder Kohli and Jotsyna Singh (née Jaitly) accompanied by her husband, my Stephanian classmate, HE Ambassador Siddarth Singh, and the 64er present was Deepak Deshpande who organised the entire event with the help of his colleague, my fellow mallu from Alleppy, Joceylin. (Dellinder Kohli left early, so is missing from the photograph. Also missing in this picture is Deepak's lovely daughter, Pallavi, whom I got to talk to quite a bit about journalism. Pallavi took the group picture with our camera. Thanks!)

The food was simply superb and served scrumptiously. I had a bit too much of everything, especially the delicious sweeets.



The Delhi Alumni presented Annikki and me with a wonderful gift, "The Speaking Tree Collection" of the Times of India column in 4 Volumes plus an extra volume, entitled "Inspiration for the Soul".

It was so touching that they had chosen to honour us both in this fashion.

(I was also so happy that Deepak thoughtfully arranged it that all those who helped in running the event also got their share of the food.)

ICICI - Untrustworthy Bank; I eat my words

This should be in a new blog - Best Buy; Worst Buy - India!

After the experiences we have had in India during the past two months, maybe it is time to start this blog!

A few weeks ago, I was in raptures about how the ICICI Bank had treated us, Annikki and me, when we went to open our NRO / NRE accounts.



When I started to use the bank, I found that their entire online, as well as regular banking system, does not work. It is in chaos.

In addition, their staff have been taught to fabricate false information and give it to their customers. Their only objective is to take the money out of the customer!

Because of this, the bank has put me into immeasurable hardship. Jobs which I had to complete before I left for Finland on 13th December cannot now be completed, causing me immense additional expenses and embarrassment, and wasting my entire time reorganising things due entirely to the incompetence and inefficiency of the ICICI Bank.

On Saturday morning, I went to the ICICI Branch in Pragati Vihar, New Delhi, to meet the Branch Operations Manager, who is also in charge of Complaints. I had already met her to discuss the problem a couple of days earlier.

She had not kept her promise of the day before.

Today she swore that the password to my account would be delivered to my residence by 8 pm, even taking the name of my caretaker, whom I had alerted especially to receive the documents.

I reached home by midnight.

No password had been delivered.

Why do people lie?

If a bank employee lies to the customer it shows the nature, not of that employee, but the policies and methods of the bank.

Not only has the bank been incompetent and inefficient, but to make its employees tell blatant falsehoods shows that the ICICI bank cannot be trusted with ANYTHING.

My advice to my international NRI audience is that the quicker you shift away from the ICICI Bank, the better it will be for you and your money.

Believe it or not, when I opened my account in the ICICI Bank, my drivers in both Bangalore and Chennai, told me that what I had done was make a very very bad decision. They could not explain why, but they had been categorical about their observation.

Now I know why!

I have had problems with many companies in my life, Finnish and Indian. Only on a few occasions have I had someone blatantly lie to me. But in this instance, it was not just once, or twice, but several times in the space of a week.

Would YOU do business with such an organisation?

Now let us get down to specifics.

Due to problems with Indian Bank, with whom I had been banking for the last 30+ years, I decided to open accounts with ICICI, a private Indian bank. Annikki and I visited their office in Bangalore, and has been recorded in another entry, they treated us like royalty and opened our accounts with no hassles.

However, I should have got warning bells at that time, as in the process, they did not give me my NRO debit card and cheque book, only my NRE debit card and cheque book.

When an NRI is in India, he or she would first like to consume the NRO account for purchases as the NRE amounts can always be repatriated or converted back to the foreign currency.

It was only when I used the debit card for the first time, I realised this problem.

At that time I had been to Chennai and Mumbai and had reached Ahmadabad.

I reported this to the branch in Ahmadabad, and I was told that these instruments had been sent to my Finnish address.

The persons I had met in Bangalore knew that I was going to be in India for two months, so what was the use of sending instruments I needed in India to Finland?

Stupidity or incompetence - please answer that yourselves.

The first few times I logged into my ICICI login account, there was no problem. However, the third time I logged in, I was told on screen that due to security problems, I had to login again using my original user ID provided by the bank and the related password.

I did so, and it was rejected, saying that I had two more attempts, after which I would be locked out.

I made one more attempt, and again it failed.

Instead on making the third attempt in isolation on my computer, I went to the local branch in Ahmadabad in Pralahad Nagar, and explained the situation. I told them I urgently needed access to my online account for several reasons.

Using the bank's computer and in the presence of two bank employees, I made the third attempt exactly as was dictated on the screen. It failed - locking me out of the account altogether.

The bank employee seemed to understand my situation and immediately placed a request for a new password, etc. . In my presence, she gave specific instructions to deliver the same to me at the nearest branch to where I would be staying in New Delhi. Golf Links near Khan market.

I was leaving for Delhi in a couple of days and things were quite desperate, as I was using my international debit cards to survive while my funds were locked away in my ICICI accounts. Foolishly, I had already transferred most of my funds in Indian Bank to the ICICI accounts. So even that avenue had been knocked out under me.

When I reached Delhi, at the first opportunity I went to the bank nearest my residence, in Pragati Vihar. The first shock I got was when the Operations Manager, who was also handling Complaints, told me that my password had been dispatched by DHL to Finland. Short of having a fit, I told her that the employee in Ahmadabad has specifically asked for the password to be sent to Delhi, in my presence.

Luckily for me, that employee in Ahmadabad had been over zealous in trying to make me make investments in ICICI Bank and in the process had given me her phone number. So, then Operation's Manager in the Pragati Vihar Branch was able to call her and determine that the instructions were specific to deliver the password to me at the Karol Road Branch.

The first question to be answered was why the instruments were being sent to Karol Bagh in North Delhi, whereas I was living in South Delhi.

Incompetence on the part of several layers of bank officers as I had specifically told them I wanted it delivered to me at the closest branch to Golf Links near Khan Market in New Delhi.

My driver, therefore, in Delhi had correctly taken me to the Pragati Vihar Branch in New Delhi, which is also next to the Regional Office of ICICI in New Delhi.

After having determined that what I was saying was correct, the Operations Manager said she would tackle this herself and would get the password immediately delivered to the Karol Road Branch. She said she would call me that evening and inform me when I could collect the same.

I have a busy schedule in Delhi and each visit to the bank takes over a hour. The lady failed to phone me that evening or the next morning, so I had to again make a personal visit to the bank on Saturday morning.

She tried to explain all the banks problems to me, which were of little interest to me, and I told her so. All I was interested in was that I received the instruments to do my work.

She made several calls, and it was obvious the bank had goofed on several fronts - the password had obviously not even been processed, so then the lying started.

This Manager told me that the password was already in Delhi with the courier company and could I collect it from the Karol Road Branch in the evening. I pointed out that being Saturday, the bank closed at 14:00 hours. She told me that the bank employees would be working till 18:30, so all I had to do was go to the bank and tell the guard, and he would let me in and I would receive my password.

At 16:30 or thereabouts she rang me and said that the instruments would be delivered to me in the evening at my residence. I told her that I had a dinner engagement and would leave by 19:30. She told me it would be delivered at 20:00 hours and so could I give her the name of the person authorised to receive it. I did so, and therefore had to change my entire afternoon and evening schedule, the programme for my car and driver, at a huge cost to me.

I got home at midnight and my caretaker told me that no one from the bank had come and delivered anything.

What does one make of this?

To me it is case of the employee of the bank telling falsehoods to cover up the total failure of the bank to meet its obligations.

My entire Indian programme has been thrown into disarray because if the incompetence and inefficiency of the bank plus the untruthfulness of employees of the bank.

We are scheduled to fly out on Sunday of next week. Payments had to be made tomy suppliers in Kottayam, Changanacherry in Kerala and to another in Bangalore. Material has to be made ready based on these payments, shipped from one place to the other so that the final product could be put together and given as a complete product next Sunday, before we fly out from India.

Now that is impossible. It is impossible for me to change my flight schedule as not one but three tickets are involved and we have obligations in Finland.

As I said, I was not interested in the problems inside the bank, just as much as I was not interested for the bank to know what my operations entail. The job of the bank is to provide me with a service they promise.

ICICI Bank has failed on every count in this instance - that is in Bangalore, Ahmadabad, New Delhi, as well as their online operations.

Who is going to tackle the responsibility. Who is going to compensate me for the immense reorganisation that I now have to undertake to ensure that this operation is completed? Who is going to apologise for the embarrassment that has been caused to me.

As I said earlier, the ICICI bank is not a bank that can be trusted. It should be struck off as a banking organisation.

I should have listened to my drivers, the common men, who knew what I was letting myself in for.

I intend to meet the ICICI Regional Manager in New Delhi on Monday and lay this out in front of him. Let us hear his explanation! Will he hear mine?

Do not hold your breath!

Meeting another Heap

Lunch yesterday at the India International Centre in New Delhi was a most pleasant experience. (Not just the Thali meal!)

I renewed contact with another of my dearest St. Stephen's College friends - Niranjan Desai (also know as Heap 1: Ajay was Heap 2: I was Heap 3 - meaning a Heap of TROUBLE!). Niranjan was a year senior to me and was studying English Honours. He was from East Africa. He was and is still is a thorough gentleman with a great sense of humour.

In college, we were a group who lived between 1960 amnd 1963 in Mukerji East residential block. (Mukerji West did not exist in our time.)

Even though I say it myself, we were a great crowd. Besides Niranjan and myself, Ajay (Sweden), Badri (Switzerland, youngest every Padma Shiri), Choppy, Daisy (London), Norval, late Rajen, Rajiv, Ramani, Ravi, Rijwhani, Sujit (Kolkotta), Titch, etc., were just a few of our very happy and lively bunch. We were like one family.

The group consisted of Eco, English, Chemistry, History, Maths, Physics, and General Science students - but that did not make a difference, as we were all on the same wavelength.

When I met Niranjan this time, it was not as if a day had passed since our college days. He was looking trim, and except for his white hair, like mine, he was still the same smiling jovial self.

He has seen much of the world as he took up Indian citizenship, joined the Foreign Service and after being declared persona non grata in Uganda, when Idi Amin was on the rampage, he has served in various capacities including his Ambassadorship to Egypt, Switzerland and senior appointments in London and USA (both New York and Washington D. C.). He organised the Festival of India in both London and the USA, both of which received wonderful international coverage.

Of course, I did not know all this, but learnt a lot during our lunch together when time just passed quicker than one wanted.

Niranjan now works for an interesting organisation run by a brilliant young NRI presently based in Mumbai, who was described by Niranjan as a talented workaholic, Neville Tuli. Known as the OSIAN's, their contribution to Indian Culture is something which takes the breath away. They could not have found a better Ambassador than Niranjan.

Among the many things that have been established, two stick out. They have attempted and succeeded in launching the first serious Auction House in India, much on the lines of Sotheby's, Christies and Philips.

Niranjan gave me the Catalogue they had prepared for the first auction which took place on 29th October 2009. It is a publication which can be treasured as it is of the quality that one expects only from the large international auction houses. And Osian's has built up the in-house expert group which is the only way such an enterprise can succeed over the long term.

The second interesting avenue that this group has organised is film festivals covering a range of subjects. This is something which is different from the film festivals which used to be the attraction for those interested in seeing flesh exposure in the old days!

Anyone who is serious about buying genuine Indian Antiquities and Modern Art, may I suggest that they get in touch with this group. They know what they are doing. Their catalogue explains all the laws and procedures in the simplest of terms, so anyone following their guidelines will hardly fall foul of the "laws" as they are practiced in India!

Niranjan was a bit sceptical about the future of India. Like me, he is of the opinion that the country is fast moving into a state of terminal decline. He agrees with me that civic society has collapsed and the only driving force is the bottom line, which is neither Indian culture or heritage. Corruption has increased to such an extent, in his opinion, there is no meaning in the rule of law. He too is of the opinion that the Naxals will wait and make their move at the appropriate time, resulting in horrific bloodshed.

Having been a diplomat and a civil servant almost all his working life, his assessment coinciding with mine was indeed very strange.

We also agreed that what is happening in our alma mater is a sign that that too is in terminal decline. The college is not about education any longer, but persons in the "administration" jockeying for more power as they file suits and counter suits in the law courts. Even today, the High Court chided the Principal for his misuse of power. Further, the battle between the Bishop and the teachers has hotted up!

Is this what one wants appearing in the Press day-in day-out?

1. St Stephen's row: Court pulls up Principal


2. HC chides Stephens Principal for misuing power


3. Stephen's tense over bursar appointment

Are these the examples to set for the students of this august institution?

And, is all this "Christian"?

My visit to the college certainly demonstrated that what is important in the college is being forgotten, while all these external battles are in progress. As I had already mentioned, it appears that no one cares about the state of the college.



The Junior Common Room (JCR) is in shambles. That pained me immensely, as when I was the JCR President, it was my close work with the then Principal, Mr. Sircar and the Vice Principal, Mr. Shanklund, that had driven the JCR to become something of a force in the college for the college residents. The students earned the respect of the staff by the way they organised all the different events and finally the JCR Evening.



The beautiful lawn and rose garden which stood in front of Mukerji East is no longer there - it is just a barren piece of brown earth. The lawns have not been swept of the fallen leaves.

The white interior walls of the college are dirty.



The pictures in many places do not hang straight.

It feels like one is in a third rate institution.

Where is the order and pride in the alma mater that had existed in our time?

It is obvious that people are more concerned of their own political ambitions rather than the state of the college.

Niranjan also expressed that many of our friends had changed over time with their own priorities weighing in their lives. Natural, but unfortunate.

What values we shared when we were in college are those that are worth standing for, even today. A strong alumni can influence the happenings of the alma mater.

Thank you, Niranjan, for showing me that we can still hold our principles, whatever we have been through in the intervening years.

Disability Hypocrisy

Yesterday morning, when I picked up the daily newspaper, I was confronted by a full page advertisement inserted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Government of India which was "Greetings to all persons with disabilities and the community working for their empowerment".

Pictures of the prominent persons starting with Indian President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patel, the Indian Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Chairperson of the UPA, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Mukul Wasnik, and Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri D. Napolean, stood out prominently on the page.

I thought to myself about this waste of money to fulfil their own self-glorification egoistic political agenda.

Had any of these eminent persons ever walked down ANY street in India with a physically challenged person and seen the nightmarish existence they face?

Are there 100 or even 10 traffic lights which cater to the needs of the blind in India?

To demonstrate my point of view, I took a short walk in the upmarket area of New Delhi, Golf Links. I walked to one of the most popular and oldest markets in the area, Khan Market.

The pictorial record shows what state the physically challenged would face.



There are no pavements clear enough for a wheelchair to be pushed!





There is a drop of almost 300 cm between the pavement level and the road!



There is usually a gutter in between the two.

Pedestrian crossings run up against a divider with a fence!





Roads are blocked by numerous impediments, mostly man-made, with no thought as to why a pavement exists!





The situation is already a nightmare for persons of sound mind and body, so what would it be for a physically challenged person.

In today's Hindustan Times, I saw that some steps are likely to be implemented to improve the pavements in the city of New Delhi!

Is New Delhi India?

And when is such a plan of action likely to see the light of day?

If in the upmarket area the situation is so bad, can one imagine what it is like in the other areas as where the poor and down-trodden live?

New definition for "Weaving"

The word to weave has some standard definitions in my Apple computer dictionary:

weave 1 |wēv|
verb ( past wove |wōv|; past part. woven |ˈwōvən|or wove) [ trans. ]
form (fabric or a fabric item) by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them : linen was woven in the district.
• form (thread) into fabric in this way : some thick mohairs can be difficult to weave.
• [ intrans. ] [usu. as n. ] ( weaving) make fabric in this way typically by working at a loom : cotton spinning and weaving was done in mills.
• ( weave something into) include something as an integral part or element of (a woven fabric) : a gold pattern was woven into the material.
• make (basketwork or a wreath) by interlacing rods or flowers.
• make (a complex story or pattern) from a number of interconnected elements : he weaves colorful, cinematic plots.
• ( weave something into) include an element in (such a story or pattern) : interpretative comments are woven into the narrative.
noun [usu. with adj. ]
a particular style or manner in which something is woven : scarlet cloth of a very fine weave.
ORIGIN Old English wefan, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek huphē ‘web’ and Sanskrit ūrṇavābhi ‘spider,’ literally ‘wool-weaver.’ The current noun sense dates from the late 19th cent.
weave 2
verb [ intrans. ]
twist and turn from side to side while moving somewhere in order to avoid obstructions : he had to weave his way through the crowds.
• take evasive action in an aircraft, typically by moving it from side to side.
• (of a horse) repeatedly swing the head and forepart of the body from side to side (considered to be a vice).
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: probably from Old Norse veifa ‘to wave, brandish.’

In the last month and a half, having been driven around in Mumbai, Cochin, Kerala, Kottayam, Bangalore, Karnataka, Mysore, Chennai, Ahmedabad and now New Delhi and Delhi, plus Harayana and Rajasthan - I can confidently add one more definition for the word "weaving".

That is "chaotic driving in India".

Unlike the beautiful and delicate patterns created by textile weaving, weaving in Indian traffic is a nightmare.

Yesterday, while driving back from Nim ka Thane in Rajasthan, we happened to follow a bus belonging to Sabharwal Travels, a travel company operating from New Delhi. The behaviour of the driver was astonishing.

The minute he was in a lane, he would signal that he was intending to move into the next lane. When he got into the next lane, he would signal that he was intending to move back to the lane he had just moved out of. This went on for almost the 40 km we were following him. It was obvious that he was least aware of the utter confusion he was adding to an already chaotic situation through his use of his blinking signals.

Everyone was weaving in and out from one lane to the next, to their own lane in between the lanes, to the verge lane, or wherever the car would fit, in between two cars, a bus and a car.

The horns were used perpetually, as if we were in a dodgem car track in a "Tivoli". The horn was the bumper and body protector.

Coming from a country where the horn is only used in a dire emergency, the constant sounding of the horn to tell the world, much like Enid Blytonäs Noddy: "Hey listen to me folks, I am also here!", is nothing but tragic.

This is noise pollution at its worst, and nobody seems to mind. Nobody even bothers to see that the "SILENCE ZONE" signboard is just up ahead!

If only people stuck to their lanes and drove within the terms as specified by the law, everyone would get to their destinations quicker, and in peace.

What people apparently do not undestand is that this constant weaving, braking, missing another car by a hair's breadth, all has a toll in slowing down the traffic into a metallic mess and causes the traffic to crawl.

Yes, I am sure that the new definition for "weaving" as "chaotic driving in India", is probably the best definition yet!

Check Dam? Check Mate!

Salegram, my driver friend of the last 40 years, arrived at 04:30 am for our trip to Rajasthan. We were a little slow to get ready but we were off by 05:05 am. (I realised how much Salegram knew of my life when he asked me where my Charminars were. I used to smoke 80 per day till I gave up 27 years ago!)

As we drove by, Annikki and I were astounded by the sight of Gurgaon skyline. The development of that part outside Delhi, on the Haryana border, was amazing, but obviously, like in Bangalore, fraught with problems. Unplanned development, not adequate resources provided, and even with 6 lane highways connecting Delhi to Gurgaon, the entire situation is in shambles.

When we had originally planned to visit Rajasthan, the idea was to visit Jaipur and Udaipur, to see the Royal splendour of those cities. But after my talk with Anil Ruia, I had other plans. I wanted to see how the framers in India are surviving and I wanted to see something which would motivate ME!

I can see Palaces and Heritage Sites everywhere, but to get a close-up glimpse of Indian farmers, who makes up over 70 % of the population of this great country, to me, was much more valuable.

Bhupendra Singh, our guide for the day.

Once we were in Rajasthan, we left of National Highway No. 8 and turned off it to Nim ka Thane, where we had agreed to meet Bhupendra Singh, who was to show us the work being done on Check Dams in Sikar District.


A happy farmer who now plans to build a house and get married!

The terrain was harsh with stone and rubble strewn everywhere. Many roads are impassable. Bhupendra Singh had thoughtfully arranged a Jeep to take us deep into the interior of the District. The bumpy dusty roads were indeed the first eye opener to how our farmers are living, far away from our "modern polluted crowded civilisation".

The air is unpolluted and even the harshness of the climate and surroundings is forgotten when one meets the warmth of the genuine hospitality of an Indian farmer.



A Check Dam is exactly what it suggests - a dam built to check the flow of water after the rains so that the water can percolate into the water table slowly and it can be held behind the dam till it is needed. If the rains are too much, the overflow will go on till the next Check Dam, and so on.

The difference between the Check Dams constructed through the assistance of Aaker Charitable Trust, Mumbai, and those built by the Government, is that the farmers who want the Check Dams constructed, indicate where it should be, pay almost half the cost themselves, the other half being met by some generous donor, and the farmers construct it themselves. Hence, the farmers have a stake in their Check Dams and maintain it to the best of their ability, while also using the water exactly how they want to use it.

Yesterday, on a long hot dusty day, Annikki and I visited 8 Check Dams.

1. Kaalakhet ka Check Dam at Gadrata


2. Futtipal ka Check Dam at Laadi ka bas


3. Purani Chadar ka Check Dam at Garnaw


4. Nichli Chadar ka Check Dam at Garnaw


5. Rai ka Check Dam at Kaalakota


6. Khet ka Check Dam at Buja


7. Goyala ka Check Dam at Bujiwala

There was one thing in common with all of them.


A farmer's wife with Annikki


Another farmer's wife with Annikki.


A farmer's 75 year old mother. She firmly told Annikki
to sit on the charpoy and have a hot tea!

Happy farmers.






Another happy village headman.

The farmers, and all their families whom we met, were so happy with the results of their effort. They expressed it in many different ways. One said that the previous year his income had been about Euro 1500, while this year, because of the Check Dam it was already Rs. Euro 9000 - 6 time greater. A second one told us that the acreage under cultivation had increased 30 times because of the Check Dam. A third one told us that he had no loans, his income had increased, and now he could build his new home and get married!

In short, all of them were so happy, and looked it.

They thanked God for their good fortune, as this year, even with just one rainfall, the Check Dams had worked wonders and there was still plenty of water available. The water table during the last two years had come up by as much as 50 feet in some places. In one case an open well, which was almost dry, was full to the brim.



Farmers were cropping new profitable crops as tomatoes, brinjals, onions, and they were getting good prices. They are also planting a wide variety of trees which will provide cover to harsh terrain, preserve water and prevent erosion.

My thoughts ran through what they had and what they did not have. There is so much work to be done still on the social and civic front, on the education and health front, on the communication front, as most of the farmers do not have even radio contact with the rest of India or the world!

But they do have Nokia Mobile Phones. When I explained where we came from, I said whether they knew the name, Nokia. A farmer proudly pulled out his mobile. They were in raptures when I told them it was just the name of a small town in Finland and soon the world would also know the name of their village too!

To them, a visit by Bhupendra Singh, the enterprising young man (an MA graduate from Meerut University) working for the Aaker Charitable Trust and his two assistants, Vinod and Ravi, bring out the best of our Indian heritage - hospitality and the hand of friendship.


Amla Ruia, wife of my classmate, Ashok Ruia.

The very mention of Amla Ruia is as if they have heard the name of their Maataji! But above all they thank God for their good fortune.


The farmers say their thanks to Amla through
this offering to us!.

This is an example of an NGO which has found the right combination. Projects that cannot be shaken by corruption, farmers who are willing to put in the effort, field workers who believe in what they are doing, donors who have hearts of gold to uplift their fellow men and a figurehead who can motivate all levels to give their very best.

Can this be duplicated on a national scale. The answer is a simple YES, but this is only the first step in a long process of rural development. There are many NGOs working in the field and I am reasonably sure all of them have some special features. It is important for these NGOs to learn from each other, cooperate and implement what is the best for the entire rural community.

I do see that the possibility of the Rural Urbanisation concept that Ebbi and I wrote about 30 years ago, could even see the light of day in the next decade! Let us hope!

Visit to my Alma Mater 3

I went to my alma mater, St. Stephen’s College, this morning.



Much had changed and much had not changed. The most important was that it was a no smoking zone! Amazing but simply wonderful. Many buildings had been added, mostly of the same style.

As soon as I arrived I met with four staff members at the gate, all after my time. Then to the Principal’s office. He was not there, but I spoke to him on the phone to get permission to do some unobtrusive photography.

First shot - The Blacksmith, which was now a modern water cooler. However, the significance of the Blacksmith has vanished as water coolers have been installed in all the blocks, making those evening and night visits to it now unnecessary.

The general atmosphere was the same except to see girls trooping around everywhere.

The greatest disappointment was the condition of the JCR.

In 1961-62 the JCR Committee had worked so hard to make the JCR a wonderful place where we could not only enjoy ourselves but feel comfortable in clean and neat surroundings. The place was now in shambles. The small rooms at the back were store houses for all sorts of paraphernalia and one was a carom room. Two TT tables now stood in the main hall. Nothing much else. It just did not feel a comfortable place to relax in during the long evenings.

But the boys there seemed quite contented - so who am I to say what it should be.

I bought a College tie from Balan in the Sports Department. Cost was just Rs. 160, but he could not sell me a college T-Shirt! Meant for students only, I guess!



The cafe had been expanded and modernised. The cane chair s were still there and the fare was a slightly more modern.

I am going back on Monday to attend the Founders’s Day Service. Hopefully I can spend a bit more time looking around.

I rushed back and with perfect timing arrived back just as K. P. Fabian, former Ambassador to Finland arrived at the Guest House. He was looking as sprightly as ever and he is active with an NGO. He also has a great blog where he writes about socio-political issues.

I still remember his wonderful speech at the Oulu University about North - South dialogue, something I should reproduce here on the blog. In today’s context, it has even more significance.

It is 4:30am. Rushing off to Rajasthan now to see the Check Dams Project. So will complete this entry on my return. (more photographs tomorrow.)

My other alma mater is Cathedral and John Connon School, Bombay and here are list of few of those are Alumni of both of these institutions.

Rahul Bajaj, Ashok (Tony) Jaitly, Peter Philip, Sujit Bhatacharya and myself, Javob Matthan. If you belong tonthesectwo Alumni, Please send mecdn email to jmatthan@ gmail.com

Finland: Nokia Only?

Wherever I go in the educated and less educated world, mention of Nokia usually gets a response of Finland! This is unlike old times where the response used to be: Japan?

Also, not so many years ago, Annikki would spend half an hour explaining to the Indian telephone operator where Finland was before they even considered trying to connect her.

One must, however, remember that even before the advent of Nokia and its mobile phones, Finland has been internationally famous for many things: glass, ceramics, paper, wood products, furniture, textiles, paper machinery, mining equipment, diesel engines, architecture, music, the land of lakes and forests and unrivalled beauty, and much more.

A small country of just 5 million people has achieved much in as many fields as they applied themselves.

In the field of ship building, as well as luxury small boats, Finland has been one of the major players.



Today is an auspicious day for Finland, as the world’s largest cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas, registered in the Bahamas and owned by Royal Caribbean, makes its maiden voyage between Fort Lauderdale in Florida and Labadee in Haiti.

The ship was constructed in the Finnish town of Turku, the former capital city of Finland. It was built by a company now known as STX Europe, but which used to be known as Aker Yards Ltd. It is a Soiith Korean company now which took on the 3 major shipyardes in Finland as they knew that the quality of Finnish ships would be unmatched by their efforts in South Korea. Besides cruise ships, they also dominate in another field where Finns have been world leaders - Ice Breakers.

Size-wise it is 361 metres long, compared to the Queen Mary 2 which is 345 metres and the Freedom class which is 339 metres. It was ordered in February 2006 and delivered in October 2009.The cost of the ship is estimated at $ 1.5 billion.

The passenger capacity is 5400, but with double occupancy, it can take on 6296 passengers. The Queen Mary 2 takes on just 2620 while the Freedom class, 3634 passengers.

The ship is manned by 2165 staff. The gross tonnage is 225282. It has 16 passenger decks. The height is 72 metres and the maximum bean is 47 metres. The speed is given as 41.9 km/h

The entertainment area has a studio, theatre, nightclub, jazz and comedy shows. It has a central park with natural vegetation, cafe, bar and shops. The broad-walk is a seaside esplanade, an outdoor amphitheatre, two climbing walls, restaurants, bars, public entertainment areas with also a carousel.

The pool and sports section has an aqua park for kids, 4 pools and 16 whirlpools, a tranquil poolside, a solatrium area, 2 Flowriders, sports courts and a mini golf course.

Finland has been into using luxury liners between Sweden and Finland for as long as I can remember + we used one in 1969. It also ran the FinnJet, a turbopowered cruise liner between Travemunde in Germany and Helsinki in Finland. The cruise liners run constantly between Stockholm and Helsinki, Turku and another Finnish port called Naantali. There are smaller ones between other Finnish and Swedish ports. Besides the Finnish holiday makers and corporate users conducting meetings and course, these boats also carry a large number of trucks with goods across from Western Europe to and from Finland. It is part of the E4 highway which runs from northern Finland all the way to the southern tip of Italy.

Of late, smaller cruise ships have been operating between Finland and Estonia.

The number of passengers on this new cruise ship will carry the equivalent of 16 Boeing 747s.

With the experience of operating and making cruise liners, it is no wonder that Finland is the preferred choice of many companies who want to operate them.

I brought the proposal to run cruise liners along the Western and eastern coasts of India way back in 1975, but there were no takers then.

Will there be anyone now?