Gaurav Pramanik for President
Our dear friend Gaurav Pramanik is no more.. There is a silence on the timeline... He was the super star friend and always there to cheer you up. Not able to see the updates from our dear friend is tough.. Like every-time we were hoping that he would be back after the hospital visit.
It was through a twitter handle I got to know about Gaurav... It was his funny takes that brought people closer to him.. He was a star and the person who would go to any extent to help others... He kept fighting like champion and was looking forward to new life.
A few things I want to share about Gaurav... The first would be the Tech Mahindra experience he shared on his timeline. It was an inspiration from many... Gaurav was a foodie and no one would disagree. His love for momos and the other specials he would often share. I remember having a chat about momo's and promised him that one day I would taste the ones he made.. Sadly, this wont happen anymore.

https://pramanikforpresident.wordpress.com/
Gaurav was good at story telling and he was a people person... He loved to have conversations even with complete strangers who he hasn't even met irl.. a charming personality and one who would go the extra mile.. Every-time there was a challenge, he dealt with that bravely and never gave up. His fight against cancer is commendable and he was sure an inspiration for others who were going through the same..
His biggest strength was not giving up... he kept fighting till the end... Like many, I would just wait to see his messages.. It was the best thing to happen when there were updates.. He did manage several things on his own.. His family was very supportive and they are proud of their son. My heartfelt condolences to all the family and friends.
You were the best Gaurav and will be missed very badly... Your presence made a huge difference for others... Even when you were in the covid ward, the encouragement you provided to the people around especially the kid who was going through the difficult time..
There are many other things to share like this... The amphan relief efforts(Team bari) was so well managed.. You had the coolest ideas on earth and knew how to execute those... TasteRide Pickles would top that list.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you did for others. It was an honor to know you... Until we meet again, rest in peace brother Gaurav...
Please excuse the typos...
Jersey # 7
The number 7 was very close to my heart. One can easily find 7 or 007 on the roll no & hall ticket numbers. If number 7 was not found, it was a missing feeling. The number 7 was my identity for a long time. Even had the tag
James Bond 007
Cricket is something very personal and there were good and bad moments..My parents have seen my passion for the game.. If I had a game , I didn’t need any alarms or reminders. My mom would even joke that he will wake up and be ready for the game. My dad was went one level up.. I remember there was this Phone call from a Family member.. She was enquiring if we had any conditions. The phone call was about an alliance that she wanted to follow-up. I still remember dad saying this “ we don’t have any conditions. My son plays cricket and we don’t want the future wife to bother him with a grocery list when he goes for a game.. it’s better said in the native language. They knew how committed I was towards the game.
Cricket was life.
I had the opportunity to play with great players. The individuals were true to the game and I’ve seen and experienced the sportsmanship and the leadership qualities. I grew up watching Sachin Tendulkar and for a Bowling all rounder, the batting was as-needed..
Batting at a lower order was fun coz there was hope and there was a lot of expectations from the team members.. The team expectation was that the tail-end would hit couple of sixes and that was more that enough..
Early on in my career I was the pinch-hitter for the team while batting and my other job was to bowl. Switching gears while batting was another feather in the cap and clearing the boundary line was never an issue. This gave the team a lot of hope that the tail-end can bat and the top/middle order do not have to worry about the tail when they are at the crease.
I have been in situations where the target was huge and it was an uphill task. I have given my 110% coz I had the support from the entire team. To bat with that expectation was a lot of pressure.. This was pre-Dhoni era and players who I looked up to were Sachin, Azharuddin, Jadega, Robin Singh, Moin Khan and few others. These players gave me hope that it’s possible if we try.
This finisher tag stayed for several years and I still love to bat with that pressure. It is not easy when the target is huge or if there aren’t any wickets left.. The mind and Body works differently and the pressure that builds up have to be channelized. You also have to talk to the other batsman(runner) and give him hope that we got this and “it’s not over until it’s over”
The job never ends there, we also have to remind ourselves that the cheeky singles or trying to manufacture a shot could be risky. You take calculated risks and it may or may not work in your favor. I’ve been in several nail-biting finishes and I cherish all those moments. I used to have nightmares thinking of the lost game and what I could have done differently. Losing a game also was a learning..
Years later, we have the greatest finisher of the game.. This player has been constantly winning games and people who were in similar situations know exactly what Dhoni must be going through when he is at the batting crease.. He also taught us how to be a perfect finisher of the game. There were times we gave away our wicket after doing the impossible.. I wish we had Dhoni like finisher when we were young cricketers. It was this player who showed how to finish the game in style. As Dhoni announced his reitirement from international cricket, we can only be grateful for his commitment and passion for the game. He is also called the Mr. Cool and a player who sacrificed for others. Indian cricket had this gem in the team and he could take on any opposition and could bat at any level.
For me, it was like a perfect ending...The number 7 was a good learning and Dhoni has taught us (pinch-hitters) how to finish it in style.
Thank you Dhoni for the memories. This picture would stay in our hearts for a long long time..
This is how you finish in style..
Thank you Captain Cool MS dhoni!
Disclaimer: please excuse the typos.. blame it on the phone :)
Equal justice initiative for India.
Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer and bestselling author of Just Mercy, the Equal Justice Initiative(EJI) is a private, 501©(3) nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons.
The org has along with the legal team was able to free people who have been falsely accused. This was not a straight process and Bryan had to face challenges and he had to fight the system that failed us. If if was not for Bryan, we wouldn’t have seen the wrong that was happening to the poor and under privileged. It was a long battle and people can reach out to EJI if they are facing discrimination or falsely accused. There is a hope for those people coz they know EJI can and will fight for them. This was only possible as people like Bryan stood up against Injustice. It wouldn’t be possible to do anything like that if the system failed them completely.. in many cases, they had to suffer just because the other were privileged or had undue influence. The EJI was able to work through the system and found their identity and made sure justice was not denied.. The movie “Just Mercy” also captures some of the initial cases that were taken up by EJI.
What we see today in India is that the system has failed. The system that was supposed to protect the citizens has failed completely. The largest democracy in the world suddenly looks like a nation run by crooks and thugs. There is a pattern in which communities are targeted. There is a hate brigade which runs IT cells and targets individuals. There is large scale corruption and those who were elected by the people are being bought with money. The agencies that were setup to investigate malpractices and corruption is being used to target individuals. There is a fear created and those who speak out against the current regime are made to suffer. There is an investigation or a false case filed . The Agencies and institutions have no choice than to follow orders. Those who speak out will he made to suffer or silenced.
There is definitely a need for Equal Justice initiative for India(EJII). One may ask why there is a need for a private org? This is because there shouldn’t be any influence from political parties. The parties are free to support but it shouldn’t be about them. India has seen a similar movement pre 2014. The India against corruption could have been our EJI.. however, this whole movement turned out to be joke and for their own political aspirations. The movement has lost its focus and there is no hope. There are currently organizations like ICLU who are making an effort to help people who are being targeted. The ICLU volunteers have been working on several issues and provided legal help to the invidiuals. If someone is being false targeted or need legal help, they can contact ICLU.
There is also the non profit which is similar to EJI. This is non profit run by Harsh Mander and team. The
has done great work and is the voice for the voiceless for many Indians.
https://twitter.com/karwanemohabbat?s=21
https://twitter.com/ICLU_Ind?s=21
The EJII movement can be the voice for the falsely accused and for those who are in prisons. The mentality of people should change coz anyone can be put behind bars. The individual doesn’t have to commit any crime. The people shouldn’t be afraid to support the individuals who are falsely accused. What we see today in india is that there is FIR filed against individuals and the allegations are that they tried to assasinate the Prime minister of india. There is allegation that the individuals have a last name from a community and they have been supporting terrorist activities. There are several other similar allegations and encounters.. the normal people are unable to even ask questions coz they fear that they will be implicated. When the system fails, it is important to speak up. If they can put innocent people behind bars then they can accuse anyone and can sentence people without evidence.
Any nation that calls itself a democracy should remember that it cannot be always the “my way or the freeway attitude” and people will rise and speak against the injustice. It is their right and they can seek justice and nothing can stop them. The legal hurdles and vendetta politics is something that need to be handled. There should be support system or an org that would fight for them. To fight a legal case, the individual will have to pay the legal fees and wait for an hearing. The Judiciary has several cases and hearing dates are not easily available unless it’s an high profile case. The Judiciary is the important pillar of democracy and it looks like the Judges are also being influenced or being threatened. The people are starting to lose hope in the judiciary as they feel there is no point in going to courts.
The Equal justice initiative for India should be provide the legal help for the people. The team should be able to pull in Advocates who can fight the cases for the client regardless of their race, sex, religion. The lawyers should be able to bring justice. There will be many people who will then reach out. The EJII should be able to help people who have been treated badly by the Upper Caste and privileged category. The largest democracy will only thrive if equal justice is provided to every individual and not a select few.
The EJII can bringing all the orgs fighting for the same cause under the same umbrella. The Karwan E mohabbat, the ICLU, the polis Project and the fact checking website Altnews india can be part of the collaboration and provide legal support for the individuals falsely accused and targeted. There is a need for financial support and people should step forward and donate generously and be part of the change. Any individual or org should also be able to join the EJII. They can help with providing emotional and financial support. They can also be on fundraising teams or part of community outreach teams.
The need of the hour is the EJII or similar movement to fight the system that has been hijacked by influencial and political masters.
Justice may be delayed but justice cannot be denied to an individual
Jai Hind!!
https://twitter.com/ICLU_Ind?s=21
The recent executive order...
This may look like an imposition but there is no denial. The Pandemic has impacted everyone.
On June 22nd, 2020, the President of the United States of America will be signing an order to suspend the work visa's
https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/22/exclusive-trump-suspend-visas-coronavirus-immigration/
This may be a win for nationalists and people who have been made to believe that these temporary jobs can be taken up citizens and will boost employment. The order passed will block visa workers(H1-B, H2, L1, etc.) from applying for new Visa or renew their visa's.
This order will also mean that people who hold these visa may face difficulties travelling in & out of the country. Currently, there are travel restrictions in place and many have avoided travel. However, if someone had plans to travel then there will hit a roadblock. It will be a one-way ticket and people will have to go through the legal procedures and need to prepare for longer delays. There are restrictions on how long someone can stay out of the country. If the delay end up for more than 240 days then they wont be able to continue on the Visa. There are several people who are out of the country and were hoping to come back when the situation was better.. Some of them were working from remote location but this order will make it worse as they may not have a renewed visa to enter the country. They may have find ways to dispose their belongings in the US.. The Families may have to move their assets or belongings to a storage facility. The Families may have been paying rent and hoping to make a come back.. This order will only complicate things and many will have to look at other options.
Administration officials said the move would prevent immigrants from taking 525,000 jobs as unemployment remains above 13% amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This may look like the right thing to do and 525k jobs maybe now available. However, it may not be possible fill up these positions as there are other requirements and qualifications and often ignored.
If there are people on temporary visas currently in the country then it may be worth looking at other options and set expectations.. We don't know what's in store or what will happen tomorrow as this ban is in effect till end of this year or beyond that.
This new order is raising more questions and would be resulting in delays.
https://twitter.com/jgupta87/status/1274769523770560518?s=20
https://twitter.com/AILANational/status/1275055955659624450?s=20
https://twitter.com/girl_faraway/status/1275205779029741575?s=20
https://twitter.com/Dudakov_Lab/status/1275208095652655109?s=20
This post by Reddy & Neuman provides a summary of the executive order and how it will be affect the temporary visa workers:
https://twitter.com/Rczone530/status/1275209188092887040?s=20
Empathy & Compassion
Woke up this morning with news that Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide. This was shocking news for many have decided to take a break from SM platforms for at-least a day.. The actor hasn’t left a suicide note and no one knows the actual reason for his death..
Sushant Singh Rajput was an actor who had a big heart.. I remember an incident when someone tagged him on Insta and asked him for help... He donated 1 crore INR (10 million) towards the relief fund.. there are several other incidents.. He was a talented actor and I personally loved watching his movies.. The world will miss him. RIP Sushant!!
I’m also leaving a link to YouTube playlist here..
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCHGgBbzOlrrNybgGjf9ropQ/playlists
The Crisis at hand
There is definitely a crisis at hand and sooner we acknowledge and realized that, it could help someone.. The Mental health crisis is difficult to handle. There are individuals and organizations who are trained to provide the needed help for someone going through a difficult stage in life. However there is a fear or concern that people may not understand or judge them for the decisions they made. It is also not a simple solution.. Each and every case is different and needs to be tackled differently.. A wrong diagnosis or path could lead to a even worse situation. I saw someone suggest that mental health professionals should start making videos and share those online as it could help someone get through the difficult phase. It may be short term solution. However it is not just their responsibility.. many people are trained but they may not have the license or certification to help others.. the
field is complicated and many folks have to go through rigorous training and need to certify and renew the certifications every couple of years.. what worked a few years ago may or may not be relevant in the current context.
The Triggers?
The trigger could depend on several factors.. it is not the same and will vary from person to person. Every person has gone through some stress in life but how we cope with a certain situation is not going to work for another stress factor. Personally, I’ve had issues with a lot of things.. I don’t want to judge others or make their cause less important.. Here are few triggers for me:
Emotional
Political views
Social well being
I’m an emotional person and it breaks my heart to see people struggle or when I'm unable to help the people. I have difficultly expressing certain things even though I'm very vocal on SM. The reason I’m sharing this is to let people know that it’s ok to express their views, feelings regardless of the platform.. There is also a fear that others who have a different view point may target or blackmail the individual(s). This is the worst kind of harassment and targeting.. The political masters or the influential people can use such tactics to get something done. Many individuals are silent and not able to speak up because of this reason. If someone is going through this stress, then it’s not easy for them..
This is not the end of the world.. Please know that there is someone available to talk or help us out. Seeking help maybe the last resort but it's still fine. Depending on the country\place we live, the options available could be limited..
If you are in the US, you can always reach-out to the below helpline:
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
If someone is in INDIA, they can reach-out to the helpline(s):
https://lbb.in/delhi/suicide-helplines-india/
**The Environment**
The environment around us is very important.. If one doesn’t feel comfortable around a group of people or if the political environment doesn’t allow people to express their views or feelings freely then there could be a feeling of being alone.. In india, the last few years have been difficult for people who had a different view point.. Some people may not agree to this and that’s where we need to start.. If you are in the majority or are considered the privileged then it’s time to step out of that comfort zone..
In the last year itself, there have been several incidents.. Let’s talk about something that has affected me personally and I'm going to leave this here as I know others have been affected as well.,
Abrogation of article 370.
https://www.groupdiscussionideas.com/abrogation-of-article-370/
This entire abrogation was a difficult one for many political activists.. The entire state of Jammu & Kashmir was shutdown and overnight the article 370 was deemed invalid.. It took several years to get here.. a section of the media and RW kept pushing their propaganda.. without even thinking how it would affect the people, they supported the decision of the Indian government.. This was also passed through the parliament. The people were kept in a lockdown and movement of goods or acces to basic serevives were denied. The people of Kashmir still do not have decent Internet connectivity.. the Medical services, the educational institutions, businesses were affected due to the lockdown imposed by the government. The people are trying to manage with whatever they could gather but there is a constant pressure to neglect or deny people their right.. Ask if this is justified? There are many in the state who are depressed and going through the most difficult phase. There is a mental and emotional stress that they have to deal with. Many are struggling financially coz the businesses and livelihoods were impacted.
CAA & Delhi Pogrom
The Delhi riots was the repeat of what the country experienced in 2002 and 1992. There was complete failure and people from a minority community were targeted. The CAB was made a law through the parliament.. This was the second such judgment/decision that was normalized as legal. The Peaceful protests by individuals were turned into political game for the RW army. The leaders along with the supporters pushed their agenda and made the protests look like an Anti-India program. The most peaceful protest of recent times was the Shaheen Bagh sit-in. The protest against CAA is be a badge of honor. The activists and like minded folks who raised their voice against CAA also should be commended. As there were protests across the country, the RW army and their supporters unleashed the most barbaric attack on the community. The administration and the Police force should have been with the people instead they targeted the citizens. The way the investigation was handled by the Delhi police is a shame to the country.. Even today, the Delhi police is going after the activists who lend their voice or spoke against the CAA law. The fact-finding committee that was formed now blames the Muslim community.. This committee along with the Delhi police made it look like the problem was started by a community and also want to show the world that they did an investigation. If a 5th grader had investigated the case, then he/she would do a better job.. The people who have suffered are now made criminals and are being targeted..
*How does one justify such things and let the authorities target innocent lives?
*
The Lock-down*
The Lock-down was a necessary measure.. Few countries even went a step further and provided a stimulus package to the citizens.. It was a temporary relief but averted a disaster. People would have taken the extreme step(if not). However, the way countries like INDIA implemented the lock down shows how unprepared they are when it comes to crisis management. It was complete chaos and unscientific measures were pushed.. The Banging of plates and lighting the Diya's was pushed as measure to keep the virus away.. The world once commended INDIA for their talent and medical research.. Being an Indian, it is a shame that the country that one was proud of pushed such unscientific measures and kept on denying the problem. The situation is so worse that there are more than 10k new cases.. If the lock-down was implemented with help from experts in the field then we would have been in a better situation.. The most affected were the migrant workers who lost everything and had to live their places of work. They were neglected by the employers, governments and people.. Personally, this migrant crisis was a trigger and at one point, I even questioned my own existence. There were individuals on the ground trying to help in anyway they could.. This was the most difficult phase and one way to cope with that was provide the support the individuals. This lockdown has taken away the livelihood and there is uncertainty.. People like us can still bounce back. However, the poor and those who lost everything wont be able to survive.. The failure to acknowledge the crisis at hand is the most cruel thing we could do.. Thinking everything is alright is nauseating. Those who dont see this human crisis are the most vile individuals. The lock down was also a way to target or silence the individuals. The activists and volunteers are booked under draconian laws and are being silenced.
When we talk about mental health, we need to also look at the triggers and political environment they are in.. Certain decisions\laws taken could be directly impacting the people. It is only inhumane to turn a blind eye and think that everything is normal. It is possible to help someone with limited resources but one needs to be genuine and need to show compassion and empathy. Get help, reachout for help are only going to make sense if we are genuine and build a trust around the people.. The most difficult part is reaching out to someone.. We shouldn't our thoughts/views or the environment we are in be an hindrance for others.
*Heal the world
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWf-eARnf6U)
Peaceful Protests & Police Reform.
Thousands of people marched peacefully in Seattle Saturday afternoon until outside groups came in and caused destruction.
Today we saw something similar in Bellevue as well. There were peaceful protests and then came the group who had other intentions and they didn’t care what others were there for..
It is important that law enforcement understands and prepares for this very early.. The law enforcement cannot control huge crowds.. Things will go out of control pretty quickly because of one bad move.
One may ask how do we do then join a peaceful protests?
If you see that the crowd around you has other intentions, then move away to a place that can accommodate bigger crowd.
Avoid public places/malls as this would lead to looting and the whole protest would become a blame-game.
Amplify and make your intentions clear before going to a protest.
Don’t go after law enforcement just for the sake of it. They have a family too and real protesters need to respect that.
Push for police reform. This should be the number one priority as a free ride cannot be accepted. They are responsible to save lives and we don’t want to see criminals in uniforms.
The black lives matter, the black communities matter have been out there for a long time.. It’s important that people respect each other and say no to racism. In the US, it is a crime to make any racist comment or treat others badly just because of color/race. The states have very clearly called out laws and make it a point that individuals/businesses across do not involve in any kind of racism.
Police Reform?
There is definitely a need for police reform across states. The way some officers have reacted and targeted certain individuals is condemnable. The law enforcement and people who are supposed to save lives shouldn’t take things for granted. They have a duty and they should protect the individuals. If someone thinks they are above the law, they don’t belong there.
There is also need for medical check-up and counselling sessions for law enforcement officials. They are humans and they need to be fit and should be offered time-off.. The law enforcement is a tough job as they are needed in every place and they maybe called for backup anytime.. it’s really a tough job..
There should also be public/private partnership. The officials are given the power to keep the streets and cities safe.. there should be more awareness campaigns. City and state leaders should engage with the communities more often. There is need to build more trust.. the changes need to happen at the top and people shouldn’t be labeled for expressing their views or when they protest peacefully.
Privileges and upbringing
There are also privileged individuals who feel they can get away because of the race/color. This mentality needs to change and there should be inclusiveness. If one doesn’t understand what inclusion means then they should step out of their comfort zones and check out the work of the individuals and orgs who are working day and night to make this a better place for us. It is easy to make a comment and get away. When someone makes a racist comment they are not thinking how it would affect an individual. It starts at a young age and should be stopped before it’s become a habit.
Parents and elders have to be careful coz the racism could be part of your upbringing. If parents do not stop their kids from making racist comments then they won’t be able to stop them at a later stage. You know what it means and practice inclusion and try not be the source. Many think they will get away coz their parents said so.. it is this privilege that’s another problem..
I sincerely hope and pray that people regardless of race/color stand up against injustice and don’t get carried away by emotions. Fight for what is right. Stay safe and protest peacefully.
Rescue and Relief – Part 1
Being away from home, this was totally difference experience. In 2018, I was at home and saw the news about the floods in Kerala and within hours there was media reports that almost all of Kerala was going to be flooded. I have family and friends in Kerala and I didn't know how I could help.. It didn’t strike me until the news flashed that there is no communication with the people..
I had family and friends in Kerala and all I could do was wish for things to be normal(as i was away). I couldn’t sleep thinking about the people of Kerala.. Even though I grew up in Hyderabad, I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t control my tears.. There wasn’t anything I could do to help the people.. This is when I saw few people share links to few rescue portals. The first one I came across had a form that people had to fill in, the team tried to contact those numbers and marked them on the site. This team also had a Whatsapp group and I was added to this group when I reached out to the admins..
The team took the requests from the WA groups and the website and tried to reach out to people and marked each case as safe/found in the master tracker.. There were several requests that were shared in the group... The admins were in Ernakulam and other regions. The high pri requests were sent to the control room. The coordinates were then passed on to the district administration.
The collectors and few district administration officials were referred to as BRO's
Information/requests were passed on to the control rooms on hourly basis. I don’t want to go into the detail but this gave me an glimpse of how bad the situation on the ground was.. many people were still not traceable.. I was coordinating the efforts with the group and passing on the info, requests or helping mark the ones that were safe. It was definitely a big relief when the folks would come back and reply with contact traced or marked as traced.. I've have personally added 30+ requests to this group. It was great to see the closure on those.. A few years later I came to know that a friends family got the help. Never knew it was one of the request in the same group.. The bro’s had coordinated so well and when they couldn’t find any, they had sent a boat to the house to check on the People. I don’t know who these people are but I want to thank them for what they have done.. They were group of volunteers who coordinated with the control room and also made sure high pri requests were handled with care.. Hats off to this group for the dedication and timely help. More than 1k people were traced or moved to safe places because of this group.
At the same time, I also got in touch with the Kerala rescue portal. The brain child was Arnav. This was one of the best portals out there and coordinated with a lot of people.. The portal was able to take requests from people across the globe and volunteers were reaching out to numbers that had no contact.. The way this worked was simple and anyone from across the world could join and help with the efforts. All that was needed was a phone and internet. The Kerala rescue portal was life changing experience.. Some of the calls made were truly worth it.. I remember a conversation that still is afresh.. I had called to check on the elderly woman. I was able to speak to her after 3-4 days of no contact tracing on the portal.. Got to speak to the ammuma. I can hear her whispering to the family member “ they called to check if she was safe” and that made my day.
There were several calls like this and it marking people safe was the best thing.. There were several calls that were never answered and we don’t know if they were able to move to safer places. This portal was decommissioned after the floods and I felt we should have extended this. There have been several similar incidents and I felt we could have easily extended the Kerala rescue portal for that. The cyclone in Orissa, Bihar, WB and other places have in fact displaced people and there’s a lot of coordination that’s involved.. The Kerala rescue portal had everything that was needed.. The coordination of relief to passing of critical information to authorities was amazing.. All credits to Arnav for his quick thinking and all those volunteers who gave their time.. Appreciate the efforts of these volunteers who managed this brilliantly behind the scenes.
There were efforts by the state government and many people stood up.. The fishermen who brought their boats to the volunteers from all the world who helped by giving their time and money.. The state was able to recover from all this in a year or so.
As it was something very close to our hearts, we started talking about how we can help the people in Kerala. We had looked at different options like a fundraiser, a donation drive. We even thought of shipping the supplies from Seattle to Kerala ;)
It was an experience as we reached out to the airline companies and also reached out to Boeing to see if we could send a shipment from Seattle. As we were running into logistics issues, we decided to stick to a smaller effort and something that we could do away from home.. It was decided that we would donate 500 backpacks to the children in the affected areas. The cost of the backpack was set at $10. However when we started to requested for quotes from suppliers and shopping sites, we realized backpack and supplies would cost more than $10. This was hitting a road block and as they say when one door closes, another opens.. I was talking to a friend(Imran) from school over the phone and I mentioned about this initiative. He has experience in supplies and knew exactly what I was talking about. I don’t know how it happened but it was Gods way of showing us the way :)
The group here in Seattle was excited when we got to know the supplies and bags can be procured within the agreed amount($10). However, there were issues with logistics.. As it was something that I asked for, my friend even traveled to Mumbai as he knew thats the place for bulk orders. He knew exactly where to look for and handpicked the bags.. when he shared the pictures, we looked up the retail prices of these bags and these were 800-1k INR on shopping sites like amazon/flip-kart. He spoke to the supplier and got the bags at a discounted rate. The bags had to be shipped to Kerala.. The supplies had to be shipped from Hyderabad to Kerala.
It was another hurdle and I mentioned this to my dad on the phone. He said he can try to reach out to the courier company. To our surprise, the courier company( The professional couriers) agreed to ship the 500 bags to Kerala. They also initially agreed to ship the supplies from Hyderabad.
My friend(Imran) took this on himself and got the supplies(books, pens, pencils, eraser, umbrella, pouch, geometry box, lunch box, etc) ready. In all this, we missed one crucial cost... It was the GST charges as weren't aware of this when we started the initiative. We could have raised additional funds but then that would have resulted in further delays.. A few individuals reached out and helped us cover the unplanned expenses and we were able to keep the costs at $10 for the bag\supplies(including the shipping and handling).
As there was a logistics issue for the shipment from Hyderabad, we had reached out to another contact who helped ship the supplies to Kerala. It was a nominal charge as they knew it was for the relief work. The supplies to Kerala reached the destination without further delay. The commercial by Shane company would be appropriate. If one listens to audio it goes like this:
The Shane company diamonds are hand picked from Mumbai and tel-aviv
The whole logistics and supplies opened up a whole new world for us. Procurement, shipping & handling were all managed in the background without anyone knowing how it was actually done.
The backpack campaign was a idea that started in Seattle by a small group. There were many people behind the scenes who played a huge role in making this a success. The backpack drive was also picked up by local news agency and we thank them for the love and support: http://nwasianweekly.com/2018/09/three-friends-start-charity-to-help-those-affected-by-kerala-floods-through-crowdfunding/
To our dear friend(Imran), the courier company, the suppliers, the volunteers who transported the backpacks and all the donors.. A big Thank you!!
Great ideas are only great on paper
During the lockdown, people are using new ways to stay active and follow social distancing.. The essential services are functional in most of the places. Companies like Instacart, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Swiggy, Door dash and others have been succcesful.. the companies were able to address the demand. The delivery agents are doing everything to keep up with the demand. The delivery charges and tips for each delivery is not a huge concern for customers as they are able to sit at home and order their groceries through the portal and apps. Except the charges, the model is working and this would encourage people to use the apps. In developed countries, the one sector thats hasnt be affected much is the waste management.. there maybe technical or logistics issues but the overal sector hasn’t taken a hit.. hopefully this will continue to work as normal.. However it may not be the case in developing countries like India. There is going to be challenges and authorities will find it difficult to manage that..
One thing that I feel would have been a hit during this lockdown is the On demand service for trash/waste management. As part of the project management diploma, I was required to submit project work in the last semester. After going through all the projects, I decided to pick the project that was more relevant and appropriate for the local conditions.. I started collecting data and realized that the on-demand service for trash pickup would be appropriate in many states..
The below was the rough summary for “uTrash- the complete waste management service “
There were several stages for this project and along with my mentor. I was able to come up with a project management perspective and also provide a cost benefit analysis of the existing services. There were also great ideas on how waste can be segregated and how the manure can collected from the compost.. If the idea was picked up or if the service was functional, it would def be beneficial for people living in developing countries.. this was not replacing existing service but it was an additional on-demand Service in collaboration with the local agents.. for example, if anyone wanted to be part of this, they only had to drive the 3-wheeler and deliver the collected manure from the houses.. it would also would have encouraged people to compost more in their own permises and not having to depend on collection workers daily.. if there was trash that needed to taken care, they could have requested for service right away through the app by paying a premium and the agent would be paid for the service. This would have been a public- private partnership and would have been a great service for the people during this lockdown..
The below are few advantages after a comparative study was conducted in 2 states in India. This was only a small set that was used for the SCBA.
The project work(final) was submitted and was also accepted by the University.. It’s been more than 4 years and I felt this could have been the next Uber or Instacart for a different sector.. an idea that only stayed on paper..
Please reachout if you have any questions or you like to see the final project work.
Human rights a joke?
The Human Rights watch recently called out the islamophobia in India. This is not a new thing, the corona virus has simply highlighted what Muslims have been increasingly facing in India since Modi’s BJP government was first elected in 2014.
If one looks carefully, they can see the pattern and there is an army that’s looking to target the Muslims and minorities.. It’s a perfect way to hide the failures or BJP and the ruling government.. The BJP government has been riding on this hate and its not a secret anymore. The way they have spread this hatred through the social media platform is beyond ones imagination.. There are media houses who run fake news stories and target the minorities.. There are thousands of expats outside India who fund the RSS and their organizations..The funds are collected in the name of some construction or a religious program.. However, the funds when they reach the destination, will be used to target minorities and run the hate campaigns.. It’s difficult to track them down coz the subsidiaries are registered with a different name..The world leaders should take notice and stop the funding. One way to do that would he add RSS and their subsidiaries on their blacklist, this would def put a dent in the hate campaigns. The BJP is the other name for RSS as it’s always kept the cultural organization tag.. This is the perfect strategy and they don’t have worry that they will be banned once again.. The RSS also plays the good cop/ bad cop game.. During a crisis, there are pictures of food distribution and rss cadre helping the people.. that’s so nice of them.. but then the cadre also can be seen on roads policing and doing illegal and unlawful things.. no one bothers to ask or question them. Naiki kar par natak kyu?
Anyway, the BJP and their leaders think they can ride on this for long.. The cracks are visible and world media and Human rights orgs are calling out the hate and also putting the country on their lists.. As an Indian it’s really a shame that India has been put on the list. However, the reality is that the people of the country are in worst conditions. The decisions and laws are only favoring a group of people and minorities are labeled anti-national or labeled something else if they speak up.. The Cases against activists and students is even more dangerous and unprecedented.. my India of the past would have stood together and fought against injustice.. There is a good number who fall into the majority are silent.. Their silence is quite visible and they fear that speaking against injustice would screw their chances. These are the same people who had no problems eating from the same plate or sharing a meal together.. some of these have turned full bigots and see no problem when fake news is shared around and when minorities are targeted.. The nazis who supported Hitler were the same.. someday these bigots will realize the dangers and speak up..
The truth is bitter but if someone doesn’t speak now, they wont be able to do so later as well.. Jai Hind!!
Here is the link to the Article on hrw.org.