Ashneer Grover–The Elizabeth Holmes Of India

Shark Tank India season 1, was both Fascinating and Dramatic, the Magnus opus which had Love, Compassion, drama, Sympathy, patriotism etc, it wasn’t just a reality show that deals with entrepreneurs presenting there business ideas to a diverse set of investors, but a spiced up family drama where the wannabe brides were trying to impress the grooms family members, with a tadka of IIM.

Anupam Mittal reminded me more than once of the elderly Tauji, who would be silenced by the other aggressive family members, his tag line “Yaar koi mujhe bhi to bolne do”.

Namita Thaper, the vivacious diva, the Badi Bhabhi of the family, would always ensure to encourage the contestants, but mostly beg herself out of the deals.

Aman Verma : The Chota Devar, the daredevil, who would show his flamboyance more than once in every episode, his tag line “Brand to bana denge hum”.

Ashneer Grover: The evil uncle or chacha, he would abuse at will, would love to demean the bride and her family, he was like the Gulshan Grover of 80s and 90s, his tag line “Sab Dogla Pan hai” and “Band Ker de tera business”.

Vineeta Singh : The chooti bahu (younger daughter in law), too talkative, always smiling and empathetic while bowing out of a deal, she had no particular tag line.

The spiced up reality show caught the imagination of the entire country, business ideas became dinner discussions in the average Indian households, we saw young men and women from marginalised sections of the society, taking  lead in identifying the problems and putting forth the solution, we saw inventors showcasing painless or no needle blood sugar diagnostic machine, we also saw portable ecg machine which has the potential of saving many lives, and we also saw the humble son of a farmer, hailing from the region which has thousands of agrarians committing suicide every year, coming up with a jugad to make the excruciating work of the farmers easy.

The judges became the instant gods among the average youngsters, there success stories, there struggle and there perseverance made them god like for the average Indian youth, Aman Gupta, the candid and rusty Millionaire, Ashneer Grover the biggest shark in the tank, was brutally honest and calculative, Namita Thaper, very charming but had impressive business acumen, Anupam Mittal had tons of experience and he is probably one of the oldest angle investor in the country. The show topped the TRP charts in no time.

And then came the infamous Ashneer Grover call with the hapless Kotak Bank employee, it shocked me like many loyal Sharktank viewers, it exposed the GOD syndrome pathogen Grover was carrying in his head, in fact it was so dominant that it had simply annihilated the persona of the young billionaire, when I heard Ashneer abusing, I felt disgusted and wondered how a shallow man like him came at the helms of one of India’s leading fintech companies!

The infamous but viral phone call then opened the can of worms, exposed the rotting underbelly of one of the leading Fintech companies of the country, what I understood was that Ashneer and his wife were robbing investors of there money to finance there extravagant lifestyle, there luxury cars and abroad vacations, even the makeup stuff of Madhuri Jain was billed to the company.

Ashneer had stark resemblance with Elizabeth Holmes, slightly miniaturised or probably was in the making of it, a person with compromised morality knows no dearth and can sink the entire ecosystem of budding entrepreneurs for his personal gains, luckily he was caught before he could inflict fatal blow on the fragile ecosystem, or even worse getting away with it, creating a narrative of a system where the fraud and embezzlement becomes a norm and acceptable evil.

Once the rot was out in the open, Ashneer was sent on a forced leave, his wife was sacked, It was meteoric fall of the demigod of the startup world of India, it broke many hearts but it raise some very important questions:

• How can, in todays world, RBI and GOI can leave the fintech companies unchecked and unsupervised?
• With the tons of customer data, including personal data of the millions of users, is there a mechanism to check the likes of Ashneer from profiting from it? Or should they have an unchecked control over it?
• How to save the the image of the Ernest entrepreneurs from taking a hit because of the deeds of a bad unicorns like Ashneer grover?

These are some very important questions which need to be answered before the budding and booming atmosphere of Indian Startup world takes a permanent Hit…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ye Kali Kali Ankhein : 90s Pop Culture Reincarnated to Perfection!!

Kudos to the supremely talented Director “Sidharth SenGupta”, for delivering a perfect entertainer, stellar performances by Aanchal Singh and Saurabh Shukla, and Tahir, well, what he lacked in the looks, he makes up with his acting, but the showstoppers for me are the father and daughter duo of Akhiraj and Purva, and the pervert but funny and pragmatic sidekick Golden.

Indian cinema is no stranger to the femme fatale. From Madhubala in Howrah Bridge to Aishwarya Rai in Khakee, we have seen a wide range of top actresses play the charming seductress to perfection. What the new Netflix show Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein does differently is that it brings the said femme fatale to a small UP town, surrounded by the politics and violence of the hinterland.

An excellent Tahir Raj Bhasin plays the hapless engineer Vikrant, who wants nothing more than to live the life that he has mapped out for himself. After getting an entry-level job at a steel plant, he’ll marry his sweetheart Shikha, and perhaps get an MBA degree some years later. He’ll shoot the breeze with his childhood buddy, a buffoon nicknamed Golden, and most importantly, he’ll stay far away from the shady man his father has spent his entire life working for.

But as fate would have it, Vikrant is sucked into the seedy world of UP politics when he crosses paths with the infatuated daughter of a fearsome local ‘vidhayak’ named Akheraj, played by Saurabh Shukla in proper Ramadhir Singh mode. The woman, Purva, has spent the prime of her youth obsessing over Vikrant, whom she went to school with. She puts in an unsolicited good word for him when his father forces him to interview for a position in Akheraj’s posse of ‘gundas’.

Played by Anchal Singh, Purva is a real femme fatale, straight out of the Manohar Kahaniyan that the show has such a palpable fondness for. The moment he first laid eyes on her as a kid, Vikrant knew she meant trouble. This is perhaps as much as you should know about Purva and her plans; revealing the rest would be spoiling your experience.

If you don’t apply your brain much and if you have an inkling for Mirzapur and Patallok, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein is a perfect appetiser for you, the end of the season one was very cleaver, as a viewer you are bound to wait for the release of the second season, Vikrant is doomed as we know it, but the way first season has unfolded, its open for every one’s imagination.

Politics of Religion

Only thing common in every religion is love and compassion…be it Islam, Judaism, Hinduism or Christianity, the foundation of every religion is peace and justice. Religion gave legitimacy to the union of man and woman, laid the foundation of family, we learnt to remember our ancestors, thus laying the foundation of our modern society. Religion served and helped humanity to modernise and grow.

But now, all the major wars across the world are being fought in the name of God, religion being used as a tool of oppression and persecution, innocent men women and children being slaughtered, its abominable to see how priests abused hundreds and thousands of children in France, or how some mullahs banned the education for girls in Afghanistan, it breaks my heart, kids in there teens waging war in the name of religion and killing innocent men women and children of different religion, it filled my heart with disgust,

The important question is that who should be blamed for it? is it the religion itself that’s driving people monster, can religion which carved the fundamentals of our civilisation become the ultimate destroyer of it, where people would consider it as a valid excuse to kill other human being each other.all I see and so the important question is that where dose it all go wrong?

I may have understood the problem, which lies in the ethos of every religion (almost), which is that the disciple or the believer must surrender to the god, must abnegate logic and follow every instruction verbatim, he must obey the instructions given by the monks or the priests or the mulla, and each one of them started interpreting it, in a way that suits them. And then came the politics of religion, and the politics became the religion.

It was easy for the power mongers to exploit the vulnerable class, which eventually constitutes the majority in almost all the religions and countries, they understood the fact that people are more concerned not about the life but the life after death, the idea that every human being exists  on this planet to serve a greater purpose and a greater being, and they bow down to that Fictitious being.

Politics successfully exploited the situation, the Mulla military alliance successfully defeated the soviets in Afghanistan, after the USA, Pakistan became the torchbearer of international jihad and wedged proxy war to snatch Kashmir from India, which is still going on, the body count is close to tens of thousands of innocent people, US paid a heavy price for its ignorance when 9/11 happened, for the first time the USA was attacked on his own soil. Along came ISIS, midivil islamic monstrosity which appealed to a handful of young men and women across the globe, which basically said that its Ok to kill an infidel or a person of different faith, they infected horrors to the innocent people which is beyond comprehension.

Rather than understanding the real problem, West responded by painting the billions of muslims as ISIS supporters, innocent muslims in the west and east faced discrimination for no fault of there.

US used Mullas to drive away USSR from Afghanistan, the war in Afghanistan was depicted as a holy war, hundreds and thousands of uneducated muslim youth joined it and defeated the Russians, once the the objective was achieved, the USA left the region to its fait, which created the monsters like Osama.

With great power comes great responsibility, this famous line from Toby Maguire’s Spiderman is true to the essence, and if the responsibility isn’t taken by the one with power, he too will pay a great price.

I can conclude that basically like any lie which is spread to achieve a political Goal, Religious extremism is pure politics, its spread to win wars, and to weaken a country by igniting civil wars, people who became a participant in these sinister conspiracies are mostly uneducated and extreme poor, they are those who have left all hopes in this world, and there only hope is life after death.

The only vaccine for this pandemic is education, If the USA would have spent 2% of the money it spent on war in Afghanistan, world would have seen a reincarnation of the old Afghanistan, and complete eradication of the Taliban.

 

 

UNKNOWN MANIBEN & an ungrateful Country

Maniben Patel was Sardar’s only daughter. When only 16 she switched to Khadi and worked in Gandhi Ashram!
When 17 she put all her gold bangles, earrings Gold Wrist Watch and all ornaments & jewelleries in a bundle of cloth and obtaining her Father’s nod, deposited them in Gandhi Ashram, for the cause of freedom.
All the garments Sardar used to wear after 1921 were woven out of the yarn made by Maniben.
Unlike Nehru’s daughter Indira, Maniben was a freedom fighter, who actively participated in the non-cooperation movement.
In 1928, in the Bardoli Satyagraha she helped out Satyagrahis in Camps.
She was arrested and Jailed in 1930 in the Salt Satyagraha!
Thereafter, she was arrested and jailed on several occasions.
Defying ban in Bardauli, arrested in 1932 again re-arrested for defying ban in Kheda and Sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, for arousing people in villages of Rajkot arrested in 1938!
Gandhiji complimented the girl that he had not seen another daughter like Maniben!
Under Gandhiji’s selective disobedience, Maniben was arrested in 1940 and was released from Belgaum jail in May 1941. When she again wanted to court arrest Gandhiji had prevented this frail girl for ill-health!
She got arrested during Quit India 1942 with
Kasturba Gandhi and released in March 1944 and again re-arrested in May 1944 in Bardauli and was sent to Surat Jail & then to Yervada jail!
She didn’t marry and served her father till
Sardar Died in 1950!

Here is a shocking episode relating to Maniben based on various sources, specifically Dr Kurien’s autobiography: ‘I too had a dream’!

Sardar Patel had no bank balance or property!
Even though he had substantial earnings as a very Successful Lawyer, he gave up everything after plunging into the Freedom movement.
He used to say: THOSE IN POLITICS SHOULD NOT HOLD PROPERTY, AND I HOLD NONE!
(Today Everybody in India may think Sardar a Big Fool)

When Sardar died, he kept nothing for his daughter!
With Sardar no more she had to vacate the house!
With no roof over her head and no money
Maniben had to fend for herself!
Obeying Sardar’s parting instruction, Maniben had gone to Nehru to hand over a bag and a book!
Dutifully, she took an appointment with PM Nehru, she handed over the bag and the book to Nehru in person!
The book was an Account Book!
The bag contained rupees Thirty Five Lakhs! (It was 1950)!
After delivering both to Nehru, she waited a while!
Nehru did not thank her!
Nehru didn’t enquire what she would do!
Nehru didn’t ask where she would stay!
Nehru didn’t ask if she had any money on her!
Nehru didn’t ask if she was in need of any assistance or help!
Nehru didn’t ask, if he could do anything for her!
Nehru, not to speak of sympathy, had shown absolutely no interest in her!
For him, after receiving the huge sum of Rupees 35 lakhs Maniben didn’t exist!

Maniben went back to Ahmedabad to stay with a cousin the rest of her life, forgotten by an Ungrateful Country !

Via.. Dr. Gour Mohanty

Communist Party of China –Celebrating 100 years of oppression ….

There are stark similarities between the Nazis and the Communist party of China, 1) They enslaved there own people, 2) They have (Nazis still exist, AKA White supremacists)  serious superiority complex, 3) They both were cowards.

China is a villainous bully, the only way to face them is by standing up against them, If a country shows slightest sign of weakness, it will surely loos its territory and its people will be butchered.

If a country really want to learn how to confront China, they must learn it from India, the only country in the world which opposed the pet project of “XI” Belt and road project and the way Indians confronted the Chinese on the Himalayas.

World must realise that is bully is actually the weakest one, he will seek vulnerable opponents to oppress, and will backoff if the opponent retaliates.

World must stop this evil ideology and must unite to overturn the vile government of China, must support the democracy to liberate more than a billion human beings.

This can only happen if the people around the world start discarding Chinese Goods, please remember that if you are purchasing any thing that’s made is China, you are supporting slavery and feeding the monster who will eventually come after you.

make sure your weight loss efforts are stress free

Stress can play a big role in stopping you from achieving your weight loss goals. But when you implement changes slowly into your life, you dramatically increase your success. This is because you are reducing the amount of stress in your life.

Stress, apart from making you tired and anxious, can also make you gain weight and reduce the positive elements of your dedication and hard work. This is because when you are stressed, your body produces certain hormones that contribute to weight gain, and can do so in a rapid pace.

Before you start introducing new habits to get into shape , it is recommended that you try and reduce as much stress as you possibly can.

There are many benefits from reducing stress and losing weight and everyone should take the time to enjoy them. The first thing you will notice is that your energy levels increase. you’ll go from felling sluggish one week to feeling energised and happier the next. You’ll notice that it’s easier to say no to unhealthy foods and yes to healthier ones, which in turn leaves your hair and skin looking and feeling great.

When you feel great about yourself, you feel much more positive towards other parts of your life, creating a better balance. Mentally and physically, you’ll soon see that you be come more confident about the way you look and how you deal with other people, and you’ll see an increase into how much effort you put into establishing healthier habits into your daily life .

As you become healthier, you see the world in a better light. You are more likely to eat healthy in the long term, stay in shape, and take more opportunities in your social life. When you eat healthy, and take the time to look after your physical health, your confidence and positivity shines through each action you make. You will find its’s easier to adopt healthier habits over time, which then increases your positivity and reduces your anxiety.

Who is Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s next President ?

From his time at the seminary in Qom to hardline president elect, Ebrahim Raise has come a long way

                          raise will remain chef justice until he takes over from outgoing president Hassan Rouhani

    Iran – Judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi has been elected as the next president of Iran at a critical juncture for the country. Who is the conservative leader and what are his positions ?

The 60-year- old Raisi , who enjoys wide backing from the conservative and hardline revolutionary camp and its base , will remain Chief Justice until he takes over from moderate outgoing president Hassan Rouhani in early August as did not resign from his post to run for president.

Like supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , the leader wears a black turban, which signifies that he is a sayyid – a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Raisi is referred to as a likely successor to the  82-year-old Khamenei when he passes away

 

How to sleep well

 

https://anchor.fm/neha-bajpai0/episodes/How-to-sleep-well-e12ui1e

I am sure you do already prepare to sleep however , it is worth mentioning some steps that will enhance and vastly improve your chances of good sleep .

Room temperature is critical , however this can pose some issues for couples, where one partner prefers cooler temperatures against a partner who likes a warm to hot room. So as best you can get the temperaturehow you are most comfortable.

Having a comfortable bed helps , along with the right pillow and height of pillow. it is Important to realise your body knows it needs to rest and sleep , it also knows it needs to be comfortable doing so .Give it what it needs.

Do away with as many electronic devices as possible , their very presence is a distraction ,and as previously said the subconscious mind takes onboard all prompts, good and bad it will do so even while you sleep. Even a stand by light on a tv can emit enough light to distract sleep.

As we have evolved from our distant primitive ancestors who had little extra light after the sun went down, save the light from a fire, the stars and the Moon. It stands to reason we still have the inbuilt ability to turn off when the light naturally fades at the end of the day, just like they did. However, this ability has been sabotaged by Morden living with lighting at the flick of a switch and electronic devices that admit light. So to give your body the best possible chance to rest, turn the lights off, darkness won’t harm you. If required have a small battery torch beside the bed for emergencies.

Don’t eat or drink immediately before retiring  to bed , both food and drink stimulate the body , and this will work against you ;your body will want to act on the introduction of fresh fuel into its system , a glass of water is fine, but cut out all other types of drink for at least an hour before bedtime. Alcohol is not only a stimulant but also a depressant ; many believe it will help them sleep , but in truth it can make good sleep harder

Subconscious Influence

The art of influence entails handling emotions effectively in other people. Star performers are artful in sending emotional signals, which make them powerful communicators, able to sway an audience — in short, leaders.

We influence each others moods or emotional state for batter or worse is perfectly normal; we do it constantly, catching emotions from one another like some kind of social virus. This emotional exchange constitutes an invisible interpersonal economy, part of every human interaction , but it is usually too subtle to notice.

Even so , the transmission of mood is remarkably powerful. When three strangers, all volunteers for a study of mood sat quietly in a circle for two minutes, the most emotionally expressive person transmitted his or her mood to the two others over the course of two minutes. In every such session the mood the most expressive person had going in was also the mood the other two felt coming out , whether happy, bored anxious or angry.

From the various studies, it has been established that emotions of the people effect the state of  any organisation or the economy of the country  In not so subtle ways. We all make each other feel a bit better or a lot more worse as part of any contact we have , every encounter can be weighted along a scale from emotionally toxic to nourishing.

Like wise the outcome of how people think shapes the future of society and the country!

 

Write your own Eulogy

One of the happiest countries in the world is Tibet, and the reason for there happiness is a dark ritual, every person of tibet is trained to visualise his/her death twice a day!

Sometimes we are knocked out by an unpleasant and an unplanned experience, the death of a loved one, a serious illness, a financial setback, or extreme adversity can cause us to stand back, look at our lives, and ask ourselves some hard questions: “what’s really important? Why am I doing what I’m doing?

 

As the great Steve jobs once said

“Remembering that you are going to die is the beat way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Follow The dark ritual

The greatest gift of the mankind is the gift of imagination, Picture you’re self going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlour or chapel, parking the car and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice the flowers and the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of loosing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there.

As you walk down to the front of the roman look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with your self. This is your funeral, three years from today. All these people have come to honour you, to express the feelings of love and appreciation for your life.

As you take a seat and wait for the service to begin, you look at the program in your hand. There are to be four speakers, the first is from your family, immediate and also extended-children, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who have come from all over the country to attend. The second speaker is one of your friends, someone who can give a sense of what you were as a person. The third speaker is from your work or your  profession, and the forth is from your church or some community organisation where you have been involved in service.

Now think deeply what would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? what kind of friend? what kind of working associate?

What character would you like them to have seen in you? what contributions, what achievements of your would you want them to remember ? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?