The Child Executive and his Toy Chair

1995 was the year when a telephone entered our house. I remember racing my three year old sister to answer the phone, every time it rang for the first two months. The novelty wore off soon though. But quite early on, our parents taught us the value of short conversations and meaningful relationships. My first job as a call center executive in GE taught me another lesson. The importance of keeping conversations short and simple. Even today, I find it a criminal waste of time to speak to anyone for hours together. It is a shameful waste of productivity and a costly drain of airtime.

I once read an account of a company driver who remembers an incident that happened in the long past. One day in the peak of summer, four corporate executives had to travel to a remote rural location. Given the poor condition of rural roads, a tyre went flat and the passengers were forced to stop while the tyre was changed.  While three of the executives scurried away to take shelter from the scorching sun, only one executive stayed back. He took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and squatted down with the driver to help change the tyre. Working together, they changed the flat in half the time it would have taken for the driver to do it alone. They resumed the journey soon after. The executive who helped the driver was none other than Ratan Tata. I felt a sense of pride just hearing the story. Imagine the pride and the sense of association the driver must have felt on that day.

Over the years, I wondered how so many people could spend hours talking over the phone with their "soulmates" (ironical) and one or two years after entering the institution of marriage, their conversations dwindled. The youth today has a burning itch to check their mobiles every few seconds and feel lost if the slow data connectivity delays the delivery of their life saving whatsapps. I rarely see these young guns read books while waiting at the airport. There are barely any young minds absorbing the beauty of nature while travelling with family and friends. We do not have the time to connect with the real people around us. Yet, as we enter our organization and begin work, we want our leaders to be connected to us.

Three to four years of graduation and two years of post graduation from premier institutes and presto, you have theoretically produced a professional who is ready to hit the corporate ground running! BUT, their academic degree is not a passport to becoming a great leader. Talking to bosses, attending late dinners and stretching over the weekend is OK for these bright minds but sparing some time to help the junior recruit settle down at work is too much work. With our heads buried under spreadsheets and numbers, we often forget that everything in life ultimately boils down to people. So when the office guards opens the door for you or the office boy runs your errands, saying a simple "Thank you" seems like a bit too much effort. A message on whatsapp or a friend's foreign vacation pictures on Facebook are more important than acknowledging the live person in front of you. It is so easy to give orders to your reports but so very hard to coach them and help them grow. I feel sorry every time a bright executive leaves for consulting roles simply because they could not master the art of connecting with people. Leaders are not made by the degrees you earn or the title you hold or the people you network with. Leaders are made by the attitude you have and the behaviour you display even in the passing.

How many of us thank the office boy who brings our mail to us or serves us tea or coffee? How many of us take the time to just smile at the receptionist every morning as we enter the office? These are just some people we meet everyday. But under the enormous weight of our inflated professional titles and super inflated egos, we rarely have time to notice these people who don't play a role in paying our salaries. Yet, we all have something to say about the "company culture not being quite right". The "what's in it for me?" attitude works well - but only for a while. Time is a cruel performance appraiser. The best leaders are not those who made the most money but those who connected the most with people.

Your life is a huge blank canvas and your behaviours are all the colours that you have at your disposal. The picture you paint on the canvas is entirely up to you. Just remember. that the canvas has two sides. On one side is the picture you paint as a professional and on the other, the picture is that of you as a person. The colours you choose and the picture you paint on either side it entirely up to you. But remember that one day, the professional life will end and only the picture that you painted on the personal side will see you through to the end.

The Success Stoppers

Have you ever run a relay race? A relay race is a team sport where the entire team has to work together one after the other to each the finishing line. Each time you pass the baton to the next runner you place an implicit faith in your team member that he or she will give their best to reach the finishing line first. However, imagine running a relay with some members who did not have the motivation to come first in the race. Imagine what would happen if one member of your team suddenly fell down during the race and could not continue running. What if someone did not have the right shoes and ran slower than the rest since they were afraid to fall down. And worse than everything, what if one of your team members did not realize than they were falling behind in the race and had to run faster to keep up with others?

It is a terrible feeling to lose a relay race when one or the other team member does not perform their best and as a result the entire team fails. Similarly in an organization, it is team work that gets us success. Organization success is not a one man job. Neither is it the responsibility of one person. Hence, when the organization goal is clear yet, we all look to a single leader to give us direction every time, we are bound to fail.

At Adani Power, our rate of growth has been phenomenal and we only have to go further. We have already created several benchmarks in the industry but we cannot stop there. To do so however, each one of us needs to be a leader in our own jobs. If we don’t own up to our responsibilities then we are thee roadblocks to our organization's success. In this article, I will give you a few examples of how someone can be an organizational roadblock and how to avoid becoming one.

The Credit Seekers (Vindictive by Nature)

One of the worst kinds of attitudes that some employees in an organization have is the quality of vindictiveness. Vindictive employees are those who deliberately stall decisions or work without thinking of the consequences of delay for the organization. They are aware and empowered to do what needs to be done. Yet, they deliberately postpone certain activities in order to cause harm to someone or defame someone. They are not indecisive by nature. Instead, they are calculative and manipulative and take pleasure in making others feel uncomfortable. Vindictive people also have a credit seeking mentality. They claim credit for success and blame others for failure. As team members they do not gel well with others. Most employees reporting to vindictive leaders feel stressed or frustrated since the leader is never transparent in his speech or behaviour.

   

The Free Riders (Happily Indecisive)

These are the second worst kind of roadblocks for an organization. These people are fully aware of what needs to be done and have all the necessary resources available to them. Yet, when it comes to taking the decision, they hesitate or procrastinate for fear of ownership. These people love to delegate upwards or play the blame game when work does not move ahead. Such employees never show ownership and display a responsibility avoidance attitude in everything they do. Success or failure does not matter as long as they do not have to decide. Such lethargy in willingly not letting work move forward is a matter of grave concern for an organization. As employees, you must make sure that work does not stop at your table. Take quick decisions. If you are unable to decide yourself, ask your team or your supervisor, do your due diligence and let the work conclude or pass to the next person.

The Energy Suckers (The Perpetually Negative)

Failure is the stepping stone to success. We have all heard this but when it comes to our daily life, we often forget the saying. If you don’t take the risk, you have failed by default. Hence, before you say no to a challenge, stop and think what it would feel like to try and succeed instead of failing by giving up. To continue our forward motion to success at Adani Power, saying no without trying is not an option.

Being conservative is not wrong. It means you have calculated the risks and are taking a logical decision. But negative people start talking without facts. They quote stories of failure and hypothetical situations instead of trying to think of ways to counter the risks that may befall. Negative people tend to spread negativity around too. Even if you have reservations, as a team, you must give your best efforts instead of pulling down the team’s morale by being negative or non-supportive. Speaking ill of your own team is also a big no-no. It shows that you are a bad team player let alone a leader. Stick with your team and support their activities even if you think you might all fail.

The Blissfully Ignorant (Unaware or Uninformed)

The least you can do as an employee in an organization is to stay informed of what the business goals are and the timelines. You don’t need a supervisor to tell you what needs to be done. Build networks with your peer groups across the organization to understand what everyone is doing and if you or your team need help or can help others in any way. So pick up the phone and start talking to peers.

Being unaware or uninformed of what is happening around you and what needs to be done by your team is unacceptable. It cannot be an acceptable excuse at any level. Buying time by saying, “I did not know it had to be done”, is professionally unacceptable behaviour.

The Hoarder (Afraid to Delegate)

As normal human beings, none of us can be an expert in everything. Neither are we infallible or indomitable. However, when an employee is good at a particular job or has shown consistent performance, it is natural that people look to them when new work has to be done. It is quite normal for such employees to sometimes feel overburdened. However, most of these people are perfectionists by nature and do not like the way others work. Hence, they hoard all the work and keep it to themselves. They refuse to mentor or coach their team members for fear of devaluing themselves. Therefore, they cannot delegate. In the event such employees fall sick or forget to finish a pending task, the entire work stops completely since no one else knows or is aware of what needs to be done.

As leaders or as employees too, you must learn to coach others in your team to do a job as efficiently as you do. Reverse mentoring is a new concept but it is true that even junior employees can coach senior employees. Remember, you can move up to the next level only if you have helped your supervisor move up. So help your supervisor trust you and delegate work to you so that the work never stops entire organization benefits.

What Employees Want

Human beings are rational creatures. But rationality does not necessarily mean being right. We are easily swayed by the latest trends and fashions without understanding our own need and affordability. Over the last couple of years, industry has been rife with discussions on best practices and world class policies and practices. As the world gets smaller with internet connectivity, information is easily available to all. Employees of an organization compare internal policies and practices with external benchmarks. Globalization also, makes it necessary for organizations to adapt and adopt global practices.

In the midst of all this ‘’informative noise’’, have you ever stepped back to really understand whether all change that globalization has brought along is really right or necessary? Are we all victims of the infamous information paradox today? When we compare two organizations and their respective policies and practices, are we also being fair and rational to both organizations?

If you were in the management function which decides on employee perks and benefits, how would you prioritize the need of employees? There are several kinds of benefits and perks that companies offer their employees. We all want them but the main question is – Do we NEED them? Do we really know what our needs really are? Or are we using industry benchmarks as an excuse?

Having worked across various different types of organizations, I was curious to find out what we as employees really need. But to provide any logical answers, I needed facts first. Hence, I decided to evaluate the gym and indoor sports facilities at 4 different organizations. The surprising find was that across all organizations, when a gym or indoor sports zone was inaugurated, the first month saw a large number of regular members. Over a period that number reduced. During the second year, the weekly turnout of employees at these employee facilities is reduced to less than 15 unique people with only 7 to 8 regular members. This applies to site locations too where a large number of employees live in corporate townships and have a 9 to 5 working period. Even here,, the average monthly turnout of unique members is not more than 25. This essentially means that only 2 to 5 percent of employees use the facilities available to them.

Don’t get me wrong. The point here is not about low utilization or cost to company. But as HR we really must understand what our employees really need. Is it a challenging job or better teams or work life balance or retiral benefits or healthcare facilities? Everyone has a different need personally. But what will be the best fit for both the employee and the organization? That is the question which needs to be answered.

As HR we also need to play the role of a strategic partner to our business leaders. Imagine sitting at a strategy meeting and pitching your case for employee benefits. With these numbers at your disposal, would your pitch be about employee needs or cost to company?

In this article, we will try to explore a few points and discuss why it is necessary to be different. Every organization is different. They have different strategic focus areas and markets to operate in. The people needs of these organizations too will therefore, be different.

Organizations just like people need to evolve and adapt to moving trends. However, what trends are right for the organization and what are not will make sense only if employees truly understand the needs of the organization.

When everyone talks of thinking outside the “box”, perhaps, we should begin our thinking by clearly understanding the box. What does our organization do? What are our organizations values and goals? What are our challenges and what are our strengths? Understanding the organization well, will help us understand why certain policies and practices are designed the way they are.

Typically, there are three types of strategic focus for organizations –

1. Organizations that focus on Customer Centricity
2. Organizations that focus on Product Leadership
3. Organizations that focus on Operational Effectiveness

The needs of each of these organizations are different. An organization cannot and should not focus on all three areas unless it wants to fail. Let us understand why and see a few examples.

Customer Centric Organizations

Organizations that focus on Customer Centricity always put customers first. Whether it is the way their product is packaged or the way their employees treat customers, the customer is always the king. Typically, industries such as hospitality, IT services, FMCG goods, BPOs, eCommerce etc are customer centric in nature. Organizations operating in this space, have to design internal policies and processes in such a way that their employees are empowered to take care of customers. From giving discounts to customers to spending large amounts on customer research, to going out of the way to customize a user experience, these organizations design processes keeping the customer in mind always. The focus of these organizations is to make sure a customer keeps coming back to them again and again. Such organizations spend a lot on employee trainings that focus on customer service at the junior levels and marketing and sales competencies at the senior levels. They do not look for the top talent in a college because the organization does not need it.

For example, at the Ritz Carlton in London, every employee and staff inside the hotel can spend up to one thousand pounds to address any emergency customer needs without taking any permissions or approvals. A housekeeping attendant once realized that a guest had forgotten their laptop in the room and had left for America. The attendant got in touch with the guest directly, took their mailing address and shipped the laptop to America at a cost of five hundred pounds. This is the level of customer centricity which makes the Ritz stand out from its competitors.

TCS for example never hires toppers in a college. They focus on the average to above average merit since a regular churn in employee population is healthy and necessary for the organization.

The needs of such organizations and its employees are a strong reward and recognition (rnr) system. Every employee needs to feel valued and empowered in order to provide the best customer service to their customers and clients.

But getting the right rnr system is a challenge and many organizations have failed too. For example in the US, a departmental clothing store MACY’s decided to offer free Nachos at the company cafeteria for a week to a high performer. Employees were offended for two reasons—
1. The reward showed no individual appreciation.
2. Employees who were diabetic or health conscious, could not avail the reward.

Individual contribution and team feeling is the need of such organizations and its employees.

Product Leadership Organizations

An Apple iphone or a Bose speaker is premium product. If a customer wants the best product in the market, they know where to go. Unlike Samsung or HTC, an Apple does not have hundreds of different models available in the market. Similarly, a Rolls Royce or Porche and Ferrari do not advertise their products like the Ford or Honda or Toyota etc. A premium product is the USP of these organizations. The customers that these organizations target are those who are willing to pay a premium for the best product.

Product Leadership Organizations spend millions of dollars on research and development of their product. Everything these companies do are focused on the product that they produce. Hence, all activity inside the organization is focused to making the best product. These organizations have employees as their focus. Their source of revenue is the specialized talent pool inside their company. All internal policies and processes are designed to ensure that employees are happy and do not leave the company in favour of other competitors. They target premium institutions to attract the best talent in the market. They go to extraordinary lengths to make an employee feel comfortable inside the organization such as by offering luxurious offices and workspaces to amazing food and other perks.

However, during the 1980s General Motors, which was a leading car manufacturer in the US went wrong with its people policies. At a bankers and investors meeting, three top executives of GM travelled from the same office to the same meeting in three different private jets even though the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. The employees were completely disconnected from the needs of the organization. GM was saved due to governmental assistance but has never been able to buy back investor and customer confidence as before.
At Google engaging and motivating employees is a continuous work in progress since there are no sure shot answers. In  such organizations the factors that determine employee attitudes AND work behaviour have less to do with what the company does than who they are and their existing values.

Product leadership organizations need to value their employees for their merit. However, it needs to be finely balanced and is an extremely tricky job.

Operational Effectiveness Organizations

Large scale manufacturing, financial institutions, heavy metal industries, logistics and monopolistic industries have two things in common. Their product or service is fixed and they are capital intensive industries. A steel manufacturer cannot manufacture copper and aluminium too. The railways cannot make their trains fly during the rainy season. Banks cannot offer outlandish interest rates as they are controlled by a central regulator. A shipping company cannot offer festival discounts on client shipments.

The amount of investment necessary for an organization in these industries is enormous. The only things that make these industries competitive, is the speed and the cost at which they operate. The faster a bank processes loan applications; the better will be the user experience. The cheaper the ticket and faster a train, the greater will be the number of repeat customers on that route. They lower the cost of steel, the higher is your number of repeat orders. These organizations make profits from volume of sales. Hence, they not only have to focus on low cost but also on speed of delivery.

All processes and systems in such organizations will only focus on these two aspects - Reducing operational costs and adopting the best systems and processes.

In such organizations the people requirement are of three types. Such organizations are usually people intensive in nature. A large number of employees are required at the junior levels who are skilled in a specific discipline. This skilled workforce is required to perform routine tasks on a daily basis. The second kind of people required are those at the mid to senior managerial level, who are good people managers and have a fair degree of technical knowledge. At the very top, such organizations need to be lean and have only a few candidates who are strategic thinkers and can interact with external stakeholders with ease. Everything in such organizations is about achieving effectiveness in all aspects of its operations. Hence, all perks and benefits must be designed in such a manner that it benefits all different groups of employees. Such organizations will fail if they try to individualize or personalize benefits and perks for its employees.

Being Different

From the above descriptions, you may have understood that every organization can have only one strategic focus. A conflict in the focus or focus on multiple areas is the death knell for an organization and history has plenty of proof for the same. We are sure, that you may have understood what Adani Power needs to focus on as an organization from the above description of organizational focus.

It takes courage to be different and even more courage to accept the differences.

Comparing ourselves with others is easy but understanding what we really need is a big challenge. The relation between an organization and its employees is a mutual one. Just as an organization is responsible for the well being of its employees, the employees are responsible for understanding the organization’s goals and its needs and perform accordingly. A conflict in either will cause stress for both the employee and the organization. When employees and the organization are aligned, they can create magic together. Instead of looking outward at external best practices, such organizations can create industry benchmarks for others to follow. Where do you want to be - An onlooker from the outside or a game changer from inside?

You decide.

Ironical Dichotomy

Let me make myself clear about one thing at the outset. I am not an atheist and have full faith in a superpower (GOD if you may) that transcends all restricting definitions of any one religion. My belief system is personal and neither enforced on anyone nor shaken by random questions. Needless to say, therefore, I loved the movie OMG starring Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar etc. It challenged some of our religious assumptions. What is so wrong with that? If you are sure, why get uptight when someone questions your beliefs? Why the uproar about some simple questions and real observations?

Neither can I understand the overwhelming fascination some people have these days, to pledge themselves under the direction of a "Guru". These "Babas" or ''fly-by-night saints'' or "God Men", seem to pop up around every corner these days. Their financial acumen needs to be applauded if nothing else. But when "YOUR GOD" has been so kind to give you a fully functional brain, the boon of literacy and the gift of understanding, why cant people just learn by study? What is the guarantee that your "Guru" is teaching you right? What if his/her version is distorted or incorrect?

My funda is simple, people today do not even trust school teachers to teach school children the right lessons. Hence, a different tuition teacher for a different subject and then there are the prescribed textbooks. When we force our little children to study the same subject from so many sources, why then as adults, do we blindly follow the teachings of just one man/woman when it comes to a vast subject like religion?


Why can't people stop being LAZY and READ? Use your own brain for "GOD'S SAKE".

A few lazy Sundays ago, lying in bed, the toughest thing I felt upto doing was watch videos that my friends had shared on Facebook. Apparently, these were 'must watch' videos. I watched a few videos of an ''enlightened soul'' (for as long as I could!!). This godman also happens to own some of the most prime properties in some of the costliest cities around the world. His teachings have been patented too! (BTW my personal take on IPR is that it is PURE BS and only serves the purpose of capitalists. Knowledge was always supposed to be free in an utopian world!). Most of his followers are well read and are people from well-to-do families. The growing number of his fan followers around the world can easily start a new religion if they feel so inclined. But, I cannot understand how these people cannot not see the dichotomy in his talks. In one talk, this enlightened soul speaks on why we should stay away from people who speak ill of others, since that is a reflection of how they will speak of you later. Fair enough. Good logic.

In the very next talk however, this same soul berates the entire cast and crew of the movie OMG, the entire Bollywood industry and casts aspersions on the personal lives and morality of people, he has never even met!! So what does that make him? OMG! What an Irony.

I was quite disturbed to see a whole crowd of people watching his talks live and nodding their heads in agreement. Even appalling is the spread of such videos by intelligent and educated people. I always wondered how some terrorist outfits could brainwash poor young kids. But what I see in these videos, is a process of mass brainwash with willing victims (young and old) submitting to the same. A friend once shared in jest, that the courses taught by the disciples of this "GURU", were a form of speed dating/matchmaking sessions for most attendees. I had laughed at the jest but dismissed it as an exaggeration. But when in organisations today, I see ''faith clans'' building up, something smells like trouble. You are part of an elitist club if you are a follower of a certain guru. You will be considered as an enlightened soul who is perpetually blessed to succeed, compared to other mere mortals at work. Could these have more sinister implications later? A Ku Klux Klan of the corporate world perhaps?

Live and let live, is the easiest way of living. Why cant we all just live so? If what you do and preach is right, be proud of it. Justify it if you must. But putting others down to establish your superiority is cheap. Even cheaper is passing value judgements on people you know nothing about. Creative freedom and scientific thought is the right of all mankind. NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO DENOUNCE THAT.

A Shocking Perspective

Had an extraordinary conversation yesterday. I know that there are better men out there. Posting a very short transcript of the latter part of the conversation for the benefit of women folk. It was a shocking revelation and took me a while to calm myself and pen it down verbatim.

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Guy - "I do not want any dowry. I am totally against it. But I absolutely want a working wife."
Me - "Thats big of you but why the insistence on a working wife?"
Guy - "So she can pay for her own food and board. After all if you actually look at the genesis of the dowry system, it was meant to help a husband take care of his wife. But today with all this women's empowerment, that is an outdated concept."
Me - "Wow! Interesting! So tell me why not get yourself a paying guest instead of a wife?"
Guy - "Well! Don't get me wrong. I am not an unfeeling guy. I will give my wife pocket money too for all the work she does at home."
Me - "Oh so you mean you'll pay her for her services"
Guy -  "God, your words are ....veryyyy...harsh"
Me - "Dude, what you are trying to say is that I have hit the nail on the head. And what you really need is a paying guest, a maid and regular visits to kalighat."
Guy - "Oh you are rude"
Me - "Oh you are lucky, you are on the other side of a telephone!"
End of conversation.

I would not consider myself disillusioned but is it perhaps time we just stopped reading fairy tales to our daughters?

What is not, was not meant to be - Perhaps

Every once in a while, looking into the mirror that was your past, you wish life gave you a second chance. A chance to have taken the risk and confessed your true feelings which you hid for fear of hurting those you love. A chance to take a chance. A chance to reach out for that special someone you could have had. A chance to experience what could have been. A chance to at least be able to talk honestly to each other just once, before you parted forever. A chance to allow what was perhaps not meant to be. A chance to investigate all those looks that passed and seemed so full of meaning. A chance for either to have shown more courage.

They said you were wrong for me. You had similar doubts for yourself. They said you were older & smarter. I already knew that. They said you would tire of me soon and I would soon slip down your priorities. I was afraid to prove them right. The pain is hard to bear. Leaving the past behind is tough. Forgetting even tougher. The more you try to forget, the more you remember the silliest encounters. And then you realize that you really don't wish to forget, for they were all something special. And then in the clear and present, all you wish, is for the future to bring each as much happiness as possible to make up for the loss of being together.

State of the State

Reaching Kol on Dday! The city seems tense already they say. 'Why?', I ask. 'Elections happen across states. Why create tensions? Why do citizens put up with it? Why is it that the so called 'city of intellectuals' allows for the rule of a minority bunch of hooligans?'

For my part, I am still unsure which is the better party to win. Each shows equal probability for growth as well as disrepair. Once the heart of prosperity, Kolkata today, has not just fallen behind by atleast 15 years, but also reduced to being categorised as a tier two city! Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore and Ahmedabad are now added to Tier 1!!!

My well wishers say I am an idealist. Well I say, it is better than being a pacifist. They say you need to be the change you want to see. I haven't done much for my state, I agree. So starting now, it begins. I will not change my plans and reach Kolkata on 13th come what may (despite what my well wishers say). Bring it on you 'social maggots'. Let's see what you have got.

Don't cower down to these vandals. I request the masses to stand up on their feet and protest for a safe and balanced Kolkata. Say no to bandhs. Say no to the mockery of democracy (in a socialist state). If you don't change now, you never will.

To my prized collection

Life has a strange way of teaching us lessons in friendship and trust. People who you never thought you could get along with, turn out to be the ones with the golden hearts. Then of course, you go ahead and make serious judgmental errors. It is hard to accept failure. But when you look back at all the writings on the wall, you are just glad to have learnt your lesson in time. That is when you remember your true friends and family who accept all your weirdness, put up with your crankiness, share the madness and love you nevertheless.

In our increasingly hectic lives, we often forget to thank and say "I love you" to those who really matter. This post is dedicated to all my real buddies for always being there for me when I needed you most. For somehow saying just the right words when I was at my lowest. For all the fights and making-ups. For calling me names that got my feet back on the ground! For discounting all my mistakes and harsh words. For never allowing me to mince words :). Celebrating the essence of our friendship cannot be just an annual event. Just a few words from you guys, light up my entire day. Your friendships makes everyday of my life special. Thank you guys and gals - for just being you.

Love from 'yours truly'.

To dream or to do?

An unfortunate legacy imposed on every Indian and more so a bong ever since one is born. Why does it always have to be a choice between Gandhi or Subhash? The fight for ideologies totally defeats the purpose. It isn't about respective success or failure either.

Both men had a dream and had the courage to follow through on it in whichever fashion they saw fit. That was all it was. The hype needs to be cut out at some point. So why not now?

Ideological justifications are for the lazy and weak-hearted. It is easiest to hide behind the excuse of ideology.

Our generation can do better. Our actions and not choices make us who we are. It is up to us therefore, to move out of this tragic situation and commit to doing rather than resting on past laurels.

India's Royal Jeopardy

Considering the spate of foolhardy statements by Rahul Gandhi over the years now, one can safely assume that he is on a rampage to compete against himself when it comes to stupidity. Perhaps his party high command bases his performance appraisal on an yearly quota of silly and immature statements to be made in public and a year on year hike on the number of such.

While being groomed for the PMO perhaps, he has been assigned on a blunder-fest fastrack. His success is perhaps measured as a function of the number of gravely-misinformed statements versus corresponding public outcries. As India's government sponsored royal family eagerly awaits the coronation of its heir apparent, we citizens are forced to bear a nail biting agony.

In keeping with the legacy of our political prince, perhaps one day Rahul Gandhi's autobiography will read - My Experiments with STUPIDITY.