Stories from the grassroots | Thoughts on development | Lessons on leadership
“Development has been a buzzword in the past few years which has been used and abused to shape the political and economic dimensions of entire nations. It is projected as a broad purpose and justification of all activities, often without answering the questions of whose development and how.… Continue reading
A question that I’ve been repeatedly asked is why I chose Heggadadevanakote (HD Kote) taluk to begin my social development work in 1987. Very few know that I did not choose HD Kote, but that it was chosen for me by two extraordinary bureaucrats.… Continue reading
Recently, one saw a mockery of the statement ‘first amongst equals’ in the state of Karnataka. Constitutionally, the head of government is the chief minister at the state level while the Prime Minister is at the national level.… Continue reading
Swami Vivekananda’s life and message continues to inspire millions of people around the world. Describing him and his work is like trying to describe God…One can do it in so many ways depending on one’s beliefs, experiences and perspectives. Instead of spending time on trying to unpack him and his message intellectually, it is more rewarding to try and live it on a daily basis.… Continue reading
This is the talk that I gave on the occasion of Vivekananda Jayanthi at the Vivekananda Institute of Indian Studies on January 11, 2021. Swami Vivekananda never ceases to inspire and one feels that one has only scratched the surface in trying to understand his message.… Continue reading
Over time, I have given several interviews and have spoken at several forums. Each one has been different and taught me several lessons. They have also given me the time and space to reflect on the questions that had been asked and my own life too.… Continue reading
My first brush with being made to feel like a South Indian and distinctly different from the person in front of me is something that is strongly etched into my memory now. My father had insisted that all his children learn three languages at school – Kannada, the language of my state of Karnataka, English and Hindi (which he felt was our National language). … Continue reading
We live in a world of having a expert for all major human endeavours – from the mason to the medical specialist, from the masseuse to the manager…to the point where we have a special word called a Generalist even.… Continue reading
The problem of pollution is back in Delhi again. The state governments of Arvind Kejriwal and Capt. Amarinder Singh have started blaming each other for the problem, while the Supreme Court has been demanding action from both the Central and State Governments. … Continue reading
Earlier this year, two communities – Parivara and Talawara were added to the list of Scheduled Tribes. These communities numbering close to 11 lakh has further resulted in marginalizing the shrinking numbers of forest dwelling indigenous communites.… Continue reading
