Stories from the grassroots | Thoughts on development | Lessons on leadership
It is now a little more than 4 decades since i first read the 8 volumes (now they are nine) of ‘The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda’. So much water has flowed under the bridge, so many experiences that have added to my understanding of his message and so much still left in this ever continuous learning journey. … Continue reading
Nations around the world are challenged on how to ensure the benefits of governance and development reach the last mile. When all things are said and done, what really matters is whether the person at the end of the road is feeling the impact of, and getting the benefits of good governance. … Continue reading
A lot of people keep asking me about the last one year that I have spent working in the Government as an insider. From being a person outside the system constantly interacting with it and seeking their support for ensuring human development at the grassroots, friends including myself are surprised on how my journey has brought me here.… Continue reading
I have spent the best part of my adult life (of nearly 26 years) with indigenous tribal communities. These are easily the best years of my life. The experiences that I have had, the lessons learnt, the wonderful men and women that I have met and known, the knowledge that I have gained – all this are something that i cherish. … Continue reading
The domain of education is abuzz with words like ’21st Century Skills’ and one can end up feeling that there is something magical that our children need to learn in order to survive in today’s complex world. While it is true that one needs a wide variety of skills to negotiate the world of today, one cannot but look to India’s glorious past and explore if there is something that one can learn from that. … Continue reading
Some time ago, Nitesh Batra the founder of the Mindful Initiative reached out to me through a common friend asking if he could interview me for a podcast that he runs. Having been interviewed several times in the past for newspapers and television, I was expecting this also to be similar to the ones that I had participated in.… Continue reading
Listen to some of my thoughts shared on this subject in a talk that I delivered for DISHA-Bharat a few days ago.
“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
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