Fuel price rise is becoming a global crisis. We can no longer piggy back on Left Ideology and play Ostrich with the impending economic disaster. Everybody has tomake some sacrifice to tide over the crisis.

The Government on its part could drastically reduce duties on petrol and diesel.Government every year has its target for collection of duties from each economic activity and let’s say for this year from the sale of petroleum products it is targeted at Rs.1000 crores. The rate at
which oil prices are increasing globally,this target will be met easily and possibly surpassed. The Government could do a bit of sacrifice (if they are serious about controlling price) and reduce the duties on petroleum products. Further, the Government should be bold enough and adopt differential pricing for domestic gas cylinders. It is ridiculous to note that a family living in a premium apartment (costing Rs.1 Crore) pays the same price for a domestic gas cylinder as a family which stays in a slum. It is very easy to implement this because every subscribers address is known. A similar method could be adopted for supply of diesel and petrol also. Differential rates should be adopted for public utility vehicles and private vehicles. Similar differentiation could be done in case of two wheelers and four wheelers. If the oil companies want to suffer losses by supplying at the same rate for all types of vehicles, so be it. That is part of their benevolence and nobody can help it. It is time that the Government made some serious investments for research in the field of Solar Cooking. In a country like India, even if 30-40% of the families switch to this method and use it for 7-9 months a year (given the
weather conditions), the differences that it could make to our fuel bill will be enormous.

The Opposition on their part especially the confused Left should understand that global prices of fuel are increasing and we have no means but to comply. Why don’t these people understand that just because we don’t charge market rates, OPEC Countries don’t supply fuel to us at subsidized rates?At the end of the day, we have to pay market rates and this money comes from nowhere but from within our Budget. Does the Left support a situation wherein a capitalist is getting subsidized fuel from the money which is meant to prevent a poor farmer from committing suicide?

We on our part could reduce the use of personal transport as much as possible but then for today’s urban middle class it is shame to land up at a friends place and say I have come by public transport. For our own economic good and to prevent global warming let us walk for distances less than 2 kilometers and also teach our children to do so. As far as possible
let us use public transport to commute, these days they are quite good and frequent also.

The situation is very grim. We have to change our old habits of using fuel or else face the fate of inhabitants of Jurassic Park. Politicians on their part should stop worrying about their votes. Those in the ruling party have to take strong calls and those in the opposition have to adopt
a policy of “Bolthi Bandh” and not call for bandhs over every fuel price rise. If we don’t learn to make little sacrifices as a country, we better get ready to kiss goodbye to the growth we have achieved in the past 5 to 6 years.This situation is going to hurt all of us but then we have no option but take the bull head on. If we bury our heads in the sand just like an ostrich does, sooner later, economic disaster will hunt us down.

Remember 1990, we had to pledge our Gold.

Balu AM

If your mentor gives applause for all the good things you did; great. If your mentor is satisfied with what you have done and never induces you to push your limits; beware! Great leaders are great followers too. Leaders ideally will have mentor(s) who shows them the way to greatness.

A little experience with LeadCap has provided with the following understanding about the roles of a mentor when developing a potential leader into a great leader and also the role of the person mentored in the process.

Roles of the mentor:

1. Keep the vision alive with actions and words
2. Assurance that s/he will become a leader
3. Push her/his limits to greater heights
4. Freedom to fail

Roles of potential leader:

1. Decision to lead
2. Very positive ‘I can’ attitude
3. Challenge the self every minute of every day
4. Raise the bars
5. Work really hard

In a movement where we are building a nation of leaders each and every person must raise their bars and aim greater heights. Meeting with the defining moment and decision to lead is just a beginning. When the worldly comforts and sloth slows you down, remember that in the leadership journey you have to push your limits and keep the leadership quotient high with string of decisions. “Never give up” should be the mantra.

Mohammad Nibras P.K.
LeadCap

Ever since liberalization, India has made huge strides economically.Movement of people from one part of the country to another for job hasbecome a norm of the day. To an extent this has bridged the gap between people. Sadly regionalism has resurfaced across the country. Peoplecoming from other states are being ridiculed, abused and attacked.

The country was divided on regional basis for administrative reasons andnot meant to create separate entities. It is time that the Government/Election Commission get tough with such regional parties/leaders and ban them for life from contesting in the elections and speaking in the public.

People coming from other states should learn to respect the sentiments of the state in which they are living in. They should make all earnestefforts to learn the local language, culture, appreciate its food, etc andget assimilated with the local population. Otherwise they can find jobs in their own states

One of the Fundamental Rights provided bythe Constitution is that “An individual can go to any part of the countryand earn his living”. That is why we don’t require Visas to travel from one state to another. So when a software engineer from up North comes and takes up a job down South, he is exercising his Constitution Right and ifyou want to question his right, better give up living in this country. It is not possible to give a software engineer’s job to a SSLC drop-out or ill-qualified person, just because he is a local.

Nobody has given their lands to the IT Parks/ Airports for charity. Such acquisitions are made at market rates. If anybody feels aggrieved , they can approach the courts and not come to the streets and disrupt development. However, it is ridiculous for a land owner to feel cheated because his one acre of land which was paid a market value of Rs.1 lakh in 1995 is now worth Rs. 2 crores. IT companies/Airports are professionally run companies and not charity institutions to give one job per family from whom the land was acquired.

Everybody cannot be and need not be a software engineer. Money flow is created in the economy when there are high paying jobs. It is upto you howto take advantage of that money flow. Were there so many taxis, PG accommodations and shopping malls in our cities a decade back? Have these people who are providing the services not benefited from the increased money flow in the economy? If the locals have not been smart enough to exploit this opportunity, it is their folly not that of a person from another state who has encashed the opportunity.Certain occupations are best left to the law of “survival of the fittest”.Nobody gets into a taxi/auto because the driver belongs to such and such aregion. There is no law prohibiting a local from driving a taxi. If you are diligent and hardworking, you will survive in the market or else youwill suffer. Similar is the case with a grocer, maid servant, etc.

When I take up a job in any State, I do pay all the taxes imposed by thatState on my income and expenditure. Further, I do create money flow inthat state whenever I spend. The concerned State Government does get amajor share of the income tax, I pay to the Central Government. Thus thestatement that “outsiders” fleece the state of its resources and do notcontribute anything to its development is an inflated bag of lies andmeant to divide incite people for political/financial gains.

No state has come up on its own or without contributions by people from other states. Let us understand that some states are less blessed than others either through nature or by man made factors. That does not mean they dont have a right to better their living. Such denials on regional basis would only create a wedge in the society which may have unimaginable woes for us in the future. Let the greed for power not turn India into a battlefield.

Balu AM

What is charismatic leadership? You just cannot stand up in a crowd, say
that I am charismatic and become its leader. So, how does anybody become
a charismatic leader? Looks, skin color, oratory skills, family lineage,
style, etc are some of the words which come to mind

Looks and skin color work but only to a limited extent. Family lineage
would make you a charismatic leader amongst a worthless set of people.
Oratory skills are essential for a charismatic leader. For it to
instantaneously connect with the people their convictions should be
emphasized, fears allayed, hopes fostered and most importantly play to the
gallery. For all these to culminate in a powerful talk, the leader should
be well informed of his audience profile. Just waxing eloquently on the
growth in capital markets, infrastructure, etc amongst a group of drought
hit peasants, you are liable to be stoned.

Style is a combination of voice, body language and dress. You cannot
address an army going to war in a saint like voice. Your voice should be
aggressive and words should be screaming for the enemy blood. Body
language reveals what the carefully planned words hide. It is impossible
for a teacher to inspire his students, if he himself yawns during the
class. There cannot be a better example on importance of dress than
Gandhiji who could easily connect with the masses because of his dress
sense. Why else do you think uniform is given utmost importance in
organizations which want people to achieve a single goal? A contemporary
example of the ultimate style package is Laloo Prasad Yadav. He has all
the style in the world that is required to mesmerize his target audience.

For a leader’s charisma to sustain over a long period of time, he should
be well organized, know the pulse of his audience and most importantly
deliver on his promises.

Balu AM

As per the official statistics of the Election Commission, 56% of the registered voters in Bangalore did not cast their vote during the Elections held on 10/05/08. These 56% had better work at home than to decide what will be the shape of their future Government. Some of this 56% would have found going to a resort, family picnic or a movie as being more important than casting their vote. Most of these 56% will continue to point their fingers as to what is wrong with the Country but don’t want to stain their fingers with the election dye on 10/05/08. These are the people who crib about corruption but on 10/05/08 left their votes for possible manipulation.

There were many people who turned up to vote but did not find their names on the list. This 56% had their names on the list but did not believe in the power of democracy and a vote. This 56% will continue to complain about poor infrastructure, corruption and every conceivable problem under the sun but could not walk a few 100 meters on 10/05 to cast their vote.

Ask them they will say, what guarantee is there that the person whom we vote for does win and more importantly deliver on his promises. Excuse me, don’t we lock houses our even though we know that burglars still can break in. Do we middle class stop investing in the share market just because we lost money on one particular share? Why do we plan vacations during holidays given for voting? Would we plan for vacations during our children exams? Elections are the examination for the country. We fail to vote we have to suffer for five long years.

Name not present in the voter list is the excuse which does not hold water in today’s internet world. Voters Lists are frequently displayed on the web by the Election Commission. If we care for our vote, we will definitely ensure that our name is in the final list.

Don’t ask what difference will one vote make? The power of one is infinite. Have we forgotten Buddha, Mahatma Gandhiji, Dr. B R Ambedkar or for that matter sport icons like PT Usha and Kapil Dev? One person can make a lot of difference to the society. Only if each one of us rises to the demands of the society, will a change come about? Thank God the generation that fought for our freedom from imperial rule did not have a pessimistic mind set like ours.

Balu A.M.- LeadCapper