Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday 14 February 2014

A Tale of Two Houses



*   DELHI  VIDHAAN  SABHA  :



Even though, with their combined strength of 42 ( in a house of 70 MLAs ), Congress + BJP could have easily defeated the Jan LokPal Bill after debate , they did not allow the bill to be tabled


These MLAs shouted , broke mike , tore up papers - nor allowed Kejriwal to speak for past 2 days


As promised earlier , Kejriwal resigned as CM and said
 ,


" I did not become CM to hold onto my chair at the cost of my promises to people  "





*   LOK  SABHA  :




Even though,


-  UPA government had numerical majority 


-  BJP claimed to be supporting a separate state of Telangana ,


Congress MPs ( both , pro-Telengana and anti-Telengana ), did not allow Telengana Bill to be discussed


They shouted , broke mike , tore up papers , sprayed black pepper powder and did not allow anyone else to speak , for past 3 days


Pretending helplessness , PM Man Mohan Singh watched the tamasha of his own MPs in silence , muttering , " I am pained " !


But he would not resign


What did he leave unsaid ?


"  I will hold onto my chair. Who cares for principles  ! "




PEOPLE  OF  INDIA  :



Again and again , you have watched in silence , the moral depravation of UPA , over the past 5 years


These people claim to be " Moral Successors " of late Railway Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri , who resigned , taking moral responsibility for a train accident  !


Oh , what a fall was there , my Countrymen  !


Again and again , you have watched with sheer , silent disgust , the shameless collusion of BJP , desperately trying to come back to power , using means , fair or foul  !


These people claim to be moral heirs to the legacy of stalwarts like Pandit Deen Dayal , Jai Prakash Narayan and Morarji Desai , for whom principles were more important than power !


But , now at least , it is no more a question of having to choose  between the " lesser of the two evils "  !


In April , at many polling booths , you will have an alternative in  a  AAP candidate


When you look at those names - and party symbols - on that EVM ( Electronic Voting Machine ) , two months from now , remember ,


YOU  WILL  GET WHO  YOU  DESERVE  TO  GET  !


Before pushing that button , ask yourself ,


"  Who  ( which candidate )  do I deserve  ?  "


And , if you find none , push that NOTA button ( None of the above )


For another 5 years , this will be your only chance to express your ANGER , in a manner that will count  !




*   hemen   parekh  (  15  Feb  2014  /  Mumbai  )

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Gastro - nomics ?



May be India is suffering from Gastro-nomics


Or , from , Gas - to - Economics


Call what you may , the disease seems deadly  !


Minister Veerappa Moily , responding to Arvind Kejriwal's FIR , said :


" I sympathize with Arvind's ignorance. Gas pricing is a very complex issue "


What he would NOT say , is :


"  How dare you , Aam Aadmi , try to unravel in a few weeks , what took us years of hard work to complicate  ?


   To increase gas price from $ 2.34 to $ 4.20 to $ 8.40 , involves complicated calculations , - worse than sending a man to moon


   Couldn't you appreciate that all the odds were stacked against us  ?  "


Moily , Murli and Mukesh , would like us to leave it to the lawyers , the experts and the Supreme Court to decide what ought to be the FAIR and REASONABLE ( - please , don't ask , " to whom ? " ) , price of KG gas


But Aam Aadmi would like these experts to compile - and publish - some statistics re: the prices at which , companies around the World , produce and sell gas


As a aam aadmi , I would like to see a COMPARATIVE TABULATION of gas selling prices being charged all over the World , under following scenarios :


#   A



Domestic Companies which " extract " gas from the " Domestic Fields " of their own countries on a " Contract " basis ( deploying labor / management / technology / capital ) , on a " Production Sharing " basis


   At what prices do they sell that gas to ,


*   Their own local government / local companies


*   Overseas governments and companies



#   B



Companies which extract gas from " Foreign Fields " under a license from each foreign government or thru outright " Owning " of those fields


At what price do they sell gas to ,


*  Other companies of the host country


*  other companies world - wide


*  Companies in India




#   C



Purely " Trading " companies ( which do not engage in drilling / exploring / production )


At what price do they sell gas world - wide  ?  To India  ?


How much do their selling price to India differ from their prices world-wide ?




Experts will , no doubt , come up with other permutations / combinations


And they must


Because , we must try and get , as much of  " An Apple for an Apple " comparison , as possible , to arrive at meaningful conclusions


Other important questions that the Supreme Court will , no doubt ask , are :



>  World over , is there a definite co-relation between the " Cost of Production " and the " Selling Price " ?
    Or , is it just in India ?


>  What role does " World Market Price " play in determining the local selling price , all over the World ?

    Do gas selling prices in most of the countries , get determined by the world market prices ?  Or , is that a myth  ?


>  World over , what is the range of the " Rate of Return on Capital Employed " for companies like Reliance's " Petroleum business " ?


>  Would Reliance suffer massive losses if current price of $ 4.2 were to continue for a few more years ?


>  Will price of $ 4.2 , fail to attract foreign investments ?


>  Are  there sufficient grounds to suspect that the past - including recent past - decisions in regard to gas selling prices , were dishonest ?


>  Is there a clear case of collusion between Reliance and individuals occupying high positions in Central government  ?


>  Is there a clear case of corruption  ?



Don't expect answers to these questions , any time soon


There is no doubt , at least some answers are bound to embarrass some people  !


In any case , the mouse has dared to roar  !


And Aam Aadmi is cheering  !



*   hemen  parekh  (  12  Feb  2014  /  Mumbai )




Monday 10 February 2014

Run Out of Issues , Rajat Sharma ?



Dear Rajat Sharma ,


Last evening , on your India TV show , you spent quite a few minutes talking about the refrigerator , the air-conditioner , the micro-wave oven , the sofa set etc


You normally don't talk about such mundane things  !


So , why this sudden importance to items of necessity  ?


Surely , India TV was not airing a " Commercial "  !


Only because , some 3 ministers of AAP government had asked these items to be installed in their homes  ?


From the tone of your voice , it seemed you had stumbled upon some dark , corrupt practice of AAP ministers  !


A " corruption " of some Rs 10 lakhs in all , between 3 ministers  !


Items that belonged to the Delhi Government and which , these ministers will need to leave behind when they vacate their government-owned flats in the next 3 days  !


(  Since , AAP government is most likely to resign in next 3 days )


Now , you don't want to waste your time telling the viewers about


>  Dozens of Ministers / MPs / MLAs , who continue to occupy their official
     residences , months / years after their tenure - without paying rent


>  Scores of Ministers who owe various agencies , crores of rupees for use of
    water / electricity / telephone etc , after demitting office


>  Equal number of ex-Ministers / MPs / MLAs , who enjoy one or other kind
     of perks / benefits from State coffers  ( and of course ,from  Air India )


>  Ministers ( including some ex-presidents ) who travelled abroad on what
    was described as " Official Visits " - with friends and family vacationing


>  Planning Commission spending a few crores of rupees to renovate toilets


>  Ministers spending crores of rupees to re-furbish their bungalows


>  Ministers / MPs / MLAs who " forget " to declare all of their assets while
    filing their nomination for elections


>  Ministers who " forget " to file their Income Tax returns for a few years
     ( Babu Jagjivan Ram forgot to file , for 10 years in a row ! )


>  MPs / MLAs who spend ( of course , on government expenses ) 15 days ,
    holidaying at exotic foreign locations , to study " Empowerment of Poor "




RAJAT ,



That you are anti-AAP , does not stop me from remaining glued to your 9pm
show every evening - and I urge , all AAP ministers to do so  !


It is only critiques like you who can keep reminding them of the lofty
principles that they stand for


By and large , you have conducted yourself without bias towards any political party


You have been balanced and respectful of the people you interview


And the best part is ,


You allow the participants to speak , without interrupting them or trying to put words in their mouth - a rare virtue amongst TV anchors / editors  !


Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill  !


In future , please ignore non-issues


After all , India TV is ,  " Aap ki Awaz "  !





*   hemen  parekh  (  11  Feb  2014  /  Mumbai  )




Sunday 9 February 2014

The Facebook Generation



When I booked my phone ( landline ) with Telephone Department in 1959 , delivery was 7 years


Ditto with FIAT car


After making full payment in advance


(  Premier Automobile made more money from interest on advances , than by selling cars !  )


Now my granddaughter walks into a corner store and gets her new smart phone in 7 minutes  !


(  She does not even remember my landline number , anymore  !  )


And , today , you can have a brand new car delivered at your residence in ONE day , after making online payment on Company's web site !


( That is because , car dealer needs one day , for RTO registration )


How did this revolution ( or , evolution ? ) happen  ?


One word answer  :


COMPETITION



Two word answer  :


DESTROY  MONOPOLY



Three word answer  :


SUPPLY EXCEEDS DEMAND



But , even today , what happens when you want ,


>  Ration Card


>  Passport / Visa


>  Driving License


>  Building Construction Permit


>  Factory License


>  Shop and Establishment License


>  Water / Electricity connections


>  Layoff of surplus workers when demand goes down


>  Environment Clearance for industries


>  Auctioning of Airwaves ( Spectrum )


>  Starting new banks


>  Constructing new roads / bridges / airports


>  Enacting new laws


>  Changing Business Transaction Rules ( ala Delhi JanLokpal Bill )...etc




Why do delivery of these services still take weeks / months / years  ?



One word answer  :


MONOPOLY




When it comes to these services , municipalities / state governments / central government , have  no competition  !




India's Facebook Generation of 285 million ( between the age of 15 - 29 ) is saying :




Like you old timers , we are not prepared to wait for these services endlessly


We want things done fast , today , NOW  !


Even if that requires introduction of Competition to existing establishments ( municipalities / governments )


And , if our constitution do not permit creation of " Parallel / Competing " governments , then we will change those governments  !


Or,


We will come up with some " Out of Box " solutions for " Delivery by Alternate Means "  !


We couldn't care less for your rules / regulations / laws


We will change everything that obstructs our right to a fast service


Our Neta is Bill Gates , who re-wrote the rules of service - delivery in the 21st Century, in his seminal book ,


"  Business @ The Speed of Thoughts "


Read it or Parish !


Choice is yours  !





*  hemen  parekh  (  10  Feb  2014  /  Mumbai  )



Saturday 8 February 2014

A Ticking Time-Bomb ?



Consider the following  :


*  India's population is 1220 million


*  Annual net increase is 15 + million


*  285 million are in the age group of 15-29


*  When GDP was growing at 8 %, we added 5 million jobs / year


*  Now that GDP is down to 4.9 % , we are adding 1 million jobs / year


*  Jobs in India can grow at 15 million / year if GDP grows at 12 % / year  !


*  41 million unemployed are registered with 900+ Employment Exchanges


*  Employment Exchanges find jobs for a mere 3 lakh / year  !


*  Annually , 14 million ( 15 - 1 ) get added to the ranks of jobless !


*  It takes Rs 1 million by way of Capital Investment , to create ONE job


*  National economies around the world are slowing down or shrinking


*  Unemployment among youth has become universal problem


*  All around the World , governments are cutting back on Welfare expenses


*  Root cause of ALL protests / riots / demos everywhere , is JOBLESSNESS


*  Don't be fooled by experts who describe India's Youth as Demographic
    Dividend !


*  Despite being a " Low Cost Economy " ( meaning wages / salaries at 10%
    of those in developed countries ) , jobs are NOT flowing to India . Why ?
    Our youth lack the necessary " Skills " - making them unemployable


*   UPA-2 Government is trying to fool us by saying NSDC ( National Skills
     Development Corporation ) will train 500 million youth in next 5 years !


*   On the other hand , there is NO incentive to Private Sector Industries , to
     come forward to invest in training these 500 million - something that
     would require an investment of Rs 250 Million Million


*   Private Sector has ,  required Money / Expertise / Organizational setup
     to impart such training


*   But that money is in the form of BLACK MONEY  !


*   So , what is the ANSWER  ?


*   Introduce a AMNESTY SCHEME , under which no questions will be asked
     as to the source of funds ( ie Black Money ) , if these are invested by
     the Private Sector in training of India's Youth , in prescribed Skills


*   Private Sector should be allowed to charge a reasonable fee from each
     trainee , 50 % of which should be subsidized by State Governments


*   Income earned  ( from Fees ) shall be tax-free for 10 years



If UPA -2 gets wiped out in 2014 , it won't be because of corruption  !

It will be because of JOBLESSNESS amongst the FIRST-TIME voters  !


And , if NDA comes to power but fails to defuse the ticking TIME BOMB of
UNEMPLOYMENT , it will meet with the same fate in 2019 !


Are our NETAS willing to think " Out of Box "  ?


It is still not too late  !




*   hemen  parekh  ( 09  Feb  2014  /  Mumbai )

Friday 7 February 2014

Well Said , Yogendra !



Last evening , on ABP News , Yogendra Yadav said :



*  In the past , we ( AAP ) have made a few mistakes

*  In coming months / years , we may make some more mistakes

*  We are not ashamed to admit our mistakes

*  We are learning from our own mistakes - and from mistakes of others

*  We are not a monolithic party where everyone must speak with one voice

*  We come from diverse , social / political / economic background

*  We continue to differ in our views from one another

*  We believe such different views are essential to party democracy

*  We cannot influence one another without airing our differing views

*  We don't have answers to all the problems of Delhi- let alone of Country  !

*  We are in the process of framing our polices on National matters

*  Even when released , these policies will not be rigid but open to changes

*  It is unfortunate that in India , people have stopped asking questions

*  We need to create a strong culture of asking uncomfortable questions

*  There is nothing inconsistent between " Protesting" and " Governing "

*  Drama is an essential part of politics - Remember Gandhiji's fasts ?

*  Unjust laws must be politely broken -  ala , Salt Satyagraha of Dandi

*  Our struggle is not about changing rulers - it is about changing system

*  People vote for a candidate , not knowing whether he will win / lose

*  People vote for a party - whether it will rule or sit in opposition

*  People don't change their views / attitudes at once. Give them time

*  You cannot change a system by criticizing from outside

*  To influence others , you must become an " Insider "

*  Anna continues to inspire us , even when he criticizes us

*  People are the ultimate judge of whether we are right or wrong

*  Time has come to work for the  " Common Good "

*  Our critics should also ask BJP, how many promises they fulfilled


Yogendra said many more things ,

Many wise things ,

Very politely ,

Convincingly,

Disarmingly ,

Refreshingly,

Congrats !

Yogendra

ABP




*  hemen  parekh  ( 08 Feb 2014 / Mumbai )   

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Eternal Truisms ?

Parkinson's  Law ( 50 years ago ) :

"  Work expands to fill the time available for doing it  "


Peter's  Principle  ( 25 years ago  )  :

"  If something can go wrong , rest assured , it WILL go wrong "


My  Belief  (  Feb 2014  ) :

"  Even the most trivial matter can be turned into an emergency ,
  by postponing decision / action , long enough  "


Proof :

#  1

UPA-2 trying to pass 46 bills in Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha in the
next 7 days

#  2


Telengana  ?

Moral  of  the  Story  :

A fast and honest decision is any day better , even if proved to be less than perfect , at some later day

You can always make a " Course Correction " later , based on the lessons learned , but there is no way you can regain the time lost through indefinite postponement

Postponements , by themselves  , don't lead to better decisions !





*  hemen  parekh  (  06  Feb 2014  /  Mumbai  )