Nalin's Stray Thoughts & Recollections

(If you don't know me and my circle well, this page will be quite meaningless to you. Infact, you won't be able to make any sense out of it. If you still persist, then carry on but don't curse me later. It was last updated on - 17/11/1998)
  • Update 4: Neelkanth Akhauri has been blessed with a daughter. You can see her photograph if you visit Neel's Corner. Prakash has been promoted to 'Asst. Consultant'. Mohan has become Divisional Manager. Devanand Rao has become Asst. Divisional Manager. Hope to see 'Asst.' word in both (Prakash & VDR) the cases removed very soon. What else? Brazil's lost.
  • Update 3: Remember Mr. R. S. Krishnan? He is here in Ahmedbad. We spent one afternoon together at Mr. R.N. Pandey's place in Gandhinagar. Mr. Krishnan is leading a retired and quiet life now. He was one of the stalwarts of ITS. He may have retired from his hectic life at ITS but he has not severed the relationship with ITS completely as his son is in Tata Steel-ITS. Another news back from Jamshedpur is that lot of people are taking ESS. Some of the familiar names are : Ranjit Kirpalani, Shilu, C.L. George, K.R. Garg, Mrs. Anul Chawla. Manjeet has also applied for ESS but I don't know whether it has been sanctioned. Incidentally, Shilu and Manjeet have got their H1B visas and should be in USA by June '98.
  • Update 2: Vivek Agrawal & Shalu have become the proud parents of a baby girl "Harshita". Congratulations Vivek & Shalu and welcome Harshita.
  • Elections are over and India is again heading towards a hung parliament (whatever that may mean). Every country deserves the government it gets. I think constitution should be amended to allow citizen to cast negative votes also. The nearest answer is not the correct answer. Every multiple choice question has an option 'none of these'. But in Indian politics your question is : 2 + 2 ? And the choices given are : 1.2, 2.7, 3.1, 0.9 . If the people are given one more option 'none of them', may be very few so called leaders would get elected. In that case, President should lead the country and fill the vacancies by nominating people. This exercise should continue until one starts getting correct answers among the various choices given. Country would oscillate between Presidential form of government and Prime Minsitrial, but people would get a stable centre and self appointed champions of people would know that they do not fit into the general scheme of things.
  • Today (20/2/98) had a chat with Mr. Prabir Dasgupta, Ex D.M. (ITS), Tisco on Internet. He has left Tata Steel and currently heading a software co. in Calcutta. He is in USA on a business trip. Thankfully he remembered me. Though he had no reasons to. He gave me the contact no. of Mr. Dushyant Lall too.
    Found a great site on Bihar. Those who are interested to know about it can follow the link provided on the left side. Read about the rich past of the state. The irony is that the state which gave one of the first republics to the world, propagated peace across the boundaries, gave India its first President, helped changing the dynastic rule in the country under the leadership of JP, has nothing left for it today. Like all the great but now extinct civilizations, is it too much for Bihar to live up to its glorious past?
  • Update 1 : Manjeet and Shreekant Mokashi have been promoted. From 1/1/98, Manjeet has become Dy. Manager(ITS-Tubes) and Shreekant has become Divisional Manager (ITS). Congratulations to both of them. Rakesh Verma has been transferred to ITS(Tubes) as Manager(ITS) after the closure of Seamless Plant. Rajesh Srivastava's new email no. is rajsim@hotmail.com.
    Ganesh Thakur was here in Ahmedabad with his family. He has resigned from Rajinder Steel (Raipur) and is on his way to Kenya. In earlier cases whenever a person requested to be released with immediate effect, management didn't do so. Therefore, Thakur also requested management to release him as early as possible, hoping that they would not do so. He needed time for settling things in Raipur before he left for Kenya. But in his case management released him with immediate effect and now he is in a fix. This was one case which backfired on him. Do you know that once Thakur called a priest to perform puja at his residence? The reason was that lot of petty household items were gettings stolen from his house. The frequency was quite high and no precaution helped the matter. Thakur suspected haunted spirits behind this. He thaught that a small offering to divine powers might help. May be, it did. But after the ceremony, when the priest went down, his bicycle was nowhere. It was stolen.
  • I don't agree with Salman Rushdie on his selection of best Indian writing since independence. Though it is a praiseworthy effort. He could have called it the best Indian writing in English since independence. Barring Manto and Satyajit Ray, others have been included for their work in english language. He has admitted that work of many might have been missed out due to no translation or poor translation. But this statement does not make much sense to me. I don't understand how does a poor translation make an author's work poor and reduces his/her worth. I agree that a good translation can make a much wider impact. A good translation will make the work reach out to many more people. I would love to read many authors and appreciate them more if the (good)translations were available. But does it mean that they are not good enough just because I could not read them or the translator did not do a decent job? How can Vijayan, Mahashweta Devi, Harivansh Rai Bachhan, Nirmal Verma or Shrilal Shukla be counted as lesser contributors? What about 'Renu' or 'Agyeya'? Read Bachhan's autobiography in 4 parts('Kya Bhulun Kya Yaad Karun', 'Basere Se Door', 'Need Ka Nirman' & 'Dwashdar Se Sopan Tak') and judge for yourself. Read Shrilal Shukla's 'Raag Darbari', one of the best satires I've come across. For that matter 'Awara Masiha' (biography of Sharatchandra Chattopadhyay, written by Vishnu Prabhakar) is one of the best biographies I've read. Similarly many great books are there in different Indian languages which have had greater impact on Indian psyche than many mentioned in Rushdie's anthology. I am not for a moment denying the worth of the writers mentioned in this book. In fact, I would rank R.K. Narayan as one of the greatest writers of all time. My point is that no such selection can have a tone of finality. But then anyone is free to air his/her thoughts. Salman Rushdie has given his views as I am giving mine here. The only difference is that people like Rushdie can influence tastes of people which is not correct. Let people judge for themselves.
  • Autonomy or no autonomy, Doordarshan simply can't change for better. It is not in them. I don't know how many people noticed during recently concluded Independence Cup (held in Bangladesh). It would always (barring few times when the fielding side was even slower than Doordarshan to start the next over) miss the first ball of the over. If you count the number of balls missed, it would be around 5-6 overs. If the commentator says the score is so much in-between an over, it would start a commercial thinking that the over has ended. Change over to a commercial is always abrupt. It is not true vice-versa. "Sachin is such a good player. He doesn't need to rely on (cut to)..... Ariel. It cleans more than any other detergent....". "India is in trouble. Sachin and Azhar are out. It badly needs a...(cut to) MRF tyre. The tyre used by......". I can go on and on. Why don't you try to observe this next time when you are forced to watch a match covered by Doordarshan. Doordarshan takes lot of pride in showing TRP ratings of its various programmes. I think they should show the ratings for the places where people don't have only one option. Once upon a time I used to be glued to my TV watching even "Krishi Darshan". Doesn't mean anything. Or does it?
  • Saba saw this page and commented that Harmeet had a good chance of playing for India if selectors got to see this page. Didn't comment on my chances though. Reckon, I have none.
  • This was the first 31st (new year's eve) which I celebrated (infact didn't) away from Jamshedpur. I missed all the fun and my friends. By the stroke of midnight, I was feeling so nostalgic and was so much full of self pity that I started ringing Jamshedpur frantically, desperate to hear familiar voices. But as luck would have it, didn't find anyone at home. Everyone was away freaking out. Couldn't locate anyone. Finally, went off to sleep with echoes from the past and a firm resolution that I will be among friends (wherever I am) in the year 1998.
Above : 01/01/1998 & after.
Below : 31/12/1997 & before
  • With most of us (Maya, Milan, myself, Sanjay ....) leaving Jamshedpur, I wonder how Tubemakers Club is running. As such, club was just about breaking even inspite of our huge bills. Latest I have heard is that even Alex has resigned from the club.
  • Loveliest evenings or parties were more often than not oragnaised by Maya at her lovely bungalow. Beautiful settings in her garden, excellent food with overflowing booze and dance. And on top of it Maya and Ranjeet cajoling guests with "Abhi na jao ....ki Dil abhi bhara nahin". Who wanted to leave anyway?
Selectors have dropped Saba Karim from the Indian team. He went to West-Indies with Indian team in 1988-89. Then he went into oblivion. Suddenly somebody thought of him and he was back in 1997. They gave the logic that he was a better batsman than Mongia, which he certainly was and still is. He along with Robin Singh won a match against Pakistan in Karachi. How many Indian players can say that? Certainly not Nayan Mongia. He did what
was asked of him in Sarjah. But then as per our selectors, he has played his quota of matches and now it is Mongia's turn. I wonder whether I can get a chance too under this quota system. Incidentally, I have played as a wicket-keeper in few of the office league matches while Saba preferred to bowl.
  • WWW - World Wide Wait. Is it any different in other parts of the world? Can someone tell me? I am waiting.
  • Neelkanth Akhauri's column - "Problems Corner" in "Tistube News" used to be immensely popular with the masses but equally annoying to the bosses. He would pick up a problem, go to the responsible person and report actions promised by him. Matter didn't quite end there. Follow ups would be deadlier than the earlier reporting and it made bosses' lives quite miserable. But, more often than not it had the desired effect. I remember one of his ending lines - "Is A.D.T.S. listening?" Sure, he was, and he was not amused. In this particular case, problem got solved, ADTS got promoted to D.T.S., Akhauri left for US and everyone lived happily thereafter.
  • Inspite of hosting inter club cric'ennis tournament for so many years, Tubemakers Club has won it only twice. And both times Alex Thomas and I, were part of the teams. Infact TMC never lost a match in which both of us played. I decided to quit on top. I was declared 'man of the finals' in the year TMC won last (bear with me). I didn't want to give selectors the pleasure of dropping me. Alex went on to become selector and selected teams which never won. It even stopped reaching finals. Come to think of it, he served the club better as a player than a selector.
  • When Donald clean bowled Saba Karim in South Africa, it certainly made one guy very happy. Harmeet Sabharwal, who had clean bowled him in one of the cric'ennis finals. He went around telling everyone that Saba had problems facing genuine quickies (read Donald & Harmeet), otherwise he was a fine player.
"Tubes Update" - Who's Where and doing What?
  • Neelkanth Akhauri - Home in Indianapolis, home page on AOL. Currently concentrating on home front. Apart from other things, has setup a company too. Waiting for the arrival of another Geminian in the family.
  • Milan Arora - in Indianapolis. Keeping his own company but sometimes passing it on to Neelkanth too.
  • Sheel Malaviya - in Minneapolis. Pretty busy. Sometimes takes out enough time to forward interesting mails.
  • Maya Kripalani - in Minneapolis. Doing just great, as usual.
  • Rajesh Srivastava - in New Zealand. Working on some project and his body simultaneously.
  • Satyajit Chakraborty (Laltu)- in New Jersey. Talked to him on 1st Jan. It was a pleasant (new year) surprise talking to him. I had almost given up. He is doing great. Has switched over to Pool from Snooker.
  • Dinesh Agrawal - Grand Rapids, Michigan. Heard from him on 10/1/98.
  • Naresh Agrawal - in Pune. MBT.
  • Kunjan Dayal - has migrated to USA with his family.
  • Ashok Pradhan, Nagabhusanam - somewhere in US.
  • Vivek Agrawal - with Satyam Computers, Hyderabad. Soon to be a proud Dad.
  • Prakash Kumar - in Bhubaneshwar. When I met him last in Nov., he was going there to open a centre for Satyam.
  • Sanjay Tewari - Tata Steel Purchase dept., Calcutta. Living happily with Shweta, Brecht & Neruda.
  • John Curicatt - with Hongkong Bank, Mumbai. Don't know who is making more money?
  • V. Pandiyan - in Madras. Converting humans into resources using his own vast reservoir of knowledge.
  • I am in Ahmedabad - generating all this rubbish (pronounce it as Geoffrey Boycott would).
  • Amit Singh - Last known place, IIM (A). Last sentence spoken by him in Jamshedpur and heard by everyone - "born in USA" in a party on my terrace.
  • Ashok Pandey - Tata Steel Head Office, Mumbai. In corporate league.
  • Himesh Misra - Tata-IBM, Bangalore. Happy with the climate of city & co. both.
  • Shreekant Mokashi - Jamshedpur. One of the strongest pillars of Tata Steel - ITS. Holding it firmly.
  • Vikas Gupta - Sriven Comp., Noida, Delhi. Earlier with Birla Horizons. Got sick of frequent visits to Saudi Arabia for implementing Y2K projects. Didn't wait till 2K to see the result.
  • Rajesh Bhatia - Ispaat Group, Mumbai. Earlier with Essar Steel, Surat. Moved in to Surat when it was one of the filthiest cities, moved out when it was declared as one of the cleanest.
  • G. S. Thakur - Rajinder Steel, Raipur. Depriving us of all the new incidents which must have taken place since he left Jamshedpur.
  • R.N. Pandey - Reliance, Ahmedabad - trying to figure out the reliability of various networks.
  • Rahul Chaturvedi - Mumbai. Developed a great Plant Maintenance package. Now trying to maintain the package.
  • Rajeev Singhal - Tubes Marketing, Calcutta. Shifted from ITS to Marketing. Now has one trick too many for either departments .
  • Baldev, Manjeet, Shilu - back in Jamshedpur but for how long? Baldev - proving his worth after my exit. Doing much better than I would have ever done. Manjeet - one of the stalwarts left, giving moral and physical support to Mohan. Also one of the best dressed person in ITS. Shilu - once upon a time changed more cars in a year than I changed my dresses, now planning to change his current address.
  • Alex Thomas - in Jamshedpur. Has deserted the card table at TMC. Swinging with his golf club, recently celebrated golden jubilee of (not Indian independence) his grand presence. With his exit from TMC, an era has ended.
  • Rakesh Ranjan Dubey - in Jamshedpur. Working on a grand project for the replacement of Seamless Plant. Still spreading the same infectious smile.
  • Rakesh Verma - in Jamshedpur. Received a mail from him on 2nd Jan. - "I have converted my religion to that of yours after Seamless closure." Can still keep audience enthralled with his Rafi songs.
  • Randhir Singh - Tubes Transport, Jamshedpur. Also one of the selectors in Bihar Cricket Association. Doing unto players what selectors did unto him once?
  • Saba Karim - Tata Steel, Purchase, Calcutta. A classic in and out story. Out of India when in the Indian team and out of it when in India. Come to think of it, he never played for India in India.
  • N. Mohan - Only guy going steady & strong back home. But then he was always in a different league.
(Keep me posted on this nomadic tribe.)
  • A black thought. Tubemakers Club must not employ anyone with a name "Ramu".
  • Tata Steel didn't give me my leave money. It was my hard earned money after 14 years of (selfless & selfish) service. The logic was that anyone (especially) from ITS resigning, should not be allowed to encash his leave. So much so that he/she should not be granted any leave also during notice period. The positive side is that I've contributed considerably (with this blocked amount) to Tata Steel's profitability. Are there more guys like me?
  • Tata Steel's Early Separation Scheme (ESS) has never been extended to anyone in ITS. I wish it was made open to ITS, atleast once. No one would be left even to give information on number of ESS cases! Don't get me wrong. This is not a page for Tisco bashing. All said and done, it is still a fantastic company to work for. After comparing notes with people from various companies from different parts of India, I think it is still one of the very best.
  • Rajesh Srivastava wrote from New Zealand that he has developed inferiority complex by looking at the size and fitness level of people there. He has joined a gym and working on his body quite seriously. A man of his size (6'3"), one of the fittest and swiftest in and around our group, ex-India Basketball captain and so on, developing a complex! I've dropped the idea of being seen anywhere near that country.
  • When I got this offer from Pandiyan to come to Ahmedabad, I was quite happy. Everyone was very happy including my family members. In fact people around me were so happy that I never even got a chance to reconsider my decision. I thought that they were happy on my happiness as the offer was really good. But later on I discovered that everyone had his/her own reasons to be happy. I was happy because offer was good. My friends were happy as they would not have to tolerate me any more. My boss was happy as now no one would argue with him so vehemently. Youngsters in the department were happy as atlast my position was vacant (it was a standard force position) paving way for their promotions. My daughter, Richa was happy because Ahemdabad is known as an icecream city. My wife, Mini was happy as Ahmedabad is a dry city. I had read the famous couplet -"Kaun rota hai kisi aur ke khatir ai dost, Sabko apni hi kisi baat pe rona aaya". But in my case - sabko, apni hi kisi baat pe hansna aaya.In retrospect, I think it was a great joke on me.
  • The best boss I worked under was Mr. Dushyant Lall. Mr. R.N. Pandey comes next. I would rate Mr. Lall as the best since I worked for much longer with him. With Mr. Pandey, the stint was quite short. He would not interfere in petty things. Give you all the freedom. But, then he would never listen to an excuse. Got to give him results. And boy, could he shout at people? I never had a boss since then who could even fire people properly. Had a knack for identifying good people. Didn't he identify me???? (Though this particular selection left me wondering about his undoubted abilities). Irony is that I've lost track of him since he left Tata Steel. Does someone have his address?
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