Ode to Mr. B

I am not someone who is given to easy admiration. Even way back in school, when one had to write essays on "My Heroes" , I was at a loss.



It is not that I am a perpetual critic. I appreciate good work, I compliment people a lot. But it takes a lot for me to admit I admire someone.


And Mr B. is one person who has my unrestrained regard.


Mr B. is not a corny name I came up with for anonymity. It is what everyone at work calls him - behind his back. Yeah, people say a lot of things behind his back.


He is the doyen at work with a razor mind that can zero in on the tiniest details that everyone else misses out. When Mr B. asks you for information, then you check twice, thrice, have a cup of coffee and clear your mind and then check the fourth time and only then - only then do you venture giving him the answer.


And if you are a newbie and you think you can get away with a glib response, "Ha ha". Thats the first and the last time you'd do it.


Because by the time Mr B is done with you, you'd tuck your tail between your legs and go dig a hole to hide in for the rest of your professional life. No, Mr B is not one of the nasty managers who are sarcastic or offensive. He just quietly and persistently makes you trace your line of reasoning , exposing the follies and finally leaving you agape at his astuteness.


And that is why he is not everybody's favourite guy. Its not hard to imagine, is it.


To be honest, he does have his share of foibles. On the rare chances that you have an idea better than his, it is extremely difficult to get him see your point of view.


But a manager's mettle is tested only during the bleakest outage and that is when his leadership shone through.


And today, Mr B. was let go. Made redundant. And that is not a euphemism. That is the word that best explains how the best, brilliant and hardworking lose jobs just because of a currency multiplication factor.



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True Blue Desi

I am resolutely restraining myself from commenting on the SRK-Shiv Sena face off. Any polemic with bollywood involved is such a crowd puller. And I am not rushing to join the volley of easy support for SRK. Indo-Pak relations are embroiled in such conflict and I don't agree it is as easy as "These players were coming here to hit balls ... why the ruckus" as Salman Khan voices.

(Shudder! I never would have thought I'd quote Salman Khan on my blog! )

But when I read about Shiv Sena top brass' reference to Rahul Gandhi as the Italian prince and their remark that 'Mumbai' does not belong to his 'Italian mummy', it disgusts me.

It is the feeling I have everytime time someone harps on Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin.

She came to India as a bride and made this country her home for the following 42 years. Who would have faulted her had she gone back to Italy after her husband's death.

But she stayed on and made a reluctant entry into politics a decade later to save the flagging Congress Party.

She went on to be Party President, Leader of the Opposition and finally in 2004 , the priminister's post was hers for taking, but she renounced it. Under her leadership the Party forged on to another win in General Elections 2009.

She speaks hindi, only wears saris and has seeped in the essence of Indian culture and customs.

She has personally lost much to Indian politics but upholds its premier political dynasty with dignity.

As a politicain and an activist against poverty, who can deny she is alive and aware of the country's pulse.

She is, at the least, more Indian than I am.

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