What's wrong with Free Basics -- Not much

Dt: 25 Dec 2015

Today lets talk about Free Basics ,a topic which has been garnering quite a bit of protest n publicity on the internet . An issue which is not very clearly touched upon or understood. With this article I aim to share my understanding & doubts about the concept .I might be wrong & would love to be corrected on this one

So in essence Free Basics as I understand  will give you the ability to access a certain few websites through  your internet provider free of cost.Another version that I read today is that the favored websites would load faster than the  other websites on the Free Basics platform.

Argument in Favour : Free internet access to a selected bouquet of  websites at minimum price OR free of cost will ensure that internet reaches to those poor who currently cannot afford it .

Argument Against: By  allowing access to only few websites the  purity of internet is being compromised.This will ensure that the internet will not be a level playing field for all especially for new  websites beginning on their journey.


I will  provide my argument in favor of Free basics as I have been drawn by this concept when I first heard about it.Some might suggest that Indians just like anything that is free & therefore do not bother to look into the details .But I feel this concept is a good one and is needed in a country like ours.


But to win an argument  like this I would like to start with counter arguments.

I use two analogies to argue my case

First Analogy-- The Satellite TV space in India.
When the TV was a thing in the late 80s we just had two channels Doordarshan & DD Metro .Every household used to watch the same channels till we entered the age of Satellite TV. Suddenly we were exposed to a range of TV channels some national some international.But the poor & even the middle class were deprived of access to this kind of entertainment. We watched what came free to us coz we could not afford the dish antenna or a connection from the local cable TV operator.I do not remember anyone arguing at that time that all TV channels should be made available to all at the same price.The analogy is better supported today where on the Set top Boxes you have two options

• Free to Air Channels (I would like to compare this to Free Basics)
• Paid Channels (This would be more like the whole of internet.Pay a price & get access to all)

Can we then argue that channels reaching our television using the free to air route are the ones which have an unfair advantage.?
Are some rich pockets/entertainment companies using the free to air route to push their new channels to a wider audience .
Compare that to a new entertainment channel which has to face hardships during its initial years .
Lets do a random check & you will know that the entertainment  industry is restricted to a select few business houses & unless you dont have the capital you cannot break through?
Is that MONOPOLY ?Why does no one talk about equality ..neutrality?
Was the air space meant to be auctioned? Was internet ONLY supposed to be pure /free/not controlled by business

Second Analogy-- The Real Estate Industry
Learn from the real estate industry as to how money can change the way you do business.
Lets say that we have a reasonably remote area which is not well connected and we have two developers who have constructed new apartments from buying plot at almost the same price.
So far so fair..Both incur same construction costs and say  build around 100 apartments each.
But apartments in the established developers society get sold at a premium but the other developer has still not been able to sell his apartments.Where did he miss the trick?
Following was the major difference between the two

• Premium developer provides pick & drop shuttles from the nearest railway station/bus station (free basics)
• New developer  can only sell his flats to people with cars (no access to free basics)

Why didnt anyone argued for new developers who would like to make an entry to the real estate market.Why give unfair advantage to the established developers..

I can go on & on with numerous analogies and this would never end.....

So I am amused at our friends who are under the impression that the internet is a 'FREE n FAIR' entity & is not driven by businessmen & rich pockets.Its a myth & we need to get out of this .The sooner the better.There might be concerns but those are businessmen who are raising these concerns.This has nothing to do with the poor enduser.

I feel that with Free basics we give the opportunity to our poor to access the internet.We give access to the internet for our kids studying in schools & colleges in our villages .What if its just the basics.What if its just a few websites.What if its just enabling better communication in the rural areas.This is a revolution & we must support it  . When I am on the internet there is so much material that it would need at least a few lives to consume all.So what is the fear if not everyone has access to all content.

People who are fiercely driving the net neutrality bandwagon are the ones who have vested business interests as well.I am not saying that Facebook just got  philanthropic .No even they mean business as evident by the full page ads in today's newspaper.But yes we need to choose whats right for our people.As long as they are not anti national .As long as the content is not restricted & propaganda driven.Blocking something on the context that is not fair is absolute bull ****.

Tell me what is fair in this world.Tell me if everyone is treated as equal in this world?If you are so concerned about neutrality & equality apply it to all spheres of life.Not just the internet.

For starters can you ensure that all get access to the basics food,clothing & shelter in this country & then we shall talk about NET NEUTRALITY. 

I want to conclude by quoting this genius who has posted an article in 'The Logical Indian' (I think we must have such domain names taken away from these ...forget it).So here goes the quote

"Given that data packages cost as little as Rs. 20 a month "

I want to salute this great man & if he is serious someday he might make a real good finance minister :-).Jokes apart.This  comment is epic in the sense that it even beats Raj Babbar's "full meal in Rs.12 in Mumbai " 

I am convinced that Free Basics is a must in India,  all developing/under developed  economies of the world  & it will take some very sharp minds to make me change my opinion on this one .But I definitely wont be taking advice from the Startup INVESTOR who writes for 'The Logical Indian' :p.

A Thank You Note for --- How I Met Your Mother

Dt:14 Nov 2015

Its Children's day today here in India celebrated on the birth Anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ,,India's first Prime Minister .. and  a good day to get back to what you like doing the most...blogging :-)

So this one is a Thank you note to the cast & crew of the sitcom 'How I Met your Mother' .I have been planning to do this for quite some time now but here it comes today.

The journey for me began with my first trip to the USA in December 2013.I had been there on a professional assignment. Downside being that I was in a city where I had very little friends to hang out with(Ofcourse there was Disney & Universal ) .For major part of the 6  month assignment   I was alone  the moment I was out of office ..I could not easily blend with the new cultural set up thanks to the amount of time I was spending on my professional commitments.The weekends would be lonely and the weekdays would be sad.Plus I am not someone who can spend hours on the  phone talking to people to keep myself occupied.That made me very  irritable during the first couple of months.

Soon my roomie introduced me to the world of Netflix where you  could watch unlimited movies & choose the content that you watch on TV.This was my  only mode of entertainment and I started  watching a lot of vintage movies One of the best movies that I watched there was the 'The Cider House Rules' .The movie  left me emotionally drained & I decided that in order to survive  the next few months I needed to watch comedy .Thats how I ended up selecting HIMUM. Netflix had 6 seasons of the sitcom listed & I decided that this would keep me entertained for the rest of m stay in the US .



I started watching the first season and soon this became the norm for me.On weekends with Budweiser for company and the cheap 5$  pizza from Seven-11, I would watch back to back episodes till late into the night .It almost felt as if I had company and I was in the bar hanging out with Ted,Barney, Lily Marshal & Robin.This series over the next few months made me so emotionally attached that I could almost sympathize with each of the characters.Also being somewhat close to contemporary this show would highlight the moral compass of the American society .It told me that the Americans have very strong value systems and most of them live by it.In fact if you discount for their liberal views on relationships then they would very much mirror the Indian social values.(more on this later...)

I would like to talk to about each of the characters as they have been very inspiring from a story-writer's perspective as well as in real Life

Lily (Played by Alyson Hannigan)
Lily according to me is the central most character of this masterpiece as she is the one who holds all the characters together,I must say that Alyson is also the best actor in the entire starcast as her expressions are flawless & it almost seems as she has lived this character .Her conflict with her ambitions while continuously wanting the best for her husband , friends makes her the most lovable character .The best moment in the series is where she wants to stay back in America so that Marhsall can become a judge but is disturbed when Marshal accuses her of being selfish .

Marshal (Played by Jason Segel)
Marshal is the kind of character who we could call as Mr.Right .He has his own set of values which he tries to implement .He tries to be just & not hurt anyone while making sure that he does what he does.My friend thinks that I am more like Marshal (He might be right here).Unlike Lily's character Marshal's is more of one tone character but Jason plays it very well & is adorable .Couple of moments stay with you .One where Marshal comes to terms with the loss of his father who was very close to him  and completely shuts off everyone for some days.The other moment is where he takes his son on a road trip to make it to Uncle Barney's wedding.His love for poetry & creating rhymes on the go(and explaining it to the rest when they dont get it ) is hilarious .And yes i  almost forgot the SLAPATHON....

Robin (Played by Cobie Smulders)
Robin is the eye candy & the Canadian angle to the story. The beautiful girl in green in her introduction scene almost ensures that you will watch the series till she is around.I remember discussing HIMUM with my manager where we could not recollect the name of her character but still were in splits on the Canadian jokes that were played on her .Robin's is a more complex character of a girl who is  away from home  and looking to make friends yet wants to stay independent.A girl who wants to be at the top of her game & is very ambitious yet seeks to have a family and  almost hates the fact that she missed out on Ted.To be frank I did not like the last bit of  how her character played out as I felt after settling with Barney she would have worked hard to make it work,However that may actually be the difference between the Indian society & the American society


Barney (Played by Neil Patrick Harris)
Barney this is the most entertaining character of the lot ...The first thing that remains with you is his love for Suits ..."Suit Up","Have you met ,,Ted "  , "Wait for it" , "Legenddddd...ary" and more such catch phrases used liberally but never irritating prove that he became the most lovable character.With his magic tricks And the Playbook tricks Barney kept the audience in splits all the time..The best part would be when he would get preachy and quote the 'Brocode' to justify his actions or wishes.His constant fight with Marshal to be Ted's best friend made him adorable.The character takes an unbelievable turn when he decides to settle down with Robin ,Those moments where he burns the Playbook & claims to have found true love are almost a U-turn to the original character..The moment when he holds his daughter is the best scene & I guess that should have been the climax for his character..But his reason for breaking up with Robin also looks more justifiable.All in all a dream character for a very good actor..And yes I  almost forgot the SLAPATHON....

Ted (Played by Josh Radnor)
Well the story has been written for him .No wonder he got the best part.As an architect in his late 20s & struggling to find a consistent partner even as friends around him are settling down he is very charming.I personally related a lot  with Ted's character .From his love for old world architecture ,novels etc.. to his constant search to find the perfect girl ,,,this is the best character ever written.There are many adorable moments but his constant belief in love at first sight and hoping so badly that he would get Robin  are some of the things one can relate to.You almost want that he be compensated and that  he gets a good girl after Robin decides to get married to his close buddy Barney,Everything that Ted does from  making sure that he is the master of gifting ,to calligraphy, to parenting Marshal & Lily's kid when they need some break ,to being there for Robin when she felt lost just before her marriage ,to his love for that old Bean bag  because its been part of the journey so far are things that I could relate to.And finally his self analysis while he tries to put together things that have happened to him and  reflects as to why the universe is conspiring against him are touching moments.


The Mother (Played by Cristin Miloti)

Tracy as the girl who eventually gets married to Ted is very well etched character.The writer has taken pains to tie her up to the whole narrative by linking her presence in past episodes.The scene where Ted finds out the Yellow Umbrella link  is awesome.Overall at times you wonder that when Ted had more beautiful women in his life why would he settle for Tracy.But it eventually makes sense as the writer drives home the point that when the time is right & the person is awesome IT JUST HAPPENS ...:-)





Few Words for the Writer /Director
Creator Craig Thomas & Carter Bays have created a wonderful story.There is no doubt that they have drawn many references from their real life as its not easy to create such characters who can connect so well with the audience
Pamela Fryman as the female director clearly explains why the series was high on emotional content as well .
I became a fan of the back and forth narrative and the fact that they could continue doing that episode after episode sometimes linking stories across seasons.
Another narrative style that I liked is the part where Barney goes on to explain that every night should be awesome.. following with a series of stories each beginning with  . 'The Night we ....' titles.

Some of the quotes which really explain life 

• We struggle so hard to hold on to these things that we know are gonna disappear eventually. And that’s really noble.  Lily
• Whenever I’m sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. Barney
• Because sometimes even if you know how something’s gonna end that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride. Ted
• The littlest thing can cause a ripple effect that changes your life. Ted
• It’s like Descartes says, “In order to determine whether we can know anything with certainty, we first have to doubt everything we know.” Ted
• We’re going to get older whether we like it or not, so the only question is whether we get on with our lives, or desperately cling to the past. Ted
• There are a lot of little reasons why the big things in our lives happen. Ted
• Look, you can’t design your life like a building. It doesn’t work that way. You just have to live it… and it’ll design itself. Lily
• You can’t just skip ahead to where you think your life should be. Lily
• There are two big days in any love story: the day you meet the girl of your dreams and the day you marry her. Ted
• The future is scary but you can’t just run back to the past because it’s familiar. Yes it’s tempting… Robin
• People don’t get the chance to discover each other anymore. Ted
• Revenge fantasies never work out the way you want. Marshall
• If you’re not scared, you’re not taking a chance. And if you’re not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing? .Ted
• So really the biggest mistake would be not to make that mistake, because then you’ll go your whole life not knowing if something was a mistake or not. Lily

AND THE BEST ONE

• You can’t cling to the past, because no matter how tightly you hold on, it’s already gone. Ted

End Note
I had watched almost 5 seasons in the US (till July 2014) & after  returning back to India I managed to get the rest of the seasons from friends .It took me a real long time to complete watching all the seasons .I know you would be surprised when you hear that I eventually completed watching the series only in October 2015.Meanwhile the story has made a big impact in the way my life has shaped up in the last couple of years.The story has inspired me to take some big decisions in life..
Ted's life reflects the challenges people in their late 20s and early 30s face and it always served as a reference point for me in the last couple of years.So much so that I resisted committing to someone till Ted found his match & got married(I know that sounds stupid..but true story :p )..
Now that Ted has found his match & true love as well ,the decks have been cleared & I can move on with my life as well...

Thanks to the team of HIMUM for all the life lessons & yes for keeping me company during tough times

Note:Looking for a new series.Please suggest me some

Gulmohar Trees - A Visual treat !!!

Dt: 6 June 2015

We have all been waiting for the rains to arrive.Monsoon --  the season of thunderstorms lightnings & heavy rain .Not to mention water clogged roads & slow running public transport.

While everyone has been waiting on the first showers to lower the high day time temperatures,  at times we tend to forget to observe nature surviving & blossoming in very severe weather conditions.

Ideally spring starts in India around Feb -March but I was recently surprised to see some really colorful flowers light up the neighborhood trees in the month of May. May be they had blossomed few months back & I may not have noticed them.Yet they are awesomely beautiful & attractive during the second half of May.

A little research & I realize that these are nothing but the flowers of the Gulmohar tree which have been planted all around our neighbourhood some years back. Gulmohar trees are the ideal choice in India for lining parks gardens & roadsides.

Also it seems that the Gulmohar flowers in May June  &  is a harbinger of monsoons .Its bright colors denote that good times are about to come. (Ache din aane wale hain :p) .The bright colors  ignite life back in people who have been drained out by the long & punishing summers.

Here are some snaps for those who have not experienced it till now

They gradually changed from soft orange to vermilion red ...........

Please share images of the Gulmohar if you see them in your neighbourhood.



Close up Photo Coutesy:
http://wanderingmist.com/gardening/its-gulmohar-galore/ (Visit this for a vivid explanation of the white petal which u can see in the last 2 images)

The Last button of the SUIT

Dt: 17 May 2015


I recently attended a close friend's wedding. As most of you know there is no social gathering in  the world where you can have as much fun as in a bro's wedding .So  not getting into the details of all that lets move on to the subject of the post.

Its about the SUIT & how to wear it.The groom gave all his friends a mandate to arrive in SUITs at his wedding .From that  point on I went into a little research mode about SUITs & their  origin.

The first question that came to my mind was to find out the difference between a SUIT & a BLAZER ,Now being a fashion non -enthusiast its really pathetic  to admit but yes I didn't  know the difference between the two.

Anyways a bit of Google & I came across one primary difference.A Suit is something where the jacket & the trouser are stitched of the same fabric,Where as a blazer can be worn in contrast or with different coloured trousers.I leave it to you to judge whether I am right or not.(You can judge me....I don't give a damn :p )


So here I was confident that I have it sorted & took the Suit to the wedding.I had purchased this a year back while going on a business assignment but never wore it then.So finally on the day when I eventually wore it I had a fashion tip from my dear friend.
In a subtle manner he said .."You don't fasten the last button".Knowing that he has travelled around the world and is expected to be worldly-wise I quickly accepted his suggestion & unbuttoned the last button.

Once back home I did a quick research to check why have a button when you wont fasten it.. so here goes the explanation...

According to the lore of menswear, in the early 1900s King Edward VII started the trend of leaving the bottom button of a suit undone.
Apparently, he grew so rotund that he was unable to fasten the bottom button of his waistcoat and jacket. To not offend the king, those associated with him started
doing the same. The custom then gradually spread the world round (as England was still largely an imperial power with great influence across the globe).

So the rule goes

Three button suit : Sometimes,always ,never

Two button suit: Always ,never

Well that explains it & the rule stays on with mankind for the rest of our times.

Cheers