Going back in time, on would recall that the early eighties saw a deluge of expatriates immigrating to Dubai from the sub-continent in a bid to explore greener pastures. With an oil rich economy and booming trade, the earning potential this place offered, lured many a middle class back home to venture out for a tryst with fate in the hope that accumulation of sizable wealth could help alleviate the social status and present an opportunity to enjoy the luxuries in life. Since then, the gulf between these regions has been so closely abridged that Indians along with citizens of neighbouring Asian countries have outnumbered the population of local residents by almost two times. The era of gradual economic upsurge witnessed a frantic need to deploy skilled manpower to meet the growing demands of expansion and modernization programmes thus opening the flood gates for expatriate community to gain a foothold here. Capitalizing on the situation, the expatriates steadily grew from the lowest rungs, casting their shadow in all spheres of activity, to occupy prestigious positions at the highest level. Each immigrant, with a definite objective to accomplish, made progress comfortably during this phase of development in Dubai which eventually became a haven for the middle class.
Ten years down the line, this Emirate was being hailed as the hub of International business. Alongside the emerging identity came the problem of restricting the entry of burgeoning number of foreigners who made a beeline for the metropolis. The bright scenario that many had envisaged was slowly undergoing transformation. Jobs were difficult to come by and even if one succeeded in securing them, it would not have come about without a substantial clout. Most succumbed to the fear of returning empty handed and accepted whatever came their way regardless of meager compensation packages they were offered. Unprofessional approach of employers, irregular salaries & extra working hours were some of the problems they had to contend with. Lurking fear of retrenchment had them bowing to the whims and fancies of their sponsors.
Professional problems apart, the frequently changing govt. regulations kept the expatriates on the toes and could disrupt their smooth sailing at once. This was evidenced in the drive to curtail issues of family visas and stringent formalities imposed for its renewal. To ensure effective implementation of this measure, high salary structure was made a yardstick and one had to fall in the salary bracket of Dhs 6000 to enjoy the privilege of living with family. There were increasing instances of visa renewal applications of resident expatriate families being rejected, which meant a disruption in their established pattern of life. The scuffling of schools, hassle of seeking admissions etc jeopardized the education of children thus proving to be a harrowing experience for parents. Obviously, rigours of displacement from one setup to another, adjusting to the new environs and the prospect of maintaining a long distance relationship with the family becomes difficult to savour. The graph of up-swinging inflationary trend which reflected in exorbitant rents, added to the woes of expatriates. Substantial savings were a thing of the past. Making both ends meet for a single earning member with a family in tow was all the more difficult, compelling them to send their family back home.
Disillusionment began to creep in the psyche of masses who contemplated returning to their roots for subsistence. The factor that really instilled confidence in them to avert the present turmoil was the changing face of Indian economy. An attempt to liberalize economy by the congress regime heralded the entry of giant MNC’s who launched operation on a large scale thus creating a lot of job slots. Though liberalization policy was intended to provide a major thrust to economy and swell foreign reserves, it was welcomed by the masses with a feeling of apprehension. The industrial houses in India anticipated tough competition from International brands and were skeptical about losing sizeable market share they enjoyed. Huge budget allocations for research and development, product promotion through advertising, excellent customer service were thought of as ploys to maintain a niche and be viable in market which had turned totally consumer oriented. Services of professionally qualified people were being sought no matter how astronomical their salary demands were. Abundant scope for career progression was certainly influencing the Indian expatriates to pack their bags for good.
But the risk of chucking up secure jobs and starting from the scratch would play havoc with their nerves and hold them back from taking a plunge. It should be realized that the nagging questions of having access to good livelihood, family life, respectable social status and comfortable lifestyle back home could be answered upon embarking on the journey. Though, a piece of encouragement can be had by recollecting an old adage “Fortune favours the brave”.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Shallow Perceptions
Recently while watching a beauty pageant, a colleague of mine in all seriousness remarked, “what a disgrace such contests are on women kind”. My curiosity to probe his, mind prompted me to oppose his view point as I always had a strong conviction about the very concept of these contests that is rightly captioned “Beauty with Brains”. The idea of skimpily clad contestants walking on the ramp in presence of the male audience was the target of his scathing attack. Knowing his religious bent of mind and staunch beliefs I saw no point in putting across my views and quietly backed out of the conversation. He went on to add that posing a few customary questions is neither a genuine yardstick to gauge intelligence nor being crowned qualifies the nominees as epitomes of beauty.
The gentleman’s remark did not come as a surprise to me. Of late, this issue has attracted a lot of media hype and was subject to severe criticism by many women’s organizations. These self proclaimed guardians of women’s dignity even took to the streets in protests, demanding that the event be banned. If people at the helm who deem themselves fit to protect the interest of women, can harbour wrong notions and misinterpret the motive behind the spectacle, then who would make a commoner understand?
It would not be fair to shun the perspective of these lobbyists as a sham. The crux of the problem lies in one’s perception. Thrusting individual opinion is no means to drive a point across, though a rational discussion may influence the thought process to see reason.
The most discerning feature is that our thoughts always border on the evil side and these negative images take precedence over the positive connotations. My colleague who took objection to women flaunting themselves in swimsuits is a case in point. On would applaud the guts of individuals who admit this fact rather than resorting to hypocrisy. But, such exemplary conscience is hard to come by, partly due to the pressure of conforming to the dual societal norms on morality. In fact, the coterie that projects a genuine concern for exploitation of women, enjoy leering at the fairer sex as objects of desire.
How easy it is to draw a line for demarcating permissible moral code of conduct from the illegitimate and label things as taboo when it comes to the family. Ask any respectable father of middle class lineage if he would allow his daughter to be a part of beauty pageants. Their answer will only be in the negative, but they would spare no occasion to turn around and ogle at others with disrespect. Those who cannot regard others with equal reverence and refrain from such voyeurism themselves, have no right to raise hue and cry over feminist causes and disguise their true self with pretence of piety. Only a serious resolve to mend their biased demeanor could add weight to their argument, else their justifications would turn out to be damp squib.
There are many teasers that keep cropping in our minds which remain unanswered and ultimately end up as misgivings. For instance, some tend to liken the participants with other women who they feel are at par or superior both in terms of intelligence and physical beauty but cannot afford to reach this platform to upstage others. This may be true but any sane entity would not toy with the idea of congregating all female species under one roof to vie for the crown. Others, who would shudder at the thought of facing an interactive session are critical about this exercise and mix it up with evaluation of one’s intellect without realizing that this is just a measure of spontaneity. Moreover it is just not the facial charm, the vital statistics or intelligence quotient that is singly put to test. Rather it is a blend of these determinants that forms the criteria of selection and an embodiment of these aspects truly represents a complete personality.
How different the scenario would be if we focus on the contributions made by the winners, right from working on numerous social causes by raising funds and garnering support of the masses to rally behind these issues, representing their countries as ambassadors to being role models of millions of aspiring people. It’s high time we start making efforts to broaden our vision and take a peek at things in proper light.
The gentleman’s remark did not come as a surprise to me. Of late, this issue has attracted a lot of media hype and was subject to severe criticism by many women’s organizations. These self proclaimed guardians of women’s dignity even took to the streets in protests, demanding that the event be banned. If people at the helm who deem themselves fit to protect the interest of women, can harbour wrong notions and misinterpret the motive behind the spectacle, then who would make a commoner understand?
It would not be fair to shun the perspective of these lobbyists as a sham. The crux of the problem lies in one’s perception. Thrusting individual opinion is no means to drive a point across, though a rational discussion may influence the thought process to see reason.
The most discerning feature is that our thoughts always border on the evil side and these negative images take precedence over the positive connotations. My colleague who took objection to women flaunting themselves in swimsuits is a case in point. On would applaud the guts of individuals who admit this fact rather than resorting to hypocrisy. But, such exemplary conscience is hard to come by, partly due to the pressure of conforming to the dual societal norms on morality. In fact, the coterie that projects a genuine concern for exploitation of women, enjoy leering at the fairer sex as objects of desire.
How easy it is to draw a line for demarcating permissible moral code of conduct from the illegitimate and label things as taboo when it comes to the family. Ask any respectable father of middle class lineage if he would allow his daughter to be a part of beauty pageants. Their answer will only be in the negative, but they would spare no occasion to turn around and ogle at others with disrespect. Those who cannot regard others with equal reverence and refrain from such voyeurism themselves, have no right to raise hue and cry over feminist causes and disguise their true self with pretence of piety. Only a serious resolve to mend their biased demeanor could add weight to their argument, else their justifications would turn out to be damp squib.
There are many teasers that keep cropping in our minds which remain unanswered and ultimately end up as misgivings. For instance, some tend to liken the participants with other women who they feel are at par or superior both in terms of intelligence and physical beauty but cannot afford to reach this platform to upstage others. This may be true but any sane entity would not toy with the idea of congregating all female species under one roof to vie for the crown. Others, who would shudder at the thought of facing an interactive session are critical about this exercise and mix it up with evaluation of one’s intellect without realizing that this is just a measure of spontaneity. Moreover it is just not the facial charm, the vital statistics or intelligence quotient that is singly put to test. Rather it is a blend of these determinants that forms the criteria of selection and an embodiment of these aspects truly represents a complete personality.
How different the scenario would be if we focus on the contributions made by the winners, right from working on numerous social causes by raising funds and garnering support of the masses to rally behind these issues, representing their countries as ambassadors to being role models of millions of aspiring people. It’s high time we start making efforts to broaden our vision and take a peek at things in proper light.
Boredom Syndrome
I wonder why “Boredom Syndrome” is so rampant among the single expatriate population out here in U.A.E., the clue to which still eludes my reasoning capabilities. I can testify that this state of mind is not synonymous with me alone but many of my acquaintances or in fact many a stranger would rally behind me to support this view.
Despite living life in the fast lane where the day-to-day routine of hectic activity at work place, the race to get ahead of times and strive to make the most out of available opportunities always keeps one on the move, deep within a vacuum still persists resulting in dreariness. It seems a paradox that people crave for some means of entertainment to pep up and enliven themselves even after a grueling day of hard work rather than crashing down to catch up on their sleep.
Many would dismiss the boredom phenomenon as a cliché that has caught the world by storm and call it a farce. They are not to blame as only stepping into the shoes of distressed souls and actually undergoing the travails would make them realize this fact. I would personally attribute monotony as the root cause for allowing boredom to creep into our psyche.
How long can one endure the routine of jumping out of bed at the crack of dawn, heading straight for a quick shower and getting dressed up to look prim and rushing to make it on time to work. People who are unaware of this lifestyle would be nonplused to know that the planning to this sequel begins a day in advance soon after returning from office. Having cramped all the chores within a span of few minutes, more anxious moments await you. Setting out on the streets, all your conscious efforts to stick to the timing goes haywire owing to traffic jams stretching an few kilometers. Hoping to take a breather on arrival at the office, a pile of papers and stack of files greet you and constant reminders to meet the deadlines from the seniors play havoc with your nerves. Seeing the day through, the loners in the hope of finding solace in the cozy surroundings of their confines return to their abodes only to be confronted with stark reality of mute walls giving a hard stare, as though seeking an explanation for their very purpose of existence.
What else can you do to get away from the shackles of boredom and rejuvenate yourself for facing the same plight day after day except indulge in watching television. With not very many alternatives to chose from and an almost non-existent social life, the search for an ambience that exudes warmth and obviates the feeling of root-less-ness continues unabated.
The day everyone cherishes and looks forward to is Friday, the last day of the week. This is when all and sundry have some engagements lined up for themselves, preferring to be left on their own. Moreover, one comes across a distinct pattern of socializing among different groups. Families tend to mingle with their own ilk which is a subtle indication that bachelors are not welcome. In a place like Dubai, which is a conglomeration of diverse cultures, glimpses of a group of people from different origins hobnobbing is a rare sight. The restricted movement of masses within known circles leaves the single fraternity in a lurch, who often are seen taking a stroll in crowded parks or thronging the cinema houses.
Fortunate are those who have friends, acquaintances and relatives whom they can relate to. A feeling of belongingness, a support system to fall back upon during difficult times is of great essence to overcome the pangs of isolation from our kith and kin. For those bereft of this luxury, keeping one-self engrossed in constructive activities and wholesome entertainment is the only consolation.
Despite living life in the fast lane where the day-to-day routine of hectic activity at work place, the race to get ahead of times and strive to make the most out of available opportunities always keeps one on the move, deep within a vacuum still persists resulting in dreariness. It seems a paradox that people crave for some means of entertainment to pep up and enliven themselves even after a grueling day of hard work rather than crashing down to catch up on their sleep.
Many would dismiss the boredom phenomenon as a cliché that has caught the world by storm and call it a farce. They are not to blame as only stepping into the shoes of distressed souls and actually undergoing the travails would make them realize this fact. I would personally attribute monotony as the root cause for allowing boredom to creep into our psyche.
How long can one endure the routine of jumping out of bed at the crack of dawn, heading straight for a quick shower and getting dressed up to look prim and rushing to make it on time to work. People who are unaware of this lifestyle would be nonplused to know that the planning to this sequel begins a day in advance soon after returning from office. Having cramped all the chores within a span of few minutes, more anxious moments await you. Setting out on the streets, all your conscious efforts to stick to the timing goes haywire owing to traffic jams stretching an few kilometers. Hoping to take a breather on arrival at the office, a pile of papers and stack of files greet you and constant reminders to meet the deadlines from the seniors play havoc with your nerves. Seeing the day through, the loners in the hope of finding solace in the cozy surroundings of their confines return to their abodes only to be confronted with stark reality of mute walls giving a hard stare, as though seeking an explanation for their very purpose of existence.
What else can you do to get away from the shackles of boredom and rejuvenate yourself for facing the same plight day after day except indulge in watching television. With not very many alternatives to chose from and an almost non-existent social life, the search for an ambience that exudes warmth and obviates the feeling of root-less-ness continues unabated.
The day everyone cherishes and looks forward to is Friday, the last day of the week. This is when all and sundry have some engagements lined up for themselves, preferring to be left on their own. Moreover, one comes across a distinct pattern of socializing among different groups. Families tend to mingle with their own ilk which is a subtle indication that bachelors are not welcome. In a place like Dubai, which is a conglomeration of diverse cultures, glimpses of a group of people from different origins hobnobbing is a rare sight. The restricted movement of masses within known circles leaves the single fraternity in a lurch, who often are seen taking a stroll in crowded parks or thronging the cinema houses.
Fortunate are those who have friends, acquaintances and relatives whom they can relate to. A feeling of belongingness, a support system to fall back upon during difficult times is of great essence to overcome the pangs of isolation from our kith and kin. For those bereft of this luxury, keeping one-self engrossed in constructive activities and wholesome entertainment is the only consolation.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Saurav : An Emphatic Comeback
It’s been a while since I wielded pen to scribble anything. I would wonder often, whether I could bring back the old flair for words and then ponder again as to what shall be the subject, I can easily piece together my thoughts about. And finally, I made up my mind that it has to be Indian Cricket with a special mention on how determination catapulted the fledgling career of the most successful ex-captain of team India. Well, you guessed it right. I am referring to none other than Saurav Ganguly.
I have never been an ardent fan of Saurav myself, though he amassed thousand of runs in one day format of the game and has a decent average in tests too. Somewhere there always seemed to be a flaw in his technique when it came to handling the short pitched stuff and his lackadaisical fielding always overshadowed his superlative offside strokes which very few in the game could match. This is not to take away the positive attributes ingrained in him. Leadership skills is on such area where he actually left a mark and was instrumental in making India get back to winning ways on overseas tours by backing youth and discovering quite a few talented cricketers.
But, the unfortunate slump in form for extended period and ongoing skirmishes with Greg Chappel on Zimbabwe tour, blew open the Pandora’s box and gave clues to what actually was ailing Sourav’s form. From there, began his excruciating journey. One side had, media hounding him with awkward questions and cricket experts pronouncing the end of his tryst with International cricket and on the other were his staunch supporters from Bengal taking to the streets, protesting against the injustice meted out by BCCI. Chappel and Kiran More (then Chairman of Selectors) were looked upon as the men responsible for keeping the Bengal Tiger at bay. From captaining the side, to being labeled as a disintegrating force in the team, he was finally relegated to playing domestic cricket and made to prove his mettle with the bat again.
It would have been easier to hang up his boots and call it quits rather than facing the brewing storm of criticism and lamenting public. Instead, he left no stone unturned in proving to the cynics that he is made of steel. Remaining unruffled and maintaining composure in such trying circumstance is a huge task. I just wonder how nerve racking it would have been each time he stepped on the ground to bat whilst he knew each failure would push him further into oblivion. Imagine the kind of ego pounding and embarrassment he had to sustain to be playing alongside second rung cricketers who once looked upon him with awe.
Any faint hearted person would have crumbled under the scathing attack from all quarters but true to his bestowed title, Saurav maintained the rhetoric in his interviews that he still had few years of cricket left in him and fought the lonely battle to stage a comeback like a tiger. Come to imagine his plight of being marooned by his own Indian team mates who never were forthcoming in patting his back because there was a lurking fear of being castigated for belonging to Saurav’s camp. Nevertheless, his resolute nature and belief in his capabilities saw him gaining in confidence with each domestic game he played which contributed significantly to Bengal’s team cause.
Of course, the change in regime of selection panel and induction of Colonel Vengsarkar as Chairman brought about a fresh leash of hope for Saurav who by then had a string of strong performances to show. And, how could all the hard work go in vein. The results fructified in the form of a berth in Team India test squad. This came at a time when India had a sound drubbing against South Africa in ODI’s and needed an experienced player who could provide solidity in batting line up. Not only was it a golden opportunity to cement his place in the team but also to get back at all the critics who wrote him off.
And, what a comeback it was. There was determination writ large on his face and one could see a totally changed persona of this cricketer. Showing remarkable patience while at the crease, willing to grind it out for the team cause and shouldering immense responsibility was his hallmark. He not only justified his place in the team but also silenced his detractors thus bringing to the fore his commitment towards the game and accurate judgement of his where-withal.
Since then, he hasn’t looked back. With brilliant knocks under his belt both against Srilanka and West Indies, he now looks all set to make an indelible mark on the world cup stage. Whether it was the jolt of being dropped from the team or having to prove a point that did the trick is difficult to say. But in all earnestness, emerging victorious against all adversity is no mean feat and I am sure Saurav’s stature as a cricketer must have gone quite a few notches higher in the eyes of India fans.
I have never been an ardent fan of Saurav myself, though he amassed thousand of runs in one day format of the game and has a decent average in tests too. Somewhere there always seemed to be a flaw in his technique when it came to handling the short pitched stuff and his lackadaisical fielding always overshadowed his superlative offside strokes which very few in the game could match. This is not to take away the positive attributes ingrained in him. Leadership skills is on such area where he actually left a mark and was instrumental in making India get back to winning ways on overseas tours by backing youth and discovering quite a few talented cricketers.
But, the unfortunate slump in form for extended period and ongoing skirmishes with Greg Chappel on Zimbabwe tour, blew open the Pandora’s box and gave clues to what actually was ailing Sourav’s form. From there, began his excruciating journey. One side had, media hounding him with awkward questions and cricket experts pronouncing the end of his tryst with International cricket and on the other were his staunch supporters from Bengal taking to the streets, protesting against the injustice meted out by BCCI. Chappel and Kiran More (then Chairman of Selectors) were looked upon as the men responsible for keeping the Bengal Tiger at bay. From captaining the side, to being labeled as a disintegrating force in the team, he was finally relegated to playing domestic cricket and made to prove his mettle with the bat again.
It would have been easier to hang up his boots and call it quits rather than facing the brewing storm of criticism and lamenting public. Instead, he left no stone unturned in proving to the cynics that he is made of steel. Remaining unruffled and maintaining composure in such trying circumstance is a huge task. I just wonder how nerve racking it would have been each time he stepped on the ground to bat whilst he knew each failure would push him further into oblivion. Imagine the kind of ego pounding and embarrassment he had to sustain to be playing alongside second rung cricketers who once looked upon him with awe.
Any faint hearted person would have crumbled under the scathing attack from all quarters but true to his bestowed title, Saurav maintained the rhetoric in his interviews that he still had few years of cricket left in him and fought the lonely battle to stage a comeback like a tiger. Come to imagine his plight of being marooned by his own Indian team mates who never were forthcoming in patting his back because there was a lurking fear of being castigated for belonging to Saurav’s camp. Nevertheless, his resolute nature and belief in his capabilities saw him gaining in confidence with each domestic game he played which contributed significantly to Bengal’s team cause.
Of course, the change in regime of selection panel and induction of Colonel Vengsarkar as Chairman brought about a fresh leash of hope for Saurav who by then had a string of strong performances to show. And, how could all the hard work go in vein. The results fructified in the form of a berth in Team India test squad. This came at a time when India had a sound drubbing against South Africa in ODI’s and needed an experienced player who could provide solidity in batting line up. Not only was it a golden opportunity to cement his place in the team but also to get back at all the critics who wrote him off.
And, what a comeback it was. There was determination writ large on his face and one could see a totally changed persona of this cricketer. Showing remarkable patience while at the crease, willing to grind it out for the team cause and shouldering immense responsibility was his hallmark. He not only justified his place in the team but also silenced his detractors thus bringing to the fore his commitment towards the game and accurate judgement of his where-withal.
Since then, he hasn’t looked back. With brilliant knocks under his belt both against Srilanka and West Indies, he now looks all set to make an indelible mark on the world cup stage. Whether it was the jolt of being dropped from the team or having to prove a point that did the trick is difficult to say. But in all earnestness, emerging victorious against all adversity is no mean feat and I am sure Saurav’s stature as a cricketer must have gone quite a few notches higher in the eyes of India fans.
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