A crippling loss of dignity

The window of opportunity to provide vital relief to people in Nepal affected by the earthquakes is closing quickly, as urgent funding requirements remain unmet. To date, barely US$ 59.5 million, or 14 per cent, was received against the $423 million humanitarian appeal, launched by the United Nations and partners on 29 April. “If we don’t act quickly, the implications will be severe,” Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal said “We can only expect misery, a crippling loss of dignity and the real potential for more deaths especially in the rural and remote areas.” On May 15 I saw this post by UN, Nepal on its Facebook page

According to an international agency about 10 billion worth has been lost and now the death toll has surpassed more than 8,500. In the beginning week we watched news coming from all over the world and donation pouring in, as people have opened their hearts and given generously. at this very moment, there are people who are talking about some huge fund raise campaign in foreign lands and at the same time sharing links about the salary of charity organizations CEO being higher than the salary of James Cameron, British Prime minister.

How much raised in the name of Nepal to rebuild and reconstruct is one thing, but the truth is here people are sleeping under tents at night and many government offices are being run under tents during days. Billions of Rs is needed to rebuild and reconstruct. As 600 thousands houses needs to be rebuild and reconstruct in 13 major hit districts. Among all this there are 20 thousands schools that are waiting to be rebuild and reconstruct. More than that, people are mentally shaken due to thousands of death, devastation and on top of that hundreds of aftershocks. We have never heard of this kind of earthquake before in our life and no where on earth. This double quakes will cost us 50% of our total GDP, this means it will take long time to recover from the shake as well as from aftermaths of aftershocks.

According to the report by Agricultural bank 10 billion worth of agriculture product have been affected. Nepal is already a poor country and most of our budget has always been relied on foreign aid and loan from international banks. No doubt, we are buried deep under huge loan.

More than a dozen countries and INGO have come forward to help Nepal to rebuild and reconstruct. Locally, many organisation have been busy raising funds. In fact every newspaper have a new account to raise funds, every television channels have an account to raise funds. Still the news in Kantipur - according to which total collection locally was 225 million Rs and UN do not give us the good picture of givings. Today [May 20, 2015], I read in the editorial of Himalayan times, “The government should provide, free of cost, a number of models suiting various sizes of pockets and families in each VDC and municipalities  that the victims homes to be built on free of cost by the government.” Our government have tremendous pressure to meet the needs of earthquake victims to provide immediate roof for those who have became homeless and those who needs to be moved in temporary shelter before the rainy season starts. Everyone who became homeless will be shifted to the new home with the money raised by many other nations and given to our government to manage the immediate needs. Sure, Nepal is a poor country and  already under heavy loan; at the same time, we can not tell the quake victims to pay for the house none of them are prepared to build soon.

We saw that mega earthquake devastated the entire nations pushing it further backward, as a developing nation. At the same time people across the world are opening their hearts and wallet to give this country to make sure that we get enough at time like this. It is not just foreigners who are helping and giving us. The impact of generous giving and more such stories of generous people moved  our mass so much they came forward to join hands for each other to help. So, Nepali across the nation as well as world came forward to join hands to help each other with donation or volunteer work. At a time like this, we must realize, it's time to merge in few big groups rather than remain in small groups or in umbrella to make it better for tomorrow. Small fund collectors must join hands with those who are raising higher than them and those who are raising more than a million must join hands with those who have been raising more than 10 millions and more. Working in small individual cluster only make Nepal again the picture of poverty.

Merging every small cluster of helping hands with bigger companies is a must because, we should not forget to revise our small thinking first, before we actually take action to build physical infrastructure at this very moment. This is also the time we have to find our potential to create money. We should focus more on creative industry like, songwriting, creating music, making movies on new stories and ideas, teleserials, art, music, fashion designing. Creating new stars and new talent is also a must to keep the money rolling. New talents in this industry needs to be encouraged. This will keep rolling the creative industry as there will be need to advertise which is another creative industry, bank should be open to invest in new concept of programs or investment rather than freezing their bulk money in unproductive places like land and home loans. The truth is, love it or hate it without joining hands with government or other nations it's not possible to rebuild and reconstruct in wide sense.

There has to be new kind of food that needs to be introduced in our market made in our rural village using our own raw materials that grows in our land. New taste of pickle that perhaps Indians and Chinese would like to have with every meal. Instead of going really far, we should focus our eyes in our two big neighbors - India and China. Initiation for this should be taken from government level as well as individual businessman should also be encouraged to take the necessary steps. What if, we introduce our orange juice, dried pulp pickles or radish pickle to Indian and Chinese market ? Each country’s mere 10% consumption means, working women in our villages will be flooded with orders, sure big businessman must enter at this to handle the matter better. We should also think of exporting introducing our local specialties food or other products to other nations.

Our land grows plenty of orange and it's the hero of news in its season and Lapsi pulp, titaura or other agro products which can be made with less training and less investment that can find better and bigger market in other nation. What if, we create local market for those products. We also have to introduce products, be it perishable or durable products made in our villages and consumed in city areas. It is high time, whole nation must join hands to rise from the rubble and this should not just be rebuild and reduction of the physical property but we need to start at this very point to seek the opportunity to create job and for that we need better and bigger ideas than before . I am hoping if small fraction of donation money should be used in this line, Nepali people should not have to go through a loss of crippling dignity in future.

Silver Lining

We still have not fully recovered from the damage caused by civil war which ended ten years ago. And then there is this mega earthquake to push us further backward as a poor nation. The recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake shattered the nation in one shake, worse we face another two big hit in less than three weeks. The damage is much bigger than the 10 year people's war that started in 2052. In early phase of earthquake media was full of blame game for government for not acting fast to provide relief materials to the needy and quake victims. As more and more news unfolded from international news channels, we were shocked that the earthquake was much  more serious in its nature than our government could have handled.

It was obvious that it took time for our media to fully grasp the gravity of the situation. The quake was much bigger than to indulge in blame game for government, at least immediately. It was not the conscientious act from any civil person of the society, to entice mass in situation like massive jolt we face that normally happens once in 80 years. Mobilization of 1,30,000 - army, APF and police for rescue team and 30,000 civil service staff for distribution of relief material sure was not sufficient at all, to reach all the 13 major hit districts; where as, this quake has shaken the entire nation in many ways.

As the news of 7.8 magnitude of earthquake broke and made the international headlines, people from all corner of the world started pouring help in all kinds. As a result rescue team, relief materials and help in cash started coming in Nepal.There were so many flights flying to Kathmandu, with relief materials that it got piled up in airport, blocking the air traffics for more relief materials to enter in. It also hampered the regular commercial flights.

When the relief material was blocking the airport traffic, most of our news camera was focusing on people who were saying they have not seen any relief materials yet. The social media was filled with angry comments for inefficient governments for its dilly dally work on distribution of relief materials and tents when the disaster was big enough to shake the entire nation.

However, the hard truth is, this was the time when 80 million people - as estimated by UN - have affected by this shake directly and indirectly. How many places government alone could mobilise its limited resources and relief material ? There are dozens of INGOs who has been working on ground level as there were almost three dozens countries which were sending relief materials. Any amount of help seemed too small and insufficient compared to the loss this country has gone through. International agencies have estimated that this earthquake - April 25th - damaged more than 10 billion worth of infrastructure.

Like many, my eyes were glued to television sets and pages of newspapers. Many times, those news made me really wonder why our cameras were focusing only on those people who were saying they were yet to get relief material. Where as many INGOs, were on duty from the day one and why their good work was not reported ? Why they were keeping their good humanitarian work from our media people ?

Seeing the sorry state of quake victims many youth bought water and instant noodles and went on to distribute it in the near by areas. Many of them posted it on their social networking site. Some resented the publicity stunt but for good; those small giving is slowing started snowballing overnight and more youth came forward to help each other with less money but more determination to take the responsibility in their in hand and heart.

Slowly, media started reporting about the good hearted people who came forward to help Nepal. Media also reported about the the government side of the story and why they were not able to act fast. That helped us understand that it was the kind of big disaster even our government was not prepared to handle. When people learned about it they realized - my presumptions as they changed the tone in later days -  that they were too fast on criticizing government for its inefficiencies. Politicians admitted in front of camera they were not prepared for such massive hit and damage. Now, the news channels started giving us more good report than criticizing or blaming government for such powerful natural calamities. They shifted their news to people who came forward to help each other. It could be because the international news agencies and people have started pouring their hearts out to give cash and kind, rather than waste time blaming anyone for such unexpected natural disaster. Truth be told, the armies were on the rescue work almost immediately and they sure are part of the government.

More news came, news of good samaritans from the world. UN announced 15 million instantly. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted on his wall, it has raised 15 million in just over a week of earthquake. His company donated 2 million dollar. British activist Joanna Lumley teamed up with 13 UK agencies to raise fund  using a Television channel. This team raised close to 3 billion Rs in just a day. US government announced 11 million. However, the government is saying, they really have not received the pledged money yet.

More donation poured in from Nepali living across the world. Now, the situation have become so much so that, every news channel and dailies starting coming forward with their own bank account to collect fund for relief work. Then more Nepali came forward spontaneously to help each other. NRN, Mr Upendra Mahoto announced 15 corod for earthquake victim 3 corod for relief material and 12 corod for reconstruction of nation.. Then Shesh Ghale, and Binod Chaudhary came come with plan to build home for those who have became homeless.Then as if by force unseen to the human eyes, NRN ex president Jibanath Lamichane went to Nuwakot with relief materials. Our artist and youth came forward in their own way and suddenly the news camera slowed [not entirely] focusing on those who were waiting for relief materials and tents even after 2 week of quake.

Bibeksheel Nepali, a political organisation’s office pasted a notice on its office gate that read 'this is not Government relief work'. But, they too collected substantial number of relief materials and distributed it to the victims. They were supported by many Nepali here locally and internationally. Like wise Help Nepal a local charity organisation was also raising funds and distributing relief materials to many part of the nation.

In the midst of all this, we also saw the news of quake victims from Khokana. Some 35 people were staying under a tents, cooking and taking care of each others. All of them were living under a tent. They were feed by their friends and neighbour. Then there was news from Budhanilkantha youth who were using bamboos from nearby forest to make temporary shelter without waiting for government aid  to come and help them.

At a time critical time like this, Nepal got a chance to see the side of Nepali across the nation as well as from around the world, which have rarely been seen before this. This tells us the famous saying that there has to be some evil forces [among us], so that we can see the good things happening around us. There is no doubt that seeing and hearing good and bad news at the same time, thousands of Nepali came forward and took spontaneous step to help each other. It seemed  people who came forward to help suffering nation really eased our hyper reactive nature of media who love to hate politicians and blame government for everything. Good hearted peoples good work was enough to wake up government and think seriously about the nation.

Evil Souls or you are profiled ?

Like most of the people me too is fascinated towards ghost stories. But its not about who they are ? Where they come from ? or why do they scare the people, hell out. When I say   ghost stories do have power to fascinate me, it has nothing to do with the dead and evil souls who are compelled to wander of here on earth until they finish the ‘incomplete mission’ on earth. Truly, its about the people who are alive, intelligent and at the same time cunning enough to fool the people around them. Because, these people do have their vested interest behind those scary ghost stories and those mysterious happenings that keep haunting certain people. After watching many ghost stories, now I can  it say it that those who believe in ghost stories blindly are profiled for the case.

I know you will disagree with my next point, if you have already read some of very interesting ghost stories in the magic of words by Shreedhar Lohani and Rameshwar Adhikary. Its a course book for college students. I bet you will like the Loving Mother from Japan, The house call from Germany, the Lost doll from Colombia, South America. These stories really touch you very deeply in your heart.

For me the ghost stories becomes less interesting when people believe, this particular incident is done by evil souls. In that case the story ends there. In fact, it becomes a lot more interesting when the haunted person go beyond what meets eyes and then tries to find the real reason behind those hauntings. The ghost; can be nabbed if only the target does not believe in the evil souls but, only; the evils that exist around us, inside the head of human beings.

Most of the time when the victim go after the unexplainable occurrences, with a thought in their mind that there is no ghost on earth, then almost all the time; they have come up with more satisfying answer than the incidents, which never made sense yet; could not be explained. So, many [criminal] cases have unfolded, greed of money is the major reason behind most of ghost stories. In a country like India and Nepal, this has always been one of the  easy way to scare people and gain the mass of public’s confidence who easily fall prey of such belief.

I remember this particular case of fraud, there was a middle class family [in india] well settled and have a young daughter. One day, when the man was returning home from office, he encounter an accident hitting a young girl nearby his home. He came out from his car and then went to see the girl, she was lying on the floor, fully covered in the pool of blood but when he rushed to his car and roll it, in a bit hastily there was no dead body in front of him. He was scared, but because; he did not wanted to get into any kind of trouble, with police, he ran away from the scene. He ran from the place but he could not run away from guilt trip of running his car over a young girl, who had bloody bath, before she died. The look of the girl started haunting him, especially because she was almost of of the same age of his own daughter .

Surprisingly, one day; the dead girl came at his door, at night hour to threaten him; she will take the life of his daughter, just like he had taken hers.

This and his guilt feelings really shook him inside out, affecting his personal and professional life. He began becoming very irregular at his office, not being there when he was needed to be there most. At the same time, he started spending most of his time with his daughter, ignoring she has to go to school. He also started seeing the dead girls, in his room, in his fridge and almost everywhere. Now the question is, is he suffering from some kind of mental disorder due to heavy burden of guilt feelings.

In the midst of all this, his daughter went missing. On top of that there was no call for ransom money, even after a week. This time again instead of reporting it to the police he turned to tantrik and then the tantric started performing regular puja to bring back his missing daughter.Then one day, the tantrik asked for a 30 lakh [ three million ] to retrieve the lost daughter from the grip of ghost. The man was willing to bring back his lost girl, so had already paid the money - their entire savings - without consulting his wife.

It so happened that, his wife was not believer of all this ghost and tantrik. She was not comfortable at all about the tantrik pooja was going on at her home. When she couldn't dissuade her husband from all this, she went to police station and then reported about the  missing daughter. At this time, she also confessed to police that her husband had hit a young girl who died on the spot but did not report it to the police. They started looking for missing girl. At the same time, they also started looking for the records of young girl who have died, when the accident occurred. Police investigation found that no girl was killed at that time and place. This called for more investigation.

More investigation from the police found that the maid of the house and her husband was behind all this foul play. It was the wife who used to find the perfect client, and then as a maid she also used to learn more about the family members. Once, they trap the person entirely in the case then the husband used to enter in the scene disguised as a Tantrik. This couple have adopted a young girls from a children’s home for this work. During the investigation its revealed that they had fooled many others, who were superstitious. It was nothing more than an easy way to make fast cash, while some ghost believer believed about strange happenings as an act of troubled souls. This time, they were planning to hit the jackpot; instead they were sent behind the bar for fraud case. So, next time if you say, you believe in unseen powers, like evil souls [ghost] remember someone might have plan to make fast bucks out of your superstition. If there is not money there must be something more valuable which is so dear to you.

If I can't have you no one should

My eyes are quite glued to this acid attack news from the very beginning, it found its place on the front page of all the national dailies. Perhaps its because, I have been frequenting the office of SAS [ Sancharika Samuha] to see all the files its been monitoring on gender based violence. This office monitors 14 national dailies, everyday and keeps all the news cuttings based on violence against women. Women who keep their eyes on news, found it quite satisfying that this particular case of acid attack was well covered in our media compared to other VAW case.

If we dig deep, to find the reason, why men throw acid on the face of girl[s], with very few exception, most of the answer is simple. Men simply can't take no as no; when he had romantic fantasy about a girl. So, disfiguring her beyond recognition seem to be satisfying his ‘hurt ego’. With this kind of act men also seem to be sending a strong message; if I can't have you no one should. Interestingly, we don't read much about a man who married an acid attacked victim. This really makes me wonder how come a man seem to be knowing what men see in a woman ? Should not this be making all the intellect of our society think hard ?

Sometime back, as I was flipping yet another VAW file and one particular news of acid pulled my attention and reading it simply numbed all my senses and I had to regain my senses before I go further down. It was about a man who had suspected that his wife is having an extramarital affair. So, as a revenge this man poured a bottle of acid on her genital, when she was sleeping. Even the word hideous act fails to grasp the real pain she has to go through now and forever as long as she lives.

How come a man can think of such horrible things and then act on the thought as well ?  One should think twice before they use the term male honor for such kind of act ? In western criminology this type of physiological behaviour is described as the one who is suffering from narcissistic disorder ? what is so honoring about narcissistic disorder ?

Another very disturbing news about acid attack comes from terai, as there are in-laws who pour acid on the face of son-in-law[s]. The news read further saying that they do so, because they did not bring sufficient dowry. When they pour acid on her face, he will go again in marriage market and then get married. This time hoping to ask for bigger dowry. To burning her alive is utter  rejection of her existence on earth and denying her right to be alive.

The question is, who will teach these cruel and greedy ugly minority men of our society to feel guilty and ashamed of their senseless act ? Perhaps, here our media can play a role by telling these men that there is nothing honoring about such cowardice act. He must be made understood in a clear language that, women do come with her own brain and she has her right to choose the man she wants to spend rest of her life. If men of our society will learn it sooner, then there is no doubt that there will be less gender base violence.

Media on its part should not also shy away,talking and giving priority to women's issues. According to the SAS media monitoring report, Magh was six months in a row, most VAW cases found its place on this particular page. Mainstream media should put gender issues on front page for better result and this is what we have seen in case of acid attack.

Other than placement of news on front page and follow up news media must dig the real reason behind such inhuman and guiltless act, rather than face saving answer we get all the time from some so-called- pundits : that ours is a male dominated or patriarchal society. What about psychological disorder of men who resorts to violent behavior for a simple no for his feelings from a girl/woman ?

Government should join hands with  Media to invite wide range of experts to find solutions as well as to help the wider mass understand about violent behaviour, narcissistic disorder, open debate on hurt ego, swelled up pride, male honor etc that gets inflated with one prick of rejection from a woman. There is one more area where media can play its role : when the general mass cry or hang the rapist, hang the attack or hang the murder. Such anger justice won't do any good to society.

An eye for an eye will make the entire nation blind. So, in case of such anger emotion driven moment, media has to come up with some quality reasoning that will pacify those anger with opposing but solid reasoning. For example, in Delhi hang the rapist demand and the same verdict did not reduce rape cases to happen in whole India. “Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out. For as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law ; but the revenge of that wrong putteth the law out of office.” Francis  Bacon

Role of government : the question is will the imposing of strong law and harsher punishment will change the mindset or the violent behaviour of a man ?  I am also not opposing to our veterans who would like to have strict law on buy and sell of acid because this will reduce due to fear of punishment . Had hanging rapist or criminal has stopped recurring crimes of all types in any society ? The answer is straight NO ! never.  Punishment is only a short term solution of a long term problem. So, do we seek short term solution or long term solution ? Government should design and introduce coursebook on gender issues from the very beginning in school and college. State must provide free medical treatment for victim.

As for the responsible citizen are concerned, we can always be the eyes and ears of police.

I have been watching crime shows on TV for really long time now. Naturally, I am tempted to judge men when they become violent or resort to crime. But, the truth is men are screaming for help with those violent behaviour. Are we listening them ? I seriously doubt that its only NGOs work to listen and address those scream.

Secrets of Genius

Of late, I have been getting this vibe from the extraordinary achievers, who are regarded genius in their own field, due to the contribution they made in their respective areas, that there is nothing called genius. Word genius, which is mainly associated with one being incredibly brilliant with high Intelligence quality.

Recently, I read a quote by Thomas Alva Edison, that, “genius is, 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” This line coming from the person who, himself is one of the most prolific inventor of our time; with 1,093 invention that has patent registered in US, Germany and France.

I do remember, reading a story, when I myself was young, about this very genius inventor of our time. When Thomas was young, he was so curious and inquisitive to find out, how hen hatches eggs ? So, one day, he took several eggs - about a dozen or so - and put it in a makeshift nest and sat down on it; to find out how they hatch ? I let you use your imagination to guess, what happened next. Once he responded, to those who thought, he have failed in many occasions, he told them that, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

So, now it does not surprise me about his take for the word, genius. Just a couple of weeks before, I was watching the interview of N. R. Narayan Murthy, one of the richest man listed in Forbes with more than a billion dollars earning. He is a self made man and first Indian to lead a software company to Nasdaq from India. At one point during the interview he said, quoting Yogi Bear;  “harder I worked, luckier I became.”

There were gymnast from China during Beijing Olympic, who gained international popularity overnight, just at the age of fifteen. But as I was watching CNN some time later during that time, they revealed the secrets of those perfectly performing gymnast on the beam at that kind of young age. In China parents have to submit their young child in the hands of coach[s] at the age of 5 - 6, and their training session starts from then onward. Therefore, should it surprise us the result after ten years ?

Jackie Chan is a somewhat daredevil, because he does all his movie stunts on his own without the help of body double, as its known in Hollywood for the action movies. No international insurance company, will take the risk of insuring him, because of what kind of stunts he does, he says in his interview; because, there is nothing, he has not broken yet in his body parts, while doing his stunts for movies. But martial art is his biggest strength, which gave him the international name, fame and secure place in Hollywood movie industry. But before becoming the world famous name in Hollywood or Hong Kong, he had spent his training days in one of those Chinese martial art school for ten years, and his training started, when he was just seven years old.

UK, top selling writer of Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling may have become international sensation after the wizard series, but, she has started writing at the age of five and her first story Rabbit was filled with interesting characters.

Most of the TV chefs today, including Nigella Lawson, whom I watch on my TV sets, fell in love with cooking when they were small and their affairs with food and cooking started, when they were too young to enter in the kitchen. Yet, they did what they loved and today they cook for us on our TV. Their grandmother were their favorite person at home, when they were young.

Reading Rich dad Poor Dad gives us the clear cut idea, that training should start very early in life, in every thing and the writer of the book Robert Kiyosaki's own training lasted 30 years, until he was thirty nine years old; in his quest to become rich. Remember, his father was PHD holder and working as a high ranking position in Government office yet he choose his best friends father as his mentor.

World most richest man Warren Buffet, who is famous for his knack in share market investment started buying share at the age of eleven and he kept buying ever since, which made him not just billionaire but richest man who joined hands with another richest man and genius like Bill gates to donate huge chunk of of their earnings to various charity.

Most of big stars in Hollywood and Bollywood started their career when they were very young. Oscar winning actress Jodie Frost, started her career as a child artist and Daniel Craig [the current James Bond] whose latest movie skyfall, became the highest grossing of all Bond movie in its 50 years history, started his acting career at the age of six.

Although, Tiger wood is trying to make it to the top again after his fall from grace, but just a couple of years ago, he was the first man to hold the highest number of PGA trophies; his training has started at the age of three and his father was his coach. Today we know him one of the greatest golfers of our time.

In the music and entertainment worlds, known as King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has joined his Jackson 5 band, when he was young and performed on stage, when he was just eleven years old. He had started singing and dancing from very young age. While watching a movie based  on real life story, about a Latin singer Selena, gives us more hope that some people  with proper training and coxing at very young age can live a dream of their parent’s unfulfilled dream. Whatever the case is, training started early and young to become a huge singing sensation when she was in her 20s.

Today, in the Hollywood industry, there are so many actors and actress and who made it to the stardom also, are second, third or fourth generation of movie stars of yesteryear's. Their parents were in movie industry from that long. These new generation stars grew up watching, what their parents did and dreamt of becoming one day, as big as their parents or grandparents. Their ‘day dream’ became a reality after years of observation. But on the other hand, if you think otherwise on this matter, my earlier post on Its all in the Blood will help you to see it, from a whole different angle.

So it seems that early training from very young age, proper guidance, hard work and patience that help us to see green grass converting into milk, is what makes a genius not that high I.Q. which distinguish one from other.

However, there is one more core thing, in all this that we need to understand, when Thomas Alva Edison sat down on the eggs to see, how it hatches; he was not judged or scolded by his sister, who came to see him doing that. Michael Jackson had all family members, who loved singing and performing in front of public, therefore had huge support from all of them. Tiger wood, Jackie Chan, Selena had their fathers to encourage them in what they were doing. Warren Buffett’s father ran brokerage company. But JK Rowling, Daniel Craig were self inspired to get into what that wanted in life. N. R. Narayan  Murthy, those young Chinese gymnast and Robert Kiyosaki were inspired by their teachers/ mentors approached to be interested in what they aspired.

So, its more important in life; to find out what you love and want to do and keep doing what you want to do. But it would be a lot better, if you find those support and encouragement at your home. Start early and keeping doing what you love doing and one day someone somewhere will call you; you are genius !

Another genius of our our time, who was on the top of list of 100 most influential man in the last century, as compiled by TIMES, Albert Einstein says, “everybody is genius, but if we judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend it whole life believing its stupid.”

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Note : This post was already published in nepaliadvocate.com

What are you buying product or an advertisement ?

Last year around this time, I bought a bottle of Sunsilk after seeing its TV commercials, that featured seven world class hair experts. I was so convinced of it that its the most superior brand of shampoo in the market. However, it was not even close to what it claimed to be in its advertisements, because when I used it, it made sick to my stomach towards this brand, because the day I washed my hair, I got dandruff. It had taken me years to get rid from it, using its rival companies shampoo like Pantene and Head & Shoulders.  

Just like me, you must have watched the cute boy on TV commercial polishing his grandpa's shoes, when he is about to go out. But what is worth observing is, he brushes the black shoe polish more on his white tee shirt and light colored half pant and even on his face more than his grandpa’s shoes. Quite interestingly, his mom does not even scold him for messing his fresh dress like that. But should this surprise you ? because she is the TV commercial   mom, who is selling you - all the moms in the world who has clumsy yet adorable children like hers - detergent power,  who wants to help grandpa to polish shoes.

Before that advert, there was a boy, who falls more on the wet muddy ground, while playing football than he hits the ball to play. Again, his TV mom does not lose her cool, because she too is detergent powder selling mom.

Both TV commercial is Unilever product, advertising to sell its Surf brand. It seems they are teaching children to get dirty in subtle way, that even a smart watchdog can't do anything after it gets aired on TV. Therefore, they can keep selling mums their detergent powders, who have responsibilities to keep their children’s dress clean all the time. That's why they keep sending  message to mass that, dirt or stain is good.

I find Unilever's advertisement a little more provoking to my conscience, but I know this, its only to my sharp observation; because its their biggest strength and they do hire biggest advertising company to sell their products, who are well aware of the loopholes of the trend and know very well the weakness or strength of watchdogs as well as the buyers behavior.

If you pay close attention to their Fair & Lovely cream ads, it injects inferiority complex to brown colored girl like me. Its the bad luck to the corporate giant that, my weakness is not inferiority complex, at least not based on the color I am born with. I know that its not a disease and it sure can't be cured just because a multinational company like Unilever wants me to sell their fairness cream. They make the advertisements, showing fairer girls getting every imaginable success like a good career, a date with a dream boy or a good man to marry. We will be denied of all those things, if we don't use their cream,  which is secured only to those who have fair complex. Now, even their Vaseline healthy white is promising dusky brown colored Indian girls [women] to give them fairer skin instantly, that can happen only in imaginary world, but they are claiming it on broad daylight TV across the world, because they can do it.

To sell their body deodorant Axe, they are even showing women going crazy after good smelling men. Tell me which man doesn't want woman to go crazy, when they pass by them ? they are shown grabbing the butt of man, it would have offended if its man grabbing butt of woman but because she is the one who is grabbing his butt so watchdog must have got confused here what to do with this kind of advertisements. I am also hoping, you do remember the chocolate man, whom every hot and sexy babes wanted to take a bite from the place only a man can imagine, in his wildest dream. Oh, let me tell you he was converted into a dark chocolate after spraying axe, the dark temptation over his body, another product from Unilever.

Its not that, thousands of other companies are not advertising. They too have pressure to sell their product[s] to us. Then why Unilever feels most pressured to sell their brands like no other ? Fine, it has more products to sell than any other companies and due to its vast range it has competitors, which happens to be almost every other company in the market but its biggest rival is P & G for shampoo and face creams, that's why compared to other company its adverts has to have beep word in their ads, or has to show girls travelling trains and getting dust covered on their face, so that they need Lakme face wash, to wash their face, another brand of Unilever.

Colgate is its other rival company when it comes to toothpaste and its advertisement seems so obvious that, how frustrated it is, for not being able to beat its rival company. It really amaze me to watch that, Colgate still maintains the dignified rivalry with more convincing yet not much desperate ads to keep its number one position in its own area. In 2003 or 2004, Unilever had spend about 8 corod only to make the TV commercial on its closeup brands. This price does not include on how much they spent on playing that ad on TV or other mediums. Interestingly, I used to sing its catchy song, while I brushed my teeth with Colgate.

As if airbrushed ,exaggerated promise and lower price is not enough, Unilever also gives many freebies to sell its pepsodent and towel to sell its shampoo brands and many other products. I still have the towel with me but decided not to use its product, as its products did not proved any better than the brand I was using before.  

Lifebuoy always seem to be competing with Dettol soap on low range of soap to cater its huge middle class Indians or developing country like mine. Have you noticed, lifebuoy is trying to make us germ freaks in its ads. However, I avoid both products for making me scared of the germs that may not exist in real life, except in their ads.

They are also teaching girls to smear dirt on each others face - on the ad its the dark chocolate cake - so that they can sell their face wash faster than it actually moves. Its again Ponds face wash TV ads, another Unilever product.

My common sense tell me not to use Unilever brands, that’s why I avoid it to the max due to its overly airbrushed and high delivery of promise. However, huge middle class people do fall on easy traps of its net, it spread over them, which they injecting them through their ads like false pride, confidence and air brushed advert. Good packaging and good advertisement its huge strength too which makes it one of the biggest multinational company which sells its potential consumer almost everything  and if not that, they even feed the greed of the public like recently Fair & lovely is running an ad to give 5 corod to anyone whose expensive face cream is any better than theirs.

Feed the greed, to greed of public or infuse the confidence to the mass which they lack grossly in real life is what their advertisement is doing mainly.  They are selling anything, from toilet cleaner to tea, toothpaste to ice cream, making huge population hard to resist. But if you pay close attention then you will realize that, they are selling advertisements to its consumer than its products.

About six months before Kajol came on TV doing its Rin Brand commercial, challenging middle class housewives to use the detergent bar. What I could not help but notice is it was Kajol who seem to be Rin washed than the white dhoti she was wearing. Did you missed that ?

A couple of years ago adverts of Domex, toilet cleaner annoyed me to the max specially, when I sat down to eat my meal in front of TV. They were using all kinds of germs in toilet which I was never ever aware of its existence, to scare me to use their brand of toilet cleaner. Interestingly, despite pumping huge advertising budget to take the bigger pie of the existing brand, which is Harpic, they just could not buzz a bit to its rival product from Market, as Harpic still promotes its brand on its biggest strength to sell product not story as unilever's domex did. Now a days I can't even see its ads in the market, which may mean, they may not be producing and selling it anymore. I know this for sure, corporate giants like Unilever can't take risk not to advertise the product that is FMCG [ fast moving consumers goods] used on daily basis in every households.

Other companies product advertisements do meet what they commit on their commercials, but Unilever sells more of an ad than a promise its product can bring us. It seems to me that they have the arrogant attitude of being a giant and a presumption they can sell us anything. and they are right also they are selling anything I mean they really have been quite successful in selling their ads to us, otherwise who do you think made them corporate giant  like that ?

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This article has already been published in nepaliadvocate.com

Impact of Spoken Words

Having been grown up myself in Bal Mandir [ Children Home], here in Nepal and hearing all the negative comments from the caretakers in our childhood for years, which impacted our young subconscious mind profusely and observing its lasting impact in my grown up life; as well as on many of my well educated inmates from there, who could not make it big in their respective field, despite all the education they acquired. I can bet, all my money, that they are not even aware, why its so. But this observation has a lot to teach me the impact of  spoken words, that remains in subconscious mind forever,  which affects us in good or bad way in long run; longer than we can imagine.  

When I was there no one told me, you can make it, you can do it, you will do it, because you have the potential to make it big. Instead we had to hear, all the time dream and you ? with disgusting look on their face or disbelieve, if only the dreams were horses, even the beggars would ride them or the sweets for beggars ? were the lines, that was used more often. Good for me, I can't even remember all of it but what is left are the ones, no one should be hearing  in their life; because those words were the true curse, not the condition.

Mentioning of bible, Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho, writes in his book, the fourth dimension, “if you keep on saying that you are poor, then all of your system conditions itself to attract poverty and you will feel at home in poverty; you would rather be poor. But if you keep on saying that you are able, that your can achieve success, then all of your bodies would be bridled to success.”

People who believe that supportive family do shape our life, are right to some extent, if not entirely. Because, those supportive words and inspiration is something that will go and rest in our subconscious mind forever. It is said that, our conscious mind is the slave of our subconscious mind.

It is believed that the person who grew up like me [in orphanage], do not make it big in life or chances are slim that, we do live our life decently. I do remember reading this survey by a professor of sociology, from John Hopkins University who had done a survey of a slum in Baltimore. They studied about 200 youth there thoroughly about their conditions. Those students concluded in their report, that these youth from slum, will end up their life in prison, when they grow up.

After twenty five years later, the same professor sent another groups of student to follow up on his earlier study to the same slum in Baltimore. They succeed tracking down 160 of the 200 people. But to their surprise, they had turned into civilized men and were doing fine in their life. They wanted to know, why ? The students came to know that the 100 of youth had   gone to a same high school, where a teacher named Sheila O'Rourke was found in a nursing home in Memphis, who had taught this slum youth, which changed their life upside down proving wrong the prediction made by earlier group of students from the John Hopkins University.

This second group of students, went on extra miles to find the teacher; as they wanted to know what was her plan or how she did the impossible. Her response was very simple, I treated all my students during my time. I treated them with love and respect and there was no plan as you are thinking.  She was a religious person and was doing as she was influenced by Jesus and his teachings.

Well, the above study has a lot to teach us, about the mind set. The answer is yes, love and respect to youth and child has a lot to do to shape a life of a person and its not necessary that it has to start at home at very early age as believed by many psychologist that has the capacity to store things that is heard in our subconscious mind, but human brain is more powerful and its absorption power is huge, therefore it may happen at any age and any time those words can change a looser to an achiever.

This is why, I need to dig more and know everything about it. Is this, what we believe or there is some truth to it also ?

A most powerful religious leader [Christian] and international speaker Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho writes in his book, The Fourth Dimension “the spoken words has power, and when you release that word, it is the word, and not you, who performs miracles.”

How much it will effect the thought of a person will make more sense by this example : Hem was a young man, skilled in electrical fitting.  He was so good that he could finish a house wiring in just a couple of hour. One day a man, who was very well known and respectable in his area told him that, “you are going to be affected  by the disease of tuberculosis, because your parents also died of it.”  After hearing the news, the words kept echoing in his head and it started getting on his health in really bad way. he lost the taste of food and had no urge to do the work. which caused rise in temperature during night and when he surfed more books to know about the tuberculosis, he thought, he has the symptoms of it. in the next three months his health started deteriorated at unbelievable speed due to excessive worry on the news by the respectable old man, whom Hem believed blindly.

Finally, the day came and he had to go to see the doctor. when finally doctor took an X-ray, said, “you see your lungs are perfect and you take this medicine, you will be alright in a week.” To clear the air further from his mind the doctor also showed him the comparison of X-rays, with those who had the disease, then in a few days Hem regained his original health with spirit. One man’s words made him sick with worry and another man’s words of confirmation released him from his illness, which he had harbored.

Before running for the president of America, Abraham Lincoln had lost the election twice for senator’s seat; yet in third time he struck back with a bang and that was the turning point of his long run to the presidential position, and he went on to became one of the most famous president of America.

What makes them to keep fighting back ? what is the power behind the resilience ?

When Abraham Lincoln was a small boy, he saw a white colored house on his way back home. He asked his father about the house his father replied, it's the white house, where our president works and lives. Then he asked whether he could also work in that white house as a president ? His father replied, “of course, my son you can”. rest we all know the history.

During the late seventies, Korean neurosurgeons have found that, the speech center in the brain, rules over all the nerves. One of my all time favorite line from the book, Rich Dad Poor Dad is one dad said, as he believed, “the reason I am not rich is because I have you kids” and the other dad said, “the reason I must be rich is because I have you kids” Robert Kiyosaki admits in this book that it was the luxury to observe the power and effects of a different thoughts shaping the life as they believed. Because as they believed; their life ended exactly the same way, as they predicted or acted; and for this very reason this book is very readable and believable in every bit of the line this book talks about.

Another of my favorite quote from Rich Dad Poor Dad. Rich dad always believed that “I can't afford” sends mind in sleep mode, how can I afford gives a reason to exercise our brain. More we exercise more powerful our our brain will be.

Nobody can measure the power of thought, yet it is one of the most powerful force, that shapes our life. We need to know how to choose wisely our thought as its going to shape our whole life.

There is one proverb in Japanese, the power of sword, power of jewel and power of mirror. Mirror tells you, never underestimate three things in life, I, me and myself. If you look into the mirror you see yourself and then you will know the true value  of you. This only tells you to believe in you; yourself more important than any other person. Like that advertisement says, ‘I believe in me.’ Speak it loud and do it as much as you can do it, and see the difference it will make in your life.

How the scientist see it ? another line from the book the fourth dimension, a neurosurgeon said, “if someone keeps on saying, I am going to become weak, then right away all the nerves receives that message, and in reaction all the nervous system becomes weak as they have got the message from our central communication that we would become weak. they then in natural sequence adjust their physical attitudes to weaken.”

If we want a success in our life, we must change our negative language to positive one. The big question is where can we learn this language ?

To some its a religious book, as the Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho believes, and to some they find it at home in form of a mother or a wife or a life partner or  best friends or boss. Like attracts like, and so choose your friends or company wisely; if you want to achieve some thing in life.

But, to some to get the self belief and conviction is from family members and to some its God and from life itself. Everyone knows that, behind every successful man there is a woman. Women have been source of inspiration for men, for centuries. They come in all form like as mother, as wife, as sister, or a friends or a good teacher.

So, who you keep with you, to achieve your dream ?

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Note : this was first published on nepaliadvocate.com February 5, 2013