Deshpande's Adda!

Cow Slaughter and Beef ban are subjects which are recently trending in India. In the language of the recently aired ludicrous TV Ad of Fogg deodorant- “ye chal raha hai” Hindustan me! So let me jump on the bandwagon and share my 2 cents! Looking from the logic of those who are opposing beef; In India we consider Cow to be a holy animal. Hence killing a ‘holy creature’ (quirky that the list also includes humans) is a crime (read law) and hence consuming Beef (read cow slaughter) is akin to a murder! For whatever reasons- be it political, social, religious, or cultural- the Cow is considered holy. But are we giving that respect to the poor animal? In most cities we find cows roaming around the streets, eating garbage and waste left by diviner-than-them species (read Humans). Their food includes hazardous plastics. Cows are hit by cars and vehicles all over in India. Irony is that I have seen online forums where drivers have asked whether their cars will be covered...

Earlier this week, I came across a fantastic concept that was used in Pricing by priceline group- Name Your Own Price (NYOP). This is a type of reverse auction, where the service beneficiary quotes his best offered price which is auctioned to service provider- who then decides whether to have a handshake or not- simple, nothing revolutionary but definitely full of potential. India is currently booming with app-based startup which are based on buyer-seller model. Be it Aggregators, E-comm sites or be it Hyperlocalization services Most importantly in travel related startups based on vendor-buyer platforms, do you think NYOP can be used as a game-changer in such cases? Let me know your views.

Despite your anguish, despite your aid Despite your efforts, only recognized by wraith Despite the wisdom from crests and troughs, Despite the scorn you got in love; You obeyed  .......and Despite all your rage, you are still a rat in a cage This is an original composition by me! I learned that a modified version of the last line is used in a Smashed Pumpkin Song. This may look like a melancholic composition, but I hope this gives you strength of acceptance! Because there is no bigger realization than accepting reality! 

Short Stories have always inspired me to think and ponder on themes which I usually would never reason out. I must say, I was privileged to study a few short stories in one of the best schools in the country- which goes a long way in shaping who I am now. We had a Short Story in Xth ICSE Board named “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, which was one of my favourites (along with The Lady and the Tiger & War)  For those who do not know what the story is about- it revolves around the protagonist of that name, who often day dreams of becoming someone who he cannot be in real life. He dreams of being a successful medical surgeon, a war pilot facing a firing brigade, a secret agent etc.….whereas in reality he is shown as a subservient persona and often dominated by his wife. Walter Mitty then teleports into his fantasy world where he undertakes roles of great valour and importance, only to be astonished by crude reality every time his fantasy ends.   The story or ...

Post May ‘14 Lok Sabha Election and its consequent results, two things were made crystal clear- firstly there was a strong pro-Modi wave and secondly an equally (or arguable stronger) anti-Congress sentiment in India. NDA winning 332 seats- of which 42 seats were won in the state of Maharashtra- considerable 13% seats of total won.  The importance of the state does not end here. Maharashtra is the richest state in India, with its GDP in 2013 almost 80% more than that of the second richest Uttar Pradesh. The state holds the financial prowess of the nation, with the BMC’s annual budget being more than many Indian states. The party which holds Maharashtra essentially controls a large amount of money pile. For the past 15 years, the state had been ruled by the Congress and NCP alliance (read Aghadi) and the two parties have an extremely strong presence both on field and in the assembly. In 2009 State Assembly elections, the BJP and Sena together were winning almost the same n...

Hi Guys! So this is the end. My almost 3 weeks vacation to Mumbai coming to an end. I am looking for certain topics to pen down, any ideas/themes/topics are welcome as suggestions! Do tell me!

Before Mr. Modi was announced as PM candidate, everyone (including me) has predicted a complete washout of Shiv Sena from Maharashtra. It was evident- as with time, old guns of Sena had started deserting the party. Come 2014 and even just before the elections, it was difficult to predict the impact of “Modi tsunami” on Sena candidates. Looking at specifically results from Thane, Konkan and a few other regions, I can easily say that the "Modi tsunami" was much more than even Sena/BJP could imagine. A few seats in particular: 1. In Navi Mumbai - a tradition bastion of the Naik family- where they have never lost any election: previously from Sena and now from NCP. In the LS election, Sena's Rajan Vichare won from ALL assembly segments- including those of Naik’s stronghold. 2. In Sangli - never ever has any party except Congress even come closer to victory! In 2009, Sena/BJP has supported an independent, since they had little power of contesting here. Today, the...