Happy New Year!

Don't cry; don't show me your tears.

Time to be strong & face your fears.

Many mistakes & learnings in the year gone by,

The new year will usher stars in your sky.

If things were dappled or filthy in the past,

Doesn't mean that the bad times will last.

They don't recognize your worth today.

But, tomorrow will be another day.

Sow the seeds that'll work their charm.

You're the best farmer of your farm.

Don't quit; the stakes may be high.

Hardwork'll make you soar & fly!

Persevere, keep the faith & be calm,

Patience & Confidence is the best balm.

Life has an elaborate list to complete in store-

Opportunities to carve a place in folklore! 

Keep the faith, enjoy the drive & journey,

The milestones & destination will appear surely!

The new year has come knocking at your door,

Look ahead, welcome opportunities & score!

Wishing you & your family a Happy New Year!

Enjoy good health, wealth, success & cheer!

Thinking Of Soulmate

When they met by chance on the way,
Sparks flew turning night into day.

It was inexplicable as it was their first meeting.
They were already hooked; no cheating.

After that did they feel everything is all right?
Life felt dark even when there was light...

Things were great when they were together,
Separation was nauseating; it did matter.

Make In Odisha Unit

It was late evening when we were returning from the India Surf Festival 2016 held at Konark, Odisha, two weeks ago. On our way to Bhubaneswar, on the way, we decided to stop by and visit a woman entrepreneur's unit as they had invited us several times. We called up our contact, the manager, Kedar babu, and he said that he, along with the owner, was available then. He heartily welcomed us and guided us about the route to reach their address.

It was very easy to reach the unit as everyone, we inquired on the way, knew the way! It showed the popularity of the owner, the much-awarded entrepreneur, Smt Meenakshi Prusty. We successfully reached our destination. 

Smt Meenakshi Prusty made us feel at home. With the able support of her team- her daughter, Maansi, son-in-law, Kedar babu, and other dedicated members, their unit has been sincerely working & growing. 

2nd from Left- Kedar Babu, Centre- Meenakshi Prusty, Extreme Right -Maansi 

Smt.Prusty said that she had been busy that month, having to visit Puri almost everyday for the holy Hindu month of Kartika. We were grateful that our timing was right to meet her!

We were impressed by the sight that greeted us in her unit. We found many women busy at work. There were many electronic sewing-machines. Her daughter, Maansi, was also working with the other women.

Demonetisation - Problems And Advantages

For India's progress, our PM Modiji took the bold step of Demonetisation.

Why Demonetisation was considered:

1. Restricting hoarding of black money cash
2. Curtailing cash-usage for illegal transactions viz narcotics & terrorist activities
3. Tackling fake notes in circulation

Black money is the income that escapes taxation.But, many are not under the tax-system, having never paid any taxes in the past, nor plan to in the future. Untaxed people must be under taxable public. Presently, less than 10% of the population is paying Income Tax. Demonetisation is an effort to ensure that business is fair and transparent. 

A study by MasterCard shows that the cost of using cash i.e. printing, transporting, storage, soiled notes, etc. is almost 1.5% of GDP. The move to ‘Digital’ transactions, through the Banking System will help to lower costs and benefit the customer and our economy. 


Demonetisation has hit those hoarding bags of cash. Money laundering is rampant as hoarders wish to convert black money to gold, dollars or new currency.

Problems:

• Bank & ATM long queues
• Leg cramps for customers standing in lines
• Hands ache & extra busy work and long days with extended working hours & workloads for bankers with full-day operations even on the weekend-Nov 12-13 2016
• Trade Disruption
• Business hit & activity slowdown -50% down
• Transportation- Buses & cars- people staying indoors as they don't have change or are queuing before Banks & ATMs
• People coming with Rs 500 notes.
• Small traders shopkeepers not having change or cash in low denomination 
• Some roadside eateries have shut-down
• Losses in lakhs - cakes, icecream parlours, sweet shops, vegetable vendors 
• Many had to shut shop to deposit cash in banks. They had kept that cash to buy goods.
• Some lost their day's wages to deposit cash they had earned 
• Great intent, poor implementation 
• Some companies accepting old notes as currency for membership etc
• Unfair that some honest people have to suffer owing to some hoarders
• Some died of shock that currency had been demonetised.
• Poor & illiterate people do not use plastic money.
• Demand for gold & USD increase
• Gold coins & bars will finance black deals.
• Tracking of black money-  Advance salaries paid to employees to get rid of black money-Advance cash to construction workers for raw-material purchase
• ATM issues-  a) ATMs were not functioning or were damaged or out-of-order, b) ATM were running out of cash  c) ATM machines were not calibrated for dispensation of the new currencies. Many ATMs need to be recalibrated.
• High data and electricity availability, lietracy & internet security is a must for a cashless society 

Many of these problems were and are being encountered initially and things should be better soon. Many are supporting demonetisation despite the above problems. Some are happy that though business is down, they don't have to accept fake notes!

Government should have considered the marriage season and the other difficulties. However, to its credit, it has tried to attend to problems with solutions viz. drawing cash from petrol pumps by swiping card and putting big ads and info that too in multiple languages so as to reach all.

Advantages:

• Halted funding of terror and Maoist groups 
• Online payment gateways, Apps & free services & offers- Users of some digital wallet companies can transfer money from their mobile wallets to any bank account at a zero percent fee till 30 December 2016, as compared to 4% for a non-KYC compliant user & 1% for a KYC compliant user.
• Demand for portable swiping machines from bank
• Spread of online transactions everywhere
• More people will enter & be active in the banking system
• Fake notes can't be used to cheat at least for the time-being
• More than 5 lakh crores deposited in accounts within a few days.
• Customers whose bank-balance had been 15K for long, have now deposited lakhs into their accounts.
• Banks will have the capacity to lend and also to bring interest rates down.
• Services/loans will be available at competitive rates
• Smarter younger generation

Main points-

• More number of smaller notes should be there.
• People should be able to identify the real vs fake notes- This time, the new notes feel different & people need to get adjusted & learn how to identify new from the old notes
• Banks & POs, despite rush, must be careful & not accept fake notes from public. 
• There must be enough currency in stock to meet demand.
• People should be digitally & financially literate.
• More people should come under the banking fold.
• Government has to take steps to stop the new currency from getting converted to black money
• There must be a fear for the demonetisation of Rs 2000 note in the near future that will dissuade people from hoarding it!

‘Digital’ transactions, apart from providing convenience to the customers, will reduce corruption and enhance banking services. Just like 43% of the voters on PM App's survey, I do not mind note ban inconvenience at all. I feel Demonetisation is a positive step that has emerged with initial hiccups. Economy has got a jolt and should be catapulted after revival in the future. As such an abrupt move as Demonetisation in such a vast land like India is unprecedented in any nation of the world, only time will tell its impact.

THANK YOU DEAR ZINDAGI!

Dear Zindagi*,

I am grateful for the four JUGs in my life! Thank you!
As the years go by, I realize that I have sailed through!
Thanks to my JUGs, all is well & I say cheese!
My JUGs fill my life with love, happiness & peace :)
These special JUGs carry goodness beyond compare.
They are invaluable for me & so precious & rare...

My first JUG is the Lord; Almighty is always there.
I have many reasons to pray; I feel the power & care.
The Lord knows what's best for me, I sense & understand.
I share my prayers & believe in miracles & magic wand!
Everything happens for a reason; Lord is at work 24X7,
The mysterious ways are evident when I find heaven!

Holistic Education For The Next Generation

Yet another child has committed suicide. Few may feel that a few marks less in a paper doesn't matter. But, for many, unfortunately, it's the end of the world. They decide to end their life while their parents and friends may not be even aware of such a far-fetched reality...

Seeing the spurt in the suicide rates, I am convinced that our system is flawed and needs to be fixed. Just IQ (Intelligence Quotient)  is not enough, EQ (Emotional Quotient) is needed too. Schools & parents must ensure a child's holistic education.

Education should be much more than gamy rote-learning and bookish knowledge. However, our schools focus on 'marks' more, rather than stressing on 'understanding'. Many students are enrolled in private tuition, mostly conducted by teachers of their school, so as to score more marks. It is believed that such teachers would share the sure-shot questions that are probable to be asked in the examinations. 

TOI, Children's Day 2016*

A Hero In Real Life

Chosen as a Spicy Saturday Pick by BlogAdda here.

Heroes are not just the ones we see on the big or small screens in reel-life.

We get to meet heroes in real life too. 

They religiously do their works & duties. They are down-to-earth, sincere, and humble. Heroes do not consider their daily lives to be spectacular though their efforts make the world better & more beautiful. 

I got to meet a hero recently in a village near Pipili in Puri district, Odisha, India.

I found women of all ages at work. Using paints, paint-brushes, and eco-friendly & recycled materials like old newspapers, everyday they are creating awesome works of art that are bright, colourful and environment-friendly. Birds & Fish Hangings, Pen-Stands, Flower-Vases, File-Folders with Saura art (Tribal art), Head-shaking Turtles, Key-chain hangers, Painted bottles, Cardboard Dancing Toys shaped as Spiderman etc- their creative work is much loved & much in demand in India & abroad. 

The credit goes to a hero- Mr. Surjyo Narayan Sahoo, who has been imparting them training and ensuring them a good source of income. 

Watch this video for sustainable Odisha art and artists-

10 Things WE Can Do For INDIA

Many of us feel helpless with the state of our country.
We feel we cannot do anything and even if we did, how will it matter as others are not doing anything!

Actually, each of us has great power - the power of freedom, speech, religion... the power of being an Indian.

We can do the following 10 things for our India:

🔊 1. STOP COMPLAINING & FIND SOLUTIONS
Remember that a country is as good as its citizens. If WE have a problem, WE must find a solution. Don't add to the problem. Be positive.

🔊 2. BE PROUD OF INDIA & FOR BEING AN INDIAN
It's said in Sanskrit- "Janani Janmabhoomishcha Swargatapi Gareeyashi". 
It means- 'Mother & Motherland are greater than even heaven.' 
If we all are proud of our identity and work hard to keep our India's flag flying high, India will win.

🔊 3. SUPPORT 'MAKE IN INDIA' & 'MADE IN INDIA' & BUY & USE INDIAN GOODS
Let's all support & say- 'Dil Chahiye (Heart desires) that's Made In India'. 
Let's celebrate a totally Indian Diwali this time with traditional lamps that will benefit our artisans.
Let's not buy or use any foreign (viz Made In China) fireworks or crackers.

Dussehra

Dussehra is a much-loved festival of India.
It celebrates the triumph of good over evil.

Goddess Durga had vanquished the 'Asura' or demon Mahishasura. After fighting with evil for 10 days and 9 nights on the tenth day, on Dussehra, Goddess Durga won. Durga Puja is celebrated with great pomp and grandeur especially in the eastern part of India.

Silver Filigree Durga Puja, Cuttack, Odisha

As per the Ramayana, Ravana was the learned king of Lanka. He had knowledge of the Shastras, and played musical instrument too.  He was punished for kidnapping Lord Ram's wife, Devi Sita, and for his ego.
On Dussehra, Lord Ram had killed Ravana.

Precious Gift

Diamonds are evaluated by their 4 C’s- namely Cut, Clarity, Color & Carat Weight. These 4 C’s determine the value or worth of a Diamond. When these 4 C’s are strong, the background of a Diamond doesn't really matter.

Irrespective of their background (age, race, occupation, nationality...), most women love Diamonds. It is popularly said- "Diamonds are a girl's best-friend."

Considering that it's true, apart from Diamonds and their 4 C’s, most women also love these 4 C’s- Care, Commitment, Connection & Celebration as these four spice up their relationships and enhance their comfort-level and happiness-quotient. Lucky are those who get to experience such bliss. 



The news of film-actress -Kareena's pregnancy made Kareena & Saif Ali Khan, the expecting parents, and their well-wishers very happy. 
Pregnant women are extra sensitive and emotional. They expect more care. They have sudden and strong cravings. As Kareena is expecting, she is experiencing such a state in real-life. The real-life KareenaPregnancy is different from her reel-life pregnancies that have been much simpler and faster! Pregnant women need to be feel loved and cared. Their happiness is good for the baby’s growth and development.

Anniversaries are special to renew the commitment & marriage-vows. When her hubby was away on their marriage-anniversary and he seemed to have no clue about the day or date, Kareena was disappointed as anniversaries mean a lot to most women. Despite her best efforts, her hubby showed no signs of any remembrance of the event! But, then he indulged her by engaging her to locate his glasses. Imagine her surprise when she 'found' his anniversary gift for her.

He had put his acting skills to good use and surprised her. His thoughtful gift ensured an instant connection of husband and wife.

There's always a thrill in finding something unexpectedly. It's celebration time!

Kareena soon realized her anniversary gift was a sweet combination of the aforementioned 4 C’s of relationships and two things- Diamonds & Surprise!

Kareena flashed her beautiful and dazzling smile as the beauty of the dazzling Diamond set, skillfully crafted by master craftsmen of MalabarGoldAndDiamonds, captivated her!

Kareena felt happy receiving the precious gift that's a great treasure for her- not only as it is made of Diamonds, the most precious & hardest natural material, but also for all the precious 4 C’s mentioned above that keep her relationship going strong.

#KareenasAnniversarySurprise was so nice!

Here's wishing Kareena all the very best!

Watch the video here.

My Perfect Woman

She was like the rainbow- bright & colourful.
Her radiant smile was so powerful & beautiful.
My day became wonderful when I looked at her.
I was her infatuated oddball next-door-neighbour. 

She was warm, gentle & kind with a carefree mind.
I had seen many women, but none were of her kind! 
Simple, perky, doe-eyed, curly-haired, slim & tall,
Picture-perfect & statuesque, she was the best of all!

The Blank Notebook

She opened a blank notebook.
Its pages fluttered wildly as if hurriedly reminding her a tale...

It was the same notebook that her grandfather had gifted her.
He had been very happy when she told him that she would write a novel based on their own family.  Her grandfather had promptly handed her the notebook saying, "I know you'll write good things about me!"
"Of course, Grandpa! You will be my novel's hero!"
Shortly after that meeting, her grandfather had passed away.
That was a decade ago.

Go Green And Be Eco-Friendly

Today there's Ganesh Chaturthi and Teacher's Day celebration.
Both Lord Ganesha and Teachers impart knowledge & wisdom.

Planet Earth, Environment and Nature are teachers too.
They have been teaching lessons to me and you.

Sand Art by Sudarsan Pattnaik in Puri, Odisha, India

Environmental destruction has led to climate change,
But, we are yet to learn our lessons, isn't it strange?

When will we recognize the godliness in greenery?
Our world needs more trees to erase the misery.