Caste based Reservations - affirmative action

I firmly believe in equality and offering help to underserved communities to improve. I can relate to simple example in setting of school. My friend was not able to understand geometry concept in class VIII. He was finding it tough to visualize on how to start solving a problem. He didn’t have access to guides or books other than text book. He needed extra guidance and someone to explain him concepts at his pace. He didn’t ask for extra marks or grace since he cannot buy extra books. He was poor but not begging for marks or grades. I helped him by explaining the approaches to start solving the problem. Note that I am saying approach and not solve questions for him. He turned out to do good and become an engineer later in life. He being poor didn’t demand quota to pass class VIII. He needed support.

Reading article today in economists (link) about affirmative action made me realize that caste based, color based quota is prevalent in many countries. Every country is seeing failure of the system but in not ready to make amends. South Africa, Malaysia, US, India are referred in the article. In US the new information for me was that reservations are ethnicity based and depend on university to university. In name of diversity companies are forced to appoint someone in C-suite roles who may not be fit based on capability. Imagine if I put a person to run operations of a company just because he is from particular ethnicity. If he not capable of managing the team or running the company, he will fail along with the company. Failed companies, failed economies and failed country – this is where the non-skill, caste based reservation will lead us to.

Caste based reservations which in euphemism way can be called affirmative action, in my mind, doesn’t solve the problem. If I start offering lunch and dinner to a beggar, will it improve his condition? Yes in short term he will get two meals a day. He will not try to earn his living and will continue to live on charity. He will have stomach full and nothing to do and so will be idle mind waiting to be wasted. He may end up getting pulled into unsocial activities and become menace to society. If on other hand he is asked to do some work and then earn the food, he will make contribution to economy and try to make his life better.

 

In competitive world, competition should always be fair. The under privileged may be offered help to prepare for competition. The offerings should begin from childhood. In school give the under privileged text books and may be after school coaching at community expense (through government funding but that’s really community money). For graduate courses if the selection is based on entrance, then let under-privileged get extra coaching again at community expense for preparing for entrance. Does anyone think every person can have same brain power or muscle power? If I am average in studies and made to join a class of over-achievers, I will develop insecurity and that will be a seed to ruin the life. If I show that I am in same category as over-achievers than I can survive in the class, no matter what my caste, religion or economic status is.

 

Are government offices efficient? No one not even government can claim that they run efficiently. Imagine a person who nearly failed in accounts, cannot understand assets and liabilities and is made to join government accounting department. I am pretty sure he will not be happy with the work and will spoil the office image. He may be happy to get perks for doing nothing but then in economic terms, its wastage of resource. It will be like feeding an elephant that is of no use to us.

 

If you give food to a man, you feed him once, if you teach him to earn food, you feed him for lifetime. Why can’t politicians whom we elect understand this? Are we electing the right people?

Zorbing - Roll and Bounce downhill

Woww - This was all I could say after our Zorb Ball halted at bottom of downhill.Zorbing seems to be a nice innovation by some crazy person who might have thought of rolling down the hill without hurting himself. A Zorb is a transparent inflatable sphere with an air cushion surrounding it.

A night before, we were playing teen patti till 3am in the morning. On day of Zorbing, we were supposed to get started by 11am and we barely managed to wake up at 11am. So you know how late were running. Amidst frantic call conferencing between PK, Swapnil, Rajnish and me, we decided to save time by fast tracking lunch. We searched for Pizza hut on the way and placed order online. It was in between our house in MIddletown and Zorbing place in Woodbury, CT. After having good pizza we reached the site location by 3:30pm :). On talking with the receptionist I managed to get a deal from her on summer tubing. I am sure she must have later thought that she gave double deal. There regular rate of summer tubing was $10 per person for 2 rides. She could have very well said that in same price take unlimited rides. But she gave double deal , 3 people free ride and unlimited ride. So this was good start.PK, Swapnil, Rajnish and I tried convinving the ladies to try Zorb. But united they stood and all declined as a group. Women power - rocks - we had to step down and agree with four of us doing Zorbing. When I was strapped in safety belts inside the Zorb, it gave a nice secure feeling. I was expecting simple rolling motion. But within few seconds of being release from the holding harness, we experienced a bouncing motion. Swapnil and I were being tossed up and down while the ball was going downhill. We were shouting partly in excitement and partly in fear. What if the ball jumps over the sides and rolls on the road? Finally the Zorb stopped and were elated to step out..PK cut another deal and got more rides for Zorb. PK and I went for second ride. This time it was more bouncy (may be PK's weight added more to it :)). One of the safety belt broke loose for PK and he shouted more while holding onto his hands. It's scary to imagine someone without any harness inside the Zorb and bouncing in wild way. Scary ...scary..friends make sure your safety belt is secured.

Next it was tubing. Who might have thought that a sport done in winter on snow can be done during peak summer in scorching heat. All of had multiple rounds of tubing on slow and fast track. Fast track had steep fall towards the beginning which made everyone scream. Best was Ridit and Ishi also sat along with Monica and Reema and had their first experience of Tubing. When they grow old, I am going to tell them that their first tubing was organised by me :). 

The group - Left to Right - Ridit, Swapnil, PK, Rajnish and me

Ishi, Monica, Reema, Sushmita and Meri Biwi :)

We did summer tubing and Zorbing at http://www.woodburyskiarea.com/summer/summertubing.htm

Rickets Glen national Park

The destination, Rickets Glen National park, was 200 miles from our place. When it dawned on Garima and me that labor day weekend is here, it was already Friday before weekend! So we called Amrisha and Monica and then the conference call began. Within few minutes the ladies finalized the plan to go out in wild. Swapnil, Abhishek and I were simply informed that next day we have to start by 9am and have to do shopping in evening.

We reached Adams fall and saw national park sign board. We assumed that we reached the right spot and waited for Abhishek and family to reach the spot. Monica called Amrisha's cell. No response. She left a voice message and meanwhile we chatted, roamed to see the surroundings while waiting for the return call. Time check. 30 minutes since we last called and yet no response from the party in other car. Both Swapnil and Monica made calls to Amrisha and Abhishek's cell and both were able to reach there voice system alone. We were wondering what route they took? Why they are taking so long. After 1 hr we decided to see Adams fall. Swapnil and I took our swimming costume and towels and headed towards the fall. Its neither magnificent fall nor very scenic. But the fall ends in a gourge which is around 12-15 ft deep and so is a place to jump and swim. Garima, Monica and Litle Ridit also walked down with us. Swapnil and I changed into swimming costume and went down to feel the water. Water was slightly cold but refreshing. After few minutes wait, we took a plunge and were swimming in water. Meanwhile we saw few courageous people jumping from the cliff down into water. This is what we wanted to do. Swapnil went up first while I waited down with Garima and Monica cheering him. He would have stood on top for 2 minutes plus gathering energy to jump. A stranger friend who had done multiple jumps till now impressing his girlfriend, showed the water spot to jump to Swapnil. We cheered from below and would have counted 1...2...3 atleast 10 times :). Stranger friend jumped to give demo to Swapnil. Finally Swapnil took the leap of faith and chapaak....was in water. Hurraaay...he was shouting aloud on the brave thing he just did :). Now it was my turn. Sitting down, I felt I will do it soon. But when I went up and saw below, it was high. I spoke to the stranger friend and tried to gather courage. Both the stranger and his girlfriend said, go ahead you can do it. Garima was cheering first from below.
After about a minute or so she changed tone and starting shouting to jump fast. At one moment I thought to walk down. But then I said...lets jump. And there I took jump off the cliff. I don't know when I closed my nose to save myself. Splash. I touched water and went slightly inside. Even inside water I felt like...woww I did it. I swam up and hurray I was sitting next to Garima and Monica watching my own video.

Now that the tough jump was over we swam a bit. Both Swapnil and I tried to reach the bottom of the fall by swimming against the water current. Funny thing was that when we reached close to the place where water fall was creating surf, we were swimming at the same spot. We tried hard to swim against the force but didn't succeed. The second we stopped trying, water pushed us down the flow and we were back in somewhat silent water. At this moment we didn't realize that this effort will pain the next day. But in hindsight I know today that my arms are paining because of the heavy swimming we tried in cold water.

We came out of water, dried ourselves and changed the clothes. We were still not able to get connected with Abhishek. There was no reply to the emails we sent earlier hoping they will reply to email when they come in coverage. Both Garima and Monica starting fearing about bad things and became anxious. Swapnil made 911 call and tried to get some information from them. But 911 group was clear that they are not going to look into where the car could be or where the cellphone could be. They cited privacy rule and said that 2 hrs is very less time to do anything. Hoping for all good, we headed towards the lake which Garima had read about online. There in parking lot 2 when we were entering we saw Abhishek and Amrisha heading out. Ufffff. What a relief. We saw our lost friends (lost for 2 hrs :)) and then saw beautiful lake in front of us. We all decided to grill near this lake, eat well and then do anything else. Barbeque, swimming in placid lake, playing with kids and the day went by. All's well that ends well.

Long version of the video showing my 2.30 minutes of wait on top
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UuZcZHiOBk