Comrade Chakra

[update on 30 th Nov'08] - It is now clear that the terrorists were not taking any hostages, they were only intent on killing. So the innocents inside were more trapped than taken hostages. So the NSG is not really to be faulted it appears. This is probably the first time that terrorists have actually aimed at foreigners and the creme of society rather than leave a few bombs in a market place visited by commoners. The choice of targets including a Rabbi (probably the first time a Jew has been attacked in India by terrorists) seem to be the outcome of a consolidation of Jehadi forces under a common Arab/Afghan umbrella. ================================================= The Mumbai terror crisis continues third day running. Like so many I am also hurt and enraged. In the newspapers and the news channels there are many a things being written and said. But even in such a crisis we are missing a few important perspectives, the following is an attempt: The NSG has not done a good job

The Mexicans got it right: "MEXICO CITY - Mexico City is giving out free Viagra and other impotence drugs to men 70 and older. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says the city is implementing the plan because sexuality "has a lot to do with quality of life and our happiness." Read full report. While I whole heartedly congratulate Comrade Mayor Marcelo for taking a hard stand , several questions spring to mind. Why only to men over 70 and older, does it mean that Mexico City has one of the most virile populations, so much so that only men over 70 have any use for the V drug to spruce up their horizontal adventures!! Well, we only hear about Italian men being pretty….excitable, but it appears the Mexicans are way ahead in the game. Also, how are the better halves of the 70 year old men taking this government drive? Will the ladies be able to take it when their men folk rise to the occasion thanks in no small measure, to the Mayor’s munificence? Sure the Mayor does not expect the 7

Given the well known popularity level of this blog I guess an explanation for my long absence (my last post was some six month’s back) will not be in order. So I will get down to brass- tacks right away. A couple of week’s back I completed a three week holiday, the longest holiday since I left school. I visited Calcutta (so sue me for not using the new name!), my home town for three weeks, made a short trip to Jamshedpur and well…that’s about it. Talk about anticlimax! Actually it was a lot better than it sounds. Calcutta in Durga Puja is always a handful and in Jamshedpur I was able to catch up with one of my bosses (and this is person from whom I have learnt the most in my life) and also one of my Prof’s in XLRI – Professor EM Rao . Prof Rao teaches Industrial Relations in XL would easily figure among one of the most loved and respected Profs on the campus, and believe me, the competition is tough out there. Among other things we started talking about impact of the present finan