There was a rich man in a locality (for a change we'll not call it a village).
He wasn't rich in the beginning but due to his hard work and diligence he slowly gained wealth and name for himself.
His achievements were expressed in form of his house which slowly grew in the locality both in terms of height and splendor (since it could not grow in area- there was restriction by other houses).
The prosperity grew with time as did the family as he had 4-5 sons (I don't know why no daughters).
Then as is supposed to happen with people - whether rich or poor, big or small- he died- suddenly .
Now that the old man was away ,the sons were left to their own devices with their own families.The families started having their own strategies and finally decided to part their ways - partitioned their splendid house. Then within the limits of their smaller mental divisions called houses they started doing their own things.
This included back biting against each other, plotting, cross plotting etc. etc.
First the wives didn't get along then the children and finally the brothers themselves fell apart.
The mental boundaries of their houses became physical and the boundaries were not really equal.
The big brother managed to get the biggest piece.
Slowly with time each of them went about their own business independently, however not without having periodic skirmishes.
Sometimes the venting of their emotions spilled over to the neighbors as well who tried to mediate.
Some of the neighbors in all their goodwill even advised them to keep weapons and guards.
Amidst all this each brother went about his own business- some flourishing- some not.
One of the brothers raised the walls of his own house so that he could seclude himself from his inferior siblings.
The siblings tried their best to bring him down by attacking him physically and socially.
There came a day when the world declared the elder brother as the richest man in town.
He was given a warm reception by civic authorities where his brothers were also invited.
The mayor called the brother up on stage and felicitated him of being the richest man in town.
However the elder brother stopped him and said that all of his brothers present there were together the richest family in the state, and must be all felicitated together...
...then somehow the ship took a roll and I got up...
the story that I had dreamed took the shape of so many families in town..city..state..country...AND FINALLY COUNTRIES.
I though about the BIG BROTHER that we are spoken of as...
Our much touted status as richest country by 2050.
I wondered if the younger brothers would ever let us be there.
..and even if we're there, will it be worth it under the fear of something happening at the hands of unknown...
...just thinking
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
INDIA -NO.1 SUPERPOWER BY 2050
WHOAAAAAAA!!! That was a headline screaming from one of the prominent papers website.
The statement being attributed to CITI.
Quite a tall statement coming from an institution that had to be saved from bankruptcy.Immediately after the same one and got entangled with a scam involving HNIs.
Doesn't matter who they are as long as the make the right statement.
Something that makes us feel grand and croaky .
Something that makes me take the credit of something that will happen 40 years from today when I'm (better) dead and gone.
Something that puts me fast asleep on my 25000 buck mattress on a 40000 bed in a 1.5 crore house (that's on a 25 year loan).
Something that makes me feel grand in the false hope of a propaganda - that we are great- and believing it all the same.
We were always great right back to 5000 yrs of history- don't believe it - read your history book man (even if I flunked mine 30 yrs back).Ya we were great right in the times of that guy- you know who had his capital in what we call a BIMARU state today.
..Sure sure we were great and would have still been if the muslims didn't come and stop our growth. Later if the British didn't come and make us slave and had taken our wealth and put it up on display at tower of London.
Where today I have to shell out 15GBP to see MY own Kohinoor.
Oh sure we could still have been great.
Reservation... what reservation. Oh that ya if it hadn't been for that may be we could have been greater much faster.
Poverty... where.Not any longer.Now everyone has bread to eat and even cake and Pizza and Mcburgers.What poverty?
Come on don't be impressed by those street urchins who crowd around you when you come out of McD- they just represent the underbelly of the country.They are not mainstream guys .
They are not going to be in our Riches story.
They'll just be a parallel system.
Parallel? As in ....................Black Money Economy.
Well haven't you heard so much of OUR black money stashed away with the Swiss, couldn't really stop us from becoming great. We have reached our heights haven't we.
Don't worry about all these distractions.
We'll be great and even greater. We'll beat Japan to 3rd spot in just next 4 years.
YES! JAPAAN. That country that is known for it's strong patriotic sense. Just imagine, we'll be better than them.
You see they reached their height by 1990 in just 45 years and became the highest GDP country.
Then I don't know what happened, why their own country became expensive for them.
They couldn't buy their own stuff. The economy became stagnant. The Last decade was called as THE LOST DECADE for them.
I don't know all that nitty gritty. These economists have a knack of always putting a pin in your balloon.
Sure we'll be THE NO.1 ECONOMY by 2050. APJ had also said so.
Then all our problems will be solved.
There'll be no crime, no rapes, no scams, no swindling, no corruption, no female infanticide or foeticide (I don't know why they have so difficult words - just call it KILLING HER).
Well there'll be none of it. No black money either.
Then?
THEN.What Then? Why do you always keep saying THEN!!!
You become No.1, you become No.1.
It's great to be No.1- just like US is today (minus it's problems).
UK (minus it's POOR senior citizens).
Germany minus it's deficit.
Greece...Spain..Portugal... all those countries man. Just like they were great and No.1 we're going to be also there.
Not now but may be then we'll even start loving our country.. and be faithful to it.
We'll start being more sensitive to our fellow countrymen (and countrywomen too).
We'll start getting up in the bus to give them seats or holding their packets while they board and getdown/.
We might be sensitive to those street urchins outside McD.
We might stop spitting (and urinating) on the road and outside the public urinals.
We might stop littering our streets, wasting water, stealing electricity and taxes.
... of course we might even stop killing the babes too.
The statement being attributed to CITI.
Quite a tall statement coming from an institution that had to be saved from bankruptcy.Immediately after the same one and got entangled with a scam involving HNIs.
Doesn't matter who they are as long as the make the right statement.
Something that makes us feel grand and croaky .
Something that makes me take the credit of something that will happen 40 years from today when I'm (better) dead and gone.
Something that puts me fast asleep on my 25000 buck mattress on a 40000 bed in a 1.5 crore house (that's on a 25 year loan).
Something that makes me feel grand in the false hope of a propaganda - that we are great- and believing it all the same.
We were always great right back to 5000 yrs of history- don't believe it - read your history book man (even if I flunked mine 30 yrs back).Ya we were great right in the times of that guy- you know who had his capital in what we call a BIMARU state today.
..Sure sure we were great and would have still been if the muslims didn't come and stop our growth. Later if the British didn't come and make us slave and had taken our wealth and put it up on display at tower of London.
Where today I have to shell out 15GBP to see MY own Kohinoor.
Oh sure we could still have been great.
Reservation... what reservation. Oh that ya if it hadn't been for that may be we could have been greater much faster.
Poverty... where.Not any longer.Now everyone has bread to eat and even cake and Pizza and Mcburgers.What poverty?
Come on don't be impressed by those street urchins who crowd around you when you come out of McD- they just represent the underbelly of the country.They are not mainstream guys .
They are not going to be in our Riches story.
They'll just be a parallel system.
Parallel? As in ....................Black Money Economy.
Well haven't you heard so much of OUR black money stashed away with the Swiss, couldn't really stop us from becoming great. We have reached our heights haven't we.
Don't worry about all these distractions.
We'll be great and even greater. We'll beat Japan to 3rd spot in just next 4 years.
YES! JAPAAN. That country that is known for it's strong patriotic sense. Just imagine, we'll be better than them.
You see they reached their height by 1990 in just 45 years and became the highest GDP country.
Then I don't know what happened, why their own country became expensive for them.
They couldn't buy their own stuff. The economy became stagnant. The Last decade was called as THE LOST DECADE for them.
I don't know all that nitty gritty. These economists have a knack of always putting a pin in your balloon.
Sure we'll be THE NO.1 ECONOMY by 2050. APJ had also said so.
Then all our problems will be solved.
There'll be no crime, no rapes, no scams, no swindling, no corruption, no female infanticide or foeticide (I don't know why they have so difficult words - just call it KILLING HER).
Well there'll be none of it. No black money either.
Then?
THEN.What Then? Why do you always keep saying THEN!!!
You become No.1, you become No.1.
It's great to be No.1- just like US is today (minus it's problems).
UK (minus it's POOR senior citizens).
Germany minus it's deficit.
Greece...Spain..Portugal... all those countries man. Just like they were great and No.1 we're going to be also there.
Not now but may be then we'll even start loving our country.. and be faithful to it.
We'll start being more sensitive to our fellow countrymen (and countrywomen too).
We'll start getting up in the bus to give them seats or holding their packets while they board and getdown/.
We might be sensitive to those street urchins outside McD.
We might stop spitting (and urinating) on the road and outside the public urinals.
We might stop littering our streets, wasting water, stealing electricity and taxes.
... of course we might even stop killing the babes too.
All that glitters ... can be SILVER too...
In the field of investment there are always people and interests that divert the general attention of the public in one direction and take a different take altogether.
Gold took it's present shine from 2007 onwards (from about $650 onwards).
However when MF were busy peddling the Gold ETFs and portfolio managers busy in recommending Gold as the hedge to their portfolio.
There was another class of people who were busy collecting Silver as their hedge ...
Silver has less than half the known reserves as that of gold.
Considering that it has about 3 times the industrial uses - it's more definite to run out faster than gold.
Now that it has had a massive run up in 2010 of about 68%,the news was released for mass consumption. So now the general public will start buying.
since silver ETFs are still not in force- it'll be still some time before you and me can buy some 10kg of silver.
By the time that happens (ETFs are floated)-silver would have run up further.
However general public may derive satisfaction from the presence of another instrument called e-silver.
This is floated by NATIONAL SPOT EXCHANGE and one needs to open a separate demat account there. Once done you can buy e-Gold, e-silver ,e-Copper and E-Lead.
The minimum 1 unit of E-Silver is 100gms and as of today was Rs.5104(up from Rs.4400 a month back).You can imagine that on the back of a falling stock market.
So you can start buying a unit at a time and build even a safer haven for hedging your risk.
There is even a advantage in buying these 4 commodities- if required you can MATERIALISE them. i.e. you can ask for the actual commodity at select centers in the country (India)if you like. That of course may never happen to you.
Gold took it's present shine from 2007 onwards (from about $650 onwards).
However when MF were busy peddling the Gold ETFs and portfolio managers busy in recommending Gold as the hedge to their portfolio.
There was another class of people who were busy collecting Silver as their hedge ...
Silver has less than half the known reserves as that of gold.
Considering that it has about 3 times the industrial uses - it's more definite to run out faster than gold.
Now that it has had a massive run up in 2010 of about 68%,the news was released for mass consumption. So now the general public will start buying.
since silver ETFs are still not in force- it'll be still some time before you and me can buy some 10kg of silver.
By the time that happens (ETFs are floated)-silver would have run up further.
However general public may derive satisfaction from the presence of another instrument called e-silver.
This is floated by NATIONAL SPOT EXCHANGE and one needs to open a separate demat account there. Once done you can buy e-Gold, e-silver ,e-Copper and E-Lead.
The minimum 1 unit of E-Silver is 100gms and as of today was Rs.5104(up from Rs.4400 a month back).You can imagine that on the back of a falling stock market.
So you can start buying a unit at a time and build even a safer haven for hedging your risk.
There is even a advantage in buying these 4 commodities- if required you can MATERIALISE them. i.e. you can ask for the actual commodity at select centers in the country (India)if you like. That of course may never happen to you.
Friday, September 24, 2010
ABOUT GOLD PRICES VIS-A VIS STOCK PRICES
Today my batch mate put up a query :"Why the gold prices are going up when the Stocks are also high".
Following is my reply.
I’m actually flattered that someone asked me something except why the M/E scavenge temp is going up.
About the gold ? Well.. ahem!!!
Is it actually linked with stock prices??
It’s never been.
1. Being a scarce commodity , it’s price is only linked to one thing – DEMAND.
2. This demand can come from:
a) Consumer demand like India for festival season.
b) Investor demand like bullion.
c) Shifting of investment avenues from World currencies to commodity.
d) This can happen in case of war- like it happened during Iran –Iraq war, Kuwait occupation etc.
e) Economic uncertainties like at present.
f) If you earned in a particular currency and did not have faith in it like US or EURO- then where will you keep it- obviously in a mode which is reliable, current and is small to hold- you have gold and platinum is catching up.
Just out of the context but if you are earning in USD it makes sense to keep about 5% of yr savings in GOLD ETFs. This mode will help it stay in gold form and not be converted to jewellery ( when you are not watching).
I am also certain that Silver and platinum are also to be held but I do not know how I can take delivery of it in cash and hold on to it till I want.
So you see it is back to MFs.
Monday, April 19, 2010
A Learning Experience
Yesterday my daughter Leo started her own blog.
It's called
http://leoadreamer.blogspot.com/
The first post started with the Preamble of the Constitution India.
The post officially raises her own questions which I have not been able to answer.
Even though she is preparing for her engineering entrances , frankly I would think that she would be a loss of the free thinking world to the fixed thinking world of the engineering/science students .
During her 24 months stay in Jaipur , preparing for her engineering entrance , she had her moments of frustration for her fellow students who just blindly solved questions to get into the colleges since that would get them a "good package".
It is actually to call upon such good minds and be aware of their responsibility to the nation- that she seems to have started her blog.
I hope that she carries on the good thinking and it does not turn out like one of the many blips on the radar of a teenager entering her grown up years.
I wish her the very best....
It's called
http://leoadreamer.blogspot.com/
The first post started with the Preamble of the Constitution India.
The post officially raises her own questions which I have not been able to answer.
Even though she is preparing for her engineering entrances , frankly I would think that she would be a loss of the free thinking world to the fixed thinking world of the engineering/science students .
During her 24 months stay in Jaipur , preparing for her engineering entrance , she had her moments of frustration for her fellow students who just blindly solved questions to get into the colleges since that would get them a "good package".
It is actually to call upon such good minds and be aware of their responsibility to the nation- that she seems to have started her blog.
I hope that she carries on the good thinking and it does not turn out like one of the many blips on the radar of a teenager entering her grown up years.
I wish her the very best....
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A MUTIUAL FUND AMC IS SOLD OR TAKEN OVER
This is a question that I am asked very often.
Pls follow the link
http://new.valueresearchonline.com/story/h2_storyview.asp?str=101343
>If it does not open then go to home page of valueresearchonline.com and read the article.
This website , in any case must form your daily read for very valuable information on not only investments but a long view of economy as well.
This could very well be the best and most useful site that you would have ever visited.
Pls follow the link
http://new.valueresearchonline.com/story/h2_storyview.asp?str=101343
>If it does not open then go to home page of valueresearchonline.com and read the article.
This website , in any case must form your daily read for very valuable information on not only investments but a long view of economy as well.
This could very well be the best and most useful site that you would have ever visited.
Monday, April 5, 2010
THR RIGHT TO EDUCATION (RTE) AND us
Yesterday I got a mail from the Principal of my daughter's Alma Mater, proudly stating that te director of the school- a certain Mrs.Jayshree Periwaal has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal.
The understatement that she was the only other person to be quoted beside the PM was also shouted from the roof top. The statement of Ms. Periwaal is as follows:
Quote---
It's not just difficult but impractical from the point of view of providing quality education," says Jayshree Periwal, director of Step by Step High School, a private school with 1,500 students in the western Indian city of Jaipur. "Admitting students randomly without considering their age and academic level disturbs the atmosphere of the classroom," Ms. Periwal says.
---- Unquote.
What a statement indeed!
Firstly , as we know the directors of schools are largely the owners with the pursestrings but not the requisite qualification.
But our Ms.Periwal actually started Step By Step play school in Jaipur and later with Political patronage and otherwise raised (not razed) it to a multiboard (CBSE,GCSE AND IB). She is indeed a gifted teacher and is quite a popular figure amongst her students.
Secondly, the school uses the state property as it's playground and it was basically located in it's prsent form for that reason. Hence her objections are largely unfounded since the state has already subsidised the school indirectly.
I was quite perturbed by her statement and tried to circulate the following message amongst the parents.
QUOTE==
Dear Principal, Parents and students of SBS High
It was indeed a proud moment when the Parliament passed the RTE .
It gives each and every child born in the country (whether rich OR poor, citizen or illegal immigrant who declares herself as the citizen) the right to ask to be educated.
It might come as a surprise to you but even a beggar in the country is a tax payer as (s)he pays the VAT/Sales tax when she purchases any item of consumption. This tax she cannot avoid paying like the millions of rich and affluent businessmen of the country who avoid Income Tax to drive their Benzes. Hence even the children of that beggar has the right to be educated.
It is also a matter of pride that the passage of this important legislation has been applauded by world bodies and government who have pledged support to the Indian Government.
At such a time it seems very sad that the Director of our great school has a different opinion, even if it is in her personal capacity.
It may come as a surprise to all of you that Mahatma Gandhi IB School , Ahmadabad has as a policy matter, 20% of the seats reserved for the children economic weaker section.
In another 5 years we will be having 65% of our population as the youngest in the world.
This population will not be coming out of public OR international schools. In fact a large part of this young population may not be even educated sufficiently.
Hence this the time has come that not only we follow a policy of EACH ONE TEACH ONE , we must persuade the children of our support staff like drivers, domestic help, gardeners, cleaning staff to get education.
In my last 2 years of stay in Jaipur I have witnessed a plethora of excellent social initiatives by the people. These initiatives are either absent in rest of the country or started very reluctantly.
However in this initiative the students of SBS have been largely absent.
Now that the board exams are over for class X and XII- you can take time out from your busy social schedule and help in this noble initiative.
This step of the government is not only noble but will prove to be historic like the economic liberalisation of 1991 or the nuclear tests of 1998.
Be a part of this initiative and be proud of yourselves.
Whatever be the cost of educating this generation it must be borne by us – the few fortunate ones.
Let the Wall Street Journal keep interviewing whom they want- this is our country and we will change it.
Sorry Madam Principal there is nothing in the statement that makes any Indian feel proud. The director has still not earned to be mentioned in the same line as the Prime Minister.
Sincerely Your’s
Rajeeve Kaushik
+91 9799844929
+91 9997704691
==Unquote.
All the readers of this message are requested to kindly pass on this message to as many people as possible so that this noble act meets with some success.
The understatement that she was the only other person to be quoted beside the PM was also shouted from the roof top. The statement of Ms. Periwaal is as follows:
Quote---
It's not just difficult but impractical from the point of view of providing quality education," says Jayshree Periwal, director of Step by Step High School, a private school with 1,500 students in the western Indian city of Jaipur. "Admitting students randomly without considering their age and academic level disturbs the atmosphere of the classroom," Ms. Periwal says.
---- Unquote.
What a statement indeed!
Firstly , as we know the directors of schools are largely the owners with the pursestrings but not the requisite qualification.
But our Ms.Periwal actually started Step By Step play school in Jaipur and later with Political patronage and otherwise raised (not razed) it to a multiboard (CBSE,GCSE AND IB). She is indeed a gifted teacher and is quite a popular figure amongst her students.
Secondly, the school uses the state property as it's playground and it was basically located in it's prsent form for that reason. Hence her objections are largely unfounded since the state has already subsidised the school indirectly.
I was quite perturbed by her statement and tried to circulate the following message amongst the parents.
QUOTE==
Dear Principal, Parents and students of SBS High
It was indeed a proud moment when the Parliament passed the RTE .
It gives each and every child born in the country (whether rich OR poor, citizen or illegal immigrant who declares herself as the citizen) the right to ask to be educated.
It might come as a surprise to you but even a beggar in the country is a tax payer as (s)he pays the VAT/Sales tax when she purchases any item of consumption. This tax she cannot avoid paying like the millions of rich and affluent businessmen of the country who avoid Income Tax to drive their Benzes. Hence even the children of that beggar has the right to be educated.
It is also a matter of pride that the passage of this important legislation has been applauded by world bodies and government who have pledged support to the Indian Government.
At such a time it seems very sad that the Director of our great school has a different opinion, even if it is in her personal capacity.
It may come as a surprise to all of you that Mahatma Gandhi IB School , Ahmadabad has as a policy matter, 20% of the seats reserved for the children economic weaker section.
In another 5 years we will be having 65% of our population as the youngest in the world.
This population will not be coming out of public OR international schools. In fact a large part of this young population may not be even educated sufficiently.
Hence this the time has come that not only we follow a policy of EACH ONE TEACH ONE , we must persuade the children of our support staff like drivers, domestic help, gardeners, cleaning staff to get education.
In my last 2 years of stay in Jaipur I have witnessed a plethora of excellent social initiatives by the people. These initiatives are either absent in rest of the country or started very reluctantly.
However in this initiative the students of SBS have been largely absent.
Now that the board exams are over for class X and XII- you can take time out from your busy social schedule and help in this noble initiative.
This step of the government is not only noble but will prove to be historic like the economic liberalisation of 1991 or the nuclear tests of 1998.
Be a part of this initiative and be proud of yourselves.
Whatever be the cost of educating this generation it must be borne by us – the few fortunate ones.
Let the Wall Street Journal keep interviewing whom they want- this is our country and we will change it.
Sorry Madam Principal there is nothing in the statement that makes any Indian feel proud. The director has still not earned to be mentioned in the same line as the Prime Minister.
Sincerely Your’s
Rajeeve Kaushik
+91 9799844929
+91 9997704691
==Unquote.
All the readers of this message are requested to kindly pass on this message to as many people as possible so that this noble act meets with some success.
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