India's Yin and Yang 60 years After Independence

hey capt clueless...here's an opportunity for you to help CIO/VP types in scotland "set up their IT departments"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/0 8/15/AR2007081500041.html

Scotland aims to attract Indian outsourcers
Scotland is wooing Indian companies that are setting up European call centers and business process outsourcing centers.

John Ribeiro
PC World
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; 12:19 AM

Scotland aims to get Indian outsourcers to set up call centers and business process outsourcing (BPO) centers in the country, by offering staff with multilingual capabilities.

A number of Indian outsourcers are setting up centers in Europe to offer near-shore services to European customers in their local languages. India's second largest outsourcer, Infosys Technologies Ltd., for example, has a service delivery center in Brno in the Czech Republic.

Rather than set up a number of small centers in various European countries to support different European languages, Indian outsourcing companies can set up a single center in Scotland, where staff can offer services in up to 25 languages, said Shivendra Singh, country manager for India of Scottish Development International, a Scottish government-funded agency set up to attract investment to Scotland.

Scotland's key advantage is that there are a large number of foreign students who come to study in universities in Scotland, and stay on to work there, said Ronnie Melrose, head of IBM Corp.'s hardware services delivery in Europe. "This gives us an opportunity to hire people for their language skills," he said.

The government in Scotland has also helped as it gives foreign students graduating from universities in Scotland an automatic work permit, Melrose said.

IBM, which started manufacturing equipment in Scotland in the 1950s, has been running call center and BPO operations in the country since 1995, both to support its own operations and those of its customers that have outsourcing contracts with the company.

IBM's five centers in Scotland, with a staff of about 1,100, offer services in 23 languages, including French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Turkish, Hebrew, and the Nordic languages.

"One benefit for us is that there is as yet very little competitive attrition in Scotland," Melrose said. There is however attrition of a different kind: Students that stay in Scotland for their first job often move back to their home countries after about two years, Melrose said.

Scotland currently has over 70,000 call center and BPO staff in Scotland out of a population of 5 million, said Phil Taylor, professor of work and empowerment studies in the Department of Human Resource Management at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. About 10 percent of these staff speak at least one more language besides English, he said. Foreign students coming to Scotland, as well as migrants, have helped position Scotland as a location for multilingual services, he added.

Scotland also has a large pool of staff specialized in the financial services area, because of the large number of banks and other financial services organizations in Scotland, Taylor said. A large number of banks in London have also set up call center and BPO operations in Scotland, to take advantage of this expertise, and also because costs there are lower than in London, Taylor added.

Four Indian outsourcers have so far shown interest in setting up centers in Scotland, Singh said. Some Indian outsourcers have already set up or acquired delivery centers elsewhere in the U.K., typically as part of outsourcing contracts with clients in the U.K.

HCL Technologies Ltd., of Noida near Delhi, acquired the Apollo Contact Center in Belfast, which was operated by BT Group PLC, to offer contact center services from the center to BT and other clients.

N or M

As the world celebrates this fifty-eighth birthday of its largest democracy, we ask – in view of all the changes occurring there so rapidly, is this a New country for the new century, or – since so much of its past still hangs around its neck – like an albatross of sorts – is it just too Mature – too old to ever change in any meaningful way? And in our hearts, we all know the answer – it’s neither N nor M – yet it’s both and always has been! For this country has the agility of the young and yet has stood the test of time like a seasoned veteran – by constantly renewing itself in various ways – and not just over the last fifty-eight years – that garb just happens to only represent its current style – its soul is eternal since its soul is so transient!

Its problems will perhaps always remain – just like its soul – but like an eminent poet once stated perceptively – kuchh baat hai ki hastee, mit-tee nahin hamaree… – and it is just as true now as it was then!

What follows below is what I think will someday become the National Anthem of that great country – for nothing binds a country’s people together like having them identify with those who gave it all for the motherland – and did so with no selfish aims.

The Hindi song is followed by its Roman script version – I won’t ever dream of translating it – certain things must NEVER be translated – they can and must only be experienced in the original flavor. I feel blessed to live in an age when even trivial people like me can contribute a couple of stanzas – which appear in blue color.

ऐ मेरे वतन के लोगों

ऐ मेरे वतन के लोगों – तुम खूब लगा लो नारा…
ये शुभ दिन है, हम सब का – लहरा लो तिरंगा प्यारा
पर मत भूलो… सीमा पर – वीरों… ने हैं प्राण गंवाए,
कुछ याद उन्हें भी कर लो
कुछ याद उन्हें… भी… कर लो… – जो लौ…ट के घर ना आए
ऐ मेरे वतन के लोगों – जरा आंख में भर लो पानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी… – जरा याद करो कुरबानी…
ऐ मेरे वतन के लोगों – जरा आंख में भर लो पानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी… – जरा याद करो कुरबानी…
तुम भूल न जाओ उनको – इस लिये सुनो ये कहानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी… – जरा याद करो कुरबानी…
जब घायल हुआ हिमालय – खतरे में पडी आजादी
जब तक थी सांस लडे वो
जब… तक थी… सांस… लडे वो – फिर अपनी लाश बिछा दी
संगीन पे धर के माथा – हो गये अमर बलिदानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी… – जरा याद करो कुरबानी…
जब देश में थी दीवाली – वे खेल रहे थे होली
जब हम बैठे थे घरों में
जब… हम बैठे… थे घरों में – वे झेल रहे थे गोली
थे धन्य जवान वो अपने – थी धन्य वो उनकी जवानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं, उनकी… – जरा याद करो, कुरबानी…
कोई सिख, कोई जाट, मराठा – कोई गुरखा, कोई मदरासी
कोई सिख, कोई जाट, मराठा – कोई गुरखा, कोई मदरासी
सरहद पर मरने वाला…
सर…हद पर… मरने वाला… – हर वीर था भारत वासी
जो खून गिरा परबत पर – वो खून था हिंदुस्तानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं, उनकी… – जरा याद करो, कुरबानी…
थी खून से लथपथ काया – फिर भी बंदूक उठा के
दस… दस को एक ने मारा – फिर गिर गये होश गंवा के
जब अंत समय आया तो
जब… अंत समय… आया तो… – कह गये… कि अब मरते हैं
खुश रहना… देश के प्यारों…
खुश … रहना… देश के प्यारों – अब हम तो सफर करते हैं
अब हम तो… सफर… करते हैं
क्या लोग थे वो दीवाने - क्या लोग थे वो अभिमानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं, उनकी… – जरा याद करो, कुरबानी…
खोकर अस्तित्व तुम्हारा – भारत ने पलक उघाडे
जा...नी अपनी असलीयत...
जा...नी... अप...नी... असलीयत – फिर अपने... कदम संभाले
आदर्श भरा... हर दिल में – मां की कीमत... पहचानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं, उनकी… – जरा याद करो, कुरबानी…
गिर... गये क्षितिज से लेकिन – उठ गये देश के प्राणी
सिंदूर... मिटे... माथों से
सिं…दूर... मिटे माथों से – झलकी लाली अभिमानी
मां के प्यारों बेटों ने – खुद की जब दी... बलिदानी
दिल-जान दिया भारत को – क्षण एक नहीं क्षण जानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं, उनकी… – जरा याद करो, कुरबानी…
यह त्याग रहेगा कायम – जब तक गंगा में पानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं, उनकी… – जरा याद करो, कुरबानी…
तुम भूल न जाओ उनको – इस लिये कही ये कहानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी… – जरा याद करो कुरबानी…
जै हिंद – जै हिंद की सेना
जै हिंद – जै हिंद की सेना
जै हिंद – जै हिंद – जै हिंद – जै हिंद


Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon
Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon – Tum Khoob Lagalo Naara
Yeh Shubh Din Hai Hum Sabka – Lehra Lo Tiranga Pyara
Par Mat Bhoolo Seema Par – Veeron Ne Hain Praan Gavaaye
Kuchh Yaad Unhe Bhi Karlo…
Kuchh Yaad Unhe… Bhee… Karlo – Jo Laut Ke Ghar Na Aaye
Jo Laut Ke Ghar Na Aaye…
Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon – Jara Aankh Mein Bhar Lo Paanee
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon – Jara Aankh Mein Bhar Lo Paanee
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Tum Bhool Na Jaao Unko – Isliye Suno Yeh Kahani
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Jab Ghayal Hua Himalai – Khat-re Mein Padee Azaadi
Jab Tak Thee… Saans… Lade Woh
Jab… Tak Thi Saans Lade Woh – Phir Apnee Laash Bichha Dee
Sangeen Pe Dhar Kar Maatha – So Gaye Amar Balidaani
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani

Koi Sikh Koi Jaat Maratha…
Koi… Sikh Koi Jaat Maratha… – Koi Gurkha Koi Madrasi
Sar…had Par Marne…wala…
Sarhad Par Marnewala – Har Veer Tha Bharatwaasi
Jo Khoon Gira Parvat Par – Woh Khoon Tha Hindustani
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Thi Khoon Se Lathpath Kaaya – Phir Bhi Bandook Uthake
Dus Dus Ko Ek Ne Maara…
Dus… Dus Ko Ek Ne Maara – Phir Gir Gaye Hosh Gavaa Ke
Jab Ant Samay Aaya To…
Jab… Ant Samay Aaya To – Keh Gaye Ki Ab Marte Hain
Khush Rehna Desh Ke Pyaron…
Khush… Rehna… Desh Ke Pyaron – Ab Hum To Safar Karte Hain
Ab Hum To… Safar… Karte Hain
Kya Log The Woh Deewane – Kya Log The Woh Abhimaani
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Kho Kar Astitva Tumhara – Bha-Rat Ne Palak Ughare
Jaa...Nee… Up-Nee Asleeyat…
Jaa…Nee Up-Nee Asleeyat – Phir Apne Kadam Sambhale
Adarsh Bhara Hur Dil Mein – Maa Kee Keemat Pehchanee
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Gir… Gaye Kshittiz Se Lekin – Uth Gaye Desh Ke Pranee
Sindoor… Mite Maathon Se
Sin…Door… Mite Maathon Se – Jhalkee Laalee Abhi-Manee
Maa… Ke Pyaron Beton Ne – Khud Kee Jub Dee... Bali-Dani
Dil-Jaan… Diya… Bharat Ko – Kshun Ek Nahin Kshun Jaa-Nee
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Yeh Tyag Rahega Kayam – Jab-Tak Ganga Mein Paani
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Tum Bhool Na Jaao Unko – Isliye Kahi Yeh Kahani
Jo Shaheed Huey Hain Unkee – Jara Yaad Karo Qurbani
Jai Hind – Jai Hind Ki Sena
Jai Hind – Jai Hind Ki Sena
Jai Hind Jai Hind – Jai Hind Jai Hind

(Note: This is a reproduction of an i-log originally posted on August 15, 2005.)

kabuli

not only older people - even young people are returning to india in droves, for various personal and professional reasons... more and more graduates from elite schools are choosing to stay back in india these days...

romair has a nack of making exactly the wrong statements - thus deserving the name captain clueless... :)

Re: # 25 bulleya

man, new nick or not, your paki military inspired sermons don't cease do they. The problem with your ilk is that you assume way too much and try to become too familiar when all you have is a basic cursary paki isi 101 take on Indian society ala one muslim is equal to ten kafirs. How on earth can you know if Indians in the West are not spending enough time in India or working in India? Most people I know in Houston, having settled down in the USA for many years, are now buying property in India to spend at least part of their time in their native places. This is the case especially with the older people who have retired or on the verge of retirement but are still capable of doing good work. They either plan to start new businesses or donate part of their fabulous fortunes to social causes in India.

I've been reading your sermons about how you've given work to so many Indians over the years and how you've gone out of your way to understand India and Indian culture and your moaning about how this is a Paki trait borne out of watching ridiculous Indian soap operas and movies. I'm also quite tired of your moaning on other forums of how Indians don't reciprocate and try to understand Paki culture in a similar fashion. I think Indians are in general too modest to admit to such things. Many Indians are very inquisitive about Pakistan borne out of their relationships with Pakistanis or just out of plain curiousity. Many Indians I know both here and in India read Paki newspapers religiously not to criticize or make fun of Pakistan, but in order to know more about the other. I visited Pakiland in 2000, just after Kargil and believe me, Pakis are no angels. There are good and bad in them like most people. I took courses in Islam with my good friend YLH at Rutgers and I have my own views on that religion.

You fit a pattern among Pakis where Indians feeling good about India gives you a keera much like Indians feeling keera when Pakis feel good about Pakiland. But then you pretend like you are better than these keera biting Indians and adopt a holier than thou attitude. No one gives a shite whether you think India is progressing or not. You are in India only to fill your pockets and not on some altruistic, knowledge seeking mission. In a way you've answered your own question about why you are spending so much time in India. You are there because you see opportunity. And there are many more Indians doing the same thing than delusioned Pakis like you.

Dost-Mittar and other such Indians are too polite to say it as it is. Arjun2 is more to the point when dealing with you people.

#25 Posted by bulleya on August 15, 2007 7:27:04 am


why am i spending more time in india than all such indians, nowadays, including the both of you?........


Because you couldn't hack it in the US and Pakiland doesn't have any IT industry to speak off..so India is the only place where you can use your "skills" to help "CIO/VP types set up their IT departments"

I thought Chowk was an outpost for critical thinking, off beat ideas, not a publicity board?

dm, kabuliwallah

Others COULD have been better, but Nehru was actually there, and did his part - which is far more important.

But the truth is, and may God be thanked for this, we have been constantly blessed with an abundance of good (none perfect) leaders on ALL sides (except among communists, although a few among that group were not bad, just naive), and with good people. The two go together, IMHO.

bulleya#25:

I did not say that India is doing great. As to your personal question, I twice tried to return to India and once spent a whole year there, but was not able to make myself useful in the prevailing climate there at that time.

Now, I am retired but I do intend to spend a third of each year in Delhi. So, I will be quite happy to meet up with you and listen to your ideas.

kabulliwallah:

I agree with you. There is no substitute to some massive labour intensive infrastructure development programs to solve the dual problem of creating infrastructure and jobs at the same time. Our leaders recognize this and the UPA govt.'s rural employment scheme was perhaps a step in that direction. But I have read very little about how the program is being implemented. For the program to work, it is important to ensure minimum of leakages through the system. I think that Vajpayee, though not an economist, was good at thinking big. His golden quadrilateral program has been a success. He also launched a feasibility study to revive the dormant idea of east-west linking of rivers; unfortunately, the new govt. seems to have dropped that idea.

"Nehru by insulating India from the voluptuous embrace of the West in our initial years of freedom might have done more to preserve India's soul, like you said, than we all realize."

I am not quite sure about this. Alternates to Nehru, Patel, CR Rajgopalacharya, Rajinder Prasad, etc. were more Gandhian and swadeshi in their outlook than Nehru, who was a classic coconut - brown on the outside and white on the inside.

dost_mittar/anil etc. #: i will not get into the debate of whether india is great or not great or doing well or not....i tend to rely on the un hdi, which places all of south asia as the worst place to live after sub-saharan africa.......india (and pakistan and the rest of south asia) on average has a ways to go before reaching mexico and cuba and libya.........

however, i have one question......if india is so great and has such a positive future (and it well may), why in the world are so many of the indians making such statements, not willing to live in india?......why am i spending more time in india than all such indians, nowadays, including the both of you?........

dost_mittar/anil etc. #: i will not get into the debate of whether india is great or not great or doing well or not....i tend to rely on the un hdi, which places all of south asia as the worst place to live after sub-saharan africa.......india (and pakistan and the rest of south asia) on average has a ways to go before reaching mexico and cuba and libya.........

however, i have one question......if india is so great and has such a positive future (and it well may), why in the world are so many of the indians making such statements, not willing to live in india?......why am i spending more time in india than all such indians, nowadays, including the both of you?........

zee dude

What's this obsession with indian bowel movement and locations of such activities?... It's a very troubling sign.. the last person with such affliction was a retardo parsi who is now institutionlaized...

Call 1-800-DR-MOHAR... I don't want you go down the same path of mental degradation... :)

aslam
[Nehru was responsible for partion..]

Of course he was... which is the reason I like N-Man... otherwise - we would be sitting today with millions of wannabe-bedouins making a mess out of everything...

#1 Posted by Ranjit,,

Mian, posting of photos on FP is disabled on this 'beta' version of beti Chowk-wali.

However, I congratulate bharat on the progress made so far, but the road is long and arduous. The 'real' freedom to bharat will only come when 'real' freedom to defecate is granted to 3/4 th of it's population when the section # 145 of the Railways Act is repealed which is cruelly jailing innocent bhartis for 'causing nuisance' on Railway property.

I'm sure you're agitating for that freedom alongwith millions of your countrymen (and women) and you have my unmitigated support.

Re: # 16
The foundation of any culture is language, everything flows from that, poetry, literature, songs, drama etc.

Korean and Japanese have successfully preserved their language.

I’m not too sure about India and Pakistan they seem to be embracing English with unbridle enthusiasm.

Happy Independence Day, India!!!

God bless our country. May we prosper 10 times more than we have and may we have peace and happiness for generations to come.