My X-mas Wishlist

Its Christmas time and last weekend I went to buy presents for my boys. Early on in life I had shared with them that I am the Santa Claus who keeps the gift under the X-mas tree we have at home. They were giving me hints for last few days regards what they want, checking if I had bought the gifts and making sure they would get it when they wake up on the X-mas day. During all this I asked myself, if Santa came and asked me for my gift, what would I want? After all the kid in all of us will like to get gifts and be surprised.  This question led me to think of a list of probable gifts I will like from Santa. I am sharing the same with you below in no particular order.

1)      I will to like to have a magic potion (much like the Druid's in Asterix) to remain in shape. Imagine taking a spoonful every night and all the fat & carbs are neutralized, love handles gone and I wake up in perfect shape and healthy. All this for healthy body healthy mind connection, good looks and great body will be incidental you see

2)      I will ask for a supply of all the bestseller books for the year. It will be amazing to have them delivered and not search the numerous lists that come out at the end of the year and confuse the hell out of everyone. This clearly satiates the reader in me and not to even mention that I will have an enviable collection of the year

3)      I will like to know the people who genuinely feel for me. They do not necessarily have to be my friends but at least I will know where I stand with them and know that they will keep me honest, and contribute in my journey. It will help me focus in my relationships and not be blind sighted. Imagine writing a name on a paper and a true analysis appears for you to read and understand if it’s worth investing emotionally or not

4)      Santa should help me understand what happens to the money I pay as taxes. Every time I step out of house I am taxed be it in form of road tax, income tax, VAT, service tax, surcharges list goes on and I am still counting. I need to know what happens to the money, who is using it and for what. Also if I can get a say in whether I agree on the usage or not, after all it’s my money dude!

5)      I really want Santa to lend me his Sleigh for a week in the year. I can then take my family and friends around the world, where ever we want to go and see all the beautiful places. I am sure we can use an eco friendly means of transport contributing to Go Green initiative ( not to mention that it will come free)  

While I dream of my list and wait for my Santa, Wish you and family a Great X-mas and a wonderful 2013.  

Gen Y: Myths & Realities

This is something that everyone is talking about be it organizations, leaders, managers, theorist, academicians or HR professionals. I first heard of this term in 2005 and have been intrigued ever since. I have read, discussed and finally even attended a 2 day workshop on the subject.I am now going to share with you what is my take on this ‘Gen Y’.

As a marketing guy who builds a brand let me also try to articulate a few attributes so that you have an idea of who we are talking about here:

•  Born after 1982 or entered workforce post 2000
• Believe internet is their lifeline and spend on an average 25 hours there in a week
• It’s unthinkable for them to not have a pc / laptop / tablet
•  Communicate more through text and net than any other medium even verbally in more than a few cases
•  Jobs are something that are changed as a matter of fact
• Career is not about what you do for a living. It is  about what your passion is and that runs parallel to the job
• Admiration and recognition is what they crave for
• Internet is their most reliable source followed by friends for making decisions
• Money is important for them when choosing a job but not the only thing

Hope this helps you build a mental image and increase your know the Gen Y quotient.

Before I proceed further I must share 3 things that happened last week and left me surprised. My father who returned from a holiday trip to Singapore & Malaysia was very keen that I download his photographs so that he can share it with his friends on facebook. He is planning another trip to Russia and his travel agent and he are communicating on his itenary  and other details though message box option in facebook.  

My 7 year old elder son wanted to have a conversation on how to be integrated on all apple products I needed to buy an iPhone so that we could optimally use iPod and iPad that we have. He also wanted to know if I am going to upgrade to ipad3 from my Ipad2 now that new product was available.

My 4 year old got my wife to download a new game on the iPad. While showing me what it was one evening as I returned from office he checked if I would need his help to learn how to play and volunteered to help me if I tried and failed.

I asked myself who amongst my father and my kids are Gen Y or if they both are?

A few months ago a leading weekly magazine had carried out a youth survey. It said that 76% of the respondents both Girls and boys were ok with premarital sex. In the same study 68% of the respondents wanted their spouse at the time of marriage be a virgin.  What an interesting paradox! And yet what a challenge to understand this thinking and approach.

So what exactly is this Gen Y. Every time I think I have an answer or feel smug that I have arrived at an understanding I am surprised. Gen Y have an aura and more than a few myths surrounding them. Let me try and share some key ones and also my take on them.

Myth 1: Gen Y have short attention spans and limited knowledge. FALSE

They pay attention as long as it is of interest to them and they are learning something new. Remember they have access to internet and they wiki for information much more than you and I do. They do not want pontification but substance. My 7 year old does not want to hear ‘gyan’ from me but is equally keen to understand many things that make sense to him and are logical. He has many questions and as long as I am on track to answer he is my biggest listener, soaking in all I have to say but the moment I digress I lose him.

Myth 2: Gen Y want to connect with older generations. TRUE

They are looking to make meaningful connections with elders / seniors who they can trust and genuinely look upto. They do not just want to connect by virtue of title or age. If they see value they will be like a guru and a disciple but just because you are their uncle / aunt / family or have more years they will not listen. Gen X will respect the relation, age but these people will respect the connect, the conversation, the knowledge. I have many young friends who also do a very good job of teaching me a few things I may have missed when it comes to technology or approach to events

Myth 3: Gen Y do not think about the future. FALSE

They are thinking about the future all the time but for them as of now it is something that has myriad possibilities. They are still in a stage where they have few routes that they want to take and see where it leads them. Given their high self confidence they are sure they will make something out of their life and they want to clearly understand for themselves what their purpose in life is. Ask them what they will be doing after 10 years and you are most likely to get a stare that says “are you kidding me” but talk to them about next 2-3 year you will have a more definitive answer which will include discussion on things they are passionate about and that most probably will not include work. They are clear about what they expect of life in a foreseeable future beyond which it is about possibilities.

Myth 4: Gen Y are disloyal. FALSE

They are someone who clearly have a different understanding of the word loyalty. For them life is like a ‘live in’ relationship concept. With that I mean the approach is let’s be together and explore and understand till we both see or derive value. They are not averse to long term association but may not state it upfront. It’s like when our generation changed jobs we would look at a stint of 3-5 years and mentally commit ourselves to the organization. This commitment would lead us to bear the ups and down of career and be more this will not last approach and things will improve. Today the approach is as long as I add value to myself and grow I am good being here and that could be 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 months or 5 years. This is also one of the reasons personal relationships are transient for them. It’s about togetherness in real sense where each one has expectations and understanding of how much to give in and what to expect. It is not about sacrifice and one sided investment

Myth 5: Have no Belief in Authority. TRUE

They respect authority for their qualities of leadership, guidance and mentoring that they get from the senior individual. They are very open to learn and hear you for the inputs and its quality and not just because you carry an SVP or some such senior tag will they listen to you, No. They clearly know how to segregate riff raff from a meaningful value add conversation. Visiting cards and titles do not impress them but quality of interaction does.

Myth 6: Gen Y are slack and lazy. FALSE

Almost all of Gen Y workforce is willing to work hard and give it all it takes to achieve what they set out to. They are more determined than most of their predecessors but for them getting ahead at any cost is not the right thing. They are into work and many other things and it’s important that they win but win by means that are right and in the manner they think is correct. They are their own judge of right and wrong which is shaped by their values and beliefs.

Myth 7: Gen Y want weak bosses. FALSE

Gen Y looks forward to have strong bosses not tough bosses. For them strong boss is someone who has subject knowledge, who empowers them, guides them. For them boss is someone who speaks their lingo, can keep up with their pace, appreciates efforts, has no hidden agenda, is sensitive to diversity & surrounding. They like bosses who give frequent feedback which is actionable. What is a big NO is acting tough and appearing so just because you are in a position of authority. They want you to be the boss but not act like one.

Myth 8: They don’t respect family. FALSE

They respect family and care about them. They believe that no matter what parents do they are there for them. They take for granted the responsibilities their parents have to provide for them. They clearly want parents who are friends. They also extend the family concept by including friends into it. For them friends are part of the family and score over cousins. This is because they exercise the power to choose their friends which they do not have in case of extended family and their choice comes first. They may have a mind of their own but acceptance of their choice be it in career, partner or any other facet of life is very important for them. This also does manifest in various reality shows when you see youngsters breaking down when it comes to families or friends.

Myth 9: Gen Y have no work Ethos. FALSE

Work for them is not slogging for hours. For them work is a means to an end not the end. Their priorities are different as they see work as one of the part of their life and something that helps them achieve their passion. They do not believe in staying late from optics perspective but being there if it is needed. If there is no work then for them it’s ok to leave and do something they want to than just hanging around in office twiddling at work. Lot of people talk about how they dress to work. Their approach is tell me to come in formals or the dress code and I will, if you don’t I will decide what is appropriate and walk in.

Myth 10: They seek recognition. TRUE

They clearly believe in seeking recognition because it differentiates them amongst their peer group. Why else do you think they would go the most happening pub in town, post a update picture on facebook or twitter late in the night and wait for response. Have you ever thought why Facebook does not have a dislike button? It is about I, me and myself but in a positive sense. ‘I know my value and I respect it’ is the attitude. No amount of recognition or rewards is enough and more public it is the better. A reward of dinner with family, opportunity to fulfill a passion like fly an aircraft, hike, motorbike trip is any day better than a gift certificate or a memento. Recognition or fame is the secret behind TV shows like Roadies / Indian idol that thrive on fulfilling this need and are now running into many seasons , otherwise why would someone come to an audition to be yelled , humiliated and made to feel worthless.

Now that we have discussed the myths and I hope I have managed to break a few, I know you are asking what is Gen Y exactly looking for. As per me they are looking for the following:

• Freedom of expression
• Instant recognition
• Work life balance
• Coaching & Frequent feedback
• Challenging the status quo in their own way

So in the end what is Gen Y? If you ask me from whatever I have gathered or understood “ IT IS A MINDSET”. This mindset or approach can manifest in my 70 year old dad , 7 year old son , 15 year old nephew , 25 year old coworker, 35 year old colleague or 45 year old boss.

Franklin D Roosevelt said many years ago “There is a mysterious cycle in Human Events. To some generations much is given. Of the others much is expected.” 

Acknowledgement : Research by Strategist shared in training program was insightful and have used some of it in my blog. 

Men need women and I am 100% convinced.

I got sucked into a conversation a few days back where in there were a huge debate / discussion on women and men primarily needing each other for sex and procreation. A few agreed and few disagreed and each one had strong positions like always. Long after the topic shifted to other mundane things I kept thinking about why women need men and similarly men need women. I strongly believe that women need men and vice versa for more reasons than only for procreation and physical gratification.

This made me to think about how important women are for men. Top of mind can think of several reasons / ways in which women are essential for life the way we live and the way we are. And it not about sex, procreation, giving birth and bringing up kids. So here are several reasons and in no particular order

• If we did not have women to crib and rant about think of what will happen to male bonding. All married men bond by sharing wife cribs and bachelors bond by sharing girlfriend cribs. Those in love are exception and awaiting their reality check moment. It surely comes is all I can say
Imagine a world where you do not have women to blame for not letting your things be where you left them, for tiding up, for not finding the stuff you did not touch for last few months but expect it to be somewhere around, for always ensuring you plan in advance and stick to it
Imagine if the above did not happen, there would be no conversation after 10 minutes and how boring that would be.

• What will a man do with all the money he earns if there are no women to spend? This leads to man cribbing about so much spend at every possible forum and occasion. Doctors say cribbing is good for de – stressing and hence leads to a decrease in our stress levels and saves us from future heart attacks

• One should always learn as learning is a continuous process. Think of all the valuable lessons lost on what to wear, what colors look good on you, to be aware that world is more than blue and white with an occasional black, bathroom etiquettes, being sensitive, when to say yes (always) and when to say no (never), importance of getting ready in 5 minutes and smiling while you wait for an hour for wife to get ready, listening skills, I could go on but finally its about learning to feel lucky in life and be positive. (We never learn do we? but in the process we fall in love with the rigmarole and love women for trying to teach us and silently thank them all our lives)


• It would be unfair to only mention what we get out of the relationship. We also give a lot. We spend many hours pretending to listen (while thinking of everything else possible), we give up many a beer parties so that we can spend time at home, we appreciate new curtain, bedcover, flower vase etc (even if it does not matter and we never will bother again). We always know women are never fat and never look it. We always appreciate new dress, understand women can never have enough shoes or bags, are always willing to hear about tales at the beauty parlor, always love the new look, always ready to help the mom – in – law and surely always keep our weekends free so that women can plan it for us.

All that I mentioned above I still feel strongly we need women. We need them as they give a meaning and a new dimension to our life. They make things meaningful. Imagine Rakhi without a sister or Diwali without women of the household. How boring and dull the world will be if we were all the same and there were no differences, no fights, no arguments and thus no reason to make up, charm, and fall in love over and over again. Women enrich our lives, help us engage our minds, reinforce a lot of values we grew up with, challenge us and thus keep us on the edge, sharp and ready to face any challenge. They are always our pillars of support irrespective of when we need it and what ever the reason is.

We need women to build our lives, raise family together, to enjoy our success with, to share our sorrows, to grow old with and have a lifetime worth living. And I don’t know about women but am sure that men need women in their lives. I am thankful to God for the women in my life, my mother, sister and wife. (Shit now I will have to justify the order…bless me God!)

Men and Formula 1

“For eight months in a year you watch men drive cars, change tyres, fill petrol and go around in circles some 50 or 60 times at around 300 kmph and what is so interesting about it?” my wife has asked me this question for last six years that we have been married and till date I have not had a convincing answer. Only thing I end up saying is it’s a guy thing and my four year old son who cannot understand why car racing (as per him) cannot happen all year round just validates the same.

Men (most of them) love fast cars, hot women, alcohol and not necessarily in that order. I cannot explain my love for formula one. It’s not that, I have grown up watching it like cricket or to some extent football and tennis. While across the world F1 is a second most watched sport after football in India it’s only a decade old but a lot of us claim to understand it and love it. It requires an innate ability to stare at the screen continuously for 2 hours that the race is on while enjoying and having fun. Like any other sport it has the ability to turn men into bunch of boisterous boys who shout and rant over beer at every pit stop furiously counting seconds and cursing if anything goes wrong.

That brings me to the question often asked “is it a sport?” Disbelievers strongly feel putting in millions of dollars to build cars that last anywhere from half a race to a full race or paying obscene money to drivers half of whom never ever in their career finish a race let alone reach the podium is absolutely rubbish to be called a sport. These disbelievers strongly feel formula one is a circus meant to entertain a select few who have more money than they can count. Ask the billions who watch it. They all cannot be as foolish for we know they all are not as rich and yet swear by the game.

Those days of wild times, women and caviar are over. For the last eight years that I have been following the game there has been a new kind of seriousness and intent. Today the new drivers spend all their time with team mechanics, trainers, and managers giving it their all. Everyone is hooked to a computer devising strategy which changes with an occurrence of a cloud or just a few rain drops. Drivers look grim and testy as if smiling more than needed will be a jinx. Team managers and consultants who mainly are ex drivers circulate in the pit while making mental calculations as they smile meeting few important people set up by the PR machinery for glamour and riches. Only people having fun before the race in the pits are pit girls, their aim to be caught on camera as the driver’s line up.

Fun I feel is left to people who watch, enjoy and go home feeling happy or sad but definitely knowing they had a good time most of the times. For people like me its fun to be watching the tension, trying to understand the last minute change in tyres and trying to guess the strategy of one pit stop or two before and during the race. There are two kinds of people, one who go to the race once or twice and then prefer to watch it on TV and other who watch it on TV but always desire to watch the race live. In today’s world technology has ensured you get the best view on camera but my friends who have been to a race say there is nothing more exciting than to hear a sound of a formula one engine racing and a sight of a Ferrari or a BMW zipping past. Watching a race is like being a part of a fraternity with thousands cheering and waving flags. They also agree while one gets to feel the excitement and pump up the adrenalin, you do miss out on replays of crashes or overtaking. I feel it’s important to experience both and hence will ensure I watch a race with my first born at least once in a few years on the circuit.

As I write this 2009 season is about to begin. Almost everyone is preparing to understand the new rules, new circuits and drivers of the teams they support. Lewis Hamilton comes back to the circuit as world champion and riding on his success McLaren come back as strong team. Hamilton must be feeling the heat as he starts his season to defend the title from both the Ferrari drivers. Massa missed by a turn in 2008 and is raring to prove himself. Kimi needs to show the world that last year was a blip and he has it in him to be the world champion. Fernando Alonso finally seems to have a car that is looking good and will be wanting to take it from where he left last season and give it a shot this year. BMW surprised everyone as a team last year and we must not count them out. Talking of teams a lot of us are looking to see if Force India with its Mclaren engine can make themselves count this year. They may not win the match but to be among points will be a reason good enough for a lot of us to down a few more beers.

My money as always in on Ferrari, a team I have supported ever since I began watching formula one because first due to Michael Schumacher and then for the love of their cars and the passion that hey wear on their sleeves. But I do think Hamilton is the prince, yes prince and not the king still even though he won last year because kings win a battle convincingly and in style. I like to see Hamilton win and with the changes in formula one maybe its time for the loyalties too that we have had for long. Hamilton and Ferrai, what a heady cocktail that will make if it happens some day. Till then its time for a group of men to get excited about how long is it taking to change the tyre, how much petrol went into the car, who got the pole? And then have a few beers more. If that is not fun then it sure comes quite close.

Sunday’s will never be same again for next eight months. May the best man win, and the best team win, I am happy as long its Ferrari.

H2 - completes 2008 : A year of Shock , Awe and Surprises!

Hi All

Almost everyone who read my earlier blog H1 had asked me to write a similar one at the end of the year. Well 2008 has ended and now is the right time to look back and understand what it meant while it lasted and also chronicle the events, which I believe will be remembered and discussed for years to come.

The events of first half have been captured in my earlier blog H1. (All those who have forgotten can re- read it). I had asked a question " Do we realise what we are witnessing? and as I look at the events that have occurred in second half all I can say is that was just an interval in the movie 2008. Here I present my highlights for second half of 2008:

- Wall street became Fall street. Lehman Brothers fell and actually US govt did not save it. There is no thoroughbred Investment bank in the world today. Citi survived while AIG and others are on a life saver

- Being a government owned financial institution was no longer a taboo. Gordon Brown showed the world how state could save economy and how proudly everyone wants to serve at the pleasure of Her Majesty's Government. US and others copied the same

- Inflation fell to below 7% in India when no one expected it to fall after it had touched 12% in H1

- Petrol prices kissed USD 150 dollars and then fell to USD 34 before we changed the calendar from 2008 to 2009

- Abhinav Bindra finally won a gold for India in an individual event. Truly 1 in a billion!

- F1 had a champion decided in a last 5 seconds of the final race and with luck playing an important role.

- US finally has a black President in Barack Obama. What he did unthinkable is even before being sworn in, has included Hillary ( fierce contender) and Robert Gates (serving republican) in his cabinet in 2 of most important roles. Way to go !!!

- Kingfisher & Jet came together to redefine the Indian Air industry and who better than the aviation minister to play cupid

- Australia are no more the Kings of Cricket ... crown is up for grabs and surprisingly India is a leading contender to take it. (anyone remember the last world cup)

- K serials ended ( after 8 yrs) and Thank god for small mercy. Adding on Ekta kapoor made a serial which did not begin with a K. Need I say more.

- Sheila Dixit won Delhi for a record 3rd time. She cannot thank BJP enough for ensuring her win.

- Taj & Trident opened in record 21 days after the Mumbai attacks. No one can break the spirit.

- Terrorism is no longer an election agenda and Democracy is alive and kicking. Thanks to Jammu & Kashmir and other states.

and finally

- Indian soldier emerged as the Indian of the year for 2008. A Nation Salutes!

2008. Thank you. You will be remembered.

Welcome 2009. Lets see what you bring.

Wishing all my readers a 2009 full of joy , happiness and above all togetherness.

I am still angry...

As I look around me today I see a lot of anger. My neighbour is angry, my friends are angry, my father who is a retired Colonel is angry, whole country is angry, Indians all over the world are angry and yes I too am angry.

Ever since 26/11 all of us have been angry. I have questioned myself many a times regards my anger on Mumbai attacks. Each time I always find something different and new for me to be angry upon: be it intelligence failure, lack of political will to tackle terror, lack of preparation to handle such attacks whatever, but things which remain constant are feeling of being mutilated, violated, helplessness and abused. It is not only me but a lot of us who are feeling the same. Check with your friends on facebook, orkut or around you and each one has many a emotions but one thing common is anger.

I have been wanting to write about Mumbai for sometime but have not done so thinking what is new that i can contribute? What will you read here that in some form or manner you would not have heard or read elsewhere. Agree that what you read from here on may not be new but it is my feeling and I am writing this to help myself. In our country where it has become a fashion to put self interest above national interest, I should at least be allowed to put my interest ahead of yours on my own blog if no where else.

Everyone has been blaming Pakistan for the attacks. Sure they are to be blamed but not fully? Before we look outward it’s important to look inwards. Its time to introspect. Despite repeated warning about terror attacks and also despite blast happening on a regular basis across the country Mumbai happened and question is why? We need to ask is how come after 1993 blasts, IC- 814 hijacking, attack on the parliament, Mumbai train blast, blast in Delhi, Jaipur etc we as a nation are not prepared? How did we allow the jehadi's to come? Why does IB, RAW, Armed forces intelligence not talk to each other? Why has National Security adviser, RAW chief not been sacked?
I come from a family where people have served the nation in Armed Forces. My father has himself fought 71 war and has suffered many a bullet injuries. I salute the soldiers who laid down their lives but I ask why have Director General Coast Guard and Naval Chief not been held accountable? Are they not responsible for protecting the country from sea? Why have we not sacked the Defence secretary or the home secretary? Is it because they are elite class of IAS and are beyond being accountable to the state? Holding Shivraj Patil , R R Patil or a Vilasrao Deshmukh accountable is not enough Mr. Prime minister, for the malaise has spread far and deep within the bureaucracy of this nation. Today every new government appoints bureaucrats and policemen who are aligned to its political agenda or caste and never on merit.

When 9/11/ happened in US there was no democrat or a republican agenda to counter it. They were united in their action plan and response. When will BJP and Congress understand this? BJP could do nothing better then release advertisements in national media about how it is better in tackling terror. They seem to have forgotten IC-814. I am ashamed when I think about it. Congress made the right noises about federal agency and NSG hubs. We ask why wait for 26/11? Actually both of them can go to hell for all I care or many of us care. Our leaders have failed us yet again. Militarily am sure we are prepared to wage a war or hit out at terrorist camps in POK but question that we should ask PM or Mr. Advani is are we politically prepared to wage a war to protect our nation?

I don't think its about religion anymore. Have we not grieved for the 19 Muslims who were among the 59 shot dead at CST? Have Muslims of India not refused to bury the terrorist in Mumbai? It’s about being Indian. Jihadi's were firing into soul of India not that of a Hindu or a Muslim. On the morning of 27 Nov as we all watched the carnage on our TV sets there was no Hindu India, Muslim India, Sikh India etc but only a nation united in anger, in helplessness and above all patriotism.

Many of us have marched with candles across cities, protesting, showing our anger, sharing grief and giving strength to each other. Media is full of campaigns on charter of terror and terror pledges and in their own way they are wanting to make a difference and wanting to keep the issue alive.

Today our politicians, bureaucrats, intelligence agencies all are waiting for us to get over our anger, our rage. They know in our bid to move on we will forget. We have done it in the past and there is nothing that makes them believe otherwise this time. Let’s prove them wrong. Let’s show them we are in no mood to forgive. They have to realize that with 26/11 our tolerance has been broken. We will not give up in a hurry and that we are willing to wait their inaction out. We need to tell them that we have been angry since 26/11 and plan to remains so for a long time.

I was told by someone 'give up your anger' for nothing will happen in our nation which has no political will to defend us and I will only hurt myself little each time that I am angry. Sorry my friend I am not listening. This time I want the hurt to continue, I want the fire to burn inside me and I want to continue being angry because I have had enough.

We Indians need to send a message not only to Pakistan and the whole world but also to our Government that enough is enough guys!

Thank You - Sourav Ganguly

India celebrates victory, they also celebrate Sourav Ganguly as he walks off the field one last time. Warm and sunny evening at Nagpur was a befitting setting for a man who wears his passion on his sleeve.

I am writing this because this is my way of saluting a hero I have liked, hated and liked again. Also as they say when it is farewell time a lot of people think ; if they were loved so much why did they have to go. I am sure at some point Ganguly too will feel the same way. But that’s for later, now is the time to celebrate a hero, so let me do it.

Disastrous debut as a 19 yr old in Australia only to be castigated in the bins of history with attitude smudged all over him; to anyone that should have signaled end of the road. 1996 England tour recall came with a lot of corridor talk about influence, money and contacts fructifying. 2 hundreds in first two matches silenced everything. “Prince of Kolkatta was anointed God of Offside.”

Ganguly as player and Ganguly as captain, both have got their share of love and hate. Circa 2000, when Tendulkar had refused captaincy and Indian cricket was in its abyss with a drubbing in Australia and a series shock loss at home to south Africa country looked towards Ganguly. ‘Cometh the moment cometh the man’. Ganguly not only grabbed the imagination of public he also reinforced the belief in the game and our ability to win. Many a great contest were held, innings played, wickets taken, catches held on and as team won and moved from one match to another , one series to another , one continent to another the captain held steadfast. He ensured the young guns were given opportunity to fire, believed in them and backed them. Ganguly marshaled his troops and would have given run for his money to any war time general.

Lords balcony and who would have thought India would have won that day and yet it did. He captured the imagination of the whole nation and world stopped to take notice. Twirling of the shirt was coming of age of the Indian youth and spirit of never giving up, never be cowed down, of giving it back and in full. It was just what Ganguly himself was defiant, confident, courageous and ability to back oneself. This was also reflected in 2003 world cup.

I along the way thought Ganguly was very tactical, very instinctive, today realize that hunches are not successful it’s the experience behind the thought to go with the hunch. Ganguly had tons of it. He was the master whose teammates believed no matter what captain does, he will do the right thing for the team and also for them. They trusted him and had faith because he was never afraid to make mistakes as a leader and acknowledge most of them.

Familiarity breeds contempt and who better to tell us about this than Ganguly himself. Down and then out, he came back when people were writing his epitaph. Today there is this big debate everywhere - did he have another year in him or not? It really does not matter, for Ganguly has never actually followed convention. He was in some ways reflecting the next obsession of Indian public ‘the sensex’. Up today down next week. Each one knows when time is up and Ganguly decided his own.

Let me admit that I have been involved in many a discussion when I have vociferously in 2004 - 2005 wanted him dropped and wanted him gone. Today I am thankful to him for coming back and doing it with passion, which is so very him. I have learnt.

He has a generation that will remember him for making us believe we can win, that too at terrains not familiar, that tigers are tigers be it any ground in any part of the world, that passion is not a bad word , that respect is earned, that if you back your team they ensure your success as a leader, that even if the whole world gives up on you, you cannot because you have yourself, that opposition respects an aggressive competitor and that its ok once in a lifetime to twirl your shirt and show it all that you have given: blood, sweat and tears. That is a lot to thank him for and rightly so.
Goodbye Prince! Offside will not be the same again for a long time. Fare Thee well!