Category: Essays

  • The Conundrum

    I have worked as a professional for almost two decades now. While I have had the opportunity to work and learn from the best, it also has been a mind-numbing, nerve-wracking experience. At times, I feel that I am watching a satirical movie play out in which characters would pop out randomly and do their…

  • The Idea of India – Learning the hard way

    After the untimely death of Nehru in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri took over the reins as the prime minister of India. A Soft Spoken and mild mannered person, Shastri carried himself with a strong resolve. As the country teetered towards chaos at the death of Nehru, his leadership inspired a sense of calm. In his…

  • The Fear Factor

    The last two books i read were This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein, and Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re wrong about the World by Hans Rosling. While Naomi’s book takes a dire tone and focuses on the need for urgent actions to combat climate change, Hans’s book uses data to explain how the world is really…

  • The Idea of India – Evolution

    The next part of Guha’s book helps us understand the events post independence, gives us a glimpse on the pain that partition inflicted on the country. Guha also delves on the efforts taken by Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar to define a unified, secular and democratic country. The Idea of India The partition left the country divided…

  • The Idea of India – Origins

    India celebrated its 74th independence day on the 15th of August 2020. We have come a long way since then. India is seen by the rest of the world, as a stable democracy, as a secular and a diverse country, and as a country with great human capital and market share that can reshape the…

  • To Infinity and beyond

    On May 31st 2020 Doug and Bob, two astronauts from NASA, set foot on the International Space station. They were welcomed by Chris Cassidy and his crew. What made this event truly special was that they made the journey in the Dragon space shuttle, designed by SpaceX a private firm. Elon Musk, the CEO of…

  • Life in the times of COVID-19

    In Jan 2020, when i first read a few reports on the COVID-19 Virus in Wuhan, I was not immediately concerned. I mean, this is the 21st century, surely the scientists of today can come up with something to counter the virus, right. Well, now i know how incorrect my original assessment was. The disease…

  • Understanding Privilege

    I would like to believe that I am a self made man. Don’t get me wrong, I know very well that I have not rewritten history, I am not a influencer or a trend setter in any way. I work for a living, and absolutely will need to do so in order to build a…

  • The one about Identity

    A few years ago, I had made note of an essay by Prof. Amartya Sen who talked about the need for humans to embrace broader identities. He thought that this would break barriers and promote the spirit of oneness around the world. The idea that I could shape my identity through my interests fascinated me.…

  • The one about Día de los Muertos

    I recently watched the Pixar-Walt Disney movie Coco. The movie won several accolades and focuses on the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). The holiday serves as a day to offer prayers and to remember friends and family who have left us from the mortal world. I had the feeling…