Is Infrastructure Bond Tax saving a worth investment?

sorry folks for the poor quality of image print ... am not very good at putting up the excel sheet showing the comparison...

interested folks can leave their email ID as comment and I can share the soft copy !!

good luck !!

Gandhigiri or Kranti??

The thoughts which i have penned down today was something which had my mind in turmoil state in the year 2006.. in the same year, we had watched two of the greatest hits in Indian cinemas... Rang De Basanti (RDB) released on 26th Jan 2006 and Lage Raho Munna Bhai (LRMB) released on 1st Sept 2006.

RDB is a very influential movie which captured the element of dirty politics ruining the nation and how the need of the hour was another Kranti by Indian youngsters to clean up the mess. A group of four college buddies get together to revenge the death of one of their close pal in MIG crash... highlighting the way politicians had brought shame to the nation by scams in purchase of poor quality spare parts for MIGs leading to death of many great pilots in air force.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rang_De_Basanti

LRMB was again a very inspiring movie showcasing the formula of non-violence and spirit of truth by which our great Mahatma ji got freedom to India. Very cleverly it highlighted that non-violence is still a very effective means to achieve peace in the society and how such mechanism had a long lasting impact on individual lives. If one recalls, it wasn't mere uprooting the cause of sham, but changing a person to its core permanently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lage_Raho_Munna_Bhai

In our proud nation, there is a divided section of thoughts who really gave us freedom. While we see Mahatma ji's photograph and sculptures all around us, proudly smiling at his relentless belief in non violence for his entire life, not all really think so high of him. While a big section applaud him for his efforts and teachings, there is another mass which shuns him for his faults in creating a Pakistan, not saving Bhagat Singh when all it required was his signature or so many believe, and what not. This is the section which believe that had there been no Kranti, we would never had seen this day, and Gandhiji just luckily took the credit away.

Now relating this to the two very inspiring movies, RDB highlights the movement of Kranti, fighting for the right, as the way to achieve things and LRMB highlights that though slow, but the affect of peace and non violence is ever lasting. Released in quick succession, it leaves us in a dilemma. Which path should we follow? Should I keep sending flowers to Mr. Kalmadi, Mr. Raja, Miss Mayawati, Mrs. Y, Mr. Z, and the entire clan of politicians, bureaucrats, jihadis, naxals, or just pick up a gun with lots of bullets and go out on a shooting spree? Which is the learning I should teach myself and to my younger ones if I suddenly wake up with the junoon of freeing India from its own kids destroying it.

I tried protruding over it with my silent self. Instead of really coming to answer what is the right route, I tried going back to history in purview of these movies and find out which of the two realms was the real reason for Mother India's freedom. Was it the heroics of Gandhiji to relentlessly keep fighting in peace and bringing the nation together or was it the blood of many freedom fighters who gave lives away for us to breathe in the free air?

I feel that if you remove Kranti fights from our history, and place Gandhiji as the only force factor, I fear he would have also added another number to Jalianwala Bagh, or some other shootout by some wretched shoot orders of some English general. Result, at the max, the general would have been made to resign or killed by an angry mob, again movement towards a Kranti. Only positive factor: Had this happened in later stage of Gandhiji's fight when he had already tied the nation together, this Kranti would have had higher chances to uproot the East India rule. A combined force of entire nation, but again, a Kranti. If someone would have realised what Gandhiji was capable of even before he became a national leader, that way we dot even know how many Father of Nation we have already lost. Only because we would have not known him then.

If you remove Gandhiji from the history, and our Kranti kaarees would have fought us the freedom, one, I see less chances of an entire nation coming together under one leadership, and then miraculously if this ever happened, what are the chances that we would have been living in India that it is today and not a ruined state like Afghanistan and Pakistan being continuously run by Taliban forces and every other chap with an AK-47. After all, when there are no good example today for a militancy successful nation, hasn't India risen to be a powerful and yet livable society? Could we have risked our freedom to such a state? At freedom, every powerful army who contributed could have claimed stake in power. With just Jinnah and Nehru, there were two painful splits. Imagine the state India would have been now if militancy would have won us freedom.

Gandhiji was never for the split. He even fasted to near death. It was the same power hungry politicians then who wanted entire control in their hands. Fighting for the cause of Hindus or Muslims stake was just an eye wash. And he gave up realizing its impact but also having a belief that people who have fought shoulder to shoulder cannot be separated by a line. Who knew that it was not a line on the land. It was across their heart never to reunite.

Hand over the power to military today and to many's satisfaction, there would be an immediate war with Pakistan and then another crush of us by China. If war would have been the solution, we would have had it in so many wars already fought. So do we give a rose to jihadis and ask them to keep bombing us till they get tired? Obviously there is a difference in one spitting on my wall and me cleaning; and someone coming everyday and killing my family members and I keep mourning for them and wishing the terrorist groups to get well soon.

But that doesn’t also mean that if someone slaps me, I pull out a trigger and bang !! Off goes his head rolling on the street. Remember the conversation of Paresh Rawal in ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’. “If you push me now, should I push you back? You’ll go and bring in your friends and beat me up. I will return with more power and beat you again. When will this stop? When will this pushing our own people stop?”

Shouldn't there be a balance? a middle path? a combination of both factors playing its role based on people dealt with? We obviously had Lord Krishna sorting very complicated issues with his divine talks, and also was the one who chose to kill King Kans to relieve mankind of his brutality. Lord Rama helped setup a great kingdom with wisdom but also killed Ravana. Doesn’t Quraan teach to jihad to kill the devil within, but also teach to hug and forgive others for wrong?

Let’s go back to the movies now. LRMB.. whatever were the cases presented, were at a very sober level. At the max the villain did was had Sanjay Dutt arrested or asked his watchman to slap him. But had he hired a group of goons to go and shoot Vidya Balan and all the oldies, am not sure if Sanjay would have managed to still post greeting cards on his gate. He would have surely ensured a flower around his photograph.

We did see the same thing in RDB. Amir and gang did not pull the trigger right away. There were Gandhiji principles way dharna with candles and media in a crowd. Silently asking for an action against the culprit. Peace and non violence. Result... lathi charge and their motherly figure in hospital. They gave up by one, Gandhiji had the power to had many in his entire life again and again.
Just imagine, if the defence minister could live guilt free after so many murders of pilots, would he even had cared not to get Amir shot if he was making a mess? In the same movie, had we not seen that when they publicly announced their reason for the murder over radio and clearly communicated that they had no arms and were ready to surrender, the order from some minister was to ensure no one comes out alive. He would have immediately got the hint that this message could make him the leader and connect him to masses. He certainly did not want another Gandhiji to overthrow their power. Better have them killed right away. Learning from the earlier mistakes of East India.

Somewhere, I really feel that East India group was not entirely a group of smugglers and mass murderers. They did not come to loot like many mughals and other troops. They wanted to rule with dignity too. Had we not seen honest umpires in ‘Lagaan’ as well as cheat villain general putting his puppet in team for a bribe. They both were English. There were courts setup. There was infrastructure and education. True, they did it for themselves and not for us. But some of them were really good rulers and men of conscience. These were the men who could get moved by Gandhiji's talks. Then they become a positive factor for us instead of a negative factor. As the quote in 'Once upon a time in Mumbai' goes, "jab dost bana ke kaam ho sakta hai toh dushman kyun banayein"... (when things can get done by making friends, why make enemies). was it not Gandhiji's power of speech that he had many influenced even in the East colony. But put Gandhiji to talk to a barbarian, and the next moment, he would pull put the pistol and killed. Ever tried explaining things politely to rogues around? Do this and you would understand the difference between where speech works and where force.
I believe it is always the dual force when applied at right place that we yield the best results. Just blindly accepting one way and shunning another is not the way of life. We have to appreciate the presence of dual forces in everything. Today India is what it is for the greatness of Gandhiji as well as the Bhagat Singh and all the other Swatantra Senanis. I really wish their soul rest in peace instead of being shunned and abused by one section or the other. I feel the need of sensible diplomats as much as a strong army to protect and develop a nation. Only if they could perform their duties and create the respect to bind a nation together, than crushing the budding leaders, we would soon see a day when India would be again clowned as the "Golden Bird".

Jai Hind !!!

CorpFundas - H1 rush.. worth it??

Hello all....
This blog is a read for:
1. People who did not or could not apply for H1
2. People who applied for H1 and:
2.a) their application was not picked up
2.b) their application got selected
Many people in their initial phase of career crave for onsite opportunities. They give away lots of commitments, woo their managers and also get to level to threat of leaving the company for paving their way to US. They leave existing opportunities in hand and all they look for is an H1 visa to travel. Few months back, there was a crazy race among IT employees to have their H1 application filed. First a little on that....
I know people who gave commitments to stick to their projects (when they have been really looking for a change) to have their H1 appl filed. There were also some who continued in the company only to have their H1 appl filed, with a mindset that if they get it, they would continue or else, would plan for a hop. Why all this? Only because having it filed from a reputed company increases the already bleak chances to get the H1.. the stamp to stay long term in US.
Is the gamble all that worth? Well, if you consider the above two cases of bargain, I personally believe YES, to a certain extent. But one should not calculate the cost of this gamble... this luck game.. as mere staying in a project or a company for few more months. It should be calculated in terms of economics-famous term "Opportunity Cost". Cost in terms of what you lost in not making the shift.
This cost could be two-fold. Money.. eh... if one gets through, he would anyways make all the money he lost now. Shouldn't be a major concern if you are not compensating against a whopping ten-fold increment. Second part, opportunities in terms of role, technology, etc etc. Well here too I believe, if you are capable of making to it right now, you have high chances that you would be able to have it a few months later too.
So, until and unless, its something you really want and you are getting right now (and here's the crux... and also if you would not get it after those few months), you should not play this risk. Else its all worth it. [ I would not dig into self-respect issues here if someone has to bargain at the cost of it; however, it very well falls into the second category; you'd not get it back after few months.. so gotta leave it :) ]
Now, with the all costing absorbed and H1 appl filed, if you are among the major unlucky lot who did not make it, no regrets. US is not the only destination and H1 not the only way to get you there. Probably reading this till the end, can make you feel that this "unlucky" lot is the one who is actually "lucky". read on..... :))
Now after the long discussion on costing etc etc, let me come to the main topic.
Now the so called "lucky" lot has their H1 application selected. First thing, you are no longer in a position to change the company. Its widely-heard-of a norm that a candidate needs to fly to US under H1 atleast once under the company which had filed the H1 for it, unless some other company buys it from filing company. If this "widely-heard-of" norm is "a myth", I request all those knowledged people to confirm and then disseminate the information around.
However, I know some pals who had this set in their mind... "ooh... I have my H1. Now this company who has spend on it, would surely try to recover its costing. They would send me onsite asap." Dear pals, I beg to differ here a little. The company already has its cost recovered when you had stuck to the company for few more months. At company level, lets attribute the amount spent to "attrition reduction costs".
Now well, the company never operates on basis of recovering costs. They always work on the principle of leveraging more off it. That is what make them big today. Moreover, the company never intended to spend such major amount for the sake of attrition control. It has its own scheme of things, set of identified people whom they want to be at onsite and capture the US market. At high management level and for some critical resources in some projects, the company does feel the need to have H1 ready chaps. So, well, a company do wish to use your H1 luck for the benefit of the company, but do your managers think only that.
A manager here also knows two things which, alas, can work for your disadvantage:
1. Since you are holding H1, you would not quit the company unless you utilise it atleast once. (an OPPORTUNITY)
2. There are also high chances that you would quit the company as soon as you utilise your H1 for the first time, through this company. (a THREAT)
Now if your manager think in such a shrewd manner (well, shrewd is not the right word... if they don't think that, they better look out for other job roles... management is probably not the right job for them), here are the problems:
He would try to leverage on the fact that you are not going to quit unless you use your H1. He would not give you onsite. Worse, he might also not give you good local incentives, promotions.
And you are not going to quit either. You want to use your H1. After all it was your hard earned luck that you were selected. Every year, it would just get tougher. Its life time opportunity, etc etc.
So he might keep giving you empty promises that they are really trying hard to look out for a much better opportunity and because you believe that they are also interested in leveraging your H1, you keep quiet. Well, what else could you do. Nothing much right, since you cannot quit. You have your H1 at stake. lolz....
Now your H1 expires if not utilised in a year i guess. Well, don't worry. your manager is definitely going to send you onsite around expiration time, but not now. So with your H1 in hand, your opportunity cost has risen many folds. You have to stick to the same company for another 1 year without any onsite and other promotions. Are you ready to take that cost where you would have got onsite immediately because you would have left otherwise?
Heard of your colleagues who got onsite almost immediately after getting H1?? Well.. I don't deny that. You could get; majorly because of two things:
1. Manager just does not have option but to send you, as "you are critical" and not because "you think you are critical". Tough chances. Your manager has to think that way or you have to prove your luck again to fit into your company's scheme of things.
2. You don't give a damn to your H1 and would quit anyhow. Ohh well.. managers rarely get to see such "BAD" people in the team. "Whattt??? you don't want to use your H1 do you??? Did I hear it right???"
ohh well. because you know two things. reiterating again:
"US is not the only opportunity and H1 not the only way to reach there."
So pals, sincere advise to think on these lines too before depending too much on your H1 to pave your way to US. H1 is definitely a luck thing but you might have to be prepared to leave it as it could as well be damaging your chances. Know about "Neel stone". Its a stone believed to turn one's luck. It can either destroy you to rags or make you a king. Is H1 Neel?? If its gonna destroy you, are you not ready to shun it?
I love people who play the smart moves of threatening to be ones in category [2] above. They might not quit, but well. Their managers don't know it. They give all signals that they are ready to hop even at the cost of H1. possibly a piece of line to think on if you can smartly make your moves.
Good luck people. I have presented my mindset. There could be more to it which I am not yet exposed to. So I welcome your thoughts on this blog.
Cheers,
Wiki

India's batting order woes

So much of drama over Sehwag and Yuvraj.... who gets away with it?? our sensational cricketer and lover boy of the year.. MS Dhoni... he is definitely a sensation in ODIs and 20-20 formats.. but a test match... ??? arguable !!!
He would have a decent average by statistics but when it comes to test matches (sply overseas) he needs to pave way to Karthik/Patel.Karthik's ability to keep is unarguably better than Dhoni's. He has the temperament to hold nerves against the best attack with a new ball.He opens and all the cards fall in place. Dravid one-down and then Sachin.. Laxman.. Dada and all to follow.
Yuvraj is definitely a better player who has the ability change the course of the game. Better than Dhoni in any format of the game. Gives you the option to bowling too (being a left-arm spinner.. he becomes handy on last day worn out pitch). A terrific fielder and future of Indian cricket.
Dhoni too has something to support his end in Test cricket. The plethora of sponsors backing him.........
Good luck India...

Tuesdays with Morrie

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.
For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.
After four years on the New York Times bestseller list, Tuesdays with Morrie is at last available in paperback.

Read more at: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/morrie/