EssDee's Inane Insanities (or Insane Inanities)

The government of India, supported by practically everybody, has passed the right to education act. What I understand from whatever the newspapers say is that, basically and characteristically, the government has shrugged off the responsibility to provide basic education to all the citizens, and has passed the onus to all schools, including private ones. All private schools must now keep a segment of the seats for students from "financially disadvantaged" families. So far, so good. The latent commie inside the heart of every educated person tells me to cheer loudly. To join the landslide of applause for what is being touted as probably the only good thing this government has done. But then the chap who has worked like the proverbial dog to give his son one of the best educations in the country talks to me from the grave. (I happen to have a Jesuit schooling, REC engineering, and IIM management. Some of the best this country can give.) My dad, being a educated middle-

This is my response to the " Open Letter to India's Graduating Classes ", currently doing the rounds. On reading the load of grouse that the esteemed "employer" considers as  good advice , I am, to say the least, shocked! On the basis of what I personally went through, 12 long years ago, and what I am sure millions of graduate / post-graduate freshers go through even today, I think I need to reply. I am replying because I thought then, and I still think, that employers are short-changing the fresh graduates, especially the fresh B-school graduates. Over the last 12 years, I have seen no improvement in the "employer" attitudes. Feel free to reply with bouquets or brickbats. This is the truth as I have felt it. It's the concept of "employers" and "senior managers" whom I target. And in all fairness, I am a "senior manager" now, and hope the freshers under me don't have the same complaints as I did, all those years

Two shocks to the system. One, the Indian Army was planning a coup. Two, the bigger shock, the above news is false. And the next day, another shock: a newspaper as anti-establishment as the Indian Express totally changed its colours! Let's run through this coup thingie, with my admittedly theoretical, but rather substantial, knowledge of wars, battles, military matters. One, the troop movements reported were of one brigade of Paras and one brigade of mechanised infantry. Now, one brigade (or even a company) of elite Special Forces (henceforth referred to as SF) can beat the living crap out of the entire Delhi Police. Or any other copper force in the country. With their bare hands. With the cops as armed as they can ever be. And probably even if you tie the SF's right hands behind their backs. But a brigade of light infantry, which is what all SFs basically are, can never sustain a coup. Even when reinforced with another Brigade (or even a regiment) of mechanised infantry,