BUSINESS

Business is a concept, process and activity involving investment that aims at success and profit within an expected period of time. It is conducted and meant for the benefit of those involved in it as investors and stakeholders. Business culture and climate increased tremendously after invention of currency and as the needs, desires and fantasies of man increased in course of time. It can be conducted between and among a small group of people, industries, towns, cities and nations. Agreement, buying, selling, margin, trade, commerce, terms and conditions are a few words related to the idea and practice of business. Mutual trust is essential for any business. Otherwise it cannot be started and continued at all. Everybody starts a business with the hope that there would be an estimated profit or loss only due to it during an estimated period of time based on the expected or unexpected circumstances thereof. Almost every business is a challenge initially because nobody can start a business if he expects it all to happen as per his perfect planning because we cannot predict what happens in near or distant future. Risk is an inevitable factor in all businesses. Businesses without risks are very few.

Every business demands a certain amount of planning and implementation aiming at the target. There is no surety that one that started a business with ultimate planning would be successful and happy and that one who ventured into it in an irrational and illogical manner fails in it. Circumstances may be favourable or unfavourable to our business as we keep going. Patience is very important for one to do business as results and profits do not emerge as per the expectations of the investor always. It may be delayed or may happen earlier than our expectations. One that intends to start a business should not consult multiple businessmen in similar field expecting genuine feedback from them. Even if it is genuine, we may not be encouraged to start a business after getting inputs from various businessmen in the same sector because losses and risks are quite common in every business and we should not be discouraged focusing on these factors only. A certain amount of courage and challenging nature are very important for us to start an existing type of business or a completely innovative one. We should not be apprehensive of competition and competitors while getting into a business. It is good if we can start such businesses in which competition is very low and returns are fast, attractive and sustainable. We can find such businesses through careful analysis and research.

Demand for and supply of a product or service during a given period of time mostly decides our profit ratio proportionately. Profits may not be consistent but volatile. Weather, contemporary social, financial and cultural scenario, the policies and procedures of the rulers, the typical psychology of human beings in a region in a given period of time and market conditions influence the success or failure of our business venture. The formulas, rules and regulations that led to success in a business may not yield similar results in another kind of business. Updating oneself and observing and analysing the existing opportunities and risk factors are very essential to come up with strategies to do businesses differently in a profitable manner. Most of the businessmen get insights from the business ideas of others in their knowledge or access before starting a business. Just like in life, anything may happen in a business. We can celebrate and enjoy if there is expected profit from a business venture. We should not start a business with this assumption. What if I lose everything I invest in this venture due to conditions beyond my control? Can I withstand such adverse situation? We should get honest and carefully calculated answers to these two important questions when we plan to start a business. One that is successful in a business struggles to earn more profit from it. One that lost a lot of time and money in a business or number of businesses gets scared so deeply that one may not dare start another business even if others offer one investment and support. Our impressions on and experiences in a business mostly provoke us to start or end a business abruptly or slowly. Often sentiments influence our business ideas and execution. It is more so in orthodox families. Businesses that are started and run based on great standards and values last longer than those that are started by superficial blokes with exclusive focus on instant profits from a business. One should not start business borrowing money hugely from others. Only selfish and narrow-minded ones can be successful and happy doing many businesses but not ideal ones. Generosity and business do not go together! Business means exploiting others. It is utilizing opportunities, maintaining business secrets.   

The Fundamentals of a Business

Simply business means a requirement and its fulfilment. If A wants a product or service, B provides it at a cost based on some terms and conditions. Both agree to them and abide by them as long as that business relationship is going on between them. Most of the businesses involve the following parameters:

1. Investor/entrepreneur

2. Capital

3. Infrastructure

4. Raw material/required professionals

5. Human resources

6. End product/customer

7. Statutory and regulatory compliance

8. Profit/loss

1. An entrepreneur is one who has a viable business idea. He must believe that he can make profits doing a business in a given period of time or hope that unbearable losses need not be incurred. He plans on what product to make or what service to offer, which has considerable or huge demand in his familiar or unfamiliar circle of buyers and customers. Production, storage, transportation and sale are involved in the case of products. Recruitment of skilled and disciplined staff, adequate training to them time to time and delivering good and socially acceptable services desired by customers is important when it is related to delivery of services. High quality goods or services at affordable rates to all prospective customers must be the guiding principle of an entrepreneur. He must plan well to save money at every level of business to make profits considerably. A business without constant profits cannot offer remuneration and a variety of benefits to workers effectively in the long run. Money is the most important factor in starting and running a business. He may invite the participation of like-minded or financially strong ones into his business venture as partners. Collective planning, mutual trust and perfect execution are needed in this scenario.

2. Capital is the amount of money required to start and run a business in the short and long run. How much capital is required to start and run a business largely depends on the nature of business, costs of infrastructural facilities, statutory obligations, procurement of material required, process and procedure of manufacturing and such other vital elements of making and distributing a product or service? Many entrepreneurs seek financial assistance from governments, voluntary organizations, financial institutions or banks to start a business. They wish to repay the loans by instalments from the profits made during business. Financial institutions don’t encourage defaulters. So, an entrepreneur should know how to spend the working capital judiciously to avoid losses in the business and earn a good reputation for himself or his firm among observers and customers in course of time. Many cannot start businesses just because they don’t have adequate capital to start a business. Many banks do not promote entrepreneurial spirit in poor and helpless people when they wish to venture into new business ideas believing in their capabilities. In the modern times, majority of banks and financial institutions are in favour of rich entrepreneurs, manipulative businessmen and corrupt politicians. They can get things done faster than others. It is not good to spend money hugely initially because our expected results may not emerge as fast as we imagine.

3. Infrastructure is the set of facilities and equipment required to start and run a business successfully in the short and long run. Buildings, furniture, roads, electricity, storage and transport facilities, security arrangements, fuel, food, accommodation, guest relations, statutory requirements are some important aspects of infrastructure. The more the quantity of products or services to be planned, prepared and delivered in a business, the more the infrastructural facilities needed. All these arrangements and facilities look desirable, meaningful and profitable when the business is going on well. It all looks like trash once the business is off for any reasons. A machine, which produced goods worth lakhs of rupees for a few years, might turn unwanted and worthless when it is not in use due to closure of that industrial unit. If infrastructure is like jewels, the products or services being made and offered there are like a human body. Jewels look attractive on an active and beautiful body only. Many entrepreneurs do not invest much on infrastructure after making considerable profits from a business during initial period of time. This is when they fail to meet the expectations of their customers or regulatory requirements in a nation.   

4. Most of the goods we are manufacturing now in millions of industrial units across the world are mostly made from raw material collected from earth. As such, all our industrial development and related prosperity is directly or indirectly associated with the treasures and bounty of nature, which we often fail to remember and acknowledge. Take a food item, a medicine or an instrument of human consumption. Its roots are in earth. We process a multitude of raw materials collected from earth to make them suitable for human consumption ultimately. Crude oil, coal, metals, water, sand, clay, minerals, fruits, nuts, grains are all products of nature. Many industries are started and run in such places where the required raw materials are available abundantly. If raw materials have to be imported and transported from distant places, costs of production of final goods increase tremendously and it largely impacts the profit ratio of any business. In service industries, mostly the knowledge and skills of adequately qualified, trained and updated staff members are utilized to the optimum level by entrepreneurs. Software, hospitals, hotels, transport, customer service, transcription, translation, teaching, editing, writing, consulting, auditing, designing, planning and regulatory compliance are some aspects of works related to service industry. Professionals and professionalism are required highly in any service industry. Satisfying human needs and emergencies with logical thinking and humanitarian approach are essential in service oriented businesses.

5. We cannot imagine any business without the involvement of human resources. From office boy to chairman of a business unit or organization, every recruited and authorized contract or permanent staff member plays a key role at many stages of production of goods or delivery of services. We may run a business with ten or one lakh human resources. The volume and profits of our businesses decide how many human resources we must deploy, how we must pay and treat them and how we must bring order in them time to time through our legally required, morally appreciable and practically possible policies and procedures. Recruitment of the best human resources for our essential needs of production or service facilities, training them ultimately and retaining them as long as we need them for the best results in our manufacturing or service facilities is the core value point in our human resource planning and segment. 

6. Humanity seeks pleasure from possessing and using various products and getting a wide variety of services from experts in various fields. Most of the products blessed by Mother Nature and man cannot be consumed by humanity in their pristine form. Processing and improvement are required. What the consumer, the end user of a product or service, gets for consumption ultimately, is our customer actually? Entrepreneurs struggle to satisfy him making their products and services according to his expectations, interests and fantasies. They standardize many quality processes and procedures to keep the offering very attractive and accessible to their end customers. Satisfying end customers is a Herculean task always!

7. Every civilized nation sets some standards for checking and ascertaining quality of products and services being offered by the organizations operating from their land. Since welfare and security of the people is the primary concern of all nations, the governments concerned establish and authorize many regulatory bodies to regularly monitor the standards of entrepreneurs in their jurisdiction. Any product or service being manufactured and offered by anybody or any firm must meet the standards set by respective governments in various nation states. This is what we call ‘statutory compliance’. It means we must meet the expectations of the regional and central governments in making products and offering services time to time. Authorized regulatory bodies carry out this crucial task of scheduled verification and confirmation of standards. If we ever violate these norms, they may punish us or close our business units.

8.  The very purpose of every business is making profit. We need considerable reserves of money and assets to carry out our businesses confidently, successfully and happily. If there is no profit from a business, we cannot pay our human resources, buy raw material and feel encouraged to continue such business. Profit is possible only when we can sell our products or offer services at a price which is higher than our actual cost of production or arrangement. More benefits, comforts and facilities can be provided to employees, contract workers and other stakeholders only when our profits are substantially good every year. Making profit is the goal of every businessman but he cannot achieve this end result always. Losses may occur occasionally despite the best products and services being offered by an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur should procure, plan and allocate resources very carefully when losses are in the corner. If an entrepreneur closes his business for some inevitable reasons, all those making a living depending on that source of earning suffer immensely. So, it is the moral responsibility of every good entrepreneur to ensure that he is making profits regularly out of the products and services he is offering others. Cut-throat competition is there in many industries now. One can survive in an industry only if one is updating oneself regularly and changing his standards and values as per the demands of the times he is living in.

Good Business

A good businessman is one who accords more importance to the value an end consumer is getting through his products or services. Substantial benefit to consumer must be his primary criterion and profit to him must be secondary criterion. When one is in this orientation of thoughts and acts, one focuses much on offering high quality products and services to end customers at affordable rates rather than making huge profits within a short period of time making and selling low quality products at high rates.

1. Starting and running a good business, among a multitude of rivals driven by low standards and values, is not an ordinary affair. We need patriotism, empathy and idealism to do such businesses bravely and honestly. One doing good business focuses more on the quality of products or services being offered by him rather than illegal, immoral, nonsensical, superficial and artificial branding and promotion efforts.

2. One intending to do good business strives to provide such products and services, which satisfy the basic needs of human beings entangled in poverty, sickness, pain, loss, dislocation and desperation. He makes his products or services minding the financial, social, cultural and regional barriers and problems of the end consumers. His motive is to bring happiness in the lives of those, who have been neglected and suppressed by manipulative rulers and middlemen for long. Generous service is his objective.

Let us consider some examples to understand the nature and volume of good businesses around us.

1. There are some poor folks in hilly regions and remote areas in many parts of the world. They don’t know the actual value of the products or services they are offering to others. They collect many fruits, nuts, honey and grains from their regions and sell them at some price for their survival. Profit or excellence is not their objective in doing a business but what they are selling is just a way of livelihood for them. Millions of uneducated, poor and helpless tribes are engaged in these businesses now also across the world. Educated, manipulative and cruel modern man is benefiting hugely, buying these products at nominal rates from these innocent folks and selling them at high prices to others. Similarly, many poor and helpless people are offering great services to others at nominal rates to make a living.

2.  I wonder observing the prices of some medicines available in India. The prices of Hydrogen peroxide and Riboflavin tablets in India are just one example. We buy them even if they sell them at considerably high prices but they are not doing it. There might be many such other medicines, which are used regularly by many but are being sold at nominal prices across places. Selling essential drugs at nominal prices is a sign of philanthropy, idealism and universal fraternity, on part of governments, companies or humans.

3. Film industry is the best example for a great business in any nation. A multitude of artists and technicians are toiling for months together to make an attractive and insightful art piece of education and entertainment for us investing their superior intelligence, creativity, stress, strain and money. I am able to spend happily for about two hours just spending 40 rupees in my town. No other product or service is offering me this much great value at this price. Feature films are fantastic dreams that delight us grandly.

4. Anybody that is growing, producing and/or selling highly useful products to humanity at large is also really involved in doing a great business. Pure water, milk, eggs, vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts, pulses are just one example. We remain healthy consuming offerings of nature. A farmer or gardener is acting as a benevolent mediator between nature and us in this scenario. Selling them at reasonable prices for all is necessary. A business that contributes to health and happiness of humanity is a good business in any age.

5. Those who sell products or services at reasonable or morally appreciable margins/profits only are commendable. If I buy 10 quality mango fruit from a peasant farmer in my region for 50 rupees, I should sell them for 60 or 70 rupees only to others. I should not change the prices of these mango fruit based on the financial status of my buyers. I may sell it to a pauper for 50 rupees also, not expecting profit from that single sale but not for 100 rupees to a millionaire also. He may have any amount of money but I should not cheat him selling my product at very high price. I may exhibit my goodness selling it at nominal cost to a poor buyer but not my greed selling it at high margin to a millionaire. If I have generosity towards all kinds of buyers that approach me for a quality product or reliable service, they too think and behave the same way towards me when I am down in my business. They offer unexpected good prices for my quality products to satisfy the generous seller in my psyche. When a seller thinks and behaves like a selfish and narrow-minded rogue, buyers treat him similarly when they get a chance. I believe that we can sell a product or service with 10 or 20% increase from its original cost of purchase or production. Not expecting huge margins while selling a product or service is vital for a good business.

6. We should mind quality and quantity parameters at every stage of making a product or service to our end customers. They trust us. We should not be disloyal and ungrateful to their gratitude towards us. Our end customer does not know how we are making a product. If we sell him a bad product or offer him an inefficient service and cause disease, discomfort or death to him that way, directly or indirectly, that sin gets attached to our soul. Any business that aims at and meets this moral standard is a great business.

Bad Business

Selling or offering such products or services, which harm creatures or the environment, in the short or long run, directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, can be considered bad business in any part of the world. It is quite shocking to know that 90% of the businesses being conducted across the world now can be treated as bad businesses. This trend increased as man’s passion for money kept growing in the modern times. Earning huge money, selling anything to anybody, during a short period of time, telling many beautiful lies and following many illegal and immoral practices, has been the culture of millions of entrepreneurs and shopkeepers of all sizes now. They are not concerned about the health or happiness of end consumers at all. Their one and only goal is making quick and easy money somehow. This trend is prevalent in private, public and unorganized sectors across places. Regulatory bodies accept bribes from entrepreneurs and businessmen of various kinds and allow bad businessmen to thrive doing whatever they like. Corrupt and immoral governments and bureaucrats facilitate this dirty culture. This is why millions of people are suffering from a multitude of physical and psychological problems now.

1. To identify whether a product or service is good or bad to us or others, we can ask ourselves a few fundamental questions: a. Does it contribute to my health or happiness? b. Are they telling lies about the quality and quantity of their products or services? c. If yes, can I get them tested in laboratories or through another established mechanism or system? d. Are there adequate, reliable and accessible facilities to ascertain the true nature and impact of these products or services on humanity, other creatures and environment? e. Are local and national governments honestly and fairly punishing or killing anybody that sells harmful products or offers fraudulent services? f. Are stringent quality assurance measures being implemented in this nation? Most of the people living in majority of the nations now get negative answer ‘no’ to these questions now. Governments are encouraging such businesses directly or indirectly which fetch them huge amounts of taxes and revenues in other ways. Governments are also acting like businessmen in many nations now. They want more money but not the health and happiness of people in their political and administrative jurisdictions. This negligence, immorality and fraudulent nature of governments and public servants at various levels have established the culture of bad businesses. If you check the shops, markets, trade centres and other commercial points in any nation now, what you find is a number of harmful products in beautiful packs and attractive shelves. Cheating has become the fundamental principle of most of the businesses now across the world. Now entrepreneurs are making and selling millions of beautiful but harmful products to humanity. It’s like a fatal cancer of the world.

2. Carbonated drinks, alcohol, tobacco products, spicy foods, oily snacks, bakery items, adulterated foods and drinks of various kinds, food items contaminated by pesticide residues, frozen foods, fried potato chips, pizza, creamy biscuits, low quality chocolates, soft and hot drinks, processed foods and beverages are just some examples for bad products. Many companies and entrepreneurs engaged in these businesses are making huge profits regularly selling harmful products like these. Pepsi and Coca Cola are two great examples for bad businesses across the world. They sell harmful products, decorating them with attractive covers and labels. They misguide customers with false promises and manipulative advertisements through native celebrities. They are doing great business in almost every nation in this world means, all politicians and regulatory bodies are corrupt and unreliable to us the people in these nations. These two companies spend crores of rupees every year for advertisements alone because customers don’t buy their products if they don’t misguide them unbelievably in every possible way. They bribe anybody at any level behind the screen to run their immoral businesses successfully and make huge easy money. Are we living in welfare states now or exploitation and suppression states? All of us are victims in all these nations now.

3. Governments have permitted production and sale of many alcoholic drinks and tobacco products across the world now. Millions of people are dying due to diseases caused by consumption of these harmful products. Dependants of the victims of these products turn into beggars, criminals or sinners. Has the UNO morality and capacity to instruct all the nations in this world to ban any product or service that causes disease, infection or death ultimately to any customer in any region? It is shocking to realize that majority of the millionaires and billionaires in this world are making huge profits contributing to the growth of bad businesses in every nation, directly or indirectly. Stock market is one such example.

4. Many nations are making and selling weapons of mass destruction to other nations. Prostitution is a business involving circulation of billions of dollars, in which majority sex workers or other service providers are essentially victims. Politically influential people, celebrities, criminal gangs and organized business syndicates are thriving, humiliating, exploiting and killing helpless girls and women. Kidnaps, murders, politically oriented assassinations, selling organs collected from inhumanly killed victims, smuggled goods are some other businesses. Scientists, doctors, lawyers, judges, auditors, banking professionals, police and regulatory authorities of various other kinds, in almost every nation, support these businesses, directly or indirectly because they want easy money but not welfare of people there.

5. We wonder to realize that peasant farmers or innocent businessmen who sell healthy products or offer great services to others are not making considerable profits now anywhere but those who exploit them. We call them brokers. I sell a mango fruit to a broker for two rupees because he makes me sell it creating such artificial environment. He sells it to an end customer for 10 rupees. As a peasant farmer, I am the loser. As an end customer, he is also the loser. If you observe the scenario of multiple businesses and huge profits in India now, for example, you would realize that manipulative, cruel, immoral and illegal middlemen are controlling the markets of many products and services. This is why innocent farmers are committing suicides and ordinary businessmen are going out of this risky business scenario in no time. Politicians never hang these criminals and sinners publicly in any nation because they are creating and continuing such culture directly or indirectly. So, now, a profitable business means one, in which you can cheat and threaten any number of innocent and intelligent customers alike powerfully. You should kill if anybody is selling a quality product at affordable prices or offering a humane service to others kindly. Only adulterated products and immoral and illegal services must be available in any part of a nation. Strong business syndicates, at local, state and national level, run these businesses ultimately and control governments and people indirectly. They kill members of regulatory bodies or representatives of governments, if they question them or block their immoral business flow anywhere. This is the actual scenario of bad businesses in almost every nation. Anybody can die, with any disease or distress, in this polluted, corrupt and cruel business environment, where a few good people cannot plan and withstand the pressures and attacks being perpetrated by criminals and sinners at various levels. The primary cause for pain in this world now is wrong people becoming very rich and influential doing bad businesses.            

Reasons for Failure

1. Lack of complete knowledge and practical exposure to a business often leads to failure. What looks feasible, possible and profitable at surface level might not be so when we get into a business actually.

2. Non-availability of adequate or quality raw material, disloyalty and fraudulent nature of human resources working at various levels and inability to meet the high expectations/fancies of customers.

3. Increasing costs of production, decreasing profit margins, cut-throat competition, volatile market conditions, unfavourable domestic and international demand parameters and union culture of employees.

4. Almost every business firm operating from a region has to adhere to the regulatory norms of the countries concerned. Businesses fail when governments don’t check the stark realities at ground level.

5. What was in demand one year ago might not be in that status now. Consumer perceptions change in course of time. They avoid buying some products or going for some services altogether.

6. Entry of large-scale industries to produce such goods and offer such services which ordinary craftsmen or service providers did once. Industrialization leads to disappearance of many cottage industries slowly.

7. Massive accidents, natural calamities, invasions by external or internal enemy or terrorist groups, anarchy, widespread poverty across the region, lack of suitable infrastructure and shortage of investments.

8. Inefficiency, corruption and immorality of owners or managements of many business firms also lead to their failure suddenly or slowly. Many public and private firms are getting closed rapidly for this reason.

Reasons for Success

1.  Those that aim at profits only and nothing else get out of many businesses in course of time. Governments, clients and customers like and promote such firms which have great standards and values.

2. Success is not an event but process. Patience is very essential to continue in a business for long. Profits do not emerge on day one as we expect. Those that endure challenges only witness success ultimately.

3. Those that can identify, recruit, train, utilize, retain and reward the best talent in the human resource market can do wonders. In other words, extraordinary HR policies and procedures lead to success.

4. Diversification into multiple businesses is also a good strategy. It is better if we can establish and run such businesses which depend internally for material or otherwise. Self-reliance within the group is great.

5. Improving good relations with our core competitors is a good idea. Extending mutual help in times of calamities and emergencies and sharing ideas about the developments in the industry leads to success.

6. Controlling costs to the least possible limit enables us to save more money and invest it into vital areas of business. We should avoid more spending into segments of unproductive expenditure at every level.

7. Those that satisfy target customers substantially, keeping all promises, do well in the long run. Creating, enhancing and retaining highest level of customer loyalty and satisfaction is essential.

8. Collecting feedback often in all possible ways and resolving each and every reasonable issue, raised by them, at the earliest, is key to success. Neglecting a customer means losing business to that extent.

Contemporary Business Trends

1. Earning huge profit from every sale materialized has become the primary concern of most of the business firms now. They attract customers doing any number of monkey tricks like deceptive ads online and offline, celebrity endorsements, field activities and so on. They don’t focus much on after-sale service. For example: a. They treat you like a king when buying a car paying cash completely. Call them for anything once you came out of their show room after your purchase process. They don’t care you much. b. Insurance and bank executives treat you like a VIP until you buy one of their policies or take a personal loan from their bank. Check how they respond or react to you, later, if you call or meet them.

2. Finance, loan, EMI, discount, cash-back, gift and offer are the buzzwords now among most of us consumers. We are spending a lot of money, borrowing from others, for comforts and luxuries in our personal or professional lives. This is all unproductive expenditure for us. Bad debts are increasing to many banks just because of their liberal lending culture. Lending should be very logical and strict to ensure that we get that money back after some time. On the other hand, people should avoid false prestige and snobbery. We should not go for a loan to any bank or person to the maximum possible extent because there is no surety that we earn money as we plan in a stipulated time or that we live for many years.

3. The focus of Indians and others has moved from quality and peace to fashion and speed. Very few Indians focus on quality of a product or service. They stopped questioning, complaining and fighting against products and services of low standards. They want to do many things fast. This is why many are starting and doing dirty businesses in India now. Example: When tea, coffee, soft drink, snacks or other item is being sold at high and unreasonable prices in the Indian Railways by many unscrupulous hawkers, nobody is questioning them. They are selling worthless quality and quantity of tea for 10 rupees. They are selling many products at high rates. Corruption is prevalent in the Indian Railways. We are bearing with them. So, many vendors and hawkers are treating us like brainless idiots, who accept any item at any cost. Then, instead of attending a Yoga class for peace of mind, many are remaining online or going to parties often. Entrepreneurs are making such products and offering such services which are instant but unreliable.

4. Huge profits are in those businesses now through which millions of fools can be misguided and cheated publicly. Those selling liquor, tobacco products, unhealthy and adulterated oily and spicy foods and packed items, gold, ornaments, fashionable gadgets are making more money than those selling milk, rice, pens, pencils, vegetables, fruits, books, medicines and many essential commodities. Governments are encouraging bad businesses more than good businesses. Business means public exploitation now in India.

5. Sensationalism has become a part of many businesses now, especially online. Example: Recently ‘Freedom 251’ has made most of the Indians mad because that set of rogues announced that they would give us a smartphone with many wonderful features for 251 rupees only, which is practically impossible. Many could not register for it online because they don’t have such strong server capacity to withstand pressure of millions of online bookings within seconds. After some registrations were made somehow, they said they would start distribution of those handsets in May or so. It is like having one kilo of rice with us and inviting five crore hungry and crazy people for an excellent dinner at two rupees only in our hut. They would offer dinner after two months. Even more surprising and insulting point of concern for sensible Indians in this episode is Manohar, the defence minister of India, inaugurating this scheme somewhere. I think that we should hang Manohar and the promoters of this scheme publicly if we are sensible people in India at all. We are not doing so because we are worthless idiots basically. So, such nasty and crazy entrepreneurs are starting and doing such dirty businesses in India now. Why should they make millions of Indians fools and idiots announcing such scheme which is not possible, in reality and which cannot be done instantly. A crazy offer must be cleared within days just like we eat fast food within seconds. If you delay it heavily, you would be treated as a criminal and sinner by sensible folks in this world. If we don’t hang fraudulent businessmen and those promoting such worthless businesses, our country turns into a dustbin of sellers and buyers. Anybody can sell anything. Many buy it crazily.

Insights

1. Good businessmen think of the benefit they are giving to end customer. Bad businessmen focus on profit only. They sell any product or offer any service that brings them huge profits in no time.

2. If entrepreneurs and investors in a nation or region are unable to conduct business fairly and legally, most of it is due to the corruption and immorality of the governments and regulatory bodies concerned.

3. The best business plan should start from assessing all possible and imaginable risks in the business to be started and practically possible and financially viable solutions to them in the short and long run.

4. Stress, strain, confusion, depression and disorder are integral components of majority businesses in this world because many factors that influence almost every business are not in our direct or indirect control.

5. The awareness and questioning attitude of consumers keeps contemporary businessmen alert. They focus on high quality and reliability of their goods and services only if consumers demand them always.

6. Most of the businessmen earn profits because of maintaining some business secrets. There are many such businesses also which anybody with common sense, patience and hard-working nature can do.

7. Businessmen with vast knowledge and information about what is happening in their and other business sectors can plan and run their businesses more effectively than those who are foolish and outdated.

8. Running a business with inevitable losses is avoidable. It is good to close any business informing all stakeholders quite in advance so that they can make alternative arrangements for their livelihood.

9. Emotional balance is very important for those at key positions in any organization. They should control their moods and ego while interacting with others in any context in a written or spoken form.

10. All policies, procedures and systems must be fair, easily accessible and understandable when applicable to employees and workers in a workplace. Otherwise it affects the morale of stakeholders.

11. Deviation from norms and irregularities are quite common and inevitable in any work environment. We should not aim at 100% perfection in everything because humans and others never reach that level.

12. Absolute trust in any staff member, person, system, supplier or customer is always avoidable. We should keep appropriate checks and balances in place everywhere always to ensure order in what we do.

13. Doing such business in which there won’t be much stress, risk and pain is preferable to doing such business where high levels of stress, risk and pain are common. No use of money when we are unhealthy.

14. The patience levels of entrepreneurs should be increasing in proportion to the growth ratios of their businesses. They must know how to punish wrongdoers and encourage achievers perfectly quite in time.

15. After a stage in business, it is not fame and money that give satisfaction to entrepreneurs but joy they are able to bring in the lives of many that are depending on their businesses directly or indirectly.

16. Those with spiritual knowledge do businesses in a righteous manner as they are scared of God. They plan and do many possible things in a morally appreciable manner to satisfy their active conscience. 

I REGRET

There are many things in this world, observing some aspects of which, we feel distressed and regret.

1. Though I don’t know about qualities and standards of fathers in other countries, Indian father is an exceptional one. He struggles and suffers for his children more than anything else, ever since he becomes a father. Let him be a farmer, a businessman, a professional, a daily wage worker, a thief, a fraudster or a patient, he does a lot for the comforts, happiness and future of his children, even after knowing that they are feeling or doing almost nothing towards him. His would be a life of compromises and sacrifices. How many sons or daughters acknowledge it? How many of them think and struggle to give back such comfort and happiness to him when he is old, helpless or dependable on them for any other reason? In all ages, fathers have been extraordinary persons towards their children but they never get the solace they desire from their children when they are in a state of isolation and self-pity. Many Indian children quarrel about sharing the property of their great fathers but not their standards or values as ideal individuals.

2. Mother, in all countries, in all ages, represents sacrifice, patience and service, especially to her beloved children. Carrying a baby for nine months in that part of her body involves a lot of physical and psychological challenges. It is a self-imposed punishment for every mother. Labour pains are unbearable. Bringing up children from day 1 to 3 years is really a Herculean task. Feeding them, keeping them tidy after natural calls, lulling them to sleep, bearing with their hellish mischief occasionally or regularly, safeguarding them minute to minute from accidents which may be caused due to their ignorance, nursing them when they are sick and helpless…the role of a true Indian mother ends when she dies as far as her relationship and responsibilities towards her children is concerned. Can she complain anybody that she has been a permanent victim in her role as a mother due to the treatment of orthodox and tyrannical families or societies? Mother is like a candle. She offers life and light to her children burning voluntarily.

3. There are millions of unskilled workers in this world. They could not study and get certificates for various reasons. They do many hard and dangerous jobs in various industries, workplaces and houses for paltry wages for survival. Does any privileged citizen of a nation treat a labourer as an honourable and lovable entity there? We want them to lay our roads; build our houses; clean our toilets, dirty vehicles, sewage passages and dishes; clear litter thrown during parties, functions and celebrations. We don’t like to consume the food or drink, which has been eaten or drunk partly by our life partner or children also mostly because we are so concerned about our personal hygiene and concept of purity. We subject these hopeless and helpless citizens in our nations to many such inhuman and avoidable acts knowingly. Are we human beings? Are we growing psychologically or physically only? We think for many months to hike the wages of unskilled workers but days towards lazy and crazy employees! Unskilled workers are living, working and dying pathetically in every nation due to our apathy towards them in all ages.

4. Friendship is a feeling and attachment which grows in us steadily over a period of time towards somebody with or without considerable reasons. Most of us don’t remember when, where and how we met our best friends of today, once. Many cheat their wives, husbands, employers, banks, governments, families and other agents knowingly or helplessly but not their friends unless it is a matter of life or death. Somehow we accord much value to our great friends without logic or common sense. I believe like many other relationships in our lives and professions, the best of them enter our lives without our intended effort. We never choose our friends based on critical analysis and vision but quite casually. Once deep into friendship, we derive great satisfaction and happiness from our sense of friendship. At times, we cannot help our friends despite our best efforts. Helplessness pulls us back when they are neck-deep in various problems. We miss or lose them in the middle for various reasons. We can never see them back in this lifetime. We constantly remember them because they make such lasting impressions on our psyche. If humanity ever loves somebody else quite irrationally and takes a relationship very seriously for absurd reasons also, it must be friendship only. Getting, retaining and living along with a set of great friends of us is really heavenly for any of us. To be great friends, we must be masters of unconditional love. If we have short temper, selfishness or stupidity, we cannot gain, retain and benefit from ideal friendship. 

5. Love is a genuine feeling and relationship built on quite weak and superficial foundation. What looks sensible, amazing and admirable to a lover towards his beloved does not mean or sound so to another person. Is it self-tuned madness centred on somebody for no particular reason? If it is such a weak bond, why are many committing suicides in the name of love? They don’t get ready to end their lives for their parents, country or life partner but beloved? What is this nonsense? We watch any number of feature films and read stories developed around the theme of love but cannot accept if such love relationship emerges from our dear family members? We want to see other lovers talking, kissing and suffering for each other in times of adversity but can’t bear if our beloved is involved in such plight. Why this much biased outlook towards those whom we love deeply and other unrelated lovers if love is a great feeling and bond which must be honoured and nurtured by all equally? All tales of true love leave us in pain.

6. Life, to understand briefly and simply, at surface level, is a journey from birth to death. Why was I born at all? Why should I die beyond my planning and wishes after I started adoring it madly? Who helps me if I am helpless? Who cries and remembers me after I die? What impact can my material existence make in this world? Why should I struggle and suffer so much for many things and creatures associated with this life when I know, after seeing many deaths around me, even after realizing that my life may end at any time just like that? Where is my soul? After I die, where does my soul go? Can I ever again see all these friends, relatives, well-wishers, creatures and phenomena once I desert this body? Is my life so futile and unreliable from this spiritual perspective wherein I have no control at all? Humanity has been entangled in these highly critical and haunting questions for ages. Am I not a dust particle in this huge desert of mirages? Does it mean that I should ignore my life? Shall I like or hate it after knowing all this?

7. What is education? When a mosquito, a dog, a pig, a donkey, a frog or a fish is able to live comfortably and die naturally without education, why should I, a human being, punish myself going to schools, reading books, listening to great speeches, touring places and doing a multitude of things to educate myself widely? Can education make one intelligent, refined and strong? How many educated ones have these qualities in this world now? All weapons of self-destruction have been made by educated ones. All corrupt, sinful and unfair pursuits and thoughts were introduced and perpetrated on other innocent and helpless creatures by educated ones largely in human history. Nobody likes institutional learning because every human being likes to live life freely based on his abilities and choices, being guided and warned by circumstances and challenges around, naturally, but we are torturing and defacing the lives of millions of children subjecting them to formal education during the most beautiful stage of their lives. Are not we criminals and sinners when we force our innocent kids to go and burn their childhood in those prisons? Can’t we teach our children about morals and sources of livelihood at home, not sending them away?  

8. Many, when we go for a job or work, ask us if we have experience. Millions of men begot children in the past, doing that with their female partners, without experience. We are breathing air without getting trained anywhere. We are crying when something hurts us without learning it anywhere for months. We are laughing when somebody cracks a joke. We are helping others voluntarily when we feel the pain of others as sensitive fellow human beings. We are fighting back if somebody attacks us suddenly. God equipped us with an extraordinary body and mind to learn things quickly and do wonders on our own. Then, why should we assess the value of others based on the years of experience they have in doing something worthwhile? Is anybody without experience in something a worthless idiot who must not be assigned any work knowingly? We can learn many things with a little discipline, focus and determination. We should value the knowledge and skills of one through a little questioning and testing but not scanning their certificates and references by others. Many geniuses remain outside our homes and workplaces if we ignore them only because they have no experience. Experimentation can combat powerfully with the forces of experience. Except in highly dangerous pursuits, we can invite novices. Ignoring them means blocking our growth due to our stupidity and ignorance but not because they are ignorant or useless.  If we give a little time and required guidance ideally, inexperienced ones can do wonders confidently. In fact, we can tune and transform them into masters of wonders faster than those that stopped thinking.

9. Money is a medium of exchange of value. Man introduced money to facilitate buying and selling products and services across places and people. In course of time, as man’s desires and fantasies increased tremendously, his degradation started in terms of interpreting the value of money and using it extensively without discretion. A rich beggar is also begging more to earn more money, not because he needs it but to enjoy the status of possessing more money. A millionaire is struggling to become a billionaire for social status, recognition and appreciation. Some are committing thefts, burglaries, murders and various crimes to earn more or retain the existing money. Almost every businessman aims at making more money in a short period of time, utilizing the least amount of resources. Money has become the most influencing factor in human lives now. Many are assessing the value of others based on how much money they have but not their character. If anybody runs after excessive money, he suffers directly or indirectly. One that earns and uses money to keep oneself moderately comfortable and happy remains balanced and sensible.

10. Death is a cause of pain, loss and endless suffering to those that wait for it or witness it. Man could achieve extraordinary things applying his knowledge and skills in science and technology and other areas of human thought but not against death. It is hitting man cruelly or softly through accidents, diseases, natural calamities, disasters, heart attacks, old age and mystery. Death is a shock to all of us when it hits our closely related or highly beloved ones and simply regrettable news when it happens in the lives of others who are not at all related to us. The very word death evokes many sad emotions and painful thoughts in all sensitive and ordinary humans. Death is a command of nature authorized by God. It takes away our soul from our existing material body like a kind gentleman with prior notice or like a dictator who does anything like lightning. Almost every day, we remember an incident of death or get subjected to pain caused by recollecting the death of a creature familiar to us. Death means tears, fears and gloom.

11.  We cannot imagine human life without travel. From meters to kilometres we move from one place to another for sources of livelihood or other purposes. Journey is a matter of joy, experimentation and celebration to millions of people in this world. Most children like travelling and seeing new places occasionally though travel without halts or stops for long is really an ordeal and avoidable pursuit. Travel due to emigration to far-off places makes us feel forsaken, uprooted and thrown away because we leave our dearest ones back and move to unfamiliar places by choice. We may come back later or not. Nobody should travel long for joy when there are multiple problems in his life or profession. Travel for the sake of entertainment is less valuable than the one meant for exploring the lives of different people and creatures with a humanitarian concern. Travel restricts our freedom to a great extent because in unknown places, we cannot connect fast with unfamiliar people or resolve problems early as in our motherland.

12. Religion is exerting unbearable physical and psychological pressure on millions of people across the world. It is a code of conduct supposed to be understood and followed by us without questioning the reliability and supremacy of scriptures, religious heads and related culture. Sikhs wear turbans and follow certain other formalities suggested by their religion. Muslim males grow beard and women wear veils to cover their bodies from public view. Many Hindus get their heads tonsured after visiting some shrines and soon after the death of their parent. We don’t like many theories and practices of our religions but we follow them for conformity to the expectations of contemporary societies. The fundamental drawback of all religiously oriented humans now is that they are struggling and committing sins and blunders for expanding their religions continuously; be it Christians, Muslims or Hindus. Any true religion should offer freedom to all to opt for it or go out of it at will. It should console the affected ones kindly and guide the societies ideally without bias and narrow-mindedness. We must treat atheists also generously because one need not follow some religion to learn what is good or bad. Everybody can practise virtues obeying one’s conscience. Unfortunately many religions have become the primary sources of crime, stress, sin and suffering across the world now in their pursuits to promote their faiths exponentially. Being religious is like being far away from the gates of salvation. Spiritualism is the main road to our happiness and deliverance. Going closer to God requires being righteous and generous but not selfish and cruel. If a religion trains one to become an extremist to hurt and change others, it is avoidable and detestable.   

13. I cannot utilize my time according to my plans and choices always because I have many desires but not required resources and power to materialize all of them. I am a refugee of time. It shelters me when I feel deserted and depressed. It punishes me when I am comfortable and happy. I regret recollecting my past because it was more beautiful and delightful than my present. I want to go back to those days but in vain. I wish to enjoy the present forgetting my past and future but my mind refuses to be detached from these two time phases. My little size and value in the vast stretches of time that created and witnessed radical evolution of material entities in course of thousands of years, makes me feel low and trivial. Every challenge I face and fail teaches me a lesson that I can do almost nothing against the forces of nature and God. Time influences me physically and psychologically so deeply that I pity myself comparing my past with the present. Time pushes me when I lag behind and pulls back when rushing ahead. When my body or mind is not in my control, what can be my failure or success? I am a rag being carried away by time.

14. Books have been considered as ultimate sources of knowledge, information and wisdom over the years by all civilized societies. Millions of books are there in book stores, retail stores, libraries, offices and houses of book lovers across the world. One needs many days, stressful thinking and rethinking, patience and passion to start and complete writing a book on a theme. He suffers when publishers refuse to publish it. He gets hurt when his books are not sold considerably. How many readers take a book as a valuable entity that should be honoured for the intellectual or creative worth it possesses? How does a writer or publisher feel when a valuable book is seen in a sewage canal, dustbin or trash deposit yard? What do youth do now if they are given 5,000 rupees to enrich their life? Most of them spend that money for alcohol consumption, flesh joy with a creature of opposite gender, gambling, superficial party, an electronic gadget, a bike or a casual tour but not to buy a useful book. They don’t like reading books. They don’t want healthy entertainment or education. This is how human beings are degrading regularly.

15. A daily is a periodical that visits our house or other abode of human habitation daily to entertain and educate us. News is its content meant for making us content after scanning or reading it. Those that are accustomed to regular newspaper reading, feel uneasy and disturbed if they can’t read their favourite daily on any day for some inevitable circumstances. It is a healthy habit. Correspondents collect data, editors process it at odd hours of night when all other lucky creatures are sleeping, print it hurriedly before time schedules, pack them and load them into vehicles for dispatch to delivery points before 4:00 am or so. Poor and helpless folks distribute those newspapers to all monthly subscribers. How many go through a newspaper attentively with respect and passion for what is written there? One can become an idealist and genius reading newspapers daily because a number of things are discussed and shown in it. A newspaper is one of the best well-wishers and mentors we can have in our life. The value of a newspaper is for 10 hours at the most. We treat them as unnecessary ones afterwards. We sell them like waste papers. Is this how we can build knowledge-driven societies? How many are spending five or 10 rupees to buy a newspaper daily instead of consuming tea, coffee, tobacco product, fruit, biscuit pack or chocolate? Is not knowledge equal to these items also in value? Majority are remaining outdated without reading dailies.

16. Feature film, one of the great inventions and wonders of modern times, has been a source of ultimate entertainment and education for most of us during the last 80 years or so. It is a creative piece carefully crafted and adorned by a number of artistes and technicians with the primary objective of delighting and awakening viewers. It is the greatest gift we can buy or offer ourselves with the lowest cost compared to any other considerable commodity in the present world. What are we doing as nasty viewers? We remark casually that the actors are not impressive, the story is weak, the narration is passive, the end is absurd and so on. When we are bearing with our life, which is full of oddities, difficulties, suffering, challenges and shocks, quite casually, for many years, silently, why not with these feature films? We cannot make every art piece extraordinary despite our best efforts because we don’t know what millions of others are expecting from us time to time. Watching a film does not damage our lungs, spoil our life or cause an accident to us but heals our disturbed psyche or alerts our careless life. Why are we failing to derive the best from this wonderful medium despite its easy accessibility and affordability to us? Do we change?  

17. There is beautiful nature around us, interesting and attractive creatures and insightful occurrences. If you have passion to explore the diversity and beauty of the world around you, your lifetime is not enough to witness it all. What we are enjoying today is a gift of our ancestors. They struggled and suffered a lot to leave back this legacy for us. Many feel happy if we say or write a few pleasant words appreciating their beauty or qualities. God arranged many wonders about us to keep us delighted and inspired to live longer and explore life better. We beat a thief, when caught publicly, for his misdeed. All watch it collectively as if it were an event of entertainment. How many gather to appreciate if a brave person, from our village, town or city, achieved something extraordinary that humanity can celebrate grandly. Appreciating our children, life partners, friends, well-wishers, colleagues, subordinates, superiors, unrelated but great achievers, does make a lot of difference in their lives. Appreciation stops at feeling level in most of us but does not move into action. Appreciation is fuel to many to do more wonders for us or others. Let’s fill it in their hearts through our timely responses and reactions of gratitude and appreciation. It’s not wrong.

18. Can we imagine a day or night in our lives or professions without a word, gesture, action or reaction of criticism? Food is not tasty. Roads are ugly. Governments are corrupt. People have become cheats and thieves. Frauds have increased. Banks are not issuing loans. Crops are not reliable. Children are disloyal and undisciplined. There is no punctuality, cleanliness, order or beauty in many things we are observing around us. Pollution is high everywhere. Religious fanaticism has increased in all. Superstitions are still high in many regions. All this criticism is focused on external things and creatures because this is what we can do very easily. Am I disciplined and reliable to my family members, society, company or country? What am I doing to bring comforts and happiness into the lives of those who are contributing for my welfare directly or indirectly? Am I not talking or doing anything in a fashion that I hate if happens from others? Am I doing wonders before expecting them from others? Am I being accountable for my mistakes and blunders before questioning and torturing others in this direction? We should criticize ourselves to transform ourselves first. We must reduce our list of expectations from others and add to the list of our responsibilities. Positive change can’t be achieved without our active participation and determination.

19. Beggars are a common sight in many parts of India. Our governments relocate them to distant places when important events are occurring in a region where images of poverty and suffering should not appear at all but those of development, happiness, celebration and success only. Beggars are also citizens of a nation but we often fail to realize this fact while we are in our comfort zones. We understand it better when we are thrown to streets due to family problems, natural calamities or disasters. We often think that beggars are shameless and worthless and so they are begging without self-respect. We are begging subsidies, pensions and various kinds of financial assistance from our governments, voluntary organizations and foreign bodies of charity, despite being considerably rich and comfortable at our level. Bargaining is another form of begging. If you think the price of a product or service is irrational, just avoid buying it. He may change its rate to your expectations if all stop buying it like you. Because of bargaining, we are failing to actually identify the actual cost of it. Check how many times you are begging others in your daily life. It can be for salaries, perks, bonuses, promotions, increments, bank loans, gifts, parties, lift on bikes or in cars, concession in tickets, discounts on items and so on. They are begging on streets because their fate made them so. You are begging because it has been your basic instinct.

20.  When we are looking for a source of livelihood, one that offers us opportunity to work and earn moderately looks like God. After we work there for a few days or months, we start finding faults in him. This typical worker culture is pervasive across the world. He expects you to be disciplined and loyal but you don’t do it. He wants you to improve your knowledge and skills to deserve professional growth but you never focus on it. He warns you many times to change your standards and values to be an achiever in his campus of employment but you don’t care it. Before blaming an employer, question yourself if you deserve what you are getting now, leave alone special treatment from your employer. Entrepreneurs are struggling like anything across the world now, not being able to withstand the nuisance of their staff at various levels. Should they run their businesses or close them forever. Staff should decide it.

21. Accidents may happen at any time to anybody despite having taken the best precautionary measures. However, most of them are avoidable, with lifestyle changes and careful behaviour. Abstaining from bad habits like drinking and avoiding driving while feeling very sleepy is good. Roads, railway tracks, beaches, toilets and slippery surfaces are some examples for potential sources of accidents. Accidents cannot be prevented even if we are highly conscious and cautious. We may ride our bike carefully but what if there is a slippery or bumpy surface on the national highway somewhere, which we can’t notice without meticulous observation. The breaks of our car may fail in the middle of the journey. We can’t notice the vehicles coming from the other end in dangerous curves on roads. We believe we can swim in an ocean also like anything but we realize that we cannot do it only when we are drowning. Throwing lit ends of matches, cigars, cigarettes and being careless while handling gases, fuels and the like are some careless things we do which cause accidents. There are multiple causes for a variety of accidents across the world. Physical disabilities, mental abnormalities and deaths are the results of accidents. One has to suffer throughout one’s life after becoming the victim of a fatal accident. We pity them. Those that are related to them suffer forever. Accidents are second to death in creating pain and loss to humanity.

22. Many are missing in our societies. It could be children, adults, old people or our beloved pets. To outsiders it may not appear like a big issue to bother much but ask those who lost their dear ones. Enquiring our near and dear ones, complaining in police stations, begging them to look into it, issuing paper ads and suffering continuously after being unable to trace them despite our great efforts. It is a long and painful process and experience altogether. Our known or unknown enemies, kidnappers or other kinds of criminals may take away our valuable assets in this material world. They may demand us money, kill them and throw somewhere to retaliate against us indirectly, sell their organs and force them into prostitution or terrorism. We cannot depend on the professionalism of Indian police because they don’t care ordinary people in India. It creates a void in our lives but not in those of others. So, we suffer silently. We remain melancholy, hopeless and helpless. Missing cases are a burden of pain on victims.

23. I believe those are lucky in India who never go to a doctor, police or lawyer. Lawyers are supposed to be upholders of justice to humanity but it is not happening in reality, particularly in India. Somebody calls you names for no reason. Somebody makes abusive comments about your mother, sister or wife. Somebody cheats you in business. Government representatives may not do their duties honestly. You may be a victim of their corruption, negligence or cruelty. You would consult a lawyer. There are variable fees to hire lawyers, file and follow suits. Every lawyer looks like a God when he or she says that he or she would take care of everything but almost nothing is in his or her hands. Judges may not be fair and judgement may not be delivered even after 10 years. You are consulting a lawyer to solve a problem but you get into many other problems after you hire a lawyer to look into your case legally. Adjournments are the biggest drawback of Indian courts of law. Presentation of false evidences against our genuine claim is also pervasive. We don’t know when we come out of a court case in India because here judiciary is very inefficient and unreliable. Ninety percent of lawyers are unreliable in India because they take every case as a source of income to them but not a chance for them to save the lives of others from a fraud or tragedy. We must consult lawyers while in a legal crisis. Then they make us into helpless victims.

24. Millions of people are doing businesses in this world, selling products or services, to their reliable or unreliable customers. We must get profits to feel inspired to do any business. There are many competitors in every field of business. We must compete with them regularly. Regulatory bodies torture us expecting standards from us but they never follow them while treating us. The rates of products or services we are dealing with won’t be stable and reliable but our customers ask us for uniform delivery of them in all seasons. We incur losses in our business but those that are depending on our business income demand us to pay more towards salaries and bonuses in course of time. Profitable business means high stress and pain. Everybody enters a business thinking that it would be viable and profitable but what he gets from his business can be known after getting into it only. If you want to be happy without heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes, not doing any business is just one solution. Business means slow poison.

25. Courts of law are sources of pain and loss in India for many. Going to a court of law to resolve an issue is highly avoidable these days because essentially our judiciary is not fair and just now. What is the physical status of courts of law in India now? Are there adequate number of judges in our courts? Is the recruitment of lawyers and judges happening fairly without involvement of dirty politicians? Are lawyers arguing good cases only to keep up their moral standards? Can we think that the hearings and judgements of courts are fair and fast in relation to poor and helpless people? If we hit somebody for self-defence, while he is attacking us, he may die. Do courts of law consider it as a just and acceptable one? Many acts of self-defence would be treated as illegal by our courts. If somebody kisses or hugs your wife publicly to tease you, you must take a photo or video of it, complain against him in a police station and go to a court to handle it fairly for long. You may die before the judgement. If we beat the idiot on the spot to teach him a lesson, we may appear like an extremist or revolutionary to courts. I like to spend in graveyards, liquor stores and mortuaries in India rather than visit a court for formality also. I take courts as hells on earth.

26. Floods, earthquakes, fires and sandstorms are just a few examples for natural calamities. With advancements in science and technology we are using now, we are able to predict some natural calamities but we are not in a position to avoid the loss they cause us. Almost every place, where creatures of any sort live, on this earth, is subject to some or other natural calamity, occasionally or regularly. They leave most of us forsaken and broken forever. We must live and die as victims. Before, during and after natural calamities, many of those, who are supposed to save and guide us as unaffected outsiders, are actually tormenting or looting us directly or indirectly. They are selling essential goods like water, milk or food at unbelievably high prices to exploit us cruelly and make profits that way. Governments deploy helicopters and spend any amount of money to trace and save influential and beneficial politicians in a nation but don’t have such focus and empathy when a handful of helpless citizens are at risk caused by a natural calamity somewhere. We can understand the true nature of our fellow human beings and actual service perspectives of our elected welfare governments when we become victims of natural calamities. Nature often teaches us that it is many times generous than our people and governments. Natural calamities occur every single day and night in some or other part of the world but we don’t know about them often as media does not focus on it. We or they care only if many die or huge loss is caused due to loss of valuable assets. Natural calamities are a permanent threat to humanity. We can’t win over them but surrender.

27. Most of the memories are sources of pain and loss to humanity. We miss to spend with our children when they are cute and amazing. When they grow into adults and go away from us for their struggle for existence, we suffer immensely for two reasons. We could not be with them when they were formative children due to our being busy in our struggle for existence for looking after them. When we have money, time and interest to spend with our children, they are not able or interested to be with us. Memories of physical distance from our dearest ones always bother us. Once our villages were beautiful with many filled with care, affection and generosity. Now old and helpless people are only remaining there. When we recollect the days we spent there once, among our dearest and most familiar ones, we suffer intensely. Our friends, relatives, well-wishers or sources of inspiration die one after the other, due to old age, accidents or diseases. Can we see them again? Can we bring back the great times of friendships and relationships we had once? Can we rebuild the childhood of ours or that of our children? In this world, every healthy human being suffers due to some memory, almost everyday. We want that which was lost. It cannot be created again. Our memories chase us silently. Others cannot take that pain or heal it forever.

28.  Most of us believe that technology is brining happiness into our lives but I think it is making us into machines, victims and criminals. We are using gadgets like slaves to them, ignoring creatures that love us. We are doing everything fast, using technology. Anything that is done fast cannot keep us happy for long. We are watching the tragedies in the lives of others as interesting news on our 24x7 news channels. Technology made us into mad machines. Remember that we cannot love and live with machines for long. Suicides, murders, divorces, rapes, accidents and diseases are bothering us much because we are failing to be sensible human beings while engaged in our race towards making our lives and professions automated.   

29. Many industries, employers, consulting firms and research agencies are interested in the concept of feedback. It’s an attempt to elicit the opinions, comments and standpoints of targeted and suitable ones about products, services or other things. Based on the feedback, many individuals and firms wish to change their policies, procedures and processes also to meet the customer requirements. I believe that the very idea of feedback is worthless. All those, who receive our feedback forms, may not have the qualifications, experience and honesty to fill them genuinely. They fill them to satisfy us but not because they are actually interested in them nor that they believe that their feedback plays a predominant role in changing the world. Then, we cannot change our systems and operations based on feedback because at practical level, most of what others suggested may not be possible to implement. Ninety percent of the inputs collected through feedback mechanisms get ignored completely. For the last 40 years many intellectuals, subject experts, common people and victims have been informing the governments and others that corruption and disorders have been increasing in India and that substantial measures must be initiated and implemented to change the fate of India and Indians. Many reports have been thrown into dustbins by politicians and policy makers. From this perspective, feedback is nothing but a silly game.

30. Job means work. Many youth, especially in India, desire to study hard, obtain educational certificates and get a good job in a reputed company. Jobholders have more value in the present Indian marriage market than other categories of people. A job means regular income to external observers. While in search of jobs, all behave obediently towards the employer and those representing an employer. Once into the job, the employees feel that their employer is not good as he is expecting a lot of work and achievements from them. The employer thinks that those that have been working in his firm for long are not much worthy. Long familiarity creates feelings of negligence. They wish to recruit others from other companies thinking that they may do wonders. Employees think that they should go to another company to prove their worth and earn more through salaries and other fringe benefits. Job, as such, actually does not provide much happiness and satisfaction either to the employer or employee. Employer thinks that his employees have become lazy and complacent. Employees think that their employer is not treating them fairly, paying them handsomely and offering incentives generously. Employers and employees must be mutually empathetic to enjoy jobs always. Expectations must be low from the other to be balanced.

31. Why should anybody marry a creature of opposite gender at all? If it is meant for satisfying that basic instinct in the company of other creature, it is avoidable. One does not enjoy it with the same partner always. If food is the problem, one can cook it or buy it outside regularly. If cleanliness is the issue, there are workers or machines to do it. No parent enjoys his or her life bringing up children because it is a web of sacrifices, compromises and hardships altogether. Marriage takes away our nature and spirit of absolute freedom because we must be accountable to our partner in everything we do after marriage. We cannot change our lifestyle completely to satisfy her. She cannot obey our orders regularly to live like a bonded labourer. Marriage leads to clashes and stress because two creatures living together for years is not an ordinary matter. Compared to married ones, unmarried ones can enjoy their lives better. If they spend that money and time, which they wish to spend for their life partner and children, for some others, they too become their well-wishers and be a source of support and solace to them just like life partner and children in a family system. Marriage does not give happiness to anybody as we suppose. Still millions of innocent males and females are intentionally entering this thorny path of multiple tasks and very limited joy.

32. Spiritualism means understanding the soul as the ultimate deciding factor of all that happened before this lifetime; what is happening now and what is to befall after the end of this life. It is renouncing every thing and every creature that entices us strongly. It is rigorous search for God, who is invisible. It is living alone, leaving all that, which a man or woman likes intuitively. God created many attractions to keep us happy. The same God is expecting all of us to avoid them in the path of understanding and reaching Him. It is like inviting our hungry friend to a great hotel, showing him all tasty foods and drinks and asking him not to touch any of them as they spoil his health. Self-control among multiple attractions is not easy. This is why millions of creatures are not resorting to spiritualism despite knowing that it gives them true bliss.

33. I attend some personality development classes as part of my job. Almost all of them stress that setting goals and struggling hard to reach them is very important. I don’t agree with this proposition and often find it ridiculous. Goal is a destination which must be reached through a planned journey of preparations and commitments by one or collectively. Goal means a strong desire, which might be logical or illogical. My goal might be to earn one crore rupees in five or ten years’ time. I may plan very well for it but I may not reach it because I have many limitations as a human being. I cannot expect everything to be in my favour as I am committed towards reaching my goal as any cost. Nothing wrong happens in my life even if I don’t reach that goal in or beyond the scheduled time. I live freely utilizing opportunities that come my way instead of searching for them in difficult conditions. When we have a goal, we struggle to reach it; we suffer a lot due to that stress. Millions of creatures are living happily in this world without any goals. Do what you can do confidently and ideally and accept what is given by God. There is no sense in setting and struggling to reach goals. It is indirectly punishing yourself aiming at one destination only.

34. Infatuation is the strongest physical and psychological force that prompts us to love somebody on the spot. I give a personal example. I travelled in Janmabhoomi Express on 11.02.2016 from Secunderabad to Tuni sitting in its reservation coach D-5. My reservation seat number was 101 and hers was 102. When I got into this coach in Secunderabad by 6:45 am, a splendid beauty sat in my seat. She asked me to sit in seat number 99 there which belonged to them. I did not like to argue with her only because she was such a fascinating beauty. She was travelling with her husband, son and daughter. She must be 25 or so. We cannot move our eyes away after seeing her face. I observed that many youth were admiring her silently taking her as an angel of beauty. I tried to snap her beauty with my cellphone camera but in vain. I could not focus it on her face because as sensible folks, we should not do it. I fell in love with her beauty. I deeply enjoyed her presence. The more the probability of the other being inaccessible to us, the more our sense of infatuation. She got off at Samalkot railway station by 5:15 pm along with her folks. As per the moral standards of one, one should not like or admire creatures of opposite gender because it is not one’s property but of somebody else. Her name is Devi, which I saw in the reservation chart pasted on one side of this coach. When there are thousands of mesmerizing beauties in this world, how can one remain dedicated towards one beauty only? Infatuation is related to seeing, feeling and enjoying oneself. One should not go beyond that point. When one tries to build a relationship with one that attracted and impressed one deeply, social order gets affected. It would be treated as an act of immorality. Infatuation is a universal phenomenon. Otherwise, why should I feel so much and become mad in thinking so that time? Many beauties come across me regularly in various places. I am regularly feeling infatuation strongly!   

35. Many atrocities and tragedies are taking place now in the name of love between two creatures of opposite gender. We can never identify whether a kind of love is genuine or false one because human attitude and behaviour keep changing time to time. On day one, A might love B purely and may decide to sacrifice anything for her. He struggles a lot to satisfy her in many ways. After a month, A comes to know that B had loved C once and that relationship did not last long. A develops doubts about the character of B after this time. Soon B knows that A has a fatal disease. She loses faith in him shortly. Both blame each other after some days and break up. Their family members don’t accept them because they neglected their advice once. Society starts treating them with aversion. A commits suicide one day. B also commits it after four days. It is tragedy. Some force girls to love them or attack them. We are regularly observing such incidents in our familiar societies. It means that lovers cannot be happy for long despite their being good at personal level. The success or failure of lovers depends on various factors, which are beyond their control. I pity all those lovers who are suffering in the name of love or admiration. I am one such victim.

36. Common sense is the phrase we use quite regularly. It is our ability to take decisions fast considering circumstances around. We need not have logical or intellectual thinking to do many things in our lives but a practical approach. Unfortunately, what we do out of common sense in some contexts might pull us into complications. We may go to a dead body on road to see it. Who come then that side might think that we only killed him. So, often we fail to understand what common sense is. What we take as common might sound or look uncommon and abnormal to others at times and push us into troubles and pain.  

37. There are thousands of artists in this world educating and entertaining us differently, regularly. Writing, dance, music, singing, sculpture and painting are some art forms. One that is considerably an adept in those art forms, which have been identified, accepted and appreciated by contemporaries in a society or country, is considered an artist. Artists mostly spend their time being engaged in their art forms. To that extent, they cannot enjoy their time with their life partners, children, parents, friends, well-wishers and others. Being an expert in any art form demands considerable orientation, continuous practice of it and staying updated about the trends around. So, every artist struggles and suffers a lot physically and psychologically to earn a status as an artist, to enhance it and sustain it. Art means parting with life and beauty of it. I think that 95% artists believe that they are doing something great for others always!  

38. Whom can we treat as a celebrity in the contemporary times and why? Many should admire and follow a celebrity. It is more or less a kind of madness. Nobody dies in this world if all celebrities die suddenly due to divine effect because celebrities don’t play a vital role in the personal or professional lives of others. Celebrities think that common people are negligible entities but they don’t realize that they became celebrities because of these common people only. Celebrity status might look attractive to outsiders but it is not so. Celebrity status deprives them of their freedom and pushes them into troubles.

39. Solitude means physical loneliness created by one for oneself or caused by various other factors. For the last few years, I have been thinking of going to a remote place, build a spacious and beautiful house there amid the inspiring beauty of nature and live there forever, away from others. I am disappointed by pollution in nature and human psychology. I don’t wish to talk with outsiders much after reaching this stage of loneliness. My wish is not to be in touch with my familiar society or other things happening in this world. I am suffering after knowing about a tragic incident somewhere. I suffer so forever, when in a society. The only way out is to keep my body in my control and keep my mind focused on God only, not external things, which ruin my life. Suitable environment is needed for us to be solitary and enjoy that state of life. Many remain lonely due to a series of unfortunate events in their lives. When we live alone for some months, we wish to see and mingle with other people somehow. When we spend among highly busy people for some months, we feel like going and living happily in a secluded house. So, whether we take it as a choice or due to compulsion, solitude bothers us much internally. Being lonely is not easy.  

40. Fate is what influences us suddenly or that which remains beyond our control always. Millionaires are dying young. Paupers are living long. Accidents are happening to us despite our being very alert. Rich ones are becoming poor. Destitute ones are becoming millionaires in no time. Fate is beyond logic and our control. Being prepared to face anything anytime is important. Fate dictates us terms like a tyrannous dictator or teaches us lessons like a generous teacher. Fate is a powerful wind. It chases you wherever you go. Fate is like fire. It burns you when you are planning to sit in a cool shade. It instructs you to live for years when you are inviting death due to your old age and health problems. It snatches the vital soul from your body when you are getting ready to enjoy your life. Many are remaining sad due to the impact of their fate. Many are enjoying their lives blissfully because of their fate. It is the guiding force of your life. The circumstances around you may change you completely after a time. You cannot argue against the orders of fate. You can’t reject grand offers thrown by it. All the life forms on this earth planet are subject to their fate. Nobody can escape from it. When you are born, how you live and die are not in your control but that of fate. Salute it humbly because it is your ruthless guide. Hug it softly because it is your lifelong partner. Suffer when needed. Celebrate when required. Don’t stop the journey suddenly because this life is not yours but that of God. He knows when to relieve you. You are a speck in His universe.