So – Whats Up?

 

So what is happening? That’s a question I was being asked by people and in turn I was asking me. It looks its pretty much the same story that’s all around. So many things happening, pulling in all different directions that’s its difficult to state which direction its moving or what is actually happening.

 

In one side I am daily looking at Sensex gaining acceleration. The speed at which its scaling new heights is mind boggling. And people at every corner seems to be watching with wonder the progress of Indian economy. Sensex at 18000, India’s plan to achieve annual growth rate of 9% and foreign investments and forex reserve leapfrogging. Indian Rupee gaining steadily against the US Dollar. All seems pretty cool. Or is it? A closer look shows that the market movements are primarily because of FII money. Most of the money pumped in are by foreigners in the stock market. What happens if they pull out? What happens if there is a shift in economic policy or parameter change in their country? The Dollar and the Pounds flying back, the FIIs will certainly book their profits. And then? A magnanimous crash and Indian investors again getting the short side of the stick?

 

Well one may say, its not the Sensex which is the only parameter. Look at Indian economy. Hmmmm! A good point. So what’s happening there? Again lots of foreign investment. But in select sectors. So lots of companies are preferring other locations like China and even Malaysia and Philippines instead of us. The currency gaining ground, and the imports going strong. The Exporters, IT and BPO sector getting hit by rising Rupee, rising salaries, attrition and lack of trained manpower. The deficit in trade balance and budget bulging. Whoa!  We still lack the infrastructure and basic facilities. Government still in a tight spot in deciding whether to open up these sectors for foreign and private investment. The friends from the left tightening the noose, to stop it. And even the strategic problem of having private or even foreign companies owning basic infrastructure. A threat to security and sovereignty? We need to find a balance somewhere.

 

Balance! Ok – how do we find that? In the same way we are doing it for our food grain stock? At one side we are having more than 26 million tones of food grain, some of its rotting and getting devoured by rodents. On the other side we are either having none for the people living below poverty line or grains supplied by our “efficient” PDS system that has been procured from Australia. Australia was planning to sell it as animal fodder and it has been bought with high prices for our socially active government for the poor. Why can we use the grains in stock? Because firstly we need to maintain a buffer stock for rainy days. Secondly if that is let loose in the open market it will send the food grain prices crashing down – hurting the large stockers and big-rich farmers; amazingly – that may also drive the minimum procurement prices of the harvest that are about to come – and in turn hit the poor farmers too. So a big big game of economic balance. And even if we do let those grains to the poor – they cant just survive on grains. They need money to buy fuel to cook them and other food items to have a balanced nutrition. So we save our food stock, gift it to our neighbors and famine stricken African countries and buy additional stock from Australia.

 

Australia – the thunders from down under are booming once more. The Dhoni dhamaka, seems to be fizzling out already. The villain from Oz, Mr. Chappell is back as coach in India (not for the Indian team though!). The Indian mood is going to dumps again. And more and more Indians queuing up to emigrate to that country, whose government’s latest slogan is – “One for mom, one for dad and one for country!” No they are not asking to raise a toast, but to raise a kid. They are severely sort of population it seems. And I guess that’s the right thing we can export. We need to search more such countries and products that we can export with confidence.

 

Search! Just saw the advert on TV. Google and Airtel have done it before with the Eskimo stint; but this time they presented a full-length story in three minutes flat. Made all wonder what it is all about till the very end. That was fun. And so was the one from Idea. An idea can really change the world. No one using names but numbers – and eliminating the barriers and class divide. Hmm! That’s a food for thought! Well still watching a lot of adverts every now and then, but not being able to track them, or a having that feeling of deluge. Might be that I am missing some of them!

 

And that’s more or less what’s happening with me too. Worrying about my economy and future; trying to maintain a balance of physical and mental status; a bit of roller coaster moods; trying to find out a place and job to move on; and searching for life. Yep! Someone recently told me that I don’t have a life, so I should go and get it. Don’t know what is life that I don’t have or what exactly I should go and get. Well I tried to search it the way we do now a days. And google told me to get a 1994 album by Anders Edenroth. Tried to look for it around and found life teeming all around, but none of it is something I can get for myself. Tried to look inside and found that I am coming alive after a long long time. And looked at future and found  – “A Life for Me!” So moving on towards it. Amen!!