Source: Howard Marks
Category: BookExcerpt
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The Fearless Modi
Lalit Modi is in the news lately for his challenges to the establishment.
Check out his latest tweet:
My Q to #rahulgandhi and #robertvadra did you ever receive any hospitality from @lalitkmodi – and did u declare it to @INCIndia #lalitgate
— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) July 3, 2015
As a history buff,I am reminded of another fearless Modi-Lalit Modi’s grand father Rai Bahadur Gujarmal Modi :
“Gujarmul-ji was a fearless man.Once, a delegation from the sugar industry wanted to meet Morarji Desai when he was Prime Minister.Gujarmal-ji lead the delegation.
When the delegation went to meet Morarji-bhai,he,as was his habit,started preaching.Before he could finish, Gujarmul-ji started interrupting him.This went on for some time.Morarji-bhai continued in his inimitable style.
Gujarmul-ji then said, ‘Mr.Prime Minister,we have not come to meet Morarji-bhai.We have come to meet the person who is occupying the Prime Minister’s chair.We bow to the chair.So long as you are sitting in this chair we bow to you.Once you leave this chair we will never come to meet you’
Morarji-bhai found his match in Gujarmul-ji and fell quiet”
-from KK Birla’s autobiography “Brushes with History“
Hat Tip: Joe KusnanWhen there is a stock-market boom, and everyone is scrambling for common stocks, take all of your common stocks and sell them. Take the proceeds and buy conservative bonds. No doubt the stocks you sold will go higher. Pay no attention to this— just wait for the depression which will come sooner or later. When this depression— or panic— becomes a national catastrophe, sell out the bonds (perhaps at a loss) and buy back the stocks. No doubt the stocks will go still lower. Again pay no attention. Wait for the next boom. Continue to repeat this operation as long as you live, and you’ll have the pleasure of dying rich.
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Once there was a dark Diwali in India
Circa November 1675.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was kept in an iron cage and taken to Delhi . The Guru was put in chains and Aurangzeb ordered him to be tortured until he would accept Islam.
This fictionalized account appears in Kushwant Singh’s Delhi
Strange things happened in Dilli that autumn.Dassehra passed without any Ram Lila or the burning of the effigies of Ravana and his brothers.The Hindus said the badshah had forbidden the celebration of Hindu festivals.The Muslims said that this was a lie and said they knew why Hindus were not celebrating their most important festival.
A few days later came Diwali.Not a light in anyone’s house ! Not a sound of a cracker ! No fireworks !No one sending sweets to anyone !The whole world was like a dark,moonless night.You know how much darker the night looks when you expect millions of oil lamps twinkling and there are none !So no Diwali for the Hindus.
And the Mussalmans feeling as if ants were crawling up their bottoms!The mullahji of the Sarai mosque asked Lakhi Rai very discreetly why he had not lit any lamps on Diwali night.’The death of a very near and dear one’,he replied.’All the Hindus seem to have lost someone near and dear to them,’ exclaimed the mullahji very sarcastically.’I hope it is not because someone very near and very dear is going to die,yes?’
Guru Tegh Bahadur refused to convert to Islam and was beheaded in public at Chandni Chowk on 24 November 1675. The Guru is also known as “Hind Di Chadar” i.e. “The Shield of India”, suggesting that he gave up his life to protect the religious freedom of non Muslims in Mughal India.
It’s high time we renamed Aurangzeb Road in Delhi to Guru Tegh Bahadur Boulevard.
Am reading this book on HDFC Bank called “A Bank for the Buck” by Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Came across this interesting snippet (Page 150 !) :
“This is a bank that does not know anything beyond business.When we make presentations to our MD Aditya Puri, he says, “Teri unchi English mere ko samajh me nahi aati hai;mere ko ye bata ki laddoo kidhar hai.” Everybody in HDFC Bank understands what laddoo stands for.
The presentations don’t last more than four to five slides.Aditya loves talking to the point.”Paise kidhar hai woh dikha,mujhe aur kuch nahi samajhta hai, seedha baat pe aa.Mujhe tu global gyan mat de.”
Am reminded of this famous movie scene from Jerry Maguire “Show me the money”