DIPLOMACY// The arrival of US President Barack Obama in the Cuban capital of Havana is nothing short of a giant step to repair the relationship between the two countries which almost went to war 50 years ago. Obama is the first US President since 1928 to visit Cuba. From 1959, the US and Cuba grew apart as they were governed by people who had completely different ideas of how a nation should be run. Headed by Fidel Castro, the Cubans embraced communism where the state has a role in providing everything from cars to education for its people. The US, in contrast, believes that private companies should run all businesses and the government should stay out of most activities other than maintaining peace and order. For years, there was little or no contact between the two countries-companies from Cuba and US could not do business with each other and people could not travel freely between the nations. Since 2014, the situation has begun to change-the two governments have begun to talk to each other and now businesses from the US and Cuba should also be able to work together. And yes, planeloads and shiploads of tourists from the US are arriving in Cuba! Maybe the bitter enemies are on the way to becoming friends!
ELECTIONS// Four Indian states will head for elections this month. The Election Commission of India, which organizes all elections in India, has announced that the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam will vote to elect new governments in their states over six weeks between April 4 and May 16. Election results will be announced on May 19. Two of India’s woman Chief Ministers — J Jayalalitha of Tamil Nadu and Mamta Banerjee of West Bengal — will fight to retain their jobs during these state elections. In India we have two kinds of elections — one through we elect the central government in Delhi in which all Indians vote and the second kind is state elections where the people of a state elect a government that will run their state. Powers and responsibilities are shared by the central and state governments.
ENVIRONMENT// The government of Delhi is planning to bring back the ‘odd and even’ traffic plan for two weeks starting April 15. During that time, only cars with even registration numbers will be allowed on roads on even number days while odd number cars will be allowed on the odd number days. The Delhi government is doing this to reduce the capital’s notorious air pollution levels. By reducing the number of cars on the road, it is hoping to reduce the pollution too. Pollution monitors that will check the pollution levels in the air will be set up across the NCR region to see if the odd and even scheme is having effect. Like last time, twowheelers, cars driven by women and those owned by important government officials will not be covered by the ban. The dates were chosen to ensure that students writing their board examinations were not affected.
US ELECTIONS// The next President of the United States is most likely to be Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump for they are the candidates most popular with their political parties at this time. Hillary Clinton belongs to the Democratic Party while Donald Trump belongs to the Republicans. The manner in which the US elects its President is very different from the way we do it in India. For one, the President is the single most powerful person in the US while in India, that person is the Prime Minister. At this point it seems that the Democrats will nominate Hillary Clinton while the Republicans will nominate Donald Trump. Trump’s nomination is worrying many people as his statements so far show that he is against immigrants people who enter the US from other countries to live and work. Of concern to India is his statement that he feels that Indians are taking away jobs from Americans. If he becomes President, this feeling may lead to policies where Indian companies may not be able to sell technology and other services very easily to the US. Indeed this is a US Presidential election that we should watch closely.
TERRORISM// At least 70 people were feared killed and more than 300 injured in a powerful blast triggered by a suicide bomber in Gilshan-e-Iqbal park in Lahore on March 27, as Easter celebrations were on. The explosion took place in a parking lot, the park being frequented by visitors and residents of the city. Innocent women, children and visitors were targeted and killed. No terror outfilt has owned up to the attack but the suspected bomber reportedly belonged to the southern Punjab district of Muzaffargarh. Body parts were scattered in the park and the injured were rushed to the nearby hospitals. The death toll was large because of the ongoing Easter celebrations.
TERRORISM// Terrorists struck at Brussels airport, Belgium’s capital, a city that has become the focal point in Europe’s fight against terrorism in Europe on March 22, in an attack that saw 34 people being killed and injuring at least 250. Bombs went off at the airport and at a metro station, killing these people and injuring many others. The attack was carried out by the ISIS which is based in West Asia. The terrorists attacked Europe as Europe has sent many fighters to fight against ISIS. Brussels is also the city where the European government is located, which is why it was attacked. The explosions drew condemnation from world leaders and sparked a cry for solidarity with the Belgian people. Two devices exploded at the airport and a third, which did not explode, was found in a suitcase, leading authorities to believe the other bombs were hidden inside suitcases. Two of the three suspects from the airport explosions were believed to be suicide bombers.
The terror group claimed it “carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices” in “the Belgian capital Brussels, a country participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State [ISIS],” according to the site.
Meanwhile the Indian private arrier, Jet Airways that operates daily non-stop flights to its European gateway at Brussels airport from its domestic hubs in Mumbai and New Delhi have confirmed that its flight in charge Nidhi Chapekar and flight supervisor Amit Motwani who sustained multiple wounds during bomb blasts at the Belgium airport and were later admitted for required medical care.
“ACCRA? You mean Agra, Right?” “Nope, Accra, Ghana. I live in Ghana, West Africa.” My usual conversation in India about where I live now. Africa somehow translates into South Africa and why not? So many Bollywood movies shot there and it’s a popular on the Indian tourist circuit.
“Madam, Why do you live in such a country?” asked the immigration officer at Indira Gandhi International Airport. He made me wait for an hour and a half because no one could understand the Cameroun Visa on my passport. “Yaounde? Where is it? Why are you going there? “Ummm… I live there now because my husband works there” I responded. “You should live in nice nice countries, madam” said the immigration officer. “None of your business” I wanted to respond but bit my tongue and proceeded to board the Ethiopian Airlines flight.
Years rolled by and we moved from one West African country to another, each day more exciting and enriching than the other.
I love how the world cultures collide in West Africa and the immense creative explosion it creates. One gets to meet movie makers, writers, musicians, healers, world leaders and global entrepreneurs
I became like a sponge soaking and savoring every experience along the joy ride of life in West Africa.
We lived in Democratic Republic of Congo for eight exciting years. Again the responses were from most Banal to the most bizarre “Do they eat human beings?” “Is there an airport?” “Do you see animals in your backyard” “Please can you bring back some gold and diamonds?” “Do you get Indian food?” “Are there some Indians there?”
And it is thanks to such interesting questions that I turned into a ‘Griot’ or a traditional story teller in West Africa. I felt obliged to document and narrate my stories and personal experiences in West Africa. There are many novels narrating the lives and times of Indian expats in England and America but hardly any literature has been published about the bustling Indian community and their unique contribution in Africa. My husband encouraged me to write a diary about my experiences. I wanted to write about Africa, write about Indians and write about the society? “How do I begin ? What do I write about? Are people interested in Africa? And then it was a parcel of food that triggered my novel.
‘Madame, there is a parcel for you on the table’ said Josie my children’s nanny as I walked into the living room. ‘Hmmmmm it smells heavenly. “Who dropped it?” I asked while popping a piece of melt in the mouth Handvo. “Your friend’s mother’s driver was here’ she responded while I was licking the most divine garlic chilli chutney. After I devoured the whole plate, I called up to thank the kind old lady who had taken an instant liking to me because I stopped to chat with her every day! ‘Kem Che beta?” was her instant response as she picked my call. ‘Aunty, who taught you to cook like this?” I asked with admiration dripping from my voice. “Cooking is in the genes of Indian women! Don’t you think so, Beta?” “I think that gene escaped me Aunty!” We laughed together. “Don’t worry I will teach you. Come over whenever you want masala chai and dhokra’.
The conversation and food set me thinking. The kind old lady has never set foot in India just like her mother. They were born and raised in Africa never setting their beautiful feet in Gujarat. How do they speak fluent kutchi or Gujrati and eat dal chawal, shak and rotli. They are more ‘Indian’ and religious than the urban India today never missing their prayer meeting and community service or ‘Seva’ as they call it. The tight knit Gujrati community (Hindi, Muslim and Ismaili) are spread all over East Africa including Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and some in Congo and Burundi.
The dynamic community not only control majority of the business but also contribute to the society they live in. The beautiful mosques, Jamatkhana and temples constructed by them stands witness to their contribution to the society. Women volunteer to do seva and offer free class of French/English and religious studies. Often the places of worship double up as social centers where families gather for lunch and dinner or various activities such as Fancy dress/painting competition or other activities for children. Marriages are held here with full regalia.
I am mostly wonder struck by these second and third generation Indian women who have never visited India and continue to wear saris and salwar kameez and speak their native language. Naira (name changed) was born in Tanzania she doesn’t remember the year though. The minute she reached puberty she was married to someone in Mombasa but when she lost her husband at an early age, she remarried and moved to Burundi. Today she lives in the interiors of Congo and runs a small shop where she sells sundry items, stitches Indian outfits and takes orders for Nihari and Gulab jamun if she has energy left. I have so much respect for these women who leave no stones unturned to add the additional income for their family while keeping nothing for themselves.
Their cooking is exactly like their ancestors in saurashtra but they have innovated a little for the lack of original ingredients which was unavailable back then. The chana bateta is cooked with tomato paste that are widely sold here in tiny little tin boxes. Gulab Jamun and Dahi Vada made with bread and samosas made with philo pastries. Another such elderly woman sells Indian food stuff to support her family and speaks only French and Gujrati and sheds copious tears while watching the various Indian soaps on TV.
Entire Indian population of West Africa is extremely grateful to Sony, Zee, B4U and NDTV for bringing India into their houses. Till very recently they had no contact with their motherland but today it is beamed into their salons and they are glued. The effects can be seen in their dressing, make up and daily conversation. Now Chand raat, Eid or Navratris have latest fashion from the tele serials.
The world is shrinking thanks to advance technology and yet not much literature, documenting the lives of Indians comes out of West Africa. We moved From Congo to Ivory Coast and now to Ghana, an Anglophone country in West Africa.
“How does it feel to live in an English speaking country? Is it different from the rest of the Francophone countries you have lived in?”
New Country and New questions! The first thing that struck me about Ghana was the number of Neem trees that grow randomly every where and the number of Indians who live here. “Who are these people?” “What brings them to Ghana?” Each family had their own fascinating story to tell. Some made it big and struck gold. There were some who made it big and blew it up.
It was here that I decided to write my first novel “Congo – A journey”. The book explores the life of an Indian expat and his unique journey in West Africa. It also documents the lives of expat wives, Indian Business men and workers.
Some ambitions are so deep, we delve into them subconsciously. So Dabur India Ltd’s Vice Chairman and Lite Bite Foods Pvt Ltd’s Chairman Amit Burman might not be living his ambition of “cruising at over 30,000 feet”, but he is still flying high when it comes to leading successful businesses.
“As every other boy in school, I also dreamt of growing up and becoming a pilot. Being a commercial pilot was my dream and my ambition in school” he says with his trademark honest smile.
With his work, he is doing just that.
Interestingly Dabur might not be a traditional family business (In 1998, the Burman family passed the management of the company over to a professionals and decided to limit their role to strategic decisions at a board level) but the rules set in the Burman household still find roots in all the generations.
While none of the new generation Burman family members get an entry into Dabur India Ltd, the ones who did, had to work their way up. “Every family member who joined the organisation had to start from scratch and work their way up the ladder,” shares Burman.
And don’t they say, home is the best school. Discipline and respect were a must at his home when Burman grew up. “In fact, everything was about respect. Respect for the elders, for the younger ones and even for the staff at home. And above all this, respect time. My father always believed in living a disciplined life. He was always the first person to reach office, despite being part of the promoter family. And that’s something I have learnt from him.”
In fact even when he was doing his bachelor’s degree in the US, he worked like any other young man would to support himself. Why he even worked as a bartender for a few months! “That was again part of the experience called Life and learning to be independent. We were always encouraged to work outside, gain experience, learn new things as against coming back home and joining the family business.”
Not surprisingly he went on to work with Colgate-Palmolive in New York. Looking back he says, that experience of working abroad was “like a stepping stone in the process to excel.”
Interestingly when the young man in his 20s came back to India to join Dabur India Ltd, he had a lot to prove. Ask him how easy or difficult was it to work in the family business and pat comes the reply, “With such a huge legacy behind you, it’s never easy. People tend to watch every step you make and are quick to pull you down too. For one, you have big benchmarks in front of you that have been set by your previous generations. In our family, we had to prove our worth before being given big roles.”
So when he joined the group in the Industrial Engineering Department he confesses to being “Lost”. “I was working with different teams trying to understand each division. But it was a learning experience.” Soon of course, he found his feet his late uncle A C Burman mentoring him steadily.
Over years many things changed but the focus at the group, never did.
Interestingly Burman contributed an important chapter to the Dabur story, the juice brands, Réal and Réal Activ.
How it all started is of course an interesting story. After having come back after studying abroad, the one thing that the young man missed at his breakfast table was packaged fruit juice. It was pretty much a part of his staple diet during his college days, but that concept was still alien to India. “Whatever little was available in some select stores India were imported stuff and mostly laden with preservatives. That’s when I saw an opportunity and decided to fill this need gap with India’s first packaged fruit juice with no preservatives under the brand Réal, way back in 1997.”
And the rest, like they say, is history. Not only did Burman help Dabur launch fresh juices but also caught the market by storm. “It gives me great satisfaction today to see that Réal has today emerged as one of the biggest brands in the Dabur portfolio and is also the youngest brand to clock the Rs 1,000-Crore turnover,” he says contently.
Also thanks to the sudden awareness towards Ayurvedic and natural products, Dabur is in the limelight yet again. Dabur has, in fact, been ranked as the Number 1 Ayurveda brand in India for the third year in running, by TRA Research Private Limited. This speaks volumes about the trust that consumers place on brand Dabur. While a lot of companies today offer herbal or Ayurvedic products, says Burman, Dabur enjoys the consumer’s trust because of its Ayurvedic heritage and its early mover advantage. “Consumers understand that if a product comes from the House of Dabur, it is truly natural,” he says.
That said, the group hasn’t sat easy given its position. Dabur today has a diverse portfolio, ranging from health supplements to hair care and packaged juices to home care and skin care. “We have been constantly innovating with the launch of new Ayurvedic products. Going forward too, we will continue to introduce products based on this platform”, he assures.
Dabur India, shares Burman , also has a strong in-house research wing that follows a ‘bush-to-brand’ approach. “We have our in-house nursery, which grows several rare herbs that go into various products. This research wing also undertakes detailed tests on individual ingredients and products to ensure that the final product meets customer needs and aspirations,” he says.
What is also noteworthy at the group is the simple fact while business a lot of family businesses are getting divided, a group like Dabur India has stood the test of time. Ask Burman what he thinks is the secret and he likes to explain it simply. “Respect for every individual, I would say, is the key reason. For Dabur, the family and the business are institutions to preserve. For us, the family business is always seen as an institution and its interest is paramount.”
When Amit Burman joined Dabur, the promoter family was still managing the business but they were also on the verge of divorcing ownership from management.
There was a growing realisation within the Burman family, shares Amit, that as they expand, there may not be enough space within the flagship company for the new generation. “And why should we just rest at one Dabur India Ltd? Why can’t the new generation set up independent business ventures that can become as big, or even bigger than Dabur itself? So, the new generation was encouraged to set up independent business ventures outside Dabur with the elders offering complete support.”
Little surprise today, none of the new generation Burman family members get an entry into Dabur India Ltd. “They are, in fact, encouraged to set up independent ventures and create another Dabur” shares the VP.
No wonder from restaurants to insurance and more, the Burman family members have built businesses outside of Dabur worth an estimated $500 million.
And it was no different for Amit Burman. After establishing Réal & Réal Activ as the most-preferred packaged fruit juice brands in the country, when he set out to look for newer challenges, the food retail sector, he says was the one that caught his attention.
And so Lite Bite Foods Pvt Ltd (LBF) was born after a movie over a subway sandwich with his friend and now also business partner Rohit Aggarwal. Today it is one of the largest and one of the most dynamic F&B retail companies in the country with as many as 12 core brands under its umbrella.
With more than 100 operational outlets and names like Punjab Grill, Zambar, Fresc Co, Asia 7, The Artful Baker, BottomsUp and you know where the brand is headed.
Ask him if the growth at LBF something was something he was expecting and you hear in the honest Amit Burman style, “I always knew that F&B Retail was one sector that has the potential to grow at a rapid pace.”
That said, he doesn’t shy away from saying that luck played its role. “We entered this segment at the right time. Also we have been fortunate to have most of our calculated decisions in business pay off to our advantage.”
Of course LBF also put in place standard practices to ensure that the quality of food and taste would always remain top-notch and similar across outlets.
Ask him how things changed for the foodie in him, now that there are so many restaurants that LBF owns and runs. “I have always been a foodie, but more so in the business sense. Food has always been close to my heart and almost all my ventures have been around food”, he shares. That said, his love for food doesn’t extend to cooking. “I don’t even try my hand at cooking. I leave that to the experts. My wife Divya, in fact, is a good cook, and she takes a lot of interest in the new recipes being developed at Lite Bite Foods and also gives her feedback.”
And when you notice the smile of satisfaction on the entrepreneur’s face, he would rather give the credit to his father G C Burman, the one corporate personality, Amit says, he looks up to. “He had this ability to spot opportunities in sectors and geographies where ordinary people would normally not think of moving into, and then getting into details and turning them into success stories. He always said 'If you truly believe in your dreams, no one can stop it from coming true’.
Amit Burman sure lives by that mantra!
Meet Fitbit Surge, a tracker like no other. I say this because unlike most fitness trackers that pass themselves off as smartwatches or their sportier cousins, and escape with a third of the functionality, the Surge comes up as an unassuming thick bracelet with a display big enough for your needs and a feel that fitness buffs will adore.
It's not all about the looks and the comfort though, for if you use it the way it is supposed to be used, you'll find the Surge sporting almost every feature that you would want your fitness tracker to provide. Be it distance covered, steps taken, calories burnt, or even functionalities such as heart-rate monitoring, offering notifications, setting up alarms or syncing with other devices, the Surge covers it all with aplomb, and with up to an entire week of battery life, it actually does better than the best smartwatches around.
If you're working out, following charts, and staying away from the juicy dumplings, you'll surely need a gadget around to track if your efforts are indeed ticking the boxes. If you gift yourself a Surge, you'll get all that and more. Thanks to its GPS tracking ability, the Surge will track down the route you took for the morning jog and count your steps, elevation and the calories you burnt in the process. What's more, the heart rate monitor will keep buzzing and you'll know if you ran up your heart a bit more than you should or if you worked it up a bit more that you should have.
Fitbit Surge wirelessly syncs with most of your devices and that includes your PC too! If you're out for a run, the Surge not only lets you see your texts and notifications in its display, but also lets you browse through and play your smartphone’s music collection.
Probably the best part about the Surge is its Multi-Sport feature, which is truly made for the freaky kind. By freaky, we mean athletes who are constantly looking forward to shattering speed records, climbing the toughest cliffs and engaging in workouts that would kill well-oiled veterans. Even if you're thinking of the heptathlon and decathlon kind, the Surge can be your pet tracker. The Multi-Sport feature tracks cross-training exercises, records running speeds and distances, helps with cardios and even comes up with workout summaries that’ll show you the mirror after you’re done with a session.
Despite all its features, the Surge isn't a smartwatch, so don't expect it to sport hundreds of apps, come up with new watch faces every day or let you take calls on it. Go for it if you need a tracker that keeps you honest about your fitness regimen and one that fits well and looks this good, too. At Rs 20,000, the Surge is a bit on the expensive side but if you believe in long-term fitness schedules, it'll eventually be worth it.
IN THE GAMES politicians play, the loser is cricket.
The above sentence sums up the sordid saga of the India-Pakistan World Cup T20 match that was supposed to be held in the cool climes of Dharamshala.
A natural and pertinent query to the Indian Cricket Board would be “Why was such a match, probably the most important one of the group stage, given to the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh? With so many metro cities — Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai — awaiting their turn to host a highvoltage match, the only reason to allot such a game to Dharamshala was BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur.
The son of former state Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Thakur is the driving force of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and at the forefront for bringing this tiny place on the cricket world map.
A sitting Member of Parliament and president of the youth wing of the ruling party at the Centre, Thakur is obsessed with self-promotion through cricketing activities. He hardly loses an opportunity to appear on television whenever a cricketing matter makes it to primetime on Indian news channels. But this time, he probably forgot that by hosting such an important game, he was inviting trouble from the quarters that were waiting for this moment for a long time.
How come Thakur forgot the last week of September 2015, when Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister’s residence in an assets case, at a time when Virbhadra Singh and his wife were busy with preparations of their second daughter’s wedding in Shimla?
Although Thakur kept saying he was not aware of any such raid, the fact remains that Virbhadra Singh openly accused BJP’s youth leader for being vindictive for his personal gains, calling the timing of the raid “inhuman”.
Virbhadra, 82, had to cancel the wedding lunch for the guests at that time as raids were going on simultaneously at 12 places.
SUBHEAD: Self propaganda
Cricket is a great tool for any politician looking to promote himself. Young and over-ambitious, Thakur brought the IndoPak game to Dharamshala without realising the huge baggage of local politics attached to it. Like any other seasoned politician, Virbhadra Singh didn’t want Thakur to get mileage for it. And he got this heaven-sent opportunity without even trying hard for it.
When the families of the army personnel killed in the Pathankot airbase attack began to protest against Pakistan playing in Dharamshala, Singh grabbed the moment. With assurance of full security, Singh kept insisting that although the administration would provide security for the match, it wouldn’t use force against the families of the martyrs and their supporters if they protested on match day.
For those who want to know why this issue was such a sensitive one for this region, one has to understand that the Kangra region is a huge catchment area for recruitment into the armed forces. In simple words, Kangra belt comprises a huge vote bank for state political parties.
Linking it to politics, Thakur alleged that the state’s Congress government refused to provide security to the match after he raised in the Parliament the issue of fraud by the previous UPA Government in the Ishrat Jahan case and questioned Congress over its role in the JNU episode.
Thakur made yet another mistake here by saying that “Himachal CM is only playing politics with this game.”
Agreed. But then not playing politics goes against the nature of any politician! Thakur himself indulged in it last year. How could he forget the day of the terrorist attack at Gurdaspur, when he insisted that India wouldn’t and shouldn’t play with Pakistan?
Bit too much
Some HPCA officials admit that perhaps Thakur really did bite more than he could chew when Himachal got this huge, prestigious match to host. The organisational ability of the local staff was painfully exposed even during the initial stage of the tournament.
HPCA officials did their bit in promotion of cricket in the state at a crucial time by coining new phrases to describe the state: “Dev bhoomi, rann bhoomi and khel bhoomi”. The HPCA kept chanting catchy idioms to make the situation tug at people’s emotions.
The situation was made worse by the lack of communication between the HPCA, HP Police, ICC and the administration. There’s mistrust and tension between these entities. The police is controlled by the Virbhadra administration, which didn’t want the match to take place here. Clearly, this was a recipe for disaster.
In general, the BCCI has shown itself to be an organisation that’s extremely tolerant of disparate political ideologies and parties. Arun Jaitley, Rajiv Shukla, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Anurag Thakur, Sharad Pawar and the Chaudharys of Haryana have all, time and again, played their part in influencing the Board’s decisions.
This is one reason why Justice R M Lodha-led panel has recommended that politicians must stay out of cricket and sports.
More agony for HPCA
Thakur was desperate because he knew the ramifications of shifting an important game as an India-Pakistan clash. Within days, the HPCA faced more embarrassment because of its president’s high political ambitions when Indian Premier League team Kings’ XI Punjab requested the Board to shift its share of matches out of Himachal to Nagpur. Being BCCI and ICC president’s hometown, the matches were happily shifted out of Thakur’s native place.
It would not be easy for Thakur to retain the same kind of clout in BCCI post the Dharamshala jolt. In his speedy clamber to reach to the top, he has rubbed many of his old friends the wrong way. Thakur was more acceptable to many state associations during N Srinivasan’s era. However, the way he conducted himself during the indisposed Jagmohan Dalmiya’s short tenure, he has now become almost an untouchable for even his few close old associates.
The danger of being overly ambitious is quite real. One hopes that Thakur, spurred as he is by his unbridled ambition, realises sooner than later that the road to success is always slow and steady.