After all those ten months of anxiety and anticipation, your young master has finally arrived and you seem to be getting tantrums all over again about raising the little one.
If you are a first time parent ,this kind of an anxiety is common and normal. Most of the time we are left wondering ,how parents of yester years could manage as many as a dozen children easily and conveniently, while we are found going to parenting classes and doing a lot of internet surfing right from the time of conception.
A few things, if borne in mind could make the entire process of raising a child interesting and simple.
The most common question raised is:
How do I know for what could he be crying for? Could something be wrong with him?
Crying is just a means of communication that your child needs attention.A whinning child is something which most first time parents find alarming. As most parents you would be wondering whether something is really wrong. Here are a few reasons as to what is it that needs attention.
Mom I am hungry…….
The main reason would be hunger.Ensure that the little one is fed periodically and adequately .Remember, only if his stomach is full will he sleep adequately. Your doctor might advice you to breast feed right from the day one.
However,some women may not secrete milk during the first few days.In such cases, you can always go for bottle feeding after consulting your paediatrician. Commonly recommended brands include Lactogen and Dexolac. Ensure that you administer first time formula milk as dilute as possible .
If he fails to pass out ,do not panic.If you are feeding formulated milk, it is quite common to cause slight constipation.Once you are able to breast feed,you may carry on with the same. He may take time to adapt , so keep trying until you both get accustomed to each other.
During the initial few months, you may have to sacrifice a few hours of sleep at night to get up and feed him if he cries.Do not hesitate to do the same, as a loss of few hours of sleep to you would mean more immunity to him.You may feel bottle feeding might make him sleep longer but formulated milk will not provide him with all the antibodies he requires for immunity.
As a mother you will have to get accustomed to sleep when he sleeps and remain up when he is awake.Also remember,if he continues to sleep without feeding it is not necessary that you wake him up to feed him. He would demand you to be fed when needed.
An important note: if he fails to suck immediately,do not conclude that he doesn;t like to be breast fed. You may also try to using a nipple shield. Keep trying till you get him to breast feed.
My nappy seems wet:
A wet nappy could annoy him and prevent him from having a peaceful sleep.Make sure you periodically change his nappy.If you reside in places with a warm climate ,a cloth diaper is far advisable than a disposable one.Though disposable ones may seem convenient, your little one;s skin is still tender and a disposable nappy tends to make his skin all the dry.
Ensure that the clothes you use for him are washed separately and preferably sun dried.Avoid using too much of detegents as this may cause irritation to the skin.Alternatively, you may use detergents meant for baby clothes.
I need sleep:
Most babies,require a physical presence beside them as a reminder of some kind of secuirty. During the initial few days ensure that you have your baby beside you while sleeping .A soft cuddle or a lullaby would go a long way to make your baby sleep well and tight.Some babies prefer to be breast fed to sleep ,while some would like you to walk and put them to sleep.
So try out a variety of these things and determine what is it that he likes and go by the same to get him to sleep.
If you prefer to put him in a cradle, make sure you place a soft bed underneath him.A pillow may not be required in the first few days.Ensure that his cradle is free from any kind of small insects,bugs and mosquitoes.
I am cold:
Most babies prefer to be warm during the intial days as your womb has been keeping him warm when he was inside. Hence,make sure that he is wearing soft and warm clothing. Avoid clothes which have a lot of frills or buttons as these maybe irritating on the skin.Clothes which can be knotted at the back are quite right.
I need to pee:
“My baby cries all the time he pees could something be wrong” .This is quite a normal scenario and there is no need to panic as some babies,find this whole process of secreting something to be a new sensation.Just ensure that you change his nappy immediately as he might catch a cold if he left this way for too long.
Time to call the doctor:
However, if you child continues to keep whinning even after being fed fully and you really feel that something is definitely wrong, do not hesitate to contact the doctor. Remember, a mother can always perceive when something is wrong her little one and there is nothing wrong in Crying Wolf.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A New Year's Resolution to Protect Your Data & Business
Bidding adieu to 2009, the old year and a brand new 2010 is at the doorsteps.
It is again that time of the year when we would reflect on the past and make some resolutions hoping to do better in all spheres. On the personal front, we have several resolutions to make - right from the most popular lose weight---save money---maintain a diary---quit smoking/drinking to properly managing time, the list is endless.
On the professional front, what resolution can we make? Before finding one, it is pertinent to answer a more fundamental question: How important is your company's data? What impact a possible identity theft or security breach will have on your business?
The answer is obvious.
The growing list of cyber-criminal activities across the globe have assumed such grave proportions that all enterprises - big and small, are exposed to security breaches and identity thefts of various kinds. Many acts of sabotage were found to have been caused by the insiders of the enterprises, either disgruntled staff or greedy techies or sacked employees.
Lack of well-defined internal controls and access restrictions generally pave the way for security incidents. Particularly, as stolen identities seem to have served as the ‘hacking channel’ for many cyber-crimes, improper management of the administrative passwords is believed to be at the root of a good number of security threats.
One of the effective ways to achieve internal controls is to deploy a Privileged Password Management Solution that could replace manual processes and help achieve highest level of security for the data.
Will it not be a great resolution this new year to strive for information security? Go ahead and deploy ManageEngine Password Manager Pro and safeguard your enterprise data.
Wishing you a wonderful new year,
Bala
It is again that time of the year when we would reflect on the past and make some resolutions hoping to do better in all spheres. On the personal front, we have several resolutions to make - right from the most popular lose weight---save money---maintain a diary---quit smoking/drinking to properly managing time, the list is endless.
On the professional front, what resolution can we make? Before finding one, it is pertinent to answer a more fundamental question: How important is your company's data? What impact a possible identity theft or security breach will have on your business?
The answer is obvious.
The growing list of cyber-criminal activities across the globe have assumed such grave proportions that all enterprises - big and small, are exposed to security breaches and identity thefts of various kinds. Many acts of sabotage were found to have been caused by the insiders of the enterprises, either disgruntled staff or greedy techies or sacked employees.
Lack of well-defined internal controls and access restrictions generally pave the way for security incidents. Particularly, as stolen identities seem to have served as the ‘hacking channel’ for many cyber-crimes, improper management of the administrative passwords is believed to be at the root of a good number of security threats.
One of the effective ways to achieve internal controls is to deploy a Privileged Password Management Solution that could replace manual processes and help achieve highest level of security for the data.
Will it not be a great resolution this new year to strive for information security? Go ahead and deploy ManageEngine Password Manager Pro and safeguard your enterprise data.
Wishing you a wonderful new year,
Bala
Saturday, December 26, 2009
TSUNAMI: CHILLING REMINISCENCES OF DEC 26, 2004
26 Dec 2004 ... it dawned as a normal day. I was at my native place Porayar, a small town in Nagapattinam district located barely a couple of km away from the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Tarangambadi. Since that happened to be the holy Margazhi, the misty month in Tamil Calendar, people got up early and were saying their prayers. So did I and was chatting with my father about the plight of Kanchi Sankaracharya who had been arrested a month-and-half earlier.
When I turned the TV on, a news flash reported that Chennai experienced mild tremors early that morning. While hearing the news about the tremors at Chennai, I remained more like the French King Louis XV, who lived only for himself and did not care whether his people survived or not and I was thinking like him "After me the Deluge". But, I was not aware that I was going to witness a massive tragedy within a few minutes. The deluge had actually been waiting to come that moment!
The clock ticked 9:30 am. I heard screaming voices outside my street. Power suddenly went off. Telephones went dead. Cell phone lines remained clogged. A friend of mine rushed in and cried "sea is surging ahead". I laughed at him as this statement is quite common in our area on full-moon days. That fateful day being a full-moon day, I thought he was referring to the raging waves. (Sea used to remain agitated on full-moon days).
But soon, I saw people running helter-skelter. I came out of my house and went eastward. Alas! a horrifying sight! Seawater had come up hundreds of metres away from the shore. When I reached the spot, water, two feet high, had been showing signs of raising and lowering. Anxious onlookers started talking about the plight of the people of eight small hamlets (Tarangambadi, Manickapangu, Kuttiyandiyur, Chandrapadi, Chinnangudi, Chinnamedu, Veppanchery and Perumalpettai) around our town who lived right at the seafront. Suddenly, I saw hundreds of people running towards us. We did not have any clue as to what was happening.
About 100 people, men, women and little children reached our town. They were fully wet, their bodies were shivering, they could not speak a word. Their eyes told horror stories. We helped them take shelter inside the Government Hospital compound, located nearby. Within a few minutes, hundreds of others followed them. All of them told in one voice: "sea has swept away our hamlets. Huge tides, black in colour, looking like a moving mountain came in, pulled everything. The back flow current was so strong that no one could swim against it". There was chaos and commotion. By 10:15 AM, water showed signs of receding.
These three photos sum up the magnitude of damage (at Tarangambadi and Vailankanni respectively):
At Tarangambadi, I saw this young man crying aloud - his two little children and wife had succumbed right in front of his eyes. Sankar, a friend captured this distressing moment. Heart-rending scenes like this, which I saw that day keep haunting me often, even now..
In the meantime, hundreds of youths from our place rushed to the coastal hamlets - Tarangambadi, Manickapangu, Kuttiyandiyur, Chandrapadi, Chinnangudi, Chinnamedu, Veppanchery and Perumalpettai. By 11:30 AM, these young men were rushing injured children, babies, women and aged in two-wheelers to the Porayar GH. Some were dead and others were dying. Though doctors were not present, the nursing assistants acted swiftly and gave timely first-aid to the injured. They saved a few lives, but certainly more could have been saved, had doctors been present and if the GH had had facilities like Oxygen cylinders. The hospital had an ambulance, but no driver. I cursed my fate, perhaps for the first time in my life that I was living in a useless place. [Of course, the situation in the hospital has improved now a lot, two doctors are on duty round-the-clock].
By 12:00 noon, the hospital compound was filled with hundreds of people - dead and dying. People were crying inconsolably. When I went into Tarangambadi, I witnessed the most dreadful scene in my life. More than 70 persons - children and aged, had lost their lives. Dead bodies were strewn across the streets. Boats had been thrashed on top of houses. The place where I used to see huts, had become a field of debris. Hundreds of cattle were seen floating on water. A huge sea turtle had been thrown into the land. Big fish species were found dead on streets. Several venomous creatures - snakes, scorpions and several new species were freely floating on water.
In the midst of all these, few people were seen sitting or hanging on tree branches. Most of them remained unconscious. Youths from neighbouring places rescued them and took them to the nearby helpless GH. The nursing assistants could not cope with the situation. A private lady doctor residing at Porayar, came to the hospital on her own accord. She saved a few lives. But the hospital was overcrowded. Tarangambadi Tahsildar had sent a few Government buses to the Porayar GH to carry the people for 'further treatment' in Mayiladuthurai GH. People literally pushed the dead and the dying into Government buses. Human life seemed to have very little value!
In the meantime, those who survived the attack were trembling as the seawater had turned their bodies wet. The cold weather that prevailed on that day, added insult to the injury. Most of the people wanted something 'hot' to take in. We thought it was important to serve the living at that moment than recovering the dead bodies. We, a group of friends, decided to supply Tea to the people to mitigate shivering. We went into the town to get milk. Most of the shops remained closed. After wandering through the streets, we could gather just 77 litres of milk. Milk Powder was not available. With the help of the women of our area, we started preparing Tea. We added 150 litres of water to the 77 litres of milk. The tea was ready by 2:30 PM. But, by then, more than 5000 people had taken shelter in a school in my town. We had just 2000 cups of Tea. The most painful moment in my life! We felt helpless and cursed ourselves for the inability to provide tea to all the people!
By 5 PM, the magnitude of devastation in our area came to light. The GH was full of dead bodies. People were searching for their loved ones. When dead bodies were brought to the GH, people were seen praying, "God, my son's body should not be there". Heart-rending scenes everywhere. Until then, I was thinking the devastation had happened only in my district. But, power supply was restored in select areas and we understood that entire South East Asia had come under that attack. In Nagapattinam district, more than 3000 bodies had been recovered by the evening (final toll in the district crossed 6000). In my town, people were discussing that the death toll in Tarangambadi alone would have exceeded 1000.
Streets were full of volunteers to help those who had escaped the attack. I could see only Humanists, humanists and humanists. People willingly contributed for preparing food for the victims. Young men and women gathered up to prepare food for a mammoth 5000 victims at a single place. Calamity united people of all religions and people of all classes. Even rich were running errands for the victims. The victims wanted water, but water packets and bottles were in short supply in the area. Local people brought drinking water in cans, drums and many other big utensils.
By 8 PM, I was back again at the GH. Death toll had gone up to 256. We spent our night in a school with those unfortunate people who lost everything in their life in a moment. Victims were shell-shocked and they could not properly speak. People were grief-stricken and were crying and that night passed off without a bit of sleep.
[My father, a senior journalist with PTI and the Indian Express had to tour all the affected areas and file spot stories. He was being constantly contacted by fellow journalists representing various print and electronic media organizations across the country for inputs. As Vailankanni bore the brunt of the attack, anxious relatives of pilgrims from Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai and Kerala kept calling my father (by getting his contact details through PTI) for information about their relatives. My father rushed to Vailankanni that day, but could not get any information, as the streets of the holy town contained just dead bodies. Wherever he traveled, my father had heard only death cries. Yet, he felt that it was his duty to objectively report the enormity of the calamity immediately to PTI, a very powerful news agency that could disseminate the info worldwide in minutes, so that survivors could get assistance. He dedicated himself to tsunami reporting for several months thereafter...].
The next morning was still more painful. There were just six toilets in the local high school where more than 5000 people had taken shelter. Women found it difficult to complete their morning ablutions. They did not have extra clothes to wear. A horrible experience indeed! The Government machinery was in utter confusion unable to cope with the devastation. Almost all the 80 hamlets in the 147-km long coastline of Nagapattinam district had suffered unprecedented damage. In the morning, the GH was full of dead bodies and after the formal identification process, they had to be disposed off. There was no machinery, no man- power to execute that. The Tahsildar ran here and there and brought a few persons. They dug the sand, 30 feet long and 15 feet deep and three such pits. Nearly 200 bodies were buried en-masse amidst heart-rending cries. Similar scenes followed during the subsequent days...
From Dec 28 onwards, help started pouring in from various quarters... The attention of the International Civil Society turned on our district. The Government also streamlined the relief works. Official figures put death toll in Tarangambadi area alone as 517 and 220 missing. For those who have seen this devastation only in the TV, this tragedy might have become a sad memory, but for the victims it is an ongoing nightmare.. the Government and the NGOs have done a lot to rebuild their lives, but the tragic memories of Dec 26 would haunt them for ever!
When I turned the TV on, a news flash reported that Chennai experienced mild tremors early that morning. While hearing the news about the tremors at Chennai, I remained more like the French King Louis XV, who lived only for himself and did not care whether his people survived or not and I was thinking like him "After me the Deluge". But, I was not aware that I was going to witness a massive tragedy within a few minutes. The deluge had actually been waiting to come that moment!
The clock ticked 9:30 am. I heard screaming voices outside my street. Power suddenly went off. Telephones went dead. Cell phone lines remained clogged. A friend of mine rushed in and cried "sea is surging ahead". I laughed at him as this statement is quite common in our area on full-moon days. That fateful day being a full-moon day, I thought he was referring to the raging waves. (Sea used to remain agitated on full-moon days).
But soon, I saw people running helter-skelter. I came out of my house and went eastward. Alas! a horrifying sight! Seawater had come up hundreds of metres away from the shore. When I reached the spot, water, two feet high, had been showing signs of raising and lowering. Anxious onlookers started talking about the plight of the people of eight small hamlets (Tarangambadi, Manickapangu, Kuttiyandiyur, Chandrapadi, Chinnangudi, Chinnamedu, Veppanchery and Perumalpettai) around our town who lived right at the seafront. Suddenly, I saw hundreds of people running towards us. We did not have any clue as to what was happening.
About 100 people, men, women and little children reached our town. They were fully wet, their bodies were shivering, they could not speak a word. Their eyes told horror stories. We helped them take shelter inside the Government Hospital compound, located nearby. Within a few minutes, hundreds of others followed them. All of them told in one voice: "sea has swept away our hamlets. Huge tides, black in colour, looking like a moving mountain came in, pulled everything. The back flow current was so strong that no one could swim against it". There was chaos and commotion. By 10:15 AM, water showed signs of receding.
These three photos sum up the magnitude of damage (at Tarangambadi and Vailankanni respectively):
At Tarangambadi, I saw this young man crying aloud - his two little children and wife had succumbed right in front of his eyes. Sankar, a friend captured this distressing moment. Heart-rending scenes like this, which I saw that day keep haunting me often, even now..
In the meantime, hundreds of youths from our place rushed to the coastal hamlets - Tarangambadi, Manickapangu, Kuttiyandiyur, Chandrapadi, Chinnangudi, Chinnamedu, Veppanchery and Perumalpettai. By 11:30 AM, these young men were rushing injured children, babies, women and aged in two-wheelers to the Porayar GH. Some were dead and others were dying. Though doctors were not present, the nursing assistants acted swiftly and gave timely first-aid to the injured. They saved a few lives, but certainly more could have been saved, had doctors been present and if the GH had had facilities like Oxygen cylinders. The hospital had an ambulance, but no driver. I cursed my fate, perhaps for the first time in my life that I was living in a useless place. [Of course, the situation in the hospital has improved now a lot, two doctors are on duty round-the-clock].
By 12:00 noon, the hospital compound was filled with hundreds of people - dead and dying. People were crying inconsolably. When I went into Tarangambadi, I witnessed the most dreadful scene in my life. More than 70 persons - children and aged, had lost their lives. Dead bodies were strewn across the streets. Boats had been thrashed on top of houses. The place where I used to see huts, had become a field of debris. Hundreds of cattle were seen floating on water. A huge sea turtle had been thrown into the land. Big fish species were found dead on streets. Several venomous creatures - snakes, scorpions and several new species were freely floating on water.
In the midst of all these, few people were seen sitting or hanging on tree branches. Most of them remained unconscious. Youths from neighbouring places rescued them and took them to the nearby helpless GH. The nursing assistants could not cope with the situation. A private lady doctor residing at Porayar, came to the hospital on her own accord. She saved a few lives. But the hospital was overcrowded. Tarangambadi Tahsildar had sent a few Government buses to the Porayar GH to carry the people for 'further treatment' in Mayiladuthurai GH. People literally pushed the dead and the dying into Government buses. Human life seemed to have very little value!
In the meantime, those who survived the attack were trembling as the seawater had turned their bodies wet. The cold weather that prevailed on that day, added insult to the injury. Most of the people wanted something 'hot' to take in. We thought it was important to serve the living at that moment than recovering the dead bodies. We, a group of friends, decided to supply Tea to the people to mitigate shivering. We went into the town to get milk. Most of the shops remained closed. After wandering through the streets, we could gather just 77 litres of milk. Milk Powder was not available. With the help of the women of our area, we started preparing Tea. We added 150 litres of water to the 77 litres of milk. The tea was ready by 2:30 PM. But, by then, more than 5000 people had taken shelter in a school in my town. We had just 2000 cups of Tea. The most painful moment in my life! We felt helpless and cursed ourselves for the inability to provide tea to all the people!
By 5 PM, the magnitude of devastation in our area came to light. The GH was full of dead bodies. People were searching for their loved ones. When dead bodies were brought to the GH, people were seen praying, "God, my son's body should not be there". Heart-rending scenes everywhere. Until then, I was thinking the devastation had happened only in my district. But, power supply was restored in select areas and we understood that entire South East Asia had come under that attack. In Nagapattinam district, more than 3000 bodies had been recovered by the evening (final toll in the district crossed 6000). In my town, people were discussing that the death toll in Tarangambadi alone would have exceeded 1000.
Streets were full of volunteers to help those who had escaped the attack. I could see only Humanists, humanists and humanists. People willingly contributed for preparing food for the victims. Young men and women gathered up to prepare food for a mammoth 5000 victims at a single place. Calamity united people of all religions and people of all classes. Even rich were running errands for the victims. The victims wanted water, but water packets and bottles were in short supply in the area. Local people brought drinking water in cans, drums and many other big utensils.
By 8 PM, I was back again at the GH. Death toll had gone up to 256. We spent our night in a school with those unfortunate people who lost everything in their life in a moment. Victims were shell-shocked and they could not properly speak. People were grief-stricken and were crying and that night passed off without a bit of sleep.
[My father, a senior journalist with PTI and the Indian Express had to tour all the affected areas and file spot stories. He was being constantly contacted by fellow journalists representing various print and electronic media organizations across the country for inputs. As Vailankanni bore the brunt of the attack, anxious relatives of pilgrims from Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai and Kerala kept calling my father (by getting his contact details through PTI) for information about their relatives. My father rushed to Vailankanni that day, but could not get any information, as the streets of the holy town contained just dead bodies. Wherever he traveled, my father had heard only death cries. Yet, he felt that it was his duty to objectively report the enormity of the calamity immediately to PTI, a very powerful news agency that could disseminate the info worldwide in minutes, so that survivors could get assistance. He dedicated himself to tsunami reporting for several months thereafter...].
The next morning was still more painful. There were just six toilets in the local high school where more than 5000 people had taken shelter. Women found it difficult to complete their morning ablutions. They did not have extra clothes to wear. A horrible experience indeed! The Government machinery was in utter confusion unable to cope with the devastation. Almost all the 80 hamlets in the 147-km long coastline of Nagapattinam district had suffered unprecedented damage. In the morning, the GH was full of dead bodies and after the formal identification process, they had to be disposed off. There was no machinery, no man- power to execute that. The Tahsildar ran here and there and brought a few persons. They dug the sand, 30 feet long and 15 feet deep and three such pits. Nearly 200 bodies were buried en-masse amidst heart-rending cries. Similar scenes followed during the subsequent days...
From Dec 28 onwards, help started pouring in from various quarters... The attention of the International Civil Society turned on our district. The Government also streamlined the relief works. Official figures put death toll in Tarangambadi area alone as 517 and 220 missing. For those who have seen this devastation only in the TV, this tragedy might have become a sad memory, but for the victims it is an ongoing nightmare.. the Government and the NGOs have done a lot to rebuild their lives, but the tragic memories of Dec 26 would haunt them for ever!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan: Oh, what a man!
When Dr Venkatraman Ramakrishnan won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry this year, his bio-data as released by a British News Agency read that he was from the temple town Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. Soon after, my father, a senior reporter with a leading English daily, was directed by the Editor to see if he could gather any information about Dr Venky's boyhood days at Chidambaram.
My father had contacted my uncle, a celebrated Professor at Annamalai University. As my uncle had been staying at Chidambaram for over four decades, he had made some enquiries and had conveyed that nothing was known about Dr Venky. My father was quite disappointed that he was not able to file a story at that moment.
However, he somehow got the contact of someone at Dr Venky's workplace. When my father expressed his wish to contact the Nobel Laureate, he had got a surprising reply: "Venky is not a man who would go after the press giving interviews on winning the Nobel. He is a symbol of simplicity and humility and NOT AT ALL excited about winning Nobel. He stays calm and concentrates on work as usual". My father's efforts to contact Dr Venky ended there.
However, I got curious to know more about him. The more I read about Dr Venky, the more I got interested. And, after reading news reports about his visit to the Madras University, my respects for this man have increased several fold.
After reaching the top of the world, this man says: "Dont judge people by the awards they have won. Just because I have won Nobel prize, I dont consider myself smarter than greats like G Ramachandran".
He is totally devoid of egos and does not pay any heed to flattery. And, above all, after having accomplished a great deal, he remains totally calm. Fame has not changed his attitude a single bit.
We could see the same kind of greatness in some other persons who have achieved the pinnacle of success in their respective fields like Music Wizard AR Rahman, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.... All these people are devoid of egos; hate flattery; appreciate the work of others; accept success with all humility; Really great men!
In contrast, for a minute I imagined what will happen if a Tamil Nadu politician had received a Nobel prize. News paper advertisements, posters, cut-outs, hoardings, felicitation functions, processions, television interviews ... OMG!! I am afraid to think more! These people 'create' awards and 'give' it to themselves! Small men, big egos!
My father had contacted my uncle, a celebrated Professor at Annamalai University. As my uncle had been staying at Chidambaram for over four decades, he had made some enquiries and had conveyed that nothing was known about Dr Venky. My father was quite disappointed that he was not able to file a story at that moment.
However, he somehow got the contact of someone at Dr Venky's workplace. When my father expressed his wish to contact the Nobel Laureate, he had got a surprising reply: "Venky is not a man who would go after the press giving interviews on winning the Nobel. He is a symbol of simplicity and humility and NOT AT ALL excited about winning Nobel. He stays calm and concentrates on work as usual". My father's efforts to contact Dr Venky ended there.
However, I got curious to know more about him. The more I read about Dr Venky, the more I got interested. And, after reading news reports about his visit to the Madras University, my respects for this man have increased several fold.
After reaching the top of the world, this man says: "Dont judge people by the awards they have won. Just because I have won Nobel prize, I dont consider myself smarter than greats like G Ramachandran".
He is totally devoid of egos and does not pay any heed to flattery. And, above all, after having accomplished a great deal, he remains totally calm. Fame has not changed his attitude a single bit.
We could see the same kind of greatness in some other persons who have achieved the pinnacle of success in their respective fields like Music Wizard AR Rahman, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.... All these people are devoid of egos; hate flattery; appreciate the work of others; accept success with all humility; Really great men!
In contrast, for a minute I imagined what will happen if a Tamil Nadu politician had received a Nobel prize. News paper advertisements, posters, cut-outs, hoardings, felicitation functions, processions, television interviews ... OMG!! I am afraid to think more! These people 'create' awards and 'give' it to themselves! Small men, big egos!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Standard Chartered Bank - Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Cheating - An Update
This is in continuation to my previous post on Standard Chartered Bank - Balaj Allianz Life Insurance fraud.
Just now I got a call from Standard Chartered Bank, Hyderabad. One gentleman introduced himself as 'Team Leader' and rolled out an "excellent" offer:
"Based on your excellent track record with us, I am giving you an exclusive offer. We have a collaboration with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance and I am allocating some units ..."
Mere mention of the word Bajaj Allianz made me go wild. This is the same call three years ago landed me in financial loss. I was so gullible that time and accepted the offer.
I explained him my ordeal in which the Rs 30,000 I had invested got reduced to Rs 23,000 due to fraudulent allocation of units. He simply told: "You would not not have invested via Standard Chartered". I replied back with the name of the cheat L Jhansi who made false promises and enrolled me to a wrong policy.
He the asked: "Do you understand the benefits of Life Insurance? Even if you have invested with any other insurance company, it would have got reduced"
I shot back: "Because of your bank, I have lost my money. Can you give the money back?"
He said: "Definitely Not".
I asked: "Then why do you call me again? You have cheated me once. Do you want me to invest again"
He said: "Thank You"
I started telling Aaniye Pudunga Vendaam. But, before that he snapped the connection!
Just now I got a call from Standard Chartered Bank, Hyderabad. One gentleman introduced himself as 'Team Leader' and rolled out an "excellent" offer:
"Based on your excellent track record with us, I am giving you an exclusive offer. We have a collaboration with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance and I am allocating some units ..."
Mere mention of the word Bajaj Allianz made me go wild. This is the same call three years ago landed me in financial loss. I was so gullible that time and accepted the offer.
I explained him my ordeal in which the Rs 30,000 I had invested got reduced to Rs 23,000 due to fraudulent allocation of units. He simply told: "You would not not have invested via Standard Chartered". I replied back with the name of the cheat L Jhansi who made false promises and enrolled me to a wrong policy.
He the asked: "Do you understand the benefits of Life Insurance? Even if you have invested with any other insurance company, it would have got reduced"
I shot back: "Because of your bank, I have lost my money. Can you give the money back?"
He said: "Definitely Not".
I asked: "Then why do you call me again? You have cheated me once. Do you want me to invest again"
He said: "Thank You"
I started telling Aaniye Pudunga Vendaam. But, before that he snapped the connection!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Are you planning to invest with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance- think twice!
When I happen to view the television advertisement "Dad, have you planned for my future" by Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, my blood virtually boils.
During 2006, a fraudulent agent of the company got my number from Standard Chartered Bank Cards division and approached me over phone. She explained about a product named "New Secure First", a collaboration between Bajaj Allianz and Standard Chartered Bank. The Bajaj Allianz people were poaching the gullible card users of SCB.
At that time, as I was looking to invest from a tax planning perspective, I succumbed to the false promises of the agent by name L. Jhansi. She told me that by investing Rs 10,000 per year for three years, I could get a minimum of Rs 45,000 in return during the fourth year. I asked how it was possible and she explained about the share market dynamics, talked about Equity Growth Funds and a lot of other things.
Finally, I took the policy and paid the premium for three years. When I wanted to surrender the policy last Saturday (Dec 5), the Bajaj Allianz people said that the fund value had reduced to Rs 26,415 and I had to pay 10% of that amount as surrender charges. So, after investing Rs 30,000 and waiting for three years, I was getting back 23,770. Bajaj Allianz has swallowed nearly Rs 7000 on the principle itself.
One may think that the amount had got reduced because of the sharemarket meltdowns. But, it is not the case. The reason is that the agent had proposed my money for the useless scheme "New Secure First - Silver", but explained to me the returns that one would get as per another policy named "New Secure First - Gold". This is fraud number one.
Another aspect is that out of the Rs 10,000 I had paid during 2006 (first premium), Rs 7000 had remained as unallocated premium and only Rs 3000 had gone on investments. I noticed this after receiving the policy statement and called up Bajaj Allianz. They explained that Unallocated premium referred to premium which had been received but not allocated to any of the risks. And when I asked about the returns, they said that it will be very good and I was not losing anything. This is fraud number two.
Now, on last Saturday, when I asked them for the reason, the Bajaj Allianz people at Chennai said that I had been cheated during the first year itself as the allotment was only Rs 3000 and the rest of the amount (Rs 7000) had gone on administrative charges. I wonder how a company could take 70 per cent of the premium amount on administrative charges. What 'administration' they do, God only knows!
When I asked about L Jhansi, the agent who rolled out false promises and enrolled me to a policy that fetched her maximum commission, they said they had no records about that person. They also said that I should have carefully verified the policy document within 15 days and I should have surrendered it at that point itself.
I have not yet surrendered the policy. I am going to lost Rs 7000 of my hard earned money. I could have very well paid Income Tax rather than seeking rebate and losing out to these fraudulent people.
So, if you are planning to invest with Bajaj Allianze Life Insurance, think many times and ascertain all facts. Otherwise, if you plan to invest for your child's future, Bajaj Allianz will very well give you a begging bowl at the time of maturity. Your child may ask now "Dad, what you have planned for my future"; if you go with Bajaj Allianz, he will accuse you "Dad, all that you have given me is a begging bowl". Your blood will boil ....
During 2006, a fraudulent agent of the company got my number from Standard Chartered Bank Cards division and approached me over phone. She explained about a product named "New Secure First", a collaboration between Bajaj Allianz and Standard Chartered Bank. The Bajaj Allianz people were poaching the gullible card users of SCB.
At that time, as I was looking to invest from a tax planning perspective, I succumbed to the false promises of the agent by name L. Jhansi. She told me that by investing Rs 10,000 per year for three years, I could get a minimum of Rs 45,000 in return during the fourth year. I asked how it was possible and she explained about the share market dynamics, talked about Equity Growth Funds and a lot of other things.
Finally, I took the policy and paid the premium for three years. When I wanted to surrender the policy last Saturday (Dec 5), the Bajaj Allianz people said that the fund value had reduced to Rs 26,415 and I had to pay 10% of that amount as surrender charges. So, after investing Rs 30,000 and waiting for three years, I was getting back 23,770. Bajaj Allianz has swallowed nearly Rs 7000 on the principle itself.
One may think that the amount had got reduced because of the sharemarket meltdowns. But, it is not the case. The reason is that the agent had proposed my money for the useless scheme "New Secure First - Silver", but explained to me the returns that one would get as per another policy named "New Secure First - Gold". This is fraud number one.
Another aspect is that out of the Rs 10,000 I had paid during 2006 (first premium), Rs 7000 had remained as unallocated premium and only Rs 3000 had gone on investments. I noticed this after receiving the policy statement and called up Bajaj Allianz. They explained that Unallocated premium referred to premium which had been received but not allocated to any of the risks. And when I asked about the returns, they said that it will be very good and I was not losing anything. This is fraud number two.
Now, on last Saturday, when I asked them for the reason, the Bajaj Allianz people at Chennai said that I had been cheated during the first year itself as the allotment was only Rs 3000 and the rest of the amount (Rs 7000) had gone on administrative charges. I wonder how a company could take 70 per cent of the premium amount on administrative charges. What 'administration' they do, God only knows!
When I asked about L Jhansi, the agent who rolled out false promises and enrolled me to a policy that fetched her maximum commission, they said they had no records about that person. They also said that I should have carefully verified the policy document within 15 days and I should have surrendered it at that point itself.
I have not yet surrendered the policy. I am going to lost Rs 7000 of my hard earned money. I could have very well paid Income Tax rather than seeking rebate and losing out to these fraudulent people.
So, if you are planning to invest with Bajaj Allianze Life Insurance, think many times and ascertain all facts. Otherwise, if you plan to invest for your child's future, Bajaj Allianz will very well give you a begging bowl at the time of maturity. Your child may ask now "Dad, what you have planned for my future"; if you go with Bajaj Allianz, he will accuse you "Dad, all that you have given me is a begging bowl". Your blood will boil ....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)