The "Nano" Revolution

Ever since its conception, the Tata Nano has been the talk in the circles. When it was launched, it created ripples everywhere - starting from the automobile industry, to the 2-wheeler industry, to 2nd and 3rd tier suppliers.

It has piqued the interests of not only its target group - the low-middle to middle class, but also of the rich; the students, the working class as well as the "elites" of the road (The first woman photojournalist, the 96-year-old Homai Vyarawalla, has sold her 55-year-oldFiat 1100 to buy the world's cheapest car, Tata Nano.)

Incidentally, it also brought out a new kind of discrimination in the already discriminative Indian society - discrimination on the basis of ownership of car. Even though the automobile industry has grown manifolds in India, with several foreign firms playing on an equal ground with the domestic Maruti, Tata motors, M&M, which has led to an increase in ownership of cars; we still see them as status symbols deep within. No wonder then that there's a public opposition and baseless criticisms about the car in fourms and network groups, where people have openly criticised availability of cars to the masses.

Is it really a concern for traffic? Or just the fear of the disappearance of the solid line of distinction between the car owners and the "others"? After all drivers of 4-wheelers show the maximum cases of road rage while the poor scooter riders end up as victims in most of the accidents (and let's leave the bus drivers out. They're a whole class apart).

Love it or hate it, but the Nano is here. Ever since it's conception, it has been facing both admiration and criticism in equal amounts. And even when this baby is out in the market after facing many hurdles - the singur plant shutdown, the time crunch to bring it out in the market, and the unconventional production from 2 plants; it still has more challenges to face.

The biggest one being - will it meet customers' expectations? Given the reputation of its predecessors - Indica, Safari and Sumo, either its gonna be a success like the Indica or a failure like the Sumo Grande. But then these products are known to make a comeback. So we can only wait and watch.

Photo: Tata Nano has gained popularity with the masses. This is visible from the fact that a local chips company in Uttarakhand has named its latest offer after the revolutionary car. Incidentally, Uttarakhand became the birthplace of Tata Nano after the Singur pullout.

Free

Be gay. Be happy. The land is now free of the old colonial laws porohibiting homosexual behaviour.

Better late than never!

What really are advertisements? - Part I

A famous British writer, George Orwell once said 'Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket'. Advertising in its most traditional sense is a way of promoting a product, to make it known to people and to persuade them to buy it. It can also be used to promote a company’s image or spread a social message like aids-prevention etc.

The most important motive of an advertisement is to get the consumers' attention to promote the products’ sales. They are meant to inform and influence the consumers into buying the advertised goods or services. While these inform the consumers about the new product launched in the market, these also uphold a company’s ideology.

Some of the good things about advertisements are that these help the companies sell more products thus helping the company to produce better products at lower prices. Consumers are also benefited as they can compare products and prices and pick out the most appropriate one. As the companies spend a lot of money and other resources on advertisements, they often live up to the promises they make

There are also some negative aspects of advertisements. It often lures people to buy those things that he/she cannot afford. The lifestyles promoted by certain ads, like harmful cosmetics, junk food, artificially flavored drinks etc are known to make people specially children unhealthy. Besides these, advertisements make people feel like losers if they do not posses the particular thing. Most of the teenage girls would like to look as beautiful as a model or a film actress by using not so costly cosmetics and a boy if given a chance would not mind riding a bike endorsed by one of the most popular Hollywood actor. Ads can also be said to convey provide information that we do not really need in our daily lives. What these sell are images and symbols.

Tamashaa-e-Hind

[This is an old post, pre 2009 election that is. But still holds true.  Previously posted on this blog, it matches with the views held by the individuals who started this one, so it is being re-posted. 

Curious individuals can give it a read.]

Yes! The time has come. Again. Like clockwork, the great Indian plebiscite has come again to our doorsteps . And it’s time we, as responsible citizens who can vote, start finding out who to vote for. For if it was the other way round, i.e. who not to vote for, the list would be too long to write about. 


Let us start our list of choices from the very top. With the people who have ruled this country for much of the time since the Brits left us to ourselves. If we look at their case history till now, we can clearly see they have an uncanny affinity towards the bloodline of the first Prime Minister of independent India. Well, this sort of affinity was perhaps appreciable during ancient and medieval times, but in the 21st century this looks odd. Even smells fishy.  

Well, whatever be the looks or smells of the members of the bloodline, they sure rule! Of the 61 years that have passed since the Transfer of Power, the country has been ruled by the chosen BloodLine for 37 years. And to think about it, when one realizes that the party they belong to has actually been in power for 45 years, i.e. only 8 years have been ruled by others from the party, the facts sure look pretty absurd. But facts are facts and no one can deny them. And the fact remains that even today; the strings are allegedly being pulled by the widow of the last successful heir from the chosen BloodLine. 

Whatever; bloodline or no bloodline, the party did rule the majority of the time and sure they have done things. Things which do not work. The Freight Equalization Policy, non-implementation of the land reform system, over-dependence on foreign imports, to name a few. 



Next comes the ones who have been in power, but not with as much success as the former one. In their current avatar, they look saffron. Sure the colour means renunciation, but since 6th Dec, 1992 the colour has changed its meaning in the Indian political scenario. And more so after the killings in Gujarat, Orissa, and rest of India where nuns have been raped by hooligans, lovers have been beaten up and pubs ravaged by the cadres of the party. Well, barbarism should not be tolerated in a modern civil society, and when it comes under the banner of a religion, it is not just which should not be tolerated, but more of a crime which should be punished exemplarily so that people think a million times before committing them. 

Saffron now drips of blood.  




Now comes the turn of those, who have never been in direct control of the power, but they have given their support to the ones who formed the government more than once, the Reds. Well, statistically speaking, they have only three states to speak of. But looking at the broader scheme of things they sure have their say and sometimes do make their voices heard. But these voices sometimes really do not reach the ones they are delivered to. Reasons are many, but the Left have a rough history in this country and have not performed, well, up to the mark. But then, who has?  

Sure they have been successful in conducting numerous rallies and strikes, but at the end of the day, they’re not a power to form a government of their own, and from the current state of affairs they don’t look like achieving that in a short period of time. 




After the Reds come the Blues. The self-proclaimed voice of the historically underprivileged, the Blues have come a long way since ’47. They’re ruling the single most important state in the union single-handedly. And that is a feat on its own. Three cheers for the Blues! But the blues have a big roadblock which is unlikely to be cleared anytime soon- the leadership problem. They do not have a single leader to speak of in front of an educated crowd. The lady at the helm for the Blues does not qualify as a highly acceptable leader of sorts. Whatever, they sure win votes and votes are what get counted. So with or without their limited abilities of leadership, they continue, and will continue in future their bull run and win more votes than ever it seems. And that do sound bad. For without strong leadership things tend to go wayward and politics require some degree of foresight. An imprudent leader may win votes, but in the long run may harm the future generations through the stupidity of her decisions. 


When the Blues go marching out, in come the other regional parties of very less importance. And they are the ones from every corner of the country. Vying for importance, they are the real spice of the elections. All the mirch and masala that are required to make the election-soup mouth-watering are provided by these small-time groups. Even they themselves are not sure which side they are on. That is decided only after the election results are out. And they get their best price.  


Well, that’s about it folks! We’re on the verge of another installment of the great pentennial farce that amazes the whole world with its necessary dose of all the ingredients of a potboiler. So sit tight, enjoy the ride, and don't change the channel!

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