Cost Cutting - can we see some positives out of it??

Please don't judge me crazy just by the title I use!! Allow me to read you through my lines :)

If there is something that fumes a Software professional instantly these days, it is the Recession and the terms associated to it. One such term is Cost Cutting and I need not explain you what it is. We have been hearing or experiencing this from August 2008 or even earlier. It is polymorphic and dynamic (unfortunately so). Be it reducing the salary, decreasing the provisions, freeze on hikes and promotions or whatever, it has hurt us a big deal. 

I will leave aside the cause for this. Since it has happened already, let us think about the consequences and how well we can adapt ourselves to withstand this tough economic climate and may be draw some positives out of this as well.

Firstly, we need to follow Cost cutting measures at the grass root level. Here I list some of them which are very much followable. Have a nice morning walk to buy your newspaper (or anything) instead of using your 2 wheeler. Use public transport wherever possible. Do yourself all possible household jobs up to maximum extent instead of hiring others. Spend time at home with family during alternate weekends at least. Have delicious and nutritious home-made food instead of spending on restaurants. Go back to literature and educative articles whenever you find time instead of partying every time. Use Desi products over "Royal" imported products. 

These measures may seem boring or even impossible to some of us. But it surely brings about some discipline in our lives. If you observe, these measures help improve our health, our family bonding, our knowledge and surely the weight of our wallets :)

But my only concern is, why did we wait for a recession to tighten our boots? Couldn't we have reduced some of these unnecessary costs to avoid this in advance? I hear many mouths around me blaming the company for implementing some strict measures. But I believe it is time for us to join hands with our respective companies to counter this tough period. It is high time for us to wake up and be more hungry and aggressive with our work. Hope this economic turn down leaves us soon making us more disciplined, stronger, sensible and alert. This is what I mean by drawing positives. I hope you all agree with me now at least :)

Lastly, thanks for your messages, Emails, calls and comments on my first "official" blog. I would like to have an extended support to all my upcoming blogs. See you next week :)

Being an innocent muslim in India

Yes, it hurts!! Especially if it happens at the corporate level as well- said one of my Muslim friends who is very close to me. He was quite rightly upset. On one side he sees his motherland being attacked. On the other side, his own countrymen look at him with suspicion and associate him with terror. Even he doesn't deny some wrong mindsets residing in "his people". I really know his commitment towards India. He is as much an Indian as anyone of us is. And guess what? A person who once dreamt of being an Indian soldier is now being criticized everywhere.

The only reason for this situation which he feels is his religion. Yes, I have my own reservations for some of "their" beliefs. But some issues have to be treated beyond religious sentiments. The oneness of the nation will be tested and proved only during such crisis. There is no meaning in blaming a community as a whole for one silly act of cowardliness. Instead, we can demonstrate our strong secular theory and fight against those poisonous hands trying to spoil the nation - be it internal hands or external.

Lastly, politicians have spoilt the nation enough. Let us now start thinking beyond all such irrelevant religious riots and doubts . Only Indianness can drive us all towards glory. Let us not allow politicians to decide on our behalf any longer. We need to distinguish between the "green" and garbage. Remember, A.P.J Kalam is loved by all the Indians irrespective of his religion and background.

- dedicated to my special, truly Indian friend _ _ _ _ _ _ :)