The Sunday HANS Column - The Pothole Management Committee

My column for this week.
http://epaper.thehansindia.com/1419067/SUNDAY-HANS/SUNDAY-HANS#page/14/1

Story idea - Ideal Boy Meets Ideal Girl

Hook: The extreme fantasy - what every boy desires in a girl meets what every girl desires in a boy.

Story:

Boy lists out the ideal girl qualities - fun, smiling, supportive, cheerful, intelligent, daring, not stuck up, sports loving etc.

Girl lists out boy qualities rich, handsome, intelligent, sense of humour, caring etc.

Both meet. Somehow they see all those things they had listed in each other. Sparks fly after that. Push the fantasy. But will perfection hold?

To contrast we have their friends who have low expectations from their mates - find one another and seem to get along well - a nice warmth perhaps minus sparks.

To work on the romcom idea. Sounds cliched but worth a try.

Anjali - Ganesha Idols, God and Devotion

Anjali has got it firmly into her head that Ganeshas must be made of clay. She has been told by her teachers the harmful effects of the synthetic ones which use chemical colours etc. She had a lot to say about the huge Ganpati idols near our home today (sometime during Ganesha times).

'Why do they do this? Why can't they make clay idols?' she said exasperated that people just don't get it. 'Is this how they show devotion to god? By doing things that harm the environment that god made?' she went on.

Good. An activist. I think it was after this event that she got the courage to walk up to our colony committee people and put in her request for a clay idol.

I do like the connection between god and devotion. It is being kind to the environment and other beings that god made. Be it the music, the inconvenience of the pandals. the idols, the pollution, the garbage, the rubbish, the disregard for all of god's things while seeking god through loudspeakers. Show devotion by being loving, gentle and kind.

Anjali - Creativity at Work

So there is an empty yogurt cup. I would generally throw it away. But Anjali picks it up and disappears into her room. After some intense work she reappears. Voila, its a pen holder with a smiley.

Kids are fantastic at this. An idea strikes them, they are seized by it and they put all their focus and concentration into creating it.

I like the smiling fellow. That's a signature feature - a smiley.

Anjali - That's A Very Good Panel

I don't know when I filed this away in the drafts section but I do know what me want to write about it. I was telling Anjali that the panel for the Mumbai event was sort of finalised.
'It's going to be Sonali Kulkarni, Suhita Atya, Tarun Chauhan and me,' I said. 'What do you think?'
Pat came the answer.
'That's a very good panel,' she said with complete confidence.

Full support

Ah, I don't know what she understands of the panels but I do know what it makes me feel when I hear something like that so confidently said, backing me up.
I did feel like it was a very good panel and all other thoughts about the panel went out of the window. Thank you Anjali.

If the decision is made, and you have nothing concrete to offer, simply give them confidence by backing their decision fully. That's all they need. Our support.

Wonder Cement Saath:7 Campaign 2017

Wonder Cement is a young cement company from Udaipur that has grown by leaps and bounds. The company began a large consumer engagement program in 2015 through what else - cricket. They organised one of the largest open cricket tournaments (played with a tennis ball) ever (in the world perhaps) across Rajasthan which was a huge success. Several all girl teams played the last edition which was won by MSG Club Bikaner. A 65 year old lady played. Several such milestones were achieved.

Unveiling the trophy

Now the company is back with the second edition.

Titled Saath:7 Cricket Mahotsav - signifying 'saath' as together and also 7 as a 7-a side 7 over tournament. Everyone is allowed to play. 48000 participants are expected to play this year. 300 games. Spread across the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The objectives of the tournament are - Respect for women (a girl member in the side will fetch the team 7 bonus runs), Uniting people, Empowerment of youth, Generation of local employment and Encouraging talent..

Prize money this year is 40 lakhs which is good enough for many good cricketers to go and play. The tournament begins at tehsil level then district level, then zonal level and then the play offs. The entire tournament is conducted over four weekends. Bats and balls are given to the players.

Yesterday Wonder Cement announced the second edition at the Taj Mahal Man Singh hotel in Delhi and the inimitable Tarun Singh Chauhan, man for all seasons and their management consultant invited me to attend the event. I went to Delhi in the morning and attended a glitzy program with Kapil Dev as the Chief Guest. The promoters from the Patni group, Vineet, Vikas and the senior management team was there. A large media contingent with about 100 people was present. My good friend Vijay Lokapally was there too so we all had a good time.

The promoters spoke about various facets of the company and the engagement program.Tarun spoke about the Saath 7 idea and how it was organised last year. A couple of well made AVs put the entire operation in perspective.

Young lads, Tarun, Kapil Dev and Me

And then Kapil Dev spoke. It was a lesson in public speaking and handling press conferences. He was in good humour and started with appreciating the compere Siddharth Kannan for his style and fluency in English. Then he spoke about the cricket initiative and how he hoped Wonder would go on to make bigger successes, and taking cricket and other games to more people in the country. He said something interesting - that cricket was so popular because everyone has an opinion on it. On all other things we don't have an opinion. I guess that's what makes things or people popular - to do or be something that makes people come up with an opinion on them.

He handled questions regarding the movie, the tennis ball format, comparison with Hardik Pandya and Pandya's batting order, the retirement of Nehra, the Rajasthan Association and its soured relations with the BCCI, with great aplomb and it went on and on and on and on that I just got tired watching. But he handled it patiently, with good humour, presence of mind and wit. Wonderful stuff.

Here's wishing what promises to be a wonderful cricket initiative and an innovative consumer engagement campaign all success. If all goes well, I will go to watch the finals in Udaipur. Thank you Tarun, Wonder Cement, Vijay for making it a memorable trip.

Lovely Link - Travel ideas in India

Done: Belum caves, Yana rocks, Hogenekkal falls, Sinhagad, Barren Island, Mud volcanoes of Nilambur (Andamans)

To do soon: Gandikota canyon (Andhra Pradesh), Borra caves (Vizag), Lonar lake, Kaas valley (Satara), St. Mary's Island (Karnataka), riverine potholes of Nighoj (Ahmednagar)

Marked for Later: Marble rocks of Bhedaghat, Magnetic Hill, Valley of Flowers, Riverine potholes of Nighoj, Loktak lake, Living Root bridges, Sangetsar lake, Hide and Seek beach, Krem Liat Prat lake, Umngot lake,

https://www.thebetterindia.com/118998/lesser-known-natural-wonders-india-offbeat-travel-inspiration/