Rahul Gandhi - on knowledge

"Every single day, I meet people who have tremendous understanding, deep insight and no voice. And all of us meet them. They are everywhere. But almost always they are kept outside our systems. No one can hear their voice. No matter how much they try to speak no one listens. And then I meet people holding high positions with tremendous voice but with no understanding for the issues at hand. Why does this happen? It happens because we don’t respect knowledge. We respect position. And it does not matter how much wisdom you have, if you do not have a position, you mean nothing. This is the tragedy of India.

Why is our youth angry? Why are they out on the street? They are angry because they are alienated and excluded from the political class. They watch from the sidelines as the powerful drive around in their lal battis

Why are the women suffering? Because their voice is being trampled upon by people with arbitrary power over their lives. Why are the poor confined to powerlessness and poverty? Because decisions regarding their lives and the services they need are decided by people faraway answerable to them only in theory.Until we start to respect and empower people for their knowledge and understanding, we can’t change anything in this country. All our public systems – administration,justice, education, political systems – all of them are designed to keep people with knowledge out. They are all closed systems. Their design promotes mediocrity and mediocrity dominates discussion while the voices of insight and thought are crushed by the loudness of those who possess neither understanding nor compassion. "

Rahul Gandhi -  http://bit.ly/rahulgandhi

Heartfelt condolences to the Nation, MOTHER INDIA.

No longer rapists only. They are murderers! About time Indian leaders at every level moved away from political and diplomatic manoeuvres and issue resolution by appeasement, and onto sound Governance and speedy & effective implementation of the rule of law. Please, so that India's daughter may REST IN PEACE and our mothers, sisters and daughters may LIVE IN PEACE ! Heartfelt condolences to the Nation, MOTHER INDIA.

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year 2013 !

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year 2013!

Getting Things Done -> Action Management System -> Total Relaxed Organisation -> Cool !

Thanks for voting

Fellow Members of CCI who voted

Some of you visit our club regularly and have made your own selections as to who to vote for. Others who are members but not regular club goers and have been guided who to vote for by well wishers of our club, being members who visit our club regularly. What is important is that all of you made the time to come and vote and that is what is most important. My gratitude is to all of you who voted.

As long as organizational development takes place on a long term basis our club will continue to be a winner. As far as the constitution of the board goes, it must constantly evolve with best interests of our club at heart and an adoption of best management practices. CCI must always be for Cricket first, as best possible, but other sports too must evolve in parallel or given the momentum of the times, even outperform in their roles to contribute to sports development as the main focus of our club. It is a sports club after all.

If this happens, personally, I will always be a winner, even if it means loosing an election. I will have no regrets. Time will tell as the future unfolds.

All the very best to those elected as trustees of the members. May God bless the entire management team with strength and ability to take our club forward so as ......

“To be a premier choice for members & their families to avail of sports and recreation facilities; encouraging participation, camaraderie, sportsmanship, networking, heritage, culture and appreciation of  cuisine and the sensible development of necessary facilities and services for the same, all at reasonable costs.” {Vision Statement}

yours truly,


Rajiv Bhatia

Online feedback: http://bit.ly/rdb_feedback

Eve of elections - Governance at CCI closest to my heart

My dear fellow members of CCI

The last two weeks have been a great learning experience for me. The learning first commenced in 2007 December when I was allowed to read out a vision statement drafted by me at the AGM. It reads, as finally circulated to members through the President's letter in 2009, as for our club:

“To be a premier choice for members & their families to avail of sports and recreation facilities; encouraging participation, camaraderie, sportsmanship, networking, heritage, culture and appreciation of  cuisine and the sensible development of necessary facilities and services for the same, all at reasonable costs.”

In 2010 at the Cathedral School 150th celebration dinner, two ex-Cathedralites, also our club members, approx 10 years my junior approached me and suggested that I should stand for EC elections at our club. But the recommendation by them to me was that I should not be politically aligned with any group or persons.

I stood for elections last year 2011, proposed by 2 class mates of mine, both gents of international stature and far away from club politics. I filed my nomination rather late. However my KYC address to fellow members was well received and is at http://bit.ly/rdb_kyc I lost the election but the club and its members won themselves the first time ever Organizational Development Committee, a committee to help the club professionalize. What it may do in the years ahead is explained at http://bit.ly/odc_explained.

This year my candidature has been proposed by the  two ex-Cathedralites, also our club members, approx 10 years my junior and I have once again stood independently

1. To give the ODC's role a greater impetus as explained at http://bit.ly/rdb_kyc_2012 and http://bit.ly/rdb_kyc_2012_2

2. To encourage the process of developing candidates who will be willing to contest elections as independents in future, replacing politics with professionalism.

Another ex-Cathedralite, 10 years my senior and the Chairman of a group of the largest Charities in Mumbai, where I am a Trustee as well, expressed his concern to me that `independent candidates never win'.

Today, on the eve before the elections,  I do believe that he may be right. In my case I may not win. Not because some members do not know me, or do not appreciate my role for the benefit of our club, but because they do not trust my categorically declared independence of candidature.

If I WILL NOT COMPROMISE my stated position (ie. one of independence), today, for the benefit of getting more votes in my favour, how reasonable are the chances that I will not do so while representing member's interests on the EC, if elected and during my working tenure?

My dear fellow members. As I have mentioned in my KYC, `the good news is that choice is yours'. As long as our club wins, I am fully satisfied. For in any event, I am a winner!

Thank you for your love and affection, which I heartily reciprocate!