The Youngest Governor of India - Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan

Dr. Tamilisai Soundarajan is the most memed politician in Tamil Nadu (85,600 as per Google search) and the youngest Governor of India. As the state leader for BPJ, she was unfairly targeted by Dravidian goons on social media for her looks. Despite all the disagreements and differences in ideology with the Dravidian parties, Dr. Tamilisai always addressed her fellow politicians as brothers and sisters and welcomed them with a warm smile. 

She always lived up to the adage

Nool alavey aagumaam nunnarivu

Mey laith thava thala vey aagumaam than petra selvam 

Kulathalavey aagumaam gunam

Steeped in Partiarchy

The moment she was appointed as the Governor of Telangana on September 1, 2019, the media and meme creators made a U-turn. Now, they saw her as a daughter of Tamil Nadu going to serve the country and admired her for perseverance, boldness, patience, etc. Television channels and journalists camped outside her house to get a sound-byte from her. This sudden change in behavior brings out bipolar behavior of this society steeped in patriarchy and physical appearance.

Self-made individual

Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan comes from a very respectable family that has been involved in Indian politics for over 50 years. Both her father and uncle (dad’s brother) have a long association with the Congress party. As a young girl, Tamilisai closely observed her father and imbibe the right values. She was also a studious girl who qualified herself in the field of medicine and served the people of Tamil Nadu.

Unlike other politicians who grew in the party ranks due to their birth into a political family or heir politics, Tamilisai was a self-made politician. She served BJP in various roles starting in 1999 and became a full-time politician by mid-2000. She didn’t worry when she had to incur the wrath of her father and endure the bully of her relatives when she chose to join the BJP and not the grand old party.

Admirable qualities

Though Dr. Tamilisai failed to win people’s mandate to serve them as an MLA and MP multiple times, but that didn’t deter her from working harder. She stood her ground and was passionate and committed to see the lotus bloom in Tamil Nadu.

The political world is filled with more men, steeped in patriarchy and lineage and is not the best place for women. Nevertheless, Tamilisai steadily rose among the ranks in the BJP Party and was more respect than her father Kumari Ananthan who served the Congress party for over 50 years.

1999- South Chennai District Medical Wing Secretary in 1999

2001- State General Secretary Medical Wing

2005 - All India Co-Convenor (Medical Wing For Southern States)

2007 - State General Secretary

2010 - State Vice-President

2013 - National Secretary, All India BJP

While meme creators picked on her appearance, they failed to admired her oratory skills, proficiency in Tamil language and her sense of humor.

Next-door personality

Dr. Tamilisai looks like the next-door mother. Her experience and life journey is similar to the plight of every woman in Tamil Nadu and India who are ridiculed for their looks, unappreciated for their hard work and bullied by patriarchy. The only exception is her husband Dr. Soundararajan who stood beside her like a pillar of support. Today, she stands tall, humble and admired. She is a great role model and inspiration for both men and women who want to achieve something meaningful in life.

Thanks to Soundararajan and BJP

I appreciate her husband and children for being supportive and the BJP leadership for recognizing her patriotism, hard work, loyalty and commitment to the party and this nation. 

By giving her the role of a “constitutional authority” they’ve duly recognized “every woman” in Tamil Nadu.  I hope media, meme creators and society will now learn to respect women and the sacrifices they make for the family and nation.

As the youngest Governor, I wish Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan more power and success. I wish more Tamilisais' bloom in this Dravidian land steeped in patriarchy and male chauvinism. 

For your viewing

Please watch some of her interviews before and after the announcement. It is shocking to see unkind comments in the YouTube link before and surprising to see a big U-turn after the appointment announcement.

Before appointment interview: Pay attention to anchor Hariharan's tone and demeanor

After Governor appointment: Observe the change in tone and language of Hariharan

Watch the interview with Dr. Soundararajan and Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan

One weekend, Two elevating experiences

Sometimes you find great customer service and experience at least expected places and it doesn't cost much to have a great experience.

Firstly, what does it mean to quit a high-paying job where the salary gets credited on the last working day of the month and go down the path less traveled steered by passion? Secondly, in one of the busiest and least expected spots in the town, what it feels to discover a two-storey gastronomic surprise waiting to tingle your taste buds? 

Alleppey, Kerala:

It was 5.45 am and the auto rickshaw pulled in front of a 60-year old house with a sprawling front yard facing the enchanting backwaters. The Keralan Homestay owner Baiju rushed towards the gate to welcome us with his warm smile, while Arsha, his wife welcomingly peered from the kitchen window as she stood busy behind the stove preparing our first drink of the day. Not just the rooms, but the hosts too were also prepared to receive us.

The couple were still in their late thirties, but their home and spirit reminded me of my grandparents and their quaint village house. The house came with old furniture, musty smell in the rooms, beds with mosquito nets and necessary modern-day upgrades such as refrigerator, air conditioner and western toilets.

Over a cup of coffee, we exchanged our stories, meal preferences and activities for the next two days and received their suggestions to make our “Kerala experience” unique, interesting and memorable. Baiju and Arsha are polyglots; they fluently speak 7 languages including Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, English, German, and French. Beyond all this, love and care comes to them naturally. 

Hardly a year ago, floods devastated their property and submerged their belongings including their certificates, but that didn’t dampen their spirits to start afresh and follow their passion of providing visitors a “true Kerala experience”. Baiju is a painter and he turned the water stained walls, moldy pillars, doors and furniture into pieces of art with his creativity and imagination.

Sometimes, adversities bring out the best and worst in people and I could see only their best. Arsha compliments Baiju’s calmness and patience with her energy and chirpiness. Their stories and experiences turned me into an admirer of their property and spirit.

In a world where people are constantly chasing money, I witnessed what it means to live a contended life and what it means to open your home and share your culture. While "Customer Experience" is widely spoken and taught today, but for some is innate. 

This couple in the God’s Own Country are living up to the adage, “Athithi Devoh Bhava” and will beat every five-star property hands-down with their authenticity and experience. Check them out on Trip Advisor, Booking.com and Google.com before you book your tickets for the next long week-end in Kerala.

Ernakulam Station, Kerala

Blame it on commotion, noise and cleanliness, the very idea of eating at a railway station takes your appetite away. I decided to starve that night rather than pick up some unhealthy food and end up with a GI infection. But that resolve went out the window as I passed by the 24/7 food joint at Ernakulam Railway Station.

I turned my neck like one of the arms of the gorilla pod to get another glimpse of this place. Processing the image, my alter ego warned me against deceptive appearances. Nevertheless, I left my luggage in safe custody and not my inhibitions and swiftly marched towards the food joint.

Multiple floors and 5 different formats catering to a variety of taste buds and all times of the day. Is this possible at a railway station in India? Yes, it is, at this new joint venture between IRCTC’s Food Track and Anjali Hotels Pvt. Ltd. at Ernakulam Railway Station.

The kitchens were spic and span and transparent, the staff in uniforms was courteous, and menu is healthy, and to top it off the food is affordable and tasty. The Podi Idly and Curd Rice gave me goosebumps and will linger in my palette for long.

The Indian Railways has often been ridiculed for its lethargy, red tape and hygiene, but are now rapidly transforming their image and infrastructure to keep up with the demands of the next generation. They are leaving no stones unturned and meeting the demands with agility, quality and cleanliness both in trains and at stations to provide better experience for travelers.

For the first time in four decades, I felt customer experience and outlook towards train stations in India was transformed and elevated. Will other stations follow the suit?  Will other homestays and hotels learn about customer experience from Baiju and Arsha? 

Two enemies and a few friends

As friends we tolerate each other’s imperfections, idiosyncrasies and take turns to play a shrink when we feel fucked up. But then what happens when your friends overdo their kindness and dictate who you could see and what you should do leaving you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and disappointed?

It is a well-known fact that Indians revere their friendships more than other any relationship. And, almost all of them are generous to open their homes and hearts, pay for each other’s meals and organize gatherings to celebrate and show off their friendships and power equations.

Last month I was on my first longest business trip of the year to the US. As it was a multi-city travel usually extending over the weekend, I knew it was going to leave me with very less face time with my friends.

Weeks ahead of my travel, I published my detailed itinerary to my friends so there is no misunderstanding or miscommunication. Keeping distance, traffic and their love in mind, I put my OR (operations research) knowledge to use and plan stay locations. As it was a multi-city trip and less face time, I invited two of them to join me to Vancouver, and accepted the dinner meets with two other friends separately on weekday evenings leaving very little time for my rest and relaxation. Were my planning and calculations successful and did I end up nurturing my friendships?

On days that I had to travel, I stayed with the one who lived closer to the airport and on other one on days when I had to go into work I stayed with the other friend. Despite being an independent adult, their actions made me feel like a child involved in a custody battle.

A huge wave of unhappiness hit the deck friendship when my two buddies who accompanying me to Vancouver started to bicker about each other. One was unhappy and possessive that I wasn’t spending enough time with him, while they both couldn’t get along with him in my absence. It was like the relationship between Parker and Pi in the movie the Life of Pi. And when I returned from work to the hotel, I had to listen to them complaining which made me feel like a parent and think how friendship can be a killjoy.

The second wave of unhappiness struck like a tsunami submerging all of us aboard this friendship in disappointment. While I knew there was a dinner party thrown for me on a Friday, I had no idea where it was planned. The host worked hard to gather his friends but remained secretive about the venue. When I asked him for the venue details, he said he was getting someone to pick me up. I patiently waited for 2 hours to be picked up and later realized there was a miscommunication between the host and my friend. When I confronted the host and my friend, it ended up in a three-way finger pointing exercise. Nevertheless, that night disenchantment was served as the main course to all of us.

At the end of my 21-day trip, not just me but my friends too felt let down and need to see a shrink instead of feeling overwhelmed and loaded with fun-filled memories. These two incidents made me reflect how pairing up wrong friends and poor communication can sink any strong friendship drowning all parties in disillusionment and making them wary of boarding a ship again.

A family gathering that left me rattled...

Our extended family planned to gather at Cochin to attend a function last weekend. Given that we are a family of 15 cousins, every meeting does feel like a congregation and calling it a mini Kumbh Mela is no exaggeration. 

As soon as this event was decided, a Whatsapp group was promptly formed to motivate people to make their travel plans. As I’m Whatsappphobic and I wasn’t privy to the conversations and banters exchanged in the group, nevertheless, I confirmed my intent to join over a phone call. 

The last time we all got together was 3 years ago at Chennai for the youngest cousin’s wedding. And since then we’ve had two new additions to the family tree. It was evident the tree wasn’t growing as fast it used to during the earlier generation. While my dad and his 5 siblings gave birth to 16 of us, these 16 managed to produce only 10 children. Should we attribute the reproductive slowdown as mark of economic prosperity and the theory of quality over quantity?

I reached the venue ahead of the rest and I sat down with her to do a head count and was suprised many of those who confirmed had pulled out due to ill health. When I asked them for the reasons, two of my cousins said viral fever and one other declined as he was the primary caretaker of an ailing parent. Yes, they all had pressing demands to excuse themselves. Nevertheless, 6 out of 16 made it to the gathering.

The conversation took a sudden turn when of my cousins husband remarked about my look. He asked me if I went on a crash diet or was it a combination of exercise and diet that kept me fit. Finally, he concluded that I’ve managed to  age gracefully with a spiritual look. Honestly, I don't know what that meant and never bothered to prod further.

After a nice breakfast, I sat next to my aunt and started a conversation with her. She was the only one among her siblings who could make it to the event, while all others suffered from age-related medical issues and stayed away.

Soon after she narrated her recent health set back, my cousin shared about what could she possibly face down the years if she doesn’t control her blood sugar. While he was worried about his mother’s health, he wasn't caring for his. Short while after, he confessed about his blood pressure inching up and being on the borderline and also, shared about health issues of a few other cousins leaving me concerned.

To see many of my cousins (age ranging from early 30s , 40s to 50s) stricken by diseases of the mind and body and carelessly abusing tobacco and alcohol made me worry about their precarious lifestyle. Among them I was the only single man and I had taken better care of my health. 

In the pursuit of economic independence and mobility, did my generation ignore their health? The quality over quantity theory that I had proposed in the offspring production was now out of the window.

Despite watching their parents (in their late 60s) develop health issues and playing the role of a care giver hadn’t put an element fear or caution in them. Isn’t it true that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?

20 years ago, I lost my eldest aunt to cancer, but then I was too young to realize what it means to lose a dear one. With life giving me an opportunity to experience fear, suffering and loss, I know what it is to lose a dear one. 

Recently, I was rattled upon watching my aunt whom I’m very attached. She is bravely fighting her losing battle with carcinoma. And today, when I heard my cousin, a sense of worry and helplessness engulfed me. How can I get my cousins who I grew up with start paying attention to their health before it is too late?

Like Arjuna who expressed his anxiety and helplessness over the well-being of his cousins to Krishna, I ramble about my cousins who continue ignored their health. In this battle of life, should I take it as their karma and destiny or give it any try and blow the conch of caution?

My grandma often said having a large family is  like a Banyan tree. It’s branches offer cover to those under sweltering sun and fruits to hungry birds. But to see the branches suffer or wither is no fun for either the tree, bird or passerby. 

Brand and Culture in Bad Times…

Does one feel secure to engage with organizations that are in financial trouble? Does it feel safe to get high with brands who haven’t paid their crew in 45 days? Those were the question swirling in my mind as I boarded Jet Airways flight 9W3514 from Lucknow to Bengaluru on October 23.

As I fastened my seat belt for this ride, I was reminded of the fateful day - January 10, 2009. I was working for Satyam Computers and our CEO made a written confession of overstating earnings and profits and fudging books that became the headline on every newspaper and magazine and breaking news ticker on every digital media for months to come. The confession and following negative news and speculation not only tumbled the stock price, customer sentiments, but also infected 60,000 strong employees with paranoia of losing their jobs, not being paid and defaulting on their EMIs. In some cases, the fear doubled where both spouses or siblings worked together.

Though the situation for this airline with wasn’t any close to what we had gone through, nevertheless, their stock price was at a historical low, some vendors had withdrawn services over non-payment of dues and employees hadn’t been paid in over 45 days. Wow! Isn’t that enough to ruin investor confidence and dent employee morale?

As the cabin crew push the food trolleys down the aisle there were no signs of low morale, worries of over-due EMIs, or paranoia from finding another job. These folks were focused on serving their customers with warmth and showcasing their best hospitality despite going through financial turbulence.

In austere times the plasticware replaced silverware and a chocolate bar replaced desert, but still the dal-chawal was yum and cabin service was comforting including the announcements from the cockpit. My first bite brought back memories from a decade ago, when fear and distrust spreading like wildfire among employees and clients, thanks to 24/7 news channels and media. I was entrusted with the responsibility of identifying and collecting positive news about wins, project milestones and other achievements to reinstate customer confidence and rejuvenate employee morale. Till date this has been my toughest assignment – reinstating confidence and infusing positive vibes.

As I stepped off the aircraft, I recalled how none of the airline employees let their emotions come in their way of executing their responsibilities and provided superior customer service. They fiercely defended their brand pride and lived their values at a time when investors downgraded them, vendors denied them line of credit and some customers defected.

My experience from working for listed companies says employees are always at the receiving end. Their raises are given away to the shareholders as dividends. Nevertheless, in this case the employees stood by their brand. In a flight or fight world, we rarely see exhibition of such brand faith and loyalty. This clearly says something about the culture and values of the brand.

Jet Airways is a great case study for those studying brands, brand loyalty and employee engagement. Their financial trouble offers a great lesson in brand power and pride for CXOs. When investors lose faith, customers find alternatives, it is employees who keep the brand flying high. I hope Jet Airways will recognize this and reward their employees who stood beside them in tough times.

So, what’s my age?

My sojourns in the west wants me to refer “June-September” time frame as “Summer”, though my current location refers to it as “Monsoon”. Nevertheless, a lot of things happened this summer making it a memorable one in a long time.

When I look back at the summers from my school days I am reminded of Math and specifically algebra lessons. 30 years later, I saw an uncanny resemblance between my present and past. It inspired me to look beyond my immediate life and expand my vision and boundaries.

I cycled with a gentleman twice my age who regularly cycles 50 kms every day and on my return flight from Dubai I sat beside a youngster half my age who spent his summer teaching English to Syrian refugee children in Egypt.

So, my 2018 Summer = Y/2 + 2Z.

Can the emotions and inspiration be summarized by a mere algebra equation?

Equation 1: When I registered for the 40km timed cycling event organized by NEB spots, I thought it was just a time and distance relationship. But seldom did I realize I was going to meet some inspiring cyclists along the journey.

I was among the first batch cyclist who were able to convert their enthusiasm into pedal power without much transmission loss. Because of which I left behind a friend who came along with me for the event within in the first 500m. Though my intention was not to leave behind people, but the timed event reminded me of the proverb “time and tide wait for none”. Nevertheless, along the way I kept cheering my fellow cyclists and many youngsters who were exploring long distance cycling for the first time. And most of them were half my age that inspired me to develop another algebra equation.

So, If X is my age, then X = 2Z.

As I was starting my second lap I noticed an elderly gentleman on the other side of the track steadily pedaling towards the U-turn point. He wasn’t panting or puffing but wore a pleasant smile and made cameras and tongues go gaga over his enthusiasm and energy.

When I enquired about this elderly papa who turned cameras and onlookers into paparazzies my fellow cyclist told me he was an octogenarian and regularly participated at marathons and cycling events. Wow! This is someone who I want to meet and wannabe when I get to 80. He finished 40 kms 7 mins after me and I waited at the finish line to welcome him with a hug and cheer.

X = Y/2 (age)

X finishes 40 kms in 120 mins

Y finishes 40 kms in 127 mins

As soon as I shook hands with Mr. Bylahalli Raghunath Janardan, I confessed my admiration for him and enquired about the secret aphrodisiac he was taking. I quickly convinced one of those paparazzies to click a picture of us that I can use to remind me of my fitness goal.

 

Read his interview that appeared in the Deccan Chronicle from two years ago where he says his aim is to cycle the distance between moon and earth in his lifetime. By now he must have achieved that goal of 384,400 km.

Readers, Mr. Janardan picked up cycling at the age of 63 and covered 1900 kms every month. So, it is not late for you to get on the wheels and set your ambition.

Equation 2: We rarely get interesting co-passengers on long-haul flights. Most of the time fellow passengers either fall asleep or plug in their headsets to binge-watch airline entertainment as they get fed at their seats. This was the case during my first leg of the journey from San Francisco to Dubai. But on the second leg from Dubai to Bengaluru, I was on the aisle seat and I traveled next to a youngster returning from Egypt seated next to the window. He flashed a smile that said I’m ready to start a conversation, how about you? Our conversation revealed that he was not one of those selfie obsessed or binge-watching youngsters. And he wasn’t returning from a vacation in Egypt but returning back from a teaching internship. Wow!

I couldn’t mute the journalist in me and I fired question after question to understand the drive, purpose and determination behind this 21-year old.

Z= X/2

Abhishek is an MBA pursuant from Bellary. He spent the Egyptian Summer at Cairo teaching English to Syrian refugee kids. He traveled 60 kms by public transport 5 days a week to a camp site 2 hours away from the city. Temperatures got to 40 deg C in Cairo and he stayed in a hostel for 12 weeks with no modern comforts like air conditioning or washing machine. He appeared two shade darker from the pictures he showed me on his phone and more fluent in Arabic.

During the 3-hour flight, he reflected on the learnings, experiences and choked recollecting the last day at the camp site with the children. At his age, I boarded the aircraft to pursue my MS in the US and never thought about a teaching internship in Africa or elsewhere. I am sure this experience will go a long way in making Abhishek a Superman.

We are on the last day of September and here in Chennai it still feels like summer. And a fortnight ago, I grew a year older inspired by these two gentlemen.

So, now let’s test your algebra skills. From the two equations, can you guess my age?

July and Self-Discovery

July has always been a very eventful month in my life. I’ve had many challenges come my way and I’ve turned them into achievements and adding a new dimension to myself. And, surprisingly, all of the challenges have taken me beyond my comfort zone traveling down the path less travelled. Over the years I’ve managed to replace the traumatic images from July of 2011 with pleasant experience and achievements. Here is a quick look back at the last eight Julys of my life and how I turned myself from a cyclist to an athlete.

The first challenge

In July of 2011, I underwent a corrective heart surgery to reroute an anomalous pulmonary vein that eloped to the wrong side of my heart. Post-surgery, doctors advised me against lifting heavy weights or pushing my heart into extreme sports.

No guarantees for a quality job?        

Despite charging 2.2 lakhs for rerouting the rouge vein, Doctors at Manipal Hospital didn’t give me a year guarantee on the procedure. In October of 2011, I decided to test the quality of their job by cycling 55 kms in the Loire Valley, France. A year later, I cycled 120 kms at Acadia National Park celebrating my first anniversary with my friends Paul and Stephanie.

With no quality issues, I decided to purse cycling more seriously and kicked started the next phase of my journey by participating in the CRX Ride for World Heart Day cycling 45 kms from Adyar to Mahabalipuram.

Turning a sport into vacation

“A man on a thousand-mile walk has to forget his goal and say to himself every morning, 'Today I'm going to cover twenty-five miles and then rest up and sleep.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

In July of 2014, Stephanie and I trekked along the Austrian Alps (Salzkammergut) for a week covering over 200 kms in 5 days. The Salzkammergut stretches from the city of Salzburg (birth place of Mozart) eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mountains. We camped by turquoise water bodies and ascended the peaks of Alphs to visit the world’s oldest salt mine of the Habsburg Monarchy (A UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Intoxicated by nature, I furthered my explorations from foot to wheel. In July 2015, I cycled along the Atlantic Coast in Portugal from Lisbon to Faro in the South covering 500 kms and reaching the southernmost tip of Europe. Not only did I discover the beauty and the history of the coastline that once played a key role in slave trade, but also tested my commitment to the sport of cycling.

Exploring National Parks and wildlife

Sometimes, endurance is more psychological than physiological and my explorations in 2016 and 2017 equipped me survival skills to be vegetarian in a fish-eating nation and coexist with animals in wilderness.

In 2016, I teamed up with my colleague Balaji and my friend Vijay for another memorable expedition to explore Japan, a stunning Island country, home to Mount Fuji, Buddhism, Arashimaya Bamboo forest, Geishas, superfast bullet trains, Sushi and many more. Over two weeks days, we crisscrossed the Island nation of Japan on superfast trains and explored cities (Tokyo, Kyoto, etc.) on foot averaging 15-17km each day totaling to 200+ kms and losing 5 kilos in 15 days.

If Japan taught me survival skills in a predominantly pescatarian nation, South Africa taught me how explore the wilderness and have a close experience with a hungry lioness, face-off with male elephant in musth and being chased by a protective mother Rhino and her calf.  Paul and I ascended a kilometer-high Table Mountains of Cape town replacing my agoraphobia with panoramic views of the breathtaking coastline, intoxicating vineyards and lush Kristenbosch National Botanical Gardens.

Conquering horizontally

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” goes the African Proverb. Along with Shivaji, I joined a trekking group to explore hillocks and beaches of Gokarna and peaks of Karnataka (Tadindamol – 1.7km in height). Among the group of 20 hikers, I managed to reach the top ahead of the rest. Somewhere along the way I asked myself why not improve my lung power and start conquering the planet horizontally?

We both registered for Bengaluru10K and trained for 2 months to complete 5K in under 30 minutes and finished at 6^th and 12 positions respectively in the 35+ age category.

What’s for next July?

Scars are not signs of weakness, they are signs of survival and endurance. ― Rodney A. Winters

As I head back to my annual medical examination this month, I’ll proudly tell my physician how I turned myself from a cyclist to an athlete and lost 8 kilos. So, for the next July story, should I aim for 10K, Ironman challenge, Skydiving, bike to Ladakh or trek in the Himalayas? Who wants to partner with me for a self-discovery and self-transformation trip?