IDBI, targets – 84.30, 85, 86.
Satyam, targets – 470, 479.
Hindustan Construction, targets – 167, 175.
Nagarjuna Construction, targets 219,223 & if crossed 224 with good volumes then may touch 233.
GENERAL: - Market will be bearish below 3976.
Last week I read 2 articles on Dabbawalas of Mumbai, I am posting them here for viewrs of my blog.
A
It is a common sight for many of us in Mumbai. A modestly dressed topiwala is often seen wading through the maze of Mumbai traffic both in the streets and on railway platforms/compartments carrying handful of tiffins – dabbas as they are known. Almost from morning to evening more than 5000 of these hardworking men deliver almost 200,000 dabbas to their hungry customers, everyday. Welcome to the world of dabbawalas whose mission in life is to ‘deliver food to their customers on time’!
Ever since the time the BBC filmed a documentary of the dabbawalas, they have created a unique place for themselves in the minds of the people. After Prince Charles visited them and appreciated their efforts, their popularity started rising fast. When they were awarded the Six Sigma status for faultless delivery of the tiffins, the B-schools started showing keen interest in their activities. Ever since, they have addressed the IIMs and other B-schools in India, while they have also been invited to international conferences to share their experiences and work ethic.
However, when they visited MET few weeks ago it was found that all the praise heaped on them had a pathetic tinge to it. When we examined their monthly returns, they were averaging around a measly sum of Rs. 5000/-. If we assume a family size of say four, the annual income of Rs.60,000 comes to Rs.15,000 or US $ 333.3 per capita. Sadly, it is about half of national per capita income, which is around US $ 650 per annum. This is a sad state of affairs by any standards and way below the national poverty line of US $ 2 per day. This meager remuneration is further subject to downfall. In case, the poor dabbawala meets with an accident or is unable to attend to work for any reason since he has no insurance cover or any other safety net to fall back upon.
Closer scrutiny of the daily routine of the dabbawalas, confirmed our belief that they live on the edge all the time. They are exposed to high degree of risks as they have to resort to low cost means of transport like bicycles and handcarts to wade through the thick of traffic in the morning rush hours. The act of balancing three-meter long 50 kg plus tiffin carrier through the mass of the commuters can surpass the feat of a tight-rope-walker, day in day out. They spend most of the day in the midst of mind-boggling office goer rush and therefore it has high degree of risks, which are left totally unattended.
While the media and the social workers at large appear to offer high degree of emotional support to the dabbawalas very little seems to have resulted into lowering of his risk profile or improving the quality of his life. One wonders whether the intellectuals/thought leaders, opinion makers and the society at large have turned a blind eye to the woes of the dabbawalas and chosen to look the other way. Whether it is by design or default, the dabbawalas seem to have been left to their fate. One is anguished when we weigh the contribution of the dabbawalas to the society as outlined in the cover story and the paltry payback they have received till date – about US $ 6.6 per month or a meager 26 Cents per day per consumer! If one has to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill:
“Never in the field of human food delivery was so much owed by so many to so few”.
However, instead of waxing eloquence about the past, MET has chosen upon itself to initiate steps that may help improve the quality of life of the dabbawalas. It has initiated measures to provide a safety-net to the dabbawalas by trying to rope in the support of Insurance sector through appropriate policy cover. It has attempted to cover most of the risks to the entire family while ensuring emergency support and relief mechanism. There is also an attempt to utilize the advertising potential of the dabbas and the outreach of the system to drive home and deliver socially relevant messages. It is heartening to note that national agencies like the LIC and New India Assurance Ltd. have shown keen interest to support the cause. This new policy initiative entitled “ANNADOOT” launched by MET, has been well received by the stakeholders.
In conclusion, we must realize that as responsible members of civil society, it is not only our task to clap and applaud the service performers but we must watch with a keen eye, the very processes and tools which help us receive the fruits of their labour. While we may agitate about child labour or oppression of the weakest, we must be vigilant about the exploitation of those who carry the burden of society without a whimper. Even if we cannot always tax the consumers, we must find ways and means whereby relief and dignity are restored to every section of the society. The answers are there for all of us to seek and carve out, provided we are willing to reach out of the underprivileged and exploited sections and strive to find a human solution to their misery. Or else, we will soon be heading back into the dark ages when Nero fiddled while Rome was burning and the Romans applauded at the colosseum as the gladiators waged cruel battles of death with the helpless.
By PROF. VIJAY PAGE
B
In short about 2nd article -
Mumbai 'Dabbawalas' join AIDS awareness campaign
Mumbai, Dec 1 : To create awareness about HIV/ AIDS among the Mumbaikars, voluntary bodies working to prevent the disease supplemented the AIDS awareness project by roping in the famed Dabbawalas of Mumbai on World AIDS Day today.
Dabbawalas gladly reciprocated such an endeavour by saying it would help the society and create awareness among the people.
"This is good for the society because the tiffins go directly to the people. They come to know about AIDS," said Arjun, a Dabbawalla.
The awareness campaign has also received a good response from the public.
Satyam, targets – 470, 479.
Hindustan Construction, targets – 167, 175.
Nagarjuna Construction, targets 219,223 & if crossed 224 with good volumes then may touch 233.
GENERAL: - Market will be bearish below 3976.
Last week I read 2 articles on Dabbawalas of Mumbai, I am posting them here for viewrs of my blog.
A
It is a common sight for many of us in Mumbai. A modestly dressed topiwala is often seen wading through the maze of Mumbai traffic both in the streets and on railway platforms/compartments carrying handful of tiffins – dabbas as they are known. Almost from morning to evening more than 5000 of these hardworking men deliver almost 200,000 dabbas to their hungry customers, everyday. Welcome to the world of dabbawalas whose mission in life is to ‘deliver food to their customers on time’!
Ever since the time the BBC filmed a documentary of the dabbawalas, they have created a unique place for themselves in the minds of the people. After Prince Charles visited them and appreciated their efforts, their popularity started rising fast. When they were awarded the Six Sigma status for faultless delivery of the tiffins, the B-schools started showing keen interest in their activities. Ever since, they have addressed the IIMs and other B-schools in India, while they have also been invited to international conferences to share their experiences and work ethic.
However, when they visited MET few weeks ago it was found that all the praise heaped on them had a pathetic tinge to it. When we examined their monthly returns, they were averaging around a measly sum of Rs. 5000/-. If we assume a family size of say four, the annual income of Rs.60,000 comes to Rs.15,000 or US $ 333.3 per capita. Sadly, it is about half of national per capita income, which is around US $ 650 per annum. This is a sad state of affairs by any standards and way below the national poverty line of US $ 2 per day. This meager remuneration is further subject to downfall. In case, the poor dabbawala meets with an accident or is unable to attend to work for any reason since he has no insurance cover or any other safety net to fall back upon.
Closer scrutiny of the daily routine of the dabbawalas, confirmed our belief that they live on the edge all the time. They are exposed to high degree of risks as they have to resort to low cost means of transport like bicycles and handcarts to wade through the thick of traffic in the morning rush hours. The act of balancing three-meter long 50 kg plus tiffin carrier through the mass of the commuters can surpass the feat of a tight-rope-walker, day in day out. They spend most of the day in the midst of mind-boggling office goer rush and therefore it has high degree of risks, which are left totally unattended.
While the media and the social workers at large appear to offer high degree of emotional support to the dabbawalas very little seems to have resulted into lowering of his risk profile or improving the quality of his life. One wonders whether the intellectuals/thought leaders, opinion makers and the society at large have turned a blind eye to the woes of the dabbawalas and chosen to look the other way. Whether it is by design or default, the dabbawalas seem to have been left to their fate. One is anguished when we weigh the contribution of the dabbawalas to the society as outlined in the cover story and the paltry payback they have received till date – about US $ 6.6 per month or a meager 26 Cents per day per consumer! If one has to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill:
“Never in the field of human food delivery was so much owed by so many to so few”.
However, instead of waxing eloquence about the past, MET has chosen upon itself to initiate steps that may help improve the quality of life of the dabbawalas. It has initiated measures to provide a safety-net to the dabbawalas by trying to rope in the support of Insurance sector through appropriate policy cover. It has attempted to cover most of the risks to the entire family while ensuring emergency support and relief mechanism. There is also an attempt to utilize the advertising potential of the dabbas and the outreach of the system to drive home and deliver socially relevant messages. It is heartening to note that national agencies like the LIC and New India Assurance Ltd. have shown keen interest to support the cause. This new policy initiative entitled “ANNADOOT” launched by MET, has been well received by the stakeholders.
In conclusion, we must realize that as responsible members of civil society, it is not only our task to clap and applaud the service performers but we must watch with a keen eye, the very processes and tools which help us receive the fruits of their labour. While we may agitate about child labour or oppression of the weakest, we must be vigilant about the exploitation of those who carry the burden of society without a whimper. Even if we cannot always tax the consumers, we must find ways and means whereby relief and dignity are restored to every section of the society. The answers are there for all of us to seek and carve out, provided we are willing to reach out of the underprivileged and exploited sections and strive to find a human solution to their misery. Or else, we will soon be heading back into the dark ages when Nero fiddled while Rome was burning and the Romans applauded at the colosseum as the gladiators waged cruel battles of death with the helpless.
By PROF. VIJAY PAGE
B
In short about 2nd article -
Mumbai 'Dabbawalas' join AIDS awareness campaign
Mumbai, Dec 1 : To create awareness about HIV/ AIDS among the Mumbaikars, voluntary bodies working to prevent the disease supplemented the AIDS awareness project by roping in the famed Dabbawalas of Mumbai on World AIDS Day today.
Dabbawalas gladly reciprocated such an endeavour by saying it would help the society and create awareness among the people.
"This is good for the society because the tiffins go directly to the people. They come to know about AIDS," said Arjun, a Dabbawalla.
The awareness campaign has also received a good response from the public.
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