Category Archives: Thoughts

Should I keep rowing or should I abandon ship and swim for that glittering island?

Posted on December 7, 2006 by Harshad Oak

A few days back, a friend told me about his plans to head for a foreign country because he has had enough of India. He isn’t one of the ‘crazy about US’ kinds who think that all things American are … Continue reading →

Posted in History, India, Society, Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

Email Is Dead – Long Live The Phone Call

Posted on November 14, 2006 by Harshad Oak

I have never enjoyed using the phone and I have a particular dislike for the mobile phone. I find it a very intrusive form of communication. I don’t like the fact that the calling party decides when, where and if … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Conference, Java, Society, Thoughts | 2 Comments

Is resignation to circumstances inherent to Indian culture?

Posted on October 2, 2006 by Harshad Oak

One of the most striking things about Indian culture is that we rarely resist. For hundreds of years we have been ruled by the Mughals and the British, but apart from the independence struggle early in the last century and … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, India, Reform, Society, Thoughts | 4 Comments

Pune Power Cuts

Posted on October 2, 2006 by Harshad Oak

My letter published in the newspaper Sakal Herald dated 29th Sep 2006. —— “MSEB or whatever it is known as these days issues these expensive ads every week announcing that it will switch off power for several hours every Thursday … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Protest, Pune City, Thoughts | 3 Comments

Iqara Broadband becomes You Telecom – Internet quality stays just as bad

Posted on September 11, 2006 by Harshad Oak

Iqara Boradband recently changed its name to You Telecom. Unfortunately the name’s the only thing that has improved with Iqara. I have been using Iqara / You Telecom for a couple of years and here are some quick observations:

Posted in Broadband, India, Internet, Protest, Thoughts | 20 Comments

Democratic Occupiers – History and Implications

Posted on July 16, 2006 by Harshad Oak

Democracy isn’t a new concept and its origins are traced back to 6th century BC, in Ancient India. The Greeks coined the word ‘democracy‘ in the 5th century BC. It evolved over the years and modern democracy is said to … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, History, India, Thoughts | 2 Comments

Thank you Pune Municipal Corporation for the nice new footpaths

Posted on June 2, 2006 by Harshad Oak

It feels good to finally be writing something positive about the Pune Municipal Corporation. Have you noticed the number of new footpaths being created and the resurfacing of some old ones? The new footpaths opposite Deccan Gymkhana and BalBharti on … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Pune City, Society, Thoughts | 4 Comments

In India, suffering is just a part of life!

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Harshad Oak

If there’s one thing that has an instant and direct relation to development, that’s power supply. The new economy is completely driven by electricity. Switch off the power supply and business and growth comes to a stand still. Considering this, … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Protest, Society, Thoughts | 2 Comments