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'Kaise Diwali manaayein hum Lala,
Apna toh barah mahine Diwala!
� � 'Kaise Diwali manaayein hum Lala,
Apna toh barah mahine Diwala!
� In the Doordarshan of the '70s and '80s,
this very hummable Johnny Walker song
� from the 1959-film
'Paigham'
would air every Diwali on song-and-dance shows
'Chhaya Geet' and 'Chitrahaar'.
Although I hummed the lyrics last year too
(force of habit,
since one was subjected to so much of it on DD),
the song is most appropriate
for the Diwali of 2009.
�
It's been around 'barah mahine' (12 months)
� since the slowdown struck us.
Not a recession,�
but a severe liquidity crunch.
Whatever be the term used,
for many in the media,
the downturn spelt doom…
� a 'diwala'!
�
Even the supposedly most cash-rich IT
and other� companies axed jobs
and
� shut divisions and businesses
that were unviable.
�
Though
there were some new launches
and marketing spends of a few networks
� didn't really go south, the tension was palpable.
Salary cuts were the order of the day,
� and those who were subjected to it had
� no real option but to swallow the bitter pill.
"Be happy you have the job,"
was the underlying message.
Busy pointing fingers
at how biggie financial institutions
were falling like a pack of cards,
professionals now found
the fingers pointing at themselves.
�
So are things better now?
� Well, yes and no.
Players
– who otherwise conduct
their businesses more with the heart than their heads –
were forced to switch gears.
� Marketing spends got a fillip,
thanks to
cricket and the elections and new offerings,
but
� the emphasis was on squeezing
the� vendors to give better rates.
There are still a few
key� companies that aren't listed,
so their cash books aren't open to the public gaze,
� but
those who are,
� have seen a bloodbath.
�
My worry is that
� I don't think� players have
learnt much from the downturn.
And
I fear that they'll repeat the same mistakes again.
�
Systems aren't in place,
staffing and spends often done indiscriminately,
� and staff welfare is dismal.
While one can't generalise this for the entire Industry,
it's more of a rule than an exception.
If there were a
'best places to work in'
for� companies,
I'm not sure how many will fit the bill,
especially from amongst those in the news
� and non-news publishing and the electronic media.
There is a huge accountability malaise
that exists with employees and employers alike.
Mediocrity is allowed to flourish,
often leading to corrupt practices.
�
This is the most critical quarter
� of the financial year for� companies.
Ad spends are traditionally at a high
in the three months of October-December,
� and for many entities,
it accounts for more than 50 per cent of the year's revenues.
� It's heartening to see all stakeholders
making a concerted effort
to reverse the recessionary trends.
�
The Sensex was at 9,000-odd points
at the Muhurat trading last Diwali
and
it was upwards of 16,600 points on Friday.
�
So,
while sentiments are better and
� 'dhanda' isn't quite 'manda',
the answer to my question
in the headline of whether Diwali 2009
will bring cheer is in the negative.
�
We all need to work harder and
more efficiently to survive and thrive.
�
� My heart goes out to those
� who've lost their jobs
or
are finding the cuts too stiff
to pay up their EMIs.
�
Happy Diwala, ah, well, Diwali!
�
Sriram Savarkar ©
Hinduism is more a way of life than a method of worship.
Dharmo Rakshati Rakshithaha
If you protect Dharma, Dharma will in turn protect you.
Hindus, If people slap you once, slap them twice!
�
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