Use your connections

After both our daughters were married in 2010, my wife and I travelled to many parts of India. We went to various places for sightseeing, meeting Holy men and women, visiting some of our relatives, observing silence, doing research on our charitable work and generally having a good time.
I am sixty two years old and left India to migrate to the USA in 1977. I am an NRI, whatever that means. In some quarters within India I am not qualified to talk about India. In some circles, I am considered objective. In the USA, I am looked upon as an immigrant, with all the baggage that goes with that term. Some good and some not so good.

Our travels were between June 26th, 2011 and August 31st , 2011. This is one of my observations.



The Power of Networking and a side story.

My cousin T.A Sridhar (Chinnappa), called me on Thursday, August 18th , 2011 at 9.00 p.m. He sought my help in a challenge that he had.
His daughter was getting married on Friday, September 2nd, 2011. His (late) brother’s son, Vasu, who lives in New Jersey had already arrived in Bangalore for the wedding. Vasu’s wife, Meena, is a citizen of Sri Lanka and carries a Sri Lankan passport. She was not getting an Indian visa and may therefore not be able to attend the wedding. Can I do something ?
I have no contacts in the Indian Consulate. But, I know people who know people in the Consulate.
I told him to get in touch with my friend, Ramesh Ramanathan, in New York. An engineer by profession, Ramesh works for the State of New York. But I know he has excellent contacts in the Indian Consulate in New York. I remember taking his help in some prior situation.
I have no idea what transpired next. Remember, I am on vacation. Relaxing. Doing nothing. Silence is the theme.
I got a phone call from Chinnappa on Friday, August 26th at 10.00 a.m. He told me Meena was in Bangalore and thanked me for all the help. What help ? It is all Bhagawan’s grace. The hero in this whole drama is Ramesh Ramanathan. I call him the silent hero. The Power of Networking at its best.
While narrating this story to, (I guess) a true Indian,not an NRI, I was trying to make a case for the power of networking. Instead, the moral of the story, I was told by this true Indian was that Indians are a very helpful lot and it is in their nature to help.
You are free to draw your own conclusions.