Warrier's Collage on Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Welcome To Warrier's COLLAGE On Tuesday, March 4, 2025 🙏 Happy Birthday to all readers having Birthday during this week. M G Warrier A Information Hackers* "Dear All, There is a widespread attempt to hack Whatsapp and subsequently request for money from their contact. It is requested not to share OTP / code to any known or unknown contact over Whatsapp or send money based on a Whatsapp request to anyone. Please alert others in Whatsapp groups." *Edited version of a message received from Cyber Security and IT Risk Group, RBI, Mumbai B Nostalgia Enigma of Arrival https://www.warriersblog.com/2013/03/nostalgia-enigma-of-arrival.html C Cover Story : "When the crows cry" By Mini Krishnan (The Hindu Open Page, February 23, 2025) "A murder of crows" is a collective noun that refers to a group of crows. You knew that, isn't it? I learnt it yesterday. I have read Mini Krishnan's shorts like this earlier also in mainstream newspapers. This appeared in The Hindu Open Page. No, the idea is not to scare you about death or preach about the superstitions surrounding death. But just to reconfirm to myself that I am not alone in the crowd, off and on, thinking about the futility of life and inevitability of death. C Unending doubts Today, in a social media group, chanced to glance through a debate emanating from a quote : "My kids didn't ask to be born, I made the decision to have them. They don't owe me anything, but I owe them a good life" This is how our advisors mislead us when we ask them to prepare life's balance sheet. They show you only select items from both sides of the balance sheet. Before going to details, let me recall what RBI Medical Officer explained when a participant in a group he was addressing asked(circa 1971) : "Doctor, can we change heredity?" Doctor said : "Yes. But you will have to have right to choose hundreds or thousands of your forefathers. Heredity and quality of genes transcend hundreds of generations." Obviously doctor had in mind parents, grand parents and previous several generations whose presence and decisions on this side of the planet made possible the emergence of the proud father/mother who asked the question. So, let's concede, it's a joint responsibility. That takes us to the tortuous liability for any act of commission or omission. Correct me, if I'm wrong, my understanding of law is that law can be enforced only on an individual or a legal person. My rights, therefore starts with my birth and ends with my death. Two things follow : 1) I have no right or control on my birth. 2) I have no right over my body, once I die. So, no one owes me anything at the time of my birth and I don't owe anything when I die except to the extent I had committed legally before death. D Media Responses I The Hindu Business Line Letters February 22, 2025 Managing inflation This refers to "RBI is missing the larger point" (HBL, February 22). Looks, the author has hit the nail almost on its head. Years ago, when the statutory Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was constituted, the given inflation target was 4 +/- 2 percent. To start with, a target was necessary and no one objected or speculated on the rationale, then. Now, at least from an academic perspective, a valid point is raised here that the band was too wide and reaching the middle once cannot be considered as having hit the bull's eye. Perhaps time is opportune to revisit inflation and its impact on the economy and if necessary refix inflation target. Simultaneously, GOI may have to create a conducive environment for RBI to influence inflation using monetary policy tools. As several factors affecting inflation are not amenable to central bank's policy initiatives, Centre's fiscal policy support will be essential. M G Warrier Mumbai II February 28, 2025 Message from Prayagraj This refers to PM Modi's article "Ekta Ka Mahakumbh- the dawn of a new era" ( HBL, February 28). The message is profound. Nations and societies across centuries have depended on symbols and rituals to pierce through the conscience of their target audience and there is nothing unique about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's use of Yoga or Kumbh Mela to bring back world's attention to India. The success of Modi in using both Yoga and Prayagraj as a thread to harness energy and resources for the benefit of India is there for all to see. The messages sent out are also about physical fitness of the people and clean environment. India and the world will reap high dividends for the investment made now. M G Warrier Mumbai III The Editor The Economic Times Chat Room March 3, 2025 Basic lessons in diplomacy This refers to the article "How to Lose Friends and Kill Prospects" (ET, March 3). Books on Trump's current presidency will have a long shelf-life in Management School libraries across the world for all wrong reasons. Video shoot of the President's meeting with the head of one of the smallest nations in the world (Ukraine, population 3.78 crore) has gone viral. This meeting may remain a case study wherever political science is taught, for decades to come. US, so far, was not known for messing up the President's meetings with foreign dignitaries. The presentations from both sides, though not published before the meetings, would be well thought of prior to such meetings, by both sides. Without going into the issue of "who started first", the dignity of the host country has gone down by a shade post-spar. M G Warrier Mumbai