Desicritics Reviews

IT Outsourcing Can Actually Increase a Firm's IT Spend

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Sat, 6 Mar 2010 17:40:55 EST

I have learnt the hard way that trying to outsource on the basis of “manage my mess for less” is a sure fire way of crashing and burning at worst and being more expensive at best. Anything that is crucial to your firm’s success, you do not outsource. In other words, only outsource which is a commodity and it is easy to switch suppliers such as perhaps storage management, electricity supplies, sewage, catering, cleaning, etc.

Lo and Behold, here’s a paper which provides some more data to back up the idea that outsourcing actually pushes up your costs. The data used is crucial and I quote:

ITOS and IT spending data were obtained from InformationWeek magazine, a weekly print magazine aimed at business technology professionals. Since 1991, InformationWeek has conducted annual surveys to gather current year IT budgets from a variety of the largest US public and private firms and government entities that use IT. It has supplemented this with firms demonstrating innovative use of IT. In 1999, InformationWeek began asking firms what percentage of their IT spending is outsourced. InformationWeek recently provided the additional firm-level data for the 1998 to 2005 time period for this study with strict disclosure restrictions on the authors precluding the sharing of specific firm responses. Data are used from respondents who provided both IT spending and ITOS information for one or more years between 1999 and 2005. Observations for non-public firms were eliminated and merged with corresponding Compustat financial data to calculate the various control variables shown to affect IT budget levels in Kobelsky et al. (2008b). This reduced the overall sample to 1959 firm-year observations for 647 firms in the period 1999 to 2005

The model comprises of variables:

• itb/sls = firm IT budget for each year per InformationWeek data divided by sales for that year (Compustat data12);

• itos dummy = 1 if IT outsourcing percentage per InformationWeek data is positive in Current Year, 0 if not;

• size = log of Current Year sales;

• ind_conc_ratio = four-firm concentration ratio for four-digit SIC;

• uncertainty = standard deviation of earnings before extraordinary items for previous 5 years scaled by sales;

• rel_divers = related diversification (within 2 digit SICs);

• unrel_divers = unrelated diversification (across 2 digit SICs);

• op_ros = operating return on sales, before depreciation (compustat data13/data12);

• debt_ratio = debt ratio (Compustat data9/data6);

• ave_sales_growth = average sales growth for last two years;

• automate = 1 for firms in automate industries, 0 otherwise;

• transform = 1 for firms in transform industries, 0 otherwise;

• hi_tech = 1 if high-tech firm, 0 otherwise

• lo_tech = 1 if low-tech firm, 0 otherwise.

• year = 1 for each year 2000-2005, 0 otherwise.

90% of the sample companies partake of outsourcing some or all of their IT activities. The authors find that while on a project level, they might see a reduction in the IT costs and spend, on an aggregate firm level, the IT spend actually goes up. Note that they do control for scope and volume changes by looking at the sales growth. Within two years of outsourcing, the IT cost level of firms who have outsourced is correspondingly higher than firms which have not outsourced. While the authors suggest that this is because of capabilities are enhanced, I have my doubts. One cannot improve IT capabilities in 2 years, it is simply not possible to evolve the business and IT side so quickly that a statistically significant improvement in productivity and quality can be observed. It is, in my opinion, clearly aimed at the fact that the business case is frankly wrongly specified and outsourcing doesnt really help as far as cost control is concerned.

Business cases are rarely expressed in terms of ratio’s, in other words, you will very rarely find that the managers concerned or the IT outsourcing firm are quoting you IT costs as a ratio to say the sales revenue or operating costs or profits of the firm. This is why I am very nervous whenever I hear that outsourcing is happening which is going to drive down costs.

There is a good argument to outsource to improve efficiencies, drive a centre of excellence, to improve productivity, but for cost purposes, the figures do not bear out the benefits.

Cut Loose All The Flying Kites

Halima Khan — Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:09:59 EST

Basant, a tradition in the sub-continent especially in the more Punjabi sectors has been under the wire for a while now. Every year when it is time for flowers to bloom and for spring to make its grand long awaited entrance unconsciously Basant is all everyone is thinking about. Many understand why the government deems it necessary to wage this war against the harmless kite, but everyone still wants it.

Raza Rumi in ‘Sad news: Kite-flying to stay banned’ on Lahore Nama gives a new enlightened feeling to this prevailing ban:

“Hope that this festival will come back to Lahore. We strongly protest against this policy decision. Pakistan cannot be made a safe haven for roaming terrorists and suicide bombers while the peaceful citizens are denied the opportunity to celebrate a festival that is so deeply a part of our culture.”

The News, daily newspaper in Pakistan, reports how the Police force is all set to make sure violation of this ban does not go unnoticed or unpunished. On the other hand Daily Times, another English daily in Pakistan, reports how 75% population of Punjab, the hub of basant celebrations, wants basant. But the government and the judiciary does not plan to give in to the consensus of the masses.

Basant Ban by Hamza Ahmed Qureshi reads:

“The hue and cry raised by a certain section of the society on the recent banning of Basant by the Lahore High Court compels me to bring forward my point of view.

These people mourn for the loss of a cultural event which attracted thousands of foreigners from all over the world. In the prevailing geopolitical situation, I hardly think that a bunch of colorful kites would be able to lure an already fear stricken foreigner to a death trap. Moreover this cultural loss might be a matter of concern for a handful of socialites and five star hotels but not for the common man.”

Sir, we can’t control this. “Then ban it” by Momekh does not have much reason to disagree with the general feeling when he blatantly states:

“The ban on basant is silly. Loss of life and loss of the ever-so-present WAPDA supply are not reasons at all. And here’s why: the loss of life is not because the kite-flying itself is dangerous. Kite-flying has been around for quite some time.”

However Momekh kindly goes on to explain a little on what made basant a controversial matter. Hence clarifying the real issue the authorities should be addressing instead of canceling an event so looked forward.

“The murderous streak now automatically tagged with basant itself, has been introduced through the development of stronger string. A lot of people think that it is the razor-like solution that the string is soaked in that causes the string to be a knife-on-the-loose. Although the sharpness is part of the reason, the main reason is that the string itself is very strong. There was a time, I remember, when I was able to snap the string by pulling on it with both hands. It is a typical way of checking a string’s strength – tug at it and see when it breaks. But recently, I would notice that it has become harder and harder to just ’snap’ the string. You would have to resort to either some serious pulling or just use to teeth to sever the string. It is the combination of ultra-strong string with razor-sharp solution (a.k.a. manja) that makes the string a killer.”

According to a local news source if the government set some rules and regulations which could be outlined for this cultural and traditional event just maybe entertainment could for once not be made a matter of conflict. However in the meanwhile the ban is very much there. The same news source maintained that DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta held that kite flying would not be permissible even at the Governor House. In conversation with media persons here on Friday, DCO Lahore said that government would ensure the ban on kites flying, if any one would violate the ban, government would take strict action against him and about Rs.100, 000/- would be fined for violators of ban.

Lahore: Rants and Raves Unrelenting

Halima Khan — Thu, 4 Mar 2010 00:12:51 EST

While I rant to prove how passionately Lahori believe in preserving their taste buds it will be unfair of me to neglect the cultural activity and the entertainment this city is bursting with. But then of course no denying that it all does end up on food! The wedding season which seems to be in season all year round but reaches the climax around November and December and lasts till February? Wedding can be considered the most elaborate occasion on the family event calendar with 'dholkis' 'mayo' 'mehndi' etc spanning over months before the eventual day. Fun and frivolities mark the celebration all through. The preparations involve shopping and the dowry for the bride, which is a traditional gift of clothes, furniture etc to the newly weds. The exquisiteness of the lavish food is the real delight of this whole affair.

To add to this traditional and religious celebration of matrimony Lahore hosts people from worldwide to welcome spring annually and to boost its festivity of Basant. Kite-flying and dance and music mark the occasion, giving people an opportunity of entertainment. These opportunities of entertainment are definitely not rare in Lahore. Independence Day in August shows the same fervor and free spirit that Punjabis boost of.

However every year what really puts Lahore on the international platform is the World Performing Arts Festival; where the only language that binds everyone is art. To add to this ritual of promoting peace and inter-cultural exchange another event that is gaining momentum is the Annual Marathon.

While there is no dearth of opportunities to kick off your boots and enjoy good food and have good fun, Lahore also offers the best shopping experience. So if you decide to keep your boots on and want to gear up for an unforgettable spree that's exactly what this city has in store for you. International brands and local chains to retail outlets; Liberty, Anarkali, Shahlmee, there's everything of every sort! Hafeez Center is the biggest computer market, and the prices you'll find here can't get better.

As the population in Lahore has increased from estimated 6 million to estimated 10 million the city has expanded and the suburban population is constantly moving outwards. The previous residential areas are being turned into commercial centers. All this development has resulted in development of the upbeat Liberty Market, MM Alam Road, Jail Road with the finest office buildings and the Main Boulevard with the largest shopping centers.

If I could sum up Lahore I'll do it like everyone else does - this city doesn't sleep. Even late at night or even earliest in the morning there is sense of continuous on-going activity. It makes you feel alive, the raw energy that runs in its streets and boulevards. The tradition and culture so rich that it has even seeped into the westernization attempts; do don't worry if the Big Mac here tastes a wee bit different. Lahore may have spiced it up a little!!

Bhagvata Purana, Skandha 1

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Tue, 2 Mar 2010 22:40:03 EST

I have to admit that I did not even know about this book till somebody told me that the Bhagvata Purana is also known as the fifth veda. I further saw references to this Purana in the Dharmasahastra book by Kane and then figured, it is high time that I actually take a look at this book praised by so many, but not discussed enough. And once I actually got my hands on a couple of copies, I think I figured out why this is relatively obscure (compared to the Vedas, Upanishads, Shruti’s and Smritis). Depending upon the version, the books range from 1500 to 2240 pages in length, containing north of thirteen thousand Sanskrit verses. One needs to be very dedicated or locked up for some serious time to really go through this. Nevertheless it is a beautiful book with lovely tales and I thought of reviewing it, as I really could not find any good reviews elsewhere.

Before I start, first some background and logistical points. I used the following books:
1. The Bhagavata Purana: v. 7 (Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology) by J.L. Shastri and Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare (1994)
2. Bhagavat Purana by Ramesh Menon (2007)
3. A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism by Purnendu Narayana Sinha, 1901.
4. Srimad Bhagavata Puranam, Sanskrit, 2004.
5. Bhagavata Puranam, Sanskrit, 2006 (under revision)
6. Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) by Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupâda.

Quite a lot of the versions are different in formulation, usage of English and the so on. If one wants to be true to the Sanskrit versions (which themselves differ a bit), then the Prabhupada version is good, as it has the original Sanskrit, a word by word translation and a summary. In any case, my knowledge of Sanskrit is barely intermediate and I wouldn't be comfortable in dealing with a review based upon that language based book. Reading Sanskrit is one thing, but reviewing in pure ancient Sanskrit? No Sir. If one wants to have a bit more colloquial English usage and more understanding as per modern usage, then I suggest the Menon version. Rest of them use a bit of archaic English and can be a bit difficult to digest. So this review uses the Menon version.

So how do you review such a monumental book? I was struggling with the answer. I could have reviewed the full book down in one long essay but then this would have missed out on giant parts. Doing a translation is simply out of the question. So after discussing it a bit, I hit upon the idea of writing a summary per Skandha (canto or book) and then highlighting any interesting points that popped up in my mind. This means twelve rather long essays, but I think I can live with that on my conscience that one has done justice to it. If you want to rather get a quick overview of the purana, then the wiki entry is a good place to start. Without further ado, lets crack on.

My first impression after I finished the book was that it was mainly about love, very very intense love. Extremely emotional love. Something that makes you weep uncontrollably. Not bawl, but weep. Not sure if you have experienced this, but it's like none of your emotions (speech, sight, touch, smell…) are able to express it and tears are the only way to do so. I felt like this when I first held my kids in my arms. Or when I used to dance in front of Ma Durga during Durga Puja back home with the Dhunuchis. This book is an expression of very intense love towards Vishnu or his incarnation Krishna. Have you read Rumi? The feeling I got was a bit like what I felt when I read Rumi. Rumi, though, is a bit more earthy and this is a bit more esoteric, although some parts of the purana are quite earthy. It is Bhakti personified.

The purana is roughly dated to between 500 to 1000 AD, but it has gone through so many changes, accretions, embellishments, etc. that it is tough to date it correctly. Plus let us not forget that these are stories and generations of scholars and teachers in a vast land have told these stories in a variety of locales and to a huge number of people. It is a miracle that we actually get to a version in the first place.

The first Skandha introduces the purana, which written by Veda Vyasa, who writes this after completing the vedas and Mahabharat. The main reason behind writing this was that the Vedas and Mahabharat do not satisfactorily deal with the highest goal of knowledge and that is devotion to God (Bhakti). Another reason for for writing it, is to assist us in handling the Kali Yug, which came into being when Krishna died. When people begged him to leave something of him behind so that they can cope with the Kali Yug, Krishna poured his essence into the Bhagwat Purana.

Narada Muni is a key participant in the beginnings of the BP. An interesting story is said about him. Narada is disconsolate, because he is wandering around in Kali Yug and is observing the breakdown of divine order. While wandering on the banks of the Yamuna, he notices a young woman sitting next to two very old sick men, while being surrounded with many other young women. The young woman turns out to be Bhakti and the two old sick men are Gyan (knowledge) and Vairagya (detachment or renunciation). The other young women are the sacred rivers such as Ganga, etc. who are trying to provide comfort to Bhakti. The Kali Yug has devastated her two sons even though it spared her. Narada blesses her by saying that Bhakti will be the only way to salvation and then tries to rescue her two sons by chanting the Vedas and Upanishads in their ears, singing the Bhagvad Gita to them. They improved, but not completely. On beseeching the Lord to provide him with some guidance, a voice from the skies tells him to go speak to certain Munis. On searching and leter finding them, Narada asks the Munis about how to cure the two sons of Bhakti? The Munis state that he has to recite the BP to them and since it contains the essence of Lord Vishnu, it will revive them. So he does and Bhakti and her two sons are also revived.

But this was not the first time that the BP had been recited. Thirty years after Krishna died, Vyasa’s son Suka recited the BP to King Parikshit, grandson of Arjuna, son of Abhimanyu, who succeeded Yudhistra to the throne of Hastinapur. But this story is for later. The second great recitation of the BP happened two hundred years after the Kali Yug had started by Gokarna Muni.

The BP then embarks on a long tale of how a childless Brahman begged for a boon of a child from a Sanyasi. The Sanyasi gives a blessed fruit to him and asks his wife to eat it, keeping a vow of truthfullness, kindness and charity for an entire year, not eating more than one meal per day, and if that is done, then a pure golden hearted pious son will be born. But his wife did not want to ruin her figure or go through the pain of childbirth so she hatched a plan with her sister. The fruit was given over to their cow while her sister’s new born baby was smuggled in to be shown as the Brahman’s son called as Dhundhukari. Three months later, the cow gave birth to a human child with golden skin and eyes like lotus petals, but with cow ears. Hence his name, Gokarna (or Cow Ears). Both grow up together, but Dhundhukari turns out to be a devil in disguise, a disgusting sinner, while Gokarna is pure as the snow on Mount Kailash. The Brahman is at his wits end and Gokarna advices him to cultivate dispassion and renounce the world, which he does. Gokarna also leaves on a pilgrimage. Dhundhukari commits terrible crimes, beats up his own mother, steals, whores and lies and at the end, the whores decide to kill him and they do. Unfortunately, Dhundhukari remains behind on earth after death as a spirit. Gokarna senses Dhundhukari’s death and the fact that he is not truly dead, but is still a tortured spirit. Gokurna performs a shraddha at every holy spot, but it does not release Dhundhukari from the earth and finally he returns to his hometown. Dhundhukari begs him for help to be released and Gokurna then embarks on a deep dhyan (meditation) to Surya Deva (Sun God) to learn how to address this. The Sun God advices him to recite the BP as that is the only way Dhundhukari’s soul will be released. So Gokurna starts the recitation with many many people attending the week’s worth of recitation and when he ends, Dhundhukari is released from his earthly bounds.

The others who were listening, though, do not get their sins washed away. Gokurna is told by the sages that Dhundhukari fasted for seven days and he listened to Gokurna’s recitation with all his faculties and might. This is the reason why Dhundhukari was released and not the others. When the others learnt this, they begged Gokurna to recite the BP again which he did. This allowed all the listeners to also be washed free of their sins by Vishnu who appeared after a great conch shell boom in a blaze of light.

Thus ends the first book. I had to consciously lay aside my erupting cynicism. The first book tries hard to explain why the BP is so important and how it helps to wash away the sins. I thought about self praise? However, as I kept on reading, I realised that I was reading it as perhaps a professor wanting to write a book review and not as a worshipper or a person of faith wanting to learn. That switch was not easy and I found myself slipping back into the cynical, doubting persona many times. The apparent inconsistencies about the origins of the purana bothered me as well till I spoke to my father. He told me, if Vishnu is indeed the world, then how does it matter if one manifestation or another wrote or spoke what? What matters is the content. And that made perfect sense.

What was also a bit frightening for a grown man like me was the underlying concept of letting go. Letting go of everything and with tan, man and dhan (body, mind and wealth) and concentrate on the pursuit of Bhakti, devotion to God. I am not sure if I have achieved that and am very far away from the ideal. It felt quite strange reading about people who can be so dispassionate that they are able to walk away from everything that they hold dear (for me it would be my family, my iPhone, my books, etc.) and devote their all and everything to being in love with Krishna. I am not sure if I can ever do that and it was very humbling to find that I do not have the courage or guts to do so.

What a fascinating journey into a wonderful book which is raising more questions than answering them.

Accountants are High Priests, Drawing Order out of Chaos

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Tue, 2 Mar 2010 02:05:00 EST

Accountants are actually High Priests, drawing order out of chaos.

When I read a paper by Mahmoud Ezzamel on how accounting was performed in Ancient Egypt, I could not suppress a chuckle. Once that was done, it made sense to me. So what is Dr. Ezzamel’s argument? In effect, he is saying that the ancient Egyptians in the New Kingdom (1552-1080BC) had a world view which was defined by the Gods, the Pharaohs, the living and the dead. As long as the relationship between these four parties was established and on track, everything was fine and dandy. It was the scribes (read accountants in modern parlance) who were responsible for making sure that the right numbers of wheat ounces, gold weights, cattle etc. were offered to the Gods by the Pharaohs, and were mentioned in the tombs, etc.

Where does accounting come in? Well, accounting as formally defined is a practise of entering in a visible format, a record of items and actions. There is a value attached to these accounts and a way of capturing them and the definition of these values. In Ancient Egypt, this was inextricably linked with religion. The example of the Eye of Horus story links into this. See the pictorial representation of how fractions ½, ¼, 1/8, etc. break down pictorially in an ordered, descending geometric series.

The philosophical idea behind this, to follow the legend of Horus, is that accountants measure and ascribe value to goods and activities. You might want to think of this as a scale. The higher the value, the closer you are to the God. Another example is the weighing of the heart on Judgement Day as expressed in this papyrus image:

Again, you can see how the measurement of gifts, offerings, actions, activities in real life translate in a measurable manner to link the living with the dead and combining this with the Gods (see the Gods in the centre) and the Pharaoh(who is sitting on the far right). Measurement is the word which is crucial in this case, as it was the scribes, (the accountants) who would judge the value of the offerings made to the gods. And if the scales would not balance, then the jackal headed god will swallow the heart. I dare not say what is the modern day equivalent of what happens if our balance sheet or accounts do not balance, but I am sure you can think of people like regulators and auditors who will eat your figurative heart if this happens.

Temple walls from Ancient Egypt and papyri, etc. were full of lists and values of offerings made to the Gods, portions offered to the ancestors or kept aside for offerings in case of your own death, and portions offered to the Pharaoh. There was a very complex set of definitions which ruled over these offerings. Reading them made me feel that I am reading a GAAP or IAS manual of modern times.

Here is a scene from a tomb which explained precisely what was being offered.

This is an interesting philosophical point. Accountants actually draw order out of chaos, allow measurement to happen and frankly are perhaps indeed the high priests of order in our society. So if somebody says that they are boring, they are boring in the sense that the skeleton in our bodies is boring, but without it, we will just be a pool of skin and fluids.

Order and accounting as a performative ritual: Evidence from ancient Egypt by Mahmoud Ezzamel published in Accounting, Organizations and Society 34 (2009) 348–380

Movie Review: Karthik Calling Karthik

Pratyush Khaitan — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:06:31 EST

Just about 15-20 people turned up for Karthik Calling Karthik. The multiplex I go to (Inox Swabhumi) has small crowds but this was sparse by even their standards. Every one is still catching up with My Name Is Khan or Three Idiots.

The movie itself was a bit of a disappointment though I didn't expect much. I looked forward to seeing Deepika Padukone in the unorthodox and brave style she usually portrays and Farhan Akhtar in his logical usual because I enjoy both these roles. Deepika was excellent in Love Aaj Kal and Farhan Akhtar was good in Luck By Chance. As much as I love Farhan Akhtar (I placed two of his films in Bollywood decade top 10), I think his acting is good without being close to great. And that's fine, you can't be great at every thing.

Coming to the movie. It had a pleasant first half and an excellent start to the second half. The grip and tension could not be maintained though. It felt like a slow drama evolving in front of you instead of a thriller like it should have been (in the same pace of Johny Gaddar). There was never a moment of pure brilliance or a shot taken which really enthralled you.

The songs except Lehrake Bhalkake were all ok tunes and even though I don't care much about songs, I expected more here. Ram Kapoor of Rakhi Ka Swayamwar fame was good in his role of Farhan Akhtar's boss. The mystery behind the movie was not very complex and I figured it out partially very early into the film. I am watching Teen Patti next and I expect it to be the better bet of the two this weekend.

6/10

Global Water Trends Afloat Pakistan's Water Crisis

Halima Khan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:06:41 EST

Water is necessary for human survival and development while water is a scarce good. Conclusively lack of water hinders development and also dignified life. This assessment is obvious from global trends, as well as from Pakistan's national and local struggles for better access to water.

According to figures available by the United Nations and other international organizations, 1.1bn people are devoid of sufficient access to water, and 2.4bn people have to live with no sufficient sanitation. In keeping to current trends the projection is that about 3bn people of a population of 8.5bn will experience water shortage by 2025. 83% of them will belong to developing countries, more often than not in rural areas where even today now and then only 20% of the population have contact with sufficient water supply. This definite lack of water is contrasting to the academic conclusion that there is enough ground water in all regions of the world to certify plenty of water supplies for all people. Only 6% of global freshwater is used by households, while 20% is utilized industry and another 70% by agriculture. The finale drawn from these framework conditions is that water shortage and the unequal distribution of water are global problems rather than regional problems that need international solutions.

Inadequate supply of drinking water is the foremost cause of diseases in developing countries. Already in 1997, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development maintained that 2.3bn people suffer from diseases rooted in unsatisfactory water provision and quality. More than five years later, it was anticipated that 2.4bn people were suffering from water related diseases, and the World Health Organization reckons that 80% of all infections are traceable to poor water conditions. 5,483 people die daily of water caused diarrhea - 90 percent are children under five. Taking into credit all water linked diseases and deaths, international organizations estimated in 2001 that 2,213,000 people died because of derisory water supply - ten times more than the tsunami disaster caused in December 2004.

In 1995, UNDP considered Pakistan as country having among the highest water potential per person out of 130 countries that should severely perk up its water situation to prevail over the present crisis and prevent future ones. Obviously, Pakistan failed to make any progress. Subsequently in 2003, the United Nations dropped Pakistan's ranking, because its overall renewable water resources per capita per year have been predicted as 114th out of 180 countries.

Only three percent of Pakistan's sweet water resources are consumed for household purposes and drinking. Therefore the dispute on access to water in Pakistan is subjugated by irrigation disagreements, mega-projects of dams and canals, and climate modifications. The focal point is on water for agriculture rather than for people. This production oriented outlook continues in the debate about groundwater use and withdrawal. It is probable that surface water meets only 75-80 percent of crop water requirements. As a result, groundwater is merely seen as a reserve water resource for irrigation and food production, as well as the major factor for the growth of agricultural production in the late 20th century. With regard to the availability of safe and sufficient drinking water, Pakistan lacks reliable statistics. While data about the availability of water and field studies about water quality exist, there is no sufficient data that take both into account. To some extent it is recognized that lacking safe and sufficient drinking water is not a geographical but social problem.

Official records about the access to drinking water vary between 60 and 90 percent of households. In rural areas a decline of households with access to water is documented; figures about accessibility differ between 10 and 53 percent. In addition, having access to water in Pakistan is not parallel to access to safe and sufficient water supply. Pakistan's water quality ranks as 80th out of 122 nations. The Pakistan Council of Research and Water Resources (PCRWR) estimate that approximately 50 percent of urban water supply is insufficient for drinking and personal use. This research takes information about availability and quality into relation and concludes that an average of 25.61 percent of Pakistan's 159 million inhabitants have access to safe and sufficient drinking water. This computation shows that in rural areas only 23.5 percent and in urban areas approximately 30 percent can use their source of water without putting at risk their health. These results come close to a conclusion by independent experts who predicted that already in 2001, with prevailing consumption rates and a population growth of 4 million people per year, one out of three people in Pakistan would face dangerous shortages of water, "threatening their very survival".

Deficient water supply is primarily a local issue rooted in national omissions to address the needs of the people in a sufficient manner. In order to address these issues properly, international advice, cooperation and standard-setting is needed. Human rights and human development are two sides of the same coin that is titled as water crisis. Pakistan spends officially approximately 80 times more into its military than on the provision of water and sufficient sanitation facilities to its people.

In the face of the minimal practical impact of the great number of world conferences, declarations and action programs, this dialogue has sensitized governments and international actors with respect to the issue of water shortage and the human right to water. Because of this sensitization, the institutions, bodies and agencies of the United Nations have been finally talking about the issue of water shortage increasingly from the standpoint of other dying out human rights, such as the right to food, health, shelter, education and development.

Book Review: In an Antique Land

Kim — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:02:09 EST

In an Antique Land was a unique book for me, as its two threads focus on a small town that I grew up in for the first 20+ years of my life and a Country that I have lived in for the last 3 years. So I had a unique connect with this book.

Not so surprisingly, the description of my hometown did not ring a bell as it focused mostly on the town as it existed 800+ years ago. The description of rural Egypt created a veritable clang in my head as I kept thinking to myself "How true" or "Yes, I know someone who would have reacted the exact same way"

This is a book of non fiction. Amitav Ghosh chanced upon a letter between Abraham Ben Yiju, a Jewish merchant living in Mangalore, India, and Khalaf ibn Ishaq from Egypt, written in 1132AD. Part of this narrative focuses on Ghosh's search for more documents relating to Ben Yiju and part of the narrative tries to imagine the world that Ben Yiju lived in.

The other narrative in the book, covers Ghosh's stay in rural Egypt (Mashawy and Lataifa) and it was this section that I found infinitely more interesting and hence hope to pick up his book of essays The Imam and the Indian which promise to shed more light on this phase of his life.

It is in this second narrative that Amitav's gift of story telling is showcased, while in the first narrative it feels stilted, focused on facts and doesn't flow as naturally. Blending history with a a current travelogue is an art perfected by William Dalrymple and sadly in comparison, Ghosh didn't match up.

While Ben Yiju did spend time in Egypt and his letters were written to people living there and most of the surviving documentation came from the Geniza Documents cache from the Ben Ezra Synagogue in the Coptic Cairo area of modern day Cairo and Fustat of Ancient Cairo, this is the only point at which the two narratives seem to meet. For the rest of the book, they just continue parallel to each other.

In the final chapters, when Ghosh heads out towards the tomb of a Jewish Saint in rural Egypt venerated by Muslims and Jews alike, I hoped it would bring about a meeting of the parallel stories, but unfortunately it didn't.

Both narratives on their own are great and very illuminating, I just didn't see the point of putting them together.

Its a great read for someone visiting the Fustat area or interested in observations/revelations from the Geniza Cache or life in Rural Egypt.

Pakistan Fashion Week Lights Up Lahore

Halima Khan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:17:55 EST

Saturday night Royal Palm kick started the much controversy stricken and the much awaited and the much talked about but Lahore's very own and very first Fashion Week. Cooperate commercialism has been kind once again and the event is being publicized as Sunsilk fashion Week. The grandeur of Royal Palm and Golf Club does justice to the glitz and ripples Pakistan fashion industry definitely causes now. Colors splashed in ways many out of us never deemed a possibility. The world sat up and took notice, they were forced to. Executed with class and hints of demure talent was amply obvious even to the blind. Pakistan Fashion Design Council the organizers of the even managed to not go wrong with almost anything.

Governor Salman Taseer and US Consulate Principal Officer Carmela Conroy played chief guest at the opening reception which was prelude to a four-day event and the galore of 32 designers. Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad came together as emerging and existing and the struggling and the established all came together to define Pakistan fashion in their own enlightened way.

Eight ramp shows, eight designers, twenty creations each; no 24 hour day gets more lucky with style than this.

For those who might feel in such tragic times of such turmoil flaunting color to cr�me de la cr�me is frivolous and nothing but. Then Nickie Nina corrects them with their political awareness:

"We are honored to be a part of this event and to be showcasing our couture collection here in Lahore. We have drawn inspiration from the courageous women of Swat, and our spring/summer collection is a tribute to their dignity and honor."

Also Sehyr Saigol, chairperson PFDC, also reminds how fashion is more: "It is an occasion of immense pleasure for PFDC to bring its first ever fashion week to Lahore. Along with presenting both cutting edge and classic designs of over 32 designers from across Pakistan, this event will also work towards formalizing the processes needed to help commercialize Pakistan's fashion industry. Indeed the main objectives of this week are not only to showcase the country's diverse repertoire of creative talent but to cerate meaningful business relationships, and to facilitate interaction between the designers, the buyers and the media."

The Children of India: A Volunteer Travel Experience

Shelley Seale — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:36:36 EST

The idea of volunteering in another country has long been considered the province of students and recent graduates; images of intrepid twenty-year-old Peace Corps workers in a remote Sierra Leone village might spring to mind. Today, however, the idea has reached far beyond that to become accessible, and highly popular, among travelers of all types and ages.

Even the Peace Corps itself has changed dramatically – from an average age of 24 in its beginning in the 1960s, to 28 as of 2002. Many early retirees and those seeking mid-life career changes are joining up – the oldest Peace Corps Volunteer ever was 86 when he completed his service. Volunteer travel has grown so popular that a term has even been coined for it: Voluntourism.

Companies and websites specializing in voluntourism have sprung up by the hundreds, and volunteer vacations can be found in all parts of the world, doing all kinds of activities – from digging wells for clean water in South America, to working with children living in orphanages. It was this last type of volunteer vacation that hooked me. In 2004, I became involved with a nonprofit based in Austin called The Miracle Foundation, which manages orphanages in India and recruits sponsors and donors to support the children living there. By 2005, I was traveling to India myself, to volunteer in the orphanage.

The children are everywhere in India. They fill the railway stations, the cities, the shanty villages. Some scrounge through trash for newspapers, rags or anything they can sell at traffic intersections. Others, often as young as two or three years old, beg. Many are homeless, overflowing the orphanages and other institutional homes to live on the streets. I had no way of knowing just how much they would change my life.

India was everything I had imagined it would be – only more so. More colors and smells, more noises and people, more everything. It was an assault on all the senses at once. The cacophony that greeted me was jarring after the peaceful countryside I had gazed down on from the airplane. There seemed no still or quiet space. Instead there were throngs of people everywhere, living and working and sleeping; hundreds of street vendors lined every available inch of sidewalk, while mangy dogs and cows nosed at piles of trash around them.

Rickshaw drivers pedaled through traffic alongside schoolgirls with their braided hair and backpacks. The smell of curry and incense hung thick in the air along with soft chanting from nearby temples. The dusty roads peppered with potholes were filled with a constant stream of buses, bicycles, rickshaws, cars and cows and rising over it all was the constant, blaring beep-beep of the horns. It was the most alive place I had ever been. India is too big to describe adequately, too big perhaps to absorb in a single lifetime. The country simply wrapped itself around me and refused to let go.

There was also what everyone, including myself, expected of India – despair, filth, destitution. The trash that lined the roads and the beggars that tapped at car windows. The deteriorating buildings, the ragged street hawkers, the shanty village along the river banks. The frantic poverty that would not let me rest.

At home, these things are hidden neatly away as much as it is possible to do so. But in India, everything is in full view; nothing is hidden. Its rawness of life strips away the unnecessary - distractions, superficial attachments, trivial worries. Without this safety net life becomes fundamental, only the essentials of being, and causes you to be fully present in your own existence. You become lost, in order to find.

And even still, there was beauty in the midst of it. The vitality of life teeming all around, the jangling of bangles and ankle bracelets, the colorful saris, the carved temples with swaying trees surrounding it all. The tremendous scale of the monuments, palaces and art from one of the first great civilizations left me stunned, as did the strange way there was a deep-seated peace even in the midst of tumultuous movement and clamor. The wonderful and the abject co-exist side by side. Though the country struggles with the indigence of large numbers of its population, it is far from a poor place.

And in the children this beauty seemed to come alive, almost making me believe it was a living entity I could capture in my hands. I arrived at the orphanage expecting it to be a sad place, an emotionally wrenching experience. But those expectations were turned on their head. Yes, there were stories behind each of the children – many of them painful and tragic. Stories of death, abandonment, abuse, poverty. They all had a past.

Yet the couple who ran the home, the house mothers and teachers there, the other volunteers, all made these kids their own in a community of sharing and acceptance. They were poor in wealth but not in spirit; limited in resources but not in joy and laughter. An interior peace shown from inside them that was unknown – unsought even – by many people rich in resources. Their hope and resilience amazed me time and time again; the ability of their spirits to overcome crippling challenges inspired me.

Even in the most deprived circumstances they are still kids – they laugh and play, perhaps far less frequently than others; they develop strong bonds and relationships to create family where none exists; and most of all they have an enormous amount of love to give - for nothing more than showing up. The very existence of these children forever altered both the person I was and my view of the world. India shows us where our suffering lies, and in this way becomes more than anything else a teacher, if only we are open to learn from her.