Q:
Do tell us a little bit about how you arrived in India and how
the idea of ‘Amartya’ came about …
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Chris
&
Chuga |
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Chris:
I didn't know much about India to begin with. When I was a boy
it inspired my fantasy. But when I heard
people talking about Ashrams and Yoga, I felt it was NOT my kind
of thing.
India got back on my mind when I learned
that many of the pioneers of the Internet are of Indian
origin. And this made me aware that India must be entirely
different from what most
people in the west imagine.
The person who actually brought me to Kerala was Chuga. He's a
globe-trotting vagabond, a
tiger in the jungle of
business. Arriving in Kerala he was fascinated by this ancient
‘Rain forest
Civilization’ and its well educated young people. The Global
World may present plenty of
opportunities. But it is extremely short on presenting
chances “to
chase rainbows”.
It was during this visit that I became acquainted with Ismail
and Abraham.
Meeting Ismail:
What do men talk about when they get together? Girls!
Not
always. The funny thing is : When Ismail and I got together the
first time – we never discussed girls!
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A
very focused Ismail ! |
Our discussion centered around one thing: I am a believer in the
positive things the Internet Technology COULD bring to the world.
– while Ismail was opposed to the Internet Idea, because it
hadn't really caught on for constructive purposes at that time
in Kerala's Internet cafes. That is how we
started our discussion about the REAL new positives the Internet
CAN produce. And how to make it happen.
Meeting
Abraham:
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Then Ismail told me about Abraham: “ He almost became a
priest ! He spent 6 months in a seminary, but then decided
to do something else. At the moment he is the barkeeper.”
That made me REALLY interested. An ex-seminarist being a
barkeeper now ? I HAD to visit that bar!! It was a long
night in the bar. That night, my brother and I were the
only drinkers there. But we all were busy exchanging
ideas, making some notes – so I almost forgot to drink
anything. Abraham had the best ideas that night. He was
entitled to, because he was slightly ahead (6 months) of
us normal human beings.
Abraham's grand balancing act
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That is how 4 of us came together:
Ismail – having 5 ideas per minute
Abraham – having 1 good idea per day
Me ( Chris) – never having ideas, because I am always
stock broking
Chuga - the globe-trotting tiger from Brazil now back in
Tiger Country…Kerala!
Chatting with these friendly guys I barely knew at the bar of a
hotel in a country I was visiting for the very first time, the
‘Amartya’ idea was born.
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Far right : Chuga and Ismail during his visit |
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Q: So, what was it that convinced you to explore your options
with the internet?
Chris: Remember all the talk about the Internet bringing
people from different cultures together to share knowledge? To
exchange views? The Internet as a giant market place where
everybody has a chance to offer merchandise? Despite its
tremendous potential the Internet so far has done little to
actually change our lives. Well, we do shop online, we check
news from around the globe. But we only find the items also
found on the high street and the news mostly come from Reuters
or CNN.
As a Financial Consultant I trade in the global markets every
day. If I am lucky I make a lot of money for my clients and a
little bit for myself. I am pretty much aware how what Adam
Smith called ‘The invisible hands of the market’ tend to take
command of the way we live. I feel, an efficient global economy
may be an advantage to all people. And the best thing about the
economy is that it just does not work without being fed from
beyond. By curiosity. By our desires. By our search for people
who may become friends.
I became a professional banker because I imagined funding
projects making a difference for people. In fact financial
professionalism means just playing in an infinite game
distributing chances. You can't get away from the crowd. It's
much the same in other professions.
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From the left (sitting): Shaheen, Catherene, Reshma, Abraham
From the left
(standing): Ismail, Anoop, Joshi
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The idea behind “Amartya” is exploring opportunities beyond
‘professionalism’. It aims to encourage young people to learn by
experimenting in fields as diverse as arts and business.
Since that night at the bar the ‘Amartya’ Project has been a
‘learning experience’. I feel that the friends I found have
gathered a team that is up to the challenge. And I have
discovered some of the traditional values, which have made the
Indian Civilization standing tall far longer than European
history.
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