Magic moments :This is no magic but pure science that is being demonstrated. A child tries out the laser light trick with the instructor at Birla Industrial and Technological Museum. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya.

Corporate identity

The Calcutta chapter of National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM), in association with The Telegraph, organised its 37th annual conference on “HR: In search of a new identity” on February 16.

Inaugurated by Public Works Department minister Kshiti Goswami (picture right), it dwelt on the challenges faced by HR professionals in the changing global scenario. The conference was conducted in three sessions, focussing on the challenges and opportunities within manufacturing industries and the IT and service sector.

Sourav Daspatnaik, director, HRD and strategy, Apeejay Surrendra Corporate Services, listed some of the requirements — maintaining the expected levels in the face of rising costs and need for innovation in the face of competition. Rising cost and competition are the biggest challenges faced by the hospitality sector today. Ensuring customer and employee engagement to ensure maximum financial returns was also stressed by him.

Kalyan Kar, managing director of Acclaris Business Solutions, relived his own experience of the BPO industry into the discussion, referring to the demand-supply mismatch in the IT service sector, the lack of quality manpower and the shortage of skilled mid-level management as the biggest hurdles for the fledgling industry.

Admitting that work schedules had to be planned in accordance with client requirements, often affecting personal lives, Kar suggested advance recruitment as a way to counter increased work pressure on employees.

The high level of attrition was a common problem for most of these industries, but as summed up by Daspatnaik, “it is more useful to play to our strengths than to focus on our weaknesses.”

The conference concluded with a session on CEO’s expectations from HR in the present business environment.

Romila Saha

Theatre at its best

Theatre is losing its charisma for the present generation. Most youngsters these days prefer movies to theatre. If you cared to find out, you would find that a majority of youngsters today has never been to watch a play. They don’t know that modern theatre is no less entertaining than films and at times they are innovative and well executed as well.

Theatre group Charbak’s Cholo potol tuli, based on Shibram Chakraborty’s story, makes you laugh your heart out. The script includes a few of the author’s rib-tickling stories like Amar sompadok shikar, Aste aste bhango, Paropokarer bipodh and Ashwathhama hato, iti. The effect is a complete laugh-riot.

The narrative is a little complex with several sub-plots. The main plot tells us about Ashwini Chakladar (played by Sabyasachi Chakraborty), who suspecting that he is very ill, goes to a doctor.

The doctor tells him he has beriberi and refuses to listen when Ashwini claims that it’s not him, but his neighbour who’s afflicted with the disease. The doctor suggests that he go on a change and advises complete rest. But when our protagonist goes to his uncle’s house (who is a farmer) at Daltongunj, they take it for granted that Ashwini is going to help them harvest 15 lakh potol (parbels)! Ashwini fails to explain them that he has been prescribed complete rest.

Excellent acting by the likes of Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Sujit Ghosh and Kheyali Dastidar leave you gasping with laughter. Arindam Ganguly, donning the three-fold role of scriptwriter, music director and director, has done a great job.

If you’ve never watched a play, Cholo potol tuli would be a great way to begin. And if you are a theatre-buff and haven’t seen it yet, catch it as soon as you can.

Arnab Nandy

The Diary

Riverine ecstasy

I’m moving along in a motorboat

Gliding across the river Ganges

The ripples touch the edges of the boat

Some of them carry warm water

I know...

The motor manufactures noise, speed

That cut and dissolve into the cool night air

Like the many lights that come from the Howrah Bridge.

The lights and the colours

They all come from the bridge

And as the broken temples

On the distant ghats look on,

They criss-cross and cut across each other

In the river water...

As shades in an impressionistic art.

I’m moving along in a motorboat

From the railings I see the bridge across river where The cars cross each other like tiny bits of urban time

Then I see the bridge on the river waters where

The wee waves and colours cross and mix

Into an undulating rhyme.

If the two bridges meet

Would their forms merge or collide?

For a truer vision I close my eyes.

I hear their forms, see their splashes of watery chimes.

I’m moving along in a motorboat

The ripples touch me, my edges,

I glide...

Avishek Parui,

Second year English (MA), Calcutta University