Re: Re: [MTC Global] : FW: Alexander’s failed invasion of India


Dear All,
There is some serious mismatch. 
Books in English medium schools around the same time taught that  Alexander defeated Porus. Even a movie was made based on this theme. If we carry out proper survey of history books on all India basis we may get startling revelations!

Regards,
Satish Oberoi


From: Prabhakar Waghodekar <waghodekar@rediffmail.com>
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Cc: spagarwal@gmail.com
Sent: Monday, 1 July 2013, 4:21
Subject: Re: Re: [MTC Global] : FW: Alexander's failed invasion of India

Dear All,

I had my primary and Secondary education in Marathi medium. I surely remember in
the History book of India during 6th to 9th std. (we had SSC as std 11)during
1951-57 or so, my teacher taught me the same thing (as naratted by Martial)about
Alexander and Porus, Porus was not defeated and the Alexander's forces were taken
aback to see the power of a small state in India, frightened and opted for
mutiny. Alexander had to return. As I recollect the hand of a foreign princess
was given to an Indian Prince to have warm relations.

Indians still possess the same genes. The glaring example is: Hitler was stopped
by Indian troops and no other troops could deter him. Shivaji is a very glaring
example, the only one of its kind in world that Shivaji never faced a defeat
though he sometimes treated back just to win thereafter. Nepolean and Alexander
were defeated and Napoleon had a bad end. But we hardly read and realize our
great personalties, if somebody from west praises an Indian, then we wake up and
say we are proud of him/her, thank you! Our job is over!!

The masses have come to this pass because of the leadership, save a very few like
Lal, Bal and Pal, has been self-centered, who deep rooted in the minds of masses
such things as casteism, religious differences, master-slave relationship, power
by hereditory, no dignity for labor, higher and lower classification of man and
work, etc.

Most of our leaders are brought up/educated/trained in UK/US, placing them far
away from the soil of this land.

Regards.

Yours,

______________________________________________________

On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:50:04 +0530 wrote
>
Dear Professor Oberoi:�Thank you for enlightening us.�Shall be obliged if you
could please let me know about the source of this information, e.g. name of the
book, publisher, etc.
�It shows that we Indians had some character then and did not surrender meekly.
Wonder how its stock has depleted and where it has vanished over the next 2000
years. I am sure we still have some left in our genes and can rise again in the
world but entirely for human good and not to show any power or position. I cannot
help recalling Mahatma Gandhi on this.
�Kind
regards.������������������������ï
¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Satya Prakash Agarwal
On Thu, Jun 27, 2013 at 3:37 PM, Satish Oberoi wrote:


It is strange that Indian historians never considered it fit to carry out prper
research and place historical facts in correct perspective, Or is it they had a
mandate to show Indian rulers in poor light.
The description of movement of Alexander after battle with Porus fits well in
actual movements of Alexander.

Satish---------- Forwarded message ----------



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Marshal Zhukov on Alexander�s failed India invasion
May 27, 2013�Rakesh Krishnan Sinha


Alexander�s invasion of India is regarded as a huge Western victory against the
disorganised East. But according to Marshal Gregory Zhukov, the largely
Macedonian army suffered a fate worse than Napoleon in Russia.





Handing victory in India to Alexander is like describing Hitler as the conqueror
of Russia because the Germans advanced up to Stalingrad.
Source: wikipedia.org


�
In 326 BCE a formidable European army invaded India. Led by Alexander of Macedon
it comprised battle hardened Macedonian soldiers, Greek cavalry, Balkan fighters
and Persians allies. The total number of fighting men numbered more than 41,000.


Their most memorable clash was at the Battle of Hydaspes (Jhelum) against the
army of Porus, the ruler of the Paurava kingdom of western Punjab. For more than
25 centuries it was believed that Alexander�s forces defeated the Indians.
Greek and Roman accounts say the Indians were bested by the superior courage and
stature of the Macedonians.


Two millennia later, British historians latched on to the Alexander legend and
described the campaign as the triumph of the organised West against the chaotic
East. Although Alexander defeated only a few minor kingdoms in India�s
northwest, in the view of many gleeful colonial writers the conquest of India was
complete.


In reality much of the country was not even known to the Greeks. So handing
victory to Alexander is like describing Hitler as the conqueror of Russia because
the Germans advanced up to Stalingrad.


Zhukov�s view of Alexander





Statue of Alexander in Istanbul Archaeology Museum. Source: wikipedia.org


In 1957, while addressing the cadets of the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun,
Zhukov said Alexander�s actions after the Battle of Hydaspes suggest he had
suffered an outright defeat. In Zhukov�s view, Alexander had suffered a greater
setback in India than Napoleon in Russia. Napoleon had invaded Russia with
600,000 troops; of these only 30,000 survived, and of that number fewer than
1,000 were ever able to return to duty.


So if Zhukov was comparing Alexander�s campaign in India to Napoleon�s
disaster, the Macedonians and Greeks must have retreated in an equally
ignominious fashion. Zhukov would know a fleeing force if he saw one; he had
chased the German Army over 2000 km from Stalingrad to Berlin.


No easy victories
Alexander�s troubles began as soon as he crossed the Indian border. He first
faced resistance in the Kunar, Swat, Buner and Peshawar valleys where the
Aspasioi and Assakenoi, known in Hindu texts as Ashvayana and Ashvakayana,
stopped his advance. Although small by Indian standards they did not submit
before Alexander�s killing machine.


The Assakenoi offered stubborn resistance from their mountain strongholds of
Massaga, Bazira and Ora. The bloody fighting at Massaga was a prelude to what
awaited Alexander in India. On the first day after bitter fighting the
Macedonians and Greeks were forced to retreat with heavy losses. Alexander
himself was seriously wounded in the ankle. On the fourth day the king of Massaga
was killed but the city refused to surrender. The command of the army went to his
old mother, which brought the entire women of the area into the fighting.


Realising that his plans to storm India were going down at its very gates,
Alexander called for a truce. The Assakenoi agreed; the old queen was too
trusting. That night when the citizens of Massaga had gone off to sleep after
their celebrations, Alexander�s troops entered the city and massacred the
entire citizenry. A similar slaughter then followed at Ora.


However, the fierce resistance put up by the Indian defenders had reduced the
strength and perhaps the confidence of the until then all-conquering Macedonian
army.


Faceoff at the river
In his entire conquering career Alexander�s hardest encounter was the Battle of
Hydaspes, in which he faced king Porus of Paurava, a small but prosperous Indian
kingdom on the river Jhelum. Porus is described in Greek accounts as standing
seven feet tall.


In May 326 BCE, the European and Paurava armies faced each other across the banks
of the Jhelum. By all accounts it was an awe-inspiring spectacle. The 34,000
Macedonian infantry and 7000 Greek cavalry were bolstered by the Indian king
Ambhi, who was Porus�s rival. Ambhi was the ruler of the neighbouring kingdom
of Taxila and had offered to help Alexander on condition he would be given
Porus�s kingdom.



Alexander meets Porus. Source: wikipedia.org


Facing this tumultuous force led by the genius of Alexander was the Paurava army
of 20,000 infantry, 2000 cavalry and 200 war elephants. Being a comparatively
small kingdom by Indian standards, Paurava couldn�t have maintained such a
large standing army, so it�s likely many of its defenders were hastily armed
civilians. Also, the Greeks habitually exaggerated enemy strength.


According to Greek sources, for several days the armies eyeballed each other
across the river. The Greek-Macedonian force after having lost several thousand
soldiers fighting the Indian mountain cities, were terrified at the prospect of
fighting the fierce Paurava army. They had heard about the havoc Indian war
elephants created among enemy ranks. The modern equivalent of battle tanks, the
elephants also scared the wits out of the horses in the Greek cavalry.


Another terrible weapon in the Indians' armoury was the two-meter bow. As tall as
a man it could launch massive arrows able to transfix more than one enemy
soldier.


Indians strike
The battle was savagely fought. As the volleys of heavy arrows from the long
Indian bows scythed into the enemy�s formations, the first wave of war
elephants waded into the Macedonian phalanx that was bristling with 17-feet long
sarissas. Some of the animals got impaled in the process. Then a second wave of
these mighty beasts rushed into the gap created by the first, either trampling
the Macedonian soldiers or grabbing themwith their trunks and presenting them up
for the mounted Indian soldiers to cut or spear them. It was a nightmarish
scenario for the invaders. As the terrified Macedonians pushed back, the Indian
infantry charged into the gap.


In the first charge, by the Indians, Porus�s brother Amar killed Alexander�s
favourite horse Bucephalus, forcing Alexander to dismount. This was a big deal.
In battles outside India the elite Macedonian bodyguards had not allowed a single
enemy soldier to deliver so much as a scratch on their king's body, let alone
slay his mount. Yet in this battle Indian troops not only broke into
Alexander�s inner cordon, they also killed Nicaea, one of his leading
commanders.


According to the Roman historian Marcus Justinus, Porus challenged Alexander, who
charged him on horseback. In the ensuing duel, Alexander fell off his horse and
was at the mercy of the Indian king�s spear. But Porus dithered for a second
and Alexander�s bodyguards rushed in to save their king.


Plutarch, the Greek historian and biographer, says there seems to have been
nothing wrong with Indian morale. Despite initial setbacks, when their vaunted
chariots got stuck in the mud, Porus�s army �rallied and kept resisting the
Macedonians with unsurpassable bravery�.


Macedonians: Shaken, not stirred
Although the Greeks claim victory, the fanatical resistance put up by the Indian
soldiers and ordinary people everywhere had shaken the nerves of Alexander's army
to the core. They refused to move further east. Nothing Alexander could say or do
would spur his men to continue eastward. The army was close to mutiny.


The Greek historian says after the battle with the Pauravas, the badly bruised
and rattled Macedonians panicked when they received information further from
Punjab lay places �where the inhabitants were skilled in agriculture, where
there were elephants in yet greater abundance and men were superior in stature
and courage�.Says Plutarch: �The combat with Porus took the edge off the
Macedonians� courage, and stayed their further progress into India. For having
found it hard enough to defeat an enemy who brought but 20,000 foot and 2000
horse into the field, they thought they had reason to oppose Alexander's design
of leading them on to pass the Ganges, on the further side of which was covered
with multitudes of enemies.�


Indeed, on the other side of the Ganges was the mighty kingdom of Magadh, ruled
by the wily Nandas, who commanded one of the most powerful and largest standing
armies in the world. According to Plutarch, the courage of the Macedonians
evaporated when they came to know the Nandas �were awaiting them with 200,000
infantry, 80,000 cavalry, 8000 war chariots and 6000 fighting elephants�.
Undoubtedly, Alexander�s army would have walked into a slaughterhouse.


Hundreds of kilometres from the Indian heartland, Alexander ordered a retreat to
great jubilation among his soldiers.
Partisans counterattack
The celebrations were premature. On its way south towards the sea, Alexander's
army was constantly harried by Indian partisans, republics and kingdoms.


In a campaign at Sangala in Punjab, the Indian attack was so ferocious it
completely destroyed the Greek cavalry, forcing Alexander to attack on foot. In
the next battle, against the Malavs of Multan, he was felled by an Indian warrior
whose arrow pierced the Macedonian�s breastplate and ribs.


Says Military History magazine: �Although there was more fighting,
Alexander�s wound put an end to any more personal exploits. Lung tissue never
fully recovers, and the thick scarring in its place made every breath cut like a
knife.�


Alexander never recovered and died in Babylon (modern Iraq) at the age of 33.









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Ranjit Grewal

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Regards,

Dr P H Waghodekar
Advisor (HR), IBS & PME (PG)
Marathwada Institute of Technology,
Aurangabad: 431028 (Maharashtra) INDIA.
(O) 02402375113 (M) 7276661925
E-Mail: waghodekar@rediffmail.com
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Engineering & Management Education: An Engine of Prosperity.

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0 comments

Re: Re: Re: RE: [MTC Global] A million engineers in India struggling to get placed in an extremely challenging market


Due to opening of new avenues of work  and  non availability of experienced staff, there is growing tendency  to switch jobs every few months with higher pay. In fact moment a new employee takes up an assignment he is already on a look out for better prospects.

In real terms overall expansion and availability of new jobs  may not be that large as frequent switching of jobs indicates.

Regards,

Satish Oberoi

From: Virendra Goel <goel.virendra@gmail.com>
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, 1 July 2013, 9:30
Subject: RE: Re: Re: RE: [MTC Global] A million engineers in India struggling to get placed in an extremely challenging market

I read a news item today where HDFC has said that there attrition rate is 20%, What does it speak of. Nobody would leave a job for being unemployed.
Regards
Virendra Goel
 
From: join_mtc@googlegroups.com [mailto:join_mtc@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of drjaganmohanreddy
Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2013 9:39 PM
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Re: Re: RE: [MTC Global] A million engineers in India struggling to get placed in an extremely challenging market
 
Goel saab is absolutely correct that real problem is not finding employment but their employability. Several surveys indicated that only 25% of either engineering and Management graduates are employable.  While nothing much could be done on their attitude (which determines their inquisitiveness to learn etc) institutions in general and teachers in particular should make the students practice the mantra of read, reflect and relate so that they will be in a position to give a better account of themselves. 
I was only Chipping for intensified industry institute interaction because if students are aware of nitty gritty of corporate jungle especially the nuances atleast to some extent they will be able to market themselves. 
The major problem, which I could decipher from Goel saab's anguish, is that  majority of our students suffer from either of two dreadful deceases (deadlier than HIV) namely
-I know everything
-I don't wish to know anything. 
Somehow we need to insulate (know it's pretty difficult) our students from being affected by either of these two. 
Let's continue with our holistic mission of educating, empowering and elevating of fraternity sothat  they do inturn do the same to their students. 
DrAJagan Mohan Reddy
 
 
Sent from Samsung Mobile



-------- Original message --------
From: Virendra Goel <goel.virendra@gmail.com>
Date: 30/06/2013 20:07 (GMT+05:30)
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Re: Re: RE: [MTC Global] A million engineers in India struggling to get placed in an extremely challenging market

Inquisitiveness and  willingness to work hard are two basic needs for any kind of employment with growth perspective and they are missing across the board. On top of that basic writing reading and articulating skills for an effective communication are missing in most of the two and three tier cities. I have not come across any young man who is unemployed with above attitudinal and skills aspect besides the domain knowledge.
Regards
Virendra Goel
 
From: join_mtc@googlegroups.com [mailto:join_mtc@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of drjaganmohanreddy
Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2013 9:54 AM
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Re: Re: RE: [MTC Global] A million engineers in India struggling to get placed in an extremely challenging market
 
Improving the employability skills is one of the major challenges before all of us-be it the policy makers , academicians. There is no point in talking about demographic dividend when many of the youngsters can't be deployed to create, communicate and deliver value (the emphasis on deployability and no more employability).
Had we possessed a system of having an estimated requirements of human resources-skill wise-accordingly plans could be undertaken to produce accordingly. Since such an initiative (holistic ) on an all india level is no where to be seen the only alternative is to increase the industry institute interaction. When that happens students would be in a better position to rise up to the expectations of the industry. 
Institutes could think of granting 15 days sabbatical for the faculty to go to the industry and get first hand information on the nitty gritty of corporate jungle. But for this to happen industry too should come forward. 
DrAJagan Mohan Reddy
 
 
Sent from Samsung Mobile



-------- Original message --------
From: Richard Hay <profhay@gmail.com>
Date: 29/06/2013 23:03 (GMT+05:30)
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Cc:
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Re: [MTC Global] THE TRUE STORY OF AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM--GASP!--AN AIRLINE

Thats the gretness of Almighty. He will send the right people at the right time when we are on the right job or mission. 
This experience also goes to show that in contemporary times of today , where all other resources are either available, affordable and accessible, it's the people who provide the required cutting edge. Take care of your  people and they inturn take care of your organisation. 
DrAJagan Mohan Reddy


Sent from Samsung Mobile



-------- Original message --------
From: padma misra <misrapadma@gmail.com>
Date: 01/07/2013 10:07 (GMT+05:30)
To: join_mtc <join_mtc@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [MTC Global] THE TRUE STORY OF AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM--GASP!--AN AIRLINE


i have had a wonderful experience at terminal 3 delhi airport...by the most unlikely personal ...a delhi police inspector.

I had a flight from terminal 1 to bhubaneshwar...where i was to attend a XIMB-TISS conference.

That day had started really bad...

While getting off at the bus-stand to board a bus for delhi...a pick pocket stole my expensive watch right from my wrist..

I had been gifted that  timex studded watch on completion of PHD by my parents.

I got Delayed at the bus-stand as i tried to report the loss to office there.

I had a flight to catch an had invested in it expensively so i decided it was better to press forward..

as i was in a hurry.i decided to go via metro at anand vihar..for studying which terminal i had to go to .i read the return ticket ...

on reaching terminal 3 i realized i had ended up in the wrong place..and had to go to terminal 1 instead.

i had half an hour to closing time. the inter-terminal bus service was to leave 15 minutes later... the bus driver said if you are in a hurry book and take a taxi from the delhi police counter...

i rushed to it and booked a taxi..the taxi was taking to much time.. to come to the stand..

at that moment a inspector standing near by asked what the matter was..i poured out my woes..

he asked my taxi number ..located it and got me in it in the middle of the road it self..

he took out his pad and took my flight number and ticket number and name...and said..go to terminal1.. and be careful dont lose anything now..you wont miss your flight...be assured..

the taxi driver rushed me to terminal 1..but  was still late.. i feared the worst..

when i reached inside terminal 1... i heard the call ..to report to a counter.

As i went there the lady said.. we dont entertain late comers..u should come on time...

and then she asked you know someone in delhi police stationed at terminal 3..we got a call from there to see you make it your flight..

I realized that inspector had already made a call...i didnt even see his name... if i could only thank him..


He need not have bothered....after all that wasnt part his job....

Thanks and regards

Dr. Padma







On Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 10:50 AM, Virendra Goel <goel.virendra@gmail.com> wrote:

I do not know if it is true story and whether it is common with all employees, my image of delta employees is that of very arrogant and rigid individuals, based on  my personal experience.

Regards

Virendra Goel

 

From: join_mtc@googlegroups.com [mailto:join_mtc@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Chittaranjan Chatterjee
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 9:45 AM
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [MTC Global] THE TRUE STORY OF AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM--GASP!--AN AIRLINE

 

Respected Dr. Reddy,

Thank you for sharing such nice value based action by an Employee of Delta 

The fact only teaches us that  acting with human face can increase brand value with dignity to the Customer. 

On Thu, Jun 27, 2013 at 6:25 PM, Jagan Mohan Reddy <drjaganmohanreddy@gmail.com> wrote:

THE TRUE STORY OF AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM--GASP!--AN AIRLINE

WHEN BARBARA APPLE SULLIVAN, CEO OF AN EPONYMOUS BRAND-ENGAGEMENT FIRM, ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED HER PASSPORT IN A CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT MAILBOX JUST BEFORE BOARDING A FLIGHT, SHE WAS CERTAIN SHE'D BE STUCK FOR DAYS. BUT THANKS TO A DELTA EMPLOYEE, SHE MADE IT ON BOARD AND HAD HER FUTURE TRAVEL PLANS TRANSFORMED FOREVER.

BY: BARBARA APPLE SULLIVAN

 



"Keep Climbing."

That is the slogan for Delta Airlines's latest advertising campaign, which highlights its promise for a "reinvigorated customer experience." So often I have seen this television commercial and others like it, paying little attention to the message and the value proposition. My only takeaway was reassurance that the planes were pointed upward and not downward.

MORE THAN ANY ADVERTISING, MORE THAN AN IMPACTFUL WEBSITE, MORE THAN THOSE TASTY BISCOTTI COOKIES SERVED ON THE PLANE, THIS REALLY WAS A REINVIGORATED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.

In such a saturated industry, it is difficult for any airline to differentiate the customer experience. The planes themselves are virtually identical. The food, if it exists, is universally awful. Airport security is conducted by an entity over which the airlines have virtually no control. And virtually everyone who flies has a personal horror story. Is it really possible to redefine the customer experience?

It was my personal experience with a single employee that emblazoned Delta's value proposition in my mind forever. Their promise came to life in a real, tangible way. More than any advertising, more than an impactful website, more than those tasty biscotti cookies served on the plane, this really was a reinvigorated customer experience.


Allow me to set the scene. To my horror, I inadvertently dropped my passport in a mailbox at Charles de Gaulle airport last Sunday morning (it was bundled with all my VAT refund envelopes). The instant the mail left my hand and dropped to the bottom of the mailbox, I realized my error. Two airport employees told me it was impossible to open the mailbox on a Sunday since postal workers, who do not work on Sundays, have sole authority to open the box. I was told I must wait until Monday, go to the U.S. Embassy in Paris, and request an emergency passport before I would be able to fly. In desperation, I approached the Delta ticket counter and told them I had a BIG problem.

One gentleman behind the counter, Mr. Karim Sayoud, took my problem as though it were his own. He calmed me in my increasing panic, explained what he could do and immediately called the U.S. Homeland Security Customs and Border Control representative station at the airport.

Mr. James Wilkinson from U.S. Homeland Security came to interrogate me. All I had was my passport number. I had nothing else. No copy of my passport, no social security card, and the address on my driver's license did not match my passport. After providing enough correct answers to convince him that I was in fact who I said I was, he agreed to let me travel, subject to the French authorities that retain final approval.

Karim Sayoud left his position at the Delta ticket counter, escorted me to Delta check-in, and he convinced his colleagues to accept my baggage (without the certainty that I would be on the flight) and issue a boarding pass. He then escorted me through French passport control and security, encouraging the authorities to let me through, and ultimately to the Delta gate agents. It was there that I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

 

SAYOUD ACTUALLY TAPED A HANDWRITTEN NOTE ON THE MAILBOX SO THE POSTAL WORKER WOULD SEE IT AND RETURN THE PASSPORT TO DELTA ONCE IT WAS RETRIEVED.


Sayoud didn't stop there. After I was successfully on the flight, he took it upon himself to make certain that my passport was retrieved from the mailbox the following day and returned to me in New York. He actually taped a handwritten note on the mailbox so the postal worker would see it and return the passport to Delta once it was retrieved. He phoned and emailed me multiple times each day updating me on the status. Lo and behold, my passport arrived at my address by FedEx--a true customer-service miracle made entirely possible by one dedicated employee.

So what essential lessons can a brand learn from this?

·         Any and every interaction with your brand is meaningful, especially for a service brand. The service at the 6-foot level is just as important as the ad campaign at the 30,000-foot level, because a customer truly experiences a brand on the ground.

·         Employees must understand what their company stands for and how they are expected to behave as ambassadors to the brand. They are responsible for delivering the value proposition and even those performing the most mundane tasks must be trained accordingly.

·         Employees should be given permission to use their judgment. Hire, train, and empower them to represent the brand in the best possible way. Mr. Sayoud could have easily shrugged me off and told me to come back Monday, but instead he became invested in my problem and my Delta brand experience.

·         Employees should be rewarded for demonstrating the desired behavior. I personally reached out to Delta in thanks for the service I was provided and hope it impacts Mr. Sayoud's life as it has mine.

As a marketer myself, I am both attuned to and immune to brand experience. Sure, I am a Delta gold medallion member and am already predisposed to fly this airline. However, this one experience has reinforced my decision to fly Delta at every possible occasion, because I know I'm in good hands. Thank you to Karim Sayoud and Delta for providing me with the ultimate gift of loyalty. May your brand continue to keep climbing.

DRA JAGAN MOHAN REDDY

 

 

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*Warm Regards*
CMA Chittaranjan Chattopadhyay
Former Chairman, EIRC of ICAI (Formerly ICWAI)
Founder Member, Serampore Chapter of Cost Acountants
"Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man, Religion is the manifestation of divinity already in man."- Swami Vivekananda.

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Dr. Padma Misra
Professor
Head (MBA Program)
IIMT Management College, Meerut
Mobile no:09897141341

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Re: [MTC Global] "The Democratic Nation of Army" - The Economic Times, 26 June 2013. Violent uprising can now only be avoided by a Call to our Forces.

Armed forces are oriented, trained and conditioned for role of defense of the country.It also takes on short term assignments like aid to civil authority  like flood relief, controlling  riots etc. They are not organized and conditioned for political role. 

Question arises as to how Army does well for any task assigned to it ?  Main reasons are  training, leadership, comradeship and administrative factors like enforcement of discipline. 

Only answer  is good governance which unfortunately has been the biggest casualty in our present set up.

Padma Mishra's point about Army's entry into education. Army persons may not excel in research, but given their background they can fit quite well in any set up in an important supporting role. 

Regds,

Satish Oberoi

From: padma misra <misrapadma@gmail.com>
To: join_mtc <join_mtc@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, 30 June 2013, 22:38
Subject: Re: [MTC Global] "The Democratic Nation of Army" - The Economic Times, 26 June 2013. Violent uprising can now only be avoided by a Call to our Forces.

i do not agree... they are effective because they are out of power....just like so many other organizations..as CAG for instance...who showed that they can be effective..

if they were in power .....politicians would have found a way to corrupt them.....as it is happening in some cases where there is involvement of the armed forces...

there role is far greater in protecting the borders....our real enemy within ..if it is politics of the cheapest order... our enemy outside is no less lethal...

please do not sow seeds of thought that may cause discord....

There work is laudable...and has no parallel..in the face of recent uttarakhand tragedy....

but as their general said ..Our men are trained to handle such task....

if you have to learn something then learn leadership skills from them... dedication to duty.... organization skills...and most importantly execution...

the army works as a unit...they have everything from resources to man power to technology...you just name it...

Our other organization need to learn cooperation , information collection and dissemination...and effective execution based on the information...at a time of chaos...

But instead of doing that...they just run for the nearest cover....

We must understand..that once army people and officers retire..they should not be going back home but re-oriented for other positions in civilian life where their skills and experience in handling such situations can be utilized...

And civilian administration must also help them to become integrated into civilian life....because civilian settings present their own set of challenges... dealing with army men is different than dealing with civilians..

Army officials tend to enter into educational institutions ..not that  i am averse to it..but some how i feel they are better in field..

thanks and regards

Dr.Padma






On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 8:13 PM, Virendra Goel <goel.virendra@gmail.com> wrote:
A food for thought for the mentors of the GeNext.
Regards
Virendra Goel
 
On Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 11:01 AM, ashok mehta <amehta_a@yahoo.co.in> wrote:
 
TR Ramaswami's article in The Economic Times of 26 June 2013 (page 12), an excellent proposition for redeeming the country; is reproduced below:
 
"The Democratic Nation of Army"
 
"We were the first country to democratically elect a communist government in 1953. Now the army has taken over this nation without a coup. They ensure that elections are held without fear.They are fighting on the borders, fighting insurgency (police work) within the borders, handling floods, earthquakes, tsunamis (all civil work), finishing stadiums and even winning medals. They run some of the best schools, and medical and engineering colleges. Each institution - NDA, IMA, DSSC, not to mention HAWS and CIJWS - is AAA+, where the world comes to learn. Indian troops are always in demand for UN operations. Their cantonments are like Singapore and Shanghai. Last but not least, their 'betis' dominate Bollywood and beauty contests. They are effectively incharge without sitting at 10, Janpath, because the other arms of state have proved to be totally inept. Even babies falling in bore-wells trust only the army! So, in 2014, why do'nt we become the first country to elect a military government democratically? "
 
By TR Ramaswami, Mumbai
 
A food for thought!!
Ashok Mehta
 
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Dr. Padma Misra
Professor
Head (MBA Program)
IIMT Management College, Meerut
Mobile no:09897141341

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Re: [MTC Global] THE TRUE STORY OF AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM--GASP!--AN AIRLINE

i have had a wonderful experience at terminal 3 delhi airport...by the most unlikely personal ...a delhi police inspector.

I had a flight from terminal 1 to bhubaneshwar...where i was to attend a XIMB-TISS conference.

That day had started really bad...

While getting off at the bus-stand to board a bus for delhi...a pick pocket stole my expensive watch right from my wrist..

I had been gifted that  timex studded watch on completion of PHD by my parents.

I got Delayed at the bus-stand as i tried to report the loss to office there.

I had a flight to catch an had invested in it expensively so i decided it was better to press forward..

as i was in a hurry.i decided to go via metro at anand vihar..for studying which terminal i had to go to .i read the return ticket ...

on reaching terminal 3 i realized i had ended up in the wrong place..and had to go to terminal 1 instead.

i had half an hour to closing time. the inter-terminal bus service was to leave 15 minutes later... the bus driver said if you are in a hurry book and take a taxi from the delhi police counter...

i rushed to it and booked a taxi..the taxi was taking to much time.. to come to the stand..

at that moment a inspector standing near by asked what the matter was..i poured out my woes..

he asked my taxi number ..located it and got me in it in the middle of the road it self..

he took out his pad and took my flight number and ticket number and name...and said..go to terminal1.. and be careful dont lose anything now..you wont miss your flight...be assured..

the taxi driver rushed me to terminal 1..but  was still late.. i feared the worst..

when i reached inside terminal 1... i heard the call ..to report to a counter.

As i went there the lady said.. we dont entertain late comers..u should come on time...

and then she asked you know someone in delhi police stationed at terminal 3..we got a call from there to see you make it your flight..

I realized that inspector had already made a call...i didnt even see his name... if i could only thank him..


He need not have bothered....after all that wasnt part his job....

Thanks and regards

Dr. Padma







On Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 10:50 AM, Virendra Goel <goel.virendra@gmail.com> wrote:

I do not know if it is true story and whether it is common with all employees, my image of delta employees is that of very arrogant and rigid individuals, based on  my personal experience.

Regards

Virendra Goel

 

From: join_mtc@googlegroups.com [mailto:join_mtc@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Chittaranjan Chatterjee
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 9:45 AM
To: join_mtc@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [MTC Global] THE TRUE STORY OF AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM--GASP!--AN AIRLINE

 

Respected Dr. Reddy,

Thank you for sharing such nice value based action by an Employee of Delta 

The fact only teaches us that  acting with human face can increase brand value with dignity to the Customer. 

On Thu, Jun 27, 2013 at 6:25 PM, Jagan Mohan Reddy <drjaganmohanreddy@gmail.com> wrote:

THE TRUE STORY OF AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM--GASP!--AN AIRLINE

WHEN BARBARA APPLE SULLIVAN, CEO OF AN EPONYMOUS BRAND-ENGAGEMENT FIRM, ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED HER PASSPORT IN A CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT MAILBOX JUST BEFORE BOARDING A FLIGHT, SHE WAS CERTAIN SHE'D BE STUCK FOR DAYS. BUT THANKS TO A DELTA EMPLOYEE, SHE MADE IT ON BOARD AND HAD HER FUTURE TRAVEL PLANS TRANSFORMED FOREVER.

BY: BARBARA APPLE SULLIVAN

 



"Keep Climbing."

That is the slogan for Delta Airlines's latest advertising campaign, which highlights its promise for a "reinvigorated customer experience." So often I have seen this television commercial and others like it, paying little attention to the message and the value proposition. My only takeaway was reassurance that the planes were pointed upward and not downward.

MORE THAN ANY ADVERTISING, MORE THAN AN IMPACTFUL WEBSITE, MORE THAN THOSE TASTY BISCOTTI COOKIES SERVED ON THE PLANE, THIS REALLY WAS A REINVIGORATED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.

In such a saturated industry, it is difficult for any airline to differentiate the customer experience. The planes themselves are virtually identical. The food, if it exists, is universally awful. Airport security is conducted by an entity over which the airlines have virtually no control. And virtually everyone who flies has a personal horror story. Is it really possible to redefine the customer experience?

It was my personal experience with a single employee that emblazoned Delta's value proposition in my mind forever. Their promise came to life in a real, tangible way. More than any advertising, more than an impactful website, more than those tasty biscotti cookies served on the plane, this really was a reinvigorated customer experience.


Allow me to set the scene. To my horror, I inadvertently dropped my passport in a mailbox at Charles de Gaulle airport last Sunday morning (it was bundled with all my VAT refund envelopes). The instant the mail left my hand and dropped to the bottom of the mailbox, I realized my error. Two airport employees told me it was impossible to open the mailbox on a Sunday since postal workers, who do not work on Sundays, have sole authority to open the box. I was told I must wait until Monday, go to the U.S. Embassy in Paris, and request an emergency passport before I would be able to fly. In desperation, I approached the Delta ticket counter and told them I had a BIG problem.

One gentleman behind the counter, Mr. Karim Sayoud, took my problem as though it were his own. He calmed me in my increasing panic, explained what he could do and immediately called the U.S. Homeland Security Customs and Border Control representative station at the airport.

Mr. James Wilkinson from U.S. Homeland Security came to interrogate me. All I had was my passport number. I had nothing else. No copy of my passport, no social security card, and the address on my driver's license did not match my passport. After providing enough correct answers to convince him that I was in fact who I said I was, he agreed to let me travel, subject to the French authorities that retain final approval.

Karim Sayoud left his position at the Delta ticket counter, escorted me to Delta check-in, and he convinced his colleagues to accept my baggage (without the certainty that I would be on the flight) and issue a boarding pass. He then escorted me through French passport control and security, encouraging the authorities to let me through, and ultimately to the Delta gate agents. It was there that I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

 

SAYOUD ACTUALLY TAPED A HANDWRITTEN NOTE ON THE MAILBOX SO THE POSTAL WORKER WOULD SEE IT AND RETURN THE PASSPORT TO DELTA ONCE IT WAS RETRIEVED.


Sayoud didn't stop there. After I was successfully on the flight, he took it upon himself to make certain that my passport was retrieved from the mailbox the following day and returned to me in New York. He actually taped a handwritten note on the mailbox so the postal worker would see it and return the passport to Delta once it was retrieved. He phoned and emailed me multiple times each day updating me on the status. Lo and behold, my passport arrived at my address by FedEx--a true customer-service miracle made entirely possible by one dedicated employee.

So what essential lessons can a brand learn from this?

·         Any and every interaction with your brand is meaningful, especially for a service brand. The service at the 6-foot level is just as important as the ad campaign at the 30,000-foot level, because a customer truly experiences a brand on the ground.

·         Employees must understand what their company stands for and how they are expected to behave as ambassadors to the brand. They are responsible for delivering the value proposition and even those performing the most mundane tasks must be trained accordingly.

·         Employees should be given permission to use their judgment. Hire, train, and empower them to represent the brand in the best possible way. Mr. Sayoud could have easily shrugged me off and told me to come back Monday, but instead he became invested in my problem and my Delta brand experience.

·         Employees should be rewarded for demonstrating the desired behavior. I personally reached out to Delta in thanks for the service I was provided and hope it impacts Mr. Sayoud's life as it has mine.

As a marketer myself, I am both attuned to and immune to brand experience. Sure, I am a Delta gold medallion member and am already predisposed to fly this airline. However, this one experience has reinforced my decision to fly Delta at every possible occasion, because I know I'm in good hands. Thank you to Karim Sayoud and Delta for providing me with the ultimate gift of loyalty. May your brand continue to keep climbing.

DRA JAGAN MOHAN REDDY

 

 

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*Warm Regards*
CMA Chittaranjan Chattopadhyay
Former Chairman, EIRC of ICAI (Formerly ICWAI)
Founder Member, Serampore Chapter of Cost Acountants
"Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man, Religion is the manifestation of divinity already in man."- Swami Vivekananda.

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Professor
Head (MBA Program)
IIMT Management College, Meerut
Mobile no:09897141341

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Re: Re: [MTC Global] : FW: Alexander’s failed invasion of India

Hi All,

1. We have never documented any historical events,except during Peshwa (by Nana Phadnis).

2. Our Bajirao Peshve holds a record of 32 victories out of 32 victories. Hence you will find most of Heads of Armed Forces visit Pune to see his past war records (they are intact held by Nana Phadnis).

3. Lastly, we tend to doubt anything that is written by our own new author (about Historical facts) and disturb social fabric.

Thanks and Regards,

Pradeep Joshi


On Mon, Jul 1, 2013 at 4:21 AM, Prabhakar Waghodekar <waghodekar@rediffmail.com> wrote:
Dear All,

I had my primary and Secondary education in Marathi medium. I surely remember in
the History book of India during 6th to 9th std. (we had SSC as std 11)during
1951-57 or so, my teacher taught me the same thing (as naratted by Martial)about
Alexander and Porus, Porus was not defeated and the Alexander's forces were taken
aback to see the power of a small state in India, frightened and opted for
mutiny. Alexander had to return. As I recollect the hand of a foreign princess
was given to an Indian Prince to have warm relations.

Indians still possess the same genes. The glaring example is: Hitler was stopped
by Indian troops and no other troops could deter him. Shivaji is a very glaring
example, the only one of its kind in world that Shivaji never faced a defeat
though he sometimes treated back just to win thereafter. Nepolean and Alexander
were defeated and Napoleon had a bad end. But we hardly read and realize our
great personalties, if somebody from west praises an Indian, then we wake up and
say we are proud of him/her, thank you! Our job is over!!

The masses have come to this pass because of the leadership, save a very few like
Lal, Bal and Pal, has been self-centered, who deep rooted in the minds of masses
such things as casteism, religious differences, master-slave relationship, power
by hereditory, no dignity for labor, higher and lower classification of man and
work, etc.

Most of our leaders are brought up/educated/trained in UK/US, placing them far
away from the soil of this land.

Regards.

Yours,

______________________________________________________

On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:50:04 +0530 wrote
>
Dear Professor Oberoi:�Thank you for enlightening us.�Shall be obliged if you
could please let me know about the source of this information, e.g. name of the
book, publisher, etc.
�It shows that we Indians had some character then and did not surrender meekly.
Wonder how its stock has depleted and where it has vanished over the next 2000
years. I am sure we still have some left in our genes and can rise again in the
world but entirely for human good and not to show any power or position. I cannot
help recalling Mahatma Gandhi on this.
�Kind
regards.������������������������ï
¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Satya Prakash Agarwal

On Thu, Jun 27, 2013 at 3:37 PM, Satish Oberoi wrote:


It is strange that Indian historians never considered it fit to carry out prper
research and place historical facts in correct perspective, Or is it they had a
mandate to show Indian rulers in poor light.
The description of movement of Alexander after battle with Porus fits well in
actual movements of Alexander.

Satish---------- Forwarded message ----------



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---





















Marshal Zhukov on Alexander�s failed India invasion
May 27, 2013�Rakesh Krishnan Sinha


Alexander�s invasion of India is regarded as a huge Western victory against the
disorganised East. But according to Marshal Gregory Zhukov, the largely
Macedonian army suffered a fate worse than Napoleon in Russia.





Handing victory in India to Alexander is like describing Hitler as the conqueror
of Russia because the Germans advanced up to Stalingrad.
Source: wikipedia.org


�

In 326 BCE a formidable European army invaded India. Led by Alexander of Macedon
it comprised battle hardened Macedonian soldiers, Greek cavalry, Balkan fighters
and Persians allies. The total number of fighting men numbered more than 41,000.


Their most memorable clash was at the Battle of Hydaspes (Jhelum) against the
army of Porus, the ruler of the Paurava kingdom of western Punjab. For more than
25 centuries it was believed that Alexander�s forces defeated the Indians.
Greek and Roman accounts say the Indians were bested by the superior courage and
stature of the Macedonians.


Two millennia later, British historians latched on to the Alexander legend and
described the campaign as the triumph of the organised West against the chaotic
East. Although Alexander defeated only a few minor kingdoms in India�s
northwest, in the view of many gleeful colonial writers the conquest of India was
complete.


In reality much of the country was not even known to the Greeks. So handing
victory to Alexander is like describing Hitler as the conqueror of Russia because
the Germans advanced up to Stalingrad.


Zhukov�s view of Alexander






Statue of Alexander in Istanbul Archaeology Museum. Source: wikipedia.org


In 1957, while addressing the cadets of the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun,
Zhukov said Alexander�s actions after the Battle of Hydaspes suggest he had
suffered an outright defeat. In Zhukov�s view, Alexander had suffered a greater
setback in India than Napoleon in Russia. Napoleon had invaded Russia with
600,000 troops; of these only 30,000 survived, and of that number fewer than
1,000 were ever able to return to duty.


So if Zhukov was comparing Alexander�s campaign in India to Napoleon�s
disaster, the Macedonians and Greeks must have retreated in an equally
ignominious fashion. Zhukov would know a fleeing force if he saw one; he had
chased the German Army over 2000 km from Stalingrad to Berlin.


No easy victories
Alexander�s troubles began as soon as he crossed the Indian border. He first
faced resistance in the Kunar, Swat, Buner and Peshawar valleys where the
Aspasioi and Assakenoi, known in Hindu texts as Ashvayana and Ashvakayana,
stopped his advance. Although small by Indian standards they did not submit
before Alexander�s killing machine.



The Assakenoi offered stubborn resistance from their mountain strongholds of
Massaga, Bazira and Ora. The bloody fighting at Massaga was a prelude to what
awaited Alexander in India. On the first day after bitter fighting the
Macedonians and Greeks were forced to retreat with heavy losses. Alexander
himself was seriously wounded in the ankle. On the fourth day the king of Massaga
was killed but the city refused to surrender. The command of the army went to his
old mother, which brought the entire women of the area into the fighting.


Realising that his plans to storm India were going down at its very gates,
Alexander called for a truce. The Assakenoi agreed; the old queen was too
trusting. That night when the citizens of Massaga had gone off to sleep after
their celebrations, Alexander�s troops entered the city and massacred the
entire citizenry. A similar slaughter then followed at Ora.


However, the fierce resistance put up by the Indian defenders had reduced the
strength and perhaps the confidence of the until then all-conquering Macedonian
army.


Faceoff at the river
In his entire conquering career Alexander�s hardest encounter was the Battle of
Hydaspes, in which he faced king Porus of Paurava, a small but prosperous Indian
kingdom on the river Jhelum. Porus is described in Greek accounts as standing
seven feet tall.


In May 326 BCE, the European and Paurava armies faced each other across the banks
of the Jhelum. By all accounts it was an awe-inspiring spectacle. The 34,000
Macedonian infantry and 7000 Greek cavalry were bolstered by the Indian king
Ambhi, who was Porus�s rival. Ambhi was the ruler of the neighbouring kingdom
of Taxila and had offered to help Alexander on condition he would be given
Porus�s kingdom.




Alexander meets Porus. Source: wikipedia.org


Facing this tumultuous force led by the genius of Alexander was the Paurava army
of 20,000 infantry, 2000 cavalry and 200 war elephants. Being a comparatively
small kingdom by Indian standards, Paurava couldn�t have maintained such a
large standing army, so it�s likely many of its defenders were hastily armed
civilians. Also, the Greeks habitually exaggerated enemy strength.


According to Greek sources, for several days the armies eyeballed each other
across the river. The Greek-Macedonian force after having lost several thousand
soldiers fighting the Indian mountain cities, were terrified at the prospect of
fighting the fierce Paurava army. They had heard about the havoc Indian war
elephants created among enemy ranks. The modern equivalent of battle tanks, the
elephants also scared the wits out of the horses in the Greek cavalry.


Another terrible weapon in the Indians' armoury was the two-meter bow. As tall as
a man it could launch massive arrows able to transfix more than one enemy
soldier.


Indians strike
The battle was savagely fought. As the volleys of heavy arrows from the long
Indian bows scythed into the enemy�s formations, the first wave of war
elephants waded into the Macedonian phalanx that was bristling with 17-feet long
sarissas. Some of the animals got impaled in the process. Then a second wave of
these mighty beasts rushed into the gap created by the first, either trampling
the Macedonian soldiers or grabbing themwith their trunks and presenting them up
for the mounted Indian soldiers to cut or spear them. It was a nightmarish
scenario for the invaders. As the terrified Macedonians pushed back, the Indian
infantry charged into the gap.


In the first charge, by the Indians, Porus�s brother Amar killed Alexander�s
favourite horse Bucephalus, forcing Alexander to dismount. This was a big deal.
In battles outside India the elite Macedonian bodyguards had not allowed a single
enemy soldier to deliver so much as a scratch on their king's body, let alone
slay his mount. Yet in this battle Indian troops not only broke into
Alexander�s inner cordon, they also killed Nicaea, one of his leading
commanders.


According to the Roman historian Marcus Justinus, Porus challenged Alexander, who
charged him on horseback. In the ensuing duel, Alexander fell off his horse and
was at the mercy of the Indian king�s spear. But Porus dithered for a second
and Alexander�s bodyguards rushed in to save their king.



Plutarch, the Greek historian and biographer, says there seems to have been
nothing wrong with Indian morale. Despite initial setbacks, when their vaunted
chariots got stuck in the mud, Porus�s army �rallied and kept resisting the
Macedonians with unsurpassable bravery�.



Macedonians: Shaken, not stirred
Although the Greeks claim victory, the fanatical resistance put up by the Indian
soldiers and ordinary people everywhere had shaken the nerves of Alexander's army
to the core. They refused to move further east. Nothing Alexander could say or do
would spur his men to continue eastward. The army was close to mutiny.


The Greek historian says after the battle with the Pauravas, the badly bruised
and rattled Macedonians panicked when they received information further from
Punjab lay places �where the inhabitants were skilled in agriculture, where
there were elephants in yet greater abundance and men were superior in stature
and courage�.Says Plutarch: �The combat with Porus took the edge off the
Macedonians� courage, and stayed their further progress into India. For having
found it hard enough to defeat an enemy who brought but 20,000 foot and 2000
horse into the field, they thought they had reason to oppose Alexander's design
of leading them on to pass the Ganges, on the further side of which was covered
with multitudes of enemies.�



Indeed, on the other side of the Ganges was the mighty kingdom of Magadh, ruled
by the wily Nandas, who commanded one of the most powerful and largest standing
armies in the world. According to Plutarch, the courage of the Macedonians
evaporated when they came to know the Nandas �were awaiting them with 200,000
infantry, 80,000 cavalry, 8000 war chariots and 6000 fighting elephants�.
Undoubtedly, Alexander�s army would have walked into a slaughterhouse.



Hundreds of kilometres from the Indian heartland, Alexander ordered a retreat to
great jubilation among his soldiers.
Partisans counterattack
The celebrations were premature. On its way south towards the sea, Alexander's
army was constantly harried by Indian partisans, republics and kingdoms.


In a campaign at Sangala in Punjab, the Indian attack was so ferocious it
completely destroyed the Greek cavalry, forcing Alexander to attack on foot. In
the next battle, against the Malavs of Multan, he was felled by an Indian warrior
whose arrow pierced the Macedonian�s breastplate and ribs.


Says Military History magazine: �Although there was more fighting,
Alexander�s wound put an end to any more personal exploits. Lung tissue never
fully recovers, and the thick scarring in its place made every breath cut like a
knife.�



Alexander never recovered and died in Babylon (modern Iraq) at the age of 33.









--
Ranjit Grewal

��










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Regards,

Dr P H Waghodekar
Advisor (HR), IBS & PME (PG)
Marathwada Institute of Technology,
Aurangabad: 431028 (Maharashtra) INDIA.
(O) 02402375113 (M) 7276661925
E-Mail: waghodekar@rediffmail.com
Website: www.mit.asia

Engineering & Management Education: An Engine of Prosperity.

Classroom teaching must match with Boardroom needs!

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