Chinas One Child Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinas One Child Policy - Essay Example While both sides have claims, reasoning and evidence, Toulmin’s model of argumentation is not specifically used by either side. The argument is also a very political one. Each side has different cultures and values, and these form a large part of the context that must be considered when examining the claims and context in this debate. Authorities in China say that since 2000, more than 250 million live births have been prevented by the use of this policy. They claim that if these people had been born, the current infrastructure and social structure in China would be unable to support them and that China would be weaker today. This argument goes to the core of the policy and is one of the main reasons it was implemented in the first place by the Chinese government back in the late 1970s following the period of economic opening led by Deng Xiaping. At the time the policy was implemented by the government there were grave concerns about China being overpopulated and being unable to support its own people. This led some politicians to suggest the one child policy. Another cause was the fact that contraception was not widely available back at the time this policy went into effect. It was harder for women to control their own reproduction; instead, the state decided to take control. The state argues this was done out of necessity because of the social and cultural aspects in vogue at the time. But today, several decades later, many wonder if it was even necessary. For example, has it done much to address this state problem?

A Critique of the Site StarFall.com Design and Content Research Paper

A Critique of the Site StarFall.com Design and Content - Research Paper Example Parents find Starfall useful as it prepares their children for school, and supports them even after they join the school. The content of the website focuses on that method of learning that emphasizes the relationship between letter and sound, skills for recognizing words, and strategies for reading and comprehension. It does this with the help of activities like animated stories, movies and games. The site consists of four major units.The "Get Ready to Read" section is about the alphabet and the alphabets are pronounced in a child’s voice. The "Learn to Read" section which is for early readers and for those who are just beginning to read has fifteen different modules consisting of games, stories and movies that teach the child various letter sounds and skills. The third section, "Its Fun to Read,† designed for intermediate readers consist of activities related to art and music. The last section, â€Å"I’m Reading† is for advanced readers and has online storybooks that include well-known folktales and myths. The website also has an active bulletin board that can be used for dis cussion by parents. When students complete a program they can obtain a feedback of their performance and also give a feedback. The reading level of the text and stories is according to the grade levels it was designed for. The content of Starfall.com helps the learner to go beyond basics into a higher level of thinking. It enhances a student’s curiosity Starfall.com is well designed and the animation used compliments and enhances the process of learning. Starfall.com uses a variety of media that includes texts, graphics, video and audio narration. The main aim of a web profile is that it must be most attractive, says Stephanie Ruth (2009). In Starfall.com the colorful graphics and easy-to-read text make it attractive for children. Cartoon characters are also used in interactive stories and activities. The graphics on this website are appropriate to the goals of this program.

Experiences Of War Essay Example for Free

Experiences Of War Essay It is difficult for a soldier to recall and relate his or her experiences of war. During war, soldiers are often throw into a confronting and new experience where they quickly learn about the true hardship and struggle of warfare. Being deployed onto new a surrounding, unpredictable events can occur which may lead to detrimental effects on soldiers physically and more importantly mentally. Especially after returning from a war, a solder can show great signs of post dramatic stress due to the trauma that they had previously faced. These memories can have damaging effects, which may lead to different coping methods. War is an emotionally daunting task which can most definitely be a difficult time for soldiers to recollection and recount their experiences of it. The results of war can be detrimental. Soldiers risk their lives and beyond the physical consequences of war, they often return with mental and emotional scarring. During war soldiers must adapt to everything that is around them. This means that they must become familiar with their surroundings and the people around them. War can last up to months if not years. In this period of dramatic changes in lifestyle, soldiers are taught to adjust to the extreme situations. Warfare the new normal as they must learn to react and act quickly to certain sounds or orders. In the article Battle scarred, Chris Terill describes going to war as â€Å"changes a man’s view of the world; it changes his view of himself†, meaning that they adapt with â€Å"like-minded comrades†. However when the war is all over the hardest part for them is that they â€Å"must eventually become civilians again†. So sudden from a â€Å"dog-eat-dog† world, soldiers must quickly adjust to normal society again within the landing of the plane. This an obvious difficult task, which causes the soldiers to be traumatised which can truly affect the abilities to recall their experiences. It is definitely confronting and difficult to conform and come to terms with normal life after the memories and experiences of war. Regret and fear can become a great factor in the influence of a soldiers behaviours post war. It is tremendously difficult for a soldier to cope with the fact that they have done something unforgivable by the time they return.

Business Law Assignment Essay Example for Free

Business Law Assignment Essay This essay will explain the following four questions. First, would registration with the SEC be required for Dakota Gasworks securities? Second, Did Emerson violate Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5? Third what theory or theories might a court use to hold Wallace liable for insider trading? Finally, under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, who would be required to certify the accuracy of financial statements filed with the SEC? Would registration with the SEC be required for Dakota Gasworks securities? Why or why not? Reliant Energy has registered securities and faces a takeover attempt, or third party tender offer, then the SEC’s tender offer rules will apply to the transaction. The filings required by these rules provide information to the public about the person making the tender offer. The company, Dakota Gasworks, is experiencing the takeover so they must file with the SEC its responses to the tender offer. These rules set time limits for the tender offer and provide some protection to shareholders. Did Emerson violate Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5? Why or why not? Moreover, Emerson did violate rule 10b-5 of the Securities exchange act, in where it protects against insider trading; which is the purchase or sale by person with access to information not available to those whom with those they deal or general traders. The person passing the information of the takeover, Emerson, violated this rule by passing information that wasn’t regularly available to general traders. What theory or theories might a court use to hold Wallace liable for insider trading? Furthermore, the theory behind the prohibiting insider trading is that is undermines investor confidence in the fairness and integrity of the securities markets. The SEC claims that finding and prosecuting insider trading violations is one of its enforcement priorities, and all investors need to be aware of the danger in trading from spoken knowledge that is not  publicly known to people who base their trading on this information. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, who would be required to certify the accuracy of financial statements filed with the SEC? Finally, the intent of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws, and for other purposes. The Act requires all financial reports to include an internal control report. This is designed to show that not only are the companys financial data accurate, but the company has confidence in them because adequate controls are in place to safeguard financial data. Year-end financial reports must contain an assessment of the effectiveness of the internal controls. The issuers auditing firm is required to attest to that assessment. The auditing firm does this after reviewing controls, policies, and procedures during a Section 4040 audit, conducted along with a traditional financial audit. Under Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the CEO and CFO of public companies are required to certify the accuracy of financial statements filed with the SEC. References: 1. Miller, Roger Jentz, Gaylord (2010) Fundamentals of Business Law: Summarized Cases 8th Edition, Cengage Learning. 2. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. (n.d.). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. Retrieved December 19, 2012 from http://www.soxlaw.com/

The Health Care Provider And Faith Diversity Religion Essay

The Health Care Provider And Faith Diversity Religion Essay I have expanded my cultural experiences by relocating from the Midwest to the Phoenix metropolitan area. The facility where I work offers a fairly mixed spectrum of cultural diversity in an intimate and professional healthcare facility. Since several of my colleagues come from unique cultural backgrounds, I wanted to better understand their perspective on how their ways of life are accepted by or incorporated into todays health care practices. This paper includes interviews that focus on Buddhism, Shintoism, and the Navajo Indian. The first question I posed to Kamm was about the spiritual perspective on healing in the Buddhist way of life. She told me that this comes through an end of suffering through wisdom, acts of compassion, and peace. A person who shows great compassion is able to draw on inner strength to overcome pain. She continued by explaining, At a physical level, that person may suffer from pain, but their mental disposition is calm. His/her mental level is able to subdue the physical pain. Because of that persons mental disposition, the bodys immune system becomes more active to fight the disease. She elaborated further to say that sometimes it also means that a person is at peace in accepting physical pain or death in an optimal way, without suffering from it. A Buddhist prefers a calm and peaceful environment. I asked Kamm about the critical components of healing of a Buddhist. She explained that diet and exercise are critical components of healing or preventing disease. She also added that Buddhists pray and meditate regularly to promote relaxation and healing. If illness does occur, many believe that using the mind can help overcome it. Kamm stated, Everything constantly changes and change is the only constant. If certain events happen, people believe it is because a person has sowed those seeds that caused that event to occur. Kamm elaborated further by saying that following death, Buddhists prefer not to disturb the body for as long a time as possible. The first 49 days following a persons death are very important. It is during that time when many prayers are offered before the new life, reincarnation, begins. Kamm explained that reincarnation occurs over and over and a follower can be reborn as any living thing. Karma is important in reincarnation and is defined as an intentional mental, verbal, or physical action and this is very important to the Buddhist (Sayadaw, 2008). Good karma is based on showing compassion and doing the right thing; this helps determine how a person will be incarnated. If a person generates bad karma by hurting or killing others, negative consequences will occur in this or another lifetime (Karma and rebirth, n.d.). Kamm briefly reminisced when she said, The people cherish ancestry. During a specific time of the year, they take a vacation to go back home to pay respect for the dead. I asked Kamm to define what is important to a Buddhist person when cared for by health care providers with other spiritual beliefs. She explained that if a physician is very knowledgeable but not compassionate, their medicine is not very effective. The basis of trust comes with a commitment, a sense of responsibility, and a genuine sense of concern. She also added that Buddhist physicians treat their patient as if he/she was their own child. My second interviewee, Taki, grew up in Japan. In her early 20s she met her future husband, an American, who was temporarily working there. Following their marriage, she moved with him to the United States. Taki explained that in Japan, Shintoism is another way of life, not a religion. There is a great respect for nature and when Shintoists are close to nature they are close to their kami. Kami are spirits with supernatural powers they worship that are often depicted as a variety of objects in nature such as trees, rocks, and animals (Blanford, 2009). Taki elaborated further to say that there is a strong aspiration for purification in all aspects of their life and this can be observed through their rituals or in their way of thinking. Like Buddhist beliefs, when someone passes away Shintoists believe that the person is reincarnated. Taki explained the spiritual perspective on healing from the Shintoist perspective. Shinto followers are accepting of some of the difficult things that come their way because they believe it is the kamis way of getting their attention. She also told me that though they may seek medical attention at medical facility, they also use other methods for healing such as in the use of herbal remedies. According to Taki, Shinto followers are very accepting of the care they receive but they are more uncomfortable when it comes down to decisions regarding complex treatment. She continued by explaining that because they are very respectful of nature and following a natural path in life, this type of complex treatment goes against their beliefs in following a natural life. They also see the dying process as one goes against their aspiration for purity in life. Taki explained that a critical component on healing includes silent prayer to one of the kami requesting a favor. The Shinto people believe that kami want their people to be happy so they pray for good health, a good life. Taki continued by explaining that they also pray during major life events such as birth, marriage and death. Sometimes they write their prayer on a plaque and leave it at the shrine. She also noted that the Shinto people keep a small shrine in their home where offerings are made to a particular kami. In response to the question regarding what is important to the Shinto follower when cared for by health care providers, Taki explained that often, the Shintoists are advocates of a natural way of healing and typically are not in favor of artificial means to live. Some patients will rely on the doctor and will be very accepting of the results, no matter how serious. My final interview was conducted with Carmen, a Navajo Indian, who has lived her entire life in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Carmen explained that the Navajos also do not have a religion that traditionally worship a god. Their way of life, which stems from their sacred beginnings, serves as their belief system which strives for balance and harmony. Carmen went on to say that Navajos believe they are connected to the land and are relatives to every living thing. Their way of life is full of ceremonial rituals and traditions that connect them to their sacred past. Throughout our life we strive for holistic wellness for which many of our rituals are based, she explained. Carmen believes that illness occurs when a person has an imbalance between body, mind, and spirit. A Navajo healer might be sought out to diagnose this imbalance by interpreting dreams, star gazing, or understanding the vibrations in nature. Following that, a healing ceremony can be planned to assist the mind in healing the body. Carmen went on to tell me that the ceremonies are conducted in their ceremonial attire and include chants, which are a form of prayer. Several days are observed for holiness and the healing process to continue following the healing ceremony. Carmen elaborated on this further to say that during this time the person needs to avoid certain activities, one of which includes bathing. This shows evidence the Navajos seriousness for a deep desire for healing to occur. The Navajo may also use herbs for treatment or seek a medical doctor for some care. Carmen relayed that in the United States, there are hospitals specifically designed to integrate the Native American practice for healing with modern medicine. She happily reported that healing ceremonies are sometimes conducted on public land before any ground breaking for a health facility. A ceremonial hogan, a Native American family dwelling that faces the east, is included in some hospitals to accommodate this way of healing (Hogan: Dine (Navajo), n.d.). Carmen also noted that if a Navajo is hospitalized, Navajo healers are sometimes brought to the patients hospital room. Carmen admitted that the Navajo are often wary of the western medicine practice. She emphasized that they want their doctors to understand their beliefs. The Navajo would like to see more medical facilities consider the Native American way of life as plans for medical facilities are made. Carmen continued explaining that the Navajo find most facilities are too business like and cold which creates stress and anxiety. This often makes it difficult to regain wellness through harmony and balance. Collectively, the people interviewed all had a consistent message for how they value the care provided to them by health care providers whose spiritual beliefs were different from their own. The care they receive needs to align with their values which might include the medical team approach that respects their beliefs, a calm and serene environment, or incorporation of healing practices unique to their ways of life. They do not want healthcare workers to assume that what is important in western medicine is necessarily shared by all peoples. When patients see health care providers let go of their own beliefs, patients feel more comfortable in their care. A sense of trust develops. Patients have greater comfort knowing that their ways of life are understood, respected, and incorporated into their care. All of these efforts promote their healing process. The Christian philosophy of faith and healing often refers to Gods power to heal. Gods will is interpreted by some as being punished for their sins, or as a way to bring a person closer to God because of a lack of faith. Todays belief in healing integrates Gods will through faith with traditional medical practices. God has given people the ability to acquire knowledge and skill to pursue and employ scientific advances to help treat or cure diseases. However, in contrast to other faiths this may not include a belief in the same god or what is important in a persons life. In conclusion, I have learned a lot in gaining a better understanding of the beliefs and values of other cultures. It has significantly increased my awareness to never assume that the care I typically provide is in agreement with the beliefs and wishes of my patient. I am more aware of the importance to first understand my patients beliefs so I can assist in their healing process that respects their culture and best meets their needs.

Rise And Rise Of Dhirubhai

Rise And Rise Of Dhirubhai Dhirubhai once said: Our dreams have to be bigger, our ambitions higher, our commitment deeper and our efforts greater. This is my dream for Reliance. In fact, this is my dream for India. Indeed Dhirubhai has been successful in bringing his dream to reality. From a humble beginning, Dhirubhai Ambani was successfully able to build up the largest Business conglomerate in India in a span of just 25 years. Today, the turnover of Reliance Industries forms 3% of the entire GDP. This tremendous growth in such a small time is the result of the large amount of hard work, dedication and excellence that Dhirubhai Ambani brought in to the culture of Reliance Industries. As they say, there are two sides of the coin. While there is no doubt that Dhirubhai Ambani was a highly intelligent and dedicated manager, he was not perfect, in the right sense. For a long time Dhirubhais ethics have been a matter of debate. While some consider him as a shrewd businessman, the others dont approve of certain things he did. History Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani was born on 28th December 1932, in Chorwad Gujarat into a Modh family of moderate means. He was the second son of a school teacher. Right from childhood Dhirubhai was precocious and highly intelligent. He was highly impatient of the oppressive grinding mill of the school classroom. Chose work that used his physical ability to the maximum rather than cramming school lessons. At the age of 16, Dhirubhai moved to Aden, Yemen. He worked there as a clerk for A. Besse Co. For two years. Later he was promoted to manage the companys oil filling station at the port of Aden, when A. Besse became the distributors for Shell. Ten years later, Dhirubhai returned to India and started a business Reliance Commercial Corporation with a capital of Rs. 15000.00. The primary business of Reliance Commercial Corporation was import polyester yarn and export spices. The business was setup in partnership with Chambaklal Damani, his second cousin who was also there with him in Aden. The first office of Reliance Commercial Corporation was set up in Narsinathan Street at Masjid Bunder. It was a 350 sq. Ft room with a telephone, one table and three chairs. Initially they had two assistants to help them in their business. In 1965, Chambaklal Damani and Dhirubhai Ambani ended their partnership and Dhirubhai started on his own. It is believed that both had different temperament and a different take on business. While Mr. Damani was a conscious trader and did not believe in building yarn inventories, Dhirubhai was a known risk taker and he considered that building inventories with anticipating a price rise and making some profit is good for growth. During this period, Dhirubhai and his family used to stay in a one bedroom apartment in Bhuleshwar. In 1968, he moved from the chawl to an upmarket apartment at Altamount Road, in South Mumbai. His first car was a premier Padmini. In 1970s he bought a white Cadillac car. Dhirubhai started his first textile mill in Naroda in the year 1966. Textiles were manufactured using polyester fibre yarn. Dhirubhai started the brand Vimal, named after his nephew. Extensive marketing of the brand in the interiors of India made Vimal a household name. Franchised retail outlets were started to sell only Vimal brand of textiles. In the year 1975, a technical team from the World Bank, visit this unit and certified it as excellent even by developed country standards. Banks and financial institutions repeatedly turned him down when he needed money the most. He was just not in the same league as other businessmen of his time. This made him an out of the box thinker. Dhirubhais first public offering of 28.2 lakh equity shares in the then Reliance Textiles in November 1977 was oversubscribed nearly seven times. The issue fetched him Rs 3 crore, a big sum by the standards of those days. Between 1979 and 1982, Reliance made four debenture issues. In 1979 it was for a worsted mill; in 1980, for modernising its textile mill; in 1981, to manufacture polyester filament yarn at Patalganga. In 1982, he topped it all with a record Rs 50-crore issue for expansion and diversification. Dhirubhai treated his shareholders like family members. Such royal treatment endeared him to his investors, says Kisan Ratilal Choksey, Chairman of KR Choksey Shares and Securities, a leading Mumbai brokerage firm. Dhirubhai understood the power of equity funding for his mega projects, says Devesh Kumar, Managing Director of Centrum Broking. In that sense, he was a visionary, way ahead of his times, and an out-of-the-box thinker, he adds. He always made sure that the investors got returns commensurate their investments. Marriages, businesses, studies abroad of the investors have been said to be financed by Reliance. He coined the term Mega Issue. His faith in retail investor also gave a leg up to BSE and its 30-share sensitive index, Sensex. Lured by Reliances power to deliver dividends and higher stock prices, thousands flocked to the market. Dhirubhai was a visionary, because he looked at the future a future he knew he may not even be around to enjoy. But that what propelled him and his stakeholder benefited from his search for a better future. In 1982 Ambani began the process of backward integration, setting up a plant to manufacture Polyester filament yarn. He subsequently diversified into chemicals, gas, petrochemicals, plastics, and power and telecom services. RIL bought IPCL from the government of India to become Indias largest petrochemical player.   After the launch of the refining arm of reliance, Reliance achieved a huge cashflow position and has never looked back. Mukesh Ambanis statement that RIL will be like a makoda where even if a few legs are hurt, the organism will be hale and hearty and not stop its march forward. Behind the Scenes Despite his affability, some of his old colleagues describe Dhirubhai as a dark character-not just because of the darkish skin he inherited from his father-but for the ambition and risk taking he hardly concealed. He exported spices, often at a loss, and used replenishment licenses to import rayon. Later, when rayon started to be manufactured in India, he exported rayon, again at a loss, and imported nylon. Ambani was always a step ahead of the competitors. With the imported items being heavily in demand, his profit margins were rarely under 300 percent In the 1950s the Yemini administration realized that their main unit of currency Rial was in disappearing. After investigating the matter it was realized that all Rials were routed to the Port City of Aden. There a young man in twenties was placing unlimited buy orders of Yemini Rials. During those days the Yemini Rial was a pure silver coin and was much in demand at the London Bullion Exchange. Young Dhirubhai would buy Rial, melt it in pure silver and sell it to bullion traders in London. Reliance expanded its equity base through frequent rights and bonus issues to shareholders, while financial institutions converted 20 per cent of their loans into equity in September 1979. But the use of convertible debentures catapulted Dhirubhai Ambani into the big league in the capital markets. Dhirubhai had anticipated the governments policy with regards to the convertible debentures and the Series I issue of partially convertible debentures by Reliance in October 1979 raised Rs 70 million. Although Reliance was not alone in trying the long disused instrument but from late 1980 the issues of partially convertible debentures coming from Reliance in quick succession, raising Rs 108 million in September from its Series 11 and Rs 240 million from its Series 111 the next year, and Rs 500 trillion from Series IV in April 1982. Dhirubhai capped that by obtaining from Sen Gupta clearance to do what should normally be legally impossible: converting the non-convertible portions of the four debenture issues into equity. This proved to be a master stroke. By this method, dubbed a brilliant and unconventional move by many, Dhirubhai-Reliance was able to chop Rs 735 million off its debt book in 1983, and turn it into comparatively modest equity of Rs 103 million, while reserves were raised by Rs 632 million. Instead of an annual interest bill of Rs 96.5 million on debentures, the dividend burden from the extra equity was only around Rs 36 million. This transmutation allowed Reliance to continue raising more quasi-debt, with its E Series of partially convertible debentures in October 1984 which raised another Rs 800 million. This reduced the debt equity ratio and further increased the attractiveness of the Reliance stock which was becoming an outperformer on the Indian Stock exchanges. Reliance always used to persuade the regulators with respect to its debenture issues. This did not mean that all its issues were approved without any hurdles. All questions being raised were not disposed of by Reliances policy of SALAM. On one occasion, the regulator rejected the premium that Reliance was seeking to put on an issue, on the ground that projected profitability had not been indicated. Without a pro-forma balance sheet for the current year-an extension of results to date-it could not be accepted. In 1982, Dhirubhai created waves in the stock markets when he took on a Kolkata-based cartel of bear operators that had sought to hammer down the share price of Reliance Industries. The cartel badly underestimated the Ambani ability to fight back. Not only did Dhirubhai manage to ensure the purchase of close to a million shares that the bear cartel offloaded, he demand physical delivery of shares. The bear cartel was rattled. In the process, the bourses were thrown into a state of turmoil and the Bombay Stock Exchange had to shut down for a couple of days before the crisis was resolved. After this incident many questions were raised by the press. People could not understand that how; a yarn trader till a few years ago was able to raise such a huge cash flow in the time of crisis. The answer stood in a story detailed how companies registered in the tax haven, Isle of Man, with ridiculous names like Crocodile Investments, Iota Investments and Fiasco Investments had purchased Reliance shares at one-fifth their market prices. Curiously, most of these firms were controlled by a clutch of non-resident Indians who had the same surname, Shah. Yet another article detailed how the group had been the beneficiary of a loan mela a number of banks had loaned funds to more than 50 firms that had all purchased debentures issued by Reliance Industries In 1993, Reliance was in the bidding for several oilfields in the Arabian Sea. The government oil search corporation had discovered the fields but did not have the funds to build the huge production rigs, gas compressors and pipelines that were needed. Several contacts among rival bidders were alleging that the tender was being rigged in favour of Reliance. Indian politicians and bureaucrats are masters at tilting an open and transparent tender into a one-horse race, by techniques such as keeping the weighting of bidding factors uncertain or secretly promising later concessions to compensate for underbidding. In the event, Reliance swept the field, and a director with one of the losers told me: We were shafted, and for the wrong reasons. Corporate Rivalry Reliance frequently, routinely, put any criticism or opposition to its actions down to motives of envy or a desire to pull down anyone achieving success. Throughout every crisis caused by exposure of alleged manipulations, its publicity took on a self-pitying Why is everyone always picking on us? tone. But the record tends to show that it was Dhirubhai and Reliance who often made the first move to put a spoke in a rivals wheels, whether it was Kapal Mehra of Orkay Silk Mills, Nusli Wadia of the Bombay Dyeing Group or, latterly, the Ruias of the Essar group. Coincidentally with disputes with Reliance, various rivals were hit with government inspections, tax problems, unfavourable press reports and physical attacks. The mid-eighties were a period during which the Reliance group got locked in a bitter turf battle with Bombay Dyeing headed by Nusli Wadia. The two corporate groups were producing competing products Reliance was manufacturing purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and Bombay Dye ing, di-methyl terephthalate (DMT). Wadia lost the battle and reportedly became the source of information for many of the articles against the Ambanis that subsequently appeared in  The Indian Express. In 1985, the Mumbai police accused a general manager in a Reliance group company of conspiring to kill Wadia, a charge that was never established in a court of law. Many years later, a newspaper owned by the Ambanis would accuse Wadia of illegally holding two passports and played up the fact that he was Mohammed Ali Jinnahs grandson. Year 1986 was a crucial one for Dhirubhai. He suffered a stroke in February that year. A few months later, the  Express  began publishing a series of articles attacking the Reliance group as well as the Indira Gandhi regime for favouring the Ambanis. These articles were co-authored by Arun Shourie who, ironically, later as Union Minister for Disinvestment in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government, presided over the sale of 26 per cent of the equity capital of the former public sector company, Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (IPCL), to the Reliance group. By gaining managerial control over IPCL, the Reliance group would now be able to dominate the Indian market for a wide variety of petrochemical products. Ramnath Goenka, once a friend of Dhirubhai, and owner of The Indian Express was also considered to be close with Nusli Wadia. On many occasions, Ramnath Goenka tried to intervene between the two warring factions and bring an end to the enmity. As the days passed by The Indian Express carried a series of articles against Reliance Industries and Dhirubhai in which they claimed that Dhirubhai was using unfair trade practices to maximise the profits. As Reliance had a close relationship with The Indian Express, Ramnath Goenka did not use his staff at the Indian Express to investigate the case but assigned his close confidant, advisor and chartered accountant S. Gurumurthy for this task. Apart from S. Gurumurthy, another journalist Maneck Davar who was not on the rolls of Indian Express started contributing stories. The end to the tussle came only after Dhirubhai Ambani met with a stroke. While Dhirubhai Ambani was recovering in San Diego, his sons Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani managed the affairs. The Indian Express had turned the guns against Reliance and was directly blaming the government for not doing enough to penalise Reliance Industries. The battle between Wadia Goenka and Ambanis had become so big that it became a national crisis. It was not as if Indian politicians had not helped other industrialists in the past. However, the difference in the business-politics nexus at that time lay in the fact that by the time the Reliance groups fortunes were on the rise, the Indian economy had become more competitive. Thus, it was not enough for those in power to promote the interests of a particular business group. It became necessary to simultaneously put down the competition. Managing the Environment Dhirubhai, more than many of his fellow industrialists, understood and appreciated the importance of managing the environment, a euphemism for keeping politicians and bureaucrats happy. Ideas are no ones monopoly. Those who criticise me and Reliances growth are slaves to tradition, if not to outright conservatism and complacency; the criticisms were put down to jealousy. But the same Man also felt you have to sell your ideas to the government. Selling the idea is the most important thing, and for that Id meet anybody in the government. I am willing to salaam anyone. His willingness to salaam anyone and his cultivation of junior staff and newcomers had by the early 1980s created a huge network of friends in politics, government ministries and financial circles. Earlier, goodwill had been cemented by gifts of the famous suit-lengths of material. After the float of Reliance in 1977, Dhirubhai was able to allocate parcels of shares or debentures from the promoters quota of any issue, wit h a profit virtually guaranteed by the gap between issue and market prices or by the prospect of conversion. He made no secret of the fact that he did not have an ego when it came to paying obeisance before government officials be they of the rank of secretary to the Government of India or a lowly peon. It is hardly a secret that Dhirubhais support base would easily cut across political lines. Very few politicians have had the gumption to oppose the Ambanis, just as the overwhelming majority of journalists in the country preferred not to be critical of the Reliance group. The Indian media, most of the time, has chosen to lap up whatever has been doled out by the groups public relations executives. The bureaucracy too has, by and large, favoured the Ambanis, not merely on account of the fact that many  babus have got accustomed to receiving expensive hampers on the occasion of  diwali. Indira Gandhis return to power opened a golden period for Dhirubhai Ambani. In 1979, his company barely made it to the list of Indias 50 biggest companies, measured by annual sales, profits or assets. By 1984, Reliance was in the largest five. Dhirubhai himself had become one of the most talked and written about persons in India, gaining a personal following more like that of a sports or entertainment star than a businessman. It was also the period when Dhirubhai made the most rapid part of his transition, in the bitter words of a senior non-Congress politician in 1996, from supplicant-the most abject kind of supplicant-to influencer and then to controller of Indian politics. Dhirubhai A legend People close to Dhirubhai said that there were three Dhirubhai Ambanis. One was unique, larger than life, a brand name. He was one of the most talked about industrialists, and for Gujarati people he has tremendous emotional and sentimental appeal. He is their ultimate man, and has inspired many emulators. The second Dhirubhai Ambani is a schemer, a first-class liar, who regrets nothing and has no values in life. Then there is the third Dhirubhai Ambani, who has a more sophisticated political brain, a dreamer and a visionary, almost Napoleonic. People always getting the three personalities mistaken. Dhirubhai was one man who tried to look beyond the obvious, who dared to dream and dared to achieve his dream. He did not let anything stop him. No restriction was strong enough to stop Dhirubhai Ambani. Whether what Dhirubhai has been claimed to do, he actually did or not, there is certainly no denying the fact that there is no businessman in India who attracted as much adulations as he did. He was more than a legend in his lifetime. He successfully convinced 4 million middle class households to invest their hard earned savings in Reliance Industry Groups. He fondly referred to his shareholders as family members and conducted annual shareholder meetings in the atmosphere of large melas attended by hordes. Dhirubhai Ambani was different man to different people. To his millions of investors, who had seen their share prices multiply, he was a business messiah. To one writer, he was a Frankensteins Monster created by Indias experiments with close government control of the economy. The strictly controlled import licences given to registered exporters of textiles, allowing import of raw materials worth a certain percentage of their export earnings. Like many others, Dhirubhai realised that these import or replenishment licences (known as REPS) were as good as money, even though some of them were officially not transferrable and imports had to be made by the actual user of the materials. By paying higher margins than any other traders, Dhirubhai soon became the main player in the market for REP licences. The margins were tiny in the trade itself but his dominance also put him in the position of being able to turn on and off much of the supply of yarn into the Indian market. Conclusion Dhirubhai Ambani built his company through outstanding abilities and drive on many fronts: as an innovative financier, an inspiring manager of talent, an astute marketer of his products, and as a forward-looking industrialist. The energy and daring that showed itself in his early pranks, practical jokes and trading experiments developed into a boldness and willingness to live with risk that few if any other Indian corporate chiefs would dare to emulate. His extraordinary talent for sustaining relationships, and sometimes impressing men of standing, won him vital support from both governments and institutions. The dark side of his abilities was an eye for human weakness and a willingness to exploit it. This gained him preferential treatment or at least a blind eye from the whole gamut of Indian institutions at various times.

Use of Language in Out of Africa by Grace Nichols :: essays research papers

This poem takes us on a journey of Grace Nichols life, from her ancestry in Africa to her migration from the Caribbean to England. Language features such as extended metaphor’s and repetition of phrases help to keep this journey flowing. The first language feature we come across is the repetition of the words ‘out of’ and ‘into’. The phrases being repeated help to link past and present. The first stanza repeats ‘Out of†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This talks about Grace’s ancestry, i.e. coming out of before her time. The second and third stanza ‘Into†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is about her life and her past. Grace lived in the Caribbean and moved to England so the ‘into’ refers to her life experiences. Personification is used widely throughout the poem, an example of this is the personification of the word mother. ‘ Out of Africa of the suckling.’ The word mother is not specifically mentioned in the line but sucking refers to the relationship between mother and child. The second reference to mother is a personification of the earth, ‘Out of Africa of the first rains, the first mother. This personification is symbolic and has references to the past, the first rains being those rains of a long time ago. The personification of the ‘trampled autumn tongues,’ can be taken on two levels. (It is also an extended metaphor!) Trampled autumn tongues could be taken literally i.e. leaves being trampled on or metaphorically. The leaves could be reference to the tongues of the slaves (slaves tongues would be cut off if they were caught speaking between each other in their native tongue.) The structure of the poem is also interesting, there are three stanzas’, the first and second stanza are equal in length but the third is slightly longer. The third stanza is the longest because that is where she is living now and has been the longest. The narrative voice in the poem is the voice of the African people. The tone is sarcastic and hast a hint of mocking to it, with parts such as ‘ baleful tourist glair’ and ‘ happy Creole so-called mentality.’ These lines show the ignorance of the white tourists that come to the Caribbean expecting everyone else (Caribbean people) to be happy just because they are on holiday. This is a white persons stereotype of the Caribbean and so the tourists are labeled as having a baleful glair.