Sify Fraudband- India’s Unreliable Internet

If you planning to get new broadband connection, steer clear of Sify Broadband.

While their tariff plans may sound very attractive compared to other ISPs, their business model is purely based on cheating customers & unreliable service. The network keeps on going down every now and then & the customer care number “mysteriously” stops responding during such occasions.

Also, the tariff plans are not what they seem to be. Sify does seem to offer some ‘Night Unlimited Plans’ that should allow unlimited downloads from10 PM to 8 AM. However, you will be amazed to discover your plan abruptly expiring earlier than its stipulated duration. When asked, Sify customer care will give you stupid reasons, never accepting that this is a problem with their billing system!

My personal saga with Sify Broadband

My Sify plan- 400 MB with Night Unlimited unexpectedly expired after just 15 days, despite the fact that I always downloaded after 10 PM. When I contacted Sify Customer Care, I was told to write to customercare@sify.com.

They kept on sending me automated replies, giving me details of my plan, without even bothering to read my mail! After I sent them a strong mail demanding an explanation, an executive from Sify called me & told me that I had logged in at 9:59:40 PM instead of 10 PM (20 seconds earlier!). Therefore, the entire session was considered as “before 10 PM” session & deducted from my 400 MB limit!!

After hearing his “irrational” explanation, I asked him if the opposite of this situation would also hold true. If I connect, let’s say at 10:30 PM & do not log out till 11 AM the next day, would that entire session be considered as “10 PM to 8 AM” session, allowing me to make unlimited downloads till I have logged out. He categorically replied “No” & told me that MBs will start getting deducted from my account as soon as I cross 8 AM in the morning.

So why does the same rule not apply at night? As soon as person crosses 10 PM (which was 20 seconds away in my case), MBs should stop getting deducted from the account.

To summarize, Sify Broadband can go to any extent in trying to make extra money, even if it means indulging in unethical billing & making a fool of their customers. One thing still remains to be seen, how long can such devious business practices continue! Probably, till the time when monopoly of such ISPs in specific areas ends & people have better choices.

Your comments & experiences are welcome!

Mumbai Monsoon Madness

It’s that time of the year again when monsoon unleashes its fury over Mumbai. No one can tame these clouds when they burst over the metropolis. July is the month when Mumbai and its suburbs receive the most rain.

The highest rainfall measuring 944 mm was recorded last year on 26/07/05. The ensuing chaos and floods claimed 1,000 lives and exposed Mumbai’s shoddy constructions, corruption and lamentable infrastructure.

How to be assertive?

I got a chance to attend the Assertiveness Workshop by Dr. K. Ranganathan. Below are some of the his tips on ‘how to be assertive’ in our everyday lives.

Assertive Behavior is all about being

• Emotionally honest
• Direct
• Self-enhancing
• Expressive

Intercultural Communication

I recently conducted a knowledge sharing session on Intercultural Communication. Would like to share some of the key thoughts from the session here- 

• Culture is a set of learnt beliefs, values and behaviors. Anyone who feels that his/her culture is the best and natural way of doing things is being ethnocentric.
• People from different cultures encode and decode messages differently, increasing the chances of misunderstanding, so the ‘safest’ consequence of recognizing cultural differences should be to assume that everyone’s thoughts and actions are not just like ours.
• Ethnocentrism is one of the biggest barriers to Intercultural Communication as gaining intercultural skills requires open-mindedness, awareness & practice.

Your Silence Can Be a Killer!

For all those unpleasant people in the society, there are many more others who are BIGGER culprits by being silent spectators either by choice or by fear. These are the very people who encourage the abusers to continue with their anti-social behavior.

Every time, we choose not to speak up for a worthy cause, we are making this world a worse place for everyone, including ourselves to live in. Unfortunate suffering of the population at large continues unabated, thanks to the apathy of a few individuals. As Martin Luther King once remarked –

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”

The Moral Watchdogs of India

If you feel that India is the world’s largest democracy, you better spend some time reading the local news and think again! Many extremists, politicians and the police in India violate the very human rights which people elsewhere in the world take for granted.

For example, India is probably one of the very few countries in the world where even holding the hand of your partner in public is a punishable crime! In the name of Indian values, culture and tradition, the so called guardians of law regularly attack freedom of expression and denigrate the people they have been appointed to serve.

You need their permission to express your love or to hold your spouse’s hand. You need their permission on what you can say and what you cannot. They also dictate what dresses women can wear.

The Indian Stray Dogs

India is home to one of the largest stray animals in the world. And, the most numerous among them are the stray dogs! Looks like it’s is the dog mating season! So many dogs & bitches in the Vashi area have given birth to puppies, the average litter size being 4-5 for each pair.

Compared to the pet dogs who enjoy free meals and good health care, these stray puppies are the victims of their own destiny.

An Owl in my balcony!

When I woke up on the morning of 21/12, I observed an unusual bird in my balcony. I got curious and decided to check out what it was. I was surprised to find that this was no common bird we see everyday but the mighty OWL!

Rural India – cruelty in the name of tradition

While reading the Times of India- 02/10 edition, I came across the article titled “Love and death in Muzaffarnagar” which talks about the honor killings that regularly take place in the district of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. It talks about villagers who would do anything to protect their honor – burn their children, push them in front of trains, shoot them & decapitate them. The villagers also organize retatiatory gangrapes to avenge their community honor. Read the the full article to find out all the gory details here.

The National Geographic Channel aired a documentary – “Indian Witch Hunt” which shows how villagers in the tribal areas, inspired by a combination of superstition, illetracy & lack of medical care, torture & murder women suspected of being witches. Human rights groups estimate hundreds of women are hacked to death, burned alive or hanged as suspected witches across India every year. While the problem is widespread, it?s worse in eastern states such as Jharkhand, where, in many cases, witch hunting is used as a tool to seize others? land. Read more details and also watch some excerpts from the telecast here.