OPTIMIZING A REGRESSION SUITE

Regression testing is a vital testing procedure that seeks to unearth software errors, if any, by selective retesting a software system. Regression strives to proliferate the assurance that developers have addressed the key issue and that no additional errors were introduced in the process of fixing other problems. The rider here is the re-execution of test cases developed for previous versions.

In software development, a Regression test suite, or validation suite, is a collection of test cases that are intended to be used while performing selective yet assorted retesting of a software program. A test suite often contains detailed instructions or purpose for each bucket of test cases and information on the system configuration to be used during regression testing.

The regression test suite is essentially a set of test cases that provide a baseline measure of expected or important functionality, and to verify previously fixed bugs do not reoccur.

The epicentre lies in selecting the appropriate minimum suite of tests needed to adequately cover the affected change. In such a scenario the test suite often reflects a conglomeration of difficult tests which has the potential of failing a program if penetrable. Thus the importance of a test suite cannot be downplayed in lending an insightful direction to Regression Testing.

Re-running all existing test cases that do not exercise changed or change-impacted parts of the program is often costly and sometimes even infeasible due to time and resource constraints. The stakes are high to ensure a shorter overall test cycle and stabilize cost parameter.Thus arises the need to optimize the regression suite to maximize coverage and minimize redundancy with minimum simulation time and resources.

Let's dwell on the need to have an optimized regression suite.

An effective suite of well-designed regression test cases that will not only help provide a baseline assessment of the current version, but a significant portion of the test suite will/should be reused during maintenance or sustained engineering of that product for upwards of 10 years, and some subset of those tests in that suite will also be reused on the next release or version of the product.There are additional benefits to well-designed regression test cases (or any test case for that matter) in that it preserves knowledge for posterity.

Such a regression suite will enable design and verification engineers to rapidly re-verify the design changes and quickly respond to new function requirements and/or what-if analysis.

The aforesaid model was designed on sapping too much of resources and time which had heavy impact on costs making the whole approach impracticable. So we require a strategized and layered approach to the process of regression in the form of a suite and optimization through innovative ideas can lead us through the maze.
One of the pioneering methods for test case suite optimization is aptly called Regression Test Selection (RTS). A striking precondition that surfaces here is that the cost of selecting a part of test suite is less than the cost of running the tests that RTS allows us to omit.RTS divides the existing test suite into (1) Reusable test cases; (2) Retestable test cases; (3) Obsolete test cases. In addition to this classification RTS may create new test cases that test the program for areas which are not covered by the existing test cases.

There is a strong stand for Test Case Prioritization in which test cases to be executed are reordered for affectedly maximizing a score function.The proposed framework is built around predicting the probability that each test case finds faults in the regression testing phase, and optimizing the test suites accordingly.It is a case of acute redundancy that confronts a tester while performing regression testing making the whole suite stale.

In such a scenario there is less likelihood of detecting bugs reusing the same set of test cases.

When redundant test cases or tests that don’t provide great value to the overall testing effort are slovenly added to the regression test suite to simply increase code coverage or to artificially inflate the number of tests for ‘feel-good’ perception generally only results in an overloaded test suite that rapidly grows out of control and becomes a management nightmare.

To alleviate such problems, a new regression suite practice, using random test generators to create regression suites on-the-fly, is becoming more common. In this practice, instead of maintaining tests, we generate test suites on-the-fly by choosing several specifications and generating a number of tests from each specification.Another optimization technique is the Hybrid Approach of both Regression Test Selection and Test Case Prioritization
The brief discourse on Regression testing is incomplete without the token of ROI(Return on Investment). ROI is a financial tool that assists management in evaluating how well it can cover its risks. Return on investment (ROI) as a measurement in a business model has become an important means of evaluating whether a project should be undertaken.
An optimized Regression suite bails the project out of the web of looming impracticality to active pursuance with a growing ROI. It lays to rest impending doubts in the mind of management when it comes to negotiating potential risks involved in the project. These risks may be subtle and inconspicuous but elementary in running a successful show. A healthy ROI is the end product out backed by a confident management with elimination of risks. A well tuned and effective optimized regression suite is paramount since regression is often carried out in a time crunched mode. The nagging question then is that am I getting a valid return on the investment made. Finally an automated Regression suite of test cases gives a visual benefit in an immediate spurt in ROI.
Here we cannot ignore the roles of Software Tester and Developer in optimizing a Regression suite. They are the bedrock for any evaluation of the integrity of a system.
A Software Test Engineer has a major role to play in formulating a regression test suite in optimal pursuits. His/her hands are well versed with precise comprehension of the bugs inflicting the system that have been fixed and possible changes introduced because of the fixes. S/he has a sense of where an augmented system might break and how the elements coalesce enforcing major functionalities. An input from their end is vital when targeting optimizing the regression suite.
We can group bug fixes into homogenous partitions which address similar regression areas modelling an overlap. This will enable performing multiple regressions with a single test case execution.
The developer’s role cannot be undone when it comes to optimizing regression suite. There has to be a direct liaison between the testers and the developers. S/he knows the ‘how’, ’what’ and ‘when’ of fixing bugs in an application and can play a major role in finalizing a penetrating regression suite with optimal overtones. They have a fair idea of where bugs might have inflicted the system and so can ascertain missed test cases and prejudge redundant test cases to trigger the expanse of test coverage. They can act as a guide to the testers since they have a firsthand knowledge of the bugs and thus maximize optimization of the regression test suite.
In the final analysis the optimal test regression suite should encompass tests with the following features:-

Test cases designed to verify critical functional attributes and capabilities of the software program

Test cases designed to validate baseline functionality/behaviour specified in project requirements or user acceptance criteria.

Test cases designed to verify functional anomalies that are found and fixed during the software development lifecycle.

Test cases designed to evaluate collateral or dependent areas associated with a code fix.

In order to gain the full benefit of an effective regression test suite automate as many regression test cases as is reasonably possible.

TRAINING AT QAINFOTECH

It’s a preluding encore for fresh pair of eyes and ears. It’s the starting point for future managers cutting through corporate jargon with a fetish to capture keen business acumen. Future aspirations rest on this pivotal foundation that elicits total assimilation to reach as far as an inkling of convoluted process flows of business. Every organization invests capital and resources to conceive an elaborate training program that serves as a bedrock to survival in transpiring maze of holistic business practices. Depending on the organization, the period lasts for months or less and the new trainee with spring in strides and jaunty disposition sails through the ‘honeymoon’ break. Management suggests tweaks in the established training manual to reflect changes in a volatile business model. For the experienced who have survived the arduous and intractable terrain up the hill, it’s a gospel that can’t be undone. Rookies fresh out of college capture the basics with a keen desire to emulate its application in live models. The tight leash is let loose upon the culmination of scores of training sessions when the trainee is deemed fit for a rendezvous with clients with ringing concerns and a penchant for ready solutions.
QA InfoTech has a unique training program for an incumbent trainee. New hires are divided into groups on the basis of the month of their selection. The organization stands out among the rest with regards to its training procedure. Here training is not a sequestered activity with no imprints of practicality. On the contrary it emboldens its newbies to partake in running projects simultaneously under the guidance of the experienced. In a bold stand, unheard and novel the organization assigns live projects to the trainees depending on aptitude at the outset of their tenure. The trainers are shuffled from among experienced employees who once served on the other side of the dais. Years of experience, witness to a rigorous application of the basics consistently on a business framework gives them the wherewithal to share and impart to fledglings. The training period lasts for little over a couple of months, sharing ideas and discovering new vistas while treating pre-established norms and beliefs. The exchange sessions culminate in a presentation by new hires on a topic of their choice before esteemed gathering of the day. The trainees aggressively form teams and rummage shelves stacked with study material for topics of ease and affinity. It’s a spot test of their presentation skills along with value added over months of training and deliberation with those inspiring impromptu sessions. The training classes are scheduled conveniently on a weekly basis so that the concepts seep into the intuitive minds of the trainees. Trainees are encouraged to come prepared for each session and their understanding after each lecture is tested in a terse written examination.
The training sessions cover the entire domain of software testing disclosing the lingo and addressing the latest technologies involved in a rapidly transforming environment. The Training Manual is the mother of all documents for training purposes. Diligently prepared, it delivers the concepts, practices and focal points comprehensively on the subject of software testing. It is divided into six sections touching on the crucial subject of Test Automation which is redefining today’s industrial standards. For beginners it’s a start from scratch divulging into the purpose and do’s and don’ts of modern day software testing. Trainers head off into the vital Software Development Life Cycle which gives an overview of the models followed while testing. Trainees get a visual picture of the phases a software product passes through from its conceptualization to its final realization. It incorporates the technical knowhow required for a complete skill set of a tester. The concepts take firm ground in the testing psyche of the trainee with astounding revelation in a capture of a practical snapshot. The Levels of Testing deals with the types of testing processes involved in a suite of testing practices. Its application again is project specific. Testing Cycle deliberates the testing elements involved in a cycle, labouring on the concepts of use cases, test cases, test plan and a bug life cycle among others. Finally it also deals with the concepts involved in Localization Testing.
Today the organization is on a recruitment drive, expanding its workforce with the addition of multifaceted and diverse candidates including the fresh and experienced. Under such scenario a viable training program reflects the principles that the organization stands for. Its built in real time features helps the incumbent to witness the practical application of innate procedures involved in testing while the training sessions surface. This is perhaps the salient feature of a strategized training program, helping both the seeker and trainer. It is a platform to interact with fellow trainees, experienced folk and management and learn the basics in a congenial environment. It’s a forum to break the ice and be a part of the prestigious organization. QA InfoTech heartily welcomes all its new hires to write their own chapter in the annals of the esteemed organization.

WORK CULTURE AT QA INFOTECH

Work culture imbibed by an organization deciphered in its bylaws is the cornerstone to its survival and success ushered onto the lips of its many employees. The standing organization is pivotal to the lives of its workforce who bring their own habits and idiosyncrasies to shape and enforce a culture. Deep down where ultimatums rule the roost there’s a race to reach the obvious end of the esoteric code before the protagonist signs off the deal and invests capitals in its culmination. It’s a tribute to those unsung heroes who bore the brunt behind the big idea and gave it wheels. Each organization epitomizes and strives for ideal working conditions for its employees to stoke character on the work front. They then reflect in the passion and commitment of an enthused hierarchy to make the business soar.
Fresh graduates with technical paraphernalia and those with modicum of experience swarm the destined gates of the organization for a place in the helm of its expansive work. Fleeting rounds of examination reach a crescendo with a one on one with the man himself. It’s a circuitous delve on the basics that lay the foundation of the testing framework making headway into the intricacies of software testing, the latter being too farfetched, inappropriate to pose before a candidate of probation. The aspirant then emerges through the hallowed precincts of the organization as an incumbent employee. People with diverse experience and background seek employment, standing at the outset of a complete transformation.

It’s a peaceful co- existence of man and machine stoking a quiet revolution. It is like an extended family where every member counts and is felicitated for their contribution. The vibes at office favour a congenial work environment. Working is fun with a friendly ambience, the wherewithal for unmatched gains. It leads to a platform for experts to work with passion and commitment in attaining goals.

It’s a motley crowd of the old and the new, some that saw the organization flourish from its nascency period. The experienced flaunt a new feather on their caps with each passing season laying the burden off their tried shoulders in grooming the new hires to the hilt. The intricacies of software testing are laboriously divulged over a period of time encrypted in tomes of dispensed work holding archives for posterity. The beginners turn functional assets in a wink and bear the mantle of consummated masters of yore. The newbies persist to make the grade as professionals under the rewarding and just ethos of equal opportunity and time to each one of its affiliates. Here the common ideology is a belief in teamwork. The organization manages staggering projects through a flourish of teams. It’s this charismatic ensemble that works miracles for the organization. Every individual in a team is treated as a well rounded resource, an institution of sorts that clip together to break through convoluted tasks. Ideas are encouraged with pride in accomplishments and a commitment to continued professional growth. The proud motto that drives this organization to better fortunes is that of promoting individual growth above all.
The team comes together for group activities, like a friendly discussion on touching matters, sports, or for lunch. Fun’n games turn to teasing tournaments, the toast of the season. Players in full cricket gear book huge stadiums for their own version of the popular IPL. Keen tussles cook up on TT tables for a packed audience as a part of local tournaments.
There is a relaxed dress code for all setting Friday’s ablaze with exciting hues. Working hours exhibit a strict sense of purpose along with moments of relaxed and merry tidings, letting go of nagging concerns and sharing on common grounds.
After silent conquer and comprehensive turnaround in ensuing projects, through intellect and tactful deliberation, the team comes around to cherish and celebrate landmarks, meticulously marked in a calendar year. Festivals are the mainstay of all such moments scattered profusely in the seasons of change, igniting religious fervour and devout faith in the purpose. Restricted holidays are marked intermittently as homage to the greats of this country, celebrating the advent of harvest season and the like. The big ones call for a summon in the evening lawns for murmuring moments of silent prayer followed by a zealous break into the festivities. It is time to reminisce the successes and benchmarks outrun in a strategic triumph given the kaleidoscopic business and its parameterized fluidity. The party goers break into song and dance without delay with a resounding beckon to all sheepish grins, cross legged and obeisant. Some jump in burning in futile trappings of inhibition and join the cavalcade while others enforce a voluble audience. The celebrations conclude with crowd requests for an encore and a final word of cheer and blessings from the mentors. The Annual Day is perhaps the next extravaganza celebrating year’s success amid challenges, manoeuvring business frenzy and calling the shots in trying moments. The organizers and management get down to the nitty-gritty of the planned event months before the set date and begin the countdown scripted in handsome mails to all and sundry. The recently concluded Cornucopia 2010 was a roaring success for a day of rejoicing and celebration of the company’s rampant strides towards becoming one of the big leaders in software testing. Birthday’s galore is the evergreen season calling for a round of plump cakes to make a special gift for the kindled spirit in the presence of well-wishers and coterie. Each one on his own lends a unique colour to moments of cheer and jubilation. Every landmark touched by an employee, be it completing tenure with the organization, or reaching a target vis a vis the project in contention, is celebrated creating a sense of belonging and jubilation in the camp.
The prestigious organization holds a transparent work culture. Its a celebration of its teeming employees who have steered the organization to the dizzying heights of prosperity in no time. It’s a working framework, tuned and equipped to a tee for its arduous climb up the corporate ladder on a journey that has yet to see its heydays. History has seen a blip in the horizon touched and propelled by its ever growing strong and committed force.
The Grand Odyssey unfolds through trammels of time.
Bon Voyage!

CORNUCOPIA: THE RISE TO GLORY

It was the Cornucopia of achievement, of sprout and growth, of revelations and proclamations, Cornucopia 2010 for six years of auspicious existence. In office space every miniscule moment has been celebrated be it an employee’s birthday, completion of tenure or an Indian festival. Yet this occasion was the mother of all. It was an homage to those tireless warriors who have worked slog hours, day and night, within four walls to deliver a miracle. With a mollycoddled infancy they have witnessed its prodigious leap into a constantly evanescing corporate world, gazetted and extolled in its triumphant journey. It beats the old adage of the corporate bible that it takes so many years for a fledgling start up to break even let alone force standards under its tutelage or paint glossy tabloids labouring its many successes. It called for adroit leadership, painstakingly strategizing in corporate board rooms in the most unearthly hours and risking the very soil it stood for. It was the culmination of the war of principles that it envisaged and never say die spirit. Today it harbours the interest of its many employees who hold rich reverence and awe to its ever growing dimensions and stature. Each one with a space to learn, grow and play to the point of self indulgence have stoked unbridled passion to see them through the maze and leave behind happy trails of their conquests. It’s befitting to forebode where this organization is headed to given the initial spurt in its stride outshining many in its neighbourhood and its ever growing canopy housing the old and new aspirants. It has the underpinnings of an extended family where ideas are treasured with a thriving solidarity that binds its workforce. Preaching the dogma that its employees are the key for its foray into unchartered ground or for any kind of ethical or moral advancement, it’s a dream for a budding employee. A stalwart for peaceful existence and continuous self introspection to reach higher standards with room for personal growth through creative inputs, it poses an ideal work canvas. Few years ago it was a dream of five in limited office space, with a firm resolve to write history. Today it’s one of the most talked about, software testing company and its employee’s growing strength is a testament to its popularity as many embrace excellence in a fortuitous leap to a career bloom.
Tiresome, pressed for time when deadlines rent the air, yet not budging an inch to close matters before kicking their shoes off, it was like the precious dew of emerging dawn in tropical summer. The name was written on walls which sounded like Greek to most and declared the biggest celebration in the history of the organization. The destined day was declared as February 13, 2010 .The countdown melted into fingers as each one on his own felt its formation for an evening to remember and cherished and heart crying out ‘Till death do us part’. It was a time to address familial ties camping out for moments of pleasure and togetherness where every breath shared in office space had made the bonhomie stronger, tied in strings of camaraderie. The rendezvous was at the elite Stellar Gymkhana Club, a long hop from Noida in the folds of emerging city of Greater Noida. Mails were circulated on a daily basis in bold graphics extending heartfelt, warm invitation to all in a count backwards to launch into the august evening.
New faces joined the party enthused with new blood, adding a dash of latent jubilation to their first ever Annual Day communion. Hours dried to a trickle before final assault into festivities. Hopes of lather and fine wine in the depths of a quiet night when hands raised a cheer crowded the mind of young rookies with a chance to mingle with seniors and management, standing as one. Many nursed the idea of joining the bash on their own wheels when the crowd had gathered and games begun. Couples joined hands hitching rides on four wheelers to join the fest. For the rest of the entourage there was a shuttle service pressed into service to roll into majestic Greater Noida. All in their Saturday best in stripes of bright hues with the winter sun a dazzle in their restless eyes gathered on song. They were eager to unburden all the hype and hoopla created by organizers over a period of months. It was the cornucopia of wishes and dreams of its founders that had seen the organization rise to glory. It was time for a huddle to decide on strategy for ensuing matters and bask in the heyday of the dreamboat made to succeed. The overwhelming success of the organization sounds almost scripted to many. There was light banter on board the shuttle with a small section breaking into song and dance. Eyes wandered through windows in expectation, building up exhilaration in pieces as the engine drew closer to the Stellar Gymkhana. By the time the shuttle entered Greater Noida, they were out of their seats and back wanting to alight in mid air. Their merriment of simple song and dance had given way to raucous shouting in a melee with discordant decibels each trying to scratch their way to the comfort zone. The crowd paraded into the Gymkhana gates and finally the open ground decorated for festivities.
Chairs were draped with white linen placed under shady canopy of canvas for the crowd to hold centre stage. The professional Event Management group was at the helm of proceedings. The facilitator and his cronies scattered balloons on grass turf in circles and unearthed innovative contraptions for seasoned games to be deliberated effortlessly and with precision. The emerging crowd was on cloud nine watching the plot unfold with a burst of euphoria in every act and watching their steps. Juxtaposed with the round of refreshments was a volley ball match with a running commentary interchangeably by the referee and one of the team mates. Late crashers which included eminent faces helped themselves with pleasantries to finally end up volleying and cheering in harsh decibels. The crowd went gaga with rhythmic exaltation to witness the fervour and unfathomable passion built in every player worth his ilk, all for a friendly tussle as a precursor to the good times ahead.
Soon the fusillade of peak celebrations was broken through without any notice with almost all gathered and pulled in to participate. The host finally appeared with hands grappling with his daily bread, a sensitive microphone and let loose a barrage of checks and greetings, warming up the gathered crowd for the fun and games ahead. For an earnest competition teams were formed in red, green, white and blue. At the outset getting into games seemed rather ridiculous as all seemed to have grown out of such methods of recreation. However riding on the idea that there is no age to become a child again and taking pains to laugh out loud for apparently no strong reason was soon to make home in all participants.
First jig was the ribbon collector and formation of the longest string of ribbons. Ribbons were strewn all over the ground and all participants ran helter-skelter in mirth all over everything. The measurement of length of strings soon began with a voluble host declaring results with unmatched alacrity. A close call but somebody had to win. The party wore on, the atmosphere getting warmed up for ensuing attractions with loud music to dissipate into the festivities. The bubbly host did a good job of coalescing splinter groups that tended to break the rhythm of the proceedings unintentionally. All let loose in a magical guffaw captured in Eastman colour to celebrate a milestone. The heat had reached unbearable limits yet the spirits were on high to ride on the idiosyncrasies of a delightful host launching games from his sack of goodies. This was the yelling round and the team with the highest decibels would emerge the winner, judge’s discretion was final. All were encouraged to scream, applauded by honourable judge resounding the repetitive slogan with clarity. The Greens were the clear winners which surprisingly had the least number of members in its team. So much for intensity and passion. The facilitator rolled out one game after another from his conditioned bag of choicest games, enough to stir its participants in entirety with uncontrolled gaiety and feverish anticipation of the unknown. All participants were gung-ho, fighting for a cause to see their colours soar and emerge through intricate manoeuvring in impromptu sessions at the behest of their respective captains.
The next round was a test of suppleness in delivering a ring through a chain of participants in the least amount of time and without breaking the chain. Each team was given a ring to be carried deftly across to the very end of the chain. The ring was to pass through the body on its journey. Some folks misread the instructions and had to start all over again amid cheering and hooting. There was no waiting period between games and every time the coordinator shot a new one into the air, the plucky participants took no time to get into the groove. The game with a dash of rugby required skill and fortitude in trying circumstances involving a big team. A rugby ball was to be passed in a long chain of sitting participants with the last one to run up and hand over the ball to the first sitting contestant. The team to complete a cycle first were to emerge winners. It was a neck and neck battle with the winners home by a whisker. We had finally arrived at a man’s game, the feet numbing, heart throbbing, octopus race. A light yet sturdy participant was to stand on a metal frame. It was to be carried forward to the finish line with the help of its tentacles in the form of strings tied to the frame and pulled by team members with all their might. It was hysterical in flashes as the frame sometimes would not budge making the octopus play a jig. The judge helped himself with water in between his instructions to nurse a parched throat. It was the penultimate ring game before lunch and this one asked for tall contestants. All participants were to hide in huge ring of supple plastic and propel that contraption forward, slapping the roof ahead. For some it came easy, while others were left behind.
Finally, the decider and it came as a second nature for most of the participants. Each team had to prepare a grocery list which was then shuffled among the four teams. Now four members had to stand in an alien huddle and read out the grocery list to the home team. The challenge was the noise and commotion created to distract the contestant. The raucous crowd wasted no time in demonstrating what they were capable of, screeching away to glory and tearing away at the bloke with a list of essentials in a grocery store. They pulled on participants trying to walk up to their home team and shouted even louder. A clever game devised and disclosed with the audience in mind, and great fun to play. It was a hard day under the sun for both the contestants and host but not without the adrenalin pumping, heart throbbing moments of excitement that made them all spellbound and coming for more. The show was half way through; the host took a back seat and pulled out a cardinal event from the itinerary, the timeout everyone had been looking forward to, lunch.
It was time to socialize, catch up with folks with a plate of delicacies meticulously prepared for the occasion to satiate and tease the taste buds. It was a unique occasion for young fledglings to blend with high rise corporate foghorns sharing the same space in a heartfelt camaraderie. Freshers had a unique opportunity to rediscover themselves, escalate their presence to the high brass, least of all elicit visibility. The food was a potpourri of assorted dishes, honed by seasoned chefs with the traditional and the neo modern. The dessert had everyone roll in for a dollops and streamers of coiled ‘jalebis’ and ice cream, scrumptious to the core. There was a picture parade for keen eyes behind the camera longing to make moments memorable for posterity. Volunteers pooled in with the latest line of lenses, battling the heat and dust to capture the occasion in the most bizarre angles and shades of light. The swarming crowd ambled across to a scaffolding featuring a puppet show hosted by a little lad, who spoke beyond his years. Audience was urged to applaud as each act transpired at the hands of the one man band. He lend vocals and music with artistic finesse and daring demeanour. The skit ended to a huge round of applause from all quarters.
The evening was getting warmed up for the couples, scattered and scarce, picked on by a laid back game show host for a bout of ‘couples only’. It was a sweet game of parting love where the contestant was tested on how well they could communicate with their partner when each parted ways. A soft water balloon was handed over to each player and asked to pass it on to their partner who then had to catch the load without damaging the balloon. Couples were asked to step back the distance after each round making it difficult to handle the soft jelly. Balloons burst at every step making couples bow their heads in a grin. The soft handed couple with a dextrous touch stood their ground with dry hands and seized the moment. The sun was setting low and the evening air with a whiff of fragrance; the spirited host pulled out a tight rope from his bag of dwindling goodies for a game of tug of war. Well built players took to the extremities with the captains to egg their teams in theatrical overtones with a call of the wild culling out words of brutal combat to push their team to the safety zone. The winning thrust saw the loosing team give up the battle and tumble on their heels. It all boiled down to the spirit of hosting such events, sportsmanship, strains of uncontrolled laughter and a time to party.
The customary round of games had finally been called off and the night was ablaze with lights and music. It was that time of the evening when many bid adieu for a seat on the local shuttle homewards and some vying for shared mode of transport. The local DJ had been called in for the beats and rhythms of the times to a swell audience in a stamp of total immersion on the dance floor. Eyes cornered with vested interest on a young man’s journey to procure adulthood. It was times for fiendish foams of delight to caress tempestuous yearnings in a guzzle to knock about the head and unearth costly revelations. All hands blended in a perfect toast for a night to remember with friends.
The last attraction was the dinner and subsequently all dispersed to call it a day. Buses with revelous crowd darting in gaiety were on their way home.
Cornucopia, the event to reckon with came to a close. A day well spent in celebration of the brainchild of its founders and its triumphant emergence as a force to reckon with in the area of Software Testing and much more. A unique cornucopia of virtue, fortitude, equal opportunity and eternal family ties opening exciting vistas for the budding employee.
The organization has come a long way since its inception, with tomes of calibrated workmanship set to perfection going down in the annals as one of the quick turnarounds from a meagre beginning and for its many competitors-
‘On a road less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference’
Times have just begun for the organization and history has yet to be written.

UNSUNG WHIMPERS

Save Tigers is the slogan for our times when tiger numbers have dwindled to a meagre count. The forests bear a deserted look as the striped mate with colossal contours leaves behind scarce trails. Blake’s poem ‘The Tiger’ may be among the only lines adorning pages for the future generations exalting the feline grace. Stuffed tigers with fiery eyes and stripes of yellow and black will embellish palatial bungalows and museums. Tiger numbers are on a steady decline and very soon they will go extinct. This is a major event in the history of humankind when our dearest predator, a symbol of power and strength that fill catching eyes with awe will finally rest forever. There is a delicate ecological balance that rests on wildlife, flora and fauna and of course humans. One twitter less can terribly disturb the equanimity far from anybody’s notice.
Out of the many tiger reserves in India today I had the good fortune of accompanying my colleagues on a trip to Bandipur Tiger reserve located in the Mysore District of Karnataka. Feisty eyes wandered to catch tiny squirrels with a wild streak, looking for a place to hide and deers staring in the distance. Our caravan stopped in the middle of the action expecting to catch a glimpse of the famed tiger. Sounds from the wild rent the air, prominent among them were those of elephants and leopards. Afternoon was on a new high, the chosen time perhaps not apt to witness a busy wildlife. Elephants wandered away in the distance without an appearance, deers dispersed and rampant squirrels finally found a place to hide on top of trees. It seemed like the entire forest was on a daytime nap, even gigantic forest ants were lost in reverie packed in baked mud. We watched the trees blow in the wind and listened to the hissing sound of forest insects. A trepid group waited in expectation for a sign from the feared one. A part of us felt we rather made a retreat without witnessing the jungle cat. A troop of monkeys, with aunts, uncles, granny, grandpa and little children perched on mother’s shoulders ambled across our vehicle. They didn’t budge an inch until we offered them bananas. Grandpa raised an eyebrow at the offering but reluctantly left the scene, plucked violently by granny. Our vehicle moseyed along the dirt road biding time. Dusk settled in and the wind grew colder with scores of birds emanating from bushes and trees making all the sounds possible on earth. Roving eyes behind binoculars caught the glimpse of rare pug marks that somehow didn’t look like those of an ordinary cat but an estranged tiger.We were, in fact, on the trail of a lone tiger and decided to follow it to the hilt. Night in all its darkness fell before our eyes and we counted moments before our vehicle would head for the highway. We flashed lights in the dark jungle and a faint ripple in a pond was all time could muster as a harbinger of an absconding tiger. The tiger trails had died down and someone among us claimed that he saw a tail flash in the bushes. That was the nearest we could get to a live tiger who perhaps scurried away avoiding flash lights. It was time to call it a day to our forest spree with wonder at what might have been and if in fact were close enough to the wild beast. Some of us were glad at failing to encounter a live tiger but that it yet another story. It goes to show the awe and trepidation for the tiger in humans and other animals alike. We were safe and sound as we hit the road to Ooty. Do all the tiger reserves tell the same story, a case for the dwindling tiger population in the nation? Time should have told us a different story and tiger numbers grown to strength just like humans. But now extinction stares them at their faces with few cubs frolicking on mother’s arms. From around 40,000 at the turn of the last century, there are just 1411 tigers left in India. The main factor in diminishing population, then, is not just natural death but killing in staggering numbers. Indian since ancient times has been a land of hunters. Old Nawabs in days of yore in their fetish of the hunting game killed many with merciless hands holding guns. It was a false pride at stake, overpowering the all powerful and deadliest creature known to man. Their halls and living rooms are decked with trophies of many victories along with estranged tiger fur matted on the floor or wall and head pouting out in vengeance.
When the tiger walks in the jungle, all animals flee, scampering to safe ground. If the mighty elephants had it their way, they would rather go down on their haunches to the emperor.
Perhaps a zoo is the only place left where we can be sure to encounter a live tiger. Out of the few places to go to on an excursion, the zoo is the most prominent. May be a quaint little city called Patna hasn’t yet caught up with times. The young ones choose the zoo as a place to unwind and spend moments of leisure. The typical big city Mall culture is on the city’s list of things to look forward to and not too far in the future.
Patna zoo hosts a variety of wildlife kept in an area of a few square kilometres. Upon entry both sides are flanked by huge bird cages with a collection of rare birds flown in from faraway lands. The story on the other side of the cage is quite different from what we presume. They represent a set of tortured creatures, trapped in cages holding on precariously to life. The cages are old and dilapidated with a nondescript working environment for them to live or procreate. There are not enough food grains or water for animals living a starved life forsaken by zoo authorities. Yet the zoo holds a variety of wildlife with elephants, monkeys, black bears, crocodiles, rhinoceros, lions and, of course, tigers. It was the summer month of June and a black bear was walking to a fro with head pinned to the ground, apparently irritated by the heat and the lack of water in the area. The zoo authorities were mum at the torture so ominous, yet didn’t budge an inch for the alleviation of the pain inflicted on harmless creatures. The focus of all attention was the group of sailors from distant lands descended to tell us all a story and grace the land, with steely eyes, the all powerful tigers. There were handful tigers some lying down in the hot sun and some resting inside a shed. There was an excited bunch of people, especially young, that gathered outside the tiger cage expecting some action. Some even fired pebbles rather timidly to awaken the beast. The tigers looked lethargic and did not heed the onlookers. So many among them waited for the tigers to rise on their toes and amuse them, yet the tigers never even took to their four legs. Lack of flesh for them to feed on or provision of water made them sleep for twenty three hours and they got up in disgust in the remaining hour to feed themselves. How many days or months they will actually survive is a question to ponder for all of us. Thus the count of tigers will slip without an addition; the very thought of procreation is a farthing for the tigers. The circus is another place which flaunts its exhibits among which the tiger holds a vital place. It is a place where we harness the potential of jungle mates for a night of amusement. All wait with baited breath as the jungle boss walks out of its cage and takes a strolls around the circus arena. Today such shows spell the dwindling numbers of tigers as very few actually feature them.
There is an urgent need today to provide enough funds to forest department and ministry for them to take care of the remaining tigers and just maybe in a miraculous turn of events, see the numbers actually grow. We can surely buy some time before the onslaught of destiny scripting the final end let them go to sleep gracefully. Isn’t it strange when the future generation asks us about the creator’s Magnum opus, symbol of energy and power, a loner called tiger? We are fortunate enough to have a chance to see a live tiger. Its end will be marred by a major ecological shift causing havoc on Mother Earth in some form or the other. The cloud of emptiness will be felt by Mother Nature. Today tigers are murdered for their skin, body parts and poaching is rampant. A major shift in their natural habitat by deforestation and encroachment in forests has taken its toll on their numbers.
Govt. of India started Project Tiger scheme in 1973 to ensure a viable population of tiger in the country. It didn’t seem to go in our favour as forests diminished and with them tigers that once roamed its bed. An exploding population overtook the lands once covered by forests. It was certainly a call between human lives and the wild thing, finally the human cause emerged. What does the striped stranger do when people take away its home, feeling restricted in trammels of human orchestrations. It draws a thin line between the two worlds and succumbs to suffocation, a slow killer.
A recent effort in conserving our national treasure by rejuvenating tiger numbers is ‘Save our Tigers’ campaign, a collaboration between Aircel and WWF India to save the wildlife especially tigers worldwide. They are raising awareness about the impending disaster looming over the human race through their website, asking for generous donations to NGO’s to help them in their rescue measures. Can such measures really make the tiger numbers grow? Aren’t we a little late in grasping the gravity of the situation? Today human populace has grown out of sorts with astronomical demands for food and shelter making the onus shift to the depleted forest cover.
Today it’s the turn of our national animal to call it quits, how long, then, can we hold other animals of our land. The coming years shall tell if we can fight the uphill battle of wildlife conservation. For now our dear tiger can read the writing on the wall. And yes we do believe in miracles.
Tiger,
Hath walked the land,

With wholesome strides,
And steely eyes,

In throes of existence,

When there emerged the silver lining,
As night fell,
Thou turned the other way,
And went to sleep,
Forever.

BREAKING NEWS

The recent damage to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s sarod while flying Air India wide the article http://tinyurl.com/ye2ysbl was deeply regretted by Civil Aviation Minister among other dignitaries.
Arnab Goswami hosting a special discussion on Paedophilias wrapped up the show in haste without lending a complete voice to the learned speakers because of the sad tale of a broken sarod. My heart sank as I heard about the dutiful sarod that served its master for thirty four years. It was time for the age old warrior to rest in peace. If Ustad really loved the instrument then he should have let it go without a whisper of complaint. Isn’t art and creativity an act of total liberation from trappings of trivial matters?
Such are the ways of the elite in this country. A dark spot on their effervescent dentures is a topic for national debate. Where does the common man go, travelling in packed buses, robbed and stolen in every sense, everyday, all ears to the blowing wind?
A top artist or a sportsman could find a place in the ‘who’s who?’ book of the President making him/her totally insured. Today innocent people lose their lives everyday which is unheard and unnoticed. They lead a nondescript lives on the scruples of honesty and hard work only to be slain for no good reason.
Ustad had flown the airline for so many years and never found a reason for complaint. It’s surprising if not totally ludicrous that a broken article while transit could elicit apologies from the highest of officials including the Chairman of Air India.
Probably the Ustad has heard the tale about the sage and his magnificent horse of the purple moor. It was his life in gallops of song, chastely white and treated with utmost care. He could trade his life for the horse and still be indebted to this perfectly sculpted beauty. One fine day this thug comes along and steals his horse. Does the sage file complaints to the angel in heaven for stolen property? No, he just smiles and takes a promise from the rogue not to spread the word that the horse had been stolen. He let it go with no regret. Perhaps it was meant to be that way.
Today we have monotonic standards in the field of performing arts, be it musical instruments, painting, sculpture,etc. For tabla we have Ustad Zakir Hussain, for the flute there is Ustad Hari Prasad Chaurasia, for painting M.F.Hussain and of course our very own Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with his prodigious sons. We don’t hear other names besides them, not in abundance anyway. In India people don’t take to the performing arts readily. The reason is probably not finding enough promise in a future with the performing art. They take to professions not their own in the awnings of a meagre existence. Yes, they do find devilish content at the outset but the fever slowly dies down fighting job hassles and finding so many hours of sleep. And then there is poorer section of the society that simply can’t afford the art and its medium of expression. Life beckons on the other side far from the flights of imagination. The obvious question in our minds would be that does India have the talent in its teeming population. We sure do but the sad story is that we don’t hear from those pearls scattered in a mundane milieu. Don’t we swear by our hearts after listening to greats like Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. Yes there are voices even better but hardly come to the fore.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is no doubt a genius at what he does. His intrinsic ability with the instrument has seen him scale new heights of performance and creativity. On those shoulders rests the future of sarod in this country. Just like other arts I have not heard of another name besides his very own when it comes to sarod. It’s time to rise above a level of a material minion and be selfless in keeping his art above all. It’s time he did his bit to promote this magical instrument among young talent of this country. Maybe he already is. Why don’t we see more of them instead of the broken sarod on national television?

HOMEWARDS

The title ‘How Bihar can rise as a developed state’ (rediff article http://tinyurl.com/ykqcxuy on January 4, 2010) evoked memories of a land left behind years ago. I remember the old rusty road I walked on for good fifteen years, yet it still opened up a new space in me. Patna, on the womb of the Ganges had slowly settled at the back of my palms. Patna, a land that hasn’t moved and the clocks turned cold ever since the greats stepped on its bare hands. A city slowed down for the masses so that each poor soul has his share of bread and flourish in its expanse. There aren’t many nine to five jobs in the city shorn of the hustle and bustle of the Monday madness. Unlike big cities where every moment on the street is a parade of imported cars, this city is quaint with school children interspersed with the poor masses. The sensible long abandoned this land during heyday of Lalooraj where nothing except small businesses was functional. A visit to the Post Office would take more time than expected even for posting a letter because Chota babu had suddenly fallen ill or the unscheduled tea party of official brethren was taking some time to round off. The sojourn at the Post Office that began early morning would inevitably end in time for a late afternoon nap. Government failed in every sphere as the rich amassed more wealth by unfair means. Yet it played a major role in the daily life of its people.

Since time immemorial Bihar has been a place for students, educators and learners. Even for a dearth of infrastructure it offers the best of education in the country. Our school didn’t have a building of its own and we occupied rented houses for our classes. In today’s milieu where the world moves with the English Language, Bihar has the best of Missionary schools with English as the medium of instruction. They have left an indelible mark in my psyche and made me the person I am today.
Today we suffer due to lack of investments in our land. Many of the rich natural resources have fallen in erstwhile Bihar to a state called Jharkhand. I remember taking long trips to the industrial area on my bicycle where hardly any industry flourished. A school boy then, I met a young man, Pompi, twenty six years old whose father had a factory in the same industrial area. They were shutting down their factory and going home to Rajasthan. When I asked Pompi the reason for this action he quietly answered:
“You won’t like to know, it’s too complicated”
All I could guess was that there probably had been a breakdown in the machinery due to lack of infrastructure pointing in all possible ways to the government. Another such house, my father’s close friend had several industries around Bihar but all of them failed as they went bankrupt. Now an old and sick man, he sits silently avoiding shareholders and waiting for the Final call.
Below the incorrigible layer of bureaucracy lies a Bihar that I have known. Its rich stillness is another world to ponder. It is like taking a sabbatical from work or studies. There is time to learn and absorb rather than being ruled by the clock. For seven years I watched the river Ganges flow at Gandhi Ghat next to our college. Potla Baba (the man with a small muslin bag slung over his shoulders) would sit under a neem tree by the river and chant sacred hymns of longing and devotion.
“Babu this is our mother that constantly flows to cover our sins. She has a strong current of anger and anybody who tries to play with her would be dissolved and finished. She causes havoc every year crossing her boundaries causing floods. It is her way of searching for her true sons. She finally settles to a narrow stream dumping fertile soil to its banks and providing enough food to last the year for its teeming children. Bow down and touch her, be true and honest for the Mother knows you.” Buddha may have found the void he was looking for at Bodhgaya under the holy tree.
We await a time when Bihar would be called an industrial city. A time when all the riches of the world would pour down this forsaken land. Somewhere in the future (maybe) when people would consider settling here rather than immigrating to the US. If it can happen to every nook and cranny of the US then why not Bihar. The deplorable Government policies and ways have forced a major chunk of the workforce desert this land forever. All my friends left for bigger cities while I was at college in Patna.
We all wish to see a resurgent Bihar and so will be one day. On that day I shall be heading home. Pray
I pray for thee,
My homeland,
In silent whispers of falling leaves,
When thou come and we meet,
I await thee,
Come sweet Lord,
The time is ripe.
Amen.