Au revoir 2005

Turning points are always moments for reflection.

Change of calendar year is one such moment.

Time to look back at the hits and misses.

But effort should always be to look ahead.

 

As Peter Drucker said:

"Follow effective action with

Quite reflection.

From the quite reflection

Will come more effective action."

 

Live in the present.

Learn from the past.

Look to the future.

 

May there be less of hatred, anger and violence.

May there be lots of happiness and fun.

 

Wish you all a New Year 2006

That will see you realise your dreams, and

Bring in lots of Happiness and Success.

Attack on IISc Bangalore

So, the much-feared terrorist attack in Bangalore has happened. Mercifully, only one life was lost. But the bigger tragedy is that we had to have this happen (inspite of intelligence reports, and media follow-ups) for our government, and IISc itself, to realise that the terror threat is real indeed.

Interestingly, IISc director Balram refused to comment when asked whether his institution had learnt lessons after the security breach during Chinese PM Wen Jiabao's visit to the IISc in April. In March newspapers had front paged a story on how Lashkar was targeting Bangalore.

Nothing happens to VIPs. It's always only the innocents who suffer.

One refrain was: "We will learn only if such a thing happens." It's a very sad commentary on our administration. IISc was very much on the Lashkar radar (newspapers had spoken of it.), though sadly like always only IT companies were in the focus.

But terrorists are no fools. It didn't need our CM, Dharam Singh, to say today morning that yesterday's attack was a planned one. Terrorists obviously knew that Bangalore doesn't care for anything beyond IT firms. (In some respects not even IT firms.) IISc was an easy target. It's one of the dozen of so national premier institutions in Bangalore.

Only three days back all newspapers reported on page one the news of three terrorists being arrested and how Bangalore was among the cities they planned to attack. Now it needs to be found out whether yesterday's attack could have been much worse, had the arrests not been made.

M G Road, Brigade Road and malls are packed with people especially in evenings. Foolproof security in open places is virtually impossible. But at least specific targets need to be made more secure. Bangalore is not used to such things. But better late than never. We need to change.

Srirangam-Thanjavur diary

One of the most striking features of south India, is the large number of temples. They open to a visitor the vast artistic heritage of our country. Some of the prominent temples are the ones at Kancheepuram, Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Madurai.

 

The one in Srirangam is a huge one, in fact I am told that this temple which is spread over 150 acres is the only one in the country with seven enclosures: symbolic of the seven elements that make up the human body. Interestingly, the main entrance to the temple faces the south, which is exceptional since normally it should face east. Of course, there is a complicated local legend that accounts for it.

 

We were here on 21st. The architecture is simply breathtaking, especially considering the fact that building science hadn't evolved to the extent it is today.

 

We then moved to Thanjavur, one of the most prominent temple towns of India. Because of lack of time, we had to do a hurried tour. Brihadeeswarar Temple or the Big Temple is one of the four temples in the region. It's so vast it takes about three to four hours to go around the whole area. The temple is within a huge fort, and the gopuram is about 200 feet tall. The octagonal shikaram, I am told, rests on a single granite stone that weighs 81 tons. There are lots of inscriptions, and Bharata Natayam dance postures.

 

We went to the Maratha Darbar Hall, Royal Museum, Maharaja Serfoji Memorial Hall and residence of S Babaji Rajah Bhonsale Chattrapathy, senior prince of Thanjavur. We went to cooperative handicraft emporium, where there were excellent artefacts.