NT Forensics

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/10/2487760.htm?section=justin

NT forensics personnel Kym Chilton and Gino Rob are off to Victoria to help identify the victims killed in the fires. This is indeed a very tragic time in Australia and NT forensics personnel are highly skilled and experienced from performing forensics during Bali bombing and East Timor tragic events. We have worked with Kym and he is a very efficient and meticulous man. All the very best.

Figure this one

All university exams and classes in Tamil Nadu have been suspended indefinitely to protest against the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The local Tamil Nadu Government has been protesting strongly against the war in Northern Sri Lanka and political parties of all hues have taken up this protests of conscience. However, on Telly we are now watching the third one day international cricket test between Sri Lanka and India! Go figure that.

Kurai ondrum illai

Radhesh played this song on the flute. The song was composed by Rajaji and became famous through MS.

Murali's Inner Peace

Murali has produced a flute album titled "Inner Peace". The album was recorded entirely in Chennai. The album has melodious music played in the Hindusthani style. Murali also hired a tabla player in Chennai to accompany him. The music is indeed very peaceful. Murali, Keep it up. The recording is very clear and crisp. Here is a short snippet.

Ananth's Wedding

The traditional music party at the wedding playing the Nadaswaram and Thavil

Murali and Rad at the wedding. Murali taught Radhesh to play the flute

Ananath and Darshini on the oonjal (swing) as part of Tamil wedding

Ananth and Darshini got married in Chennai on 21 Jan. They both make a gorgeous couple. We met up with our friends from Adelaide some of whom we are seeing after about 4 years. Radhesh and I went to the wedding and Mythily couldn't come as she had to conduct Uni exams for her college.

We also met up with Murali and family. Murali taught Radhesh to play the flute when we were in Adelaide. Murali has brought his first musical album. I will put up a few snippets from this album hopefully tomorrow.


At the Wedding we met up with Tahlia and Gary, Ananth's mate, who had come all the way from Melbourne. My special interest Tahlia is vegetarian. Keep it up Tahlia. She probably had a great time in India as far as food is concerned as India is the heaven for vegetarians. Also check out their blog http://tahliaandgarylostinindia.blogspot.com/, They have got some cool photos of the wedding.

Reunion

With Harry at KREC beach

St.Cecily's

Snake in the grass

Radhesh playing the flute

The reunion group

We had a reunion after 25 years at KREC, Surathkal with my batchmates who studied engineering course with me. However, out of about 300 of us, about 20% only could make it and others still were attached to it from a distance. Although I am seeing most of them after 25 years it was remarkable that I could recognise most of them. With some it was easy, like Shankar, Navin, Revankar (he actually looked better with age), Madhukar rao, Baba, Raju, Venkataramani, etc., hadn't changed very much at all. Others had a completely new look about them. I had completely forgotten most of their names and needed a bit of help. Mythily knew most of them and so we had a great time. The guys who organised this had done a neat bit of organising. We are in touch with each other through Yahoo groups.

The guys had come from far and wide. From Australia there was just Harry and myself. There are 2 others who live Sydney who couldn't make it.

The best part was Radhesh thoroughly enjoyed himself.

The college, it is on the same terms as an Aussie Uni, has a lot of concrete dropped on the campus at a number of places. Like any other Government establishments in India, this one also needs a lot of looking after from some responsible people. Only question is where are they. Can you believe this college has its own beach.

We watched a cricket match between St Aloysius and FRMCC, Moodabidri. Nothing much has changed there. We also saw a snake behind the Chemical engineering department.

I think it is NH 17 - what a sorry state it was in. How could people put up with this type of nonsense from the Highways Department just beats me. The whole place was dug up, then a good stretch of road, suddenly bad stretch, then no road, etc. Why bother paying road tax for this treatment. The bus drivers were driving like those from Mad Max and produced situations fit to be scenes from American movies with car chases.

Mythily went to St Cecily's the school where she studied at Udipi. She was totally thrilled and took a photograph of her being pushed by her sister from the steps in her school.

We are well here

Many of our mates have enquired if we were ok following the recent Mumbai attack. Although we are nearly 1500km away, we were shocked by the violence of it all. It is beyond me to understand why would anyone should unleash such violence on anyone. However, one wonders in a region where religions and great ideas were floated freely not very long ago, many violent incidents are happening on a daily basis. This region had openly invited anyone who wanted to be a part of it. Yet there is so much violence today. I am also adding mental violence to it- promoting differences, caste, classs, economic, etc. The old thoughts in the subcontinent were that all religions must be secular, spirituality scientific and business social. Suppression, exclusivity and fear are making the region violent. More inclusivity would make the region more peaceful. Would this happen? I doubt it. Such differences, I think, have been responsible for foreign domination. There is a saying in Tamil கூடி வாழ்ந்தால் கோடி நன்மை. This nice rhyming statement means you live together and there are millions of benefit.

Wasim Akram, one of those brilliant Pakistani bowlers, made some sensible statments. He says that he considers India as his second home. I doubt if any Indian cricketer would dare say that.

There were also a number of high political dramas after the unfortunate attacks if you had not already read about them -

• a Chief Minister was driven out of the house of a slain soldier,


• Another Chief Minister announced cash rewards for soldiers while the commando operation was going on,


• Politicians commenting about the frequency of such incidents,


• Condaleeza Rice visiting at an unfortunate time and blaming Pakistan, etc.

However, the most disturbing aspect was the media using what could be termed "embed" method. The media was almost alongside the fighting commandos. Some channel even broadcast a telephone conversation with a terrorist. Media liberty is fine but I expect them to be responsible and sensitive.

Soon after the Mumbai attack, some magazines commented that the commandos did not have basic, atleast in these modern times, equipment. One item that attracted my attention was the helmet worn by commandos did not even communication ear plugs! I hope this is not true since almost any motorbike rider in Australia seems to have it.

There were also others who pointed while such attacks were being carried out on a daily basis on poorer populations in India, the entire country is being 'outraged' because a few rich people and their properties were attacked. While this is cynical, there is some truth in it.

What I would like to see is a single India that is united, being inclusive, ready to accept others and their opinions, and make useful contributions to the world. An inclusive India is also very essential for the betterment of this world.

Picture - a waterfall near Ooty.