A HUMBLE TRIBUTE                                                                                                 28 July 2015

Dr A PJ Abdul Kalam left us for heavenly abode, this morning! In his death the country lost a person per excellence. He was a visionary with missionary zeal besides very humble and down to earth person.   I had an opportunity in a small way to be associated with one of Dr Kalam’s initiatives - ’Technology Vision 2020 Programme’.  The vision programme was launched whilst he was the Scientific Advisor to PM cum Chairman TIFAC, Dept. of Science & Technology, G O I. I was steering as honorary Chairperson, Milk Vision Group which was a constituent initiatives of the ’Technology Vision 2020 Programme’. He was a person with unlimited passion for not only getting into detailing but learning as well which he continued even as the President of India and beyond till his last breath!

May His soul rest in heavenly peace! 

ANIMESH BANERJEE

Since the fallout of President Nixon’s ‘Watergate’ scandal in US, it has become a fashion in the media to give a ‘Gate tag’, be that proven or unproven corruption issues. To garner higher TRP most of the media houses in India too have been conducting corruptions debates in competition with each other. The latest one is about the Indian cricketing czar Lalit Modi’s ‘ModiGate’, which is buzzing now in the Indian media!

 The ‘ModiGate’ debates are primarily gyrating around the probity issue and as usual, chorused by besides TV anchor, panellists representing ruling & opponents political parties, specialist/ Journo,  etc.  These prime time TV debates sometimes turn into noisy theatrics in proving one another party corrupt, when it is well known each is having skeletons in its cupboard. Do these competitive corruption debates really cut much ice with the viewers in general, especially to those inspirational Indians?  

These competitive corruption debates also remind me of a famous quote of Guru Nanakji’s, “ Bura jo Doodan Main Gaya; Bura Na Miliya Koi; Jo Main Doodndoo Aapnu; Mujse Bura Na Koi –Went for searching a fall(bad) guy; could not find one; when I searched within me, I found none bad other than myself”!!

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