India Diary

It's good to be back home again. You don't realize the value of the family support until it is not there and then you have it back. A kind word after a long day is a blessing.

While in Bangalore, I got to meet a few interesting personalities. One is my mother's uncle, who has written a few books on temples in Kerala and spirituality. He told me something very simple but profound. "Everyone is born, lives and dies. What is important is that we leave something behind of value." The other personality I met was Prof. N.S. Ramaswamy, founder director of IIM-B. He has also founded several other management schools like NITIE and Bajaj Inst of Management. The man is 80 and he runs several socio-cultural organizations. India Heritage Academy and CARTMAN are a couple. Some of his ventures are controversial and some call it impractical, but there is no doubt that he is a wise man. And hey, if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. When asked what keeps him active at 80, he replied "worthy goals".

Madras is the same warm city. A morning jog at the beach while watching the sun rise can be a great start to a day. I must say though that the beach is crowded place even at 5am in the morning. Grand old men clothed in their impeccable white veshti form appealing groups and send out alarming peals of laughter at intervals. Also watch out for the determined mami in her starched cotton sari and rather incogruous Nike shoes, you don't want to get in her way! Young men lifting weights at the dilapidated gym also vie for attention.

Bombay looked the same as last time to me. On the surface. Talking to people, I slowly realized that the water is gone, but the wounds still retain some damp. Saki Naka near the hotel is where about 50 people died in a mudslide. The government was rather callous. But life goes on with resilience.