tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4567368472934030352.post7200771145632093685..comments2024-03-06T00:38:02.377-08:00Comments on ``Mysurean Musings: Tribute to Krishna Vattam Dinakar KRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148152470155668711noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4567368472934030352.post-56200453017857675482015-10-02T03:16:15.157-07:002015-10-02T03:16:15.157-07:00More...
Some articles started appearing in the Mys...More...<br />Some articles started appearing in the Mysore Blog park on topics such as “Sears” in America, and these days when every street in Mysore has seen a dozen families settling in USA ( unlike in 1960s and early 1970s when it was hard to spot a few Kannadigas even in large metropolis there. That made that arch Loud Mouth Ballal of that mediocre Ballal hotel to prattle so much about his daughter in America!!). <br />Lastly, as Saradavilas High School students, we knew the flip side of those venerable teachers. They supported and eulogised those students who projected themselves in the class, suggesting solutions to rider work in geometry. Later, it came to light that these very students took private tuition with these very mathematics teachers, just the day before, where they got solutions to these riders from them!! Where are those glittering students, who were eulogised and paraded as exceptional wise young men then? Not many thrived in their college days, and were not able to compete the really bright who kept quiet in the class in the Saradavilas High School class rooms, but thanks to their rich fathers got good jobs These blog articles about Saradavilas High School for example lack real analysis, just like GVK articles. Yes, they could be anecdotes of one’s experience. But these need critical analysis too. K V Narayan used to ridicule in a threatening way ( no one knew whether he grinned or not!), any bright young lad who went to see him asking to be put in the English medium section. He used to cite the example of his son in the Kannada medium class, but conveniently forgot to reveal that his son was not bright, that he arranged his admission in engineering college, and the medium of instruction for him did not matter given the almighty “R”-the recommendation behind his son!! The son became a mundane civil engineer in America-one often wonders why go to America to become a builder of bridges!! Similar culture then in Saradavilas College except a few lecturers who were impartial, surprising though this institution grew out of the High School; still students like the sister of one of us, and and Narayana Murthy could flourish<br />Who reads these blogs anyway? We did and still do sporadically to find out whether standards have improved. We may have a very long wait then. Like Mysore Blog Park and Churumuri, blogs often have a short life!!<br />The Four Just Men<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4567368472934030352.post-25296383015735607982015-10-02T03:14:41.274-07:002015-10-02T03:14:41.274-07:00The late Vattam covered Mysore news. We knew him ...The late Vattam covered Mysore news. We knew him a lot longer than you in early 1960s. But with the publication of the Bangalore edition of the Hindu in late 1960s or so, and also Indian express ( their journalists dominated in Mysore), Deccan Herald lost its shine, and it never gained its shine. Vattam was an amiable man, but like GVK, he was not a formidable journalist, but unlike GVK who suffered from a myriad prejudices, Vattam was basically a nice man-too nice to be involved in journalism which needed then incisive investigative reporting. A number of issues were crying to be reported then Mysore University’s shenanigans alone could have filled many column inches of the paper for many issues. One cannot be nice to all people, particularly letting the politicians and powerful administrators go without serious questioning of their activities.<br />Now about GVK. He started his blog with great fanfare, appealing to the Kannadiga diasporas around the world. He reported his younger days in the West, and particularly in England, where he was employed as a sundry reporter for Indian employers of news sheets, and if any one questioned the authenticity of his so called facts, he would get particularly miffed and his uncivilised responses were unbecoming of him as a serious ex-journalist. He had surrounded himself with some who had at best tenuous links with Mysore, and one of them a Keralite who like him got nasty in his replies when any one questioned the authenticity of what he wrote. One time, he revealed the personal correspondence of one poster to rubbish what was a legitimate correction for a flaw in his article. He wrote about South Parade ( now Mahatma Gandhi Road) in Bangalore , but except a few photographs nothing substantive about this patch of Bangalore was produced. On the other hand, a few articles in Churumuri about Bangalore of those days were more illuminating. Churumuri had no policy of verification either, and never removed outrageous posters who verbally abused other posters! Well typically Indian trait!! <br /> After GVK left Mysore, surprising because he claimed that he came to Mysore as it was relatively tranquil etc.. etc.., and like that “Kannadiga” RKN, he went back to his tribes in Tamil Nadu! Mysore Blog Park became the Park of all sorts of people who wrote all kinds of things not related to Mysore at all. Then it became Kerala Blog Park! Now, it has become irrelevant. GVK ridiculed Churumuri , not clear what his gripe was; one could imagine that this Churumuri blog at one time was attracting the contributors and posters from the Kannadiga diasporas around the world in a way GVK never managed. He had another supporter called Bhami Shenoy- he was really barmy, who as a graduate of IIT Madras , claimed IITs were still above board in their admissions etc.. When one professor who worked there observed how this merit only admission-based on competitive exams were circumvented through backdoor admissions, he flared up and ridiculed this professor ( Barmy- that should be his name, worried that his degree was downgraded by this “infidel”!). Barmy ridiculed Narayana Murthy too, as not worthy of IIT and hence he said Murthy joined the local engineering college. Those who know Murthy well in his engineering college days will testify him as one of the brightest students there. His decision was purely based on finance; he was a son of a teacher and could not have afforded to live in IIT hostel even with the scholarships, as they had to supplemented by parental contributions often. Now Barmy is in Mysore Grahachara Parishad. Grahachara is the opt title! <br /><br />The Four Just MenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com