Dear Colleagues  

Here is another round of random reflections for your perusal:

  1. Surrounded by beautiful green hills, Imphal is located in a very fertile valley. Urban habitation here goes back several centuries and the heterogenous population of the region lived in peace and prosperity. The region has a number of rivers, and indiscriminate private and public construction projects are causing flooding even when it rains ‘normally’. My hotel had water upto first floor a couple of weeks before!
  2. After a long time, internet went ‘bust’ and chaos reigned supreme on July 19, especially on Microsoft platforms. Delays in flight boarding occurred as several young front-desk operators could not write boarding passes by hand! Then, a Blue Space of Death (BSOD) appeared on screens, implying as if the Lord of Death, Yamraj, had arrived to perform his duty!
  3. With encouragement from younger members of family and friends, I ventured to attend two shows of very famous stand-up comedians this month in Delhi. Housefull shrieking audience in both shows had average age of 25, and me an odd old man out, laughing softly on good jokes, and merely smiling on others. Neither shows had any proper arrangements for food/drinks, not to mention long Qs and unbearable frisking. How not to make it an evening of fun, when one spends three hours commuting for 90 minutes of comedy!
  4. Vast tracts of north-eastern India border Myanmar, especially the province of Manipur. Historical trade, culture and family routes have been disturbed by violence and war in recent years. But borders remain. So, ‘Burma bazars’ in Imphal and other places abound in selling a wide range of Chinese products, traveling through Myanmar. Amazing human ingenuity for trade and commerce, despite all sorts of blockades!
  5. Olympics are here again, this time in Paris. I have been watching some live and some recorded sessions of excellent human energy and skills in a wide range of competitions. Many stadiums and sports arenas seem to be full of spectators, but the seats seem to be far away from the place of action in the middle. The angles and details that I can watch on television seem far superior in quality and entertainment, and at no cost!

Stay well, sincerely

Dr. Rajesh Tandon

 

 

About the Author

A Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, USA) and an electronics engineer (IIT, Kanpur) with a graduation in management (IIM, Calcutta), Dr Rajesh Tandon is an internationally acclaimed leader and practitioner of participatory research and development. His journey with PRIA started in 1982, as a young IIM graduate wanting to do more than just complete his PhD fieldwork.

You may be interested to read

November 1, 2024

October 1, 2024

September 01, 2024

July 01, 2024