Looking back 2005

Another year has passed by. Here are some of the happenings that impacted me..

Fury of Mother Nature - Tsunami
The real impact of the massive tsunami that stuck India, Indonesia, Thai Land & Sri Lanka in the last week of 2004 was felt only in 2005. The countless deaths and the resultant sufferings still continue to haunt innumerable families cutting across all religions. It is heartening to read that India has done a good job of rehabilitating the victims. But, the job is by no means over and I hope all countries help the tsunami victims get back to some sense of normalcy, in particular help the orphaned children.

Fury of Mother Nature - Kashmir Earthquake
The powerful earthquake that stuck both of sides of Kashmir showed the ugly face of polity between India and Pakistan amdist of human suffering. Both countries stuck to their rigid postures while letting the victims suffer and die in the bitter himalayan cold.

Fury of Mother Nature - Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina showed how even a super power can falter and exposed deep divisions within the American society. While City, State & Federal officials played the blame game, bloated bodies floated on the streets of New Orleans and gangs ruled the refugee centers. FEMA did buckle up and poured in funds to help the victims but a disturbing question lingered Did color of the victims play any role in the initial tardy response ?.

Human Tragedy - Terrorism
This is a world wide phenomenon with no sign of letup. From Israel to Istanbul, from London to Lalbagh no place is safe any longer. Humans might conquer the moon and outer space but have utterly failed to learn from history.

Human Tragedy - Iraq War
There is no end in sight for this war based on faulty intelligence. Americans and Iraqis have suffered a lot in the last few years. It is starting to look like Vietnam revisited.. I sincerely hope it doesn't come to such a pass.

Triumph of Human Spirit - Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong defied all odds and created history by winning tour de France record number of times. His tenacity and undying spirit have become the guiding force for lot of people around the world.

Triumph of Willpower - Nambikai Jana
By his sheer determination and the willpower to make difference, Jana has shown the world that if there is a will, there is way. He learnt to paint using his mouth and competed with regulars and won awards. He is now learning to play keyboard. God Speed Jana..

Raising Indian Star - Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza burst in to the Indian Tennis Scene like no other player. She is a role model for millions of Indian kids and has changed the way in which people look at sports. I hope to see her scale new heights in the coming years.

Disturbing Trend (in Tamil Nadu) - Moral Policing
Starting from the dress code for college kids to individuals view on pre-marital sex, moral brigade in Tamil Nadu is out to stifle the voice of women. It is unfortunate that there are so many holy cows and the saner discussions have been replaced by brute force of violence and verbal intimidation.


At a personal level
I guess God helps people through people.. Numerous people have helped me in various forms with out expecting anything in return. So thank you God for placing me in the midst of such a wonderful people.

Here are some of the things I set out to do in 2005:

Rise early:
I have always wanted to do this but never took to it. Even now, I am not sure if it has become part of my DNA yet, but I have been consistently getting up early in the morning to get my dose of exercise for the day. My frequent travels have been a hindrance to this but I am sticking with it so far.

Exercise regularly
This again has been a elusive goal for me but have made some progress this year. I participated in three marathons and completed two. This has given me the much needed focus to rediscover running and lose some weight in the bargain.

Post regularly
I could do lot better in this front. I did better in 2005 than the previous year but still have a long way to go. I am yet to find my niche and consistency. I hope to do better in 2006. I do dream of writing like Sujatha & Tom Friedman. I hope to do better in 2006.