So where does the upcoming Karnataka Assembly election stand, in comparison? Will the BJP finally turn the corner and come to power on its own in a southern state? If that were to happen, how will BJP’s success change Karnataka, especially caste and communal relations?

It is depressing to talk about how elections might impact social relations instead of debating what new public policy might a new government execute. Given how politics has become a business, perhaps the most profitable one, we shouldn’t even talk about a public policy anymore.

Sadly, money will not be issue, it seems, to any candidate. That’s not a good thing but these are the wages of prosperity that Karnataka has seen.

It will be interesting to see how the smaller parties and independents might impact the results in each constituency.

Sam has a loyal following of deeply knowledgeable basketball fans in all corners of the world; to read his NBA mailbag (which truly was about NBA and not merely Bulls) every week is to get a geography lesson. I, like all his readers, admired him for his simple perspective: the game is bigger than the players, who have an obligation to realize what a privilege it is to play basketball for a living, play the game the right way and not disrespect the game. So when he writes about knuckleheads like Tyrus Thomas, he brings in his knowledge and love of the game as well as the wisdom gathered from watching the greats compete.

Read the following excerpt from his last NBA mailbag. The questioner wants to know how Sam feels about having to watch this Bulls team play:

One of the great advantages of having a job like I have is knowing what goes on behind the scenes and not just the stories or where players go and what they do. I know when there might be issues between players and I will watch to see how they react to one another or what they do. Or don’t, like refuse to pass because they might be mad at someone. Basketball is like life, except with more cars. The players have a great talent none of us have. But otherwise they are the same with bad moods, bad days, spouses and kids driving them nuts and petty disputes at the office. Though that’s a small part of my enjoyment of the games.

I stay up late every night watching the last NBA games on satellite and will watch Clippers-Timberwolves to the conclusion. What, that’s worse than Dancing with the Stars or American Idol? They all make fools of themselves on some level. I know just about all the players, at least by reputation and ability. So I watch to see what they will do at important times, which is the measure of anyone at their job. Will they make a big shot or play or shy away and not want the ball or pressure? I like to watch what teams are doing, the matchups and which coach is taking advantage. There’s a story in every NBA game and every game is a chapter in a season-long book.

I never much root for a team and don’t usually care who wins. The only time I really did was the 1991 Bulls, whom I traveled with for several years in the era before charter travel and I knew them well. I felt a part of that team like a family and rooted for them when they had that chance and was truly happy for them. I think I even hugged Jerry Krause in the postgame locker room in L.A. And I didn’t regret it.

So it doesn’t much matter to me that the Bulls’ record is so bad this season. I enjoy watching the response and the story within that. There’s always dozens of things that happen in every NBA game I look for and enjoy, and it’s no different with these Bulls.

As many of you know by now, I am leaving the Tribune. I need to set the record straight. I am not retiring, just moving on to work elsewhere, though that’s not certain where as yet. I’ve had a great run at the Tribune and while it looks like maybe the best job ever, it has been. I’m grateful for the Tribune to have given me the opportunity to have the job I always wanted. I was among a rare few who can look forward every day to work. When kids ask about professions, I always say to find something you love doing and look forward to and have passion for, and if you can find that, you’ll be a success. That’s the secret. Of course, I was hoping for Major League baseball player first, but this has been second. But a close second.

I’ve gotten a wonderful response from readers, and that’s one of the things I’ll miss most. And what I’ve discovered over the years is how in tune so many readers are. Sure, there’s the occasional suggestion of a Kobe for Chris Duhon trade, but the majority of emails I get are reasoned, knowledgeable and especially passionate. Some are angry and some are accusatory and some say I’m an idiot. So like I haven’t heard that at home or in the locker room. I actually enjoy the debate, which is why I try to come up with different ideas and ways of looking at things. What’s the fun in sports if everyone agrees?

The fun is when you don’t. Sports is never having to say your sorry when you’re wrong. Or ever believing you are wrong. So I will miss the debate and conversation with the readers.

These words aren’t hollow and the highlighted quotes in particular capture and represent Sam’s spirit than anything I could write.

Today, Sam Smith leaves The Chicago Tribune after 28 years of service. Along with many of his colleagues, Sam accepted a voluntary buyout.

Since buying The Tribune, Sam Zell has had a controversial tenure, be it with his various newspapers or the Chicago Cubs. Downsize LATimes. Warn employees over their behavior. Sell the naming rights to Wrigleyville. I get the logic of downsizing sometimes. But for all his business success, if Zell doesn’t realize losing Sam Smith (and his colleagues too) simply means he is really downsizing the value of his asset, The Chicago Tribune, then he is a fool.

When there is democracy in poll booth, why does it not exist in political parties?

Of all the people, when Rahul Gandhi asks this question, should we laugh or cry? If he is being sincere, then Rahul is only demonstrating his ignorance and lack of intelligence. But then his father too delivered a famous speech in the 1985 Congress centenary celebrations in Bombay decrying corruption.
Still as questions go, this is an easy one to answer.

But who will tell Rahul Gandhi that the Nehru-Gandhi family is primarily responsible for the death of intra-party democracy in Congress, which has proven to be the paradigm for all the other political parties.

Funny. If only Congress had enough democracy to allow its leader to be told that his family is responsible for some of the ills that the party and the nation suffer from!

It seems no explanation has been provided.

The relevant section (Chapter II and Section 4) of the THE KARNATAKA STATE COMMISSION FOR BACKWARD CLASSES ACT, 1995 states (note especially the highlighted portions):

4. Term of office and conditions of service of Chairman and Members.- (1)
Subject to the pleasure of the State Government the Chairman and every member shall
hold office for the term of three years from the date he assumes office 1[x x x]1.
1. Omited by Act, 24 of 1997 w.e.f. 29.9.1997.
(2) The Chairman or a member may in writing under his hand addressed to the State
Government, resign from the office of the Chairman or of member, as the case may be
at any time.
(3) The State Government shall remove a person from the office of the Chairman or
of a member if that person,-
(a) becomes an undischarged insolvent;
(b) is convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for an offence which, in the
opinion of the State Government, involves moral turpitude;
(c) becomes of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court;
(d) refuses to act or becomes incapable of acting;
(e) is, without obtaining leave of absence from the Commission, absents from
three consecutive meetings of the Commission; or
(f) has, in the opinion of the Government so abused the position of Chairman or
member as to render that person’s continuance in office is detrimental to the interests of
backward classes or the public interest:
Provided that no person shall be removed under this clause until that person has
been given an opportunity of being heard in the matter.

Well, what is it? will the Governor Raj explain?

Dhyanchand capturing the imagination of Hitler was a particularly favorite moment. The romantic in me likes to believe that for all the horrors of Nazi Germany, when Hitler asked Dhyanchand to play for Germany and not for British India, he entertained a possibility of personal redemption. If hockey could convince a bigoted Hitler to overcome his racial prejudice, then Dhyanchand must have been a magician.

Anyway, I liked Hockey. It was always an aesthetic spectacle, especially when played by Indians and Pakistanis. It was fantastic to watch the flowing game that Zafar Iqbal, Mervyn Fernandez, Mohammad Shahid and a young Pargat Singh played. The two Pakistani stars of that era, Hasan Sardar and Shahbaz Ahmad were simply sensational.

By the 1980s, hockey had already become a sport of power and strategy and the finesse of the South Asian sides often got them nowhere. Still, sensational dribbling by Shahid and Shahbaz as well as Pargat’s audacious defending along with regular forays, more in the fashion of a Left-in, remain etched in mind. One game in particular, against Germany in the 1987 Champions Trophy at Perth, with India trailing by 1-5, Indians played inspired hockey to come back and draw the game at 5-5, with Pargat, starting from his own half, dribbled past six or seven Germans before scoring a spectacular goal.

Mukesh Kumar, Ashish Ballal and especially, Dhanraj Pillai were worthy successors, both aesthetically and in terms of their commitment to the sport.

It simply saddens me that India cannot even qualify for the Olympics today.

It has been a long decline for Indian hockey and now that it is on its deathbed, no postmortem report will help.

On another day, we will find causes but today is for mourning.

“It’s just a fantastic moment to be in movies here, and the content is changing profoundly,” said Ashim Ahluwalia, director of a new critically acclaimed documentary called “John & Jane,” which depicts the surreal world of Indians who work in Mumbai call centers under American identities. “I’m not sure that was true even five or six years ago.”

Bollywood actors can learn the skills needed today at Kher’s acting school, which is almost like walking onto the set of the 1980s American TV show “Fame.” Young Indian actresses sport leg warmers and practice their lines while stretching, while handsome boys walk around in sunglasses, tank tops and jeans.

Not only was I a big Brett Favre fan, I began following football mainly because of his play from 1996 onwards. In the last ten years, I have probably watched more Packers’ games than Bears.

Brett Favre finally retires. Sundays next fall will be little less fun.

UPDATE: On the other hand, nobody would be upset at any adoration thrown in the direction of Adam Gilchrist, who offered many, many thrilling moments. Gilchrist was simply the most exciting cricketer I have watched.

I can only hope that the University of Mysore will be more prudent and better prepared than the Mysore Corporation, which has squandered ADB loan and has shown itself to be ill prepared to make use of JNURM grants.

So to identify areas of priority, the University administration should take the entire university community, including the alumni. More generally, this could also be a fantastic opportunity for the University to come up with a comprehensive plan to recreate itself, now that it has a substantial grant. The University could invite its faculty members and students to write memorandums on their pressing needs. A public debate involving the community at large in townhall meetings, newspapers and blogosphere will be essential.
I realize that the University has an acting Vice Chancellor but all of us also know that the University administration may not have much to offer. This has to be a movement from below, both to produce a vision for the University and to identify areas of priority. Moreover, we all have a responsibility to ensure the grant administration is transparent and above the board.

In that spirit, let me make the following suggestions.

The first priority has to be to the University library (and the department libraries too), which is in a disgraceful state. The collection needs to augmented, catalogue computerized entirely and the infrastructure completely modernized. There are also serious maintenance issues, starting from the completely incompetent and uncooperative employees. The University Library badly needs trained personnel, who are computer literate and are well versed in using electronic databases. We cannot have untrained attendors in the library, who if transferred within the University might be relocated to clerical duties elsewhere or will be bringing tea to faculty members.

The library also needs to subscribe to electronic journal databases. It is absolutely essential to buy subscriptions to JSTOR and such databases, especially to facilitate research. We need to take advantage of concessional rates that are often offered to the Third World universities.
An enhanced Computer lab, which offers enough Internet enabled computers to students, is also a must so that the students could access these electronic databases along with hundreds of thousands of digitized books, all of which would absolutely crucial in enhancing the quality of education and research in Mysore University.
I know that both the Information Systems and Library Sciences departments have some really good faculty members, who need to be used extensively to modernize the library and to train library staff, University faculty and students in using electronic databases. It is not enough to create this infrastructure, if faculty and students aren’t taught how to use it. Conduct workshops and training programs, extensively.
A second area of priority has to be the science labs. Even with my limited knowledge, I know that the quality of labs is uneven. If Applied Botany and Geology have been building their infrastructure through grants and foreign collaborations, the same hasn’t been true of other basic science departments.
Thirdly, we now have an opportunity to redefine the University’s publishing mission, by radically re-envisioning Prasaranga and introducing new ways of publishing. Prasaranga must become an IT hub for the University, an important site for Kannada software development as well as open source publishing movements. It should no longer should be wedded to publishing only printed books but consider online publishing, especially encyclopedias.

This would be truly the way to bring into the 21st century the institution building work that Kuvempu, Jawaregowda and Ha Ma Nayak accomplished since the 1950s.
This list could go on and on. I will expand on some of these themes later.

For now, let me just say: rebuild libraries and labs and be innovative in fulfilling Prasaranga’s mission.

While you are at it, wire the campus and turn Manasagangothri into a wireless hotspot. If the kids have money to buy fancy bikes, they will buy laptops too.

I know some of my suggestions seem fanciful, if not wasteful and impractical. They are not and they don’t cost too much money, especially wiring the campus and modernizing the library.

I also know that the University faces much more acute problems of infrastructure. Maharaja’s College, for instance, doesn’t have a fax machine in its office. That’s simply scandalous. The University administration could consider giving more money to its colleges and departments for contingency spending and ensure the basic infrastructure exists.

Hundred crores is plenty, if spent wisely.

Let the planning and dreaming begin.