HAVE I jumped the gun? It looks so, but I have the confidence that I will be pardoned. I had, of course, shared it with Ratee that I have chosen the name 'MyCinnati' for the blog and she endorsed it with charecteristic American speed. Bhamy Shenoy, the untiring warrior, seemed to make that speed look Indian when he, in collaboration with Ashvini Ranjan, met the commissioner of Mysore City Corporation to quickly take the Apana-led initiative to a certain critical velocity. Raykar, the CEO at MCC, matched that speed in issuing a letter of acceptance of the proposal. Why these speeds should amaze anybody, people may want to know (and one of them would surely be Ratee, for, she has long left the shores of Mysore). They would do well to know the reason, somewhat captured in the opening article posted on actmysoreact.blogspot.
After some deliberation - which was eclipsed by the excitement at these dramatic developments - I made MyCinnati the url for this blog while choosing the name Brindavan Calling for the blog title. In doing so, I have brazenly lifted the title of the periodical, Prof CD Narasimhaiah brought out, albeit without much commercial success. Who but only CDN could have thought of such an utterly musical name for a tabloid. Neither the paper nor its founder is with us. The memory of the title still rings in one's ears; that of the man refuses to fail.
Did the Brindavan refer to the famous gardens in the neighbourhood of the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir? Or, did it refer to Krishna's Brinadavan? (Did CDN think of Gopalakrishna Adiga while choosing the delectable title?) Anyhow, either way, it makes sense. The Cincinnatians, I am sure, would pardon me for not being apologetic about my haste. But, I can guarantee to them that there is no indecency to the haste. Krishna consciousness being all-pervasive, it covers Cincinnati, too. The title of the blog is transnational, transcontinenetal, even transplaentary. Hope it will be to everybody's liking. I am sure CDN wouldn't have complained about my direct lift.
There are already a few from both Cincinnati and Mysore who have reacted with alacrity to the sister-city initiative. Going by these early indications, speed and enthusiasm, it is easy to deduce that there is something in the air. How promptly and effetively can we take our ideas forward? It is a question for which we all have the answers, I will start posting my answers soon after the more experienced have posted theirs on this blog.
2 comments:
Good beginning Vijendra.
Let us hope that MyCinnati will flower soon and spread its fragrance all around like the famous Mysore Jasmine.
Even if it is early let us start giving thoughts to what this sister-city relationship can do to the residents of both these cities. Here are some of my thoughts.
Since Dussera will be soon with us, we can start spreading the word about Dussera to Cincinnati residents and invite an official contingent from there loed by the mayor.
Second we can motivate Mysore Univeristy to get in touch with the university in Cincinnati to exchange scholars and researchers.
We can ask MCC to get specialists from Cincinnati to help us in water supply (no doubt we do have our own Jusco), solid waste management, getting the involvement of public, and budgeting.
Rotary and Lions can be requested to contact their counterpart in Cincinnati and start intercation to come up with projects to help the poor in both these cities.
NRI based organizations in Cincinnati could be contacted to develop relationships so that concerned NRIs could be encouraged to help the NGOs like Pratham or Bapuji Orphanage and such NGOs of Mysore.
Mysoreans can be encouraged to have as house guests Cincinnatians. This can go a long way in building relationship.
Our college students can be asked to have correspondence with students in Cincinnati through email, Faceboo, Orkut and other social networks.
Literally there are hundreds of projects we can think to build a strong and vibrant relationship in this global village.
Friend Murthy, whom I called to share the development on our two cities, is a distinguished Indian from Bangalore based out of California. (His parents lived in Mysore). While expressing his appreciation of the initiative, he has also expressed caution that there must be a clear understanding of what precisely we must be doing together. By no means a naysayer, he has offered to play a role in the initiative. He has also forwarded a couple of useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_cities
http://www.sister-cities.org/
Thanks a ton, Dr Murthy. We look forward to your guidance and active support in this endeavour.
For those who do not know much about him, here are some useful links:
www.sunrgi.com
http://www.ryze.com/go/genius
http://Mlovers.Tripod.com
http://murthymusic.tripod.com
http://sarigamapadani.tripod.com
http://musical-ecstasy.tripod.com
http://naarada2003.tripod.com
You will find that there are not many areas where he has not left his footprints.
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