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Bengaluru,
Bangalore,
Bengaluru
The British set up a cantonment about two miles from the city area. It developed its own culture. Its educational institutions and lifestyle had European features. However, the city where "tigers and polar bears" could be equally comfortable grew into a vital industrial hub after India gained Independence, when such public sector behemoths as HAL, HMT, BHEL etc were established. Assorted articles in this compilation give us glimpses of various Bengalurus – the royal and the feudal, the colonial and the modern, and, most importantly, the futuristic Bengaluru that is home to avant-garde technologies. You also learn of the medieval/early modern Begaluru’s rigid caste system – only a particular caste could manufacture a particular variety of cloth! The watertight stratification didn’t countenance the entry of a person into a locality of different caste. But, eventually the compartmentalised structure gave way to a more liberal ethos whereby a world-class education system took roots, right from the primary school level onwards. This volume fills in the gaps in Bengaluru’s history to an appreciable extent – providing a base for further research.
HUMAN law is law only by virtue of its accordance with right reason, and this means it is clear that it flows from Eternal law. In so far as it deviates from right reason it is called an injust law; and in such a case, it is no law at all, rather an assertion of violence." What was said by the Italian theologian St Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century holds true even now. In order to ensure that laws – natural or manmade – do not deviate from right reason, it is imperative that common people are aware of such laws in enough measure so as to resist perpetration of injustice. Sodhi has examined the various ways in which the country’s justice delivery system can be made transparent, responsive and humane. His views on the laws relating to disabled persons, death penalty, police, establishing of truth during a trial, public interest etc are worthy of serious consideration by the authorities concerned.
How vainly men themselves amaze/To win the palm, the oak, or bays. — English poet Andrew Marvell, The Garden Achievements need benchmarks. Therefore, an evaluation system for validating human endeavour becomes indispensable. There can be different types of achievements – physical and intellectual – that cover a variegated spectra of activities. Accordingly records are set, and broken too! However, this book lists records that owe their existence to natural causes as well as personal efforts. For example, in its ‘Human Body’ section, one comes across a man with most fingers (12) and toes (13) or the shortest body builder standing at 2 feet 9 inches! Interestingly, other sections in this book deal with education, creativity, entertainment, memory science and technology etc. Great book for children as well as GK quiz enthusiasts.
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THE late British
historian APJ Taylor had once remarked that history gets thicker as it
approaches recent times. This is true of Bengaluru, too. Not much is
known about its ancient history. Even the pre-British annals are
meagre. Kempe Gowda, a feudatory of the Vijayanagara Empire, had laid
the foundations of the fort city of Bengaluru near Yehalanka/Yelakanda
in 1537. Gradually, the town prospered and became an important
military and commercial centre. After occupying it, as is their wont,
the British anglicised the Indian Bengaluru into Bangalore, a name
that remained official till recently, when the original one was
restored.
