I recall yesterday that when the initial news of the tragedy came in, Rediff had this headline saying "Indian students safe" and on reading the article you find that the list of dead hasnt even been released ! This is yet another example of the shoddy editorial standards at Rediff.com which doesnt believe in doing any research whatsoever.
RE:Rediff.com needs new editors/editorial policy
by Sarnath Kannan on Apr 19, 2007 08:30 AM Permalink
Sometimes facts come a bit late..They r just attempting to report with the best information they have. Its ok.
On monday Virginia Tech, my alma mater, had to witness a horrific shooting that killed 32 people and injured scores others. My thoughts and prayers are with the students, faculty and families of the victims.
I arrived at Virginia Tech in 1980 on a cold September night following my first ever trip abroad. Earlier that night I had arrived at Roanoke airport on a flight from New York around 9pm with no friends and acquaintances at the University and worried about what was in store for me. The limousine drive from Roanoke to Blacksburg with a female driver on her walkie-talkie seems hazy now after almost 27 years but was instrumental in forming friendships with an Indian professor and a returning graduate chinese student from Hong Kong, Bosco.
Bosco was returning from his home in Hong Kong that night after the summer holidays. He had been a graduate student of computer science at VPI and SU (as Virginia Techwas known in those days) for about 3 years and he took one look at my "totally lost" look and wanted to help. He offered to have me stay that night in his apartment which I gladly accepted. All I remember that night is how I went and crashed on the floor of his living room with my 2 suit cases around me after a trip that took me around half the globe.
The next morning Bosco took me to the Burruss Hall where the foreign student offices were located. Norris Hall where more than 30 people died yesterday was next door. I was floored by the beautiful sight of this campus from Burruss Hall with the green oval drill field and all the gothic grey structures around this oval. The criss-crossing of students on the drill field was a great sight of an University in full flow even though classes had not started yet. You could see students carrying all kinds of things - TV, cupboards, books, boxes, etc - and trying to settle down in the dorms. During the summer months, you could hundred of students play frisbee. Yesterday, I was pained to see the drill field empty and the swat teams moving through it with their guns drawn taking cover behind trees and swat cars.
The foreign student advisor appreciated Bosco for his help to me and requested him to help me find an apartment that morning. We loaded all my belongings into his big american car and went around the town of Blacksburg. It didn't take long for one to go across the town (there is only main road in the town). The town is nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains on the border with West Virginia at an altitude of around 2000 ft. The town is in the midst of beautiful green rolling hills all around with duck ponds and lakes strewn all across the town.
It didn't take too long to find an apartment and a roommate. Thanks to Bosco and I had a pleasant experience being a FOB ("Fresh of the Boat") that day in 1980. Being in an alien country with very little money and no friends, the help from the Boscos of Virginia Tech have enabled people like me make the transition to live in this country in those initial days.
May her soul rest in peace and God give strength to her family.
Major Manish Pitambare, the great son of India, laid down his life while eliminating terrorists in Anantnag(J&K). People came across this news on a foreign news site(bbc), and not on an Indian one. Indian media was too busy with Cricket, Bollywood and Politician's news, and thought this news was not worthy enough. SHAME ON INDIAN MEDIA, which don't know that true heroes like Major Manish Pitambare are the only force that is keeping India and Indians alive. Indian media must stop reporting stupid news and start covering important news like this. Please help me in let them realize this.
After reading so many articles about her death, I can't help feeling the sense of insecurity that has crept into so many parents' thoughts. Invariably, every engineering student studying in India has his or her dreams about studying in the US. This will make a few conservative parents think harder. This is a truly tragic event. What did an innocent girl do to meet this fate? Palpably, many have argued about so many innocent civilians killed in West Asia and elsewhere by guns or otherwise. People who talk about that should note, have we heard of any good news from those parts of the world? For time immemorial, we have heard of atrocities inflicted by one dictator after another. If it is not dictators, it is war related events or something else. On the contrary, we have always heard of how good the US universities are. It is very unusual to come across such tragic news from universities which are adored and respected many an aspirant in India. It is even more unfortunate to note about a psychopath killing 32 students from a premier university such as VPI, Blacksburg.
RE:Reema Samaha
by naren mudi on Apr 19, 2007 01:07 AM Permalink
Dont be annoyed with the fact. CNN does that because there are many international ppl staying in USA. And so ppl all over the world brose cnn.
Why dont you think like this.
I am a indian, so i always browse indian news channel. Then i suddenly saw this news in indian channel. Then, immediately i went to cnn website. Because, CNN got good hold of news in USA.
Think about viewversa, Same thing happened in India. Then i am sure, local news channel abviously keep seperate details about foreigners. Because,
"Because it is the responsabality(curtesy) of host country news channel"
What about the other Indian American prof GV Logunathan, he was the cream of IIT and a scholar in his field where is a tribute to him REDIFF?? He's has been considered a genius within his department by his collegues and students.May be Rediff thinks it's not very glamorous to put his picture and pay respects to him.
RE:What about Logunathan?
by Aruna Kumar on Apr 19, 2007 12:47 AM Permalink
Yes, Very true. Rediff should dedicate a page for him also, considering that he was a brilliant teacher, well loved by students, over and above his achievements at IIT... No weapon can touch the immortal soul...May GOD grant his family the courage to survive their heartbreaking loss...The loss of a good father and a good husband is a loss that can never be covered.
RE:What about Logunathan?
by prabhu ramji on Apr 19, 2007 01:01 AM Permalink
Yes.....let his soul rest in peace!!! India has lost a gud proffessor!!!he mite hve workd for US...but still he is an Indian!!!
Minal, Sorry that your dreams were shattered early... As the soul is immortal, I am praying that you are well wherever you are. May GOD give courage to your family, to suffer the ordeal of having lost your company.
