[LIS-Forum] TBR - Great Loss

[I.R.N.Goudar]

Friends,

When I heard the telephone ringing at my residence  during the  odd hour 
at 4.45 am on 4th I could lift  the phone with unknown fear.  It carried 
the shocking news intimating untimely  and sad demise of  my friend and 
professional colleague Dr. TBR due to tragic accident the previous 
evening.  Since my digital organizer was new it had very few numbers to 
inform friends, colleagues and students of Dr. Rajashekar.  I could 
inform as many as I could using BSNL Telephone Directory including NCSI 
colleagues and in turn requesting them to inform others.  I am sorry if I 
could not inform some of you in time due to nonavailabilty of telephone 
number.  In spite of being Saturday a good number people could give their 
last respect and tearful farewell to TBR.  The news spread like a wild 
fire  and phone calls were flooded from all corners of the country for 
2-3 days.

TBR and myself were classmates and housemates at DRTC.  Even as a student 
he was hard working and dedicated to the professional cause. He was more 
fond of developmental and academic activities than routine administration.  
His contributions to the professional developments both at national and 
international level are remarkable.

He was associated with NAL in a big way by way of helping us to deliver 
lecture in workshops, conferences and having common projects. He helped us 
to develop our institutional repository using E-Prints (Will be announced 
soon). Probably we have been the major beneficiary of his services 
through seven of his  students and even now four are with us.  Most of the 
Digital library activities  and related services, open archive movements 
in the country had the  benefit of his expertise.  DL related conferences 
used his service for tutorials.  More than anything else he was very 
calm, but with charismatic qualities.  To tell in one sentence his death 
is a great loss  to his family, friends, LIS and IT profession and many 
past, present and prospective students of NCSI. 

We had a condolence meeting at our Information Centre and like wise I  got 
the news of  similar meetings already held and also planned  shortly in 
different parts of the country. May the Almighty  give the strengths to 
all of us and specially his family members to bear this irreplaceable loss 
and may Raju's soul rest in peace.

Goudar
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I.R.N. Goudar			          Tel: 91-80-25086081
Head, Information Centre for 	  	       91-80-25235315
Aerospace Science and Technology	  Fax: 91-80-25268072
National Aerospace Laboratories           E-mail:goudar at css.nal.res.in
Airport Road, BANGALORE-560 017  India
http://www.icast.org.in/staff/goudar.html