I was amused to read recently an article by Shashi Tharoor who expounds a theory of engineers being prone to terrorizing behaviour. He also makes out a case for all engineers to compulsorily undergo a course in Humanities, so that such souls will become more compassionate and less terrorist minded.

I have scanned the article ( Sunday Times, date - sometime in March 2008) and posted as a photo here. Hope the readers can see it.

He has based his observations on a recent research by two obscure sociologists from Oxford University, who did a study on the prevalence of engineers among the known terrorists identified by many agencies.

While I am far far removed from that world of blood and gore, I do take exception to two wannabe experts espousing their half baked efforts at research, as something of gospel truth. Detailed analysis of their sample for the study itself will show how ignorant they are of engineering and I would daresay, ignorant of how to read men per se.

It is a natural and logical fact that anyone who has to do something related to engineering skills have to have some education in engineering.

It does not mean that anyone who has educated himself in foreign affairs  or humanities rules him out from being a terrorist!

I perceived a shockingly high level of immaturity on the part of ST to expound such half baked theories in his column, and use it to malign engineers as a community. It is insulting to insinuate that since engineers  do not have humanities as a course subject, they are incomplete human beings.

The reason, if you ask my personal viewpoint has to lie somewhere else. The opening paragraphs by ST reek of sour grapes syndrome. Or maybe he has an axe to grind against someone who is an engineer. ( Haha  I am not serious!!!  Just trying my hand at being immature like ST)

Whatever ST has studied, I would not recommend  that particular curriculum to anyone  if the result is to produce someone like ST. Hahahaha.. No way!!! 

ST is and does what he does, because he is ST. Let us not blame his curriculum for that

To be fair to ST, he has indeed put in a sort of disclaimer by saying that he knows a few engineers who would not harm a fly. But that very disclaimer  suggests that he does think of the rest of us engineers  as violent  walking beings ready to explode anytime!!! 

Take a hike, ST. You will be surprised how few people would actually ascribe to your viewpoint.

As for kissing the frog, yes, I will not. Engineer or not, I don’t believe in getting anything as easily as by a kiss.

For me, a kiss is a kiss. I kiss my loved one, just to make both of us happy, sensuously joyful  in what God meant us to be while kissing. And surely He did not advise that I should kiss a frog much as I would loathe it, but expecting it to turn into something desirable!!!!

If that were so, ST would have been a lifetime Secretary General  of UN by now, seeing his proclivity and tendency to advocate the kissing method to success!!!!