No.1 Team in the World! Really!!!!...Really????

Out of the 18 Tests that India has played over the last 2 years, they have been on the winning side on an impressive 10 accounts and have lost only twice in this period. This in itself is a never before statistics for the Indian Cricket, and if we take into account the fact that 4 out of these 10 victories have been Overseas wins, then it makes this statistic look even more fanciful. No wonder that with these performances Team India finds itself at the top of Test rankings, with a considerable lead over the other podium pushers. But what is most refreshing about this celebration of sorts is the fact that the monotonous, boring and at times irritating dominance of the Australian team in this arena is finally over. And gone are the days when even the very thought of a non-Australian team at the top was a far stretched imagination or even a wildest dream, no wonder these are well and truly the changing and exciting times in the world cricket.

Though there is a school of thought prevalent among the critics of the game that Team India isn't the deserved owner of the top seat but that hardly takes away anything from the consistently stellar performances exhibited by this team over the last few years. However there is no denying the fact that they (Team India) aren't as fearsome as the West Indies team of 70's and 80's or the Australian team of late 90's and early 2000's but nevertheless they have been playing exceptionally good cricket well within their limits.Not only this team has a fearsome, spontaneous and an intelligent leader in the name of MS Dhoni, but they also have an equally capable team to back their leader's spontaneity. And to have a team with an aggregate run tally of over 50,000 runs and a total batsmen century count of over 100 is a no mean feat. Though this also highlights the fact that our's is mainly a batsmen led team but then bowling has never been our forte.

It's very easy to attribute this success to a few key man like Tendulkar, Dravid, Harbhajan, Laxman, Sehwag, Dhoni, Zaheer and Kirsten but there are few others too who are not a part of this team now but are still equally responsible for Team India's ascendancy to the top spot. And these elite gentlemen are John Wright, Souav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. Wright was the one who emphasised on the way these guys trained and prepared in the most righteous manner, Ganguly was the one who marshalled and transformed the team from a soft bunch of players to an aggressive lot of warriors and Kumble was the one who consistently kept on taking wickets and almost single handedly bowled oppositions out on the unfriendliest of tracks. But this undoubtedly is the golden era of Indian Cricket, as not often will it happen that the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag, Laxman, Ganguly will play for the country at the same time. One may see one or at max two batting greats playing at the same time, but these many doning the Indian Jersey at the same time will probably remain rarest of rarities. In that sense the Indians are truly blessed to have all of them playing for country at the same time.

But for India to continue it's dominance at the top spot, they need to improve and sharpen their bowling skills because it's ultimately the ability to take 20 wickets which eventually decides the winner. Though of late India have been out batting their opponents convincingly to cover up for their mediocre bowling but certainly these aren't good signs for Team India. There was a time when a majority of fans used to criticize the great leg spinner Anil Kumble for not being able to spin the ball much and literally bowling as a medium pacer, but his effectiveness over the years can be felt now when none of the bowlers of the current era (including Harbhajan) are able to tighten up the opposition's noose with their bowling. Understandably Kumble didn't spin the ball much, but his line, length and pin point accuracy was a nightmare for the batsmen all around the world, naturally to fill his shoes is a big task. So when Harbhajan is hitting back to back test match hundreds, it is definitely a moment to rejoice, but this team needs more of Harbhajan the bowler than Harbhajan the batsman. Because we have already seen with Irfan Pathan, what that extra pressure of batting well consistently does to ones bowling and when Harbhajan is already struggling big time with his bowling we should not pressurize him further with those alrounder tags. It's high time he takes up the role of the lead spinner in the team and mentor the younger crop as Kumble did so well in his time and Zaheer is currently doing the same with the young pacers.

The debate on whether Team India is the deserved owner of the Numero Uno spot can go on for a long time, but on practical and statistical terms the ICC ranking system states that Team India is the No.1 cricket team presently. And there are no doubts about the fact that Team India possess the most formidable batting line up in the world but from the fielding point of view this team is lagging way behind and the bowling attack isn't the most threatening one either. So if we surgically disect the three important areas of the game, batting wise, YES, Team India is the No.1 team amidst it's peers, fielding wise the team languishes right at the bottom and bowling wise too this team is certainly not the No.1 team and is rather just average in qualitative terms. So in such a scenario if this team wants to extend it's stay at the top spot then it should minimise its dependency on the batting strong hold and pull up it's socks in the bowling and fielding departments. Because it's not far when the batting trinity of Laxman, Dravid and Tendulkar will hang up their boots and the current batting line up will transform from great to good or may be even average. It's then that the real test will start for the bowlers, they won't have that cushion of a huge score to bowl with, every single time; the destructive, flamboyant and carefree Sehwag will 'probably' turn into an innings builder and may be more of a batting mainstay then the momentum builder, as he is now. Consequently the bowlers will have to equally share the responsibility of wining sessions along with the batters and will also have to shed their dependence on the bowler friendly tracks to bowl out the oppostion twice.Only then the fans of Team India can proudly boast that their team is in the same league to that of the West Indies and Australian teams of the past!

Perspective -The gruesome South Africa tour which is just days away, should be the first real test for this talented team to prove its mettle at the top spot!

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kin...

The Bihar Ball-Dance!

Why are the state elections in Bihar so talked about phenomena across the Nation? Or for that matter why is the state of Bihar so very important from a national perspective? Well, it is the third most populous state of the country, the Bihar state politics and dynamics have always had a huge bearing at the center, also the state of Bihar has always been known for its rich cultural heritage, great scholars, the great Maurayan Empire and not to forget it is the land of one of the greatest emperor of all times Asoka and the great Lord Buddha. But of late the main reasons which have kept Bihar in the news are the lawless situation, pathetic means of transportation, traces of roads in the barrens of potholes, paltry levels of literacy, unimaginable levels of crime and last but not the least the ever so ebullient, witty, comic and charismatic Mr. Laloo!

Naturally the recently concluded state elections had to be the talk of the nation, but there was no gentle breeze blowing through Bihar in 2010, it was almost a gale storm, one that literally rewrote the political sociology of the state, yes it was the Nitish gale storm! To lead his alliance in an impressive 206 seats out of a total of 243 and leaving the mighty Laloo & co tottering for just 25 odd seats and congress to a meager 4 seats, is no mean feat. And what is fascinating about this decimation is not the margin of the victory but the manner in which it has been achieved.

Neither NItish nor any of his alliance members used the age old card of caste and creed to woo the masses, rather the focus always remained on a vocabulary unheard of in the state in over two decades: roads, primary health centers, girls’ education and thermal power station. And the rapt attention with which the crowd listened to Nitish was an absolutely beautiful and welcome change. These alien concepts are the ones which the poor man of Bihar has always dreamt of all his life and despite the absence of caste references in Nitish’s speech, he still had the backing of not only all the extremely backward castes, Mahadalits but even the backward Muslims joined his bandwagon of Development. And not even once Nitish’s limitations as a public speaker came as a hurdle in his zest to connect with the masses. Rather the only rhetorical flourish he permitted himself was when he promised to confiscate the property of corrupt officials and set up schools instead.

In fact what has worked in Nitish’s favor at the end of his first five year term is his ability to convert the promises he made to the common man into reality. The triple S formula of sadak, shiksha, suraksha on which Nitish ruled or rather sweated for last five years actually worked in his favor. The gleaming highways and pucca village road’s are Bihar’s new pride, the bicycles for girls studying in ninth standard have become a symbol of women’s empowerment, 50% women reservation in panchayats and ability to just move out after dusk in Patna or Gaya is simply liberating but the biggest achievement of the last 5 years is undoubtedly law and order. In a state which has been lampooned in Bollywood and beyond as a land of thieves and kidnappers, Nitish Kumar has positioned himself as 'The Terminator'.

But the million dollar question is what has gone wrong with the man who once promised to make Bihar’s roads as ‘smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks’ but rather left them as lunar craters? Well the evergreen superstar of Bihar, Shri Shri 108 Laloo Prasad Yadav still offers the best one-liners and you still smile at his jokes but that smile is more out of a nostalgic remembrance of an old comedy film and somehow he is now just a caricature of the rustic king he once was. And even the famous adage which he once coined isn’t holding good anymore because the Samosa still holds the spicy Aloo but there are hardly any signs of Laloo in Bihar. And in true sense the public of Bihar has become too smart to be fooled by the corruption and inefficiency fluently practiced under the sugary coats of comic rhetoric; the development in the last five years has literally butchered the Laloo style of governance.

Naturally with a corrupt and toothless opponent, Nitish’s second home coming was just a matter of formality but the real challenge now for Nitish would be to manage the rising expectations. Though under his leadership education has received a boost, but jobs still remain scarce; Security has been provided, but investments haven’t come in; Crime has been controlled, but petty corruption appears to have grown; Roads have been built, but power still remains a crisis. Well it’s not fair to be utterly critical and pessimistic about Nitish’s future because the resolute nature and perseverance which the man has shown in his tenure is worth every bit of appreciation. But what is even more praiseworthy is the fact that Bihar has truly leapfrogged to the numero uno position in terms of the fastest growing states in terms of development. And the fact that common man in India has understood the importance of development oriented governance over the materialistic lures of liquor and blanket to vote, are the true indicators of India’s bright future in the coming times.

Perspective : With Nitish all set for a long term in Bihar riding on the wave of development, the only other career option which remains for Laloo is that of a standup comedian!


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kin...

Reality Shows - Not all that Bad!

Of late apart from the 3 seasons in the year,almost every year we are well and truly witnessing a fourth one too. And this fourth one is rather more consistent these days than the other three. So which is this new found consistent season dawning our lives every year? It's the season of bitching,bickering,abusing,exposing,debating,criticizing and banning. It's the season where in every year we or more particularly the Government of India takes objection to the vulgarity and nudity shown on the Television by the medium of reality shows and tries to curb it through threats and bans. Interestingly the shows in contention, the parties on protest, the sole aim behind the supposed vulgarity (high TRPs) and the final outcome of the entire drama remains very much the same every year but still there are no signs of any change,boredom or respite after these consistent streak of events every single year. And this recurring phenomena probably reflects the state of mind or the appetite of the audiences more than anything else.

So if this year it is Dolly Bindra breaking the decibel levels with her vulgar and over the top remarks in Big Boss, previous years it was some Raja Chaudhary or KRK doing the encore. Similarly if Ashmit Patel and Veena Malik are found coochi-cooing around every corner of the Big Boss house, previous years it was Rahul Mahajan and Monica Bedi or Anupama Verma or Aryan Vaid. Same goes with Rakhi Sawant, if last year she was creating new records of shamelessness and audacity with Rakhi ka Swayamwar, this year she is doing it with Rakhi ka Insaaf. And the list goes on with new shows like Emotional Atyachaar, Splits villa and Roomies following the suite. And what eventually happens every year is also a repeat replica of the last year, a select few raise voices against the proclaimed nudity and vulgarity shown in these shows, thereafter the Government wakes up and passes a threat or in some cases imposes a (partial) ban and in due course all these shows are back on TV in a toned down fashion or almost in the same vein.

Now the big question is, Is the Government or the Information & Broadcasting (IB) Ministry correct in imposing itself by means of warnings and bans against these shows? Or are these supposed shows of obscenity, the true and the only culprits? Well on the face of it, it's very easy to straight away tag these shows as the real culprits but the matter is not as straight forward as it seems. True that the content showed in these reality shows is objectionable and beyond the moral values which we as a nation have been endorsing and practicing for years but the high TRPs which these shows are garnering day in day out are the true indicators of the fact that how much the common man wants to see these shows. Whatever be the reason, be it the bold avatar of the main protagonists, be it the nudity, vulgarity or the brazenness shown by the medium of these shows, it beautifully emphasizes the changing times. This isn't the early Sunday morning Ramayana or the Mahabharata age, it's the age of late night shows of vociferous Dolly Bindras, brazen Rakhi Sawants and live telecast of a newly married couple's first night.

Hence it's highly imperative that IB ponders upon this change of guard among the audiences and only then they can hope for a long term check or curb on these morality breakers. Understandably the IB's concern about these shows casting a bad image on the children is praise worthy, but have they ever wondered that, Are these shows the only medium of vulgarity available to the children or the masses? With almost every second middle class child and every fifth lower middle class child having access to Internet in the close confines of his bedroom or the omnipresent Internet Cafes, isn't the free and readily available access to internet pornography a far more worrisome fact than these television shows? What good the IB or the Government has done so far to curb these free access to obscenity and vulgarity over the years? Hardly Any! And it's not only the children or the younger strata of the society who is an audience to these reality shows, the very fact that the TRPs of these shows are higher than the regular family soaps running on all the channels, clearly emphasizes the fact that even the families are watching these shows regularly and with a gruesome appetite.Naturally the producers of these (reality) shows are showing what the audiences actually want to see and enjoy.

In a nutshell, it's highly important to decide upon the permissible limit shown by the medium of these reality shows but that should not be the sole effort put forth to curb the obscenity on air. There are other sources and mediums too which need to be monitored, regulated and rigorously checked. And hence blatantly blaming the producers of these reality shows isn't the most prudent thing either,agreed that they are selling shit for high TRP's and raking big bucks but on a more practical note they are selling the commodity which is on high demand, so what if it's a waste of a commodity. On the whole, it's a vicious cycle which breeds on the premise that you might love it, you might hate it but you just can't resist yourself from watching it. And the funny irony is, this is not only applicable to the children and the young guns but this equally holds good for all those (IB included) critics and oldies too:).


Perspective : With new seasons of Splits villa and Roadies about to start, there is more fun waiting to unfold, not only through these shows but off it too:)!

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kin...

Congress Way or the Wrong Way...!

What ideally should have been the festive season in our country at this point has turned out into a Corruption fiesta. The Navaratri, Dussera and Diwali frenzy has been overshadowed by the CWG, 2G and Adarsh hysteria, with Kalmadi, Raja and Chavan being the main villains as against the age old Raavana. Unfortunately these new era villains can't be burned on the lines of what we do with Raavana every year, but make no mistake their offences are no way mean in terms of magnitude.

And the manner in which the oldest party of our country (read Congress) has handled these situations, truly embarks the reason why they have ruled our country for 50, 60 or all those innumerable years. If there is one word which aptly describes the approach of Congress Party in handling these fiascoes or for that matter many such situations over the years, it's the word 'SHREWD', and mind-it when I use this word its certainly not with a negative connotation. That's how they have been all these years and that's the very reason why they have been the most consistent and numero-uno political outfit for so long, also thanks to a reasonably considerate lot of politicians they are blessed with and not to forget the presence of ever so dominating and flamboyant Gandhi scion.

Where other political parties might have succumbed to the relentless opposition in handling such allegations and scams, Congress has been very prudent and precise in their execution. With CWG scam looming over their head for so long, they did what every government excels in, ordered a high profile probe, which in all probability will go on for ages or at least till the point where not only the opposition forgets the scam but even the public loses interest in these financial muddling and the same is happening with the 2G and Adarsh scams too. But what is interesting is the fact that when it comes to addressing such highly inflammable corruption charges against their party members, it's not the upper strata of the party which convenes the media or the parliament but it's rather the more low profile and unknown faces that are given the charge of addressing such scenarios. Ever heard Sonia Ji or Rahul Baba talking about CWG or 2G or any other scam? Never! They always keep their image clean and never indulge in the dirt sputtered by their fellow ministers; rather they concentrate more on pointing fingers on the leading figures of the opposition parties for their supposed involvement in various scams and thereby landing them (opposition ministers) in awkward situations.

No wonder despite the relentless outcry from the opposition and the media they stuck with the Kalmadis and Chavans, the main culprits of CWG and Adarsh debacle, for a smooth and successful Obama's visit. And even before Obama left the Indian skies, Congress were quick to axe both the tainted leaders in one go. On the face of it, it seemed that the government was trying to salvage India's pride by not giving much air to such controversial issues at a time when one of the world's most powerful leaders is visiting our country. But another angle behind this sudden axing was also to counter the huge uproar which the opposition might subject the government to in the winter session of the parliament which was starting from the very next day. And this axing move at the final hour actually left the opposition gasping for air, as they were not sure how to handle this master move taken by the Congress led government, which according to them (opposition) was their main agenda for the entire winter session. A perfect example of political shrewdness exhibited by the Congress high command!

But after much ado the opposition woke up and forced its way into the parliament with the alleged Rs1, 76,000 crore 2G scam and demanded an instant axing of its main protagonist Mr. A Raja. On the other hand Raja and his (DMK fame) mentor Karunanidhi where in no mood to entertain any such thoughts and were constantly claiming Raja's innocence on this matter. This scenario definitely put the Congress party in a bit of dilemma because the minister in fray this time around wasn't a Congress minister as against the Chavan and Kalmadi. And axing him (Raja) wasn't that straight because it was directly impacting their coalition at the center. They again adopted their ever so successful formula of 'wait and watch' and it worked again for them, their savior this time being the fairest (in color), fattest and smartest lady down south, AIADMK supremo Ms Jayalalitha. She announced an unconditional support to the Congress at the center, if they immediately axe Raja. And with this Congress again found itself in the best of situations, with none of the two parties (DMK & AIADMK) wanting to give an inch to the other, as they are not only eying the hotspot at the center but they are also aware of the probable gains they can reap from an alliance with the Congress in the soon to be contested State (Tamil Nadu) Assembly elections. So if Jayalalitha was quick to foresee an opportunity, DMK veteran Karunanidhi wasn't far behind, he immediately asked his protégé A Raja to resign, thereby vanquishing any chances of AIADMK taking their position at the center and also keeping high hopes for the forthcoming assembly elections. Yet again Congress had to do nothing and they were out of this soup much to the dismay of the opposition parties.

In the nutshell howsoever puzzled and envious the other parties may be, there is no denying the fact that if there is one party which knows the in and out of politics and all the tricks in the book to run this enormously hyperventilating country then it's 'CONGRESS'. Be it Nehru, be it Indira, be it Rajiv, be it Sonia or be it Rahul or for that matter be it any non-Gandhi Congressmen either, they all know the nuances of handling the most complicated of issues with a lot of finesse. Some may call their ways Shrewd, some may call them Mean and some might even call them Nasty but going by the track record of all the political parties post independence, if you are not following the Congress Way, more often than not you are on the wrong way!

Perspective - It's not a criticism nor an appreciation, but it's just an observation on how things run and work the Congress Way!
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kin…

The Obama Hungama!

They came, they impressed, they floored and they went away winning millions of hearts! But for some they came,they impressed none,they hardly nailed our neighbors and they went away with assurances for jobs and business for their own state, doing no good to us. The use of word 'THEY' is highly important here as it wasn't all about the Most Powerful Man on earth but it was equally about his better half too, who raked as much attention and applause as the Male 'O' received.

Now on the overall outcome of Big 'O's' visit, reactions are varied, cynics and critics all across are going hammers and tongs to pompously declare this visit as a big Failure.Their claim is that neither did he bestow us with any tall claims, nor did he made promises on strategic collaboration on the fronts like Technology, Fight against Terrorism or any other worthwhile benefits and this visit was more of an insult to our Nation than a strengthening of ties, as declared by the two head of states. But the ground reality says this is certainly not the best phase of Obama's presidency, his popularity in the US is at all time low, he is coming from a mid term election drubbing and his nation is still reeling under turmoils of economic crisis. So in this gloomy backdrop to expect that his visit will be a bouquet of goodies for us was an overtly ambitious thought. From the very starting it was clear that the main purpose of Mr Obama's visit was to urge the Indian Government to further open the Indian market for the US goods and services and also help in creating more jobs for the Americans.

On the other hand a section of people are overtly happy with the remarks and claims His Excellency made during his 4 day stay in India. The encomiums of garlanding India with the status of a Super Power and one of the fastest growing economy has flattered quite a handful, remember we are a nation which is on an ever starving conquest for platitudes but the truth beyond all these flattering adjectives is that we are languishing at the bottom of almost all human indicators such as education, health and hygiene or infrastructure. And to address all these factors we need funds which are being digressed on defense, thanks to a highly unstable nuclear armed neighbor. So the most prudent thing amidst all these sugary quotes made by the man who is known more for his excellent oratory skills than for his man-management or governance skills, is to not get buoyed by these remarks and to judge ourselves by what we are and not by what we can be.

Another sad thing has been the show of huge outrage displayed by our pompous local politicians, including the CM (of Maharashtra) who was living on borrowed time, having been caught stealing land belonging to the Kargil war widows, over being humiliated by the US. What was this humiliation? They were invited to meet Obama at a gathering organised by the US Consulate and were requested in advance to provide their identification through PAN cards and whatever ID our own Government demands of us whenever we enter an airport or any other place where security's an issue. So our politicians and bureaucrats took huge umbrage and refused to go. These ministers created such a huge uproar on this that the US Consulate had no option but to call it a clerical error and apologise. Apologise for what? For ensuring security for their own Head of State, the world's most targeted leader, at a function organised by them. Disgusting, to say the least!

Now two of the most highly debated, celebrated and abhorred agendas of Obama's visit were - 1. His assurance of supporting India for a permanent UNSC seat. 2. His avoidance of declaring Pakistan as a Terrorist state. On Obama's assurance of support for a permanent UNSC seat to India, almost the entire nation went on a celebration mode, as if we have just pipped down US from the Numero Uno seat (of global super power).We are so blinded from the reality that we can't even comprehend the fact that we can't just become a permanent UNSC member by a mere platonic support statement from the US president. The groundwork, the mathematics and the entire process is far more challenging than it seems from outside. And with military superpowers like Japan and Germany already eying that spot, it will never be an easy battle for India.

And on the issue of Mr Obama declaring Pakistan as a terrorist state, the wrath, the criticism and the disappointment all around is astonishing. It seems we are ourselves not very clear as to what we want on the Pakistan or the Kashmir issue. At one point we detest Pakistan for urging US to mediate in the Kashmir problem, by saying that it is a problem between the two nations and so it hardly makes a point in involving a third party. And on the other hand we want US to declare Pakistan as a terrorist state, now where do those 'no third party intervention' prophecies go? And why should Obama say so just for the sake of soothing India, for that matter none of the premiers of any state will ever make such bold statements against any of the states and certainly not when that nation is a part of their strategic alliance in the south east Asia. In fact the best indicator or between the lines read for us is the fact that for the first time in the history a US President is making a visit to India which is not accompanied by a Pakistan visit.

It's imperative for us to understand the fact that Mr Obama came to India not as a President of the United States but more so as the CEO of USA. And we should rather focus more on appreciating the flamboyance and connect which the couple showed with the Indian masses and media rather than digging various non-sensical matters and criticizing Mr President. We should appreciate the level of preparedness which the Big Man showed on his interaction with us, be it his constant remarks on Gandhi, Ambedkar, Bose or Tagore or be it his use of Hindi Jargons in his speeches (though this trick is adopted by all the westerners). Also can you ever expect Mr Manmohan Singh or for that matter Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee to go to the US and dance with the school kids on any of the Michael Jackson's pop number? Never! So rather than dissecting Mr O's visit to surgical levels its better to treat it as a just another foreign premier's visit to our hyperventilating country.

Ending the write up on the very note on which the Big Man (Mr Obama) ended his popular speech few days back - JAI HIND!

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kin...

Emotional Atyachaar - 'Dhokha' All the Way!

Boy loves a gal,gal loves (the same) guy, both are deeply in love, living in a wonderland which is so beautiful that makes either of them doubly check there happiness. The lead goes for a loyalty check against his/her lover. 99% probability, the suspect fails the loyalty test and the credit goes to the Emotional Atyachaar team for saving the lead's life by being the Saviour. At times Boy loves a gal,gal loves (the same) guy, both are deeply in love, living in a wonderland which is so beautiful that makes either of them doubly check their happiness. The lead goes for a loyalty check against his/her lover, expectedly the suspect fails the loyalty test but the lead also fails it at the same time, once again Emotional Atyachaar team turns out to be the sole winner amidst all this melodramatic chaos.

No wonder one of the most gripping and watched serials on television these days is certainly Emotional Atyachaar (EA). The craze and following for this serial is almost mind boggling, not only my younger cousins and relatives discuss this with lot of fervor but even my office colleagues and unfortunately my beloved wife is a big fan of this series. It’s not that I am allergic to EA, in fact I don’t enjoy a choice as neither can I stop my colleagues from discussing it, nor can I restrict my cousins from going mad about it and nor do I have the guts to snatch the remote from my wife every time she watches it diligently (and the irony is she watches the repeat telecast also with the same excitement), but my point is there are far more sensible and less fake things available on the platter. The show focuses on Dhoka (cheating) and more Dhoka's on the participant's part in each of the episodes but I personally feel its more of a Dhoka on EA's part to the audiences; all for raking high TRP's and exorbitant revenues.

I believe EA is almost like the age old WWF fights which also enjoy enormous following despite of the common knowledge that every ounce of it is fixed, staged and fabricated, but one hardly gets an idea about it seeing the exuberance levels of its fans. Same goes with EA, because who on earth goes on to make his/her life public and exposes it to the levels which are not only shameful for them but also for their entire clan. Understandably infidelity, temptation and suspicion are all common vices today but to see somebody who is in a long term stable relationship, fall in these traps in a matter of 1 or 2 phone calls or meetings is almost impossible to believe. No wonder people go around and fool their partners out of their low self esteem and irrational carnal desires but to almost get sexually active in matter of few hours or few days is out of our culture. Healthy flirting, chatting and befriending new people is acceptable to an extent but doing that at an expense of ruining ones serious relationship is outrageous.

The brazenness and audacity which is being showcased in this serial is incongruent with our tad conservative and traditional culture, though some might argue that metropolitan centers like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata have tuned themselves to the western ways of openness and independent thinking but still the levels of shamelessness shown in EA only fits well to the 70mm screen and works of fiction and not at all in the cauldrons of real life, as prominently telecasted every week. Naturally EA is a big hit among the masses because it emphasizes and throws light on those aspects of life which are still rare and shocking for most of us. And obviously we Indians being nurtured in the conservative environs are thrilled by the very concept of sex and infidelity, be it by the medium of TV, Movies, Print Media or through Internet. No wonder sex MMS’ of a C grade TV starlet are a bigger hit than the Olympic winning stellar performances by any of our sportsmen.

So what the TV channel is doing by the medium of EA is nothing else but cashing on this weakling and a tad conservative Indian mentality. Hence it is also not the most prudent thing to blame our cousins, colleagues, wives and all the followers of such sex and infidelity sellers because they are all just going by the flow and watching these serials not because they trust on what is being showed by the medium of these shows but because these soaps thrill them more than the other offerings on Television. Also like WWF, a majority of the viewers know that most of the stories in EA are framed and staged, as not 9 out of 10 guys can turn out to be so fraudulent and cheat to fail their (EA’S) so called LOYALTY TEST, at least not in India.
Assumedly it is quite easy to get trapped in the scenarios which are being framed in EA but the extent of the fall in every single of the stories is quite hard to believe. Naturally the TV channel is minting money by this newfound but murky concept, but they should be rather concentrating more on keeping intact our rich traditional values rather than making money by denting, maneuvering and maligning it.

Bird’s Eye View – But in today’s selfish world it’s considered to be foolish to think of things like culture, tradition and ethics rather than thinking of more realistic and productive things like profits and gains!

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kin...

That Unique & Pleasant smell of Diwali...!

So it's that time of the year again when the air around is much more ebullient, moods across are unanimously joyous and people on the streets are all in a festive mode, yes it's the festival time in India once again.The festive season starts in late August with the reverberating Dahi Handi and Janamashtami bash, then it's the vibrant 10 day long Ganesh Festival which sets the tone for the festive season which is further toned up by the 9 day long Navratri festivities, where in the idols of different avatars of the Goddess are made and worshipped for 9 days and congruently the colorful Dandiya Raas adds more valor to these festivities, and all this eventually ends with one of the biggest and widely celebrated festival of the country, Dussera. Also amidst all these annual festivals we also celebrate Id with lots of fervor, which falls in the holy month of Ramzan. But the undisputed Amitabh Bachchan of these festivals is Diwali, which is celebrated by one and all irrespective of their faith,sex and race.

In my childhood whenever somebody asked which is your favorite month of the year, I promptly told them its February (that being my b'day month), but in my heart I always had a toss up between February and the months of October/November, mainly attributed to an entirely joyous and festive mood prevalent in these months. And till this day the lead up to Diwali always has an inexplicable but pleasant string of feelings attached to it, the air around is actually so buoyant with lot of freshness and positive vibes that you can virtually smell that Diwali has arrived. And this beautiful something happens every single year, giving you a feeling of Deja'vu!

The smell of fresh paint and white washing in the house makes you realize the fact that Diwali has arrived. The shopping spree in which the entire family or the entire locality or rather the entire nation indulges in before the Diwali day is infectious. All round the year we tend to plan our shopping in and around Diwali; the excitement and frenzy to wear new clothes in Diwali is absolutely matchless. That smell of Diwali special snacks cooked around all the houses is so damn tempting, those dry fruit stuffed Gujiyas, those crispy Salonis, those spicy Mixtures and Chudas, those delicious platter of umpteen variety of sweets apart from the regular Dahi Vadas, Chholey, and Puris are all in a sense a true indicator of the festive and celebration mood around.

And how about our mothers and sisters drawing those beautiful and colorful Rangolis infront of our houses, for hours, to make our houses seem even more beautiful and all set and ready for the D(iwali) Day! Then that further decorating of our houses with flowers, festoons and banana leaves, those string of colorful lights hanged all over the house to make it shine and glitter in the festive glory. That hyper exuberance and super excitement to buy and burn the fanciest of crackers and noisiest of bombs weeks before Diwali which almost turns into a show of might between the fiercely contesting neighbors, are all an experience of its kind.

If this is not all how about all the biggest blockbusters of Bollywood lined up for release in and around Diwali, making it even more special. Also those mega Diwali special offers flashed all across the town by all the leading shops and brands, be it Clothing, be it Furnishings or be it Automobiles, one can easily sense the Diwali mood in the markets which are comfortably five times more crowded than normal. Though the ways and means in and around Diwali might have changed a bit in the last few years, like a greater focus on a greener Diwali as against the noisier and the polluting one earlier, a health awareness amongst the masses to consume lighter and oil free food, even a sad diversion from the pure and natural form of sweets and snacks around Diwali to a much adulterated and a synthetic one these days but the essence and the zeal still remains the same.

Literatures and history might say that Diwali is a Hindu festival but any resident of this country very well knows that this beautiful occasion is not barbed by any religion or faith. Even a Muslim lights lamps and decorates his house on the Diwali Day, a Christian burns crackers with the same excitement as a Hindu does, and a Sikh family cooks and eats as many sweets and delicacies in Diwali as any Hindu family does. Such is the grandeur of our culture, such is the beauty of this festival and such is the unity in diversity of our great Nation.

A Very Happy, Joyous & Prosperous Diwali to All!

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Bollywood Frenzy - Big B, TV, Laughter & Dog Fights!

Big B - An Epitome of Grace and Sophistication!

Dan Dann Dannn Dann Dann Dannn Dannn Dannnnnnn......! Yes its that time of the year when the KBC jingle is back and it's back with its best executor, Mr Amitabh Bachchan! And without any surprises, the excitement, frenzy and the hoopla is on the same levels as it used to be 10 years back. Though the story and might of Indian television vis-a-vis Indian Cinema has transformed in a big way in this period but the power, panache and impact of this gentleman is still the same, if not more. And this effect is even more remarkable when you see all the Big Khans, Kumars and Chopras on some TV channel or the other which wasn't particularly the scene 10 years back. But amidst all the stiff competition this man stands apart and stands tallest in this elite crowd. And this is not due to his excellence in Hindi Cinema over last four decades or for his innumerable feats and awards for his acting skills but it is more to do with his personality, humility, conduct and respect for one and all. He is undoubtedly one of the best orators of the country we have today irrespective of the language he speaks in, be it Hindi or be it English. But amidst all this, what stands out particularly is the importance he gives to each and every participant who comes and sits in-front of him, howsoever rich, poor, good looking, learned, ignorant or ordinary the participant may be he treats them all with the highest degree of respect and makes sure that each of them feels special and not subdued by the fact that they are sitting in-front of the biggest superstar of the millennium. And when we are talking about these things, we are not at all taking into account his acting credentials or any other achievements, we are just focusing on his conduct, mannerisms and humility which are nothing short of exemplary. No wonder he is matchless, be it any of the contemporary superstars trying to rule the roost of the Television Industry. Undoubtedly Mr Bachchan is everybody's favorite and a role model for most of us. We can go on to heap truck loads of accolades for this man but probably the best way to coronate this gentleman is by calling him a 'Very Very Good Human Being', which is a rarity in present day context. He is the Big Boss, He is the Master, He is the biggest Khiladi and he truly has a multi crore Heart! Kudos to you Sir for being an inspiration for years and years!

Laughter is the Best Medicine, but today this Medicine is Adulterated!

It's a common adage that the toughest thing on earth is to genuinely make somebody laugh. And in today's world where people are so preoccupied with their self invited troubles, the value of a laughter or a smile has risen manifolds. Any thing which makes us smile or feel unburdened is well and truly appreciated and welcomed by one and all, and amidst all this the most potent medium of transmission of such a contagious and infectious attribute is the Cinema or the Bollywood. For all the countrymen Bollywood has always been the one constant which has evolved itself many a times and every single time it has offered something or the other to the audiences across a diversified strata of people. But comedy has invariably been the most sought after recipe all the while. No wonder that demand for comedy movies has always been HUGE and our film makers have never let us down. If we travel down the memory lane we just can't complete our journey without talking of the timeless classics made by Hrishikesh Mukherji, be it Guddi, be it Anand, be it Bawarchi, be it Golmaal or be it Naram Garam, the connect, the impact and the simplicity is just phenomenal and second to none. These timeless classics have touched our lives so deeply that each one of us is able to relate to these beautiful classics to an exemplary extent. Not only these movies have made us laugh out loud for years and years but they have all done so with a very good social lesson. Naturally the demand for such socially engaging, light hearted and jovial movies is still very huge. Obviously enough we still see so many of Comedy movies shelved out every single year. But unfortunately the level of finesse, excellence, connect and simplicity have declined dramatically. The comedy content in most of the today's movies is so loud, vulgar and inappropriate that they are unable to make us genuinely laugh out from our hearts. The formula e which are used today to make us laugh are that of Sex, Vulgarity, Nudity, Loudness and Homosexual puns,all being a huge digression from the movies made in 70s and 80s which always concentrated on getting as close to the common man in its conduct thereby inducing an environment of fun, enjoyment and wholesome entertainment. There is huge dearth of excellent comedy stuffs which is sans these uncalled of stuff which force us to laugh on the sheer stupidity of the act rather than the genuineness and connect with our daily lives. Though there are still quite a few exceptions who are treading the paths of Hrishikesh Mukherji, in the name of Munna Bhai & 3 Idiots fame Raju Hirani and makers of other beautiful movies made recently, like Do Dooni Chaar, Khichdi and Herapheri (only part 1), but we need quite a handful of others too, to create the magic weaved by the directors and yesteryear film makers. Because the true comedy is not about hitting somebody on the wrong body parts and forcing people to laugh on such stupid ugly acts, but it's more to do about hitting the right chord in the viewer's heart by the sheer tenets of simplicity, connect and social impact.

Way to Go Raju and others who are the true heir of Hrishi da's school of entertainment because after all laughter truly is the best medicine:)!

Dog Fight Bolly Style!

How can a talk of Bollywood get completed without some tadka, gossip and Dog Fight? The tradition of marketing, publicity and promotion by the most innovative means before the release of any movie is a common thing. But can it get more interesting when two of the most popular if not successful directors of the industry slug it out blatantly on each other. So every time Ram Gopal Verma (RGV) has his movie ready for release, he never misses an opportunity to promote his movie without taking some potshots at his fiercest foe, KJo (as he likes to be called) or Karan Johar (as his parents christened him). RGV clearly states that his movies aren't for the KJo's fan who are born and brought up watching those monotonous sob sob family movies which are unrealistic and stupidity par tolerance, according to him. He further goes on to say that KJo has only one formula which he packs and presents by different names, not even altering the cast of his movies in a considerable way. And on all this dirt the usually reticent and feminine KJo takes a masculine stand and retorts with a vengeance by quickly pointing out that RGV's collections from all the movies he has made in the last decade taken together are still short of what any of the KJo's movie have garnered. Moreover KJo goes on to say that even the crow of Phoonk 2 (one of the many flop ventures of RGV) has refused be a part of RGV's forthcoming release Phoonk 3. And what is even more interesting is the fact that both these not so gentle men vent this out openly in the media. Though its a common fact that neither KJo nor RGV are known to be the all time best technicians film industry has seen, both being on the right side of the tide at some moment or the other. But certainly their dogfight has always been a real treat for all avid cinema goers, if not their movies.

Keep slugging it out Sirs, it's truly thoroughly entertaining!

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Test Cricket Vs Rest of the Cricket!

In the fast food age and the item number era of Mallika Sherawat and Malaika Arora not many heads turn for the timeless marvels like Kajol and Madhuri, but the real connoisseurs of art always prefer spending on the later ones, howsoever arty, slow pace and contemporary their style of entertainment might be. The true ecstasy evolves from the finesses, grace and sophistication and not by the means of brazen audacity or outrageous exhibition of power and flesh. One may eat unlimited Pizzas and Burgers but for survival he has to depend on the conventional Daal and Roti; an item song can add some zing to the movie but for that movie to be a HIT you got to have some really good actors, technicians and a well written script because a bunch of item songs can’t go on to make that movie a success; a girl friend or a boy friend might seem to be the most loving, caring and understanding companion but in due course nobody can replace thy parents who are the roots of one’s existence; And this holds true in all walks of life including the unanimous religion of this nation, CRICKET, whose new variants are posing a serious threat to its ultimate format, TEST CRICKET!

In this era of nonstop 20-20 and 50-50 cricket not many heads roll when the focus shifts to the apex format of the game. The latest and the shortest version of the game provides so much thrill, excitement, entertainment and moolah that it is bound to garner more eye balls and followers vis-a-vis Test Cricket. The most common argument given in favor of 20-20 and against the Test Cricket is that when one gets more thrill and excitement in just 1/15th of time than why should one waste 5 days of his time without a guaranteed result in the match. Not only the current crop of fans and followers are shifting their focus to 20-20 but even the younger generation of cricketers are focusing to make a mark in only the T-20 arena which is in stark contrast to the Rahul Dravid’s generation where the ultimate aim of any budding cricketer happened to be that of representing his nation as a Test Cricketer. But now even the talks of being a Test player have gone for a toss, youngsters these days get themselves equipped with a tattoo even before facing their 1st ball in the international circuit (read kohli), some are so very peculiar with their hair style, that they change their beard and hair styles more often than they eventually get to play for their country (read uthapa) and some show all-round skills right from their 1st game for the country but unfortunately these are all non-cricketing skills like dancing, sledging, mimicking etc(read sreesanth). So amidst all this, Test Cricket? One must be joking:)!

Ironically all one needs to succeed in the shorter format is just the brute power against the rock solid defense, impeccable technique, excellent temperament, choreographer’s footwork, tight rope walker’s balance and acrobat’s agility required to succeed in the test format. And in true sense these are the ingredients which make the Test Cricket beautiful! Undoubtedly the shorter formats generate more revenues and are more thrilling in nature but the gratification, pleasure and ecstasy one derives from the subtle nuances of test match cricket is second to none. No wonder the course of a match changes in a few balls in 20-20 cricket but the strategies, traps and guiles of the test match over the period of full 5 days and the subtle turn which the course of a test match takes over a session of play is just too alluring to be even compared to any other format. Moreover when the concept of this game was coined it was not to make money or to thrill the audiences the way 20-20 is doing today because anyways for those purposes we still had Stock Markets and Sherlock Holmes movies; naturally the aim behind this beautiful game (read test cricket) was to play the game at its utmost sanctity and derive pleasure from it.

For that matter all those uncountable centuries and the mountain of runs scored by Sir Sachin Tendulkar in this format, those magnificent spells of spin bowling and wizardry casted by the great Shane Warne, those deadly spells of swing bowling and toe crashing Yorkers bowled by the invincible Wasim Akram, those magnificent fourth innings match saving centuries scored by the champion batsman Brian Lara on the fifth day wearing track against Australia, those innumerable wickets taken by the wily old fox Muttiah Murlitharan on even the most placid of tracks, those jaw dropping murderous batting display by destructive Virender Sehwag and that sheer artistic magnificence flowing out of the bat of Very Very Special Laxman every single time his team is on the brink of a defeat are all far more superior in class and skill than those 20 ball 70 runs scored by some Keiron Pollard in a 20-20 encounter or for that matter those super over cliffhangers which decide the fate of the match by sheer muscle power as against the class and skills which the above mentioned gentleman showcased to decide the fate of a match. And undoubtedly Tendulkar, Lara, Warnie, Akram and others are the guys who are the all time favorites of even the younger generations be it the audiences or be it the budding cricketers. And even these gentlemen played 20-20 cricket or are still playing it, but they never endorsed it at the expense of Test Cricket, in fact at some point or the other they gave up their 20-20 or ODI career to prolong their test match career, so why are the present day budding cricketers who idolize these great gentlemen, running behind the money rather than continuing with the rich tradition practiced by their predecessors. And if their only aim of playing this game is to make money, than there are many other avenues where they can make more and faster money. But the broader aim of the players, organizers and all the followers should be to preserve the sanctity of this beautiful game whose byword has always been FAIR!

But on a macro level BCCI is responsible for the current mindset which is prevalent among the masses these days, be it the audiences or be it the cricketers. Though the more established and successful players are still choosing what they want to play and what they want to skip but by and large it is BCCI who is not only dictating a majority of its players by scheduling jam packed tournaments but is also by its financial might trying to maneuver things across cricketing boards of other nations. However on the face of it every now and then BCCI tries to project that its platter is clean by converting a 7 match ODI series into a 2 match Test series plus a 3 match ODI series, but that is still not doing any good to the Test Cricket. The broader aim of BCCI should be to promote the youngsters to play Test Cricket rather than luring them to be a part of filthy rich IPL tournament. Although tournament like IPL makes financial sense for both the board and players at the same time, but in the longer run it is doing not contributing to quality of cricket as such. And amidst all this the most worrisome fact is the state of Indian Test Team post Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman! They are in the evening of their career and we are yet to find their apt replacements; and with the increase in number of 20-20 games all at the expense of Tests, things are only going be to get worse.

There is nothing wrong with 20-20 cricket or for that matter any other shorter format of the game. But this formula of shortened game, heightened excitement and quick money is only dirtying the game rather than beautifying it. No wonder with the advent of these formats the instances of match fixing, spot fixing and gambling have risen enormously. However these malpractices can’t be attributed solely to the shorter format and rather it’s prudent to treat this as a sheer coincidence that these things didn’t exist in the old age era when only Test Matches were played because this has more to do with the individual’s conscience and morals than the version of the game he is playing. At the end of it, it’s an individual’s choice as to what he wants to play or what he prefers to watch but any form of the game shouldn’t be promoted at the expense of the other. And Test Cricket being the purest, fiercest and the most competitive form of cricket should be handled with utmost care and preserved as a real gem; youngsters should be taught the importance of true values and hard work and the fact that they should adopt the game for the sheer pleasure of continuing the rich tradition of Test Cricket rather than pursuing it for just making money, money should just be treated as a byproduct of pursuing this as a career and not the sole aim of adopting it. Only then we can dare to the see new Dravids, Tendulkars, Kumbles, Warnes and Gilchrist of Test arena, all of whom not only excelled in Test cricket but by their hard earned temperament, technique, balance and poise but also marveled at the shorter formats too.
Long Live Test Cricket!

Behind the scenes – A lot of my friends laughed on me when I took a sick leave on the 3rd day of recently concluded Ind V Aus test, but luckily it paid off as the little master went on to score his 14,000th run and 49th century on the very same day:). That’s Gratification for me!

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How to tag CWG -2010, Success or Failure?

Woohoo...so we did it! What an exhilarating Opening Ceremony, stand out performances by our athletes and an equally reverberating closing extravaganza. Nobody could have thought of or asked for anything better. But what is even more surprising is the fact that how come general perception about this mega event changed so drastically in just 3 weeks time? When almost a fortnight back everybody was up and bashing the very concept of CWG being staged in India all guns out, dreading all sorts of untoward mishaps like infrastructure collapse, hygiene mess up, security breach and think what may, how come such a huge turn around in such a short span? Was it because of the fact that we never expected that we as a nation can stand up and deliver such a high quality global event or was it mainly because of the media created hoopla, with media just trying to mint money by showcasing the event in its extremes rather than being a prudent source of broadcasters or was it the general pessimist and downplaying attitude which we as a nation possess and practice?

Actually its a mix of all such negative characteristics, off-late media in general has been more concerned about the TRPs rather than serving the nation with the right quality news stuff, we as a nation have always been a self depreciating lot, low in confidence and usually a pessimist bunch. But then the million dollar question is how should we grade this mega event, Super Successful or an Utter Failure? Are our athletes really so good to have clinched all those medals which they eventually ended up with? Was the closing and the opening ceremony really a world class and a never before showpiece spectacle? And do all those financial irregularities and the massive corruption done on to the lead up of CWG, really counts for nothing, once that we have ourselves declared the games such a big HIT? Well a YES or NO answer to this question won't do the desired justice to this complicated issue, rather the most prudent and practical way of handling these set of questions would be to answer them in parts and with full objectivity.

So if we just talk of the way this event has unfolded in front of the world, it is actually remarkable, it might not be the all time best spectacle but still it ranks very much at the top. The opening and the closing ceremony were a true masterpiece which stumped, floored, wooed one and all, and even the global media was very upbeat in lauding the finesse, grandeur and magnificence of the entire show. Not only this the hospitality and the facilities which were eventually being provided to the athletes and the visiting contingents were ostentatious and world class to say the least. Though there were big doubts and question marks over everything linked to the games but at the end of it we should salute all the artists, delegates and workers who delivered such a high quality product in the end. We well and truly deserve a huge round of applause for making our nation proud in the global canvas and by being the best possible hosts to our esteemed guests. So on the whole a 10 on 10 for a marvelous showpiece, heart warming hospitality and an excellent conduct of the game!

Now if we talk of the brilliant performances of our athletes in various games, well any amount of accolade, praise and felicitation will fall short in celebrating their efforts. Over a 100 medals across various stream of sports is a truly commendable job and it shouldn't be an exaggeration if we single out these brave hearts as the true winners and the reason for the success of this mega event. These players are the ones who actually made us shift our attention from the debacles and fiascoes before the start of the event to the actual games. These are the heroes whose efforts eventually brought that smile on our faces with their valiant on field efforts.But amidst all these celebrations just a tinge doubt, how have they turned themselves into such high quality athletes overnight, when we struggle to win even a single bronze medal in the Olympics and when we are still not out of the celebration mode evolving out of the lone Gold Medal which we won in the last Olympics,so how come such a quick turn around? Well without any offence against any of our medal winning athletes, we should not forget that none of the world beating countries in the sports arena are a part of Common Wealth Games spectrum, be it USA, be it China or be it any American or European sporting stalwart. Add any one of them in these games and for sure they will wipe off all the medals in a hurry. And we should also not discount the fact that out of all the participating nations too, many of the top athletes across various sports pulled out at the last minute due to their apprehensions about the facilities and the security arrangements made for the games. But cynicism aside we should not stop ourselves from cheering up and praising each of our medal winners in the Games. So again a 10/10 for all the medal winners and other participating athletes of our country who actually made us realize that the Common Wealth Games 2010 was all about the sports and the athletes and not about the corrupt organizers and lackadaisical politicians but still a long way to go!

Now last but not the least, a thought for our corrupt organizers and politicians who overshoot the cost of organizing these events by not twice or thrice but by 117 times? Now shall we really care about such things once the games have been successfully completed without any hiccups? In fact the easiest possible thing to do now is to just dump this issue of financial irregularities in the cold storage! And that's what we have been doing all along since our independence, a flurry of scams and scandals, a plethora of investigation and probes and the unanimous outcome of all such financial quandary has been a Cipher! But if we actually want to move ahead in the global arena , its high time we treat these things very seriously and we actually do a thorough, unbiased and politics free probe and make all the culprits accountable for each and every misused penny, after all every ounce of it is the tax payers money. And even if we deploy half of the walloped amount by these greedy politicians and organizers in the welfare and development of proper infrastructure for our athletes, one day we can surely replicate this medal tally in the Olympics. Hence amongst all the accolades and glory we are showered with post the successful completion of the games, its very easy to forget everything which happened in the lead up to this huge event, but at least for the sake of our persevering athletes its very important to treat all the offenders on merit rather than treating them on their financial or political might. So even after a successful hosting of the CWG 2010, a 0/10 for the organizers who not only messed up with the common man's money but also made a mockery of our national pride!

So all in all it has been a roller coaster ride, a very peculiar case study in itself. There are plenty of things about which we should be proud of and at the same time there are some really serious issues, which if not addressed pretty soon and in the right stead can be very detrimental to our nation. It's so very easy to remain complacent and bask in the glory of successful completion of CWG 2010 and there is nothing wrong in it either, but our broader objective should be to cleanse this malignant system plagued by the vices of dishonesty and corruption only then one fine day, we can dream of being a potent contender for hosting the Olympic Games!

Bird's eye view : It's easy to criticize, tough to applaud but super duper tough to be FAIR!
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