TONdulkar - The 50 Maar Khan!

One of the most difficult thing in present day cricketing context is certainly to write something about Sachin Tendulkar. Millions of articles, billions of comparisons and zillions of accolades have been showered on him for his innumerable feats and still the critics and fans all around find themselves at shortage of words but the superman is still going strong, with don't know how many such wonderful and proud moments still to come out of his quiver. From the youngest cricketer to achieve so many feats, to be the first batsman to clock 12, 15 and 17 thousand ODIS runs respectively, from being the only man to have scored 200 runs in an ODI innings to hit the maximum number of runs and centuries in both forms of the game and now the mere impossible, the first man on earth to have reached the unthinkable feat of 50 Test Tons. And it won't take him long to bag 100 international tons (ODIs plus Tests) either. Naturally he has made life tough not only for the bowlers across the globe but also for the writers and columnists. Nothing written about Sachin from now on will be new, yet a million words will be penned for every run that he scores.

No wonder almost every run he scores literally breaks one record or the other. And the newspapers next day are flooded with statistical vendettas and towering statements about the great man. And the same happened when he scored his 50th, all the news channels had only one thing to show, Sachin! All the radio stations had only one thing to air, Sachin! The last five pages of Times Of India next day had stories on only one man, Sachin! All the food joints, office cafeterias, pan shops and even the restaurants were buzzing with just one topic, Sachin! And a bitter irony amongst all these celebrations and coronations was that, not only the whole of India but even the entire world forgot a very important fact that India has faced one of their biggest defeats in a Test Match in recent times. But who cares as long as their favorite star is entertaining them in such an incredible fashion!

This man has been playing international cricket for more years of his life (21) than he hasn’t (16). And certain facts about his longevity are so staggering that it seems that the entire world has transformed in these 21 years, but for his zest for excellence. When he started to play international cricket, Steffi Graf was Wimbledon champion, Diego Maradona was captain of Argentina, and Allan Border led Australia. Think of where they are today, how physically fit they are and what they do now. Mind boggling, isn't it? Also, when he started, the Berlin Wall and the Babri Masjid were still intact; India had no mobile phones;and Nirvana was two years away from recording Smells Like Teen Spirit. As the world around him has changed beyond recognition, Tendulkar – peerless, generation-straddling poster boy of his sport – continues to dominate India’s collective consciousness more than anyone else has in the past two decades.

Naturally with this amazing feat happening the age old comparisons with Don Bradman were bound to resurface. But this time around not only the Indians declared the burly mumbaikar as their first choice but even the Australian fans joined the global bandwagon in felicitating the 37 year old sensation as the best ever. Though I believe it's not the best thing to compare the legends across eras, as the cricketing conditions were different 50 years back, amount of cricket played today is far more enormous than it was say 30-40 years back, state of pitches have changed considerably, protective gears and technology has come to batsmen's aid in today's game and the amount of travelling has risen considerably too. So it is in the best interest of the game to savior and enjoy the best of each of these geniuses rather than getting involved in a slug fest of comparisons. But with the little master continuing with his path breaking batting streak, fans, critics and writers are bound to resort to new ways of praising him, naturally the tool of comparison. And it was hardly any surprise when I came across an article in Times of India few days back which toyed with the idea of comparing Sachin with the all time greats of various other sports and in turn corona-ting him with the throne of Best Sportsman in the World! Heartwarming indeed, but I don't think it's required at all because even if the little genius fails to perform the way he has over the years, he will still remain to be the king of our hearts and most deserved owner of the Bharat Ratna title.

What makes this guy special are not his towering records and statistics but the way he has played the game for over two decades. What separates him from his peers is not his impeccable technique and temperament but his infectious enthusiasm for the game. What eventually transcends him from a good player to a great player are not his multi million dollar endorsements but his humility and off field conduct. Whatever he does, however much, we still want more from Tendulkar. He has borne the burden of our hope so well for 21 years; it could well be the heaviest burden borne by a batsman in cricketing history. In today's India when corruption and dishonesty has spread its wings from politics, media, healthcare and even in the prestigious cauldrons of defense and services, he is probably the lone man standing on the pillars of honesty and integrity and performing his duties for the nation with full honesty and consequently bringing smiles to the faces of million Indians. So the least we can do for this messiah, in the last leg of his career is to slightly unburden him for our never ending expectations, savor every moment till they last and let him enjoy the game a bit more than he usually does.

Bracketing Sir Don & Sachin: Much like the Bradman's stupendous average of 99.94 has always remained a thing of talks and a largely unchallenged number,Sachin's eventual tally of century of Centuries will also remain one such feat which will remain unchallenged and unbeaten for a long long time.

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kin...

Mr Honest (PM), Prove your Honesty!

If their is one quality or attribute which both the Government and the Opposition are hell bent to showcase these days, it's certainly that of being 'Obstinate'. So if the BJP led Opposition is relentlessly demanding for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the Rs.1.76 lakh crore 2G scam, the Congress led UPA government is vehemently refusing to all such demands. And the overall output of this stalemate is the fact that winter session of parliament got adjourned for all the 21 days leading to a humongous loss of public money.

Now the big question is why is the opposition so adamant on its demand of setting up a JPC or what good a JPC will do to the fortunes of the opposition? As a matter of fact, in the post independence political history of India, 4 JPCs have been formed respectively for investigating the Bofors scam, the Harshad Mehta scandal, the Stock Market scam and the pesticides adulterated cold drink debacle. And on all the four occasions, leave aside the prospects of anybody getting punished, not even a single person has been convicted, rather even no substantial remedial action has been taken against the suspected defaulting party. So with such a backdrop, ideally even a full fledged JPC inquiry should count for nothing.

Also, the JPC makes sense if it manages to clear up the murky dealings between the politicians, the bureaucrats, the industrialists and the media. But who cares for all this, at least the opposition hardly does because the biggest plus which they are seeking from a JPC probe is the fact that a JPC probe can even summon the Prime Minister to appear in the dock. And with that happening it clearly tarnishes the image of the man on whose innocence, goodwill and stainless record, the Congress led UPA government has been sailing smoothly on even the roughest of waters. And with a huge role that the Prime Minister Office has to play in the entire 2G Spectrum allocation process, their is every chance that the honorable PM might be summoned to appear before the JPC and eventually face quite a few awkward questions, which for sure will be a matter of great shame for not only Dr Manmohan Singh but also for the government. No wonder the government is shying away from a JPC probe and the opposition is so hell bent on gaining a huge political mileage over the government by letting it happen.

But amidst all this brouhaha the biggest and the most surprising question is that, why is the government so reluctant and rather so defensive in having a JPC to probe the 2G scam.Obviously with such a huge uproar on this matter already they are foreseeing a risk of finding themselves in minority on this issue and this apart from the stated reason of finding the honorable Prime Minister in the dock. But by constantly denying a JPC they are reinforcing the fact that something is wrong from their end and they are trying to shield the Prime Minister from a shameful scrutiny. And this rather uncharacteristic behavior on the government's part is also shocking because going by the past records of JPCs, none of the JPC probes, findings/recommendations have been implemented or were rather implemented as a watered down version. So when they could have easily lingered on with a nod to JPC, relying on its non-productive outcome, they have made matters worse and rather dubious for themselves by constantly objecting to it.

And what is most disgusting amongst all this is the government's new found habit of advocating the Prime Minister by saying that the opposition should not raise fingers against a person of Prime Minister's stature, as he is a man of utmost integrity, he has always been a role model for millions and is rather the best and the cleanest Prime Minister in the history of Indian politics. But if that is the case, they should make things even more simple by letting the Prime Minister and in turn the government prove their innocence by going through a JPC. And idolizing is a good thing only if it is done in the right vein, but when it crosses the limits of sanity it turns into stupidity. So if a man has been an impeccable character all his life, doesn't mean that he will remain one for the rest of his life too, he has to pass through various litmus tests to prove his mettle time and again.

Obviously with the public memory being short lived this multi crores scam will also evaporate from our storage disks in due course. A prospective aberration to this can be an united opposition still adamant for a JPC and thereby also disrupting the budget session of the parliament. But with no offence against the honorable Prime Minister and with full regards to him, in the interest of this nation he should be the first man from the government to cross the line, agree to a JPC, prove his innocence and come out clean.Only then will it set a good example for all the politicians, bureaucrats and industrialists to traverse the path of honesty and integrity.

Jai Hind!

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kin...

Ponting's debacles, Sachin's 50th & a lot more...

It's the season of Test Match Cricket and with the top cricketing teams fiercely contesting against each other to show their cricketing prowess, times can't get any better for an avid cricket fan. So if Australians are fighting hard to regain the Urn in the Ashes down under, the No. 1 Test Team in the world (India) is under a serious threat of justifying their Numero Uno title in the hostile and bouncy pitches of the Rainbow nation. Though despite the eventual results of both these series, there are lot of other things too which are at stake, like Pontings Future as a Captain and as a Batsman, Sachin's 50th Ton and the Performance of the formidable Indian batting lineup in SouthAfrica.

Naturally a lot is at stake for the formidable Indian batting lineup in their trip to South Africa, though even if they fail yet again in South Africa their CV's won't get tainted at all but a good showing here would definitely add feathers to their already glorious careers. Certainly this is the last time the batting trinity of Dravid, Tendulkar & Laxman is touring South Africa and going by their past records they would certainly like to improve upon it in a big way. As none of them averages even 40 playing here and same goes with the most destructive batsman of this era (read Sehwag). And we can safely add Gambhir too to this not so elite list because Mr consistent is still to open batting in not only South Africa but also in the testing environs of England and Australia. So if these men get going, then we are sure to have a cracker of a series in our hands, however going by the past showings,our run machines might find it a bit arduous to start delivering from the first match but by the third and the final test they will surely give the protean quicks a good run for their money. And needless to say, no practice game before the 1st test might surely prove to be a costly affair.

If there is one thing which is as much debated as the final scoreline of the ongoing Ashes series, it is most definitely Ricky Ponting's future. Though despite his continued poor form and a total run aggregate of just 80 runs from the first 6 innings in the series, the man himself has categorically denied any thoughts of retiring but the actual scenario seems far more intriguing. How often has one seen Australia being dominated so badly by any of their opponents? How often has one seen Aussies being so docile in their approach against such a huge backlash? How often has one seen an Australian selection panel backing a player/captain for so long despite a string of failures. A lot of big names, including Steve Waugh were shown the door despite their past laurels, than what's so different about Punter's case? Is it because the selectors don't see a potential successor to Ponting at this point in time, which is probably a strong reason because Michael Clarke who has been tagged as the Captain in waiting for so long has failed to deliver consistently when Punter is failing rather more consistently. Or is it because the Australian board still backs their chances of seeing an Aussie at the top of batting chart in terms of most test runs and maximum test centuries? Or is it because even the selectors are unaware about the most righteous ways to handle such an unexpected situation? The exact reason behind this rather unusual behaviour is probably known only to the ACB but going by the batting form, Ponting's future seems to be rather gloomy however going by the form of other captaincy contenders in the Aussie lineup, Ponting's throne still seems very much intact and unchallenged!

And how can one talk of Test Cricket without mentioning the great Sachin Tendulkar! So every time the little master will come out to bat in the 3 test series in South Africa the buzz will revolve around his 50th Test ton. Obviously the feat will eventually happen one day or the other but this feat is so humongous that its bound to create loads of excitement. But the buzz and excitement in India is very much the same every time Ponting gets out cheaply, the simple reason being he is the closest competitor to all of Sachin's record in Test Match cricket. There is no denying the fact that Ponting still is a very good batsman, infact he is one of the most complete, dominating and fluent player of the modern era but then why is it so that his fan following isn't as huge as that of say Sachin,Lara or Sehwag? Probably because of his touch arrogant, ruthless and petulant conduct in his hay days, no wonder in his rather tough times he isn't enjoying the support and backing of many non-aussie fans. And that's where the off field conduct and behavior of other cricketing greats comes into play. However comparisons apart these are undoubtedly the times to saviour each of these battles with the battles in this ever so beautiful and enthralling game.

Bird's Eye View : And for those like me who are still very keen about the statistics and comparisons, it's time to get more worried by Mr Jacques Kallis' ascendancy towards Sachin's feat, as he is just 1 shy of Ponting's 39 tons and is also an year younger to the Aussie too!


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kin...

2010 - The Year of Leaks, Fixes & Cheats!

It won't be an exaggeration if we term the year 2010 as the year of clandestine fixers. What sort of started with the Pakistan Cricket Team's biggest match/spot fixing scandal continued on with the Radia leaks and literally exploded with the wiki leaks revelations.If the former was a shocker than the ones to follow were nerve wreckers, Infact every single of these gigantic fixes, leaks or conspiracy theories are all a full fledged case study in themselves. And a deep rooted analysis of each of these shameful acts reveals that every single of these horrendous act have been going on for a while now, so certainly these aren't those earth shattering discoveries, rather they are all timely inventions breeding on the eternal greed.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time that the Pakistan based cricketers have been found guilty of match fixing, they (Pakistan cricketers) have been doing this for as long as one can remember, it's just that the ways, means and the names have changed with time. Same goes with Niira Radia, she is a known fixer and has been around for two decades now, fixing deals for the rich and the famous. With most of her clients being the reputed corporate houses, only now it has transpired that she has politician clients as well and may be some clients in the media too. And what wiki leaks has stumped the entire world with, is certainly a shocker but definitely not the first timer. They have been constantly coming up with various dubious theories on part of the US (government) vis-a-vis different nations and agendas, it's just that this time around they (wiki leaks) have revealed a bit too much and all in one go. So in all these clandestine fixes, probably the packaging, presentation and timing has changed but the very essence still remains the same.

So to defend and tackle these irregularities or exposures through the weapon of 'Breach of Right to Privacy' is a serious misuse of the law because there are stages where the laws of privacy, however sacrosanct, need to take a backseat. And in such a scenario, whosoever has advised Mr. Ratan Tata to go to the Supreme Court yelling for his breach in right to privacy, has done him a serious disservice. If Tata is trying to stop more tapes from coming out, he is only making the public even more curious about what they may contain, which eventually in all probability will do even more harm to Tata's image than if the tapes were actually revealed. Insinuation causes far more lasting damage than actual revelation because that’s when your business/professional rivals get a free hand to float any rumors they want. And, as we all know, rumors cause greater damage than facts.

But the bigger question is, Why people like Radia flourish? or What makes wiki leaks reveal so much? or What makes these Pakistan based players so deeply involved in the vices of cheating and match fixing? Well it's an age of deceit, double standards, distrust and corruption and if we talk just in terms of our own country, we have ourselves created a system so disgustingly corrupt and dirty that it’s impossible for anyone to survive in any business or trade without having to necessarily resort to fixers and middlemen. That’s why people like Radia flourish. Not only because there are corrupt business houses eager to grab special favors from politicians and bureaucrats forever ready to offer them but also because there are also honest business houses who have no idea on how to navigate a system as venal as ours. They need an astute guide through the stormy waters. They need people who can advise them on how to deal with each rascal who tries to extort them at every stage. The system breeds its own Radias who, in turn, approach and compromise people, even good people.

So rather than pointing fingers at these middlemen or fixers it would be probably a better idea that we all got together to clean up the house. This must begin with dismantling the corrupt system and exemplarily punishing the guilty, not just booting them out. But the biggest hurdle in this clean up act is our thought process which professes that 'what can I do alone to cleanse this deep layered filth'. So if we can combat this demoralizing thought process of ours, half the battle is won. The least we can do to be a part if this cleansing act is by not subscribing to the easy but corruption led route of getting things done in our day to day life. This route can be a bit cumbersome and painful but the long terms effects of this approach can be really worth all the pain.So instead of cynically talking about moral codes for lobbyists, let’s repair and restore our institutions in a manner such that we can combat corruption. But first let’s start by believing it’s possible.

We all thought Terrorism in Punjab is beyond repair, corruption and crime in Bihar is beyond redemption. But with a firm belief and true hard work on the part of the administrators, the results in both the scenarios are for all of us to be proud about. So it's all about the self belief and a few tough steps against these chronic vices of corruption and fixings. And it's high time we fix the fixers rather than getting our system fixed by them.

Perspective: Understandably the Radias, the Kalmadis and the Rajas are the culprits of various offences, but all of us who are breeding these corruption mongers through our lackadaisical and accommodating attitude are also equal partners in crime. And unless we change our approach towards governance and routine chores we can't stop the influx of new Radias and Kalmadis.

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kin...

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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