Nasser Hussain Deserves A Ban

 The one-off T20 between India and England at Old Trafford will be remembered more for Nasser Hussain’s ‘donkey’ remark rather than for on-field events. I was watching the match when Hussain spoke the D word and I was kind of surprised. I knew straightaway that this will turn into a controversy though I would like to believe that Hussain did not intend to hurt anyone or be racist. It was just an attempt of a commentator to be creative, to be different. But in doing so, he made a big mistake because the word ‘donkey’ is used for someone who is dumb. Also, it is used as a form of abuse. In short, it is considered to be a highly derogatory word. A donkey is a dull, sluggish, brainless animal and to compare it to some of the Indian fielders was too much.

So whether it was really an attempt at hurting Indian sentiments or not does not matter at all while considering if he should be banned. There have been instances in the past when commentators were banned for some similar things. The most prominent example is of Dean Jones who called South African batsman, Hashim Amla, a ‘terrorist’ because of his long beard. Everyone knows he didn’t mean it. He was just trying to be humorous. But, unintentionally, he hurt the sentiments of the Muslims and had to pay the price even after being apologetic about it. He was banned for life from commentating.

Now it all depends on how rigorously the BCCI pursues it. Though I am not a fan of BCCI’s arm-twisting tactics I want them to do whatever they can to get Hussain banned. An apology would be insufficient. If Dean Jones deserved a ban so does Hussain.

Is India Going To The Dogs? (Part 2)

In Part One I briefly discussed about the ruling party and the opposition. In Part Two I will discuss about inflation and reservations along with a couple of other topics.

Rising cost of living is gradually becoming a big problem.  Fuel prices (petrol, diesel, LPG & kerosene) are reaching new levels every couple of months. The price of petrol is currently Rs. 70 in my region while it was Rs. 58 a year ago. Even diesel is not being spared. Similarly, LPG prices have also risen substantially over the same period. And we are all aware of the fact that a rise in price of diesel has a cascading effect on the prices of all the other goods and commodities, thus, eroding the value of money. In other words, causing inflation.  The inflation rate in India as last reported was 8.72 percent in the month of May. However, what the normal level of inflation should be is a matter of debate but what is generally the acceptable level is around 4 percent.

I understand that the fuel prices depend upon the prices in the international market but what I don’t understand is why do we need to continue with the exorbitant rates of taxes and duties levied on them? The general price level in the country is already very high and the Govt. is still raising prices without reducing the taxes and duties. The share of taxes and duties in the price of petrol is approximately 58.82 percent. States like West Bengal and Haryana have taken the initiative of reducing the burden. West Bengal reduced the state cess on LPG thereby reducing its price by Rs. 16 and similarly, Haryana waived the 5 percent VAT on kerosene. So my point is, the taxes and duties can be reduced or relinquished for some time in order to lighten the burden of price rise if the willingness to do it is there.

Apart from the general rise in price, the cost of education, healthcare and utilities, specially electricity, has also risen over the last few years. In short, the cost of living is on the rise which is a frustrating thing to live with.

Another problem which our politicians don’t feel it is but it, in fact is, is Reservations (Quotas). It is one of the demons given rise to by our beloved leaders.  The whole idea behind and justification given in favour of reservations is that it is an attempt ‘to increase the social diversity in campuses and workplaces by lowering the entry criteria for certain identifiable groups that are grossly under-represented in proportion to their numbers in the general population’ in order to achieve uniform socio-economic development. While the idea behind it is noble it is not the way to go. This evil of reservations has far-reaching ill-effects in the long term. India has a high number of extremely talented, super-intelligent youths who already have fewer facilities (world class institutions) and opportunities to express their talent. And when they don’t get the right kind of opportunities they migrate to places where they are assured their abilities will be acknowledged. This phenomenon as you know is called brain drain. A country which isn’t serious about recognising and fostering its peoples’ talents and competence has to face the consequence of brain drain. We have a handful of top quality institutions and add reservations to that. Reservations have only worsened the situation. Reservations not only have a particular number of seats reserved for the particular category of castes, communities or gender but they also have lower requirements as far as eligibility is concerned. Thus, doing absolute injustice to the non-reserved category and the country.

I am all for a system where meritocracy is worshipped. No matter which caste or gender you belong to you need to be the best to get the best. This way brain drain would reduce, thereby, providing the nation with the talent pool to boast of at its disposal.

Creaking infrastructure is a big cause for concern. The present state of urban infrastructure can be described as pathetic. The improvements are happening but at a snail’s pace.  Infrastructure of cities like Mumbai and Bangalore is on the verge of collapse if words of some noted personalities are to be believed. Hyderabad is not far behind. But one city that takes the honours of having the best infrastructure is New Delhi.  The airport, the roads, the metro have all made New Delhi a good prospect  from the point of view of business and quality of living. We talk about competing with China but we cannot with such terrible state of transportation, energy, water management and communications infrastructure.

The law and order and national security are also causes for concern. The lesser we talk about it the better. We have a ratio of 200 policemen to 1,00,000 people which says it all. And also the best of them are made to guard the political leaders and ministers, thus, giving the common man a bitter deal. Also, our intelligence agencies cannot be completely trusted as shown by the recent events in Mumbai.  Hence, the whole affair leaves a lot to be desired.

So what do you feel? Are we really going to the dogs? Or have we already?

Is India Going To The Dogs? (Part 1)

Our country is facing a number of problems today and most of them are a result of poor decision-making of the leadership of the nation. The following is an attempt to make you think about whether we are really going downhill or not.

A shrewd, corrupt, coward, inefficient Government is, probably, the root cause of all the problems. Just take the example of our Prime Minister who, probably, believes in inaction. Though he is the head of the Government he lacks the courage and conviction required to perform his duties. The general perception is the PM is an honest person. Well, I do not know nor do you. But even if he is it is of no use since his subordinates (ministers) are not. After every few months some or the other minister is being accused of corruption charges. Apart from corruption, this Government also prides itself in inefficiency in carrying out some of the basic duties. A prime example of this is rotting of surplus grains due to lack of warehouses coupled with poor management. The only person responsible for the mess is the Agriculture Minister, Mr. Sharad Chandra Pawar whose ultimate goal in life, I feel, is to amass as much wealth as he could. It is said that he has so much wealth that he himself is not aware of the exact figure. He is currently the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and has multiple business interests. And we have this man as the head of the ministry which is responsible for ensuring that the country doesn’t go to bed hungry. In short, the UPA is filled with corrupt and coward people.

On the other hand, the BJP, which, presently, doesn’t have anything better to do than opposing every move of the UPA, had that confidence required to take bold decisions. It was proved during their regime in the late 90s and early 2000s. Though they took controversial decisions at times the sense that one could get was like “Well, at least, they are taking the bold steps needed to tackle the problem at hand rather than just talking about doing and not really doing.” But a lot has changed over the last few years and the BJP is not what it used to be. It is aimless and hollow. The next Lok Sabha election is three years away and if the BJP doesn’t do anything substantial to improve its image we may again have to tolerate the UPA and its ways.

(Because you guys do not like to read long posts I have divided it into two. Part Two will discuss about one of the topics which is close to the youths' hearts. Coming up very soon)

V for Vulgar

Just a few days back, while surfing channels on T.V I came across Channel V. A young boy and a young girl were being shown sleeping in bed together. The host of the show, a bearded sixer, was trying to wake them up. The show on air was Dare 2 Date.

First of all, let me tell you, I used to watch Channel V and MTV quite a bit till a couple of years ago but now I don’t feel like watching at all. Earlier, the shows they used to broadcast were great in terms of quality of content. But in the last couple of years both the channels seem to have lost the plot. Anyone who views these channels nowadays will agree with the point that most of the shows are vulgar. By being so they may be attracting more eyeballs than ever before but in my opinion, this is being totally, socially irresponsible. It’s not only adults or youths in their late teens who watch these channels but also children in their early teens. Shows such as Dare 2 Date, Splitsvilla and similar others are the most senseless and indecent. I don’t understand what they try to achieve by putting youngsters in the show and getting them to enter into a relationship. Even the relationships they enter into are founded on loose grounds, always a recipe for disaster. Some of the things they are made to do are just not suitable for universal viewing.

Apart from vulgarity in the form of intimacy and obscenity, there is another form of it – Swearing (gaali galoch). Before the start of this millennium very few young people used to use obscene language in their conversations. Even the frequency of usage was less. But now, it has become mandatory to have a good vocabulary of abuses both, desi and videsi, partly thanks to these channels. Swearing has become a trend. If you don’t swear you are looked down upon. A show such as Roadies has people abusing each other tens of times in a single episode. In a way, such shows have encouraged swearing. Putting a beep or blurring the mouth doesn’t help. You are considered ‘cool’ if you watch such shows. Your coolness is measured by the number of such shows you watch and how many of the things which they show you imbibe in your daily life.

My opinion is this vulgarity in the aforementioned two forms has become an unwarranted part of our youth culture. We just don’t need to do what the people in those shows do. Some youngsters are aware that what they show should not be followed but they fail to go against the norm. They succumb to peer pressure. It is, inherently, not a part of our culture. It is the Western culture that we are aping. I know what I am saying is a cliché but it is true. It is easy for the channels to say that the youth knows what to watch and what not to, what to practise and what not to. And so it becomes necessary for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to enter into the fray and crack down on them.

Also, let me make it clear that not every show of theirs deserves contempt. For example, ‘U R Fired’ on Channel V. Boy, it takes creativity to get yourself fired. Also, ‘Stunt Mania’ on MTV. I think it is one of the best reality shows on T.V presently.

So, boys and girls, don’t get run over by what you see around. Stop and reflect. You will realize what you have become while what you should have been.

Riding In The Rain

I feel immensely satisfied to resume blogging after a period of hibernation inflicted by important activities and events. I have been longing to resume it but, you know, you need a calm mind to write, don’t you?

All right , now coming to the subject of my post. Not many people know about my fetish of automobiles. I enjoy both driving & riding. Most people like to drive/ride fast but I like to cruise so that I am able to take in the views.

It was a pleasant Sunday evening yesterday and a good opportunity to hit the road. I have a 125cc bike which is nimble but not very quick and not a great cruiser either. Still you got to make do with whatever resources you have. So I set about my journey. I usually go along the new bypass which provides a fast and scenic ride. It was slightly overcast but didn’t seem it would rain, leave alone raining hard. So initially when I was on that strip of tarmac it was all going according to the script. Just after a few minutes and a few kilometres I saw a wet patch which was about 500 metres away, a clear indication that it had rained just then. Moving ahead I could see dark clouds in the distance with grey rays oblique to the ground which meant it was raining. I stopped. Within no time it started raining heavily and before I could find shelter I was drenched. I rode to the educational institution which was just a stone’s throw away and took shelter in the guard’s cabin.

After 10-15 minutes the downpour turned into drizzle and so I decided to return and no sooner did I start my return journey it again turned into a downpour. With no protective gear, not even something for the eyes, and the light fading it was getting extremely difficult to ride. If the falling rain was not enough there was thick spray of water emanating from trucks every now and then which made overtaking a tricky affair. Since it was getting dark I decided to take the old bypass as it is comparatively safer and slower. And just when I joined the old bypass the rain got heavier. By the time the thought of taking shelter again came there was no safe place to be found. With thunder and lightning just any roadside spot was not safe. So I kept on moving cagily. At some moments the rain eased off and at some it was heavy as before. At one point it was so heavy that virtually nothing was visible and I had to stop immediately and found a safe place which was a commercial complex. I realised I was shivering. The constant sound of thunder and lightning was frightening me a bit. The rain eased off again and I resumed riding. It was not long when I again had to find a safe place. It was still raining heavily when I decided to not think about the intensity of the rain and sprint back home. Luck was on my side as the heavy rain turned into a drizzle just after I set out.

And finally I reached home, got off the bike, had a look at it and smiled as if saying “Well done, sweetheart”. I felt a great sense of camaraderie. It was a stern test of my riding skills and temperament and I think I passed muster.

A Ripper Of A Day (And Night)!

I,and a couple of friends of mine, had decided to watch the India-Australia D/N encounter on 28th October, 2009 at the VCA stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur, a day after the Australian tour itinerary was released. After some hardship we,finally, got the tickets around 48 hours before the match. That the tickets were sponsored is a different story.

We set off for Nagpur on match day morning and collected our tickets from a relative’s place of one of my accompanying friends. We, then, began our journey to our destination almost 3 hours before the start of play. It was a bit stressful but the excitement overshadowed the stress. The road leading to the stadium was abuzz with vehicles moving fast and furiously. Everyone was in a hurry to get to the stadium, even the commando jeep that , apparently ,was running late. Incidentally, the team hotel was along the same road and when we passed by the team buses were about to welcome their passengers. Unsurprisingly, most of the people on their way to the stadium stopped and parked their vehicles by the side of the road near the hotel to see their stars. A huge crowd assembled in front of the hotel and surprisingly, they behaved well. Meanwhile, we kept on moving.

Upon reaching the stadium just less than 2 hours before the start we were welcomed by the sight of very long queues and we willed ourselves for the upcoming suffering. We reached our gate and were shocked to find that there was no queue. We checked our tickets in disbelief and found out that we were, really, at the right gate. It was all hunky-dory until I was frisked by the cops and came the shocker – Sorry, cameras are not allowed inside. An argument followed but no favourable conclusion was reached. The disappointment of being disallowed to carry the camera inside lingered for the entire duration of the match. In no time we were inside this splendid stadium and it was still about 90 minutes to go for the start. A few minutes later the players started making their way out for practice with the Australians leading the way.

By the time the match started almost all the stands were full and it was a carnival-like atmosphere. Indians batted first and had a decent start but looked in a bit of a bother when they lost 3 wickets under 100 runs. However, they consolidated in the middle overs and finished off the innings superbly. Australia did not begin their chase well and the match seemed over by the end of the 10th over with 309 runs needed with 7 wickets in hand. People started to leave soon. It was a comprehensive win for the Indians and we left satisfied unlike on the previous occasion in 2007. It was another stressful journey back home on the cards. Fortunately, it didn’t take more time to get out of the premises than we had thought and we were on our way back late in the night and arrived home in the wee hours the next day.

For more on this match read the Fan Following Report written by me for cricket website 'Cricinfo' http://es.pn/cXT6Jj

A Sweetish Diwali

Let me start by wishing you a belated very happy diwali and a belated happy new year.What better time to start something new than this propitious period of Diwali.No,I am not superstitious nor am I an atheist.

Diwali is termed as the 'festival of lights' but it is not just that.Diwali,in fact,is a festival of lights,noise and sweets!Yes,the latter one must have given people with sweet tooths a shot of saliva.This Diwali I have surprised myself by the fact that I have been enjoying sweets.The guy who hated sweet things for quite some time has suddenly started cherishing them.It's not an unwanted change considering my physique.I hope it helps me gain a few hundred grams,if not kilos which I am badly in need of.

There is a general belief that this Diwali has been great for most of the families in the three states where state assembly elections were held.Take,for instance,my town.There were crores of rupees spent by the candidates in an attempt to woo the voters.From sponsoring fire crackers to gifting mobile phones to distributing food coupons and God knows what else.Hence,there is no doubt about the fact that elections are a great time for the economy and for the nation as a whole as a fairly good amount of black money is pumped back into the market.What happy times it would be if elections were held every year.