Happy Birthday, sir!!!!!

It's here!! - April, the 24th!!
Another big day in the life of a gem called The Little Master, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, whose life is littered with big days and milestones galore.


Wish you a very happy and joyous day, and hopefully this is only one of many, many more joyous days and birthdays still to come, for many more years from now.

For mere mortals like us, events like birthdays are special, big days but sometimes I wonder what a milestone-laden genius like Sachin (on second thoughts, actually, there is nobody, quite like Sachin!) would feel on his birthday.

Yes, whatever heights you may achieve, a birthday is a birthday, and feeling stolid or emotionless about it. Agreed, he is of the rare breed who have enough reasons to celebrate and rejoice over some or the other milestone almost everyday anway - through his obvious precious and always-precocious talent, discipline, level-headedness, perseverance, international longevity (oh what not!) - he has now come to the stage that he keeps breaking records and milestones has become as much a part and way of life as breathing!

But perhaps he being one with a child-like zeal and zest for life, he would still treasure a birthday as much as any young kid!
Have you a great one, champ and you deserve to enjoy many, many more ones - also, many more birthdays still to come, where you might need to spend the day representing India, atleast till the 2011 World Cup !!

Such a genius and true patriot who has for long been a one-man army shouldering and carrying off the expectations of a people in every tournament, every innings, and on every ball, deserves to get a World Cup in his trophy cabinet, atleast before he turns 40.

That's my only, simple (and inexpensive, actually free!) birthday gift to you, Sachin - I sincerely pray and hope that may God bestow you with His grace and ensure you play a stellar role in making India win the World Cup!
(Having said that, you are the best, and ya shalt remain the best even if you score runs in the negative for the rest of your life! But having known your craving for the coveted glory, knowing your passion and penchant for seeing the Indian flag flutter gloriously on the winning podium), and to hear the national anthem of the winners as Jana Gana Mana, may you be bestowed with all the good luck and form to make it a dream come true - Amen!!!!!

Many Happy Returns of the day, Sir!!

What For, MSD?

Okayyy...so somebody's back!
No excuses for not writing in, but at least today, I just had to.

I have been (and still am) an avid MSD fan, and if you have followed some of my earlier posts, you'd know that I have always been singing hosannas, praising his demeanour, talent, tactics, et al.

And then I read about MSD (and Bhajji) skipping the awards, (http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=a21f82c6-77dc-434c-8a4c-d83d56bb4f56&Headline=Dhoni%2c+Bhajji+give+Padma+awards+a+miss).

And this is when I really wanted to give vent to my thoughts. I just wanted to put things in perspective, be fair, and ensure I am no blind follower of his.

Which is why, I decided to pen down (er..ok, make that key in) my disappointment over his conduct.

Disclaimer: Since I do not see myself (atleast not for now) calling up MSD and getting his thoughts/response on this, I have only been looking to a report citing MSD's version of things. Have waited a while but since no reports have been forthcoming, I write this with the assumption that he actually did skip the Padma awards ceremony for the sake of endorsements.

If it is indeed true that MSD has skipped the National Honor ceremony, only to turn up for a brand endorsement, it is certainly regrettable. I just hope it isn't lost out on the young man that any brand endorsement, function or any other event - unless it is a matter of someone's life and death - cannot be more important (however pre-planned it may be, and for that matter, the Padma Awards cermeony too, is not exactly an off-the-cuff, chalo-let's-have- it-tonite one) than an event where the nation is bestowing one of its most coveted civilian honors.

No amount of persuasion, arguments, or justification can cover for such callousness. Hopefully, whatever reason MSD has, if he stays true to himself, he will atleast in his own heart, own up to the fact that he need not have skipped this event. But this regret should not come about because it caused an unnecessary furore and diluted his brand equity - and ironically, which itself was what he wanted to build at the cost of missing the function, - but because others' reactions notwithstanding, his heart and mind should unequivocally exhort him to put country, national honor, and respect for the country and its love, above anything and everything else.

No brand can be bigger than the brand of a billion hearts beating for you, cheering for you, loving, respecting, adoring, and idolising you.