All of us are too aware about the current state of Andher Nagri, Chaupat Raja in our country.
I do not wish to dwell on the sheer scale (given the amount of misappropriation) of the scam - and it's not as if other scams of smaller amounts are any less deplorable.
A scam is a scam is a scam. Period.
It is nothing but a brazen breach of trust and honesty. The trust, commitment, transparency, and honesty that the citizens and electorate of the country expect and deserve. Nothing more, nothing less.
What I do want to write about, are the things that struck and hurt me even more than the obvious news flashes and beyond the usual platitudes of 'law must take its own course', 'we condemn such misuse of public money strongly', 'a thorough investigation is a must', 'innocent until proven guilty', and even 'it's a conspiracy'.
Excuse me, but whether it's CM Ibrahim or A Raja, who the hell wants to conspire against these people?
How often have we heard about the conspiracy theory against anyone who is accused of any malafide intent and wilful wrongdoing?
To put it in other words, have you ever heard someone accused of corruption, despite being confronted with raw facts, NOT putting up the 'It's just a ploy/conspiracy against me' front as his sole defence?
I bet, never.
Heard the DMK representative a couple of days ago, vociferously denying any possibility or need of Raja's resignation. After Raja was made to resign yesterday, it was quite laughable to then see him doing a shameless turncoat by taking a moral high ground by then shamelessly claiming how his party had displayed great virtues of probity and accountability.
Only, it wasn't funny. At all.
Where had all these values disappeared only a day ago when they had not been pressed for resignation?
To see such embezzlers being portrayed as 'scapegoats' of 'conspiracies', is nothing but a smokescreen of the highest order.
Does a Ratan Tata or the CAG have nothing better to do than alleging against someone like an Ibrahim or a Raja, respectively?
What we should actually ask is why was the Government sleeping on the matter and was in fact, even defending Raja till the last minute?
The accused always believe propounding a conspiracy angle is all they need to do, to wash their hands off any allegation. So what, even if it comes from credible people/agencies with incriminating evidence!
I believe it's time we dealt with such scamsters with this two-pronged approach:
A) Guilty, until proven innocent
Having seen enough of such attitudes and circumstances, I am honestly sick of people being framed as innocent when clearly and under the garb of conspiracy, all evidence is against them.
Now I am not against the basic premise of this idea. However, I am all against its misuse.
Such people who misuse these laws and tenets, under the pretext of 'conspiracy' and/or 'innocent till guilty' when there is compelling evidence against them, must be presumed as guilty. And this is where an independent (from the clutches of bureaucrats and politicians) agency must be formed, to act against those who are, on the basis of prima facie evidence, clearly found to be complicit in any kind of breach and misuse of public position and office. And then try to hide under the garb of 'innocent until proven guilty'.
Our judicial system is already swamped with so many cases that it takes only so long to decide on the cases (that too, assuming witnesses don't die/get killed/turn hostile), that the actual culprits either remain scot-free, on bail, or die a natural death at the young age of anywhere in their eighties or even nineties.
Such people who treat law as part of their own fiefdom need to be treated as guilty. Like a show-cause notice, the onus should be on them to prove why and how they are not guilty when all prima facie evidence is against them.
And atleast resign, voluntarily.
Time was, we had Lal Bahadur Shastri, who owed up responsibility for a train mishap and resigned. Voluntarily.
Simple question: How big a role do you think, did he have in the mishap?
Was Shastri ji's role in the train tragedy in any way more than or even similar to what Raja's (and his ilk's) has been in all sorts of scams? But unlike the bellicose, unrepentant, shameless politicos of today, Shastri ji voluntarily put in his papers.
THAT, is what is meant and evident by Probity, Conscience, and Transparency.
Not when you get belligerent and even have the gall to display a forced resignation as martyrdom in the guise of upholding values.
B) Ensuring Accountability and Setting Precedents
Barring the exception of Sukhram in the telecom scandal, how many politicians embroiled in a scam have ever gone to jail?
Let's make the perpetrators pay - I say this only metaphorically, because literally speaking, that's precisely what they do - pay they do! Which is why, after paying up and bribing the equally culpable officials, they always get to be scot-free.
It's time to ensure those who commit such gross misappropriation and corruption get nothing short of non-bailable warrants. Let's see them behind bars.
When the Harshad Mehta scam happened, only Harshad Mehta went to jail, not any politician.
When the Ketan Parekh scam came to light, only Ketan Parekh went to jail, not any politician.
When the cash-for-votes evidence against Bangaru Laxman came to light, he was made to resign but he too, was never jailed. Nor did anyone from the hawala scam, or the fodder scam, or the zillion other misappropriations that never even come to light.
If a Shivraj Patil is inept during (and before) 26/11, he is removed. But what next? He becomes a Governor. Ditto for an N D Tiwari, after his infamous, sleaze-filled video.
The point is, politicians have for long gotten habituated to a settled and a 'yahaan-nahin-toh-wahaan-accommodate-kar-denge' life. In any case, they know they would not only get bailed out and roam scot free, but also get some plum post, sooner or later, here or there.
What we really and urgently require is to set up an agency that is outside any purview or any sort of influence of the government and the MPs. However, forming one obviously requires a legislation. The only, small problem is that such a legislation, that undermines the power of the legislatures, would have to be created, ratified and passed by the legislatures themselves.
Well, it's a bit like asking ISI to disband terror camps or hand over Dawood - you will hear all the usual noises but ultimately, nothing will effectively happen on the ground.
Alas, one can't expect a burglar to pass a legislation allowing others to stop burglaries!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Bharat Ratna that India is yet to call a 'Bharat Ratna'
Of late, I have allowed myself some indulgence by enjoying ‘seeing’ some creative and imaginative teams ‘play’, in my mind. Cricinfo has been dishing out All-time XIs - such as of the World, as well as of each country, including ours). Some lists are even more specific, like the All-time Poetry in Motion World XI or even an All-time XI of the best of the rest - the Excluded XI.
And so, while these are purely academic exercises, there is no harm in enjoying the romanticism of how great it would have been, to see all such players, playing together as a team.
And so, while these are purely academic exercises, there is no harm in enjoying the romanticism of how great it would have been, to see all such players, playing together as a team.
In continuation/relation with the above-mentioned theoretical pursuit, there is another such activity that has occupied the mindspace of many cricket enthusiasts – the evergreen debate about Sachin being the best-ever batsman to have played the game or not.
Anyone who has known me or discussed cricket with me, would vouch for my fan following towards Sachin. Therefore, to remove any bias in my judgement, I decided to test him on the most objective (and not subjective) parameters.
So even if I believe that no one ever could, or ever will achieve the balance in posture before, during and after playing a stroke the way only he does, I would not give him extra points for that (though he deserves them!).
Not even when he just no-more-than-pushes at the ball and it races to the boundary.
Not even when he is so compact in his defence that even lightning cannot sneak through, between his bat and pad.
Not even when he upper cuts fast bowlers to make it seem so ridiculously simple that you'd think even Geoffrey Boycott's mom would be able to mete out similar treatment to those balls.
Not even when he paddle-sweeps a spinner ferociously to the fine-leg fence.
And not even when he shapes up to play a sweep shot, and still has the time to easily switch to Plan B and execute a late cut, all with effortless ease and grace.
What I will judge him on, is how good he has been, in terms of the following parameters:
1) Longevity
To be able to represent your country for so long, to play with the kind of passion he has, and to still retain the joy, love and zest for the game even after more than two decades, is phenomenal, to say the least. Not to forget, he has been a backbone of the team all these years, right since 1989.
2) Consistent Match Winner
The number of Man of the Match awards he has won, and the number of times India has won when he has scored centuries, are all indisputable facts, for all to see.
His display in all formats of the game has not only been brilliant, but also consistently brilliant. It’s one thing to be good initially, in say, your first international season, but entirely another to retain it over the subsequent seasons. Ajantha Mendis would vouch for the same! And to be consistently great for so long, is possible for only a one-in-a-million.
3) Stats – Runs, 100s, Strike Rate, Average
Yes, they don't reveal everything, but stats don't hide everything either. In fact, they do tell a lot. And when it comes to Sachin's records, they just speak for themselves. Need I say more?!
4) Quality and Variety of Opposition Faced
From the previous point about Statistics, many believe that Sir Don with his famous 99.94 and the sheer frequency-of-centuries-per-matches-played makes for a greater bat than Sachin. However, with due respects to the Don, we must not forget that Sir Don played in an era where:
- He never played outside Australia and England
- He never faced vicious turners or hostile pacemen on their home turfs
- He played 52 Tests over a 20-year period with NO one-dayers (which meant enough time to recuperate and re-charge) as compared to 160+ Tests for Sachin over the same period (including playing in One Dayers too).
- He was never under anywhere close to the kind of pressure to perform each time he walked out to bat, that Sachin has almost forever gone through (and handled exceptionally)
- He never got video-analysed, and ‘sorted’ by the bowlers
- Without taking any credit away from his ability and talent, it must also be noted that the quality of bowling was hardly as high in the 1920s-1940s era, as it has been since the last two decades. Sir Don never played such a variety of pitches and bowling attacks as Sachin has.
With all the above facts, it shouldn’t be tough to ascertain who the greater immortal should be (and not the lesser mortal!).
5) Home Vs Away Performances
Sachin’s performances both at home and away are again, there for all to see. No wonder, he is the only cricketer in the only world about whom it is said that wherever he plays in the world, it is a home game for him – not just because he is loved everywhere, but also because he has scored against everyone, since these many decades against all sorts of bowlers, everywhere!
6) All Shots in the book
Not only does Sachin have all shots in the book, like his paddle sweep and upper cut, he has improvised to create many of his own, outside of the book too. No one else has had such complete mastery over virtually every shot played perfectly. Yes, there could still be/have been a few who might be/have been able to play all shots, but only Sachin can play all shots with same amount of perfection in each shot! Even the way he weaves out of the line of a bouncer with body and bat away from possible contact and eyes still on the ball, is a sight to behold.
Even after all this, what we might still not know is how much his body hurts at this age, and how he manages to motivate himself to raise the bar of excellence with his subsequent knocks.
Despite simulating how he’d feel like every time he walks onto the ground with thousands of lungs shouting (chanting) his name, we might still never realize just how much expectation and pressure he copes with and conquers, in every single innings of his.
We might still not know how his mere presence in the dressing room or on the field spurs other Indian cricketers to produce their best in front of him (and often, thanks to his tips and encouragement).
And we might still never know, how, in an India saddled with corrupt politicians, inept governance, average to below-average performers or non-performers in every sphere, and with general gloom and doom all around in a country that yearns for an avatar to feel good about, how he manages to give every cricket lover a reason to find life perfect, and how critical he is, to all of us.
Last, but certainly not the least, what is most lovable about this man is how he manages to retain his humility despite his super stardom and despite the world anointing him a Master Blaster/Little Master, he remains as much a student and humble, grateful servant of the game he has always genuinely loved, to this day.
Pray, tell me, how do we measure all this?! And if we can (as we should), how can there be any doubt whatsoever about who the greatest guy to have walked on this planet with a bat is?!!
To cut a long story short, Sachin is not just the world’s best Saurav da, he IS the world’s best-ever. Surely, the greatest Bharat Ratna that India is yet to have. Whenever he gets conferred with it (and hopefully he will be!), it would have been long overdue.
More power to you, Little Master..and may you keep thrilling us, even till ever after!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Jai Ho!
Ok, this one's gonna be an angry, frustration-venting post.
As I write this, we have already read all sorts of sad, shameful and embarrassing reports about the CommonWealth Games - about a ceiling collapse, about a boxer's broken bed, about its 'filthy' rooms with unfit and unliveable conditions, and even about a snake being found in one of the rooms. To state that all these (and other such) incidents are saddening and humiliating, is about as insightful as the analysis that when the sun is out in full force, it can mean daytime!
That the nation's honor, self-esteem and credibility has taken a beating is not only a fact, but also an understatement. The larger issue, though, is about actually getting to the root of exactly what all went wrong, so that we learn our lessons well. We must honestly ask ourselves as to why, we as a nation, have failed so miserably?
I am reasonably convinced that atleast a majority of the readers, on reading the last line, would be thinking that I am referring to the failure of Kalmadi and his Organizing Committee (OC), only. Well, while they are surely (and deservedly) the prime candidates to be put in the dock, they are not alone. I am also referring to the government, to the media, as well as to you and me. It's a failure to which all of us have contributed, in one way or the other. Lemme talk about each, one by one.
Kalmadi and his entourage:
Having been at the helm of affairs of such a historic Games and after having touted their extensive experience in handling and organizing world-class events, surely, it's not asking too much from the Organizing Committee, led by Mr. Kalmadi, to be proactive, well-prepared, and thorough in their preparations. It's the very least anyone can do.
How on earth could these guys be so immune to the consequences/pitfalls of last-minute preparations? Why, in the first place, do we always have to leave things till the eleventh hour (and 59th minute)? Especially when we know rains would play havoc with preparations in July-August (if not the unexpected, unrelenting downpours in September too).
What was the CWG administration and the management doing all this while?
When the most embarrassing pictures of filthy living conditions were presented, why did the OC Secretary-General not even bother to be man enough to look facts and failure in the eye, and accept a fault? Wasn't it even worse and insensitive of him to deflect the cause of the query and accompanying remedial measures by attributing them to 'different standards of hygiene'?!
When allegations of corruption - of those infamously rented treadmills and other equipments - were running around thick and fast, why did not the OC come up with the correct picture and present its stance, if there were no ulterior motives behind the exorbitant costs?
The Govt:
When reports about CWG irregularities, ill-preparedness and significant project delays had become public knowledge, why did the Government not crack the whip, atleast by then?!
What can we expect from our government when it is itself incompetent in doing its job? CWG is just another feather in its cap. Already, it has been immune to so much else. Grains can rot and can be eaten by rodents but are not meant to be given to the poor for free, huge unrest in the integral parts of our country has anyway become routine stuff, people getting killed brazenly and without contempt in the name of family honor, infrastructure coming apart every other day somewhere or the other due to something as expected and innocuous as rains, Maoist disturbances to deal with every now and then, people using their parochial interests even at the cost of (further) national shame, Mamta turning into more of a Wail-minister than Rail Minister as Railways hurtles from one accident to another, while she stays busy playing politics over Bengal, and Kashmir and Ayodhya being such flashpoints in our country, that we have to clamp curfews due to the insensitive nature among us. Terrible, disgusting, abhorable.
Hey, I had told you, this is gonna be one angry, vent-filled post.
More than the lack of preparation, it's the attitude of the organizers and the men-in-charge, which is worrying and distressing. Lalit Bhanot wants us to think that the stinking and disgusting state of rooms is due to a relatively different standard of hygience among foreigners, Sheila Dikshit tells us that the bridge that collapsed was not meant for athletes. So anyone's life is cheap as long as it does not become a headline-hogging news, huh? Where have our hard-earned taxes been splurged, which have officially (and only on paper) been spent on CWG preparations?
What's the solution? Either let there not be any games so that we know our priority is in the right place first. And let us ensure we spend this amount on our infrastructure, proper training, equipment, stadia, attractive packages for capable players, coaches and administrators, etc. Having said so, again it's a utopian stand, because it's too late now. An out of India hosting would only officially discredit the nation as a classic case study of poor planning and zero execution skills, along with no troubleshooting ability when faced with a crisis.
The Media:
While the media has rightly discussed threadbare the pathetic state of management and last-minute preparations at the CWG, as a responsible and fair medium, it is also obliged to present the complete picture, and not just one side of the coin.
But has the media ever also brought the good bits to light?
How many in the media have reported the other, pleasant and pride-worthy side of the Games? While no sane-minded person would ever deny that there has been great bungling and much left to be desired, I think we too, by being ONLY armchair critics, and by reporting on ONLY the wrongs and completely overlooking anything wonderful, are only being negative participants.
Though we cannot have the authority to take to task those responsible (rather, those who have been irresponsible), we can atleast do our humble bit in making the Games a success. And it starts with respecting ourselves, in not letting go our nation's self-esteem and being proud of ourselves, wherever it is due and deserved.
Just as we bring to light the gross mismanagements, we must also be equally keen to appreciate and take pride in some exceptionally awesome work too, that runs the risk of not being given its due. Koi bhi desh (and/or Games) perfect nahin hota, usey perfect banaya jaata hai! :)
You and Me:
But what do we, as a people, do? You and me. Yes, all of us are pained by the state of affairs. But I was thinking, isn't it easy to keep cribbing about what all is wrong, who should do what or who should have done what?
Isn't it always easy to be an armchair critic? If Kalmadi & Co. are incompetent, that's a pity on them. But do we become better than them by just pointing out what they have and could have/should have done, while still nto doing anything except cribbing? Often, we tend to solely concentrate on getting to know which person to point our finger at, put the blame, and display our angst over social networking fora or by forwarding the latest jokes on CWG.
All very well and great use of freedom of expression, but I hope all of us (including yours truly) also learn to spot, and atleast try to look at, possible solutions from there (any critical, embarrassing, unpleasant situation) onwards instead of just lamenting/fretting about it or just sending bulk jokes.
It's great to be able to find faults in others and what 'can be/could have been' and 'should be/should have been' done by others.
What have we actually DONE ourselves in contributing to the betterment of our society, and our country?
Even if we aren't in the Games Committee, isn't there so much you and me can do, to make our country better? Do our good deeds and responsible citizen's duties have to take birth only as a direct after-effect of being bestowed with some authority or position? Isn't being a good, responsible, loving and caring citizen the responsibility and duty that should be ingrained in us? Even if others are not right, let us do our little things right. Atleast keep the slate of our conscience and our duties clean. From picking up a piece of garbage even if all others too walk right past it, to not honking unnecessarily on the roads and not jumping lights, to not ignoring an accident victim desperate for help for fear of police case/lack of time, to being a concerned citizen ready to help others, with a bomb blast/earthquake/flood relief work even when no one from our family and friends is involved - there's so much you and me can do.
If you are on FaceBook, do check out this album.
Phew - have ranted enough, but before shutting shop, I'd just like to sincerely urge all of us, including you and me, to take pride in the qualities and the great stuff we have, while also being cognizant of our shortcoming and failures and take the erring individuals to task. But while declaring the decision and punitive actions are not in our hands, what is entirely in our control as well as our duty, is to ensure we do our bit in making the Games a success, just like these volunteers. For starters, we can implement the points, Dr. Kalam has made - captured in Photos 28 - 30 of the album.
I'm sure, step by step, the world will be a better place. If nothing else, let us atleast change ourselves for the better without looking at whether our neighbors or neighbors' neighbors, or colleagues or colleagues' colleagues have changed themselves first. Let's just change ourselves, for the better, without being dependent on anyone else for approval or necessary appreciation.
Amen, and Jai Ho!
As I write this, we have already read all sorts of sad, shameful and embarrassing reports about the CommonWealth Games - about a ceiling collapse, about a boxer's broken bed, about its 'filthy' rooms with unfit and unliveable conditions, and even about a snake being found in one of the rooms. To state that all these (and other such) incidents are saddening and humiliating, is about as insightful as the analysis that when the sun is out in full force, it can mean daytime!
That the nation's honor, self-esteem and credibility has taken a beating is not only a fact, but also an understatement. The larger issue, though, is about actually getting to the root of exactly what all went wrong, so that we learn our lessons well. We must honestly ask ourselves as to why, we as a nation, have failed so miserably?
I am reasonably convinced that atleast a majority of the readers, on reading the last line, would be thinking that I am referring to the failure of Kalmadi and his Organizing Committee (OC), only. Well, while they are surely (and deservedly) the prime candidates to be put in the dock, they are not alone. I am also referring to the government, to the media, as well as to you and me. It's a failure to which all of us have contributed, in one way or the other. Lemme talk about each, one by one.
Kalmadi and his entourage:
Having been at the helm of affairs of such a historic Games and after having touted their extensive experience in handling and organizing world-class events, surely, it's not asking too much from the Organizing Committee, led by Mr. Kalmadi, to be proactive, well-prepared, and thorough in their preparations. It's the very least anyone can do.
How on earth could these guys be so immune to the consequences/pitfalls of last-minute preparations? Why, in the first place, do we always have to leave things till the eleventh hour (and 59th minute)? Especially when we know rains would play havoc with preparations in July-August (if not the unexpected, unrelenting downpours in September too).
What was the CWG administration and the management doing all this while?
When the most embarrassing pictures of filthy living conditions were presented, why did the OC Secretary-General not even bother to be man enough to look facts and failure in the eye, and accept a fault? Wasn't it even worse and insensitive of him to deflect the cause of the query and accompanying remedial measures by attributing them to 'different standards of hygiene'?!
When allegations of corruption - of those infamously rented treadmills and other equipments - were running around thick and fast, why did not the OC come up with the correct picture and present its stance, if there were no ulterior motives behind the exorbitant costs?
The Govt:
When reports about CWG irregularities, ill-preparedness and significant project delays had become public knowledge, why did the Government not crack the whip, atleast by then?!
What can we expect from our government when it is itself incompetent in doing its job? CWG is just another feather in its cap. Already, it has been immune to so much else. Grains can rot and can be eaten by rodents but are not meant to be given to the poor for free, huge unrest in the integral parts of our country has anyway become routine stuff, people getting killed brazenly and without contempt in the name of family honor, infrastructure coming apart every other day somewhere or the other due to something as expected and innocuous as rains, Maoist disturbances to deal with every now and then, people using their parochial interests even at the cost of (further) national shame, Mamta turning into more of a Wail-minister than Rail Minister as Railways hurtles from one accident to another, while she stays busy playing politics over Bengal, and Kashmir and Ayodhya being such flashpoints in our country, that we have to clamp curfews due to the insensitive nature among us. Terrible, disgusting, abhorable.
Hey, I had told you, this is gonna be one angry, vent-filled post.
More than the lack of preparation, it's the attitude of the organizers and the men-in-charge, which is worrying and distressing. Lalit Bhanot wants us to think that the stinking and disgusting state of rooms is due to a relatively different standard of hygience among foreigners, Sheila Dikshit tells us that the bridge that collapsed was not meant for athletes. So anyone's life is cheap as long as it does not become a headline-hogging news, huh? Where have our hard-earned taxes been splurged, which have officially (and only on paper) been spent on CWG preparations?
What's the solution? Either let there not be any games so that we know our priority is in the right place first. And let us ensure we spend this amount on our infrastructure, proper training, equipment, stadia, attractive packages for capable players, coaches and administrators, etc. Having said so, again it's a utopian stand, because it's too late now. An out of India hosting would only officially discredit the nation as a classic case study of poor planning and zero execution skills, along with no troubleshooting ability when faced with a crisis.
The Media:
While the media has rightly discussed threadbare the pathetic state of management and last-minute preparations at the CWG, as a responsible and fair medium, it is also obliged to present the complete picture, and not just one side of the coin.
But has the media ever also brought the good bits to light?
How many in the media have reported the other, pleasant and pride-worthy side of the Games? While no sane-minded person would ever deny that there has been great bungling and much left to be desired, I think we too, by being ONLY armchair critics, and by reporting on ONLY the wrongs and completely overlooking anything wonderful, are only being negative participants.
Though we cannot have the authority to take to task those responsible (rather, those who have been irresponsible), we can atleast do our humble bit in making the Games a success. And it starts with respecting ourselves, in not letting go our nation's self-esteem and being proud of ourselves, wherever it is due and deserved.
Just as we bring to light the gross mismanagements, we must also be equally keen to appreciate and take pride in some exceptionally awesome work too, that runs the risk of not being given its due. Koi bhi desh (and/or Games) perfect nahin hota, usey perfect banaya jaata hai! :)
You and Me:
But what do we, as a people, do? You and me. Yes, all of us are pained by the state of affairs. But I was thinking, isn't it easy to keep cribbing about what all is wrong, who should do what or who should have done what?
Isn't it always easy to be an armchair critic? If Kalmadi & Co. are incompetent, that's a pity on them. But do we become better than them by just pointing out what they have and could have/should have done, while still nto doing anything except cribbing? Often, we tend to solely concentrate on getting to know which person to point our finger at, put the blame, and display our angst over social networking fora or by forwarding the latest jokes on CWG.
All very well and great use of freedom of expression, but I hope all of us (including yours truly) also learn to spot, and atleast try to look at, possible solutions from there (any critical, embarrassing, unpleasant situation) onwards instead of just lamenting/fretting about it or just sending bulk jokes.
It's great to be able to find faults in others and what 'can be/could have been' and 'should be/should have been' done by others.
What have we actually DONE ourselves in contributing to the betterment of our society, and our country?
Even if we aren't in the Games Committee, isn't there so much you and me can do, to make our country better? Do our good deeds and responsible citizen's duties have to take birth only as a direct after-effect of being bestowed with some authority or position? Isn't being a good, responsible, loving and caring citizen the responsibility and duty that should be ingrained in us? Even if others are not right, let us do our little things right. Atleast keep the slate of our conscience and our duties clean. From picking up a piece of garbage even if all others too walk right past it, to not honking unnecessarily on the roads and not jumping lights, to not ignoring an accident victim desperate for help for fear of police case/lack of time, to being a concerned citizen ready to help others, with a bomb blast/earthquake/flood relief work even when no one from our family and friends is involved - there's so much you and me can do.
If you are on FaceBook, do check out this album.
Phew - have ranted enough, but before shutting shop, I'd just like to sincerely urge all of us, including you and me, to take pride in the qualities and the great stuff we have, while also being cognizant of our shortcoming and failures and take the erring individuals to task. But while declaring the decision and punitive actions are not in our hands, what is entirely in our control as well as our duty, is to ensure we do our bit in making the Games a success, just like these volunteers. For starters, we can implement the points, Dr. Kalam has made - captured in Photos 28 - 30 of the album.
I'm sure, step by step, the world will be a better place. If nothing else, let us atleast change ourselves for the better without looking at whether our neighbors or neighbors' neighbors, or colleagues or colleagues' colleagues have changed themselves first. Let's just change ourselves, for the better, without being dependent on anyone else for approval or necessary appreciation.
Amen, and Jai Ho!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Ja deja-vu
Time was, when man could not have expected to land on the moon.
Time was, when it seemed insane to expect some kind of technology would present and connect you to anything anywhere in the world at just the 'click' of a 'mouse'.
Time was, when it was inconceivable to think that a person could talk to another person at another end of the world, without having to blow his lungs away in trying to be audible to 'such a far' distance and that too, while being mobile, on the move.
Time was, when I used to think Ravindra Jadeja could bat.
Yes.
I first saw him struggle at the World T20 in England, and I thought he was too raw at the international circuit and considering the team's form, fortunes and match situations, most of his early knocks seemed a baptism by fire.
However, many matches, heartaches, frustrations and benefits-of-doubt later, I realized he is not going anywhere. Even after enough of chances, big-match experience, and backing provided to him.
The guy has simply stagnated bigtime.
But, being an eternal optimist, I don't mean to write this piece as an obituary for him. Hope he improves and earns and commands his place back in the Indian team (he needs to some day get dropped in the first place though, to make a comeback!).
However, being a pragmatist too, I don't see him as a guy who belongs there, at the highest level, as of now. Time after time, chance after chance, every time he has fluffed any opportunity that has come his way.
Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for India, the country is too big with too many talented players around, to fill up in atleast the shoes he'd (ok....make that he 'should') have to vacate on being dropped. Certainly not with the level of his game at the moment.
With precisely 8 games to play at home before THE Cup in 2011, we really need to get our core people in the mix. The Kohlis, the Unadkats, the Saurabh Tyagis, the Pujaras - they are all there, waiting.
Question is, do we have enough time to even blood a youngster NOW? Isn't this lack of planning/vision? What are we waiting for, when we see Jadeja fail?
For that one average flash in the pan, when he can secure his place for atleast a year? He's had enough chances, just be fair to all others too. Most of all, be fair to the chances of the team.
The problem, though, is not just this.
Why does the selection committee play him, time and time again? Just because he can be used to do both bat and ball (pathetically)?
Isn't Irfan Pathan (even Yusuf Pathan) a better choice than him? Surely, the bowler in Jadeja hasn't exactly turned out to be earth-shaking material either.
Okay, he's alright (at best) at containing batsmen (that too, only on his day), and can scratch his way to a 20-odd in just under 40 deliveries. Is that good enough for an Indian No. 7 in ODI cricket, especially when he is expected to come to the crease most often during or just before the slog overs?
Rohit Sharma is another case study on what goes inside the insides of talented people who do not get to transcend from being good to at least better and wonderful, if not great.
Only goes on to show how great Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is.
To have talent and ability is one thing.
But to adapt, not relax, have the passion, enthusiasm, love and the will to always evolve and improve is another.
That's what separates the chaff from the grain. The men from the boys.
The Tendulkars from the Ravindars.
Till our players understand the merit behind having rigorous and seriously-taken nets and performance analysis sessions...
Till our selectors understand the need to ensure a non-performer (however potentially talented) does not take his spot for granted despite numerous chances...
Till the players themselves start yearning to get a feel of the pride one would get after turning a match around for India (instead of just the gift of turning up for India)....
Till we evolve together as a team...
...we shall keep being helpless witnesses to same results from same situations from the same players, match after match.
We would do better to learn from our mistakes and atleast not repeat the same ones again. Let's just give room to performers and performances and not on those who do not seem keen to learn or put in their best foot forward. Otherwise, we all know it will just be a case of deja-vu, yet again.
Time was, when it seemed insane to expect some kind of technology would present and connect you to anything anywhere in the world at just the 'click' of a 'mouse'.
Time was, when it was inconceivable to think that a person could talk to another person at another end of the world, without having to blow his lungs away in trying to be audible to 'such a far' distance and that too, while being mobile, on the move.
Time was, when I used to think Ravindra Jadeja could bat.
Yes.
I first saw him struggle at the World T20 in England, and I thought he was too raw at the international circuit and considering the team's form, fortunes and match situations, most of his early knocks seemed a baptism by fire.
However, many matches, heartaches, frustrations and benefits-of-doubt later, I realized he is not going anywhere. Even after enough of chances, big-match experience, and backing provided to him.
The guy has simply stagnated bigtime.
But, being an eternal optimist, I don't mean to write this piece as an obituary for him. Hope he improves and earns and commands his place back in the Indian team (he needs to some day get dropped in the first place though, to make a comeback!).
However, being a pragmatist too, I don't see him as a guy who belongs there, at the highest level, as of now. Time after time, chance after chance, every time he has fluffed any opportunity that has come his way.
Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for India, the country is too big with too many talented players around, to fill up in atleast the shoes he'd (ok....make that he 'should') have to vacate on being dropped. Certainly not with the level of his game at the moment.
With precisely 8 games to play at home before THE Cup in 2011, we really need to get our core people in the mix. The Kohlis, the Unadkats, the Saurabh Tyagis, the Pujaras - they are all there, waiting.
Question is, do we have enough time to even blood a youngster NOW? Isn't this lack of planning/vision? What are we waiting for, when we see Jadeja fail?
For that one average flash in the pan, when he can secure his place for atleast a year? He's had enough chances, just be fair to all others too. Most of all, be fair to the chances of the team.
The problem, though, is not just this.
Why does the selection committee play him, time and time again? Just because he can be used to do both bat and ball (pathetically)?
Isn't Irfan Pathan (even Yusuf Pathan) a better choice than him? Surely, the bowler in Jadeja hasn't exactly turned out to be earth-shaking material either.
Okay, he's alright (at best) at containing batsmen (that too, only on his day), and can scratch his way to a 20-odd in just under 40 deliveries. Is that good enough for an Indian No. 7 in ODI cricket, especially when he is expected to come to the crease most often during or just before the slog overs?
Rohit Sharma is another case study on what goes inside the insides of talented people who do not get to transcend from being good to at least better and wonderful, if not great.
Only goes on to show how great Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is.
To have talent and ability is one thing.
But to adapt, not relax, have the passion, enthusiasm, love and the will to always evolve and improve is another.
That's what separates the chaff from the grain. The men from the boys.
The Tendulkars from the Ravindars.
Till our players understand the merit behind having rigorous and seriously-taken nets and performance analysis sessions...
Till our selectors understand the need to ensure a non-performer (however potentially talented) does not take his spot for granted despite numerous chances...
Till the players themselves start yearning to get a feel of the pride one would get after turning a match around for India (instead of just the gift of turning up for India)....
Till we evolve together as a team...
...we shall keep being helpless witnesses to same results from same situations from the same players, match after match.
We would do better to learn from our mistakes and atleast not repeat the same ones again. Let's just give room to performers and performances and not on those who do not seem keen to learn or put in their best foot forward. Otherwise, we all know it will just be a case of deja-vu, yet again.
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