Time to Show Our Mettle

Yes, we have lost the first test badly. Yes, we have not acquitted ourselves the way a World No. 1 Test team should.

The sight an Indian fan did not want to see - England's victory huddle :-| (Source: Cricinfo)

Irrespective of whether we like it or not, and whatever be the entirely avoidable and unfortunate reasons behind this, but it is indeed a fact that for the Indian cricket team fits the tag of 'poor, slow starters' to almost every Test series (abroad). Perhaps this tag applies to us even more strongly than a certain 'cho_ _ _s' tag attributed to a prominent team from the southern part of a continent.

However, this is the time when our time needs us the most. They did not set the stage afire alright, but they did not really disgrace themselves either, even in defeat.

On that contrary, I was in fact happy with the way we went for Lunch on Day 4 (when Ishant had rocked England bigtime - the most ardent English fan too would have been jittery for them, then) and even at Tea on Day 5, when we still had 5 wickets in hand for the final session, with Dhoni and Raina at the crease. I am not sure about the others, but I seriously reckoned we could have salvaged a draw with a little more luck (weather) and application. Considering we were always short of our premier bowler, I would never want to give the stick to our cricketers, that too for not trying hard enough. And as I have always maintained, I am fine even with a defeat, as long as our team has put in every possible effort and not made silly/already committed mistakes.

Despite the largely forgettable performance by India, I do believe, though, that we still have it in us to upset the English applecart. Don't forget, this is an Indian team, that is not only used to coming back from behind, but is also a team that never gives up, and is not dependent too heavily on any one individual now, unlike the last two decades. Even the figures show we do manage to bounce back remarkably well after our first Test.

Having said that, it's truly going to be a test of our mettle, to mount back-to-back wins now from a very confident English side, with all bases covered.

Now for my Nobel-winning Eureka-statement of the day: The best and only way to defeat England, is to make sure that we pick our best cricketers (purely by form and as per pitch conditions).

In that regard, I believe it is high time we dispense with Mr. Harbhajan Singh w.e.f. NOW.

My reason: No, I am never a one-test or even a one-series critic. Show me the last time Bhajji bowled India to victory in a Test on his own, even before the current Test/series. Forget humans, even Google might struggle conjuring up the relevant match stats.

Yes, he is a big name (and in all probability, Mr. MSD's favorite will not be left to cool his heels), and is also a handy No.8 but I want to tell him and his admirers just this -
Har bhajan apna karenge, dear Bhajji tere liye...

...batting toh aa rayi hai lekin, ye bhi dekhna wickets din mein kitne liye.

Anyway, as I said, what I wish/think is immaterial as long as the captain/selector(s) do not think so too. I do not expect Dhoni to drop him - and I'd love to be proved wrong if Bhajji just goes on to bowl India to a win. However, my discomfort arises from the fact that not only has he not managed to be among the wickets, he has not even looked like taking/deserving a wicket. Even lower-order batsmen have played him with ease, even smacking him around with disdain.

Which is why, I would rather go with a Mishra instead of him. Why, I'd even drop Mukund to make way for Yuvraj too - he would not only bolster our batting but also add to our bowling with his left-arm spin. Again, though, it's not a selection I see happening in all practicality.

Yes, I am sorry to sacrifice a specialist opener who has actually acquitted himself well, but I wanted to include a left-arm spinner really, even at the cost of my specialist opener. Having said that, I would not mind too much even if this change is not made. But I do want Bhajji replaced with Mishra.

And, since this is my blog, I'd like to use this space to write about exactly what/who I believe are the personnel I can trust the most to do the job in the 2nd Test:

  1. Gautam Gambhir

  2. Abhinav Mukund

  3. Rahul Dravid

  4. Sachin Tendulkar

  5. VVS Laxman

  6. Suresh Raina

  7. MS Dhoni

  8. Praveen Kumar

  9. Amit Mishra

10. Ishant Sharma

11. Munaf Patel/S Sreesanth

Come on, India!!

It's time we showed why we are the World No. 1 side.

Let's silence the likes of Donald, Boycott, and Warne. For good.

Jai Ho!!

There you go again!

'Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it.' - Tamas.

Right then, so it's another anguish-laden post, in reaction to another set of serial blasts in Mumbai. And as i had said earlier, I'm afraid it might only end up being just another date/anniversary of yet another terror attack, in the years to come.
I hope I am wrong but I am yet to see/notice any incident/action by the Government that can make me change my view.
All I can do is to just hope and wait for our Government to finally, kindly, please for Goddamn sake, - please, please - act!! Actually, come to think of it, act it does, but not the 'act' where 'act' is a verb, but where it is an adjective.
So dear heartless leaders, please stop the charade, relieve us of your bhaashans and found-again resolves, and just, only - ACT: TAKE QUICK, SWIFT ACTION AGAINST THE CULPRITS.

Right now, this is our typical cycle:
Blast > Govt issues the customary press release > Strongly condemns the heinous and unforgivable terrorist attack > Reaffirms tokenisms of ensuring justice and re-re-pledges war against terror > Re-re-re-warns terrorist networks of dire consequences, if repeated > Hails the much-abused 'spirit' of Mumbai and Mumbaikars > No Real Actions/Lessons > Blast..

I believe none of us wants to hear about Mumbai's spirit and resilience anymore. It's time we said enough is enough. And said just that, no more. Instead, for a change, can we please act on the culprits ASAP - atleast on known offenders like Kasab?
I want to read about how we put our foot down on this, like US did with Osama and Saddam.

We have no control over what others (terrorists) can do. But we can for sure control what we can do, instead of just spewing platitudes and offering ceremonial wreaths. Has even one terror attack (of even the smallest magnitude) occurred on US soil, post-9/11?
Touchwood for that, but has that happened just because of sheer coincidence or no effort or only due to press releases issued by the White House?

The least we can and should do is to set such a precedent that nobody ever dares to cast an evil eye on even one of our citizens, ever. 
Alas, we can only hope, wish, and pray.

The Fast and The Furious: The Just-Released Version

Ah, well...I bet that despite the lame heading I gave to this post, you knew you are not here for a movie review for The Fast and Furious! That, by the way, can be done here.
This one, is about the 'fast' and 'furious' that are currently - to use a Twitter jargon that is now becoming increasingly commonplace - 'trending'.

Yes, I am referring to the Baba saga that had both of it - yes, the Fast (n., not adj.): that was preceded, inspired, and encouraged by the POC done by Anna; and the Furious (with the government displaying its disapproval by flexing its muscles and resorting to strong-arm tactics. So much so, that it even sprung the Courts into action, demanding an explanation from the Govt).

I felt like penning my thoughts on this entire episode (after all, this indeed seems just an episode of what looks like a long-winded soap opera):

A Tale of Two Excesses
From first mollycoddling the Baba with ministers being paraded to receive him at the airport, to then coercing him and the thousands who had gathered at the Maidan, to rein 'em in - the government made major mistakes by being excessive in its approach on both counts.

Will the Real Satyagrahi please stand up?
Try this:
Search for Mahatma Gandhi courts arrest.
Search Results: Thousands

Search for Mahatma Gandhi jumping/hiding in salwar kameez.
Search Result: None

Did the Baba steal/burgle/kill anyone that you have to run and hide like a petty thug the way he did? Isn't it second nature to a true Satyagrahi to court arrest or at least expect and surely unfazed by that possibility?

In my view, the stature and respect for Baba would have only grown, if he would have courted arrest manfully, head held high. This whole jumping around, shying away, and even resorting to a ladies suit, left a pungent taste, which only led me to lose my appetite for his fight.

Why only Delhi or Noida (NCR region)?
Dear Baba,
First you ask the countrymen and the government to ensure that we do all it takes to extirpate black money and corruption from this system. Very good and all of that, I say.

But hey, on being denied entry by the Congress (Central and Delhi Govt) post your aborted crusade, you conveniently approach the U.P. Chief Minister - another epitome of the same corruption and black money that you so hate, requesting her to allow entry into Noida (U.P.) - how can one collude and request to be with the one who is against one's principles and is, in effect, the kind of person against whom you are doing all this is in the first place? Sounds of eroding credibility, right?

A Satyagrah can be done anywhere, isn't it? But doing so only where huge crowds can easily come and at a place like NCR (Noida) where the media is headquartered/readily available, simply points to..well, I do not wish to insult my readers' IQ level by explaining the conclusion of all this. All of us can connect the dots, can't we?!

Lost in Translation
How many of us now even remember the cause that was being espoused through this fast? Why do we not stress on what is the government doing about the issues instead of only focusing on what the government is doing with the people who are taking up those issues?

I do not think this is the first time one has raised this issue of focusing on the messenger more than (or even totally instead of) the message. Unfortunately, by the looks of it, I don't think, if, realistically speaking, I can say that this is the last time either.

Just hopeful and curious to see when and how we can get to see an end to any such charade.

Lessons from the Satyanarayana Katha

I believe most Brahmin households (in fact, I could probably also say - most Hindu households) would have convened/organized a Satyanarayana Katha at some or the other point in their house. Our family/house too, has been fortunate enough to have been part of this experience.
I just felt like sharing/posting some of my observations from whatever I have tried to gather from the Katha.

Let me begin by first thinking aloud about a query that always strikes me, whenever I listen in to the Katha:
In the Katha, we all get to know about anecdotes on what happened to whoever did or did not perform this puja/Katha.
That's generally what the Katha is about - a compilation of four stories/accounts of four different people/families, all preceded by how and why Maharishi Sooth ji recounted these anecdotes, and followed in the end by all the good things that happened to the people who conducted those Kathas - not only in that life of theirs, but also how they became pious/renowned people in their afterlife too, eventually attaining Moksha.

All very well, I say, but amidst all this, I could somehow never find any mention about what exactly was the Puja/Katha of Bhagwan Shri Satyanarayana that was said to have been done (or not done, at certain times) in any of the stories that make this Katha!
Till the last time, that is..

Lesson # 1 - What the Katha is About:
..Thanks to a Panditji's input in the last Katha that I attended, I have now come to know that the actual Satyanarayana Katha/puja that forms the crux, the basis for all these 4 stories, is that it's just a humble renunciation of the Almighty Lord (Bhagwan Shri Satyanarayana) and remembering that He is Infinite, Supreme, Eternal, and Always Our Well-Wisher. And of course, we must also always remember to sincerely, genuinely and most humbly, bow to His Grace, Love, and Constant Care.

Right, so let me now enumerate what I have learned from the actual 3 stories/anecdotes that make the Katha:

Lesson # 2 - From Stories 1 & 2:
The first story is about a poor Brahmin, who barely manages to eke out a living. Lord Vishnu (aka Bhagwan Satyanarayana), in the guise of another fellow, poor Brahmin, tells him about conducting the Katha, in order to lead a better life.
This shows the Lord's selfless love towards His children, whereupon once He is filled with mercy and compassion towards us, He voluntarily comes and helps us.
No wonder then, that the Brahmin, on having resolved to seriously conduct the Puja, gets to lead a better life, thanks to His blessings.
The next story is about the woodcutter, who gets to know of the Katha through the not-anymore-poor Brahmin. He too, genuinely decides to organize the Puja, and reaps quadruple rewards from his daily wage on the day, enabling him to easily translate his intent into action and results.

This shows that the Lord surely rewards any and every one who has genuine will and puts sincere efforts for a pious, noble and good cause with all the success it deserves.

Lesson # 3 - From Story # 3:
If the first two stories were about people with genuine intent, this next story is about a childless man, who vows to perform the Puja alright, but puts in a condition of doing so only after his wish of having a child is fulfilled. When God fulfills his wish, he is happy to enjoy the same, but conveniently forgets his part of the promise.
Even on being reminded of his vow by his wife, he keeps deferring the Puja repeatedly, and again puts in another wish + condition to the Lord - of conducting a Puja when his daughter would get married.
Even after all this, Bhagwan Vishnu/Satyanarayana remains merciful, giving chances upon chance to him. By His blessings, the girl becomes a lady in due course of time and gets married too.
However, the man still fails to perform the the Puja.
At this point, the Lord does decide to make him understand the hard way, and circumstances ensue in such a way that he and his son-in-law gets falsely implicated for stealing and are imprisoned.
Even then, the Lord makes his wife realize their folly by having her daughter narrate about a Satyanarayana Puja that she witnessed.
This shows that the Lord, even when we think is being harsh on us, is still concerned and caring towards us. Even when He is ostensibly (and rightly) angry with us, He still keeps giving us one chance after another, in order to rectify our mistakes.

As better sense dwells, the Lord Himself ensures that everything turns right once again and the imprisoned duo is set free along with lots of wealth and valuables. While returning back, the Lord again puts them to test, by asking them about the contents of the containers where they had kept all their wealth. When they lied to the Lord, they were truly left with only the Lies they had spoken.
Through this, I think we could probably learn that we must never lie to the Lord and also be ready to share a part of our wealth with others/the needy and those who are less fortunate than us. 
Later, when news that the father-in-law and son-in-law duo are about to come, reaches the mother and daughter who are conducting the Puja at their place, the mother hurriedly leaves the Puja right there, giving preference to meeting them instead of expressing her gratitude and obeisance to the One who had ensured their arrival in the first place. She tells her daughter to complete the Puja and come back after having the prasad, but she too, in her excitement, fails to take the prasad.
All these events only show how we, in our lives, are prone towards temptation and easily led by enjoying fruitful results, instead of first properly thanking the Lord who has ensured all this.
When the Lord displays His disapproval of such incorrect preferences by drowning both the men just before their arrival.
However, another thing to learn and remember is that as stated earlier, even in his anger, the Lord is still caring enough towards us, and the anger too must be the result of our misdeeds only.
Even when angry, the Lord makes an Aakashvaani, guiding everyone about why this happened and what must be done to correct that.
Can we ever come even remotely close to understanding just how much we are Loved by the Almighty, even if/when He gets angry at our misdemeanors?!
Needless to say, on taking the prasad and conducting the puja with genuine devotion and sincerity, the Lord blesses everyone and of course, if the Lord gives His blessings, it's again needless to say, that everything is set right again!

Lesson # 4 - From Story # 4:
The previous story referenced an incident about having forgotten to conduct the Puja and even on conducting it the first time, having ignored the prasad's value completely. This one teaches about not ignoring the prasad at all, from any where.
This is about a very renowned, fair, and wealthy king who though being an ardent bhakt of Bhagwan Satyanarayana, having conducted many Pujas at his place, succumbed to his ego and did not find enough merit in accepting prasad from a puja conducted by some cowherds. As a result, he suddenly found hacing lost all his kingdom, family, and wealth. His rejecting the prasad led to the Lord ensuring he understood the message behind the mayhem.
Did you see - though angry at the king's gesture of rejecting his prasad, the Lord was still kind enough to instill and bless the king with good sense again. Having understood his mistake, the King immediately apologised profusely to the Lord and went back to cowherds, had the Prasad, and voila, everything had to be fine again!

Jai Bhagwan Satyanarayana!!
Again, it's ONLY thanks to His Grace, that I have been able to write whatever He allowed me to, and whatever I could understand about the Katha, thanks to His blessings.