Don’t turn a deaf ear!!!

Democracy, constitution, freedom of speech and expression are just merely restricted to civics and economics text books these days. A nation which brags itself to be an epitome of democracy has put its citizens to shame.Yes, indeed I am talking about our beloved India which hypocritically calls itself the largest existing democracy in the world with lot of freedom. A Nation which has seen the likes of Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, the sons of this land who worked day in and day out for the very freedom that we breathe would have choked themselves to death had they been existent now. A country run by dynasty and vendetta politics has put itself in the “wall of shame”. Glory days are long gone.

                     Wondering what went wrong with our nation and its people over the years?? Are we resilient by choice or by force?? The kind of political system that is running the country is going to shatter the dreams of developed India. A nation which boasts of Ambanis , Tatas ,Birlas also have the poorest people on earth.Such is the diversity of the land we live in. As they say rich get richer and the poor get poorer and with the kind political gimmick that is existing in our country, forget the dream of seeing ourselves developed. Let alone the right to live but where has the freedom gone?? The only freedom that we had was the freedom of speech and expression, but off late even that seems to have been curtailed or rather restricted and well moderated . Why do I say curtailed and moderated at same time?? Wondering?? Well, it depends on who you are in society. If you are a politician or a cricketer or rich bureaucrat, no matter what you talk, you always sound intelligent and reasonable. For eg: if you are head of some hypocritical religious party and you call your denizens as national heroes and rest of the country as bunch of goons, you don’t sound offensive nor do you hurt the sentiments of people across the nation where as if I was a common man with rational brains and if I was to post a message on a religious leader death being mourned and equated to a Martyr's death there by causing hindrance to daily life, I would be convicted and put behind the bars. Why?? The reason is simple; you have money, power and influence you can get away with anything and say whatever you want ,where as I, a common man has nothing but truth as wealth will have to run for my life solely because i am not a big fish. Now if such kind of ridiculous system is allowed to bud, how will this nation progress???

                           If a country calls itself a Nation moving forward and if the government calls itself as being Just and rational, it would allow it’s citizens the freedom to express and would take their aspersions as positivly to improve itself and there by bettering it’s chances of cementing the trust of it’s people. Now, if country does not bother about its citizens, where is the question of freedom of speech and expression? We are a democratic country not an autocratic(Hilter type) nation. We should listen to the voices of the people and should respect their thoughts and not brand them as being trivial or offensive. We should proudly tell all those demagogues who believe in factional politics loud that “WE HEAR COS WE CARE” 

Let us be a nation that’s listens to the hues and cries of its people and not be a nation that turns a deaf ear. Remember that synonym of democracy is always for the people, by the people and of the people and you ought to listen to us(citizens).It's our nation and we care for it.

                        

English Vinglish

It’s been more than 60 years since independence and despite the exile of the Brits from the Country; they leave behind a trail (language) which is still ruling us. I am very saddened and appalled by the fact that a language which is merely a medium of communication or rather passing of info. from one person to another could be a yard stick for judging the calibre of a person. It is also ignominious fact that people who speak English are only considered to be well educated where as,  others who in spite of having worldly knowledge are considered to be illiterates. Brits used English as a tool to divide and rule our country. But, why are we still falling prey to it? We should be proud of our own indigenous language and should take a lot of pride in speaking the same.

It is my duty to bring to your notice that the language which we all are fascinated to speak (English) is not even a widely spoken language and only two of the leading countries England and the U.S widely use it. Why should we give so much importance to a foreign language and ignore our very own? On top of it why should it be a yard stick for determining one’s future? It is agreed that English is widely acclaimed business language but in Country like India it is considered to be a language of sanctity. One should also be aware of the fact that Japan, China, France, Germany etc which are also leading economies in the world does not take pains to learn English, then why should we alone?

How many of us are aware that a lot of talent in rural India is wasted just because they do not speak English. It is also reality that a lot of talented people who do not speak fluent English are not preferred for top spots. Isn’t this a matter of concern? This is indirectly hitting the development of our country. India is a self sufficient country and we have it in us to be a developed nation. It is just that we are giving a lot of attention to foreign matters without realizing our own potential. We need right people at right places and this is possible only if we can clear the roadblock in the name of language(English here).

Last but not least, it is not how you communicate that matters, it is what you communicate that is imperative. Let not a language like English be an instrument for weighing the calibre of a person.Let us allow sheer talent to rule the world and not the language.

India Against corruption- Pros and cons

                                                    

IAC is a huge revolutionary movement that looks promising to sweep away the corruption from this country. But how far can it go is a question to be answered. It is led by a man who is an epitome of simplicity, reverence and honesty. But does he have the strength to take it far is a wait and watch question. What makes IAC a special team is that, it does not consist of normal citizens. It has people who are well educated, disciplined and above all who have proved to world that they are one of the best in their respective fields. The likes of Arvind Kejriwal, kiran bedi, Prashanth Bhushan,Meda patkar are extraordinary people themselves and for them to unite for a noble cause is something commendable. How many people who have achieved in their lives have the vision to do something good for the country? Especially to fight against all odds is something that is not trivial and needs to be supported and well appreciated.

Demands of IAC

The demands of IAC are simple and straight forward. They want a lokpal bill which seeks to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connecting them. They also want an independent council that is exempt from governmental control that could look into corruption charges. The independent council must be open to all and must be visible to general public eyes. They have also demanded an independent CBI that is free from all control and that would come under the eyes of lokpal which would investigate corruption allegations or charges.                          

Although it started as a united front to confront corruption, it is looked up on as an anti –government rebellion and has often been termed as ‘INDIA AGAINST CONGRESS’ since most of its allegations have been against the congressmen. Arvind Kejriwal rubbished the notions of the ruling government by accusing BJP head Nithin Gadkari of being corrupt and thus showing the country that corruption is not just restricted to Congress alone but is also associated with other parties as well.

Banes of IAC

What makes IAC look weak is that, although it has been able to successfully find evidences for all the allegations it has made, it has never lodged a complaint in court of LAW. It has only been revealing facts in media and has never taken pains to file a charge against the corrupt in the court. As Janatha party Subrahmanium Swamy has beautifully quoted ‘there is no point in making allegations if you cannot take it and prove it the court of LAW’. Wrong doers need to be punished and just by tarnishing their image in public with the help of media is not going to do good for the country. Hence every allegations made needs to be taken to the court and justice needs to be served to the people of this country whose hard earned money has ended in the pockets of these so called 'Netas'.   

IAC's idea of contesting elections

Although IAC as a team have managed to move the masses, the idea of contesting the elections as an independent party is a precarious decision and has not been backed by their pillar of support Anna Hazare. I always believe that to clean the gutter you always need to put your foot in to it even though you know it’s going to stink. In that sense, I personally think IAC to contest as a party is a right step forward. Will masses who have given their support during fasts, turn out to vote during elections 2014??? Only time will answer. Till then let’s watch how the story unfolds itself in times to come.

Spanish juggernauts ruling the world of football

Champions of Euro 2008, Champions of world 2010 and now champions of Euro 2012 again. Well, Spain has learnt how to dominate footballing world for sure. It is not about domination; it’s the way they dominate that amazes me. Spain has always been a team with great talent but has always under- performed when it comes to big stages. Ever since they were crowned as the champions of Europe in 2008, they have learnt their lessons and have started dominating the game like never before.

The main reason behind Spain’s victory over the years has been the kind of football they have played. Their style of football which is called as ‘Tiki-taka’ is something that is so amazing to watch. The selfless football they play is a lesson that other footballing nations must learn. There are so many other reasons which can be attributed to Spain’s success in recent past. The first and foremost is their domestic footballing structure. Although they do not have a competitive league as the English, their top two domestic clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid have always produced quality players. Most of the players in the national side are representatives of these two clubs which makes the team so strong. Not only that, the kind of football they play at domestic level ie.’tiki - taka’ is something that is being groomed and followed even at international level.

To highlight few more positives, the players playing for Barcelona and real are of Spanish origin and hence, it becomes easy for them to coordinate and play as a team when it comes to national duty. This is something that is missing in English football. Despite English having a competitive club footballing structure, they fail to dominate international stages. This is because most of the clubs in England have foreigners and the failures to groom local talents have cost them high at international level. Too add to the woes, the EPL is too long and it makes life more difficult for players to play at international tournaments. Whereas on the other hand the Spanish league gets over much early and it becomes easy for players to forget their club rivalry and play in unity.

As a matter of honesty the kind of talented players that Spain has in its’present team, the likes Xavi, Xabi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Silva and Casillas can be regarded as their golden generation. It’s not only individual talent but the talent as a team which Spain possesses that makes it a special side. To be able to play as a team with so many great names is not easy and is something that Spain has been successfully doing. If Spain continue to play the kind of football they have, they will not only be considered as ''the juggernauts'' but will also be regarded as team that has touched the pinnacle of glory not once but as many as possible,a feat that no team has ever touched before.

If I were a LAW maker- A wild dream

There is a general belief that the biggest old age home in the world is the Indian parliament, such ridiculous is our political system. We cannot blame our politicians, for the law itself is flawed with loop holes and cracks. There is a lot of flexibility in our political system which is taken to advantage by LAW breakers. So If I were the LAW maker of this great country, there are quite a few amendments that I would like to make.

                         First things first, politicians are the face of our nation, so if politicians are corrupt,  then there is no apprehension that the  entire nation would be flooded with corruption. The root for all this is the quality of politicians who sit at the top. I agree that every citizen be given equality in all walks of life but there must be restrictions when it comes to leading a nation. So the people who are contesting the election must fulfil some criteria to nominate themselves. Every bloke nominating himself must have a basic degree in education and must have specialised in political science. This would eliminate illiterates from holding the office at the top. Secondly, there must be a separate body which consists of honest people who monitor the politicians who are being  corrupt. If found guilty they have the right to file a suit in Supreme court against the same. SC has the right to penalise any politician even if it were the PM of this country. So ultimate power lies in the hands of the SC. Next, there must be age limit for politicians. The age to run the office must have a lower limit of 28 years and upper limit of 70 (max).

                    Next, the education system needs to be revamped. We produce quantity but not quality professionals. This is because of the disparity in education systems across various states of the nation. So we have to centralize the education system. If this is done, students will have to compete in national level, and the competition would be even, and quality people will make it to the top colleges across the nation. Also, all the quotas for so called under privileged classes should be removed and all students must be given equal treatment. This would eliminate many quacks and inefficient professionals.

              India despite being a huge nation lacks proper infrastructure be it roads or buildings, this despite collecting taxes from every earning common man .Most of the money goes in to the pockets of our so called leaders. To avoid such mishaps in future, there must  be a web site which informs every citizen of the country the amount of tax collected for that financial year and amount of money spent on infrastructure development. This would enable common man to track his tax and ensure that it has been put to proper use. Since everything is open to public ,the chances of mishandling of government funds and taxes can be eliminated.

            Next, justice delayed is justice denied. Although judiciary is the only thing in this country that seems to be less corrupt, the amount of time taken to convict or acquit an accused is simply too much. So there must  be  speedy yet fair justice available to the people of this country.

            Last but not least, all the important departments ranging from RTO, police, EB, water, etc. should have accountability and responsibility. They should clear all the grievances within 24 hours of them receiving the same and should inform if more time is required. Nothing should be taken for granted and status of every problem must be informed to the concerned. They should have respect when are dealing with people and should always remember that they are servants of the government and its people. People have the right to question and they are obliged to respond to the same with utmost gratitude.      

    If all these stated above are followed consciously, not only the people will have faith in its government and judiciary but the country in general will touch new heights. If every citizen of this country realizes his duty and follows them judiciously, then question of ineffective governance would never rise. Always remember a country is good as its denizens and hence disciplined people means disciplined nation.

                                                                     JAI HIND!     

The Wall – Respects

Rahul Sharad Dravid India’s ‘The Wall ’ has finally hung up his boots after an illustrious career lasting over a decade. He has been a great servant for Indian cricket and deserves all accolades that he is entitled to. What amazed me is the way he carried out himself every time he walked on to the pitch. He never showed any emotions and always let his bat do the talking. A man with flawless batting technique and great determination, Jammy indeed has been a gentleman.

He has been India’s ‘go to ‘man ever since he made his debut way back in 1996.He has opened the batting, kept behind wickets and even bowled at times. ‘When the going gets tough, the tough gets going’ best describes Dravid. There has never been an occasion where he hasn’t given his 100%. Mr.dependable has led India to great victories ranging from famous Calcutta test against Australia to a commendable win against the same opposition in their own backyard in Adelaide. He could be next to Sachin Tendulkar in terms of number of test runs but in terms of commitment Rahul stays far ahead of anybody else in Indian cricket.

Despite Dravid being so humble, he was never spared by his critics. He was initially criticized for being a slow player when it came to one day cricket. Dravid, a man who always lets his cricket do the talking proved his potential even as a one day player scoring over a whooping 10,000 runs silencing all his critics. Dravid captained India in 2007 WC where India failed to qualify from group stages making it India’s worst ever performance in WCs.

Dravid was not only a great man on the field but also off the field. The speech he gave on the status of test cricket in present times and his ways to improve it was also something that caught the eyes of the listeners. Dravid has always played second fiddle to Sachin, Sourav and Laxman. He never cared for personal glory and always kept his country first. A commentator once told ‘if Dravid wasn’t from India, he would have been as famous as Sachin and it was because of this great man that all his performances have been overshadowed’. But Jammy never worried about number of runs he scored or the accolades, it was the number of victories under his belt that mattered to him the most.

Dravid you are indeed a great servant to Indian cricket and a warrior in your own terms. You have inspired many young hearts who aspire to take cricket as a career. You might have retired but your legacy still remains.

Tribute to Dravid:

1st person: Sachin is God
2nd person: If Sachin is God, then Saurav is next to God on the Off side.
3rd person: Then Laxman is the God of 4th innings..

Then who is Dravid?

4th person: When the doors of the temple are closed ,even the Gods are behind "The Wall".

DADAGIRI unleashed

Ever since I started following cricket, I don’t know why I became a fanatic of this guy who has been an epitome of grit and determination for over a decade now.’DADA’ as he is known amongst his fans and fellow mates, has been a true source of inspiration and role model to many like me who follow cricket not just with heart, but with mind. The south paw comes from a royal family from Bengal. Despite him being a Maharaja, the man did not crave for the crown but wanted to carve out a path for himself unlike many other Indians who enjoy being a nepotist.Sourav Chandidas Ganguly was not just an ordinary Indian but he was a true warrior, not on the battle field but on the cricket field.

Like every other typical Bengali ,Ganguly was also a football enthusiast. He played for Mohan bagan one of the top most football clubs in India. It was his brother Snehashish who inspired Ganguly to become a cricketer. It is also a fact that Ganguly was a right handed batsman who later started batting left handed so that he could use his brother’s gloves. A blessing in disguise which many believe.Ganguly made is debut in 1992 against west indies. He had a terrible series down under and was later shown the doors.Ganguly, a man famous for comebacks made a reentry to the team only after 4 years in 1996 in the tour of England. Ever since then, there was no looking back. He made centuries in back to back matches against a grisly England attack. His stylish and flamboyant batting in that tour earned him the name of ‘GOD OF OFFSIDE’.Ganguly is also known as ‘Prince of Calcutta’,’Royal Bengal tiger’ amongst his fans.

In early 2000,Indian cricket’s credibility was questioned when few of our so called demi-Gods where caught in match fixing allegations. Our reputation was at stake. The likes of some of the greats like Sachin, Dravid,Kumble refused to take up the responsibility to captain the Indian side. It was Ganguly who put his hands up and decided to steer the ship from the front. It was when the Australians toured India that the world realized that Ganguly was not just restricted to flawless batting tearing oppositions apart but he was most able and one of the finest captains that India was ever to produce.Ganguly’s aggressive captaincy was something that Indian cricket had never dreamt in the wildest of its dreams.Ganguly was not just street smart on the field but was also off the field. His late entry for the toss against Australia not just once but 4 times in a row dumbstruck Steve Waugh, the then Australian captain. He was a king at mind games. Also, Off the field, his interactions with the media, his fans, and detractors were uncompromisingly honest and earned him the respect of cricket followers everywhere.

Ganguly has led India to many victories which included 2000-ICC knockout trophy,2002 NatWest trophy and 2003 WC finals being most noticeable ones.Ganguly was dropped from the Indian side owing to his most infamous spat with then coach Greg Chappel.Although many believed this was the end of the road for Ganguly,he the man with great determination and passion wanted to prove his mettle. Following India's poor batting display in the 2006 ICC Champions trophy and the ODI series in South Africa, in which they were whitewashed 4-0, Ganguly made his comeback to the Test team. During his first Test innings since his comeback, against South Africa in Johannesburg his score of 51 helped India to victory, marking the first Test match win for the team in South Africa. Though India lost the series, Ganguly accumulated the most runs on the scoring chart. After his successful Test comeback he was recalled for the ODI team, as India played host to West Indies and Sri Lanka in back to back ODI tournaments. In his first ODI innings in almost two years, he scored a match winning 98. He performed well in both series, averaging almost 70 and won the Man of the Series Award against Sri Lanka. On 12 December 2007, Ganguly scored his maiden double century of his career while playing against Pakistan. He scored 239 runs in the first innings of the third and final Test match of the series. He was involved in a 300 run partnership for the fifth wicket with Yuvraj Singh.Ganguly remained prolific in both Test and ODI cricket in the year 2007. He scored 1106 Test runs at an average of 61.44 (with three centuries and four fifties) in 2007 to become the second highest run-scorer in Test matches of that year.He was also the fifth highest run-scorer in 2007 in ODIs, where he scored 1240 runs at an average of 44.28.

Ganguly was instrumental in bringing youth and experience together. Ganguly felt that every young player should play two years of domestic cricket before being selected for international assignments. He also said that every newcomer should be given at least five games to prove himself. Later he explained that being at the receiving end of an unfair decision against him, that threatened to ruin his international cricket career, it enabled him to understand the insecurities of other newcomers in the team better than his predecessors. Ganguly had always backed the influence and contribution of younger players of the team. He is one of the most successful Indian Test captains to date, winning 21 out of 49 test matches. An aggressive captain, Ganguly is credited with having nurtured the careers of many young players who played under him, and transforming the Indian team into an aggressive fighting unit

Ganguly gracefully retired in November 2008 after a terrific series against Australia. Apparently it was the same series when when another legend by the name Kumble had also hung up his boots. In his final series Ganguly led India to a series win against the Aussies at home. He was adjudged the man of the series. The great Indian saga had come to an end.Althogh Ganguly might have retired from cricket, he still remains in the hearts of his fans as one of the finest and most respected cricketer of all times that world has ever seen.

Long live dadagiri !

-krishnan