“When a crime is committed, half of the punishment is acquired by the Criminal, a quarter by his ally and a final quarter by the silent observer”, thundered a furious Vidura as accomplished warriors remained mute spectators to Draupadi’s humiliation in Hastinapur’s Royal Court. A similar situation presents itself before the nation today, as layer after layer of the 2G scam is uncovered. A Prime Minister, initially feigning ignorance and later helplessness to the whimsical policy shifting of his own Minister, refuses to remain accountable to the loot of public wealth which has been entrusted to him by the electorate. Whether he is a willing ally or a silent observer is a matter of debate, though his responsibility remains undiminished. The rulers of Kaliyug might object to being held accountable to the Rules of Dwapar Yuga, but a simple question of the current era itself might help in assigning responsibility of the scam. If Kanimozhi is responsible for the transgressions of Kalaignar by virtue of being the actively involved in its affairs, should not the PM, being the functional head of the government, be judged by the same measure?
A conversation with a friend led to an article hailing the merits of the stability provided by the Congress’ ‘Monarchy’ against the inherent instability of the BJP’s internal democracy. Indeed, the First Family provides stability to the Congress as to many other Regional fiefdoms. However, the basic nature of a Monarchy or a Dictatorship is that the unquestioned authority of a single individual provides the organization with unmatched stability. However, it is this stability within the organization which results in unrest and chaos outside it. In an organization with multiple power centers, every action of the person in charge is scrutinized and every mistake is pounced upon. Internal conflict becomes the framework for internal audit and ensures that the Throne remains accountable. The complacency arising out of the absence of such internal checks results in arbitrary policy formation (2G Scam), compromise of neutral offices(CVC fiasco and appointment of Naveen Chawla as CEC) and becomes a breeding ground for corruption and mismanagement.
When UPA-1 assumed power, the Sonia-Manmohan pairing was hailed as the perfect model for governance. While the Congress president would involve herself with all the political concerns of the Head of State, the Prime Minister could concentrate his energies on administrative issues. However, there was one basic flaw in the master plan: separation of accountability and power. The person accountable for the fallout of the State’s policies was not in charge of formulation of those very policies. While this arrangement worked perfectly in favour of Mrs. Gandhi, allowing her to mould governance in a whimsical manner. The Prime Minister remains unbothered by the flak he draws due to such wayward governance as the political fallout of such situations are the least of his concerns. A classic example of this arrangement is the continued hoarding and import of food grain to ensure that the much touted ‘Food Security Act’ sees the light of the day, even as the government continues to grapple with measures to check soaring inflation. The formula for success has turned into a recipe for disaster.
‘Power without responsibility’ seems to be the Mantra for the ‘Crown Prince as well as he embarks on his Mission-2014. The repeated rebuttals, of the heir apparent, to the PM’s frequent offers of a berth in his ministry are indicative of an aversion to responsibility. A ministerial berth would effectively mean creating metrics to assess his performance. At the moment, only his statements can be the subject of the scrutiny of his rivals. However, once he assumes a position of power, every policy decision and its fallout under his purview can be debated. A clean slate works perfectly in his favour, as he can go about blaming the ‘system’- created by his own creators- and ask for votes under the pretext of cleaning up this very system. He can be the incumbent and yet be unaffected by anti-incumbency.
A lot of debate that is conducted these days on the issue of corruption generally ends on the TINA note and laments at a similar malaise affecting the chief opposition party. Some even blame the BJP for not raising the concerns of the public as vociferously as it should have. While the BJP too has some skeletons in its cupboard, most of the criticism is unfair on the principal opposition party. Arun Shourie has been raising the issue of financial impropriety in 2G allocation at multiple forums since 2007. The appointments of the CVC and the CEC were opposed vehemently by the party, and in the CVC case, their stand has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Based on the five years of NDA rule itself, the NDA acquits itself quite comfortably as compared to the seven years of UPA rule. Unfortunately, a section of the elite News fraternity has an allergy to anything ‘Saffron’ and attempts to create a perception suiting their own needs and beliefs.
While one party chooses to focus on Individual based politics, since Individuals are the only ones keeping it afloat, the other prefers to dwell on Issue based politics. In the battle of perceptions it is always easier to create a larger than life persona than it is to drive home a hard fact. Only when the country moves beyond perceptions of Individuals and moves on to judging performance on the basis of fact, can we hope to actually cleanse the system. Until such a time arrives, we can only be amazed at the embezzlement of our money carried out by the very people we appointed to safeguard it.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Second Best in Europe…By quite a distance
They lined up for their third final in four years. They didn’t have the best of domestic campaigns, but they did enough to ‘knock Liverpool off their perch’ and seal their position as the most decorated side in England. Confident in their ability, they sought revenge against a side touted by many as the best ever. By the end of it all, they cut a forlorn figure, as their hopes of a fourth European Title were dashed cruelly and yet so beautifully. "Nobody's given us a hiding like that but they deserve it," admitted Sir Alex, choosing to call a spade a spade as the English Champions were outthought, outplayed, outpassed and outclassed by the “best team he has ever faced’”. The famed Barca midfield quartet were at their irresistible best creating chance after chance and cementing their spot as the best team in all of Europe.
Despite all the unfair criticism, the current crop of players is as good as any other Manchester United side over the years. Despite not having the financial muscle of Chelsea or Manchester City, they wrapped up their 19th League Title with a game to spare. However, the Barcelona juggernaut, they ran into , exposed their frailties like none other. Evra could not cut off the angles feeding the wings and was found wanting. Valencia was expected to run circles around Abidal, but he did little more than turn up. Chicharito was offside most of the game and Giggs and Carrick were outnumbered and outclassed. Vidic and Van Der Sar were monsters in defence, but their resistance finally broke down against the relentless onslaught.
Domestic League glory, a semi-final appearance in the domestic cup and a Final appearance Europe would count as another successful campaign for any club. They are definitely the second best side in all of Europe but they are miles behind the class of Barca. While the result of last night’s game was decided over 90 minutes, the foundation was laid a year ago when the transfer window slammed shut with United failing to make any notable additions to their midfield. If this game were to be played 10 more times, the result would have been the same on all occasions due to the absence of a solid ball winning midfielder in United’s ranks.
While SAF’s eye for a bargain was evident yet again during the transfer of Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, the deals he missed cost them dearly during the final. Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Rafael Van Der Vaart all changed clubs at dirt cheap rates, with none of them ending up at Old Trafford. The gaping hole left in midfield since the exit of Roy Keane is yet to be filled. With the imminent departure of Scholes and Giggs looming large, Sir Alex has the unenviable task of rebuilding the team at a time when the Catalans are at their peak. It’s a period of transition for the club and the season-ending defeat should serve as a wake-up call.
David De Gea should prove to be an ideal replacement for the retiring Van Der Sar. Ashley Young, should he make the move to Manchester, will benefit hugely under the tutelage of Giggs. The return of Danny Wellback, Federico Macheda and Tom Cleverley should add teeth to the attack. Fabio and Rafael continue to show promise and will occupy the full back positions for years to come. Anderson has shown promise this season, and with enough games he will ably fill the big boots of Paul Scholes. However, it’s the area in the centre of the park which requires urgent attention. With Owen Hargreaves finally being shown the exit door after spending more time troubling the medics than opposition playmakers, the defensive midfielder position is up for grabs. Everton’s Jack Rodwell has been linked with a move to Manchester all through the season, but Sir Alex would know he needs a seasoned player who can boss the midfield even in the presence of Messi and Iniesta.
Sir Alex and Manchester United have probably been written off a number of times in the last couple of decades and every time they have silenced their critics. The exits of Cantona, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy, Keane, Tevez and Ronaldo were all supposed to end their era of dominance, but each time they have managed to prove their supremacy. However, the challenge they face today is tougher than any they have faced. After winning the 19th league title, people wondered what could motivate Sir Alex to continue his association with the Club. Last night’s result provided that answer. The Red Devils are not used to chasing shadows, and Sir Alex would be smarting from the humiliation from the humiliation suffered at Wembley. Barcelona ‘s ‘Invincible’ midfield have made the team to beat, much like the Australian Cricket Team of the 2000’s. They will continue to dominate teams and win multiple trophies. What remains to be seen is whether Manchester United can challenge them at the high table of European Football or whether they will be content in being the best of the rest. The Mauling of Manchester has set the stage for an intriguing few seasons which will see many a memorable battle like the one witnessed at Wembley. SAF would like to end this battle, like all others he has fought, on a winning note before leaving the ‘Special One’ to further his agenda with the Catalans.
Despite all the unfair criticism, the current crop of players is as good as any other Manchester United side over the years. Despite not having the financial muscle of Chelsea or Manchester City, they wrapped up their 19th League Title with a game to spare. However, the Barcelona juggernaut, they ran into , exposed their frailties like none other. Evra could not cut off the angles feeding the wings and was found wanting. Valencia was expected to run circles around Abidal, but he did little more than turn up. Chicharito was offside most of the game and Giggs and Carrick were outnumbered and outclassed. Vidic and Van Der Sar were monsters in defence, but their resistance finally broke down against the relentless onslaught.
Domestic League glory, a semi-final appearance in the domestic cup and a Final appearance Europe would count as another successful campaign for any club. They are definitely the second best side in all of Europe but they are miles behind the class of Barca. While the result of last night’s game was decided over 90 minutes, the foundation was laid a year ago when the transfer window slammed shut with United failing to make any notable additions to their midfield. If this game were to be played 10 more times, the result would have been the same on all occasions due to the absence of a solid ball winning midfielder in United’s ranks.
While SAF’s eye for a bargain was evident yet again during the transfer of Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, the deals he missed cost them dearly during the final. Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Rafael Van Der Vaart all changed clubs at dirt cheap rates, with none of them ending up at Old Trafford. The gaping hole left in midfield since the exit of Roy Keane is yet to be filled. With the imminent departure of Scholes and Giggs looming large, Sir Alex has the unenviable task of rebuilding the team at a time when the Catalans are at their peak. It’s a period of transition for the club and the season-ending defeat should serve as a wake-up call.
David De Gea should prove to be an ideal replacement for the retiring Van Der Sar. Ashley Young, should he make the move to Manchester, will benefit hugely under the tutelage of Giggs. The return of Danny Wellback, Federico Macheda and Tom Cleverley should add teeth to the attack. Fabio and Rafael continue to show promise and will occupy the full back positions for years to come. Anderson has shown promise this season, and with enough games he will ably fill the big boots of Paul Scholes. However, it’s the area in the centre of the park which requires urgent attention. With Owen Hargreaves finally being shown the exit door after spending more time troubling the medics than opposition playmakers, the defensive midfielder position is up for grabs. Everton’s Jack Rodwell has been linked with a move to Manchester all through the season, but Sir Alex would know he needs a seasoned player who can boss the midfield even in the presence of Messi and Iniesta.
Sir Alex and Manchester United have probably been written off a number of times in the last couple of decades and every time they have silenced their critics. The exits of Cantona, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy, Keane, Tevez and Ronaldo were all supposed to end their era of dominance, but each time they have managed to prove their supremacy. However, the challenge they face today is tougher than any they have faced. After winning the 19th league title, people wondered what could motivate Sir Alex to continue his association with the Club. Last night’s result provided that answer. The Red Devils are not used to chasing shadows, and Sir Alex would be smarting from the humiliation from the humiliation suffered at Wembley. Barcelona ‘s ‘Invincible’ midfield have made the team to beat, much like the Australian Cricket Team of the 2000’s. They will continue to dominate teams and win multiple trophies. What remains to be seen is whether Manchester United can challenge them at the high table of European Football or whether they will be content in being the best of the rest. The Mauling of Manchester has set the stage for an intriguing few seasons which will see many a memorable battle like the one witnessed at Wembley. SAF would like to end this battle, like all others he has fought, on a winning note before leaving the ‘Special One’ to further his agenda with the Catalans.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Mercenarization of Cricket
“My heart and soul is with KKR, I am not a Delhi boy anymore.", declared Gautam Gambhir right after he led KKR to a 17 run victory over Delhi Daredevils at the Kotla. 2.4 Million USD was all that was required to affect this change of heart and soul. The Delhi boy was not the only one to experience this sudden change. Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds combined to bury Hyderabadi hopes at the very same ground they had called ‘home’ for the last three seasons. Yuvraj Singh led the charge as his Warriors routed his erstwhile Kings. And who can forget Chris Gayle’s mauling of the Knight Riders (on a side note I have never understood how someone can ride a knight), breaking the very same Bengali hearts which had been used to cheering each of his massive slogs.
It all began during that glittering auction in January when cricketers were ‘bought’ and ‘sold’ to the highest bidder, with Team ‘Owners’ and their coterie deciding which players to retain and which ones to let go. The last time humans were traded in such a manner, they were called slaves. While fans were still busy figuring out whether to mourn the ouster of their stars or welcome the new ones, the players were too busy raking in the moolah to complain about the utter disregard shown for their opinion, and therein lies the failure of the IPL. While it would be preposterous to compare the handsomely paid players to slaves, the readiness with which they have switched teams is strikingly reminiscent of Medieval Mercenaries who bore allegiance to none other than currency.
The vision behind the IPL was to create a League akin to the English Premier League which is the pinnacle of English Football. The naming of the tournament itself is farcical. While the EPL itself sits on top of a robust hierarchy of lower division leagues, hence earning the moniker of the ‘Premier League’ of the country, the IPL is a one league system making it the ‘Premier’ as well as the lowest T20 league in the country. The EPL, as well as other Leagues all across Europe, indulge in player transfers with each club being required to enter into separate negotiations with the player after agreeing a transfer fee with the parent club. The system ensures that no club can keep or sell a player against his own will as seen by numerous club-player confrontations over the years. Even the fans can play an influential role in persuading a player to stay as witnessed during the Rooney transfer saga. So while there will always be players lured by money and silverware, the crux of every team is retained across seasons allowing the fans to develop a special bond with the players and creating legends in the process.
Teams evolve their own styles of play based on their pool of players and playing surfaces at home. Constant chopping and changing in the name of auction, makes for a wonderful televised event, but the framework of the team is altered beyond recognition. It is hard enough for fans to root for unknown local players, but it’s even more difficult to do the same for a new set of players every couple of years. If the IPL is to replicate the success of the EPL, the powers that be have to realize the importance of team stability. After all, it’s the fans and the players that make a club, not the owners.
It all began during that glittering auction in January when cricketers were ‘bought’ and ‘sold’ to the highest bidder, with Team ‘Owners’ and their coterie deciding which players to retain and which ones to let go. The last time humans were traded in such a manner, they were called slaves. While fans were still busy figuring out whether to mourn the ouster of their stars or welcome the new ones, the players were too busy raking in the moolah to complain about the utter disregard shown for their opinion, and therein lies the failure of the IPL. While it would be preposterous to compare the handsomely paid players to slaves, the readiness with which they have switched teams is strikingly reminiscent of Medieval Mercenaries who bore allegiance to none other than currency.
The vision behind the IPL was to create a League akin to the English Premier League which is the pinnacle of English Football. The naming of the tournament itself is farcical. While the EPL itself sits on top of a robust hierarchy of lower division leagues, hence earning the moniker of the ‘Premier League’ of the country, the IPL is a one league system making it the ‘Premier’ as well as the lowest T20 league in the country. The EPL, as well as other Leagues all across Europe, indulge in player transfers with each club being required to enter into separate negotiations with the player after agreeing a transfer fee with the parent club. The system ensures that no club can keep or sell a player against his own will as seen by numerous club-player confrontations over the years. Even the fans can play an influential role in persuading a player to stay as witnessed during the Rooney transfer saga. So while there will always be players lured by money and silverware, the crux of every team is retained across seasons allowing the fans to develop a special bond with the players and creating legends in the process.
Teams evolve their own styles of play based on their pool of players and playing surfaces at home. Constant chopping and changing in the name of auction, makes for a wonderful televised event, but the framework of the team is altered beyond recognition. It is hard enough for fans to root for unknown local players, but it’s even more difficult to do the same for a new set of players every couple of years. If the IPL is to replicate the success of the EPL, the powers that be have to realize the importance of team stability. After all, it’s the fans and the players that make a club, not the owners.
Monday, January 24, 2011
A Piece of Cloth!!!
On the 26th of January, 2011 ordinary citizens of this nation will mark the Indian Constitution's coming into force by hoisting the tricolor across the country. But it is one such planned hoisting, in the heart of the northern most state of the country, which promises to become a flashpoint as the BJP’s Youth Wing(BJYM) marches towards Lal Chowk and the establishment puts all its might behind preventing it. While the CM of the State has gone on record calling the flag hoisting as ‘divisive’ and has sealed the state’s border with adjoining Punjab, thus restricting movement of citizens within their own country, the PM has also echoed the same sentiments. Some prominent journalists, meanwhile, choose to question the need to ‘stir the pot’ at this point in time when Kashmir was ‘limping back to normalcy’ even asking why no such ‘Ekta Yatra’ was held in the last 20 years and some even comparing it with the patriotism of soldiers in Siachen in order to prove its lack of importance. What they chose to completely sidestep was the determination of the government to deny the citizens of the country their constitutionally guaranteed right to hoist the tricolor.
The simple answer to the people questioning the motives behind the choice of venue and timing of the event is that there need not be a reason to hoist the national flag. Any citizen can do it, anywhere he wishes to do it, anytime he wishes to do it. However, if they really need a reason then they should just go back in time to September, 2010 when this incident occurred. As is the case with any ‘sensitive’ issue, this event received minimal coverage in the media as Separatists in the valley unfurled the Pakistani flag at the same Lal Chowk while the state government, lacking the power or rather the will to stop them from doing so, became silent bystanders. Surely, the soldier standing guard in Siachen does not do so to witness this sight. The politics of appeasement which has led the valley into a spiral of unrest, ensured that the same government would take no action against these separatists but it would employ all the machinery at the disposal to prevent the hoisting of the tricolor to avoid antagonizing these very separatists.
Some journalists have called this event as a return to ‘nationalistic yatra politics’ for the BJP. They claim that the BJP is not the standard for patriotism and that a person does not become any less nationalistic by hoisting a flag. They are right on both counts. But doesn’t a person/organization become less nationalistic if it tries to prevent the flag being hoisted on Indian soil? The issue here is about fundamental right of the people. What is different about this yatra than all the BJP’s previous adventures, is the absence of Hindutva as a rallying point. It has no reference to any temple or any community. The only intention is to restore national pride at the same place where, not very long ago, a separatist mob openly mocked the law of the land. If somebody’s sentiments are hurt by the hoisting of the tricolor, does that individual even deserve to live in this country?
As the establishment and the media grapples with its inability to paint this event with a communal hue, it has tried to create an impression that the law and order of the state will be disturbed if the hoisting does indeed take place. As mentioned earlier, the flag hoisting is being dubbed as ‘stirring the pot’ in a state ‘limping back to NORMALCY’. This is the same state which has forced thousands of its own people to become refugees for the last 20 years only because of their religion. This is the same state where the flag of a hostile neighbor was unfurled in an act of open defiance not too long ago. This is the same state where citizens are not allowed to hoist their own national flag. And this situation is normal? Is the absence of violence the only indicator of normalcy? Doesn’t the denial of basic human rights strike these ‘intellectuals’ as being abnormal? Is this state of apparent normalcy a good enough reason for the government to behave in such a spineless appeasing manner? Reminds me again of the famous Joker dialogue, “When everything goes according to plan, nobody panics, even if the plan is horrifying.” In this case, the plan being that the people of Kashmir let the stones remain on the ground, even if it requires subverting the constitution to suit their whims and fancies.
The simple answer to the people questioning the motives behind the choice of venue and timing of the event is that there need not be a reason to hoist the national flag. Any citizen can do it, anywhere he wishes to do it, anytime he wishes to do it. However, if they really need a reason then they should just go back in time to September, 2010 when this incident occurred. As is the case with any ‘sensitive’ issue, this event received minimal coverage in the media as Separatists in the valley unfurled the Pakistani flag at the same Lal Chowk while the state government, lacking the power or rather the will to stop them from doing so, became silent bystanders. Surely, the soldier standing guard in Siachen does not do so to witness this sight. The politics of appeasement which has led the valley into a spiral of unrest, ensured that the same government would take no action against these separatists but it would employ all the machinery at the disposal to prevent the hoisting of the tricolor to avoid antagonizing these very separatists.
Some journalists have called this event as a return to ‘nationalistic yatra politics’ for the BJP. They claim that the BJP is not the standard for patriotism and that a person does not become any less nationalistic by hoisting a flag. They are right on both counts. But doesn’t a person/organization become less nationalistic if it tries to prevent the flag being hoisted on Indian soil? The issue here is about fundamental right of the people. What is different about this yatra than all the BJP’s previous adventures, is the absence of Hindutva as a rallying point. It has no reference to any temple or any community. The only intention is to restore national pride at the same place where, not very long ago, a separatist mob openly mocked the law of the land. If somebody’s sentiments are hurt by the hoisting of the tricolor, does that individual even deserve to live in this country?
As the establishment and the media grapples with its inability to paint this event with a communal hue, it has tried to create an impression that the law and order of the state will be disturbed if the hoisting does indeed take place. As mentioned earlier, the flag hoisting is being dubbed as ‘stirring the pot’ in a state ‘limping back to NORMALCY’. This is the same state which has forced thousands of its own people to become refugees for the last 20 years only because of their religion. This is the same state where the flag of a hostile neighbor was unfurled in an act of open defiance not too long ago. This is the same state where citizens are not allowed to hoist their own national flag. And this situation is normal? Is the absence of violence the only indicator of normalcy? Doesn’t the denial of basic human rights strike these ‘intellectuals’ as being abnormal? Is this state of apparent normalcy a good enough reason for the government to behave in such a spineless appeasing manner? Reminds me again of the famous Joker dialogue, “When everything goes according to plan, nobody panics, even if the plan is horrifying.” In this case, the plan being that the people of Kashmir let the stones remain on the ground, even if it requires subverting the constitution to suit their whims and fancies.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year!!!
Another Day, another Year, another decade passes away. It was quite an eventful year marked by a plethora of unfortunate events – Corruption, Inflation, Chelsea winning the EPL – this year had it all. Even the Fourth Estate ended the year with mud on its face. However, despite all the negatives the year ended positively in most areas. A positive vote for governance from the caste conundrum that is Bihar, was reassuring to say the least. The Judiciary (and the CAG) provided the much needed scrutiny that the media failed to provide while the opposition surprised us by showing that it still has the bite needed to provide a stiff challenge to the Grand Old Party of Indian Politics. Finally, the year ended with India reigning supreme on the Test Rankings and Manchester United lording over the EPL. The Sporting world enters 2011 in refreshingly fine shape.
If I have to pick one person or object or incident etc. to represent 2010, it has to be Twitter. The advent of Cable Television marked the beginning of the decline for the newspaper. The speed of the visual medium was the USP which allowed it to defeat the mighty pen. Incisive, fact based journalism with a 24 hour lag was no match for Know-It-All anchors hysterically debating the fallout of events as they happened across the globe. Well, 2010 was all about the return (or atleast the beginning of it) of the written word. Twitter had taken the USP of News Channels and turned it on them. It allowed users to pursue whichever topic interested them, from whichever source they wanted, from whichever place suited them. So while the Media Barons blanked out ‘uncomfortable stories’ like Radiagate, there were quite a few uncomfortable questions raised by the Twitizens for which there were no answers. Long Live the age of the Internet.
Another remarkable incident this year was the coincidence that took place on 19th December, 2010 (as pointed out by a friend). Two legends who have made a habit out of creating history, did just that on the very same day. While Sachin Tendulkar chose the fateful day to become the only batsman in test history to score 50 Test centuries, Sir Alex Ferguson eclipsed Sir Matt Busby to become the longest serving manager at Old Trafford. These two larger than life individuals, who have come to represent perfection in their chosen sport, who reached their own personal milestones this year will be looking towards 2011 with an eye on achieving things which will bring a sense of completeness to their careers. While the Master Blaster will seek to add the World Cup to his otherwise exhaustive list of trophies, the Scottish Genius will seek to bring a 19th League Title to Old Trafford cementing Manchester United’s claim as the most successful club in English Football. As was the case with Sir Don, sport can be a very cruel master. But surely in the case of these two legends, it will choose to make an exception.
Thus, with 2010 ending on a hopeful note, the first day of the fresh year began with a fresh frame of mind. However , ‘The Masthead Of India’ sure knows how to puncture my mood as I found Chetan Bhagat and his stupid smirk staring back at me as soon as I opened their Editorial. I guess my hate for the newspaper will continue this year too (though they made up for it with a wonderful piece in the Sunday Times by Gurcharan Das). Also, on the last day of the year I decided to make up a resolution, “ I will not procrastinate in the new year as much as I did in the last one”. But then again, I thought I will give this year a miss and keep this resolution for the following year. ;)
Finally, by now I believe all you guys would have gotten over the hangover of late night parties. Hence, leaving you all with a nice article to read and ponder over here. Happy New Year, Folks!!!
If I have to pick one person or object or incident etc. to represent 2010, it has to be Twitter. The advent of Cable Television marked the beginning of the decline for the newspaper. The speed of the visual medium was the USP which allowed it to defeat the mighty pen. Incisive, fact based journalism with a 24 hour lag was no match for Know-It-All anchors hysterically debating the fallout of events as they happened across the globe. Well, 2010 was all about the return (or atleast the beginning of it) of the written word. Twitter had taken the USP of News Channels and turned it on them. It allowed users to pursue whichever topic interested them, from whichever source they wanted, from whichever place suited them. So while the Media Barons blanked out ‘uncomfortable stories’ like Radiagate, there were quite a few uncomfortable questions raised by the Twitizens for which there were no answers. Long Live the age of the Internet.
Another remarkable incident this year was the coincidence that took place on 19th December, 2010 (as pointed out by a friend). Two legends who have made a habit out of creating history, did just that on the very same day. While Sachin Tendulkar chose the fateful day to become the only batsman in test history to score 50 Test centuries, Sir Alex Ferguson eclipsed Sir Matt Busby to become the longest serving manager at Old Trafford. These two larger than life individuals, who have come to represent perfection in their chosen sport, who reached their own personal milestones this year will be looking towards 2011 with an eye on achieving things which will bring a sense of completeness to their careers. While the Master Blaster will seek to add the World Cup to his otherwise exhaustive list of trophies, the Scottish Genius will seek to bring a 19th League Title to Old Trafford cementing Manchester United’s claim as the most successful club in English Football. As was the case with Sir Don, sport can be a very cruel master. But surely in the case of these two legends, it will choose to make an exception.
Thus, with 2010 ending on a hopeful note, the first day of the fresh year began with a fresh frame of mind. However , ‘The Masthead Of India’ sure knows how to puncture my mood as I found Chetan Bhagat and his stupid smirk staring back at me as soon as I opened their Editorial. I guess my hate for the newspaper will continue this year too (though they made up for it with a wonderful piece in the Sunday Times by Gurcharan Das). Also, on the last day of the year I decided to make up a resolution, “ I will not procrastinate in the new year as much as I did in the last one”. But then again, I thought I will give this year a miss and keep this resolution for the following year. ;)
Finally, by now I believe all you guys would have gotten over the hangover of late night parties. Hence, leaving you all with a nice article to read and ponder over here. Happy New Year, Folks!!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
'Why So Serious?'
This very question, made so famous by THE JOKER himself, was put to me recently by a friend after I objected to the repeated refusals of my Table Tennis Doubles partner to join me at the table, sowing the seeds of this blog post. Indeed, the utterances of this character immortalized by the Great Late Heath Ledger had left their impressions on my mind long ago. But it was the context of this question that truly enabled me to fully fathom the depth of this character.
What most people find unbelievable is my insistence on adequate preparation for the scheduled tournament with my assigned partner. In a non-sporting nation, preparation for a sporting event figures very low on the general list of priorities. Hence, when a individual arrives who demands ‘unwarranted importance’ for a ‘dispensable’ issue, it is seen as disturbing ‘The Plan’. Indeed, ‘The Plan’, prompted by my 'irritating taunts', was for me to accept the 10 minutes within the lunch break offered from my partner’s busy schedule which was considered as enough preparation.If I were to bend over backwards in order to accommodate the whims and fancies of my partner, nobody would have noticed my spineless behavior as things were going ‘according to plan, no matter how horrifying the plan was.’ But the moment I asked for respect for the game, ‘the established order was disturbed and everything turned to chaos’.
Indeed the established order is so sacrosanct that everything upsetting it is met with ridicule. A person without a sweet tooth in a sugar hungry world is ridiculed. A silent person in a world full of motor mouths is an outcast. A driver stopping at a red light on an empty road has to bear the brunt of incessant honking. He is rude, arrogant, stand offish, ruthless. He is ‘a freak’. Everything he touches is reduced to chaos. He is an ‘Agent of Chaos’.
This affinity for ‘The Established Order’, is not limited to an individual but it does affect the society at large. Corruption at the CWG 2010 was not an issue until its very existence was threatened. ‘The Plan’ was only to host the event irrespective of the cost and corruption involved. ‘The order’ also defines a certain party as the ruling party and another as the opposition. Hence, corruption in the 2G Scam, rising communalism in sensitive border areas, rising inflation do not ‘Introduce Anarchy’ as The Order is not threatened. But the continued success of a certain Narendra Modi upsets the entire Plan. The ‘Schemers’ are made to work overtime to ‘make plans to control their little worlds’. Non-existent dirt is dug up, smoke is created without fire, all in a bid to restore ‘Order’.
Sometimes, one wonders if it would truly be more fruitful to behave like a ‘dog chasing cars who doesn’t know what to do with it if he ever caught one’. Hats off to the genius of The Joker! A better student of human psyche is yet to be born.
What most people find unbelievable is my insistence on adequate preparation for the scheduled tournament with my assigned partner. In a non-sporting nation, preparation for a sporting event figures very low on the general list of priorities. Hence, when a individual arrives who demands ‘unwarranted importance’ for a ‘dispensable’ issue, it is seen as disturbing ‘The Plan’. Indeed, ‘The Plan’, prompted by my 'irritating taunts', was for me to accept the 10 minutes within the lunch break offered from my partner’s busy schedule which was considered as enough preparation.If I were to bend over backwards in order to accommodate the whims and fancies of my partner, nobody would have noticed my spineless behavior as things were going ‘according to plan, no matter how horrifying the plan was.’ But the moment I asked for respect for the game, ‘the established order was disturbed and everything turned to chaos’.
Indeed the established order is so sacrosanct that everything upsetting it is met with ridicule. A person without a sweet tooth in a sugar hungry world is ridiculed. A silent person in a world full of motor mouths is an outcast. A driver stopping at a red light on an empty road has to bear the brunt of incessant honking. He is rude, arrogant, stand offish, ruthless. He is ‘a freak’. Everything he touches is reduced to chaos. He is an ‘Agent of Chaos’.
This affinity for ‘The Established Order’, is not limited to an individual but it does affect the society at large. Corruption at the CWG 2010 was not an issue until its very existence was threatened. ‘The Plan’ was only to host the event irrespective of the cost and corruption involved. ‘The order’ also defines a certain party as the ruling party and another as the opposition. Hence, corruption in the 2G Scam, rising communalism in sensitive border areas, rising inflation do not ‘Introduce Anarchy’ as The Order is not threatened. But the continued success of a certain Narendra Modi upsets the entire Plan. The ‘Schemers’ are made to work overtime to ‘make plans to control their little worlds’. Non-existent dirt is dug up, smoke is created without fire, all in a bid to restore ‘Order’.
Sometimes, one wonders if it would truly be more fruitful to behave like a ‘dog chasing cars who doesn’t know what to do with it if he ever caught one’. Hats off to the genius of The Joker! A better student of human psyche is yet to be born.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Judging the Judgement.
“The Country has moved on.” , they claimed. “But will the saffron brigade accept the verdict?”, they asked. This nature of the question was indicative of the fact that the people asking it had already made up their mind regarding what the verdict would be or rather should be. That question accompanied by visuals of 1992 was used to reinforce stereotypes of certain organizations and create an atmosphere of impending tragedy. Finally, the verdict came and the nation accepted it without incident. All parties involved accepted it gracefully. There were no losers and no winners. The nation truly had moved on, except for one section. The Media.
While the nation heaved a sigh of relief, a storm was brewing inside each newsroom. First, the court ‘overturned’ the verdict which the news channels had already delivered in the days preceding the actual one. Secondly, the humble poise maintained by the ‘Saffron Brigade’ following a favorable verdict belied the rabble-rousing stereotypes that the media had so carefully carved over the years. As the day passed, each newsroom turned into a courtroom. Each anchor was a judge, each expert a prosecution lawyer. In the dock were the three judges. Their crime: Delivering a judgment not palatable to the news makers. Within hours, the ‘experts’ had analyzed the 10,000 page judgment (in the process creating a world record for fastest reading) and declared it a ‘panchayati verdict’ on the basis of arguments ranging from the absurd to the imaginary. Some of these arguments were:
• Archeological Evidence was contentious: When a case is argued in a court of law, each and every piece of evidence is contested by opposing parties. This is exactly why lawyers are said to have ‘argued’ in courts. It’s for the judges to decide which piece of evidence to accept and which to reject. The reasons for accepting the archeological evidence were mentioned clearly in the judgment as mentioned in this article. Only if the wise men in the media had bothered to read.
• There was no reference to 1992: As mentioned endlessly by the media itself, the case was a title suit based on historical possession. The first case itself was filed more than a hundred years before the demolition of the structure. The bench, therefore, did not have the mandate to comment on 1992. Strange that a media which is complaining of judicial outreach would expect the court to do exactly the same when it suits them. Or maybe, not so strange.
• Court has chosen faith over law: Conveniently, the main stream media (MSM) forgets that all the points raised by the Waqf board have been set aside by the courts on purely legal grounds. And as concerns the Ram Janmabhoomi, the observations of the bench were in reply to questions asked of it. The judgment itself was not based on this observation alone. It was backed by documents compiled over centuries and evidence presented by the ASI. Facts which the MSM chose to ignore.
The problem, for the MSM, does not seem to be the verdict itself, but the parties who stand to gain by it. For decades, the MSM has portrayed the Sangh Parivar as the culprits of the 1992 episode. Though the judgment makes no comment on the episode itself, the MSM considers it to be a vindication of the ideological position taken by the Saffron parties. Hence, while the whole nation seems to have accepted the truce formula presented by the court, the media itself finds it hard to digest. Clearly a case of ‘Justice will be delivered only if judgment is in my favor’.
While the nation heaved a sigh of relief, a storm was brewing inside each newsroom. First, the court ‘overturned’ the verdict which the news channels had already delivered in the days preceding the actual one. Secondly, the humble poise maintained by the ‘Saffron Brigade’ following a favorable verdict belied the rabble-rousing stereotypes that the media had so carefully carved over the years. As the day passed, each newsroom turned into a courtroom. Each anchor was a judge, each expert a prosecution lawyer. In the dock were the three judges. Their crime: Delivering a judgment not palatable to the news makers. Within hours, the ‘experts’ had analyzed the 10,000 page judgment (in the process creating a world record for fastest reading) and declared it a ‘panchayati verdict’ on the basis of arguments ranging from the absurd to the imaginary. Some of these arguments were:
• Archeological Evidence was contentious: When a case is argued in a court of law, each and every piece of evidence is contested by opposing parties. This is exactly why lawyers are said to have ‘argued’ in courts. It’s for the judges to decide which piece of evidence to accept and which to reject. The reasons for accepting the archeological evidence were mentioned clearly in the judgment as mentioned in this article. Only if the wise men in the media had bothered to read.
• There was no reference to 1992: As mentioned endlessly by the media itself, the case was a title suit based on historical possession. The first case itself was filed more than a hundred years before the demolition of the structure. The bench, therefore, did not have the mandate to comment on 1992. Strange that a media which is complaining of judicial outreach would expect the court to do exactly the same when it suits them. Or maybe, not so strange.
• Court has chosen faith over law: Conveniently, the main stream media (MSM) forgets that all the points raised by the Waqf board have been set aside by the courts on purely legal grounds. And as concerns the Ram Janmabhoomi, the observations of the bench were in reply to questions asked of it. The judgment itself was not based on this observation alone. It was backed by documents compiled over centuries and evidence presented by the ASI. Facts which the MSM chose to ignore.
The problem, for the MSM, does not seem to be the verdict itself, but the parties who stand to gain by it. For decades, the MSM has portrayed the Sangh Parivar as the culprits of the 1992 episode. Though the judgment makes no comment on the episode itself, the MSM considers it to be a vindication of the ideological position taken by the Saffron parties. Hence, while the whole nation seems to have accepted the truce formula presented by the court, the media itself finds it hard to digest. Clearly a case of ‘Justice will be delivered only if judgment is in my favor’.
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