What I would like to see the Government of India do in 2017 - 1

What I would like to see the Government of India do in 2017......................

1. Isolate Pakistan totally. Why are we still giv
   ing Most Favoured Nation status to the rogue country? Enforce a total economic blockade and withdraw our Ambassador, while kicking out the Pakistan Ambassador. Continue the good work on expediting the projects on the Indus, and starve Pakistan of water, and the treaty be damned.
2. Have a rigorous follow up on the demonetization to eliminate black money. The honest citizens have stood by the Prime Minister surviving great hardship, but are a bit upset many black money hoarders managed to beat the system, though they are all worried. Recruit a team of one lakh youngsters and let them loose to check all the bank accounts. ED and IT should work overtime to put the fear of god into anyone who had even remotely laundered the money. And this should be done during the first half of 2017 itself, while the iron is still hot.
3. For god's sake let us have a super efficient Education Minister with a mandate to overhaul our archaic education system in one year. The draft education policy is a joke, and a rehash of things that have failed in the past. Like demonetization, we need a shock and awe treatment in the Education sector.
4. Reduce the income tax and broad base the tax structure. Everyone who earn should pay tax, and those who don't should be penalized heavily
5. Do something about our rotten judicial system. Appoint 100 or 1000 or a million judges, give them infrastructure and let us ensure pending cases are disposed off, and new cases are judged within a year maximum. Stop this ridiculous situation of every petitioner who has a case being heard in district courts, going to High Court and Supreme Court for stay at the drop of a hat. Appeals should be allowed only after there is a verdict in the lower court, and not before.
6. Let the judiciary have a proper set up for scrutinizing Public Interest Litigation. There are far too many frivolous PILs which is wasting the time of the SC. In fact there are professional PIL litigators. Throw the book on them, and encourage only genuine PILs
7. Dismantle all State Road Transport Corporations. The Private Sector is doing a much better job and Government has no business running buses, and subsidizing them..............................................to be continued

Why don't they make teachers and students like them anymore?

Teaching is a passion for me. I have a special feeling for some of my students, and the sentiment is mutual. But good teachers are slowly becoming an extinct species. That is why this particular school teacher's act brought tears to my eyes. This is a rare but true life story

 

This Language Teacher in Semi Urban India retired just recently after more than three decades of teaching. She was invited for a function by one of her old students, whom she taught in early 1990s but was in touch only off and on.

 

She came to the function, opened her bag and carefully took out a bunch of papers which has aged visibly over the years.

 

It was the essay written by the student nearly 25 years ago as part of the Examination, for which the teacher had given 7 1/2 out of 10 (which is a top mark those days, when language teachers give only 60% to the class topper alone). She did it in the presence of all the other guests telling them that this was the best essay she has ever come across in her three decades of teaching, she preserved it all these years and made it a point to show to the students of new batches every year as to how an essay should be written.

 

The student and the guests at the function were astonished that someone took pains to preserve an exam answersheet all these years. The papers were in excellent shape, but for the colour change due to ageing.

 

The student asked the teacher to keep it with her, but the teacher insisted that it is the only gift she can give to the finest student she ever taught, and forced the student to accept it, which was duly done with moist eyes and a lump in the throat.

 

Why don't they make teachers and students like them anymore?

"I am not a Rajya Drohi, I am a Rajya Snehi"

We elect our Government with the hope that there will be Change. No one wants status quo. They want improvement, and visible ones at that.

 

There are two basic types of change that are polar opposites: Radical change and  Incremental change. There has been a surprising amount of debate over which kind of change is better, though the context is an Organization, and not a Country.

Some people  promote the idea of innovation, or Radical change. Others, such as the proponents of  Kaizen, believe that smaller, gradual improvements at regular intervals are better. People who believe in Radical change often think that Incremental change is too slow. Those that believe in Incremental change often believe that Radical change is too risky and isn’t sustainable.

 

But what both sets of people accept is that Change is required and it should be for the better.

 

Unfortunately, in India, over the past few decades the Change has been for the worse. Honest people, who constitute 90% of the population, had seethed in anger at their Governments working only for the Corrupt and Anti nationals, and thinking of them only at the election time. Fake Currencies and Black money ruled roost. Land purchase became a dream for the common man, as the black money guys inflated the price many fold. Too much money was chasing too few goods, leading to double digit inflation. The honest tax payer got nothing in return and was resigned to cursing his fate.

 

Then came Modi in 2014, with a promise to change their lives drastically. He promised fight against black money, and extended hope that there will be development. He delivered a lot on the latter during the past 30 months - new roads, toilets, bank accounts for all, direct cash transfer scheme, lower inflation, overall digitalization, allowing self attestation of documents, better railways, and no corruption at higher levels. But it was not enough for the honest voter. He viewed it as Incremental Change and that was not why he voted Modi to power.

 

He bayed for Radical Change. He wanted Pakistan to be taught a lesson. He wanted black money to be eradicated from the system. He wanted a level playing field, and not scoffed at by the corrupt, rich and famous.

 

Time was running out for Modi. UP, Punjab elections are round the corner, followed by Gujarat and Karnataka elections. And then the 2019 General elections will be at the door steps.

 

During the past one month, he took on Pakistan, let the Army loose on them and started isolating them globally. The Voter was happy. This restored his pride as an Indian, but did not make any material difference to his day to day life.

 

And then, on Tuesday, 8th November 2016 at 8 pm, Modi came on Television and declared a war on the Fake Currency and Black Money. He demonetized the Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes with immediate effect, and asked people to co-operate.

 

The corrupt, including the media, cried hoarse. The bottom has gone out of their castles built on corrupt money. Pakistanis couldn't believe it. Their entire eco system created to destroy Indian economy through fake currencies, apart from funding terrorism, collapsed in one second.

 

But the Common Man cheered. This was the Radical Change he wanted.  He knew he will have to face inconveniences for a few days, but it doesn't matter. This is for the greater good. Modi, bypassed all rogue media, and addressed the common man directly. He sought their co-operation. People listened to him, stood up and cheered, and then vowed to make this a success. They recognize leadership when they see it. They are patriots. They know it is for the country, it is for them, for their children and for the next generation. They were happy, as I was, that at last, at last, someone cared for the majority - the honest guys who always were at the receiving end all these years. And they did not miss the chance to gloat at the squirming of the distributors of fake currency and the hoarders of black money.

 

Even in the far off Muscat, their sound reverberated. I was in the Super market counter waiting for my turn. A low level malayali worker, was talking to the malayali cashier about the demonetization. His words summed up the situation perfectly

 

"I support this decision by PM wholeheartedly, because I am not a Rajya Drohi, I am a Rajya Snehi", and people around him concurred.

 

Never before has a PM of India done so much for our Country with this much Intent.

 

Let us be thankful for that, and take a moment off to pray for his long life.

Risk Taking leads to Success

Rohit Brijnath is perhaps one of the best Sports Journalist around. In his article about the Golfing Legend Arnold Palmer, who died a few months back, he writes;

The second thing sport should take from Palmer is risk taking. No doubt we admire those who play the percentages, reduce error and embrace consistency but sport isn't an Accountancy Exam. It also needs the gambler, the heart-attack giver, the "you're-kidding-me" athlete who has the lunatic spirit to roll over the Niagara Falls in a barrel.

 

One of the reasons football is turning dull is because no wants to lose but Arnie would try any shot to win. If the high stakes of today's sport is suffocating the adventure out of coaches and athletes, then he was golf's version of the guy who did handstands on a high wire. Of course, he fell. His refusal to play safe cost him - he wrote in his book A Golfer's Life - "three or four US Opens, perhaps a Masters or two, and the PGA Championship on at least two occasions".

 

Yet as he risked he also soared and said that "if I hadn't had the instinctive desire to attempt those shots, regardless of the outcome, almost without thinking, I wouldn't have won half the tournaments I did".

 

This is so true of Management. I am into New Ventures and Investment. And I have seen most of the Companies, Financial Institutions and their Management playing ultra safe. No one wants to take risk.

 

You go to a Financial Institution with a New Venture, and they expect you to cover all the risks five times over, want to see an off take agreement, solid contract, 200% collateral security etc etc. I went to them with all of the above, and still they refused, because they felt the project doesn't meet the Risk profile of the Bank, whatever that means.

 

Every single Top Manager I know, want to have risk free and preferable investment free projects. They want a return of $ 1 Million by investing $ 10,000. If I knew that magic, I would be a Billionaire  by now!

 

I am yet to see an Investor or Manager who says "This project has the potential and looks great. Let us give it a go. I will back it"

 

And when their Companies are facing a melt down with low oil prices in the Middle East, they crib and blame everyone except themselves.

 

Their Companies are in trouble because they did not take adequate risk or show the entrepreneurial spirit when the going was good.

 

Play safe will help them perhaps to sustain, but will ensure they remain mediocre.

 

It is the risk taker who makes it big. And the thrill one gets when one pulls off the impossible is a fantastic feeling.

The Sad Fall of our Judiciary

Much as I hate to pick on Supreme Court of India time and again, I am afraid the SC is fast losing its respect. And I hope the judiciary don't lose the respect.

 

A series of verdicts, which defies logic and borders on absurdity is threatening to erode SC's credibility. It is fair to say that the SC under the current Chief Justice has been on an emotional adversarial path with the legislature and is overstepping their brief.

 

Their stand on the appointment of Judges, and how they decided a case where they themselves were a party should be the lowest point of our judiciary, inclusive of their pathetic stand during the Emergency period 1975-1977. It was only fair on the part of the SC to ask for Arbitration from an independent panel, while recusing from the case. That there was one judge, out of five, who had the integrity to dissent is the only salient feature of the whole sordid saga.

 

The allegation raised by Justice Chalameshwar that the Collegium system is not transparent in its functioning has not been addressed to yet by the cry baby Chief Justice. This is akin to how corruption allegations against 8 of the former CJIs by Bhushan was brushed under the carpet by the SC till date. Less said about SC inaction on K G Balakrishnan, the better.

 

Thus, we have a situation, where the judiciary appoints itself, is accountable to none, and encroaching into the domain of the Executive. This is dangerous for the Country.

 

Take the case of the Sahara Chief Subrata Roy. There is no doubt whatsoever that he was involved in one of the biggest money laundering exercise of recent times and needs to be punished. His case has been with SC for the past half a decade, and he was sent behind the bars for only 'Contempt of Court'. And he was given 5 Star facility in the jail, and Office with infrastructure to work and finally let out on parole on compassionate grounds, which was extended on one pretext or other. Now he is ordered back to jail not for his crime, but because the CJI led bench took offense at the attitude of his lawyer! The legal and logical thing that should have been done ages ago was to attach the Sahara properties, appoint an Administrator and then punish Roy if he has violated the law. The Administrator should have been asked to auction the properties and not Roy.

 

Less said about the Arunachal Pradesh Government fiasco, the better. It was known to all and sundry that the Congress speaker did not give a level playing field and suspended MLA's when there was a no confidence motion against him, and a Finance bill was not passed, which automatically means the collapse of the Government. The SC interfered needlessly, ensured that only a Congress Government was possible, restored status quo without taking into cognizance all the facts. The Result? The deposed by SC, CM Puli committed suicide and within two months, the whole Congress party barring the original CM defected to form a new party, leaving mud on the face of the honorable Justices of SC.

 

The next disaster was the judgment on Cauvery water. Again the SC took arbitrary decisions, changing the quantum of water released every day, without rhyme or reason, and two states burned. Finally, the Karnataka legislature had to take the extreme step of virtually telling SC that it will defy its orders and pray what did SC do? They virtually begged Karnataka to release a minimum quantity of water for 3 days just to save their faces, all the while spewing phony, un-implementable threats at all and sundry.

 

SC doesn't understand that they are still respected but are just being tolerated. One day, people will start defying them, and SC cant do anything about it. For example, what can SC do if Karnataka don't release water? Nothing. It can order the arrest of the Chief Secretary. But who is going to arrest them? No one. Then what happens? Nothing.

 

This is the result when the SC thinks a bit too much of itself and its powers

 

I am no great fan of BCCI. But there are far more worse associations than BCCI, which at least does a lot for the game. But the SC wont touch any of those rogue associations as they wont get any publicity. Our boxers are suffering because the national boxing association is split into two and derecognized by the International Boxing Council. Have you heard SC appointing a Committee to solve this. No.

 

SC appointed a committee headed by former Justice Lodha, who recommended sweeping reforms. What was the qualification of Lodha to decide the tenure of office holders, or fix an age limit, or to decide there should be only 3 selectors? None. His opinion is as good or bad as yours and mine, and quite a few are down right dumb. BCCI is one of the few associations, where past players are very active in promoting the sport, and of course they make money out of it. No one does anything for charity or for the love of the game. There were conflict of interests, but these could have been easily taken care of. When SC decides a case where it was the Aggrieved party in the issue of Judges appointment, which is a clear Conflict of Interest, how can they morally ask someone else not to have Conflict of Interest?

 

Today, they have threatened to enforce their decision by BCCI. Now, how are they going to implement it if BCCI refuses to pay heed? Frankly, many of the recommendations are illogical and by no means perfect. All it is doing is to shackle perhaps the only decently run sports federation in India, which has contributed immensely to the growth of Cricket and Cricketers not only in India, but world over.

 

The SC, which has mountains of cases to clear, is picking and choosing high profile cases filed as PIL to be in the limelight, and issuing orders left, right and centre. It made a laughing stock of itself with its ban of Diesel cars in Delhi, support of the absurd Odd-Even Scheme, Reversing the ban on Diesel cars and imposing a Cess (for which it has no authority), and their silly comments on all matters under the sun.

 

For many, judiciary is their last hope. Instead of ensuring speedy justice to the poorest of the poor, the judiciary is wasting time on cases which are of no great consequence to majority of the people like the BCCI case.

 

SC also sermons various Governments and Ministries on getting their act together, but is absolutely silent on the rot inside it. Delayed justice, poor infrastructure, corruption of judges, unnecessary adjournments, out dated functioning (Why do we still follow the old British way of dressing in courts and a bailiff announcing the arrival of the justice? Ridiculous), a confrontanist attitude with the Government that pays its salary, and stone deafness to the voice of the people, apart from rampant cronyism, opaqueness in functioning,  are some of the ills afflicting our judiciary.

 

I dread the day people turn against it finally as this could lead to anarchy.

 

Will our Judges ( I wont call them Honourable, why should they be addressed like that at all?) wake up and get out of their ivory tower before it is too late?

 

Win hides goof ups

Though one should be happy that India beat West Indies in the 3rd Test, after royally goofing up on the last day of the 2nd Test that enabled WI to escape with a draw, the feel good factor is missing somehow.

 

This WI team is for the taking - no disrespect meant to them. If Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels is their best batsmen, it doesn't say much. Their bowling in the 3rd test showed some teeth with Gabriel, Cummins and Joseph, which augurs well for the future. If only they could find 3-4 good batsmen!!!

 

But this post is about India. Everyone is going ga-ga about Virat's captaincy. He is more aggressive than Dhoni, but his real test will come against higher ranked teams.

 

India panicked at the end of second Test. Their selection for the third Test defies logic. You have 3 openers (Vijay, Dhawan, Rahul) , one No.3 batsman (Pujara), and another potential Opener/ No.3 in Rahane. If you don't want the slow scoring Pujara (frankly he did look out of sorts in the first two Tests, but no worse than Dhawan did), you would expect Vijay and Dhawan to open, followed by Rahul at No.3, then Kohli and Rahane. Or alternatively, you play Vijay and Rahul, with Rahane coming in at No.3, then Kohli and Rohit (why a dismal repeated offender/failure like Rohit should be persisted with, only the Team Management and Selectors know).

 

But heck no! You go ahead, drop Vijay (one of the best Test batsman in the side) and open with Dhawan (another Rohit Sharmasque failure) and Rahul, and expose Kohli to number 3! The move royally backfired, and India were in dire straits till Ashwin and Saha pulled them out with Centuries.

 

Kohli said in the post match interview that every batsman including him should be able to play at any position, but this is not applicable to Rohit Sharma!! Why oh Why?

 

We also need to take a call on Jadeja. Every one is raving about his 16 in the second innings. Frankly, Mohammed Sami, if sent up the order would have scored that and more! Jadeja has not done anything with the bat for ages in international cricket, nor is his bowling match winning. Is it not better to play a genuine left arm spinner like Iqbal Abdullah? Just watch how brilliant Renganna Herath is for Srilanka with his conventional left arm spin, and compare him with Jadeja. Enough said.

 

There are quite a few passengers in the team who take their places for granted. Dhawan, Rohit, Jadeja and even Ishant Sharma (it is ridiculous to see him fall over every other over. Why do we have Pace bowling coaches, if they cant fix this?)

 

Finally, a word about the pathetic umpiring. On the final day Nigel got two decisions horribly wrong. When everyone including my tea boy can see that Cummins has overstepped, we had the ridiculous situation of the decision of out not reversed, just because the on field umpire did not ASK for a replay!!!!

 

They say the most common thing about common sense is that it is not so common. I have been watch all the three Test Series, with two of them having DSRS. I still cannot understand this Umpire's call business. If the original decision is out, and the ball tracking shows the ball grazing the stumps, then it is Umpire's call and the batsman is out. For the same situation, if the original decision is Not Out, then the batsman is Not Out. This just can't be!. When you go up for a review, it is to be made obligatory on the part of the Third umpire to give a fair decision, and not push it back to on field umpire. It went up in the first place, because people questioned on field umpires decision. Why push it back to him?

Absurdities that has creeped into Cricket of late

These days Umpires hardly check for No Balls, and most bowlers get away with murder. This despite, in most of the matches, Umpires have DRS (excepting those in which India play), and don't have to worry too much about LBW. But what galls me is the Umpire, who has failed to call a no ball, asking for a review whether the bowler has overstepped, AFTER a batsman has got out. This is ridiculous to say the least. The bowler has just delivered a legitimate ball (if the umpire doesn't call a no ball, then it is supposed to be legitimate), gets a wicket, Umpire GIVES HIM OUT, celebrates and then told ' hey hang on, let me check with the third umpire to see if you have overstepped?". The  batsman is on his way back, asked to wait till the check is over, and then either recalled or sent on his way. The least the Umpire can do when an appeal is made, is to 'NOT MAKE A DECISION' till they check for the No ball. Even that is a compromise. Either give the power to the third umpire to call no balls after each delivery, or develop a technology like 'cyclops' where No ball is called automatically when a bowler oversteps.

 

On No balls, is it not easier to change the law as it exists today, where in 'some part of the feet has to be behind the bowling crease at the time of landing'? This is complicating issues. See how easy it is in Athletics Long Jump competitions. If you touch the line, your jump is a 'Fault'. ICC can have sensors on the bowling crease, and the moment the feet touches the sensor 'No ball beep' comes up. This way one doesn't have to leave to the subjectivity of the Umpires at all.

 

Another absurdity is Umpires referring close-in catches to the third umpire. It is known to all and sundry that Cameras are totally unreliable when it comes to catches held close to the ground. In 100% of the cases, the ball is shown as having bounced before it enters the fielders hands, and the batsman escapes. The Cameras do have parallax error and they are not designed to give a clear cut evidence of ball bouncing or not before being caught. Knowing this, why are the catches being referred time and again? A good leg umpire, if he is observant, can easily identify if the catch is clean or not 95% of the time! The umpires are shirking their duties these days.

 

 

Is the Current Generation moving away from Ithihasams - 3

The third major development of the last few decades that led to a lack of awareness about the Ithihasams amongst the current generation, is the so called 'secularization' of education. When I was attending school in 1970s, 95% of us studied in Government Schools, and almost all of them followed the State Board. The State Board Syllabus was more sensitive to local culture, States history, and also to the hindu way of life.

 

With the advent of Christian missionary schools followed by those started by other minority, this changed. Also, CBSE schools started cropping up like mushrooms and parents flocked to these Private Schools to admit their kids. With Congress ruling the Centre for most parts, and with India's education content development, including history, at the mercy of the so called Left Academicians, who loathe anything that is Hindu, especially post Babri Masjid demolition to prevent the rise of BJP, the atheist, Western dominated, doctored syllabi was taught in the Schools. It became fashionable for the Schools to abuse Hindu Ithihasams and Indian Culture, while glorifying the Mughal Period, and the British Period, forgetting that both of them were invaders and looters in the first place. Students were not encouraged to learn their mother tongue, and majority of the middle class students of the last 25 years cannot read or write in their mother tongue. Most escaped the 'burden' of opting for their mother tongue as third language by opting for the alien French or German instead.

 

With English language dominating the Education scenario (most of the Private English medium schools punished their students if they even inadvertently spoke in their mother tongue in the School!), and with our Ithihasams not easily available for reading in English language (in any case, one doesn't get a feel of them if one were to read the translated version in English - a Classic Example being M T Vasudevan Nair's Classic 'Rendamoozham' in Malayalam, which when translated to English became a damb squib. It lost its sensitivity totally, despite the fact that the translation was excellent) and with the children unable to read in their mother tongue, couple of generations lost complete touch with our Ithihasams. It became fashionable to deride Hinduisms and to claim proudly that one doesn't know Ramayanam or Mahabharatham, but is more comfortable with Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

 

When these children, born in 1975 and beyond grew up to become adults and parents, they just did not possess the cultural background, or knowledge about ithihasams to pass it on to their children. They were focused on migrating to US or Europe or Australia leaving India and Indianness behind. I have asked many adults born post 1970s to recall the 10 Avatharams of Vishnu and found 99% of them struggling or unable to do so or just shrugging in indifference. That is the word - indifference. Couple of generations of Hindus were totally indifferent to our Ithihasams due to the reasons mentioned above and in the previous posts. The left dominated academicians and media, which had an agenda to promote Christianity in India, did not miss any opportunity to deride anyone who dared to rectify the syllabus in favour of Bharathiya culture, crying 'saffronisation' till their throats were hoarse, and took all effort to make anyone who wanted to learn Ithihasams feel guilty. With parents having a false set of values, is it any wonder our current crop of children have no clue as the greatness of our Culture and the lessons for life hidden in Vedams, Upanishads and Ithihasams?

Is the Current Generation Moving Away from Ithihasams - 2

Apart from the Family, the immediate society played a great part in creating an environment for the knowledge of Ithihasams to be imbibed amongst the young generation.

 

Most of the settlements were river based and had a presiding deity for the people to worship. Over a period of time, temples sprang up, which had its own source of Agricultural Land owned by the Temple but leased to cultivators. These temples were not just places of worship, but in addition they were cultural centers too.

 

With the Hinduism boasting of numerous festivals, the temples always had a reason to celebrate something or other, be it the ten day long Annual festival, Vishu, Navarathri, Karthikai, Pradosham, Pournami, Ekadasi, Thiruvathirai, and so on. The list is endless. The young were taught by the elders in the village as to the reason why these festivals and auspicious days were celebrated, and this got internalized over a  period of time.

 

In addition, the Koothambalams, and the much smaller stages in the local temples were venues for the conduct of Namasankeerthanams, Kathakalakshepams, Bhagavatha Parayanams, Ramayana Parayanam, Music, Dance, Drama, Dance Drama like Kathakali, Ottan Thullal, Chakyar Koothu, Yakshaganam.............It varied from district to district and state to state. But the underlying theme was the same - narrate/demonstrate the story of the god in such an aesthetically pleasing way that it leaves a lasting impression on the minds of the impressionable children. If you have seen a top dancer performing about Yasodha and Krishna, you tend to remember it for ever. I still recall my first exposure to Kathakali when I was 9 years old. It was the popular 'Kiratham', the fight between Arjunan and Lord Shiva, in the guise of a Kattala, which culminates in Lord Shiva blessing Arjuna with the Pasupathasthram. The fact that I can remember this almost 43 years down the line, as I first saw in Chandranagar Colony School ground, shivering throughout a december night (Kathakali performance start at 10pm) and go on till 4 am, is a testimony to the impact these Kshetra Kalakal had on young children. I was barely 6 years old when our School in Vadakara organized an Ottan Thullal - Kalyanasougandhikam.

 

Bheeman, in search of Kalyanasaugandhikam, meets an old monkey (his brother Hanuman, which he is not aware of) lying prone blocking his path, and arrogantly says,

 'Nokkada nammude marge kidakkunna

Markada neeyangu mari kidasada'

 

And what followed was an enchanting display of Thullal kala, telling the 'Samwadam' between the two brothers, born across two different yugams, as narrated by Kunjan Nambiar.

 

The eco system thus took care of spreading our Ithihasams and their core philosophy through anecdotes and stories, which left it etched in one's mind forever.

 

But with people moving away from villages, and cities becoming concrete jungles, with hardly any 'Sanskriti' to boast of, today's generation is limited to knowing about Ithihasams only from TV Serials and a few comics.

 

If I ask ten hindus, inclusive of the elderly, to name the 10 avatarams of Vishnu, I will hardly find one capable of giving the right answer, and none who can tell it in sequence. The other day, I was watching a TV Quiz show, and the participants ignorance when asked about some basic questions from Ramayana and Mahabharata was astounding. When one stumbled by mistake and gave the correct answer, he attributed it to watching a TV serial 10 years ago!!

 

The society has changed, and in the rush to be westernized, we have lost our roots. It is a matter of shame that it is the Westerners who are more into our religion and culture, than Indians....... contd..

Is the current generation moving away from Ithihasams -1

"The current generation is moving away from Indian Ithihasas. They don't think much of it, but rather find the Greek and Roman mythological characters more alluring"

 

Is this question valid?

 

There are many reasons for the Indians moving away from our Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharatham and Ramayanam.

 

The Indian (by which I mean 'Hindu', we are still a Hindu Majority country by a wide margin) society has changed over the last many decades. The Hindu joint family has broken up, leaving only nucleus units and the dwellings clustered (like agraharams) based on commonality in culture, which was essentially temple based is no longer to be seen.

 

The Joint Family and the Temple based Clusters went a long way in creating an interest, awareness and knowledge about our ithihasams to the next generation.

 

The ithihasams, though they are in written format, was handed down from generation to generation through 'vaa mozhi' (Orally). Stories that kindled the imagination of the younger lot was used to convey the underlying philosophy of good and evil, and the need for a disciplined life. The elders in the Joint Family played a big role in perpetuating this legacy. The Grand father or Grand mother, or elderly Aunts narrated wonderful stories in the night, when there was no TV or Radio. This was either as a narrative or through lovely songs. If a child is scared, he was asked to recite the ten names of Arjunan mentioned in Mahabharatha to ward of fear "Arjuna, Phaalgun, Paartha, Jishnu, Keeriti, Shwetavaahan, Vibhatsu, Vijayan, Savyashachee and Dhananjayan". And the story of the mighty Archer was told to the child, with an assurance that Arjunan will be always there in case of any danger. Is it any wonder the child then gets hooked to the epic?

 

Likewise the children are told that Anjaneyan can do the impossible and it pays to be like him. His stories are told in an awe inspiring manner, how he lifted the Sanjeevini Mountain, How he jumped 100 Yojanas to reach Lanka, his exploits in Lanka, his love and devotion towards Sreerama.

 

There is an extract from a poem in malayalam,

 

"Vaarana veeran thalayattu, villattu

Veeran Bhagadattan thante kazhuthattu

Nalamathanathan vaalumarinjittu

Kolahalathote poyithu banavum"

 

I read this first in a childrens magazine called 'Thalir'. This depicts how Arjunan's arrow first cuts the head of Bhagadattans massive elephant, then the Bow of Bhagadattan, then his head and finally the raised tail. The depiction of the arrow finally exiting as 'Kolahalathote poyithu banavum' meaning 'the arrow went with a bang (after creating chaos)' clearly makes you wonder about the skill of the archer, and the power of his skills.

 

The above are only by way of illustration. For conveying every single moral concept, we had an icon from our ithihasams - Sreerama the uttama purusha, who sacrificed everything to honour his fathers pledge, Bhishma who took a vow to remain a bachelor to please his father, Harischantran for honesty, Nalan for overcoming adversity, Bhiman for sheer power and valour, .... the list is endless.

 

As a child, I did not have the luxury of hearing stories being told by elders in the family, but I read and read. I was exposed to Mali Ramayanam and Mahabharatham when I was as young as 8-9. I was intrigued by Hanuman, Mareechan (Golden Deer), Sreeramans  ability to covert grass into a powerful arrow, the various types of arrows with special powers, Arjunans exploits, Krishnans scheming, Yudhishtirans Rajadharmam, etc. Later on, though not in the same genre Kottarathil Sankunnis 'Aithihyamala' and 'Kathasarithsagaram' got me hooked to stories, and helped develop the story telling ability in me, one of my pride possession. These stories  broadened by imagination, allowed by mind to wander and made me a better person. Fortunately for me, I had a father who had similar interests on whom I could bounce my ideas, though he couldn't tell a story for nuts.

 

Later on the story telling ability of mine, gave me a huge advantage while Teaching MBA Students and even while working, when I would more often than not use a story from Ithihasams to get a point across...................................to be continued

Let the Dogs Bark

The left liberals, Congress party and the errant crooked English media, in cahoots, have found very little to criticize the Government during the past two years.

 

Hence, their eagerness in making mountains out of many mole hills.

 

The UPA Government was virtually being run by foreign and NRI Consultants. 350 of them were found to be employed in key positions affecting policy making, whose only objective was to provide 'advisory' that is more often than not detriment to the growth of India, while serving foreign powers interests - They were given the boot by Modi, once he took over

 

Then there were guys who lived abroad, earned a fat packet of our tax payers money and bitched about India and Indians all the time, like Amartya Sen, who headed Nalanda University, and hardly contributed anything.

 

Now we have the case of Raghuram Rajan, the RBI Governor. Over the past 2 months, there has been a concerted campaign to get him a second term. Every day the newspapers were flooded with articles on how great he is and how much he has achieved as RBI Governor, and why it would be doomsday for India if he were to be removed. Rajan joined UPA Government way back in 2007 and was its Economic Advisor, before he became RBI Governor in 2013, when Congress knew they were not going to return to power. It is surprising that no one is questioning his legacy as Economic Advisor to UPA Government, when all the scams took place and the economy was almost broken beyond repair. Even as RBI Governor, he has done precious little to solve the critical NPA issue so bank, and was not in alignment with Governments policy of spurring growth. By not tackling the NPA issue aggressively, and holding interest rates high, which killed MSMEs, and by voicing his opinion on issues that did not concern him like the silly 'Award Wapazi' campaign, Rajan was at odds with the Government. It is to be noted that one of the most media savvy guys like Rajan, kept absolutely quiet when all his chamchas were writing the articles in the newspaper supporting him, while he could have put a stop to the whole sordid drama with a single statement that it is the Government's prerogative to give him an extension. It is only when he was told discreetly but categorically that he will not be given an extension, he leaked his internal letter to his colleagues stating he is going back to Academics.

 

One must give lot of credit to Modi. He could have easily removed Ragharam Rajan when he took power (in fact Rajan, being a UPA Appointee, should have put in his papers to allow the new Government to have their man in place in 2014, which he didn't) but Modi allowed him to continue, as he did with many other UPA Appointees, till their terms ended or till it is proven they cannot perform to the new Government's expectations. Modi also refused to be drawn into the controversy and told that Government will take a decision by September, when Rajan's term ends. He did show his statesmanship.

 

An extension to anyone, be it Amartya Sen or Raghuram Rajan, is not a right.

 

No country in the world would like to have a US Green Card holder (which is just one step away from getting a US Citizenship) to hold such a sensitive post like the Central Bank Governor.

 

The surprising fact is that he was appointed in the first place, rather him not being given and extension.

 

Have you ever noticed dogs. They bark and chase your vehicle till they reach the boundary ear marked by them for themselves. Then then retreat, only to chase the next vehicle.

 

The English language media crooks are like these dogs. They will have to retreat now, till they get the next unsuspecting passerby.

Sports - Random thoughts

Mohammed Ali's death - In my younger days, Ali was a hero to me. But later, when I started reading more and more about him, my thoughts changed. I felt he was a great fighter alright, but his image was built around marketing himself, a la M S Subbulakshmi. Maybe we have to give him credit for showing the world that sportsmen could be marketed as a Brand. Ali was perhaps the first true Marketing Brand.

 

Dunga being Sacked as Brazil Coach - Dunga was a World Cup winning Captain, and a solid defender, but frankly he is not the right Coach for Brazil. He is dour, defensive minded and packs his side with defensive mid fielders. True, he doesn't have the talent some of his predecessors had, but that is not an excuse. He was a failure first time around, and he is a failure now. I still wonder why Brazil is not looking at Zico as an option.

 

Dhoni's pig headedness - The whole purpose of taking a second string team to Zimbabwe was to test the bench strength, and Zimbabwe has been underwhelming to say the least. But what is baffling is Dhoni being adamant in retaining the same team for all the three ODIs, with the exception of Fazal replacing Karun Nair for the final ODI, and refusing to change the batting order to give Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhan a go in the second ODI. The pace bowling trio of Bumrah, Sran and Dhawal has delivered in the first 2 ODI. At least one or two of them could have been rested for the final match. Likewise Rahul has had two good knocks. His place could have been given to another reserve batsman. Frankly, it is time for Dhoni to step down from the Captaincy of ODI and T20 teams.

 

Indian Cricket Coach Selection - At last Anurag Thankur is doing something right by inviting applications for the post of Indian Cricket Coach in a transparent manner. Even he must have been surprised at the number of applicants. Sad to see Dravid not applying, but I presume he is more keen to work with U-19 boys, which is not a bad idea. Also, he might be waiting for Dhoni to retire, having played under him. Kumble throwing his hat into the ring is a welcome surprise, and I do tend to back him than either Shastri or Sandeep Patil

 

Euro 2016 - The first round of group matches were quite exciting. Lot of attacking football which is a welcome change, as Europeans tend to play a bit dourly as a rule. It was fun to see little Island pricking the vanity of Ronaldo, an A1 self centred egotist if any. Germany looked good, and so did Croatia. Italy was technically superb. Things will get more lively in the subsequent rounds.

Left Arm Chinaman Googly Bowlers are rare

It is a mystery why we have not had too many Left Arm Chinaman-Googly bowlers in Cricket.

 

I was reminded of this when I saw Shival Kowshik, Kuldip Yadav and Brad Hogg bowl in the IPL.

 

The Chinaman-Googly bowler (called after the first of the ilk, Ellis Achong, who was of Chinese Origin and played for West Indies, and who used to bowl the occasional Chinaman) is the left handed counter part of the right arm Leg spin bowler. We haven't seen many. Paul Adams was one, and before him Gary Sobers could bowl it, though he could and did bowl everything, pace or spin, left handed.

 

Though leg spinners themselves are rare, we did have some wonderful bowlers like Bill O'reilly, Clarrie Grimmet, Bob Simpson, Subhash Gupte, B.S.Chandrasekhar, Anil Kumble and of course, Shane Warne, to name a few. It is a difficult art to master, the margin of error low. But this is more than compensated by the variations the wrist spinner can get and the natural bounce of the forward spinning ball. They also have the advantage of their stock ball, the leg break, turning from leg to off for a right handed batsmen, which is an obvious advantage as it can pitch on the blind spot of the batsmen.

 

Maybe the reason why the Left Arm Chinaman-Googly bowler did not flourish is because they turn the ball into the right handed batsmen (majority of the batsmen are right handed), while the normal left arm spinner turns it from leg to off, giving him an edge. In addition, with the added bounce offered by the Chinaman bowler, it is easy for a right hander to cut and pull if the bowler errs in length.

 

But this doesn't hold water really. Even the stock ball of the Chinaman bowler is not easy to tackle, as it comes in to the right hander, bounces more making him a sitting duck for a bat pad catch at short leg. And the left arm googly can take the ball away from the right hander, creating opportunities for a catch behind the wicket or a stumping.

 

With Cricket Academies flooding various countries, will be see a real world class Left Arm Chinaman-Googly bowler? I wish we do, because then it will inspire lot of young left arm spinners to take up wrist spin bowling and kindle the interest, just like how Shane Warne, with his bowling and personality, inspired a generation of leg spinners.

Random Thoughts May 2016

• You know Narendra Modi led BJP Government has done a stellar job during the past 2 years when the anti modi English Press becomes very silent. The 'presstitudes', who hardly lose a chance to criticize Modi (has anyone in our memory been criticized for so little as Modi?) has totally ignored the anniversary, which is a good sign. There has been few sounds from the totally discredited Congress, but that is to be expected. In any case, no one listens to them any more.
• What is it about Hillary Clinton and American Presidency? During the 2008 election, she was the front runner for Democratic nomination, and by virtue of it US Presidency, when Obama raised the pitch, and won an unlikely nomination. Come 2016, Hillary was way ahead of other Democrats, and Republicans were in shambles with Trump being let loose amongst other pigeons. It was expected that Hillary will sew up the nomination much earlier than Trump, who many thought had a fight in his hand in the Republican Convention to get the nomination. But it was Trump who closed his nomination first, while Hillary has to face a stiff resistance from Benie Sanders. It is likely that she will still scrape through, but with Trump leading her marginally in opinion polls, and with his street smart ways, I wouldn't bet against a Trump Presidency, with Hillary again getting the wooden spoon.
• Age finally is catching up with two great tennis players. Federer withdrew at the last minute from French open with a back injury, and Nadal followed suit with a wrist injury in the first week. Though I wont miss Nadal much, I certainly will miss Federer. There are few better sights in sports than a Federer in full flow. It looks like the end is near for his playing career. Though I have been preparing myself for this the last few years, it still leaves me with profound sadness. And the next set of exciting young talent is nowhere in the horizon, to carry the baton of Borg, McEnroe, Samprass, Federer, Djokovic, Nadal....
• Talking of carrying the baton, Virat Kohli has started catching our imagination with his passion,drive, fitness and classical cricket strokes. A worthy successor to Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Sachin, Dravid and Laxman. He is such a consummate team man, and his energy levels are astounding. Not for him to stodginess of Dravid. He is passionate, wears his emotions up his sleeve and shows it. And he is so pleasing to watch while batting. And unlike the worthies mentioned above, he is a superb out fielder. He has also taken an uncompromising stand on player fitness. A classic example is him giving the boot to the unfit, overweight Sarfaraz Khan, the talented RCB/Mumbai batsmen who played a gem of an innovative cameo earlier in the IPL. Kohli leads by example, and his running between the wickets shows the hours he has put on the gym.

 

 

 

No NEETHI in NEET

There is lot of discussion going on about NEET, the Common Entrance Test for Medical Entrance in India.

 

Our esteemed Supreme Court first stuck down Common Entrance Test 3 years ago, which was a folly. Frankly, it was downright corruption, as the then CJ signed this bizarre order on the day he was retiring, and there were murmurs as to how genuine the verdict was.

 

 

That was mistake #1.

 

Mistake #2 was for the Supreme Court to implement NEET this year, within one week of it giving its order, and when lot of States has already conducted their Entrance Examinations.

 

The SC steadfastly refused to hear the genuine grievance of students who were totally unprepared for NEET this year. They took an Ostrich like stand and their Ego ruled roost.

 

This is what happens when SC and its judges are allowed to dictate policy.

 

They could and should have upheld the principle of NEET and asked the Government to come up with a reasonable time frame to implement, perhaps from 2017.

 

It is a known fact that many of the State level Medical Entrance Test and those conducted by Self Financing colleges are farces. But what is the guarantee NEET will not be a farce. Education is in the concurrent list, and there are many syllabuses across the country. Till such time they are not unified, NEET may not be effective.

 

It would be worthwhile to explore the option of conducting NEET, but making it optional for Colleges and States to join in. The States can be allowed to conduct their own Medical Entrance, on the proviso that those who pass out as Doctors are only Licensed to work in that particular State. In the event of they having to work outside the State, they will have to undergo a rigorous qualifying examination at All India Level and only those scoring 70% above should be given the license to practice all over India or Abroad.

 

Someone who has undergone a MBBS course plus House Surgeon program should be in a position to prepare and take the All India Licensing examination at the end of his course, and not before.

 

But who will bell the Supreme Court Cat?

Election Commisioners or Election Confusers?

It was under T N Seshan that the Election Commission started baring its teeth. Though for many T N Seshan is a hero, he definitely showed Autocratic tendencies, took advantage of the political weakness of the various parties during the unstable 1990-1996 era. Though we can give a benefit of doubt to Seshan, who wanted to clean the Augean stables, his successors while demonstrating the same 'my way or highway attitude' have remained bureaucratic nincompoops, who just wanted to flash their power without upsetting the apple cart.

 

Let us review some of the key decisions implemented by them over the past two decades;

 

Electronic Voting Machines : It is admirable that EVMs are being used all over the Country. But in reality the only advantages we have had are 1) Saving reams and reams of paper and 2) Counting is faster. But serious reservations remain about the EVMs integrity. It has been demonstrated that EVMs can be tampered with, but the EC has taken an Ostrich view of things and refused to believe this. Clamour for the EVMs issuing a paper receipt is only being considered now. The old system was cumbersome, but its integrity was never in question. Regarding the second point of the counting being faster, the advantage is lost when we get to count the votes after 45 days of the votes being polled in some cases

 

Election Schedule spread over weeks: We used to conduct polls across India in a single day and the paper votes being counted within 48 hours. But now, even with EVM, the election is spread over 4-6 weeks and we have to wait for ages to find the result. The purported reason is the need to move paramilitary forces across the country. Frankly, the country has not deteriorated that much over the past few decades. What is good for 1980s is good for even now.

 

Model Code of Conduct: EC imposes Model Code of Conduct at least 2 months before polls are held. Though the purpose is to prevent the ruling party from announcing largesse on poll eve, in reality all this has done is to hamper even routine government decision making. Since the ruling party knows MCC will be implemented any way, they do still announce largesse before MCC comes into force. When candidates violate MCC by making remarks based on religion, all they get is a slap on their hands and a diktat to behave well in the future. This is a joke.

 

Declaration by Candidates of their Assets: Every single candidate lies and reveals only a fraction of their assets. And no one has been disqualified for this.

 

Curb on Election Expenditure: Show me one candidate who has been disqualified for spending more than the limit. The EC puts some ridiculously absurd low limits without even indexing for inflation, and encourages every candidate to use black money. Another pointless exercise.

 

Inability to created a system for NRIs to vote: India has a vast NRI population, who are citizens of this country. Despite Supreme Court directive, the EC has not been able to develop a system whereby the NRI can vote either online or in the country where he lives. A few years back NRIs were allowed to be registered as voters, but has to visit his constituency on the polling day to vote. The insensitivity of the EC towards NRIs is a mystery.

 

Reviewing Electoral Malpractices: Now a losing candidate has to seek redress from the Courts to get a rival, who has won by malpractice, disqualified, and this takes ages. The classic case is of P Chidambaram, against whom there is a case filed post the 2009 election. PC became both the Home and Finance Minister, is accused on indulging in corrupt practices, and the case hasn't even come up for hearing, even after the next election. It is a moot point why we should have an EC, who pokes their head into all the other aspects of the election, but don't want to touch something as crucial as this.

 

All the EC has done over the years is to create confusion without tangible benefits.

 

 

 

Judiciary should introspect

Readers of this blog knows my feelings towards the over reach of the Indian Judiciary of late. Weak political leadership over the past two decades, cronyism in appointment of judges, judges working for post retirement benefits offered by Government and overall drop in peoples faith in their Governments have led to this sordid state where Judiciary feels it can poke its head into anything, big or small, relevant or irrelevant.

Take the case of judiciary making a silly comment that BCCI "is "monopolizing" cricket in the country and  several youngsters wanting to be Dhonis and Kohlis are not given equal opportunity if they are not on the right side of the cricket body".

I am no great fan of BCCI but frankly it is one of the better Sports Organizations run in India, if not the only good Sports Organization. Over the years, it has generated millions, not depended on Government subsidy, spread the game to every nook and corner of the Country, developed the infrastructure, paid even first class players handsomely, and its baby IPL has made Cricket a viable career option for an aspiring youngsters. There will always be issues pertaining to a few who will be discriminated against, thus losing out, but that is true in any field. Can the SC vouch that discrimination and favouratism doesn't exist in the Judiciary? Then why pick BCCI alone? Only to get some cheap publicity?

 

The CJI of India recently broke down in a meeting in front of the PM citing how overworked the judges are. If that were the case, which it is, why is the judiciary wasting its time on BCCI as a priority?

 

The other decision to ask Maharashtra Government to shift IPL away from the drought hit state is still more bizzaire! Frankly, the Judges should have their head examined. How much water does a IPL match actually consume? And for what purposes? For watering the ground and the pitch, and for the toilet in the stadium, and for players to take bath - right? Irrespective of whether IPL will be held or not, ground and pitch HAS to be watered. And if we are going to ban matches because spectators will use water in the toiler (assuming our toilets do indeed have water), then by the same logic the SC should ask all Cinema theatres, malls and bus stands to close.

 

I can cite at least 5 more ridiculous interventions by SC during the past week or so.

 

All this while, cases are getting backlogged for years.

 

It is high time SC clamps down on Public Interest Litigation by high profile Lawyers, who are funded by disruptive foreign forces, and allow only those PIL which are highly relevant.

 

As in the case of giving death penalty, PIL should be admitted only in the 'rarest of rare' situations.

The Capital Syndrome

There is something about people from cities which are the Capitals of a State or Nation, or was once the Capital of a Kingdom.

 

Maybe the political activity and intrigues are at its peak in these cities, which, over a period, impacts the character of the people in that city.

 

As a rule, they are less trustworthy, very self centered and prone to indulge in subterfuge.

 

I have noticed this amongst the people from Thiruvananthapuram (I mean no disrespect to anyone here, there are exceptions to my statement and in any case this is only my opinion). it is said that one has to be very careful with the people of this city lest they pull you down (kaalu varal in Malayalam) when least expected. So much so that even the presiding deity of Thiruvananthapuram, Sree Padmanabhaswamy is lying down in Anathasayanam, for fear of his leg being pulled!!

 

I have lived in Thanjavur, which for centuries was the  Capital of the Powerful Chola dynasty, and have seen the natives being relatively more self centered and prone to gossip than someone from, say Coimbatore or my native town Palakkad.

 

The ability of the people living in these Capitals to circumvent the laws and twist it to suit them is amazing.

 

This is especially true of Delhiites. I frankly expect the Odd Even Scheme (I am no great fan of either this hare brained scheme nor Aravind Kejariwal) to fall flat during the first trial period itself, and was mildly surprised when the people of Delhi co-operated. The Delhi people are very resourceful, and there is a big industry that thrives only on helping people circumvent the laws, and as a rule they have less scruples.

 

Come Phase 2 the Delhi people have shown their true colours and are out with a vengeance to break this scheme. Neither has it reduced the pollution, nor the traffic.

 

It is a crying shame that the media and the people in general are more taken in by Kejariwals gimmicks like the Odd Even Scheme than the solid work being done by Modi on multiple fronts. There is a silent revolution happening in the ground level in India, with more money being spent properly on various schemes that shall lead to sustainable development. The Modi government is making our day to day life easier. For NRIs, dispensing away with the unwanted immigration form is a small but welcome relief. The liberalization of E Visas has boosted our image overseas and is  bound to increase the tourist traffic. The MEA is doing a great job for Overseas Indians. If they only shake up the Indian Embassies overseas and make them NRI friendly!

 

The Infrastructure development, the revolution on the toilet front ( a toilet is being constructed in India every 2 seconds ), a silent revolution in the Agricultural front (E Market should help the farmers get much better returns and the improvement in Defence procurement and Railways are noteworthy.

 

It is time now to break the current educational system and remould it totally. That our education system is a disaster is known to all. Instead of tinkering with the text books to weed out the pro communist history, the need of the hour is to adopt the policy of 'Destruction for Construction' and completely revamp the education to make it more skill oriented than by rote learning oriented. The transition will take time, but a beginning has to be made.

 

Most of the good work conceived by Modi is being torpedoed by the Delhi based Luteyans cabal of politicians, IAS officers and vested interests, who doesn't have the interest of the nation in mind, but only their self interests.

 

A good idea will be to create task forces that work as far away from Delhi as possible and give them the mandate to implement the changes.

 

Will it happen?

 

 

Warm or Cool?

I am a bit confused about all these Climate/ Global Warming related issues.

 

When I was doing my MBA in 1980s, everyone was talking about Global Cooling and how Earth will be covered with ice in a couple of hundred years.

 

In two decades, Climate 'Specialists' have turned the whole argument upside down and are talking animatedly about Earth getting warmer and warmer.

 

I take both with a pinch of salt.

 

It is really absurd that there is enough evidence of Global cooling in 1980s and the evidence taking a 180 degree turn in 20 years!

 

One can argue that there is considerable scientific evidence to support global warming and changing weather patterns. But we have reasons to believe that many of these so called 'Scientific Evidence' lack credibility. Remember the leaked letters about data inaccuracies pertaining to Himalayan Glaciers melting, a few years ago?

 

The West, which has lost its competitive edge in both Agriculture and Manufacturing sectors, has been trying to find innovative ways to find  revenue, and the so called 'intellectual pursuits' about Global warming, to which funds flow in billions of dollars, is one way of keeping many people employed at fat salaries.

 

Where will all these NGOs, who have a parasitical existence, be if there is no Global Warming? There is a clear hidden agenda, that is a mix of politics, economics and control.

 

Earth has been in existence for millions of years. There has been periods when it has warmed up and when it has shown an inclination to cool. We have seen in the past fertile lands become arid, rivers drying up and even new deserts being formed. And these happened not when there were man made Global warming situations.

 

It is quite possible that this summer is hotter than the previous ones. That doesn't mean that the next one will be. I hail from Palakkad, and during my school days the summer was really torrid. Despite this we played Cricket all day in scorching sunshine in April and May  (that is when Coaching Camps are held) with only some tap water in a bucket the source of hydration. I still remember me having a very dark tan at the end of every summer!

 

I am not denying that cities are getting warmer because of high rise buildings, and lack of cross ventilation. The problem is the discourse on Global warming is always led by people who live in Metros and bigger cities, and they try to shift their guilt to all around them.

 

Climate will change, and man will adapt to it.

Attitude Change required to make all of us Safety Conscious.

The recent tragedy when the Firework store caught fire in Puttingal Devi Temple in Kollam Kerala, killing more than 100 people and injuring many more, has resulted in people calling for a ban on fire works during temple festivals in Kerala.

 

This is knee jerk reaction. Caprisoned elephants and Fireworks during Temple festivals are part of our centuries old culture. With families getting fragmented, it is these festivals that hold people of an area together and the bonding during these festivals are perhaps the last of the remaining links that connect people to their native place, especially those who have migrated, who make it a point to visit their home town during the temple festivals every year without fail.

 

If we go by the logic, then we should not allow any vehicles to ply on the road, as road accident death numbers in Kerala are mind boggling - approximately 4000 per year!. Nor should we allow any flights to take off, as we saw at least 3-4 planes crashing/missing killing all on board during the past couple of years worldwide. Ditto with train accidents.

 

The root cause of the accidents like the unfortunate one happened in Kerala or the stampedes in various temples we hear from time to time, has to do with our utter disdain for Safety Regulations.

 

I am not a great fan of Western Countries, but on Safety related issues (especially pertaining to Public Safety) they are

top class and we need to emulate them.

 

Look at most of our temples. Most of them don't have any sort of emergency evacuation system. In Guruvayur, one can't get out of the barricaded queue even if one wants to. I don't thing a fire drill or an emergency evacuation drill has ever been undertaken there. Sabarimala is another similar case, but at least here, people can get into the nearby forests quickly in case of any untoward incident. Most of our temples and for that matter Public Places can tell a similar story.

 

The Fireworks related accident would not have occurred if the storage shed was cordoned off, and only authorized people allowed to enter. In our temples, during festivals, the crowds are allowed to walk freely, and one can see people crowded around Storage sheds and smoking in the vicinity, a sure recipe for danger.

 

The Fireworks contractor can be asked to disclose the materials, their quantity and given permission accordingly. I am sure this is being done in a routine manner. But someone from Explosives department should have been there to ensure only permitted quantity and items are allowed inside the storage shed.

 

Assigning designated areas for crowds to move around with enough space for emergency evacuation, volunteers trained in Emergency Response Systems, can go a long way in avoiding future disasters.

 

The need of the hour is an attitude change and this has to come from within all of us.

 

The Government do not want to do any of the above as it involves lot of work for its employees. Banning is an easy solution, which serves no one in particular. Even for that they expect the Judiciary to take the lead, so that the Government can wash their hands off the whole affair.

 

They know the Public have a short memory and this too will pass.

 

It shouldn't.

 

Let each one of us take the lead in making our homes and neighbourhood Safety Conscious.

 

He was living our Dreams!

I was no different from any other young kids when I was young. My childhood was before the age of TV and Internet, and this led to me having a vivid imagination.

 

Being Cricket Crazy, I dreamt like every other boy those days -playing for India, and having to score a Four of the last ball to win the match for the Country (those were the days of Test Cricket and Sunil Gavaskar - ODIs, T 20s and dozen sixes per innings came a couple of decades later). This scenario was played over and over again in the mind for years. Of course I never played even for my State Ranji Trophy team, leave alone for the Country and had to be satisfied with playing age group tournaments. I didn't do anything great like hitting a boundary of the last ball to win for my team.

 

I am sure Braithwaite would have also dreamt similar a few years back, as a kid. Only difference is that he lived his dream yesterday in the final of the World T20 final. 

 

19 to win of the last over. I remember making a comment that WI wont win, as they need at least 2 Sixes in the final over, if not 3 and there is no hope in the hell of it happening.

 

First ball from Stokes was on the slot, outside the leg stump, and Braithwaite just hoicked it over Square leg for a six. Hmmm.........One swallow doesn't make a summer. Still the odds were in favour of England - 13 of 5.

 

Second ball was dumped in the stand over long on- a massive six. Can he pull it off? 7 needed of 4 and suddenly WI is the favourite.

 

The third ball was again on the good length, outside the off stump. Braithwaite lofted it over long off. The bat turned in his hand, and it was clearly a mishit. The camera panned the ball which soared into the sky. "Oh God No! He just threw it away" I muttered, thinking it will fall into the hands of the long off fielder. But the ball cleared the boundary by a good distance.

 

All hell broke loose. Stokes was on his haunches with a gaunt look on his face. The England fielders were shell shocked. Braithwaite was calm personified. Sweat was gushing out of his helmet, as it was humid in Kolkotta. There was confusion all around. Some thought the match was won.

 

Having watched cricket for nearly 25 years, I have lived through many a situation, but this was out of the world. I desperately wanted WI to win. Their enjoyment is infectious. I wanted them to win more than I wanted India to win. Not because I am not patriotic. But because our over paid, super rich Cricketers lack commitment and passion. They are spoiled brat. The WIs players earn a miniscule of what the Indian players earn, and they did not have the dress prior to the tournament. That is how shambolic their Board is. And of course I hated England - I always have. And I had given up WI for good at the beginning of the last over. - 19 in 6 is easily defendable.

 

I have a mental computer that calculates automatically the balls and runs in the subconscious mind. Even that broke down in the excitement. I mentioned that 3 is required now, only to be corrected that only 1 is required. I had erroneously calculated 3 sixes to be equal to 16. It was a crazy night.

 

At last sanity prevailed. Everyone was in their place for the 4th ball. I prayed God to give Braithwaite the wisdom to put bat on ball and push for a single. I expected stokes to bowl a bouncer or at least a slow off cutter (It is a mystery why he bowled good length balls, four of them, in the final over!). Braithwaite had other ideas. Another one on the leg stump and he just gave it an almighty blow and the ball disappeared in the stands.

 

WI team poured to the field and finally Braithwaite shed his calm and roared.

 

The sound was deafening, but that was not because he was roaring. All of us watching were roaring with him

 

He was living our dreams! We all put ourselves in his place. It was us out there, hitting those 4 sixes, and not him!

 

What a feeling!