What India really needs.

‘India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters’, or so says our country’s pledge. But you’ve only got to look at the news trending in the past week or so to realise that it is the biggest lie an individual is taught. In reality people have no time, concern or care for another person and the price of a human life in recent times has dipped below that of a vegetable. It is of little surprise then that things like rape, murder and other crimes get more prime time slots on our news channels than welfare and development. Also the police and the politicians who have been entrusted the honour and responsibility to rule over and look after the country’s interests are sadly the ones who have failed. As my college professor once said, ‘the country is truly going to the dogs’.

It is heartening to see people taking to the streets and the social media websites to protest and also put forward their views on how to make our country a better place to live. There have been a range of suggestions from amending the laws, changing the government and giving more power to the police force. But in reality what this country really needs is a vigilante or a group of vigilantes - someone in a hood or a cape who will fight crime and protect those who cannot protect themselves. Before you accuse me of being high on Hollywood or South Indian films, just for once open your minds and imagine. Can’t a rich dude use his money to train himself in the art of fighting and buy the best tools to fight crime? I admit it is not easy, but it isn’t impossible either. Think about it!

A symbol like this in our skies would make the hardest of criminals s**t his pants. 

I have come across people suggesting that we need a person like Dexter who will kill bad people and rid the society of such scums. I would be totally happy if there was such a person working behind the scenes, but what India really needs is a symbol. A person killing in the dark will only go unnoticed by the people, but a symbol will strike fear into every person thinking of committing a crime. The situation in India is not very unlike what plagued Gotham when Bruce Wayne took it upon himself to save his city. Our country too is under the siege of fearless criminals, corrupt politicians and inept cops. And just like Batman, we need someone who can save us. Just imagine how safe the girls, their parents or the senior citizens will feel knowing that there is someone almost always watching from above ready to strike at the slightest sniff of danger.

A single person will find it a tad difficult to patrol a country as big as ours and that is why a group of vigilantes makes more sense. They can start off at one city and then branch out to the other parts of the country. Imagine seeing posters on walls and lamp posts, media going crazy trying to uncover the real identities while only adding to the mystery of who they really are. Legends and stories will be made and social media will be abuzz. Criminals will soon have no place to hide and will have to think twice and pray to God before committing a crime. Our country strongly believes in spoon feeding a child so he or she doesn't have to think, and these vigilantes will use this to their advantage by feeding the fear of doing something wrong and very soon I reckon we shall see a dip in the crime rate. It will give us all a taste of freedom which only our forefathers got to experience when they freed the country from the clutches of the Britishers.

But having said that, I also do believe that there is a flipside to giving a person or a group too much power. The things they do will more often than not be against the constitution and the laws of the country and could very well lead to a dictatorship or a parallel government in the future. If such a situation was to arise, we might again have to take to the streets to fight the very people who helped us clean our society in the first place. But for now seeing as how things are bleak and the government is powerless against these anti-social elements, I wouldn’t mind handing over the power to someone if they could guarantee results.

We are currently treading a thin line between frustration towards this apparent apathy and the desperation to get something done. And it is never good to get an individual desperate, because there is no telling what he could end up doing. The idea of a vigilante protecting our streets may be fictitious at best, but it is not something that should be labelled as a childish idea and thrown out the window. All I want to do through this post is to express my opinion and hope it reaches a rich dude with an open mind and a passion and desperation to do something for his country.

A plea to anyone out there

America, I believe has the best construction workers and related technologies in the world. Actually it's an understatement. Let me rephrase it. America I believe has the best construction workers and related technologies in this and all known universes. Before you categorise it as propaganda and dismiss it, I will tell you my reasons.

On 29^th June 2011 Manhattan was destroyed by Decepticons, despite the valiant efforts of the Autobots. Yet on 27^th April 2012 when Loki decided to attack earth, Manhattan was up and running as if nothing had happened. Though he went on to wreck havoc and destroy much of the city again, I cannot imagine how the workers rebuilt the entire city in such a short period! I'm sure if I were to go to Manhattan today, every thing would be intact as if nothing every happened there. A huge deal, considering how the technologically advanced robots from Cybertron couldn't rebuild their planet after one civil war!

But my question is, don't the American workers go on any sort of strikes, seeing their hard work being destroyed again and again? In India if our cities were destroyed so frequently, our workers would go on hunger strikes, stop working till their demands were met and while they were at it, vandalise some more things to vent their frustrations! They would demand a pay raise and the union leader would demand a meeting with the leaders of the alien race to have a 'talk'. Is it any wonder then that no alien race wants to destroy Mumbai or Delhi? They know we wouldn't back down so easily!

I find it hilarious imagining all the things that could happen when an alien race would attack India. Our primary weapon would be to scare them with our huge population. We would gather in huge numbers everywhere they go. And if they somehow get past it, we would unleash our secret weapon; Indian politicians. The aliens will have no clue what hit them! Politicians from every known party would rush to use aliens to gain political mileage against the opposition. Imagine looking at big banners with a pot bellied politician shaking hands with an alien!!

I'm eagerly waiting for such a day and I hope I live to see such a day. Thoughts like these I believe are either influenced by the Avengers films that I loved or because I'm watching one too many 'The Big Bang Theory' episodes everyday!! Whatever it might be, all I want to do through this post is to invite the aliens to come and destroy our country and give the Americans a breather. It is only fair that even we are given a chance to test our survival skills!

So if there is anyone out there watching us and planning to make contact, I would like to invite you to our Incredible India!!

India the World Champions...

the moment...

As the ball left Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s bat and sailed high over the boundary rope, there was a collective roar by 2 billion people. A roar which reverberated across the globe reaching every corner of the world announcing the arrival of India, the world champions in cricket. Yes, after a long wait of 28 years India has again captured the Holy Grail of cricket; the Cricket World Cup.

The great Muhammad Ali once said that, ‘Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision’. The Indian cricket team proved this today. After the catastrophe that was the 2007 World Cup, it didn’t look like Indian cricket would reach the top of the rankings much less win another World Cup. There was a need for massive rebuilding and restructuring. It was a time to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.

It all began with the new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s desire to be the absolute best. He is a born leader and it immediately showed when he brought in young players to form a great mix of young and old in the team. His desire and positivity rubbed onto his team mates as the team steadily climbed to the top of the rankings in both the ODIs and Tests. The team also won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup. Things became better and better as the team’s performances hit a consistent high and it also showed in the results.

They even dared to dream of winning a World Cup again and it was no surprise then that India entered into this World Cup as favourites to win. Things began well but hit a low as they tied a match against England and lost to the South Africans. But instead of being bogged down, the team rose to the occasion with every player playing his role. The stellar performances against Australia and Pakistan showed the character of the team and the players. Today against the Sri Lankans this was even more evident when having lost two early wickets they held their nerves to come up top in one of the most exciting World Cup finals.

Players like Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh lead by an example and inspired the others to perform. Players started peaking at the right moment. Suresh Raina came from the bench to finish off a very crucial game against the Australians. Nehra after having a horrid match against the South Africans came back with a strong performance against Pakistan in the semi-finals. Dhoni though leading the team from the front, saved his best for the last as he played one of his best innings when it mattered the most, in the finals.

A vision that was created in 1983 as a relatively unheard team felled the giants of cricket to lift the World Cup has been achieved again. It has taken 28 years of hard work and passion to achieve it but the wait has been worth every moment. A country which has been many a time blamed to be underachievers has answered her critics. Today as the Indian cricket team lifted the World Cup, I was ecstatic and I had tears in my eyes. But like Sachin I couldn't stop them or cared as they were the tears of happiness and pride. 

The World Champions of 2011...

India vs. Pakistan: More than just cricket match…

When you read words like ‘Bring It On…’, ‘Frenzy peaks’ and  ‘More than a game..’,  in bold headlines, you can be sure it is the run-in towards one of sport’s greatest and most intense rivalries. A rivalry so huge, that other famous sport rivalries like those between Manchester United and Manchester City or Barcelona and Real Madrid feel like mere playground squabbles. A cricket match between India and Pakistan.

the greatest sporting rivalry...

Unlike other matches where the players have to deal with the people’s passion for cricket, in these matches they have to deal with the passion, the pride of their nation and an almost unbearable burden of the people’s expectations. Such is the pressure under which the players have to play a cricket match and every one of the 180 matches played between these countries which include Tests, ODIs and T20s has managed to maintain the same amount of intensity.

In the run up to the game there is an almost visible shift in the wind and the effect is felt in so many spheres of life. The tension in the air is palpable, people wait impatiently for the match day to come, and the streets are filled with people showing their support for their teams. Temples and other places of worship see a sudden increase in attendance. TV broadcast channels run continuous analysis, expert’s views and endless reruns of their team’s past victories while newspapers and magazines extend their sports sections to accommodate the various articles. The political system too is not spared as all the unresolved agendas between the two countries are suddenly put into spotlight and the politicians run for cover to avoid talking about ‘Peace Talks’ between the two countries. It has also been observed that both countries suffer a considerable drop in production on the day. But my favourite would have to be how people get busy thinking about unique excuses to skip office or college on the day. I can sympathise with them, as I too have been thinking for a good excuse since last week!

Since India and Pakistan won their respective quarterfinal matches last week, the subcontinent is buzzing with nationalistic sentiments. I might even be bold enough to say that people in both the countries seem to be making preparations for a war rather than a cricket match, such is the intensity. The world seems to have totally forgotten about the other semi-final match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

The captains leading by an example

In terms of statistics when both the countries are compared, Pakistan is ahead of India in the number of wins in Tests and ODIs. But when it comes to the day of the match, predicting a winner is near to impossible as both the teams are quite similar and the pressure and intensity bring the best out of both sets of players. When it comes to World Cups though, India holds a clean record against Pakistan; 4-0.

But when the players take field tomorrow, all statistics, expert views and analysis and history between the two will be forgotten. All that will matter is how well the teams perform and who wins. For a moment the World Cup itself will be forgotten and only this match will matter. Whatever happens, it is surely going to be a cracker of a semi-final at Mohali tomorrow.

India; World Cup 2011 Winners?

People in fourteen countries will be united in praying for and supporting those 11 men who will be carrying the hopes and pride of their respective nations. As I start to write this blog, there is only a day, nine hours and four minutes left for the greatest spectacle in cricket to begin; the Cricket World Cup. Returning to the subcontinent after 15 years, the 10^th edition of this cricketing extravaganza is sure to be the biggest and the best till date.

The Indian team apart from the carrying the huge expectations of a billion people at home will also be carrying the tag of favourites as they enter the World Cup. It is maybe for the first time since the World Cups began, that India is being considered as strong contenders to win. It is hardly surprising considering India is ranked first and second in tests and ODIs respectively. They also go to the World Cup on the back of a strong season where they hardly lost any series home or away.

The closest rivals this time will be the South Africans and the Sri Lankans, but with one of them still battling the tag of ‘chokers’, the only real competitor to India will be the Sri Lankans. The champions Australia are on a decline like the West Indies of the 80's and are a mere shadow of their real selves. Though England had a brilliant Ashes victory and Pakistan are on a revival, they are highly inconsistent. New Zealand are resilient but are still trying to find a right combination for their team and while West Indies and Bangladesh can spring the occasional surprise, they are hardly what we call challenges. Though it is a bit harsh, but the rest of the teams will be more like spectators than competitors.

Captain Cool

Certainly under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian team has shrugged off all its stereotypical problems like bad fielding and poor form away from home and have become a force to be reckoned with. Under his leadership the team has constantly evolved until now, when they have finally found a winning combination.

On the batting front, with openers like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir who complement each other so well, more often than not the team gets off to a flying start. Sehwag goes on a rampage from ball one, while Gambhir holds the fort on the other side, slowly building an inning. They are followed by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who in his last World Cup looks anything but old. Looking at his performances over the last season or so, it won’t be far from the truth if it is said that he is in his best form ever.

The top order is followed by a very formidable middle order comprising of the young and versatile Virat Kohli, who has been a revelation be it when he is batting or on the field stopping a ball. Then there is the swashbuckling southpaw Yuvraj Singh, who on his day can destroy any kind of bowling attack on any kind of pitch. He is followed by another southpaw Suresh Raina who is a very valuable asset to have in the middle order. The captain comes in next and according to what the situation demands; he can either play a blistering innings like the one he played against the Kiwis in the warm-up match or hold the fort with a constructive innings. Last in the middle order is the hard-hitting Yusuf Pathan who can hit the ball out of any stadium in the world.

The lower order batsmen though never known for their batting prowess, have shown time and again that they too can contribute valuable runs whenever given a chance. Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have contributed a lot of runs very low down the order and have won a couple of matches for India too. Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla and Ravi Ashwin too can be handy on their day.

to win again?

On the bowling front Zaheer and Nehra have spearheaded the attack and even on good batting surfaces have given some very decent performances. Munaf with his very tight line and length can slow the rate of scoring at any given point of the match. But the real strength of this Indian bowling line up is spin with Harbhajan Singh leading the attack and a choice of Ashwin and Chawla to follow him. The spin attack also consists of part-time bowlers like Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan who do a very decent job in the middle overs.

Under the captaincy of the cool headed Dhoni, the amount of resources at his disposal, the home advantage for most of the games and the tremendous fan support wherever they play, India has a strong chance of bringing home this World Cup. I wish the team Good Luck and only wish that I was back home so I could have gone to the Wankhede Stadium to the see the finals. Go India!!!!

Republic Day through the years...

The Tricolour at its best...

Today India celebrates 62 years of being a Republic. How do I know this? Well apart from the obvious general knowledge, it is the countless status updates and video postings of national anthems on Facebook and other social networking websites. Thinking about it, I realize just how much the way we celebrate Republic Day has changed over the years. At least in my case it has.

During my school days I used to look forward to the Republic Day as it was a school holiday and a welcome break from the routine of waking at 6 in the morning. But my mother had other plans. She would wake me up at 8am to get ready and go down to the "Flag-Hoisting" ceremony in our complex. We used to assemble at the one garden our complex had with children lined up in front, uncles behind and the aunties bringing up the rear. One of the uncles would proudly unfurl the flag and salute it with so much pride, as if he were unfurling it at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. After the national anthem, the uncles would line the children up and take us on a rally where we used to wave the flags at every random man on the street.

After lunch in the early evenings, the complex used to organise a series of sports events, where invariably I used to win or come runners-up in all the events. Later just before dinner I would feel really proud to get my cups and shields in a casual award ceremony.

By the end of my school days Republic Day for us had changed from singing national anthems at assemblies to watching the endless reruns of the classic patriotic movies like Krantiveer, Tiranga, Border, 1942 A love story, LOC, Pukar, Lagaan, Bhagat Singh (all 5), Rang De Basanti, Chak de and Nayak on the local TV channel. As my dear friend rightly said, the 26th Jans and the 15th Augusts should be more appropriately known as the J. P. Dutta day.

In college the way we looked at Republic Day changed again. For us Republic Day was not only a holiday but also a "Dry Day". More important than our dear country proudly becoming a Republic, it became a day when all the Bars and Alcohol shops were closed. The topic of discussions ranged from how much the Bars and shops loose money to how it is a sad day for all the alcoholics, instead of how well the country was doing now and how much it has improved over the years.

It has taken a long trip away from my country and home to realise how many memories are linked to this day. None of them patriotic in any sense, but memories nonetheless.

God Bless India!!
Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra, Jai Punjab, Jai Haryana......