greatest drama ever! ??

Background: 
India vs SA, 2nd ODI, Sawai ManSingh stadium, Gwalior. History being made.
Over: 48.5, Action!!


Dhoni bludgeoned Steyn in the penultimate over to reach his fifty in just 29 balls. But India had never been less appreciative. The country didn't want sixes. They wanted history to be made. To make matters worse, Dhoni took a single off the last ball.

Six balls to go. Dhoni on strike. Tendulkar still on 199.

Charl Langeveldt runs in and the whole nation chants for a single. But Dhoni smashes it for a huge six. Never has there been such a subdued response in India.

Hearts started pounding louder but Dhoni connects another cleanly. Another sureshot boundary but a diving Hashim Amla stops the ball and Tendulkar shouts a loud - NO - to a second run. The whole stadium erupts. First for Amla. Then for Tendulkar.

After a dot ball, Tendulkar taps it past point and that was it. History. The greatest becomes greater.

But as it is always the case in India, everything comes with a little bit of drama.

This is perhaps the beauty of sport, that there is drama, there is intense drama and it is LIVE!!

Can it get any better for any Indian cricket fan!

PS: This is taken verbatim from www.cricketnext.in (http://tinyurl.com/ybf9jjb)

Does Pakistan need Pepsi?

Not that I want to make a statement. I first read this blog: http://tinyurl.com/ygzygvr

When someone commented on the authenticity of the images shown, I was tempted to verify for myself. I am sure many would be excited to do so as well and for you such souls I testify. I certainly am tempted to think that the image of Pakistan on cyberspace is not as bad while that of India is not so good either. 

LyFe is truely BooOtYpHuL !!!

Brief Profile: 

• At 67 years age, a polygamist with 19 children - 5 times married, one wife committed suicide, another divorced, 2 more finances waiting to walk down the aisle!
• Charged for rape (though found not guilty later)
• Corruption charges and multiple controversies 
• Socialist (with a Communist background) President of one of the world's fastest growing economies

This is the profile of Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa! Quite a colorful profile for the  Rainbow Nation's first citizen!

Eager to see him? Here he is dancing in joy during his traditional wedding with his latest wife - 30 years his junior. 

Tiger Woods, ND Tiwari, SPS Rathore could all perhaps benefit with a shift of location..to SA! :P 

What Say???

PS.: No offence, SA  is an absolutely wonderful country. I did enjoy myself during my short stay there during Feb-April, 2008. Also, this perhaps is only 1 dimension to President Zuma's personality. 

'TWITTER'aayanamah

Only today I realized that I could Twitter (verb) something to Barkha Dutt and Pritish Nandy and be heard too! On first sight it looked like the T20 version of Networking - 

• 140 characters is all you get to say what you want to
• Established names don't matter- anybody can (reach everybody and) influence opinion

I perhaps joined the Twitter bandwagon a tad late - I initially opined that a venture without a business model wouldn't last and didn't care. I now see an important reason to ensure that a platform like Twitter lasts and evolves to be a more useful tool. It remarkably connects people in influencing positions to pulse of the subjects. Way to go Tharoor!


What say??

SPS Rathore gives it back..this time to the Media !

I, like many others have been following the Ruchika Girhotra case on TV. Like it does to all things the Television media perhaps stepped on the gas a little too much.

Today, SPS Rathore - the former Haryana DGP who supposedly got away easily after abetting Ruchika to suicide shot back at the media. The legality of the case aside, I was thrilled to hear Rathore's remark to the preying media and wanted to record it here:

“The day you can satisfy me that you are the constitutional power to decide on these judicial matters I will speak”

I sympathize with this observation that the media in India -itself victimized by the TRP race - is overstepping a little too often. Its time perhaps the media learns a lesson or two and understands its role as the watchdog of the constitutional systems. What say??? 

Waking up, are we ?

I sometimes get the feeling that we in India are living in very important times. Not just because of our new found place as an emerging global power. More because of the way we are evolving as a society! As a society that can think, speak, discuss, debate and decide. Two major happenings of the recent past stand testimony.

• Article 377 - The fact that there was enough gut among us to discuss this on Live TV in a supposedly conservative society itself so amazes me. I would not vouch for the quality of the debate that often happens on TV but I though few NDTV debates were pretty fair and can form an important instrument in framing public opinion.
• Jaswant Singh's book on Jinnah and partition - I am particularly happy for the nation-wide debate the book will stir (or has already stirred, perhaps!). That someone, after Advani's Jinnah episode, will have the gumption to touch a soft subject like the partition and thereby kick-start a debate underscores the fact that our society is emerging into a truly pluralistic one. Not a pluralism that is defined by the multitudes of religions and cultures that exist here -facets that are more imposed on us than chosen, but a pluralism that is defined by our ideas and views that evolve with our experience and learning.

What say???

Sudha Murty's Discovery of the Indian Spirit

The current post is about a book that I am currently reading. Few books have excited me like this one, excitement enough for me to recommend the book to others - this post is an instrument to that end.

The Old Man & His God by Sudha Murthy is the book I am currently reading. The most striking thing of this book is its simplicity. Simplicity of language aside, I think it is the simplicity with which the free human spirit has been captured and presented that has caught my imagination.

Sudha Murthy is well known for the work of the Infosys Foundation that she runs. In the course of her work with the needy mostly in rural India, she encounters some really fascinating dimensions of the human spirit. The Old Man & His God is a collection of the author's encounters with the complexities of human nature - some rare virtues, some common misgivings and some strange anomalies. There are also accounts of her interaciton with her students, friends and associates - encompassing a complete spectrum of the Indian society.

Not that all the accounts described are truly astonishing. Some of them are pretty commonplace except that we normally don't tend to capture those defining insights from the happenings around us.

True to the caption Discovering the Spirit of India, this book does discover the spirit of the Indian society and takes the reader through an enriching journey - one that matures him to an elevated pedestal from where understanding human psyche becomes more easy and enjoyable.

I Swear! - My dream Cabinet

The combination is out in the open. The next Government will have a strength of 274 in the Lower House with the RJD (4), SP (23), BSP(21) supporting from outside. Thankfully with the Cong at 206, the only allies that can extract their pound of flech would be the TC (19) and DMK (18). 

With the appointment letter firmly in Manmohan Singh's pocket, the next major step in the Government formation would be the appointment of the Council of Ministers and the swearing in ceremony. Hence this post, compiling my dream Union Cabinet. 

• Prime Minister: Dr. Manmohan Singh
• Home Minister: P Chidambaram
  
• Finance Minister: Dr. C Rangarajan (former RBI Governor)* 
• External Affairs Minister: Pranab Mukherjee
  
• Defence Minister:  AK Anthony
• Petroleum & Energy: Murli Deora
  
• IT & Telecom: Dayanidhi Maran
  
• Rural/ Panchayati Raj: Rahul Gandhi**
• Civil Aviation: Praful Patel
  
• Food & Agriculture: Sharad Pawar
• Law Minister: HR Bharadwaj
  
• Commerce & Industry (including Steel): Kamal Nath
  
• Minorities: Farooq Abdullah
• Urban Development: Shashi Tharoor
• Parliamentary Affairs: Priyaranjan Dasmunshi
• Power Ministry: Sushil Kumar Shinde
• Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises: Mani Shankar Aiyar
• Sports: MS Gill
• Tourism & Culture: Ambika Soni
• Human Resource: Kapil Sibal
  
• Railways: Trinamool Congress' Nominee
• Environment & Forests: Trinamool Congress' Nominee
  
• Science and Technology: DMK Nominee
• Shipping: DMK Nominee
  

The swearing-in ceremony is to be held in 2 days. Till then, its fingers crossed! 

* I'd prefer Dr. Rangarajan ahead of Montek Ahluwalia, who I think is cut out for the Planning Commission, which I deem is a larger role. 

**Somebody strong is essential to ensure justice done to rural development. Who else can be stronger in the Congress set-up? 

Post poll reality

On hindsight, my previous post about the AP post-poll scenario was needless. A few observations:

• Eight cabinet ministers of the incumbent government lost.
• Most filmstars and people from the film industry  including Chiranjeevi (who lost from one of the two constituencies he contested) lost. 
• Politics of polarization still work! 

The most obvious inferences from the result are: 

• The allegations of mass corruption and high-handed behavior of the ministers in the YSR cabinet are not baseless. 
• Schemes like the Aarogyasri, free electricity, Rs. 2 per Kg rice though populist work. Needless to say, the opposition manifesto and poll promises were more populist. The 'gullible' voter has perhaps learnt to decipher the difference between greed and need!
• Filmy glamour could possibly set the box-office on fire but certainly not the poll booths. 
• Politics of polarization is a game not just of the right wing BJP. YSR's hate speech against the Telangana cause in Nandyala was perhaps the baap of all polarizations witnessed in the history of AP. The result is visible. I rest my case. 
  

Agenda for the New Central Government

Though the battle was bitter, the result was decisive. The decisive mandate also gives the expectedly pro-reformist Government the enormous benefit of not having bitter alliance partners. 

The recession being a global phenomenon, the remedy is not going to be home made. Therefore apart from some short term stimulus, the major focus should be on ensuring long term sustainable growth. The past 5 years have seen some exceptional schemes like the RTI, Nuclear deal, National Rural Health Mission and NREGA. Now with the left on the wrong side of the Government and going by the PM's natural inclination, the banking and economic reforms would surely receive a kick-start. This would have been no different even if a BJP-led NDA had come to power. The BJP is a religious right wing and not a ecomonic right wing party. 

Where I think this Government should try make a difference would be in areas of Governance and Infrastructure development - traditionally the banes of most Congress governments. 

I deem a focus on the following parameters as essential for the success of this Government. On the governance front: 

• Police Reforms - To make the police department an effective deterrant to criminals 
• CBI reforms - To move the agency from the clutches of the Central Govt and make it truely independent. 

• Judicial Reforms - No more justice denied or justice delayed
• Administrative reforms - Make the bureacracy more accountable
• Strengthen Lok Ayukta and ACB 

With a conscientious PM at the help, this is perhaps the best time for these reforms to come about. On the infrastructure front: 

• Another round of power sector refroms - with a view on clean power. Achieve 'Power for all by 2012'
  
• Renewed focus on Highways and upgrading the road network; connecting all villages
• Keep up the momentum on freight corridors and speed trains 

Needless to say, the absence of the Left should not pre-empt reckless reforms. 'Conscience keeping' needs to be an important trait ingrained into all aspects of governance and development. 

The excitement of Election 2009

Like the last time, AP went to polls at the same time as the Centre. I was quite vocal about my support for the BJP+ at the centre and for the TDP+ at state. Enter Chiranjeevi,  I was more drawn towards the contest at the state level. Hence this blog. 

The results so far are very interestingly poised.Photo Finish is what the media has been calling it. Of the 294 seats: 

Congress leads in 140; TDP leads in 124; PRP leads in 16; TRS leads in 10; Left leads in 4 and others (including the Majlis): 10

So much of numbers don't make the picture any better, they only seem to make it more interesting. The options that exist for Government formation include:  

• Either the Cong+ (including the Majlis) or TDP+ (including the Left, TRS) attain a majority.
• Both the fronts fall short of an absolute majority and take support from PRP which is the only single sizeable chunk outside the two major fronts. In which case Chiru can demand more than his pound of flesh. The demands could range anywhere from making him the CM for a portion of the Assembly's tenure to a big portfolios in the cabinet. 

Any reasonable analysis of the post-poll scenario will have to focus on case 2, since the occurance of case 1 would dismiss the need for an analysis. Which way Chiru goes is essentially the crucial factor! Reasons that Chiru would factor in before making the choice are:

• The presence of ex-TDP stalwarts in the PRP may tend to repel it from any proximity to the TDP. 
  
• The traditional rivalry between the vote-bank of the PRP (Kapu community) and TDP (Kamma community). The fact that the Kapus and other BCs form a significant chunk of the population in the state might tempt Chiru to retain the vote bank and move away from the TDP+. Hurting this vote bank could mar his future prospects. 
• In a way, any vote that has not gone for the Cong+, can be interpreted as a vote against the incumbent Govt. Extrapolating this logic, the PRP cannot support the incumbent Govt. since it would against the people's will. 

What remains to be seen is whether Chiru goes on to retain the vote bank or if he goes with the people's will. 

Lessons in Optimization

Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo re

 

It is just so fascinating to see how much of a change has happened in SRK's stance vis-a-vis life and philosophy.

Pre IPL it was all about 'I am the best' and 'Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo' kindda attitude.

Mid way through the series the optimisim and go getter spirit has all transformed into pontificating about what one needs to learn from sport et al. He recently said, 'Sports teach us how to lose and not to be losers'.  

If someone as successful as him can actually be so humbled by a failure in a certain field which surely isn't his forte, I am humbled by how much more a humbling phenomenon life can be to lesser mortals. 

Intricate, delicately balanced and uniquely humbling, Life is BooOtYpHuL!!! Aint it?? 

 

Sache ko chuno, Ache ko chuno

The Business of IPL II

Our Home Minister P Chidambaram recently called the IPL a shrewd combination of cricket and business. Politics or no politics, the bottomline surely is that the tourney has moved not just out of the country but to an another continent alltogether. 

Looking at the business part of it, I think few business have such flexibilty to move the field of action with such impunity like the IPL. Perhaps the high stakes involved demanded that the event be organized. But at what cost, remains to be seen. The main sources of revenue for any sporting event remain the ticket sales, on-ground sponsorships and telecast rights. 

• Ticket Sales: South Africa surely is a sport loving country. Unfortunately Cricket does not enjoy the same popularity in SA as in India. Rugby and Football are the country's most popular sports. Cricket comes a close third. Therefore, the attendance at the stadiums is surely going to be an issue. Another factor that could eat in to the ticket sales pie is is the match timings which are alligned to suit viewers in India. (An IST 4pm start would mean that the match starts soon after noon in SA.) It remains to be seen how much Lalit Modi's recently announced cheaper tickets initiative can help drawing crowds.  
• On-ground advertising: The ongoing India-New Zealand series has a a sizeable chunk of on-ground adertising from Indian corporate like CEAT and IndianOil. Ditto during India's recent Sri Lanka tour. This only shows how much of the Cricketing economy is dependant on India. Hence, in a recession hit scenario the on-ground advertising revenue from local South African corporate is also likely to go for a toss. Even regular sponsors would turn hard bargainers. 
• Telecast rights: This revenue channel looks the sole saviour for this year's tourney. With the new deal signed by the BCCI for a better price, the telecast money could perhaps off-set the impending loss from the other channels atleast to a certain extent. This essentially tells us how much technology has revolutionized not just conventional businees but also the emerging business of IPL. The flexibility that technology brings is amazing, quite literally!!

Adding to the already gloomy picture is cost escalation for the BCCI that has agreed to cover the additional costs of the franchisees that would result from the sudden shift of location. Surely, BCCI and its franchisees are not heading for positive cash flows this season. 

Playing BUSH

The shoe fling at George W Bush arguably the most powerful man in the World has got lot of media attention! However, I felt that all angles of the issue were not brought out. Hence the post!!!

• Can Bush's embarassment be quantified?? Beyond doubt this was the nadir of prestige for any First Person..let alone that of SUPER POWER America. Researchers of human psychology could now perhaps develop a relative metric that pegs the ultimate embarassment a human being could face in his life term to this one. :D 
• Another important observation is that Bush could actually duck both the attempts. What if, the shoe had actually hit Bush? Could it have embarassed him further? If yes, how much more? Point to note for psychologists. 
• Interestingly this incident perhaps explains why America is a superior military power. Bush-who trained with the American army 3 decades ago has sharp enough reflexes to duck 2 consequtive attempts; It also explains as to why Iraq has neither a cricket team not a baseball team. Missing a 6 foot, 200 pound frame within 10 feet distance could amount to blasphemy in India/Pakistan.
• Had the jurno tried to fling the shoe directly off his legs, it would have perhaps hit Bush straight on. Courtesy, their decent footballing skills. :P
• How close did the shoe actually get to Bush? I feel, by far this could be the closest Bush got his face to a shoe in a long long time. It is only obvious that the President of America would not polish his own shoes. Not that Laura would do it for him, but he would surely have some bunny in the White House! Mind you, he had Tony Blair across the Atlantic for a bunny. 
• Given the adventurist that I think he is, can we now safely call journalist Muntazir Al-Zaidi the bravest man on the planet? Both Bin Laden, Saddam have both attacked Bush from the safety of the forts they have built around themselves. 
• The last angle that needs to be pursued is the possibility that the Pentagon had cautioned Bush with some intelligence tips of a shoe attack on him. Possible that Bush also trained in ducking. 

Questions remain. 

Avoidable Suffering and Unfulfilled Potential

Can anything else more aptly describe the current state of affairs? Just a reflection on the thought-chain..

• Do we leave it to the 'evolutionary process' to work out a mechanism that is sustainable?
  
• Can we accelerate the system? Who can change gears? Does a phoenix always have to rise from the ashes? 
  
• Why is public memory so short?
  
• Who can fix it?
  
• Why do we gauge people so wrongly often..Why do we completely mess up when it comes to gauging people in public life?
• Can the political sytem do it? I wont bet my money for sure...
• Is the media providing answers? Will the answers work?
• Does the issue require a larger societal perspective? 

Bubbling Boom !

I maintain a couple of  blogs which is by design. The point being that I wanted to devote this particular blog to refelct on the beauty of life..hence the name BooOtYpHuL LyFe. The tweaking in the spelling also done with the intent of bringing in a bit of humour. 

The current post I don't know if it actually has any element of humour or even an element of optimism or even an appreciation of human spirit. But still I go on. More because most people liked it when I first put up a part of it as a caption on my GTalk. Here it goes: 

The problem with us Indians is that we are so fond of basking in hype and when that hype is not there we oursleves create it and bask in it. Facts matter so little to us. 

• A test series win our Australia can make us think of ourselves as world champions. No matter if it just comes just after a thorough drubbing in Sri Lanka just a month ago. 
• Just half a decade of 8% growth can make us think as a part developed world. No matter that countries that have grown at this rate for almost half a century are going bust. No matter that more people die in India of starvation and under the weight of their debts than elsewhere. 
• People continue to invest in stocks even with Sensex @ 20k. The joke is they expect it to still give bumper results. 
• Even middle class Indians get buoyant to invest in apartments spending upwards of Rupees One Crore. No matter all you earn is a just 5 digit salary. No matter the economic sense the decision actually makes. 
• A 3 feet something cube (Moon Impact Probe - MIP of the Chandrayan) lands on to the moon. The media reports it as THE thing. Agreed that it was an achievement of sorts. But the others have decades ago landed manned expiditions and brought them back to Earth too.  In contrast our achievement only pales. 

It is perhaps high time we learn the difference between BOOM and BUBBLE! Or may be just another facet of the colourful Indian psyche. That we can collectively as a society get so euphoric about nothing and go into collective mourning so often only to bounce back with a vengeance. 

Of cricketing Phoenixes

Few things are more interesting than a phoenix like rise. Perhaps more than the interest that such rare occurances generate, I appreciate and keenly follow them for the inspiration that they are...

The 2nd day of the fourth and final test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy (still underway) will possibly be remembered for a couple of such reasons:

• Dada's last test. Because he could have played his last test long back - much against his own will, though - but for his phoenix like rise to come back to the team so well as only possible in a fancy dream. To add fact to the fancy, he finishes with his best average ever in a Test series against the Aussies and on his terms. Kudos to you Dada!!! You shall be loved more than any other cricketer for the sheer passion that you brought to your job...
• Jason Krejza. But for the devastation he almost caused to a nation's dream (courtesy his 8 wicket haul) I would have perhaps perpetually wondered about the spelling  of his 2nd name - if the 'J' preceded the 'Z' or if it was otherwise. To debut in the last test of the series and then have THE WALL for the first international scalp, and follow it with Laxman, Ganguly is simply fabulous. Perhaps fantabulous!!! 

Failing Media

As I kid, I remember asking my grandfather which party he voted for. Among the many questions I asked in all my childish inquisitiveness, this one I remember for the profound depth I could sense. Not that the question was extra-ordinary, but the answer he gave surely was.

He said that he always voted against the incumbent and later explained that Democracy is necessarily a system of checks and balances and a stronger opposition meant better governance. This logic seemed to captivate me for sometime and in retrospect i realized that it influenced many of my opinions.

Of late, however, I am confused with the propriety of the logic 'With Competition comes efficiency'. Today, most of us have already resigned to accept the corrupt intentions and ambitions of politicians across parties. It is publicly accepted that politicians are meant to be corrupt. The perception of 'the invaluable vote' has denigrated to become 'the indifferent vote'. The number of charge-sheeted Parliamentarians across parties is only a superficial metric to say the least.

In such a scenario, the booming media unvieled itself as a source of rescue. Extrapolating the logic to media, I thought that a strong media was the remedy for the malice of corruption.

I welcomed every new news channel for the increased accountability it would usher in all the 3 tiers of the governnment (as I did with every new political party). I believed more players brought more effeciency to governance as does competition in a business sense. The way the media chastised the wrong-doers by exposing their actions/in-actions instilled in me a sense of satisfaction and pride as a citizen of the world's largest democracy.

But the institution of media looks on the verge of collapse. The media seams lost in the fight for survival.

• The jargons that have come to be used by the news presenters speak volumes. They no more 'cover issues'; they 'cover /track stories'. The etymology of such jargons roots from the pressing need to stay on top in the TRPs.
• Their attitude of carrying only 'sansani khabar' has done more than its bit of harm and the general public I sense is only on the brink of fatigue.
• No wonder, political parties have started funding media houses. Worse so, some of them own media companies. Jaya TV of Jaya Lalitha, Sakshi of Dr. YS Raja Sekhara Reddy family, SUN TV of the Marans.
• Worse so even the ToI - perhaps the biggest media group in the country seams lost too. Its recent 'Lead India' campaign too, with no tangible contribution to the society, looks only a marketing gimmick than a strategy for resurrecting Indian politico.

Are we on the verge of ignoring the media too, just as we ignore most of our politicians ??