If Tharoor sulks, then can Modi be far behind?

If Tharoor sulks, then can Modi be far behind?


He was nestled in a corner in a white lungi and a broad smile across his face. And he was chuckling in choicest of Malyalee to all and sundry! Just the coconut oil was missing from the hair! Yes, he was the suave and very urbane Shashi Tharoor courting the glamourous and charming lady with the sweat equity! Today, the same man languishes in a corner but sans the glamourous aide! That is what time and acts do to one. I am none to dismiss him as one who is guilty of impropriety. Nor am I a judge to comment on his ability to play the right “strokes” when in company of people who run the IPL. To borrow from Sunny Gavaskar, his “stroke selection was found wanting”!! But then it is sad to see the rather pathetic and dismal end to one who promised a lot. Yet another flower on the Indian political horizon has withered even before it bloomed!
If I am saddened by the turn of events involving Tharoor, then I am also relieved that the Indian masses may now be protected from the “Thugs” of Indian cricket. We Indians are gullible to the extent that we sacrifice our future at the altar of silly games like cricket( Oh! how my wife would be enjoying this! ) Cricket has long ceased to be just a game or rather a Gentleman’s Game. Today it is a game of rogues( apologies to all those “Genuine Gentlemen” who wielded the Willow in the yesteryears and some like Sachin even today!) be it those who flaunt the white( or coloured) flannels on the green field or those who wield the power in the corridors of the BCCI or those who decide the fate of the match even before it is played!
IPL may have taken the world by a storm as people are sitting glued to the idiot box from the time the coin spins in the air to decide who bats first till the last word of the presentation ceremony. Even those who had words of scorn and contempt for the game which stretched over five days, are seen scurrying home to enjoy a few hours of exciting cricket. But when the truth of match fixing and other dubious acts like the “IPL nights” dawns, then there is anger and frustration. Anger at being cheated and frustration at being incapable of doing anything to set the deviants right. Most cricket enthusiasts are raging at what is going on in the IPL today. Modi may have done wonders in marketing the new product-the T20. But that does not allow the man to perpetrate crime of fixing and arm twisting. Give him credit where he deserves and condemn him where his acts defame the game and the values of a civil society. We should be allowed to enjoy the game. And players should be allowed to play the game as a game where one tries his level best to win. Not to loose and fill the coffers of those who operate the players by remote control! The credit of the past should be carried over to cover the misdeeds of the current and the future.
There is a general feeling that Lalit Modi has grown too big for his boots. I am not inclined to give my personal opinion on the matter but I do feel that none should be greater than the game itself. A sport is an act that reflects a healthy mind and an equally healthy body. However, when a sport links a healthy mind but with an unhealthy mind, then caution needs to be exercised and exterminate the cause(s) that lead to this. If one man or a group of people indulge in melting the healthy values of the society and replace them with mouldable and flexible not so healthy values, then the society should act as a whole and ostracize the offenders promptly. Otherwise the rot sets in. Games that generate money that changes hue by the hour, can gnaw at the vitals of our society. Dishonest means generates dishonest money and this brings dishonesty to the society. We should not allow this.
If Tharoor sulks, then can Modi be far behind?

Shoaib Clinton

The Shoaib episode takes me back to Bill Clinton and Monica. I recall how Bill beat around the bush and was finally nailed due to the blue dress! Ayesha too has probably kept her original dress and when she flashed her card of a DNA, Shoaib shivered and lost all his chivalry and caved in ! He crumbled and groveled and sought the papers to ink his name on the dotted line! And then the towering Ayesha went a step further. She needed money for the rest of her life. She needed to buy another house on the prestigious Banjara Hills. How much should she demand? Nothing less than 5-6 million rupees? But then, the wily mind works further. The settlement will be in hard cash. No cheques…who wants the Income Tax sleuths sniffing all over when all is done is dusted!! Tell the silly and gullible media that all this was done only for honour, for happiness , for justice. For token sake, ask a petty amount of Rs 15,000 as Mehr. The media and the public will buy it since they see a happy ending for the Indian girl who was taken for a ride by the Paki guy!
Well, this is my way of writing the story of Shoaib Clinton. Ekta Kapoor may add a dose of Sohrab Mirza who may find Ayesha a motivating factor and then Sohrab revists his past!! After all, no harm in raking in the mullah when it comes as easy as this!!
Sohrab can extend the opera for a few more episodes!!
But my mind is still puzzled. For my satisfaction, will someone tell me “Whom did Shoaib marry and whom did he divorce?”
And by the way, will the PCB still wave the ban on Shoaib?

A Bizarre Drama end in a damp squib!!

A bizarre end to a bizarre drama!

The media had a gala time. From the dailies to the plethora of TV channels! It did not rain, it poured! From the most obscure to those who have been sidelined. Each had a hearty go at the ridiculous angles in the tales of the triangle! Even Shobha De and Talat Aziz matched each others wits in an effort to project that one knows more about the whole saga!
I had always maintained that there is nothing in the whole exercise of washing ones rather dirty linen in public. The Siddiqui family was running after money. After all, why were they quiet for all these years and got excited only when they saw that Shoaib had netted a huge fish! They wanted monetary compensation matching Ayesha’s volume! And when the bite is as humongous as that, then obviously, the dirtiest of the linens can go public! No holds barred. A free for all mud slinging followed. All limits were crossed.
To Shoaib’s credit, he faced the scene like a man. He could have kept away from Hyderabad and got married in Dubai( which I feel they have already done). Ayesha and co would have fretted and fumed, but to no avail. However, Shoaib’s decision of marrying on phone was rather stupid. He fell lock stock and barrel for the “barrel”! And now he has to dole out from the “barrel” since he found himself staring down the barrel of a double barrel big bore! People started taking sides. Initally there was sympathy for Ayesha. Later people started feeling for Shoaib! Even the Trigger Happy Minister Quereshi was voicerfous when voicing support for Shoaib and welcomed the new Bahu to Pakistan!!The PCB felt the emotions and there are reports that the one year ban on Shoaib may be lifted!
Now with both the parties having tested each other to the hilt, they have acquiesced to a formula that no on will ever know about! Money has the power to crack even the hardest of nuts! Money also has the power of making the most unlikely become bedfellows!
Shoaib has reportedly agreed to divorce Ayesha. In return, Ayesha shall withdraw her police complaint. Quid pro quo. Now, how come Shoaib mian is divorcing someone whom he never married!!!! ( TV channels rush and net a more than willing Qazi sahib to comment on whether this divorce is acceptable!)And why is Ayesha suddenly changing tone and becoming goody goody??!! By the way, Ayesha supposedly had a miscarriage. Who was the father? That makes two fathers to be identified. One who sired Ayeshas unborn kid and the other is Rohit;s father. Rohit who? {Our very own ageing ND Tewari is ducking a paternity test lest he is proven to be Rohit;s father!} Wow! What a tale ! Utter rubbish heaped on us for days! Good riddance to bad rubbish. Finally we can go back to watching our TV news sans the nasal and shrill Sania Shoaib bellowing about her marriage plans.. Shoaib and Ayesha started with a “ You ruin my back…I ruin yours”. They ended with “ I caress your back. You caress mine”! As Sarfaz Nawaz would say, The whole epode was “fixed”!!! What do you say?
By the way they took off, we were anticipating a length and deadly duel! New postures would be seen. More intense attacks with unfolding of more personal details! People had almost stopped watching Sas bhee kabhee bahu thee…they had found a more melodramatic soap opera- Sania…ayesha kee Sautan!! And the beauty of this daily opera was that one could see it on all the channels and each channel had its own episode running! Wow1 Multiple episodes running thoughout the day! This made Balajee films see red! Beaten at their own game! But alas! Before the crescendo could be reached….the whole thing just fizzled out! Maybe it was not Shoaib who has paid Ayesha!? Yes? Yes!! Could be the TV serials fellows who bought out Ayesha ! They had to save their shows!!Hahhahaha
I always felt that the whole episode is a blot on modern society. Neither party was innocent and their behaviour has once again showed that money makes mankind perverse. As responsible citizens of a civilized society, we should condemn such rantings and devious deeds. And more so when they come from the so called respectable citizens. I wonder who is more poor…the honest but poor man who protects his honour and dignity with patience, come what may or the so called elites and he rich donning the garbs of Shoiabs , Sanias and Ayeshas who rush to the ever eager media to bite a little deeper into the pocket of the other??
Moral of the story? In order to divorce, there is no need to marry!! In order for money to meet money, shell some money! In order to shoot your TRP, get a cross border sob sob story!

Women can finally raise the toast!!

Why the ruckus?

Inspite of the dithering and an awkward stance, the members of the Rajya Sabha finally got the act together and passed the Women’s reservation bill. Hamid Ansari bore the brunt of a few agitated MC P’s, but in the end, he had his day! Not only is he getting accolades for his brave and firm handling of the situation, he had the last laugh when the Terrible Seven were handed their punishment.
Coming to the Bill. Why the ruckus? What was there in the Bill that had Laloo and Mulayam in jitters?? Mulayam, your Dimple would not have lost to Raj Babbar if she had the chance to contest from a women’s reserved constituency !!
The Bill actually is a very simple document that wants to reserve 33.3% seats in the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabhas for women. Where is the problem? It looks fine to me to see that women are being empowered in a nation that is pitched to be a super power in not so distant future. If women slug it out between themselves and then reach the Lok Sabha, fine. Why the song and dance??
I sense it is the mental make up of us men. Probably , there lurks a fear that these women may outsmart the “Politician mards” in the parliament/Assemblies? A sense of inferiority grips the macho Yadav’s? And also probably, the “Politician mards” would be uncomfortable when in an agitated mood, mike flinging ensues!!
But some fear does filter in when one visualizes reservation. Women with money and status may over power the women who are from lower castes and economically weak. This is a possibility and needs to be addressed in great depth. I suppose this may be reason why the antagonists feel that a reservation within a reservation is desirable. But then, I feel that women will sort out this issue themselves very much like water finds its own level. Leave it to them. Women have already come a long way from the pre independence days. They are stronger, more aware and much more intelligent and aggressive.
Finally, I would suggest that Government should consider only one idea of reservation. 33.3% of the current strength. Not to add 33.3% over and above the current. See the difference? If we consider 33.3% of the current, then say in the lok Sabha, 181 will be women and 363 men. This fine and great. But if they add to the current, then we will have about 820 MP’s! Along with the 545 men, we will have another 273 women MP’s! This would spell disaster!! Economic madness as the parliamentary budget will shoot up! The poor “Aam admi will be skinned to his bones to provide for the budget!! And what of the discipline inside??? A fighting husband and wife can keep the entire locality up and about…God alone can help us when 545 men and 273 men decide to do what the seven Rajya Sabha MP’s decide to do what they did with Hamid Ansari!!
All said and done, a great achievement by the politicians of today! Cutting across party lines was a great gesture and deserves kudos! And yes, the earlier decision of similar reservation in Panchayati Raj elections has yielded good dividends. So, all the more reasons why this Bill should be welcomed with open arms!
Do we see a new India around the corner?

Barkha jee…pull up your socks and stop the gabble ! { Come on….don’t say, “ I wear none”}

Barkha jee…pull up your socks and stop the gabble !
{ Come on….don’t say, “ I wear none”}

Inspite of Shoaib Q’s reminder, I missed the telecast as I had to complete an important errand. But he was gracious to remind me that the repeat telecast was round the corner. It was 15 minutes and I was over 15 kms away! I juggled the steering as I went perilously near a side walk. Later I just about managed to avoid a screaming jaywalker as a horn hungry Lumina almost pierced my already weakened ear drums! I stepped on the gas and relived some memories of when caution was thrown to the wind when behind the steering! I did not want to miss the programme!
Panel discussions are normally always very exciting and one learns a lot from the wisdom of the panel. But there is always an exception. Barkha Dutt in We the People telecast on the 7th of March was a huge disappointment. The panel is an indication of the possible quality of the discussion. And the panel she chose was pathetic and a loose collection of people who had really nothing much in common. Soha Ali Khan and Kabeer Khan, almost anonymous persons who would find little claim to name or fame of any kind. I do not wish to sound harsh but the fact remains that they were total misfits. By the way, pardon my ignorance, but who is Kabeer Khan?
Now let me ask Barkha. What was the show all about? What exactly were we debating or discussing? Was there a basic theme? Muslims? Islam? Stereotypes? Hijab? Muslim Leadership?
Now let us review the panel. Eight members on the panel. Out of these, five were from the film fraternity. Now, if the issue was Islam or Muslims, them I really wonder what Karan Johan and the likes were doing there? From what I could understand, the issue was dealing with Muslims and their image. And Alyque Padamsee, a panel member, confessed on stage that he did away with his religion when he was 18! And yet, he pretended to profess profound and abstruse philosophy on religion! Soha had little idea if she was actually a Muslim. She groped on many an occasion but found it difficult to state unequivocally that she was a Muslim. Sharmila Tagore has been a great Ma. Her daughter , dressed in some outlandish and humongous boots, tried her best to sound like a “know all” but in vain. Karan Johar was like fish out of water. He would make some strange gurgling sounds and though faint, I interpreted them as My Name is Khan, which we all know is not. But then he was referring to the much flouted Shahrukh Khan starrer. But what was he doing here? And that brings me to the other panel member-Shahrukh Khan. Though again, not the most suitable member to debate religion, he did make some very honest and serious efforts. And Barkha is probably angling for a debut on the celluloid! Why I got this feeling? Well, she was ensuring that the Khan was getting the maximum frame and exposure! The two members who were seriously qualified to discuss the topic were reminding me of Akshay Kumar. Why? Well, both suffered heavily at the hands of the editor! Minimum exposure to the most qualified speakers! That, I am afraid, does not speak very highly of Barkha Dutt. She , either by design or by default, ensured that both Dr. Zakir Naik and Maulana Madni, who could make the difference, were derailed. They were totally stifled. For some stranger reason, Najeeb, the one from the Jamia Millia was ill at ease with himself! On most occasions he was on the look out for some pot shots at Dr Zakir Naik. Perhaps, the skull cap and the flowing beard of Dr.Naik made him see red! I pity Jamia.
All in all, a very pathetic show and a massive disappointment for all those who had great expectations from the Warrior Journalist Barkha. Poor selection of panel and poor time allocation. Even the audience was throttled. Questions asked by them were never answered!
Barkha should remember that discussions on religion are serious matters and deserve an appropriate panel to debate intellectually and fearlessly. What happens when Jaspal Bhatty tries to analyze the Union Budget? Or when Shakti Kapoor assesses our national nuclear programme? Need I say more? And Barkha should have had more intelligent and relevant questions rather than asking insipid ones opinion on Osama Bin Laden!
I rate Barkha as an excellent anchor. But to err is human and this is the second major goof up by Barkha Dutt. The first being the one which was sent out live just after 26/11 where she allowed Simi the freedom of expression which impinged upon the basic rights of us Indians.
And all the dare devil driving only to watch Soha dangling her boots , hear Kabeer talk gibberish whilst Shahrukh and Karan promote MNIK? And additional claptrap and twaddle provided by Woodey Allen look alike, Alyque Padamsee ?

Mr.Prime Minister....we need Colleges and varsities!

Mr. Prime Minister….we need Colleges!

On the last day of February of 2010, the Tricolour flutters with pride. So does every Indian who works in Saudi Arabia. The picture in Riyadh today is that of colour splashed all over! The Indian and the Saudi flags dance in harmony and glory. A sign of the great relations that exist between the two nations.
Today’s newspapers in Saudi Arabia are all about the warm and friendly Indo Saudi relations. One leading newspaper has over a dozen advertisements hailing the visit of the Prime Minister ! The first after a gap of 28 years!
And what is more remarkable is the fact that the Prime Minister is accompanied by a high powered delegation of several senior ministers and officials along with a legion of senior journalists who would be carrying back the impressions to our fellow countrymen back home. The role of this throng is vital and will make an impact for the future.
This visit is not merely ornamental but it means business. It is said that nine agreements will be signed during this three day visit including one on memoranda of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation.
I look at the larger picture for tomorrow. There are almost 1.8 million Indians residing across the Kingdom and this is a substantial proportion of the total expatriates living here. And we have come a long way as today India has its own brand equity in the market. We are no longer seen as suppliers of unskilled labour but as one which has provided the intelligentsia. It is a matter of pride that we see Indians not only as senior manager but also as entrepreneurs! And that too in substantial quantity.
The NRI’s in Saudi have always stood up when they were needed. But there are issues which bother us and which are left unaddressed. The most vital and pressing is the need to provide for College and Varsity education. Now, this is a huge hassle and families are faced with very traumatic conditions as the child approaches high school! Sleepless nights , animated discussions, anxiety levels on the rise and what not are the order of the day as one tries to plan the future for the 14-15 year old little kids who have always lived a protected life! Trauma grips the family. The family is going to be split!! The little ones have to fend for themselves whilst the mother braces to live alone chaperoning the child. The Father happens to be the bread earner hence he has to stay back and live the life of a forced bachelor. And one must not forget that the parents are now in the late 40’s and early 50’s. This is the stage when health issue gains priority. What was once a happy united family is now torn apart. This is where the Government of India needs to step in and find a solution. We need to have colleges and varsities here. And this depends on the determination of the Government. And yes, to ensure that no violation of any sorts occurs, these colleges and varsities will be restricted to Indian nationals only. Mr.Man Mohan Singh needs to do what Indira Gandhi did 28 years ago. She was instrumental in establishing Indian schools in Saudi Arabia. Singh will become King if he can get college education for over 50,000 kids who study in Saudi Arabia! Man Mohan Singh will be providing a solution to a burning issue. It would be a great service to the community and the nation.
And yes, we have long been yearning to have voting rights. And it is time that the present government works hard and takes a decision on the issue.

Sovereign or subjugated?

Sovereignty misunderstood

Last month India rejoiced on the 60th Anniversary of its constitution. 26th January 1950 was indeed a red letter day for India as we Indians stood up and adopted a charter that was free and provided opportunity to one and all. At the same time it ensured our sovereignty. Our constitution gave us the freedom to not only practice what we believe in but also gave us a nation that was capable of taking its own decisions and not being subservient to anyone. As a proud Indian, I salute all those known and unknown souls who made this constitution a reality. I salute because of their vision. I salute because had it not been their far sightedness, we might have just about ended up as just another nation which is counted because of its geographical existence and not because of its status and strength. Hamare buzurgoun ko salaam!!
Indeed, we have been gifted with the two most sought after W’s-wisdom and wealth. Our heritage made our future a lot easier to craft. We moulded with success.
But today I stop and look back. What must have been in the mind of Pandit Nehru, Dr.Ambedkar , Maulana Azad and all those who strived for India’s freedom? Did they visualize the India as it is today? Perhaps partly.
India has grown as a giant in the world today. This would have pleased Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru no end as this was their vision. The freedom fighters laid down their lives for a better India. And today we stand with pride in our eyes living their dreams of a free and fair India. The 50’s and the 60’s were the Nehru Era when India stepped into the world with decisive and firm steps. We saw the beginning of the demise of untouchability and discriminations. Nehru ushered technology that led us to the Silicon Valley!
India started to bloom. But still away from a glorious, full bloom!
But an honest evaluation may reveal a slightly uncomfortable picture. Uncomfortable at our own contribution, at our own roles. Uncomfortable at our compromise of our sovereignty. I suspect that we never really understood what sovereignty meant. We sold our nation to our own whims and fancies. Our own petty parochial thinking. We forgot the nation and remembered our caste, creed, religion. We forgot the sacrifices of our forefathers and looked at what benefits us, our family. National interests got buried below our idiosyncrasies. We became insular, blinkered.
India has not reached where it should have. We have the potential but not the willingness. We stride not hard enough to reach the goal. We form political parties that have agendas which take us away from national perspectives. We patronize politicians who never wish the welfare of the masses. We are subjugated not sovereign! Whatever India has grown, it is by its rich heritage. Not by our efforts.
When will we really understand that a sovereign India will be achieved only when we forget vote bank politics? When we stop divisive politics. In the race for world supremacy, India needs its children to stand shoulder to shoulder. We need to create a truly sovereign India. Indians need to wake up to the stark reality that nations progress when the citizens strive and sacrifice. When hard work replaces lethargy and when national pride displaces ill conceived petty personal gains.
A truly free India will assume the mantle of the Leader of the world. We owe this to our children.