Lyins sans a conscience?

Lying as you go up the ladder?

When was it the last time that you lied? Indeed an embarrassing question as we all see ourselves as honest and one with overflowing integrity! Although we come across people who lie without even batting an eyelid, I do suppose that lying does make one uncomfortable even if one is a compulsive liar! A lie can be perceived differently depending upon the source of the lie. If there was a lie meter that could measure the degree of lie, it would show that every lie can have differing levels of acceptability. There are some who tell a lie sans any overt display of emotions. Seasoned Politicians come in this category. Some lie but show their discomfort by either a twitch of the facial muscles or an unsteady set of eyes! Green horns stepping into the big bad world are the prime examples! Some get caught as soon as they let off their lie! These are the first timers who have a huge conscience weighing on them! And then is the Gambler’s lie when he sits poker faced! He squirms if he tells a truth!
"People in power are able to lie better," said Dana Carney, a management professor at Columbia Business School and one of the co-authors of the study. "It just doesn't hurt them as much to do it."
The more one thinks about what Professor D Carney says, the more one realizes how true it is of us Indians! Right from our childhood we are fed with the idea that lying is an unwanted and unacceptable habit and should be abhorred and kept at an arms length. So, every time we were late to school, we bit our lips and closed our eyes and fought our conscience as we told some excuse which was something of a hybrid truth! Half lie and half truth! We would console ourself that we did not tell lies…only hid some truth! And on many an occasion we would face the corporal punishment as we had to tell the truth!
But looking at some of the Power clad persons of today, we do question ourself that perhaps it was indeed a silly thing to stick to the truth and faced the cain of our school teacher?

Lying has become an art, perhaps. And as the professor says, the higher up one is in the hierarchy, the easier it is to pull a fast one! Obviously, the listener has no option but to accept! When we hear Mayawati talking about the upliftment of the masses, we know the truth and the reality behind the statement! When we hear Mulayam and Laloo go gaga over the achievements of each other, we also clap like fools! This is not because we know not what the heart says but because we have no option to pretend to be a fool.


Like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we can actually make a Hierarchy of lies!
This in terms of acceptance. Blatant Lies from the top has a great chance of being accepted with a smile whilst a small one coming from the bottom has a great chance of being scrutinized and looked at with suspicion! That is exactly why bosses get away with lies whilst the poor front office clerk is grilled till he turns black!

What happens if my boss reads this?
Who wrote this?
Search me!

Clean the cricket stables-Once and for all!

BCCI and their hydra headed shenanigans have brought more disrepute not only to the game of cricket but to the nation at large. I had written earlierin my previous posting that Modi and his cohorts should be dealt with appropriately and swiftly. The unraveling of new aspects that bring new twists and turns is appalling. The water could not get murkier, so I thought. But I was woefully off the mark! Probably we have still more to come! The water from deep down the coal mines would be clear and transparent by comparison!
The issue is no longer of individuals. The thugs who ran our cricket( read BCCI) are neck deep in corruption and immorality. Each one pretended to see the other way so that the other could go on with his own escapades whilst Indian cricket was ravaged and raped. Cricket bled. But the BCCI put Nero to shame.Now they have the audacity to offer a "holier than thou" attitude!Pinning everything on one man....and they knew nothing of the moumental corruption flourishing in their own back yards!!And they want us to swallow this! Are we THAT naive??
The government of India is caught on a sticky wicket. I doubt if they have the courage or the ability to go after the criminals. There is a demand for a Joint Parliamentary committee but I doubt if it will be formed. And even if it is, the JPC really does not have the necessary teeth to bite! At best, it may bark! But who cares? Have you seen any barking dog bite???? In the deep sea of cricket corruption, there are so many big fishes that one wonders at the consequences if they are all netted??!! But then, it will not happen. The big fishes will swim away leaving the small ones to pretend they are the big ones. And they will be nabbed and displayed as the BIG catches!The sharks, hidden in some remote island, will have a mighty laugh!
The PM should hold ALL the BCCI members accountable until proven innocent. Sounds unfair? Well, regrettably, the gravity of the situation demands that each one be thoroughly probed because ALL the members are bloody good actors also!
And for those who give monumental credit to Modi. T-20 started way back in 2003 and the idea of IPL may just about have been hijacked from the ICL!! And using the heavy clout of the BCCI, Modi and his gang eliminated Kapil paaji and others. The Indian cricket League should have been allowed to function under open competition. But this was not to be. In hindsight, it is obvious it was the total monopoly by the BCCI that lead to total corruption. Why was the ICL treated so shabbily and why the government did nothing to allow competition? Where was the MRTP commission?
Huge dirt will be rolled out and skeletons will fall from each and every cupboard that will be opened and Modi may well be ousted. But the buck does not stop there. He was just one of the master manipulators who knew how to share the loot with all! And this loot sealed the lips and clogged the conscience of all, including the franchise owners! Remember, it takes a team, not an individual, to execute the devils plan to perfection. Catch them all- the businessman, the politician, the criminal and all those who washed their dirty hands in the flowing river of IPL! Spare none. Book them all.It may tke time and patience. yes, courage and tenacity of purpose will also be needed. But, ManMohan Singh saheb, we need you to take the bull by the horns and deliver! Yes, you can.... if you want!!
Let us look to IPL 4 as a league of clean people who can offer us clean and genuine cricket. Remember, it is NOT the league but the format of the T20 which ushers excitement-England, Australia, West Indies, Pakistan all have T-20! Let us continue with the format and enjoy the thrills of the game!

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 ?