Public Matters

Kumble joins the 600 plus league

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Eight years after having joined the company of all time great leg spinner Jim Laker with a ten wicket haul in an innings in the New Delhi Test in the Indo Pak series of 1999 , Anil R Kumble has now leaped in the exclusive club of bowlers having crossed the 600 wicket mark. Anil shares the company of Shane Warne and Muttaiah Murlidharan, both of whom are way ahead having crossed the 700 wicket tally .

Having started his career in the year 1990 Kumble crossed the first milestone of taking 100 wickets in the year 1993 in a matter of 21 test matches and moved on to the magical figure of ½ K i.e. 500 wickets in test matches in March 2006.

Certain other records to the credit of Anil Kumble need to be recalled. His maiden test century ( 110 no Vs. England in August 2007) came after having played 118 matches and surpassed the record of Chaminda Vaas who could reach the three figure mark after 96 Test matches. His tally of 31 caught and bowled dismissals is also a world record which he shares with Muttiah Muralidharan. He is also the first bowler in Tests to have 150 batsmen out leg before wicket. On more than 30 occasions Kumbley has taken more than 5 wickets in an innings an achievement which has no precedent amongst Indian cricketers. He is also the first Indian bowler to get 100 wickets against Australia . His most memorable performance in ODI is 6 wickets for 12 runs against West Indies in 1993 at Kolkata.

Hailing from Banaglore , Anil is a Mechanical Engineer . His surname Kumble is related to his grandfather’s village Kumble in Kerala . Having started his Test career in 1990 the cricketer made his way to Wisden cricketer’s list in 1996. He was honoured with Padam Shree in 2005. His home town Bangalore has honoured him by naming a traffic Island after him to commemorate his ten wicket haul in an innings.

Kumble’s bowling forte is known as flipper. A flipper is a back spin ball which remains low after pitching. It is deceptive to the batsman who may except wrongly that the flipper will drop and loop like a normal over spinning delivery. The ball which pitches under the bat may result into lbw if not tackled in time.

Kumble who is considered to be one of the ever shrinking group of gentlemen cricketers in the gentlemen’s game is nicknamed as Jumbo due to his long legs.

When stars are close to earth

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Tare Zameen Par the latest creation of Amir Khan is a film on disability management racing with the speed of a crime thriller . It is a three hour soul stirring experience leaving each one of us with some reasons to question our human values in the matter of child rearing. And what a way to deliver a message on mainstreaming of differently abled children. A child with symptoms of dyslexia, parents struggling to cope with the challenges of city life failing to take notice of the differently abled child’s sufferings and a teaching environment with shades of an animal breeding centre , everything appears to be so familiar . Two decade old memories of the days when the kids were youngsters ,struggling with the competitive spirits of junior section in the rich and famous school in New Delhi flooded my mind. And also the chilling realization that perhaps like the parents in the film we too despite our progressive and liberal pretensions allowed ourselves to be unduly harsh to the child under social pressure. Perhaps the perpetual tension in which we put the kids over small failures in academic performance were not so necessary. And perhaps there are so many others who are still not aware of the cruelty which we afflict on our children in an effort to make them standout, to make them work like machines, in order to make them achieve goals which we ourselves could not .

And then the teachers and these schools with high sounding names and their stylish buildings…… are they serving the cause of humanity or sucking the vital elements of humanity from tender souls in fulfillment of the desire to shine and in turn gain high value in market. Do these teachers have any thing to offer for a child whose certain faculties are less developed ? How many teachers are equipped to handle a child in trauma? And do we keep count of teachers who have traumatic effect on young minds?. The impact of the film on a sensitive mind is like a quick spell of thundershowers which leaves everything totally drenched with questions of such nature.

Down under, a Thunder over Bandar

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It is said that every human being has certain characteristics of some species belonging to animal kingdom. A man or woman may be considered clever as a fox ,or watchful like a dog or peaceful as a dove. It has also been said that a close look at the facial structure of a man or woman might give a hint of resemblance to some animal whose characteristics dominate his outlook towards life, it may be a bull or a cat or a bulldog and we routinely tease our friends and cohorts for such resemblances. Hardly ever such comparisons are seriously contested. In fact sometimes we on our own compare ourselves to some cute little animals , (like Australin Captain Ricky Ponting’s statement that he was not Harbhjan’s bunny). We even had advertisements over Bandar theme featuring cricketers ( Don,t be a Bandar taste the thunder ).

However things turned out to be very different when Bhajji our ever chirpy and comical cricketer , the typical Punjabi puttar compared a kangaroo to a monkey. Monkeys and Chimpanzees because of their superior intelligence enjoy a much higher rating above the Kangaroos as far as the hierarchy of evolution of species is concerned.

However this time the incident which was reported by the alleged victim (?) a member of Australian cricket team-which is routinely referred to as Kangaroos in the cricketing parlance , triggered off an international crisis between two cricketing nations of India and Australia . The incident let off a fiery protest from the Australians in rather funny sort of way . The comparison was labeled as a racist action inviting severest punishment for sports person. The heat and dust generated by the controversy threatened to insert a monkey ranch in the smoothly rotating wheel of Border Gavaskar trophy being contested on Australian cricket grounds.

Monkeys worshipped as descendants of our mythological Lord hanuman are not the monopoly of any race or nation . Comparison of a human to a monkey , may be irritating to a person totally devoid of a sense of humor but to call it a racial abuse raises serious doubts about the intention of the complainant and his supporters. It is the developed superior logical ability which separates humans from other species down the ladder of evolution. We should try to remain as such.

Nano mania , join the Tata Car lovers club

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Nano, Nano and Nano it is Nano all the way . After a long time the latest car launched by Tata with this name tag has given the nation something to be collectively happy about. Cheaply priced people’s car has been a favourite piece of allurement which generations of Indian politicians have offered to the middle classes. The dream nearly died after Sanjay Gandhi the prodigal son of the then Indian Prime Minister hijacked the small car project for personal gains. Several years later with changed management set up in Maruti Udyog Ltd. the first truly small car Maruti 800 hit the Indian markets with a price tag below fifty thousand rupees. Riding on the economic boom following the liberalization of Indian economy , for a substantial period upper middle class families enjoyed the comfort of a car based on latest generation technology and having a stylish appearance as per contemporary standards . With the still growing prosperity of Indian middle class the closing decade of the previous millennium saw the car market flooded with numerous new brands and styles and the people’s car became a forgotten concept . Then one day Ratan Tata returned to the concept with a product which could be affordable to the lower middle class, student or any two wheeler owner. Nano is said to be based on that vision of Tata for this segment of Indian population.

Launch of Nano means different things for different people. While the dissentors in West Bengal are upset over the loss of the agriculture in Singur and want the car to remain invisible which is said to be the Bengali meaning of the word Nano, the Gujrati Bhais consider it as the ideal gift for the their youngsters because in their language nano is akin to nanua meaning the younger one. Bangloreans facing the chaotic traffic which has supposedly gripped the city after the spurt of IT Companies, are a bit shaky with a new cheap car entering the market. The city traffic authorities are gearing up to meet the “ threat” with improvement in public transport system !

Leading Banks have already started the loan campaigns. Three wheeler operators see an opportunity to dump their TSRs in favour of the new product, but they also see a threat to business due to possibility of increase in number of car owners. The dealers expecting jump in demand are also concerned about the low margins.

Outside the country in the US the product launch in Delhi auto expo received huge media attention. Car enthusiasts have grudgingly acknowledged the feat of an Indian manufacturer producing a truly low budget car with latest feature, however the bloggers in Canada seem to be more keen to highlight the supposed adverse environmental impact of the car. Some of them are not willing to accept the claims of manufacturers on security aspect and feel that they would not drive even up to the corner grocery shop in this “pancake” ! In UK Tata’s small car has become the talk of the town in London . It is getting big publicity, being called “……a miracle on wheels, a car a generation ahead of its’ predecessors and a revolution in the small car market.” Europeans are fond of small cars and Nano reminiscent of VW Beetle may turn out to be quite popular.

For the collaborating spare parts manufacturers the project has been a consistent struggle to meet the deadlines maintaining highest standards of craftsmanship. The ultimate outcome may be quite rewarding for them when more car manufacturers join the segment an look out for manufacturers of accessories . However the dedication and vision of Ratan Tata is universally acknowledged as the driving force for the success.

Benazir, Rajiv, Indu we miss you !

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Matrix trilogy a series of films which brought to the viewers a glimpse of future controlled by computer generated soft wares is among my all time favourite movies . The thrill of imaging the unlimited potential of a computer controlled virtual world however concludes with certain philosophical observations . One such conclusion or lesson which emerges from the movie is that even the best computer programme can go horribly wrong . In the movie a virtual character in form of humanoid created through a computer programme named as Smith develops an instinct to reproduce itself in order to overpower it’s opponents. Smith subsequently in the process becomes a threat to the virtual world known as Matrix and it’s creator.

While watching a rerun of the movie it suddenly occurred to me as to how close the storyline fitted with pattern of events which have occurred in this subcontinent in last several decades . I do not know whether politicians like Benazir Bhutto get an opportunity to see such movies. Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi were victims of their own Smiths much before the Movie was released. But one can wonder just wonder whether any political leader ever contemplated the possible effects of the Smiths created by them becoming a threat to themselves. Off course CIA regularly eliminates it’s Smiths once they appear to be over stepping their limits.

But how sad it is to see the common thread running through the ghastly elimination of three top leaders of Indo Pak subcontinent. Indira Gandhi the shrewdest prime minister that India had after Nehru, failed to foresee the risk of backing certain aggressive elements in the Sikh community and therefore ended up antagonizing the whole community at one stage. Rajiv Gandhi champion of cause of Tamils in Sri Lanka and darling of crowds in South had to pay for his misjudgment for the Sri Lankan misadventure . And now Benazir daughter of East who overlooked the resurgence of hardliners during her regime as Prime Minister seems to have been made to pay for the indiscretion when the seeds nurtured during her rule seem to be overtaking every thing under militant form of religion.

I wish these charming and sophisticated leaders , of modern era , although lacking the formal training into school of political science could have been sincerely and forcefully advised by other mature politicians around them in such sensitive matters. These leaders had the capability to understand repercussions if they were properly guided. Sadly it could not happen and the world lost three extraordinary humans with so much potential untapped. The political scenario in the Sub Continent would have been so much richer with their presence.

Wow! Molestation at Mumbai !

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Wow ! TV channels have again had a scoop. An urban city photographer has clicked a roll on indecent behavior towards women outside a five star hotel at Mumbai. So now let everyone come out. A panel discussion on psychology of urban youth and reasons for their rowdy behaviour is a must for all kinds of media channels. The defenders of Bhartiya Sabhyata and Sanskriti can have a field day protesting out side police headquarters. The ever active female rights champion actress ( despite having usurped the conjugal rights of another women in her private life) must grab the opportunity to condemn the male psyche and inefficiency of police. In the meanwhile the TV channels must go on flashing the “shameful” incident shamelessly every 10 minutes. The enterprising photographer.. the man behind the heroic act can also pass on some pics to bloggers so that they can also open respective show windows on the erratic behaviour of the crowd by displaying the exciting pictures while taking a moralistic stand on public humiliation of women.

The Police Chief has to rise to the defence of his men citing various statistics to minimize the impact of adverse media publicity . He has to be proactive , so that he may not be required to ask his men as to why they failed to catch the goons on spot despite all bandobust in the name of new year’s eve. Police Commisioners and residents of other metros can take consolation from the fact that it was not their metro which was in limelight this time for the wrong reasons. The metro of Delhi can at least temporarily forget the shame of various daylight abduction and assault cases of recent past. It can also take pride in the fact that it’s mobs attacked two lecherous sons of a union minister who were indulging in eve teasing .

As the investigation proceeds further the victims are found to be NRIs , so the entire nation can feel relieved to some extent on the assumption that it must have been flashy foreigner like clothes of the NRIs which provoked the crowd into beastly behaviour and the logical assumption can also be used explain the inaction on part of other “good men” in the crowd who did nothing to help the victims.

As for the victims they can take consolation from the fact that the “cop car” ( as they refer to the police Gypsy) was in the vicinity of the scene of crime and they were rescued in time. Hopefully, they are aware that their motherland has a very exciting track record of humiliating the mothers and sisters of the nation. Crimes like mass assault on women in Nandigram , Gujrat or in North East have remained unpunished under our legal system . They may also pray to God that media may soon discover some other hot news item quickly so that repeat of the painful incident after every ten minutes is put to an end.

There is another group of stakeholders which in entangled this mess .. it is the group of middle class parents of the perpetrators of the assault who must be wondering as to where the upbringing of their children went wrong. While their respective domestic debates can go on endlessly ,they can however draw some consolation from the fact that Lalu Prasad Ji is perhaps afflicted with similar thoughts right now after thrashing of his sons by the a Delhi mob for eve teasing .

Do you love your dog

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Dog lovers are a different community . I realized this after we adopted a pet after a great deal of in house debate over merits and hazards of keeping a dog. For years we had considered the dog owners in the neighbor hood as queer people with an unwanted burden of looking after the pet all the time . We wondered as to how they cope up in times of crisis such as a family member falling ill when everyone is preoccupied with hospital responsibilities. I had apprehensions about us being able to tackle the dog training aspect.

 

However after initial teething troubles the things got settled. Our dog has now become an indispensable member of core family group, one who sometimes also influences decision making process. On my return from any trip outside the city or the children coming on vacation the emotional reception from our dog spices up the welcome home ceremonials. Thanks to internet we learnt so many things about breeding and training of dogs. There are newsletters and magazines pouring out so much wisdom on the topic that one feels a bit guilty for having remained unhooked with this emotional aspect of human existence. An hour long daily morning walk with the dog is now an indispensable part of my exercising schedule. Our shopping trips invariably include visit to pet shop. Whenever a new visitor opens up with topics of dog breeding our discussions go on and on. We are now a family of dog lovers in true sense of term.

 

But this new addition to my activity schedule has also opened up for my vision an aspect of Indian socials life which is rather disturbing. The pet keeping hobby seems to be gaining popularity by day. On an average during my morning rounds I see five to six dogs being taken out for walk by respective owners or servants. But most of the creatures seem to be not in adorable health conditions. It seems that a fifteen minute outing on footpath for easing themselves is the only exercising opportunity which their masters can provide to them. Some of them are always confined behind the respective gates and are perpetually howling in shrill tones whenever a healthy dog of respectable appearance passes by. In majority of cases the dogs are taken out by servants with a stick in hand. The language of stick is the only one which these poor creatures now seem to know. There is one lady politician who merely “releases” her rascal dog on the road every morning. Since these are only moments of freedom for the thoroughly untrained creature , he satisfies his animal instincts by growling at all and sundry, and chasing all morning walkers without any rhyme or reason.

 

Having experienced the affectionate and disciplined temperament of dog for more than a year now, I feel moved over the suffering of canines who have had misfortune of landing up with these pitiable masters who keep a pet for fun or as status symbol . A thoroughly organized and brave animal like dog definitely deserves only a master who can bring out his best qualities. For those who have no time to take the pet out for a walk or exercise a stuffed toy seems to be a better option.

Tsunami in Delhi

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26th December 2004 was an unforgettable day for people living in many coastal cities in India . The powerful earthquake and the gigantic Tsunami waves which followed it shook several peaceful and sleepy towns out of their slumber, swept away several habitations from face of earth and in the process left painful memories of loss of near and dear ones for survivors. But human beings are just play things in the hands of nature so civilizations silently bear the sufferings arising out of such acts of devastation at the hands of the creator.

 

But how do we react to a Tsunami created in the national capital by politicians for the sake of publicity at the cost of public . Tsunami in a coastal city may be a something acceptable for natural compulsions but Tsunami in the land locked capital city of the country ? What does it mean ? Tsunami I am referring to here is a rally of human beings which is due to engulf the Capital city around the third anniversary of the original Tsunami .The occasion for rally is the celebrations for the empowerment of the Panchayati Raj institutions in the country . The proposed sweeping mega event which seems to owe its creation to brain waves originating in the ever creative mind of some ruling think tank is slated to hit the city on Christmas eve with a mega force . Train loads of members of panchayats and their families numbering more than 2.5 Lakhs are expected to descend on the city at the call of respected Prime Minister to participate in this celebration of transfer of democratic rights to grassroots level by virtue of a constitutional amendments several years back .

 

The persons in charge of the affairs started everything at a breakneck pace as if there was a fear that time was running out for the Govt. The first meeting was organized at a notice of barely 48 hours. Since it was impossible for senior officers of States (who have to send the participants) to attend the meeting at such short notice, so the Delhi based representatives of States were roped in along with Railways , Municipal Corporation and other agencies connected with logistic arrangements . Stunned by the sheer magnitude of the wasteful exercise Railways tried to plead for mercy citing the heavy cost of transportation (around 200 Crs.) , the heavy traffic movement due to vacations and paucity of resources and time. But the Juggernaut refused to stop it’s run. The pleadings of Health authorities about the possibility of causalities due to extreme weather conditions at the time of rally too could not impress the leader.

 

The citizens of Delhi have for years been at the receiving end, bearing brunt of the miseries and chaos in daily life which accompany such political gimmicks . Rallies organised in past have thrown life out of gear. People going to workplaces, children returning from schools , persons in need of medical treatment , women and disabled have repeatedly suffered in the past due to blockade of the traffic and hours and hours of traffic jams. Rallies have often created scenes of lawlessness and chaos. Public money worth Crores has gone down the drain, every time when such fancies have struck the minds of a political leader. However the anxiety to corner publicity at national stage always overcomes any sensitivity to sufferings of the public in the minds of politicians. Also, perhaps because most of the organizers have scant affection for the city and the city govt. burdened under it’s own contradictions, surviving at the mercy of central leadership is too meek to come to the rescue of the people.

 

Several years back the then political masters had decided that enough was enough. Henceforth Delhi would be a civilized place. So a rally ground was developed at the outskirts of the city in village of Burari. It was decided that all those coming for rally would disembark outside city limits at this rally ground, park the vehicles and do whatever they wanted in support of their cause at the vast open grounds there. This time too it was reminded by someone that Burai or even some neighboring town like Gurgaon would be a far better option for this kind of gathering. But politicians know their games well. A rally outside the city limits! Would that receive as good attention from media . Off course not. And a rally at Gurgaon ..would that not give far more mileage to the concerned State Govt. So heart of Delhi would remain the best choice and the human Tsunami would sweep us off our feet on the destined day. Get ready Delhiites.

 

Subsequently better sense seems to have prevailed. Rally is now Cancelled (14th Dec.2007 )

The Opening up

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So many things happen around us all the time. So many small incidents have within them potential for creative thinking and passionate writings.Sometimes these small incidents pop up to jerk the mind. Keeping a written record was a practice in younger days. But then we got preoccupied with other pressing commitments . The writer within went into oblivion.Somehow the events are again pushing for giving outlet to emotions and reaching out to a bigger audience over issues and experiences which give some food to a thinking mind. Then I would not be alone . My thought process would get accelerated on hearing from others . I would know better whether I am wrong sometimes in being agitated over trivial issues or whether I am a truly sensitive person. My blog is a journey into discovery of self. An effort to occasionally try to light a candle.