The myth might just be over.

Even though cricket as a sport has seized the national imagination of India, other sports like boxing, weightlifting, rowing, shooting, swimming and even gymnastics might dominate the Indian sporting arena soon.

Following the XIX Commonwealth Games, India witnessed 101 medals coming in from different sporting categories, categories that were once considered as accomplishments that Indians would take decades to actually fit in. Despite the usual problems of sports administrative bodies and government departments to do everything but promote athletes, success or failure now seems to be dependent on the individual athlete. It is the newly globalize attitude of both the strength and the resources to compete, that most Indian athletes are currently aspiring for. The ongoing XVI Asian Games in Guangzhou, China is yet another example of how India is slowly breaking its norms from conventional sports. A few of what the country have achieved so far at the Asian Games: Sandhyarani Devi Wangkhem silver medalist in 60kg shanshou category, Bajrang Lal Takhar won the gold in men’s single sculls category, Commonwealth champion Dinesh Kumar assured himself a medal entering the light heavyweight 81kg semifinals and Vijender Singh stormed into the 75kg boxing quarterfinals. Glorious achievements and a breakthrough in Indian sports.

Let’s not forget that India is a developing country and that sports is one aspect that no doubt needs a make over. Yet, it is promising that we have at least seen a few symptoms that would elevate not only cricket but other sports too. There is light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

Say goodbye to caste and communal divides.

Who would have expected a three-fourths majority from an underdeveloped state divided by caste and communalism? It was certainly a relief not only for Bihar but also for the rest of the country. Nitesh Kumar’s win over the Bihar assembly election is extraordinary.

He not only boycotted Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi’s chaotic rule but also justified a pre-election statement, “If people vote me to power, I would change the fate of the nation/state”. His dedication and commitment to the state was his weapon to cut across every possible division that Bihar is inflicted and this is that one weapon that most of our ministers ignore by default. His triumph is not only a prospective hope for Bihar but also a slap to other ministers who have failed to elevate the state. He is the perfect epitome to a universal fact that deeds and words can make a massive difference. Apparently, there are good Samaritans.

If only India had more of such Nitesh Kumars…by now the success rate of the country would have soared as high as the D&G price meter.

Is the media compromised?

Has the real essence of what a free press means dwindling? This is the question that the nation is contemplating.

 Following the CWG and the Adarsh scams, we’re now slammed by the 2G spectrum scam. Corruption was there and will always be there. But, the degree to which corruption has crept in is alarming. Now people who are by virtue of exposing what is corrupt are apart of the malfunction, because they have abandoned ethics.

The tapes that were recorded were explicit. Apart from overstepping their bounds, they eventually created a sense of distrust amongst the masses. It simply gives an impression that lately not only politicians and bureaucrats are corrupt but, also our media professionals. They are happily shaking hands and sailing in the same boat. The question is not ‘the degree of involvement’ but ‘the involvement itself’.

However, it is worth noting that one or two media professionals cannot distort the image of the entire media industry. This is because they don’t solely represent the media world. There are others who cling on to ethics and it is unfair to generalize them. We just need to discard the rotten apples soon less they spoil the entire basket. 

Give a JPC a chance.

In regards to Lt. Gen (retd) S P M Tripathi’s article ‘who’s afraid of a JPC…and why’.

                                                

S P M Tripathi was the chairman of the joint parliamentary committee constituted in 2001 to investigate the stock market scam. JPC’s successfully unearthed the stock market scam that not only brought the stock exchanges under its scanner but also other entities involved. I am not quite sure as to why the UPA government should turn down the opposition’s demand for a JPC.

The debate however, is not only on who or who will not investigate but also the degree of corruption, relating to both the 2G spectrum and the CWG. The main issue is a thorough examination of the scams and not on who will examine it. The government is wasting time in turning down the opposition’s proposal which directly affects the smooth functioning of Parliament.

In the opposition’s defense and given a JPC’s prior success, the government should reconsider the proposal and work together for a common cause. Not to suggest that a JPC would be the best way to curb the menace but, it might just be worth taking a risk. There shouldn’t be any reason for the government to be insecure. It’s just extra help.

Caution.

Look who is making news this time and that too for a strange, miraculous, yet joyous revelation. However, for me, the news is a mixture of joy and the different influences it would have on the readers. He escaped the jaws death, all thanks to his several genetic mutations. Yes, I am talking about the 61-year-old “Black Sabbath”, Ozzy Osbourne. He is known as the ‘Prince of darkness’ and he is as famous for his excessive intake of drugs (cocaine, morphine, sleeping cough etc) and alcohol as he is for his voice. He claims to have done LSD every day for two years and he drank booze like water. There is no medical reason for him to be alive. Many of the anomalies scientists discovered had to do with how Osbourne processes drugs and alcohol. I am happy for the man.

 Understand that, it is a very rare situation and he was lucky enough to have his genetic mutations however, not all individuals possess them. Therefore, swimming in a pool of booze and excessive use of drugs brings nothing but destruction. Osbourne is not endorsing anything here and neither was he performing a stunt on fear factor. It is a chapter in his actual life that he has unfolded and it has got nothing to do with whether or not one can survive the odds he survived. There is absolutely no need to try and be like him.

My only endeavour is that, Osbourne continues to be an inspiring rocker and that his secret survival as a ‘mutant’ wouldn’t be misinterpreted and taken otherwise by the readers. Long life Ozzy.

Ctrl+c & Crtl+v

Is there any research or conceptualization in most of India’s reality shows?

Guess they are not required. Somebody else’s doing it on their behalf. What does India do then? Let’s try and find out.

From ‘Top Chef’ comes ‘Amul Master Chef India’. ‘Big Brother’ to ‘Bigg Boss’. ‘Fear Factor’ to ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’. ‘Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader’ to ‘Kya App Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai’. The list goes on.

‘Plagiarism’ is not a topic of discussion because some of the shows may have copyrights. The fact is that these shows have already been there, why not come up with something new. Concept and research as I mentioned seems to have a very little role to play. It’s simply the technique of copy and paste, an alteration perhaps in the name and a negligible deviation from the source.

The source is what matters and not how well it’s being copied. We literally have a bunch of talented people with exquisite ideas to give the west some healthy competition. 21^st century, guess we’re done with copying.

Harry Potter minus Hedwig.

“Following “Harry Potter”, there seems to be a strange fascination even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls,” environment minister Jairam Ramesh said.

I personally just don’t know how to react to that. But poor ‘Hedwig’ (Harry’s snow-white owl) and poor Harry they've done nothing. I can understand the minister’s concern for the illegal domestication of owls however; my question is how many misguided viewers are there who purchase dogs, fish, birds or other animals after seeing them in films. We cannot generalize the notion otherwise, it gets a little loose. What about animal lovers who would not abandon animals: until death do they part.

Parents I’m sure are aware of what kind of animals that can be used for domestication and even if they have other unusual choices, they would not for certain nurture a dinosaur just because their kids saw it in “Jurassic Park”. It is just weird and its common sense. I don’t know anyone who has got a pet owl and in regards to the endangered species, there are ways and means to bring it to light in order to increase public awareness. But, blaming “Harry Potter” is just too lame. If the world starts literally imitating what is on TV, guess what kind of world we would be living in. Matrix?

Talk or not to talk.

It is perhaps ‘the’ question that India as a country should ponder upon.

The question as to why we can’t talk about Kashmir but its OK to interlocute about it (Jug Suraiya’s  editorial ‘Jargon jagran’ (Nov 5).

Kashmir is a sensitive subject in India. Arundhati Roy and S A S Geelani were accused of sedition because they tried to talk about Kashmir and the possibility of freedom for it and for their pains.

Now, this is an extreme reaction from the government and they simply blew things out of proportion. Where is democracy and where is the right to speech and expression? If the masses need someone (like an eminent person in power, experts, netas etc) to speak on their behalf, why did the constitution generalizes such rights then to every Indian citizen. There are for sure a million and one subjects that the public discusses everyday. For a simple reason that they are current and they concern humanity in one way or the other or for mere gossip. Therefore, a person voicing out his/her opinion or reacting to things around in a lawful manner cannot be considered unlawful and accused of sedition. Besides, why should the public keep their mouths shut when things are simply being procrastinated? And it’s only when the government is threatened that words like ‘accused’ become so apparent.

Vulnerable maids

 

This is in regards to the Bill that was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Nov 4. The Bill revolves around protecting women against sexual harassment at the workplace. Therefore, women subjected to sexual advances (verbal or physical) has every right to complaint against their colleagues and if anyone is found guilty they’re likely to face financial penalties, loss of employment or even a police complaint.

Interestingly enough, the government has excluded domestic helps from the purview of the Bill, the most vulnerable section to such abuses. Officials argued that they were left out due to lack of witnesses and the effectiveness of the local community in the accused’s house.

The decision is outrageous. It is not only an act of injustice to the particular section but also injustice to the entire female community. It’s like synonymous to saying that maids are susceptible to such abuses and if by chance they lack witness, there’s nothing that can be done. Why is this section being left out? Are they not women? Isn’t it the same abuse? Providing witnesses for such a grave offence does not substantiate total exclusion of the entire domestic section. It in fact, demands crucial measures and exceptions that the government should take into consideration. The decision here is not only the future sorry plight of the domestic helps but also the increase of such offenders because, now, they can flout rules without impunity.