Friday, December 31, 2010
India(n)'s New Year Resolution
India(n)'s New Year Resolution
* End corruption
* Stop black money flow
* No scams
* No scandals
* Abolish child labour
* Realise gender equality
* Respect women
* Worship workplace & its true ethics
* Strive for higher literacy rate, and better quality of education to children
* Save water
* Save electricity
* Stop adulteration
* Hang rapists
* Keep judicial system, police force and government as 3 independent systems
* Solve criminal cases in a jiffy, (not after the victim is old, brain dead and eventually dead) and NEVER let them free again.
* Stop bribery
* Maintain communal, social, economical, regional harmony. Its our country, its our world.
* Jail druggists for life
* Don't spit on any public property
* Don't treat the roads like your trash can
* Harsher rules on faggers and boozers, enforce the ones in effect properly at least
* Don't waste money, charity is an option if you don't want to "spend" the money
* Treat neighbours with love and respect
* Nation first, yourself second
Jai Hind!
Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year :-)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Journey to the 22 yards, Part 2
(for part 1, click here)
In came Sreesanth, and the match had begun! I was in the stadium with a thin, but noisy crowd, and noisy it sure was! Right from the word "GO", the kids were very busy with the loud horns and trumpets and whistles!
It looked very bright, sun was out above our head, and it was all so very well for cricket. In a few overs' time, Sreesanth had gotten India its first wicket! Guptil was out caught behind. Of course, we had no clue about the edge. The players celebrated, so did we ;-) . We had to wait for the replay to have a better look at what had happened. And the sun was shining on the screen, so, we couldn't see much of it at the first go, but the multiple replays helped! And very soon, their second wicket was also down... Sreesanth had uprooted McIntosh's stumps.. This was much clearer! The stumps were cartwheeling! It was such a wonderful sight! I just love it when a pacer beats the defense of a batsman and hits the stumps hard enough for the stump to take a walk!
Our favourite, Ross Taylor went in to bat, and he played some gorgeous drives on the off side, assisted by Bhajji's unsure fielding. But then, he wasn't going to stay in there for long, as Ishant and Ojha shared the duties in reducing the Kiwis to half their size by the time they went in for lunch.
All throughout that session, we had Sachin fielding near our stands. And he received, you know, thunderous welcome every time he came our way! To each of it, he would show his appreciation with a wave of hands, wearing a serene smile on his face! And on some other occasions, there would be Ishant or Gambhir. Both of whom got loud cheers from us. Ishant got "Complan Boy" cheers for sure! :-P
We had to settle for bread-pakodas and samosas for our lunch, and some desserts (read as soft drinks and ice-creams). We didn't bother much, food was secondary to us all! The game was what we came there for.
And the players returned for the last session of play. We had to go higher up in the stands to avoid the gleaming afternoon sun, which I had been resisting thus far. From the top most possible box, the view was exactly what they call "bird's eye"! The players on the field seemed to be miles away, but it was a different feel! When the 6th wicket fell, we thought it was a procession out there. New batsmen came and went, but Jesse Ryder held fort at the other end.
We had been wondering why McCullum (Baz) had not yet arrived at the crease till then, and had our own theories about it (injured, not playing, slept off etc). But now he arrived. And very soon, both Baz and Ryder had injuries on the ground... Ryder had a sore thigh or something, and Baz had pulled a muscle while going for a run. And, bot of them had an injury being carried into the match. So, as per the agreement between the captains, neither of the two were allowed a by-runner. And then on, it was more of stand-and-play, whereas MSD spread the field and made the two to run for their runs!
Nor did they run much, nor were they scoring much. It was a boring phase. A stalemate. And then, Ryder threw his wicket away to Bhajji towards the end of the day. Either he lost his concentration, or got tired of staying put... Either way, we folks got a big boost to enjoy the day on a happy note! We were all the team's expert now. Each of us knew exactly how to get the three remaining batsmen out within two overs the next day. This was the conversation we had on our lips as we walked toward the East to board a bus, leaving the stadium behind us. The stadium was dark on one side and was bathing a shade of bright red on the other side, courtesy the sun! A giant red ball, visible between two trees, it was a beautiful sight.
As we reached the cross-roads, the police patrol was busy directing the crowd so as to avoid any traffic jam. This place has no traffic problems any other time of the year. Just that 5000 vehicles swarm this place during the match-days! So, we cut around the corner and proceed to bus-stop..........STOP!!! The place was flooded by people! I bet 1000s of them! We were NEVER getting on board a bus if we are to wait for one there. So, we had an idea flash in front of us. We crossed the road, and boarded a bus going in the opposite direction, got down at the next stop and boarded the bus on our route from there! So, we saved time, and patience!
And by the time we reached "Burdi", which is the heart of the city, I had sore throat and hence, cough, cold, running nose and all its family members. I got some cough drops and an inhaler to help me fight through this. We bade goodbye to our little chap, and returned to our hostel. It was a cool evening, and a mild breeze blew across our face on the auto-trip back to room. I was tired, and wasn't even sure if I knew what I was talking to the people who wanted to know about the match. (there was a power cut in the hostel all day long, so we were the only ones who had seen the match! :-P ). After the dinner, I crashed into my bed and fell asleep!
The 2nd morning, same routine- got up early, bathed, left hostel by 7 am. This time, we went to that Burdi place to have our breakfast, to avoid putting our tummies to any risk. I was loaded with my cough drops and inhaler. (and we decided not to carry our charts today, no one noticed it, so, not worth the work).
We went to the stadium riding a tempo/share-auto... Some 13 people squeezed in a tiny space, and that included an Englishman, who seemed to be sarcastically impressed with it ("aah... can happen only in India"). The journey was quick, and we were there b 8 45.
The play began at 9 am. It was calm, and not many people were present when the play started. Baz left early, to Ishant. And now, the tail was in! Right below our bay, school kids ad started to flow in. They rushed inside in huge numbers and were scattering in all sides, which startled the ground staff, who were seated comfortably down there, without a thing to worry...till then! And now, they shoed them away from the railing and then made them sit on one side. LOUD cheers of "INDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA INDIAAAAAAAAA" echoed throughout the stadium, and we joined the chorus!
Today, Ishant got more cheer, the kids love him. And Gambir got "Captain Gauti" complements on being selected te previous night as the new captain for the following ODI series. He was blushing, to sum his expression! Ishant then knocked back Andy McKay's stumps! My favourite Indian bowler on the ground and him destroying the furniture was quite a sight!!! And the legendary batsman of the 21st century, Chris 'Phantom' Martin came in to bat along with the always promising Tim Southee. Martin was brilliant! No one could breach past him :-P . But Southee was now depositing balls towards our end. One fell short, one fell into our stands. First, we liked it. Then it grew irritating! And soon enough, he cheered us up by throwing his wicket away.
Viru called for it at mid on. Some of us saw the ball in the air coming down, the rest who didn't spot the ball looked at Viru. He pouched it and went into the dressing room, which was just behind him! NZ all out for 193... a little more that what we thought we could restrict them to.
And all of us were now craning our necks to have a good look of the dressing room. The umpires came in first, who got some cheer... Then came to Kiwis, who got a little more. After a few minutes of practice on the field, they came together for a huddle. but the attention shifted to the men who mattered - Indian Openers, Viru and Gauti!!!! The Delhi Duo have become very fearsome in the recent past, and we all were waiting since the previous day for this treat!
From now on, Viru and Gauti helped us lose some pounds of body weight. We were put to the duo's fitness regime of sit-and-stand exercise. We sat and waited for the ball to be bowled, which would be belted to some corner of the field, and we all got up to cheer out the name of the batsman who played the stroke. Occasionally, the celebration will feature dancing, slogan shouting, and in extreme case, swearing :-P . When Viru stepped out to Dan and deposited him over the long on boundary, we were surprised it was a 6! He hit it so effortlessly! Gauti was just creaming the ball between the gaps. The kiwis were just flightless! Lunch was called. Everyone took a breather. Openers wanted to get their breath back for some more brutal explicit cricket, the fielding team wanted to wake up from the unconsciousness, and we needed something in our tummy to fuel us through the subsequent sessions!
After a good lunch, the play resumed. Slow to start, picked up pace, and lost its steam when Viru got out. Then, in came Rahul Dravid, whom people didn't respect much due to his recent form. But I was more than happy to see him in. In my mind I had this imaginary book, and I put a tick mark next to "Watch Rahul Dravid play". He came in and played with unmatched charisma, so very conscious of what he was doing. A defensive stroke was so beautiful. A shot was so stunning, that we would wave a salute to him from the stands. Not for nothing is he "The Wall". Watching him play, was like watching poetry in motion, silken touch, handsome play(er)!
Gauti perished to a tame delivery, and another wonderful innings ended short of its destination. He now had his touch back in his armory and was ready to lead the side in ODIs. As Gauti left the ground, the crowd stood in appreciation, clapping loudly. After he left, the clapping stopped, but not a single soul sat down. All were awaiting the entry of the one man, claimed demi-God, the single man who has been breaking though every possible record...Sachin Tendulkar! This reception, might have been rarely received for someone who is just entering the pitch. I dont think Steve Waugh got this loud reception after his last innings in Sydney (if you remember the match, you know how big that innings meant to him personally, and to the team, having saved the test).
So, now, we have Sachin and Dravid out in the middle. Tea was called, and play resumed in 20 minutes. And for 35 balls, not a single run was taken. Which was making the crowd restless. When Sachin finally drove the ball down the ground for a couple, the whole stadium got up and cheered, in a mocking manner :-P ! Then on, the two settled in and played some exquisite strokes. Especially the ones straight down the ground, their feet so assured, the fielders' feet so immovable. The two were painting a beautiful cricketing match on the ground, while the sun was dipping into the horizons, painting a scene itself along with the landscape in the distant vicinity!
As the day ended, India already led the Kiwis by a big distance, and were comfortably in the driver's seat! Dravid and Sachin were in ominous touch! And now, we had so much to share, talk, discuss and relive!
I had enjoyed my two days at the stadium, my first ever attendance at an international cricket game. If at I had a wish not granted, it was watching VVS Laxman playing. He was the man I was hoping to see playing. He is my favourite batsman in the current set up. But, ah well, it was a very good experience. More so, because India was playing better and was all set to win this match, having saved one from the jaws of defeat and drawn the other "comfortably". As I went back to my hostel that evening, I was recollecting frames from the two days, reliving those moments. It was a nice feel, though my not-so-nice health brought me back to reality time and again.
Watch a cricket match in live attendance - check! :-)
(Looking forward to getting my hands on ticket for the world cup game (Ind-SA) :-) )
In came Sreesanth, and the match had begun! I was in the stadium with a thin, but noisy crowd, and noisy it sure was! Right from the word "GO", the kids were very busy with the loud horns and trumpets and whistles!
It looked very bright, sun was out above our head, and it was all so very well for cricket. In a few overs' time, Sreesanth had gotten India its first wicket! Guptil was out caught behind. Of course, we had no clue about the edge. The players celebrated, so did we ;-) . We had to wait for the replay to have a better look at what had happened. And the sun was shining on the screen, so, we couldn't see much of it at the first go, but the multiple replays helped! And very soon, their second wicket was also down... Sreesanth had uprooted McIntosh's stumps.. This was much clearer! The stumps were cartwheeling! It was such a wonderful sight! I just love it when a pacer beats the defense of a batsman and hits the stumps hard enough for the stump to take a walk!
Our favourite, Ross Taylor went in to bat, and he played some gorgeous drives on the off side, assisted by Bhajji's unsure fielding. But then, he wasn't going to stay in there for long, as Ishant and Ojha shared the duties in reducing the Kiwis to half their size by the time they went in for lunch.
All throughout that session, we had Sachin fielding near our stands. And he received, you know, thunderous welcome every time he came our way! To each of it, he would show his appreciation with a wave of hands, wearing a serene smile on his face! And on some other occasions, there would be Ishant or Gambhir. Both of whom got loud cheers from us. Ishant got "Complan Boy" cheers for sure! :-P
We had to settle for bread-pakodas and samosas for our lunch, and some desserts (read as soft drinks and ice-creams). We didn't bother much, food was secondary to us all! The game was what we came there for.
And the players returned for the last session of play. We had to go higher up in the stands to avoid the gleaming afternoon sun, which I had been resisting thus far. From the top most possible box, the view was exactly what they call "bird's eye"! The players on the field seemed to be miles away, but it was a different feel! When the 6th wicket fell, we thought it was a procession out there. New batsmen came and went, but Jesse Ryder held fort at the other end.
We had been wondering why McCullum (Baz) had not yet arrived at the crease till then, and had our own theories about it (injured, not playing, slept off etc). But now he arrived. And very soon, both Baz and Ryder had injuries on the ground... Ryder had a sore thigh or something, and Baz had pulled a muscle while going for a run. And, bot of them had an injury being carried into the match. So, as per the agreement between the captains, neither of the two were allowed a by-runner. And then on, it was more of stand-and-play, whereas MSD spread the field and made the two to run for their runs!
Nor did they run much, nor were they scoring much. It was a boring phase. A stalemate. And then, Ryder threw his wicket away to Bhajji towards the end of the day. Either he lost his concentration, or got tired of staying put... Either way, we folks got a big boost to enjoy the day on a happy note! We were all the team's expert now. Each of us knew exactly how to get the three remaining batsmen out within two overs the next day. This was the conversation we had on our lips as we walked toward the East to board a bus, leaving the stadium behind us. The stadium was dark on one side and was bathing a shade of bright red on the other side, courtesy the sun! A giant red ball, visible between two trees, it was a beautiful sight.
As we reached the cross-roads, the police patrol was busy directing the crowd so as to avoid any traffic jam. This place has no traffic problems any other time of the year. Just that 5000 vehicles swarm this place during the match-days! So, we cut around the corner and proceed to bus-stop..........STOP!!! The place was flooded by people! I bet 1000s of them! We were NEVER getting on board a bus if we are to wait for one there. So, we had an idea flash in front of us. We crossed the road, and boarded a bus going in the opposite direction, got down at the next stop and boarded the bus on our route from there! So, we saved time, and patience!
And by the time we reached "Burdi", which is the heart of the city, I had sore throat and hence, cough, cold, running nose and all its family members. I got some cough drops and an inhaler to help me fight through this. We bade goodbye to our little chap, and returned to our hostel. It was a cool evening, and a mild breeze blew across our face on the auto-trip back to room. I was tired, and wasn't even sure if I knew what I was talking to the people who wanted to know about the match. (there was a power cut in the hostel all day long, so we were the only ones who had seen the match! :-P ). After the dinner, I crashed into my bed and fell asleep!
The 2nd morning, same routine- got up early, bathed, left hostel by 7 am. This time, we went to that Burdi place to have our breakfast, to avoid putting our tummies to any risk. I was loaded with my cough drops and inhaler. (and we decided not to carry our charts today, no one noticed it, so, not worth the work).
We went to the stadium riding a tempo/share-auto... Some 13 people squeezed in a tiny space, and that included an Englishman, who seemed to be sarcastically impressed with it ("aah... can happen only in India"). The journey was quick, and we were there b 8 45.
The play began at 9 am. It was calm, and not many people were present when the play started. Baz left early, to Ishant. And now, the tail was in! Right below our bay, school kids ad started to flow in. They rushed inside in huge numbers and were scattering in all sides, which startled the ground staff, who were seated comfortably down there, without a thing to worry...till then! And now, they shoed them away from the railing and then made them sit on one side. LOUD cheers of "INDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA INDIAAAAAAAAA" echoed throughout the stadium, and we joined the chorus!
Today, Ishant got more cheer, the kids love him. And Gambir got "Captain Gauti" complements on being selected te previous night as the new captain for the following ODI series. He was blushing, to sum his expression! Ishant then knocked back Andy McKay's stumps! My favourite Indian bowler on the ground and him destroying the furniture was quite a sight!!! And the legendary batsman of the 21st century, Chris 'Phantom' Martin came in to bat along with the always promising Tim Southee. Martin was brilliant! No one could breach past him :-P . But Southee was now depositing balls towards our end. One fell short, one fell into our stands. First, we liked it. Then it grew irritating! And soon enough, he cheered us up by throwing his wicket away.
Viru called for it at mid on. Some of us saw the ball in the air coming down, the rest who didn't spot the ball looked at Viru. He pouched it and went into the dressing room, which was just behind him! NZ all out for 193... a little more that what we thought we could restrict them to.
And all of us were now craning our necks to have a good look of the dressing room. The umpires came in first, who got some cheer... Then came to Kiwis, who got a little more. After a few minutes of practice on the field, they came together for a huddle. but the attention shifted to the men who mattered - Indian Openers, Viru and Gauti!!!! The Delhi Duo have become very fearsome in the recent past, and we all were waiting since the previous day for this treat!
From now on, Viru and Gauti helped us lose some pounds of body weight. We were put to the duo's fitness regime of sit-and-stand exercise. We sat and waited for the ball to be bowled, which would be belted to some corner of the field, and we all got up to cheer out the name of the batsman who played the stroke. Occasionally, the celebration will feature dancing, slogan shouting, and in extreme case, swearing :-P . When Viru stepped out to Dan and deposited him over the long on boundary, we were surprised it was a 6! He hit it so effortlessly! Gauti was just creaming the ball between the gaps. The kiwis were just flightless! Lunch was called. Everyone took a breather. Openers wanted to get their breath back for some more brutal explicit cricket, the fielding team wanted to wake up from the unconsciousness, and we needed something in our tummy to fuel us through the subsequent sessions!
After a good lunch, the play resumed. Slow to start, picked up pace, and lost its steam when Viru got out. Then, in came Rahul Dravid, whom people didn't respect much due to his recent form. But I was more than happy to see him in. In my mind I had this imaginary book, and I put a tick mark next to "Watch Rahul Dravid play". He came in and played with unmatched charisma, so very conscious of what he was doing. A defensive stroke was so beautiful. A shot was so stunning, that we would wave a salute to him from the stands. Not for nothing is he "The Wall". Watching him play, was like watching poetry in motion, silken touch, handsome play(er)!
Gauti perished to a tame delivery, and another wonderful innings ended short of its destination. He now had his touch back in his armory and was ready to lead the side in ODIs. As Gauti left the ground, the crowd stood in appreciation, clapping loudly. After he left, the clapping stopped, but not a single soul sat down. All were awaiting the entry of the one man, claimed demi-God, the single man who has been breaking though every possible record...Sachin Tendulkar! This reception, might have been rarely received for someone who is just entering the pitch. I dont think Steve Waugh got this loud reception after his last innings in Sydney (if you remember the match, you know how big that innings meant to him personally, and to the team, having saved the test).
So, now, we have Sachin and Dravid out in the middle. Tea was called, and play resumed in 20 minutes. And for 35 balls, not a single run was taken. Which was making the crowd restless. When Sachin finally drove the ball down the ground for a couple, the whole stadium got up and cheered, in a mocking manner :-P ! Then on, the two settled in and played some exquisite strokes. Especially the ones straight down the ground, their feet so assured, the fielders' feet so immovable. The two were painting a beautiful cricketing match on the ground, while the sun was dipping into the horizons, painting a scene itself along with the landscape in the distant vicinity!
As the day ended, India already led the Kiwis by a big distance, and were comfortably in the driver's seat! Dravid and Sachin were in ominous touch! And now, we had so much to share, talk, discuss and relive!
I had enjoyed my two days at the stadium, my first ever attendance at an international cricket game. If at I had a wish not granted, it was watching VVS Laxman playing. He was the man I was hoping to see playing. He is my favourite batsman in the current set up. But, ah well, it was a very good experience. More so, because India was playing better and was all set to win this match, having saved one from the jaws of defeat and drawn the other "comfortably". As I went back to my hostel that evening, I was recollecting frames from the two days, reliving those moments. It was a nice feel, though my not-so-nice health brought me back to reality time and again.
Watch a cricket match in live attendance - check! :-)
(Looking forward to getting my hands on ticket for the world cup game (Ind-SA) :-) )
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Women Empowerment, the target still remains a dream
What should've been done ages ago, still remains as a continuous process "under construction". Women Empowerment, a phrase pledged by many, kept by only a few.
Ancient India was a land of richness and equality. Women enjoyed equality, and it was not looked upon as a discrimination on the basis of gender. Women were treated with divinity and respect. Women with treated with love, women were treated just as any other human being.
But by around 500 BC or so, their status began to decline at the hands of men. Things started to change. The Mughal rule and the European invasion made things worse. Women went on to become social slaves. Women fell innocent preys to social stigmas, "sati", the worst of them. Men made rules for the women. Purdah system stepped in. Dowry came as a monetory value of compensation on marriage, as if men thought women are not worth their level, and the gap had to be compensated with money and other valuables. Women weren't allowed to see/enjoy the world beyond the walls of the house they were "kept" in. There were a few notable leaders who tried to educate the people on equality, Guru Nanak being one of the most famous of them. But there were too many people to be educated, and very less number of teachers!
The "british raj" made things even worse, when they portrayed the Indian women a lot darker. Leaders grew large in number against such treatment. Some brave women broke stigmas, made some name for themselves and encouraged women to break free. Chennamma of Kittur and Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi were both queens of large respected states and enjoyed comfort in their own places. But these were the women who took their rights to their hands and defeated the british army all by themselves.
And then on we have had so many other names... But in the 21st century, the finishing line with "Women Empowerment" is a very hazy far figure, yet to be neared.
Yes, we have political leaders, actors, players, businesswomen, technocrats and all. But, do you think they are representing the common women, with regards to mental peace? I mean to say, do you think a common woman enjoys the same amount of peace and security as these people? Go on a walk around your neighbour-hood. You will come across the general people, kids, teenagers, elders, shopkeepers, working janta and vehicle pliers. Do you not see, in some way or the other, the women still a storey below where they must be? Women walk out of their home with a confidence to achieve what they dream of, but so many of those are short lived because of social stigmas. And most, if not all, are because of men... The small percentage (not-men) is due to the women of yester-generation who are unwilling to give up unsocial beliefs.
With no direct offence meant to any individual, I proceed to cite some unanswered issues.
I love sports, probably most of you know that. So, I begin with the same. In the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, the cricket crazy Indian nation was introduced to some Haryaanvi girls. I do agree, I did not know most of them. But once they did come up in the news, I tracked their history. I'll give you just a couple of examples. Haryana is a land known for agriculture, and wrestling. We've seen many many wrestlers come from Haryanvi families, and India is proud of them. This time, the limelight was taken with authority by the girls from the state.
First example - sisters Geeta and Babita. Geeta won gold,and Babita won silver in their respective categories in wrestling. Their father is a wrestler and he taught them bravery. He sent them to training sessions with the coaches of the Wrestling Federation of India. He encouraged them, and instilled the fact that they have in them what it takes to win! And despite the fellow villagers objecting to sending "their girls" for sports, despite all the loathing, the girls went on with their hearts full of confidence and returned with their heads held high. And the fellow villagers? They now hail them as the "Lions of the Village". Babita recalls that she used to be teased when she rode her bike and sported short hair, being told "that is not what girls do. go back to your home and stay indoors". She is not afraid to tackle any man, and now the men do know what she is capable of.
The second example - India's Golden girl, Saina Nehwal. She hails from Haryana is proud of that, but grew up in Hyderabad. She shares the feelings of the other sportswomen from Haryana. Saina recollects that her grandmother was actually sad that it was a girl baby, she wanted a boy! She refused to look at Saina for more than a month! But when India's last gold medal was in sight, which would guarantee a second place on the final medals tally for India, the heart of over a million Idian was pounding for this girl, the prayers of them all directed towards her. And she had a superb comeback victory that scripted India's Silver medal place on the final charts.
Haryana's sex ratio is 847 women to 1000 men.
While Indian men's hockey team gets all the attention and service, the women team, for long periods were bunked in low class hostel and had to wash their own clothes and paid low fees. Utter discrimination? YES!
Moving on...
Do you think all the cine-stars are happy with the top-level status? Well, not many. Sometimes, stardom hurts. more so, for the ladies.
Pamela Anderson arrived in India a few weeks ago, and it took her just 2 minutes to start hating the Indian men. She never thought India was full of people who "wanted to touch her".
1. this showed that she never pictured it up before, meaning, the foreigners do assume Indians to be well behaved; 2. now she will always regret having that prejudice before coming to India, and with her number and level of contacts back at home, many more will share the same. Those "desperate" people have let the whole nation down, thanks to their attitude to women!
Gul Panag, once contested Miss Universe representing India (having won Miss India in 1999) was in New Delhi for the marathon last month. And when she had finished the race, she had just nothing but complaints, about the men. She complained that the men groped her during the marathon. This was an international marathon, and she was a woman of utmost respect, who knew how to handle the media, and the word spread like a wild fire across the country and beyond the international borders! She said that when she fell down, men took the chance to grope her instead of helping her back onto her feet! And added, if she had to complain, it had to be against all men of the city, which was improbable to do, and hence didn't make a complaint, else she was ready to complain. My friend who works in Delhi agreed about the indifferent attitude of Delhi men towards women.
New Delhi is the capital of India. Not setting a good example with that! The problem is not domestic any more.
Coming to advertisements on print or television media. If the ads for deodorants and shampoos and soaps and hair gel and cigarettes and liquor and casual wears all come to portray the thought of "women will be turned of if you use it", I am telling you, it is not helping the case, but making it worse! I don't think any women will, on a sane note, agree to sell a product after being exploited on any level.
Indian janta loves its actresses. They will queue in front of any theatre to watch a movie, just for the sake of the actress with shameless phrases on their lips (like "arrey, woh pakka maal hai" or, "sariyaana figure aval..paarthae aaganum"), why don't I see that many women as brand ambassadors for commodities. I just saw a list of Indians with highest endorsements. it had Amitabh, Dhoni, Sachin, Shah Rukh, Akshay Kumar and few other men... NOT a single woman! I bet hands down, Aishwarya Rai has done more than what most male actors have. I bet Saina Nehwal has achieved a fandom more than some male sportsmen. But no, Indian advertisers will have ads on TV with men. But when it comes to print media, there will be a skimpily clad girl on left side to catch your attention and the text on the right side for you to read. Typical advertising idea, which worked on men. Why, aren't women also potential customers?
Solution?
There are a lot of examples which you can share too. People have to take this issue onto a whole new serious level. The current and next generation must live in a better atmosphere. It must be built on trust, and the trust must come from the current and older generation. For this, the older gen must be taught about the freedom the women folk deserve by right! And then, there will be more and more, if not all, willing to live and let live. I am pretty sure many have ideas that can be put into effect at some level. You can start it by changing the mentality of some men around you, help women stand on their own feet and feel that every one of them is worth the immense knowledge and intelligence and are not a puppet held by others!
India will then make a faster move towards the freedom described by the Father of out Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who said that true freedom will achieved only when our women can walk the streets of our nation in the night without any fear.
Ancient India was a land of richness and equality. Women enjoyed equality, and it was not looked upon as a discrimination on the basis of gender. Women were treated with divinity and respect. Women with treated with love, women were treated just as any other human being.
But by around 500 BC or so, their status began to decline at the hands of men. Things started to change. The Mughal rule and the European invasion made things worse. Women went on to become social slaves. Women fell innocent preys to social stigmas, "sati", the worst of them. Men made rules for the women. Purdah system stepped in. Dowry came as a monetory value of compensation on marriage, as if men thought women are not worth their level, and the gap had to be compensated with money and other valuables. Women weren't allowed to see/enjoy the world beyond the walls of the house they were "kept" in. There were a few notable leaders who tried to educate the people on equality, Guru Nanak being one of the most famous of them. But there were too many people to be educated, and very less number of teachers!
The "british raj" made things even worse, when they portrayed the Indian women a lot darker. Leaders grew large in number against such treatment. Some brave women broke stigmas, made some name for themselves and encouraged women to break free. Chennamma of Kittur and Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi were both queens of large respected states and enjoyed comfort in their own places. But these were the women who took their rights to their hands and defeated the british army all by themselves.
And then on we have had so many other names... But in the 21st century, the finishing line with "Women Empowerment" is a very hazy far figure, yet to be neared.
Yes, we have political leaders, actors, players, businesswomen, technocrats and all. But, do you think they are representing the common women, with regards to mental peace? I mean to say, do you think a common woman enjoys the same amount of peace and security as these people? Go on a walk around your neighbour-hood. You will come across the general people, kids, teenagers, elders, shopkeepers, working janta and vehicle pliers. Do you not see, in some way or the other, the women still a storey below where they must be? Women walk out of their home with a confidence to achieve what they dream of, but so many of those are short lived because of social stigmas. And most, if not all, are because of men... The small percentage (not-men) is due to the women of yester-generation who are unwilling to give up unsocial beliefs.
With no direct offence meant to any individual, I proceed to cite some unanswered issues.
I love sports, probably most of you know that. So, I begin with the same. In the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, the cricket crazy Indian nation was introduced to some Haryaanvi girls. I do agree, I did not know most of them. But once they did come up in the news, I tracked their history. I'll give you just a couple of examples. Haryana is a land known for agriculture, and wrestling. We've seen many many wrestlers come from Haryanvi families, and India is proud of them. This time, the limelight was taken with authority by the girls from the state.
First example - sisters Geeta and Babita. Geeta won gold,and Babita won silver in their respective categories in wrestling. Their father is a wrestler and he taught them bravery. He sent them to training sessions with the coaches of the Wrestling Federation of India. He encouraged them, and instilled the fact that they have in them what it takes to win! And despite the fellow villagers objecting to sending "their girls" for sports, despite all the loathing, the girls went on with their hearts full of confidence and returned with their heads held high. And the fellow villagers? They now hail them as the "Lions of the Village". Babita recalls that she used to be teased when she rode her bike and sported short hair, being told "that is not what girls do. go back to your home and stay indoors". She is not afraid to tackle any man, and now the men do know what she is capable of.
The second example - India's Golden girl, Saina Nehwal. She hails from Haryana is proud of that, but grew up in Hyderabad. She shares the feelings of the other sportswomen from Haryana. Saina recollects that her grandmother was actually sad that it was a girl baby, she wanted a boy! She refused to look at Saina for more than a month! But when India's last gold medal was in sight, which would guarantee a second place on the final medals tally for India, the heart of over a million Idian was pounding for this girl, the prayers of them all directed towards her. And she had a superb comeback victory that scripted India's Silver medal place on the final charts.
Haryana's sex ratio is 847 women to 1000 men.
While Indian men's hockey team gets all the attention and service, the women team, for long periods were bunked in low class hostel and had to wash their own clothes and paid low fees. Utter discrimination? YES!
Moving on...
Do you think all the cine-stars are happy with the top-level status? Well, not many. Sometimes, stardom hurts. more so, for the ladies.
Pamela Anderson arrived in India a few weeks ago, and it took her just 2 minutes to start hating the Indian men. She never thought India was full of people who "wanted to touch her".
1. this showed that she never pictured it up before, meaning, the foreigners do assume Indians to be well behaved; 2. now she will always regret having that prejudice before coming to India, and with her number and level of contacts back at home, many more will share the same. Those "desperate" people have let the whole nation down, thanks to their attitude to women!
Gul Panag, once contested Miss Universe representing India (having won Miss India in 1999) was in New Delhi for the marathon last month. And when she had finished the race, she had just nothing but complaints, about the men. She complained that the men groped her during the marathon. This was an international marathon, and she was a woman of utmost respect, who knew how to handle the media, and the word spread like a wild fire across the country and beyond the international borders! She said that when she fell down, men took the chance to grope her instead of helping her back onto her feet! And added, if she had to complain, it had to be against all men of the city, which was improbable to do, and hence didn't make a complaint, else she was ready to complain. My friend who works in Delhi agreed about the indifferent attitude of Delhi men towards women.
New Delhi is the capital of India. Not setting a good example with that! The problem is not domestic any more.
Coming to advertisements on print or television media. If the ads for deodorants and shampoos and soaps and hair gel and cigarettes and liquor and casual wears all come to portray the thought of "women will be turned of if you use it", I am telling you, it is not helping the case, but making it worse! I don't think any women will, on a sane note, agree to sell a product after being exploited on any level.
Indian janta loves its actresses. They will queue in front of any theatre to watch a movie, just for the sake of the actress with shameless phrases on their lips (like "arrey, woh pakka maal hai" or, "sariyaana figure aval..paarthae aaganum"), why don't I see that many women as brand ambassadors for commodities. I just saw a list of Indians with highest endorsements. it had Amitabh, Dhoni, Sachin, Shah Rukh, Akshay Kumar and few other men... NOT a single woman! I bet hands down, Aishwarya Rai has done more than what most male actors have. I bet Saina Nehwal has achieved a fandom more than some male sportsmen. But no, Indian advertisers will have ads on TV with men. But when it comes to print media, there will be a skimpily clad girl on left side to catch your attention and the text on the right side for you to read. Typical advertising idea, which worked on men. Why, aren't women also potential customers?
Solution?
There are a lot of examples which you can share too. People have to take this issue onto a whole new serious level. The current and next generation must live in a better atmosphere. It must be built on trust, and the trust must come from the current and older generation. For this, the older gen must be taught about the freedom the women folk deserve by right! And then, there will be more and more, if not all, willing to live and let live. I am pretty sure many have ideas that can be put into effect at some level. You can start it by changing the mentality of some men around you, help women stand on their own feet and feel that every one of them is worth the immense knowledge and intelligence and are not a puppet held by others!
India will then make a faster move towards the freedom described by the Father of out Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who said that true freedom will achieved only when our women can walk the streets of our nation in the night without any fear.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Journey to the 22 yards, Part 1
On a toss between which blog should host this post, this blog won fair and square... (whats so fair about square?)
A couple of weeks ago, around this time, I had just returned from a little stationery shopping - charts and markers. No, I didn't have a presentation the following day in my college. It was going to be my first ever attendance at a cricket stadium for a test match! India was to take on New Zealand at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha/Nagpur. And, I was excited about it, felt like a kid!
Having missed out on a chance to attend a test match a couple of years ago (Ind-Eng @ Madras) thanks to the hefty security that left more security personnel in the stadium than spectators, I was looking forward to this game for more than 2 months! Day 1 and 2 were on the weekend, and "the stage was set" (sorry for being Ravi Shastrish)
Back to the present... I spread the chart paper on my bed, stared at it, my eye focusing way beyond it. It was one of those situations where you don't know what to do, because you have too much going on in your mind. My roommate came by, picked up one of those charts, wrote one in expectation of Sachin's 50th ton. My brain cells couldn't win a war over the what I should write, and after dinner, when I zeroed in on what to write about, I had no choice of words to put in". So, I went out for another walk for some edible shopping, which we finished off later that night during a party thrown by my classmate who was about to leave for greener pastures.
Anyway, it was nearing midnight, and I wanted to sleep, thinking I would write after I go to the stadium, and went to bed.
Got up at 5 30 next morning, soon enough woke my roommate. I took bath in the cold shower. Noticed that there was a power cut. And with some time on hand before the planned departure, I finally arrived at what I wanted to write. (keep the drum rolls coming, its on the way). Scwibbled it on the charts, wrapped it up and we were ready. the third guy of the group arrived, and we left the campus in search of an auto the bus stop. Nothing starts early in the morning in this part of the country. (catalyst - wintry chillness, and a little bit of rain)
We finally got one and reached the bus stop (Chatrapathi) and we had to wait for my friend's 10 year old cousin to join us. In the meantime, one bus, not very crowded, went past us. Assured by my friend that there will be many more of them we waited for the little chap to arrive. He did very soon, and we were off. A standing ride to the stadium, but not painful, then began! The highway was beautiful, black road, green surroundings. A cool wind eclipsing the picture of yellow sunshine. When the Caribbeans sang "Sun is shining, and the weather is sweet", they probably meant this.
A little further was a 10 minute break at a petrol station. And then, we went past the hotel where the players were staying (but they were already at the stadium). In 10-15 minutes, we were at Jamtha. From a mile away, the stadium was looking beautiful! A neat white structure with tall floodlight towers, and peeking holes portraying the yellow/blue/green/purple seats in the background. Seeing is believing.
Once we got down, we cut down that one mile between us and the stadium. We had to buy the tickets. We were walking straight down the road and we almost went past one asbestos shed bunker that could've easily slipped past us as a tea hawker's shop, caught my attention. Someone was putting up a banner on it... the sign read "Tickets here". And we went on for it. "Bay E, Level 1, seats 31-34" it read. And each one of us had our own version of where it was. And enthusiastically, we reached the gates of the stadium. my roommate pointed out Laxman Sivaramakrishnan in the Toyota Innova that went past us and into the VIP gate. LSK was about to wear his sunglass in the car. I thought he was going to sing a song for us, but that will be just me...
With the stubborn guards not allowing us in even after 9 pm for a match that was scheduled to start at 9 30, the twitter updates from cricinfo and NDTV were the only things that kept us "within the game" that time. Then came the security check. He looks at the charts and says, "what are these?". C'mon Mr Policeman, what did you expect a chart paper to have, my report card? he opens, and reads them... Don't know whether he read them or not. he fouund one of them empty (we thought of making one if something exciting happened during the course of the game. He said, "no, you are not allowed to take in empty charts! strict order". And he takes away the empty chart (also my bag with a couple of water bottles in them. But then, gave my bag to a shopkeeper to safeguard it instead).
Finally one stadium manager who seemed to be driving down that way found us all waiting outside, and immediately rang up the subordinates and asked them to open all the gates. he apologized to us on the gatekeepers' behalf. So sweet. The same policeman, who takes the empty chart away, allowed me to take pen and markers inside. Funny? Stupid!
We enter what we think is our bay, get through the security checks and get seated right near the boundary line! WOW! what a view! The ground was greener than the green crayon you used in your kindergarten. And there was a camel near the pitch. Oops, sorry, that was Ishant Sharma! 6'5", no kidding! he was taller than all present on the ground!
The sign on the little big screen said "match delayed due to wet outfield". There was sun shining at most parts of the ground, but there was one shady part near the east side, which was still wet due to rain in the previous afternoon. "Supersoppers" were put on heavy duty. Saw dust was sprayed around and the advertising boards were cleaned. Sunil Gavaskar was frantically waving his hand in front of the camera, explaining something to the television viewers... No play for a while. The whole area under the shade was to be blotched out dry! It would take some time.
And we were informed by the ground staff that we were in the wrong tier, and we were supposed to be on the first tier, and me huffed and puffed and made it to the top tier. The view was more clear now, whole ground visible!
So, the play was delayed... But, we were not sad. It was a first-time for all four of us here, and we were all so very excited to see the Kiwi players practicing near our side of the ground.McCullum, Ryder, Martins, Guptil, Hopkins, Jeetan Patel, Southee, Taylor, and of course, NZ's beautiful physio Miss WhateverhernameWhocares. Taylor was the only one who would respond to our cheering, whenever we called his name. He would wear that handsome smile and wave his hands, and we would go frenzy over that and try our chance at the other players. When none of them responded, we were back at Taylor again, who didn't disappoint us :-) . ( "I'm just a kid" )
Near the Pavilion (Southern side) were the Indian players practicing. Ojha running, Srisanth and Ishant bowling, Sehwag throwing balls for MSD to bat. And at the far end (west) was Sachin, with coach Gary for some fielding practice. And, the west stands were flooded with school kids. Once they saw Sachin their side, they rushed to that corner of the stands, like water collecting towards one side of a tilted conical flask! And boy, can they shout! Every time Sachin caught a ball, the noise from that section of the ground was loud enough to catch the attention of anyone on the train that runs on the track behind the stadium!
Nearing 11 am, players went in for lunch, sighting no chance of play anytime soon. the kits were still on the ground suggesting play wasn't going to start for more than "anytime soon". After some more ground inspections by the referee and umpires and groundsmen, between which supersoppers and ground staffs were working out hard, the call came in that the game would start at 12 30 pm! At 12 noon, there would be toss. Sunny Gavaskar did a pitch report. It was a touch green, supposedly hard and thought to favour batsmen. The mic Sunny had was not connected to the ground audio-system. So, we didn't hear what he said about the pitch. But I was very very excited. This was the perfect time for me to bring out my chart! I un-rolled it, opened it and waved it enthusiastically! It read "Make Earth Greener. Make Pitches Greener. Save Test Cricket" . And after Sunny's talk, I pinned it there on the railing with some wiring me and the little chap found there.
Ravi Shastri ( I think) hosted the toss, and the captains were out there with the match referee. MSD tossed it up, and Ravi Shastri went to Vettori with the mic. So, it meant NZ haf won the toss. And it, by default, meant NZ were batting. Many of us were expecting to see the likes of Viru and Sachin and Laxman out there, but we were just as excited to see all of the them walk into the field together!
Sarva-darshan!
We quickly spotted them all one by one as they came out of the dressing room. Dravid was the second last, Sachin the prestige!
And then came in the Kiwi openers!
Game set. Umpires called "Play" and Sreesanth steamed in with the ball, the ground with fresh throats screaming at the top of the voice and the local vuvuzelas echoing...
to be continued..... .... ... .. .
A couple of weeks ago, around this time, I had just returned from a little stationery shopping - charts and markers. No, I didn't have a presentation the following day in my college. It was going to be my first ever attendance at a cricket stadium for a test match! India was to take on New Zealand at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha/Nagpur. And, I was excited about it, felt like a kid!
Having missed out on a chance to attend a test match a couple of years ago (Ind-Eng @ Madras) thanks to the hefty security that left more security personnel in the stadium than spectators, I was looking forward to this game for more than 2 months! Day 1 and 2 were on the weekend, and "the stage was set" (sorry for being Ravi Shastrish)
Back to the present... I spread the chart paper on my bed, stared at it, my eye focusing way beyond it. It was one of those situations where you don't know what to do, because you have too much going on in your mind. My roommate came by, picked up one of those charts, wrote one in expectation of Sachin's 50th ton. My brain cells couldn't win a war over the what I should write, and after dinner, when I zeroed in on what to write about, I had no choice of words to put in". So, I went out for another walk for some edible shopping, which we finished off later that night during a party thrown by my classmate who was about to leave for greener pastures.
Anyway, it was nearing midnight, and I wanted to sleep, thinking I would write after I go to the stadium, and went to bed.
Got up at 5 30 next morning, soon enough woke my roommate. I took bath in the cold shower. Noticed that there was a power cut. And with some time on hand before the planned departure, I finally arrived at what I wanted to write. (keep the drum rolls coming, its on the way). Scwibbled it on the charts, wrapped it up and we were ready. the third guy of the group arrived, and we left the campus in search of an auto the bus stop. Nothing starts early in the morning in this part of the country. (catalyst - wintry chillness, and a little bit of rain)
We finally got one and reached the bus stop (Chatrapathi) and we had to wait for my friend's 10 year old cousin to join us. In the meantime, one bus, not very crowded, went past us. Assured by my friend that there will be many more of them we waited for the little chap to arrive. He did very soon, and we were off. A standing ride to the stadium, but not painful, then began! The highway was beautiful, black road, green surroundings. A cool wind eclipsing the picture of yellow sunshine. When the Caribbeans sang "Sun is shining, and the weather is sweet", they probably meant this.
A little further was a 10 minute break at a petrol station. And then, we went past the hotel where the players were staying (but they were already at the stadium). In 10-15 minutes, we were at Jamtha. From a mile away, the stadium was looking beautiful! A neat white structure with tall floodlight towers, and peeking holes portraying the yellow/blue/green/purple seats in the background. Seeing is believing.
Once we got down, we cut down that one mile between us and the stadium. We had to buy the tickets. We were walking straight down the road and we almost went past one asbestos shed bunker that could've easily slipped past us as a tea hawker's shop, caught my attention. Someone was putting up a banner on it... the sign read "Tickets here". And we went on for it. "Bay E, Level 1, seats 31-34" it read. And each one of us had our own version of where it was. And enthusiastically, we reached the gates of the stadium. my roommate pointed out Laxman Sivaramakrishnan in the Toyota Innova that went past us and into the VIP gate. LSK was about to wear his sunglass in the car. I thought he was going to sing a song for us, but that will be just me...
With the stubborn guards not allowing us in even after 9 pm for a match that was scheduled to start at 9 30, the twitter updates from cricinfo and NDTV were the only things that kept us "within the game" that time. Then came the security check. He looks at the charts and says, "what are these?". C'mon Mr Policeman, what did you expect a chart paper to have, my report card? he opens, and reads them... Don't know whether he read them or not. he fouund one of them empty (we thought of making one if something exciting happened during the course of the game. He said, "no, you are not allowed to take in empty charts! strict order". And he takes away the empty chart (also my bag with a couple of water bottles in them. But then, gave my bag to a shopkeeper to safeguard it instead).
Finally one stadium manager who seemed to be driving down that way found us all waiting outside, and immediately rang up the subordinates and asked them to open all the gates. he apologized to us on the gatekeepers' behalf. So sweet. The same policeman, who takes the empty chart away, allowed me to take pen and markers inside. Funny? Stupid!
We enter what we think is our bay, get through the security checks and get seated right near the boundary line! WOW! what a view! The ground was greener than the green crayon you used in your kindergarten. And there was a camel near the pitch. Oops, sorry, that was Ishant Sharma! 6'5", no kidding! he was taller than all present on the ground!
The sign on the little big screen said "match delayed due to wet outfield". There was sun shining at most parts of the ground, but there was one shady part near the east side, which was still wet due to rain in the previous afternoon. "Supersoppers" were put on heavy duty. Saw dust was sprayed around and the advertising boards were cleaned. Sunil Gavaskar was frantically waving his hand in front of the camera, explaining something to the television viewers... No play for a while. The whole area under the shade was to be blotched out dry! It would take some time.
And we were informed by the ground staff that we were in the wrong tier, and we were supposed to be on the first tier, and me huffed and puffed and made it to the top tier. The view was more clear now, whole ground visible!
So, the play was delayed... But, we were not sad. It was a first-time for all four of us here, and we were all so very excited to see the Kiwi players practicing near our side of the ground.McCullum, Ryder, Martins, Guptil, Hopkins, Jeetan Patel, Southee, Taylor, and of course, NZ's beautiful physio Miss WhateverhernameWhocares. Taylor was the only one who would respond to our cheering, whenever we called his name. He would wear that handsome smile and wave his hands, and we would go frenzy over that and try our chance at the other players. When none of them responded, we were back at Taylor again, who didn't disappoint us :-) . ( "I'm just a kid" )
Near the Pavilion (Southern side) were the Indian players practicing. Ojha running, Srisanth and Ishant bowling, Sehwag throwing balls for MSD to bat. And at the far end (west) was Sachin, with coach Gary for some fielding practice. And, the west stands were flooded with school kids. Once they saw Sachin their side, they rushed to that corner of the stands, like water collecting towards one side of a tilted conical flask! And boy, can they shout! Every time Sachin caught a ball, the noise from that section of the ground was loud enough to catch the attention of anyone on the train that runs on the track behind the stadium!
Nearing 11 am, players went in for lunch, sighting no chance of play anytime soon. the kits were still on the ground suggesting play wasn't going to start for more than "anytime soon". After some more ground inspections by the referee and umpires and groundsmen, between which supersoppers and ground staffs were working out hard, the call came in that the game would start at 12 30 pm! At 12 noon, there would be toss. Sunny Gavaskar did a pitch report. It was a touch green, supposedly hard and thought to favour batsmen. The mic Sunny had was not connected to the ground audio-system. So, we didn't hear what he said about the pitch. But I was very very excited. This was the perfect time for me to bring out my chart! I un-rolled it, opened it and waved it enthusiastically! It read "Make Earth Greener. Make Pitches Greener. Save Test Cricket" . And after Sunny's talk, I pinned it there on the railing with some wiring me and the little chap found there.
Ravi Shastri ( I think) hosted the toss, and the captains were out there with the match referee. MSD tossed it up, and Ravi Shastri went to Vettori with the mic. So, it meant NZ haf won the toss. And it, by default, meant NZ were batting. Many of us were expecting to see the likes of Viru and Sachin and Laxman out there, but we were just as excited to see all of the them walk into the field together!
Sarva-darshan!
We quickly spotted them all one by one as they came out of the dressing room. Dravid was the second last, Sachin the prestige!
And then came in the Kiwi openers!
Game set. Umpires called "Play" and Sreesanth steamed in with the ball, the ground with fresh throats screaming at the top of the voice and the local vuvuzelas echoing...
to be continued..... .... ... .. .
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