“Ours is the worst government in the world. We appeal to the Indian Government to help us. We want to go back and live in our country”, thus reverberated the strong voice of the frail elderly Burmese national throughout the hall. It echoed the sentiments and brought forth the pain of millions of Burmese citizens at the Constitution Club here on Wednesday.
It was a congregation that aimed to urge and motivate the Indians to stand up and contribute towards the release of Burmese leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and help the cause of democracy in Myanmar. Member of Burmese Parliament Dr.Tint Swe rightly expressed his surprise over the silence of India on the whole issue. The ‘issue’ is not just the protection of human rights, but also the overthrowing of the dictatorial military Junta regime there.
Burma has been under this tyranny for the last 47 years. San Suu Kyi, the recipient of Nobel Peace Prize (1991) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1993), stood on the verge of Myanmar’s reversal of fortunes in 1989 when for the first time free elections were held. However, she was immediately put under house arrest and elections were cancelled when her party, National League for Democracy (NLD), secured a landslide victory.
Since then she has always been in and out of prison, and in 2003 she was convicted for six years. Today was supposed to be the day of her release but for the past two weeks she is again on trial for some trumped up excuse.
“The regime is clearly afraid that she would bring all the people of Burma together and cause their downfall. Without her, there can be no reconciliation in Burma. India should not be blinded by its economic interests and should not support the present inhuman establishment there”, said Ms.Thin Thin Aung, Presidium Board Member, Women League of Burma. She also opined that India’s silence would risk its own internal security, referring to the unstable situation in the north-eastern states.
Actor and Social Activist Nandita Das also expressed her embarrassment over the fact that India, the proclaimed protector of human rights, needed selfish reasons to be woken up.
“The reason why we are speaking to a sterile government is because we have not understood the Burmese resistance”, held filmmaker Amar Kanwar, thus pushing for a thrust in the movement.
Many Burmese have been forced to flee their native land and stay in India as illegal immigrants. It is a matter of great concern for them as their own homeland is not theirs.
Eminent veterans Ms. Jaya Jaitly and Mr. George Fernandes also expressed their solidarity and support for the cause of the Burmese, reassuring them of a brighter future and the restoration of democracy.
“In our time, we will repent not on the evil deeds of the bad but on the silences of the good” once predicted Martin Luther King. The prediction has proved to be true.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A fitting finale
It was a bolt from the ‘Deccan’ for Vijay Mallya’s team as the men in blue from Hyderabad pulled rabbit out of a hat to lift the IPL trophy at Johannesburg on Sunday. Royal Challengers fell short by 6 runs in their pursuit of a paltry 143 as the Deccan Chargers held their nerves to shape a perfect close to their fairy tale.
In the post match presentation that followed the hour-long grand closing ceremony, one felt for the dejected Anil Kumble whose team came so close. However, it was a phenomenal rise of Gilchrist’s team this season as they finished toppers of the league as compared to a lowly eighth in the inaugural edition last year.
The reversal of fortunes involved not only immense hard work, but also a combination of self-belief, winning strategies and an ideal blend of youth and experience. The whole team rallied around their leader and gave it their all. Purple cap holder RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha bowled brilliantly and Rohit Sharma with his composed batting was a sensation. Gilchrist and Gibbs were superb at the top of the innings, and the lesser players such as Harmeet Singh also contributed their bit with the ball and in the field. It was a complete team effort.
A year ago the same team performed miserably and finished last. Dubbed as the ‘best team on paper’, they failed to win more than two matches. Flashes of brilliance from Gilchrist and Symonds were of no avail as there was no unity among the players. They proved to be the ‘punching bag’ as nothing went right for the team and the franchise. It was a different story this time.
As Gilchrist himself confessed, he wanted his players to treat every delivery in their matches as “the most important thing in their lives at that instant”, thus striving to bring the best out of them. A perfectionist that he is, he fixed his team’s mistakes and shortcomings with a constructive approach and renewed freshness that played the role of a catalyst in the amazing turnaround in their performances. His own contribution has been nothing short of a revelation – after having retired from international cricket for more than a year, he amassed close to 500 runs in the tournament. He was always seen guiding and motivating his troops from behind the stumps with enthusiasm that epitomised the positive change in the mindset of the players.
His innings of 85 against the Delhi Daredevils in the Semi-finals was an absolute treat – one of the finest innings in any form of the sport.
Last year, it was the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals who had stunned even the experts by winning the IPL. It provides all the hope and motivation to the infamous Kolkata Knight Riders to bounce back from their ordinary show this season amidst endless controversies fuelled by a suspicious blogger.
Although undesirable, one feels ‘the controversies’ will be here to stay as it presents the ‘spice’ in the whole movie that is the IPL. Indian Premier League, however, has undoubtedly provided a handful of surprises in both seasons and entertained us no end, leaving the audience gasping for more. True cricket-lovers would only hope that it ceases to attach the eyeball-generating tags to attract customers.
In the post match presentation that followed the hour-long grand closing ceremony, one felt for the dejected Anil Kumble whose team came so close. However, it was a phenomenal rise of Gilchrist’s team this season as they finished toppers of the league as compared to a lowly eighth in the inaugural edition last year.
The reversal of fortunes involved not only immense hard work, but also a combination of self-belief, winning strategies and an ideal blend of youth and experience. The whole team rallied around their leader and gave it their all. Purple cap holder RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha bowled brilliantly and Rohit Sharma with his composed batting was a sensation. Gilchrist and Gibbs were superb at the top of the innings, and the lesser players such as Harmeet Singh also contributed their bit with the ball and in the field. It was a complete team effort.
A year ago the same team performed miserably and finished last. Dubbed as the ‘best team on paper’, they failed to win more than two matches. Flashes of brilliance from Gilchrist and Symonds were of no avail as there was no unity among the players. They proved to be the ‘punching bag’ as nothing went right for the team and the franchise. It was a different story this time.
As Gilchrist himself confessed, he wanted his players to treat every delivery in their matches as “the most important thing in their lives at that instant”, thus striving to bring the best out of them. A perfectionist that he is, he fixed his team’s mistakes and shortcomings with a constructive approach and renewed freshness that played the role of a catalyst in the amazing turnaround in their performances. His own contribution has been nothing short of a revelation – after having retired from international cricket for more than a year, he amassed close to 500 runs in the tournament. He was always seen guiding and motivating his troops from behind the stumps with enthusiasm that epitomised the positive change in the mindset of the players.
His innings of 85 against the Delhi Daredevils in the Semi-finals was an absolute treat – one of the finest innings in any form of the sport. Last year, it was the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals who had stunned even the experts by winning the IPL. It provides all the hope and motivation to the infamous Kolkata Knight Riders to bounce back from their ordinary show this season amidst endless controversies fuelled by a suspicious blogger.
Although undesirable, one feels ‘the controversies’ will be here to stay as it presents the ‘spice’ in the whole movie that is the IPL. Indian Premier League, however, has undoubtedly provided a handful of surprises in both seasons and entertained us no end, leaving the audience gasping for more. True cricket-lovers would only hope that it ceases to attach the eyeball-generating tags to attract customers.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
May 16
Witnessing press statements on television is one thing, but putting ourselves in the shoes of ‘the media’, quite another. As we neared the CPM Party office to cover the events on Saturday during peak hour of peak summer, we did not know what to expect.
Initially we stood staring at their huge symbol. The same sickle and star which had authorized its unchallenged monopoly in West Bengal for 32 years, and left its mark on all lower class peoples out there, had just received a stab in the back. The deserted feel about the place said it all – Left was beaten comprehensively in both Bengal and Kerala, to usher in a new era. TV Journalists were waiting outside for live feeds and surround any politician like swarm of bees. It took us some time to assimilate the whole flavour of such election coverage and take initiative. It was like the discovering of a whole new world out there – a world consisting of journalists who hobnob with popular and unpopular people of our society.
Soon CPM MP Nilotpal Basu arrived. The media immediately formed a circle around him. “We will have a dispassionate objective analysis on our performance in our Polit Bureau meeting on May 18. We will continue with our policies of secularism, national integrity and sovereignty”, he said. “We will analyse our performance in the meeting”, was his pet answer to all questions bombarded to him. I personally asked him about Singur and Nandigram issues being a reason for his party’s performance in Bengal (and patted myself on the back), and you guess the reply.
I realized the hollowness of those formal statements, there was no sign of genuineness as no one wanted to provide an interesting or controversial ‘byte’. Everyone had his/her own interests in mind, and were trying to save their skin. Brinda Karat, as expected, was a disappointment too.
I made myself familiar with the tricks of the trade and learnt about the subtleties involved in this profession. A friendly Mr.Partho told us about his experiences in this field and broadened our horizon no end.
It was in the evening that Mr.Sitaram Yechury arrived at the party office to oblige journalists in turn. Exclusive interviews with India TV and Star News took place in front of us, before we were finally allowed to ask a question. This time, there was some substance, “we must understand that people voted keeping the Centre in mind, and not for local issues.” On their defeat, he also added, “It was the Congress alliance with Mamata that most likely brought us down,” apart from the one-liner.
Refreshed yet fatigued, we left Bhai Vir Singh Marg with a smile on our faces. It was our first step into the unforgiving and creative reality of our field. May 16, 2009 would remain etched in our memories for a long time.
Initially we stood staring at their huge symbol. The same sickle and star which had authorized its unchallenged monopoly in West Bengal for 32 years, and left its mark on all lower class peoples out there, had just received a stab in the back. The deserted feel about the place said it all – Left was beaten comprehensively in both Bengal and Kerala, to usher in a new era. TV Journalists were waiting outside for live feeds and surround any politician like swarm of bees. It took us some time to assimilate the whole flavour of such election coverage and take initiative. It was like the discovering of a whole new world out there – a world consisting of journalists who hobnob with popular and unpopular people of our society.
Soon CPM MP Nilotpal Basu arrived. The media immediately formed a circle around him. “We will have a dispassionate objective analysis on our performance in our Polit Bureau meeting on May 18. We will continue with our policies of secularism, national integrity and sovereignty”, he said. “We will analyse our performance in the meeting”, was his pet answer to all questions bombarded to him. I personally asked him about Singur and Nandigram issues being a reason for his party’s performance in Bengal (and patted myself on the back), and you guess the reply.
I realized the hollowness of those formal statements, there was no sign of genuineness as no one wanted to provide an interesting or controversial ‘byte’. Everyone had his/her own interests in mind, and were trying to save their skin. Brinda Karat, as expected, was a disappointment too.
I made myself familiar with the tricks of the trade and learnt about the subtleties involved in this profession. A friendly Mr.Partho told us about his experiences in this field and broadened our horizon no end.
It was in the evening that Mr.Sitaram Yechury arrived at the party office to oblige journalists in turn. Exclusive interviews with India TV and Star News took place in front of us, before we were finally allowed to ask a question. This time, there was some substance, “we must understand that people voted keeping the Centre in mind, and not for local issues.” On their defeat, he also added, “It was the Congress alliance with Mamata that most likely brought us down,” apart from the one-liner.
Refreshed yet fatigued, we left Bhai Vir Singh Marg with a smile on our faces. It was our first step into the unforgiving and creative reality of our field. May 16, 2009 would remain etched in our memories for a long time.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The real blog
This is a phenomenon, which for 200 million Indians at least is like drug-addiction – an everyday dosage that keeps them entertained, interested and preoccupied in a never-before way. The eyeball-generating tags attached to the mini form of the sport, and the hype that this capitalist media generates about the Indian Premier League has already had such tremendous influence on the masses, that apart from a few urban matured maniacs, the fake ipl player has become rather difficult to analyse and accept.
Look at it from a different angle, and the blogger has done everything right in creating a new entertainment value – the explicit descriptions, hilarious sarcasm,
and the spicy writing style of his in his revelations (fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com) have captured the imaginations of all involved with IPL and the Knight Riders. Invariably, the bigger the size of a commodity, the larger seems its share of controversies and negatives, and the Infamous Premier League is proving no exception. The ire that came from Subhash Chandra’s nerve of coming up with the ICL, which was virtually a slap on BCCI’s cheek after the 2007 World Cup debacle at the Caribbean, meant the IPL vowed to prove a point and show the might of the richest cricketing body in the world. It lured corporates, and along with a combination of cheerleaders, fireworks, masala-spoken anchors, Bollywood stars and non-stop cricket involving the most competent sportsmen the world over, created suddenly a whole new culture, that which proved to be a successful venture for all apart from, and also for, us consumers. Since then there is no looking back.
Kolkata Knight Riders, from the time it came to existence, has had the highest brand value and is always in headlines. And then suddenly arrives its supposed member IPL Anonymous out of nowhere and has a serious dig at all IPL Stars - the players, coaching staff, anchors, commentators and even Bollywood stars; lays bare every detail of outrageous ‘inside stories’ and finds audience. He throws up embarrassing questions to everyone associated with the running of this T20 Extravaganza and his own team, and enlarges the whole culture even more.
Is he really a player? Why is he delighted to reveal everything? Are all cricketing values getting lost? Is it all part of just propaganda? Are we consumers just fools? These are debatable queries that may or may not ever be answered officially. What we for certain know is that the incurring of these questions itself is one of the ulterior motives of this blogger. Most of us are still at a loss to really conclude whether this blog by such an ingenious blogger should at all continue. After all, it entertains us no end. It also provides us with the real pictures of the Bhookha Naans, Appam Chutias and Sheikhs of tweak. For the pessimists, IPL and the blogging phenomenon are part of a strategy to exploit gullible consumers. All this is in a way the side effect of excessive commercialization of this beautiful sport.
The concept of dirty capitalism then comes into picture. IPL exists merely on profit-motives, and its value to us is nothing more than 3.5 hours of cricketing entertainment. Lets learn to gradually remove passion from interest, swallow and discharge everything out of our systems before it swallows us. But let the blog continue, because for the point it makes, and the questions it raises, the fake IPL blog is not fake.
Look at it from a different angle, and the blogger has done everything right in creating a new entertainment value – the explicit descriptions, hilarious sarcasm,
and the spicy writing style of his in his revelations (fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com) have captured the imaginations of all involved with IPL and the Knight Riders. Invariably, the bigger the size of a commodity, the larger seems its share of controversies and negatives, and the Infamous Premier League is proving no exception. The ire that came from Subhash Chandra’s nerve of coming up with the ICL, which was virtually a slap on BCCI’s cheek after the 2007 World Cup debacle at the Caribbean, meant the IPL vowed to prove a point and show the might of the richest cricketing body in the world. It lured corporates, and along with a combination of cheerleaders, fireworks, masala-spoken anchors, Bollywood stars and non-stop cricket involving the most competent sportsmen the world over, created suddenly a whole new culture, that which proved to be a successful venture for all apart from, and also for, us consumers. Since then there is no looking back.
Kolkata Knight Riders, from the time it came to existence, has had the highest brand value and is always in headlines. And then suddenly arrives its supposed member IPL Anonymous out of nowhere and has a serious dig at all IPL Stars - the players, coaching staff, anchors, commentators and even Bollywood stars; lays bare every detail of outrageous ‘inside stories’ and finds audience. He throws up embarrassing questions to everyone associated with the running of this T20 Extravaganza and his own team, and enlarges the whole culture even more.
Is he really a player? Why is he delighted to reveal everything? Are all cricketing values getting lost? Is it all part of just propaganda? Are we consumers just fools? These are debatable queries that may or may not ever be answered officially. What we for certain know is that the incurring of these questions itself is one of the ulterior motives of this blogger. Most of us are still at a loss to really conclude whether this blog by such an ingenious blogger should at all continue. After all, it entertains us no end. It also provides us with the real pictures of the Bhookha Naans, Appam Chutias and Sheikhs of tweak. For the pessimists, IPL and the blogging phenomenon are part of a strategy to exploit gullible consumers. All this is in a way the side effect of excessive commercialization of this beautiful sport.
The concept of dirty capitalism then comes into picture. IPL exists merely on profit-motives, and its value to us is nothing more than 3.5 hours of cricketing entertainment. Lets learn to gradually remove passion from interest, swallow and discharge everything out of our systems before it swallows us. But let the blog continue, because for the point it makes, and the questions it raises, the fake IPL blog is not fake.
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