Food Security Bill

After few stints with my travel diary, I am back with one of my favorite topics, Politics. The government has introduced the food security bill in Parliament today along with the burden of Rs 1,00,000 crores of burden on the Finance Minister. Surrounded by corruption scandals and lack of political reforms, the government needed something to talk about in the upcoming state elections in UP, Gujarat and Punjab, 3 of the most important elections in the current political scenario. The food security bill is the brainchild of the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi. After NREGA, this is the second biggest social security policy advised by the council. If the bill is passed, then it will feed rice/wheat/millet to almost 65% of the Indian population at a subsidized rate of Rs 1/2/3 based on different levels of poverty. Personally I appreciate the government for bringing in such a bill which hopes to wipe out the malnutrition and starvation across the country. However, the government once again proved that how ineffective and inefficient in planning such a important bill. There are issues of corruption, infrastructure, supply issues and on top of it is the global economic scenario. 

Before implementing the bill, it is important to identify the people who are considered as living below poverty line and above poverty line. We as such do not have a consensus on how to define the poverty line. Should it be based on the money a family earns per day or should it be based on the nutrition level they consume. Once identified, I am not sure how effective the distribution will be. With the history of high level corruption every where, it is important that the government should ensure that the amount of money allocated towards the programme is reaches fully to the public. Rahul Gandhi himself have acknowledged that most of the money allotted for the welfare schemes does not reach the public. The government do not have any mechanism to check corruption and with a weak Lokpal Bill it is planning to introduce, I am not very confident that the government will be able to achieve the target of feeding all the Indians. 

The public distribution system itself is a failure in most of the states with lots of grains intended for the public is smuggled and sold else where. Apart from this, statistics says that almost 40% of the agricultural products produced in India is being wasted because of poor infrastructure.Most of us have seen how wheat grains were stored in open and allowed to rot in Punjab due to lack of storage space. There are not enough proper warehouses to store the procured grains. Moreover, the quality of the food products is identified based on the number of days it takes to reach the retailers from farmers. The more the days travelled, the less the quality and I am sure with the kind of roads and infrastructure we have it will take more time to reach the retailer.Ultimately government will be left with low quality food grains to be distributed to the poor. 

India is land of billion people and to feed them requires enormous supply. Currently, Southern states, Punjab and Haryana have been producing surplus and feeding almost the entire nation. Taking in to account of the unpredictable nature of monsoons in India, we do not know when will we be hit by water problems and with lots of disputes on water down South, we do not know how are we going to get the supply for the entire nation. India seldom enter the international markets to procure food grains and if the necessity comes for India to procure from the International Market, it is going to definitely inflate the already high food inflation. I am sure government would have thought about it before introducing this bill, but I am sure this is not the right time to introduce the bill in the Parliament. The economy has slowed down in India and in 2012, if the euro zone crisis worsens, it will have a major impact in Indian economy as well. I feel government should wait till we come back to 9% growth levels before introducing this bill in the Parliament. We have already seen farmers protesting against the government on the MSP. In fact farmers in Andhra Pradesh are planning to have a crop holiday as mark of protest against the government. When the government is not able address the issue of those who are feeding the nation, what is the point in the introducing the bill. 

Indian government has taken a short cut way to come back to power. Being dormant for 3 years with elections are around the corner all of a sudden the government seems to bring in all the populist measures without having any major discussion in the parliament. Personally I have lost the confidence on these politicians but there are still people whom I can bank on to see my country a developed one.

Singapore

Continuing my travel blog, next in the list is Singapore. The Lion City is one of the best cities to live and by any standard it is one of the best cities to visit on a holiday. There are plenty of places to visit in Singapore and contrary to the size of the city it takes at least a week to see all the places here. The most important part of this is all these places can be accessed through public transport itself and there is really no need to take a taxi to reach these places unless you have time constraints

Singapore Zoo/Night Safari: This is a cool place for all the animal lovers. There are plenty of different types of animals which you would not see in your native country (at least for me). Polar bears, Orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys, Baboons, Sea Cow, and Sea Lions are some which will attract the visitors for sure. More than the animals, it is the habitat which is designed to be more like a natural habitat is commendable. Night Safari is in the same campus of that of Zoo and it opens at 6.30PM. The visitors can experience the various habitats of different animals sitting on a tram. Apart from seeing the animals, the different type of shows which highlights the sufferings of animals at the hands of humans is well highlighted and appreciated.

Jurong Bird Park:  Magnificent is the word I would use for this place. One gets to see the most colorful species of birds here. Also one can witness the most beautiful creatures of the world here. The Pelicans, Flamingos, Penguins, Peacock, Eagle, Vultures, Parrots, Toucans and Hornbills can been seen at their best here. But the most important of all is the Lory Loft, where one can feed the Lories for a meager amount of S$2. There is nothing more beautiful than the colorful Lories sitting on your body for a cup of honey.

Sentosa Island:  A separate island connected to the island of Singapore. This is an entertainment place and it requires at least 3/4^th of the day to see this place. There are lots of important places to be seen here and the most important ones are the Merlion, Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon, Siloso Beach and Songs of the Sea.  Apart from this there are lots of adventurous sports, 4D movie, Fort Siloso, and other beaches of Sentosa.

Universal Studios: Between Singapore main land and Sentosa is the world famous Universal Studios. It is a theme park based on the movies of Universal Pictures. This place is expensive but will be really a good experience for tourists.

Botanical Garden: The National Orchid Garden located at the heart of Singapore is certainly not be missed by the tourists. There are many varieties of Orchids one can see here and it is a very good place for Photographers. The colorful Orchids is perfect example of the creativity of God.

Raffles Place/Marina Bay: The downtown Singapore, this place shows why Singapore is regarded as the financial powerhouse of the world. Sky scrapers by the Singapore river which houses almost all the financial giants, beautiful bridges, Merlion, Marina Bay Sands, Marine Barrage, Esplanade Hall, Singapore Parliament, Supreme Court and finally restaurants by the river. The most happening place in the weekends and certainly one of the most beautiful places in Singapore.

Apart from the places I have mentioned above there are numerous places to be seen which I list below

Orchard Road (best seen during the Christmas when it will be decorated with lights)

Little India

China Town (one of the best places for shopping)

Asian Civilization Museum and the Singapore National Museum

Chinese Garden

How to get going:

Travelling with in Singapore is very easy as the entire island is very well connected with public transportation. There is the SMRT/SBS Buses and the Trains which go to almost all the places in Singapore.

Singapore is best visited in the month of April-May where there will be no or little rain. The climate here is tropical and one does not know when it rains. So it is advisable to carry an umbrella whenever one goes out.

Mysore

Continuing on my travel blog, next in the list is Mysore. The heritage city is where I started my professional career and I enjoyed every bit of it. Mysore is known for its palaces and the famous Chamudeshwari Temple.

Mysore is located in the southern state of Karnataka and one of the biggest cities of the state. Mysore has got a domestic airport and the nearest international airport in the Bangalore International airport. Mysore is easily reached from Bangalore and the journey takes around 2 to 3 hours.

Mysore is well connected by Bus and Train to most important places of the country.

The most important aspect of the city is it is one of the cleanest cities in India only next to Mohali. The climate is Mysore is hot in the summer and it gets cold during the winter.

Below are some of the most important places to be seen in Mysore

Mysore Palace, beautifully lit at the night

The Mysore Palace: The well-known Mysore Palace is the official residence of the erstwhile royal family, the Wodeyars. The palace is built in the heart of the city and it is huge and grand. Any one visiting the palace for the first time will certainly be in awe given the majestic construction and size. A person needs atleast 3 hours to see the whole of this palace. Inside the palace is the rich artifacts, prizes and gifts given to the Rajas and most beautiful of them all is the durbar hall, something similar to court. The paintings on the wall certainly add attraction to the already beautiful palace. The palace is best seen during the Dussera when the famous 10 day Dussera festival takes place here. The palace will be lit beautifully and it will be a treat to watch the elephants decorated with various ornaments.

Mysore Zoo: One of the attractions of the city is the Mysore Zoo. It is beautiful and the major attraction is the Gorilla. Mysore Zoo is the only zoo in India which has Gorilla. The zoo is closed on Tuesdays and it is not far away from the palace.

Chamudeshwari Temple: The famous Chamundeshwari Temple on top of the Chamundi Hills should certainly be on the list of must see places in Mysore. Certainly one of the most beautiful temples I have seen. On top of the hill gives a beautiful panoramic view of the city. On the way to temple is the big Nandi the bull which is believed to be growing in size.

Brindavan Gardens

Brindavan Gardens: One of the earliest and most beautiful gardens of India, the Brindavan Gardens. It is located near the Krishna Raja Sagar dam in the outskirts of Mysore. The best time to visit the garden is in the evening when it is pleasant and one can witness the dancing fountain late in the night. When I visited the place, it was bit dirty with plastic covers and I hope the authorities have taken corrective actions and have cleansed the garden. Its high time plastic is banned within the garden premises or at least enough dust bins be provided so that the public do not pollute the beautiful garden.

Devaraja URS Road: The road which leads to the palace is the place to be in the evening. Buzzing with people everywhere, this is the place for shopping in Mysore. The famous Mysore Silk is sold in almost every shop that is there in this road. Some of them are government subsidies while some are private shops.  Apart from this, there are lots of places to eat (both veg and non veg) in and around this place.

Tipu Sultan Summer Palace

Srirangapatnam: The land of Tipu Sultan, Srirangapatnam is hardly 30 mins drive from Mysore and certainly the place to be. There are loads of places to see here like the Tipu Sultan Palace, the Ranganathar temple, sangamam, the place where Tipu Sultan’s body was found by the British, the underground prison, Gumbaz (the tomb of Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali and his mom) and Nimishambal Temple.  Atleast 3/4^th of the day is required to see the whole of this place and I would suggest reaching this place in the morning. On visiting the place one would get to know the valor of the ‘Tiger’ Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali.

Travelling with in Mysore is easy as it is not as big as Bangalore and lots of autos are available and should be enough to cover all the places. However, I would suggest not to hire auto to Brindavan Gardens and Srirangapatnam as they will charge exorbitant prices to these places.

Mysore is best visited in the month of October during Dussera when one can see the palace at its best. The climate during January and February is superb and is an ideal time for those who do not mind missing the Dussera festival.

Chennai

I have been waiting for too long to start blogging on my travel. However I never wanted to create a new blog when already I have one. My blog is like a mixed bag which includes articles on some of the topics which I love mainly sports, politics, movies, music and of course some of my personal life. I have already written about my travel experience, but this will be the start of series of all the places I have visited. My travelogue is entirely based on my experience, what I loved and some travel tips.

I was wondering about how to start this and I found that there is nothing better than Chennai to start with. So let’s start with Chennai, my home town (city).

Chennai previously called as Madras is the capital of southern state of India, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the biggest cities and oldest cities in India. The Chennai day, the day the city was founded is on August 22^nd. The city was the capital of the then state of Madras during the British regime and subsequently it was changed to Tamil Nadu meaning the land of Tamils. Tamil is widely spoken language here, but people do understand English very well.  

Chennai has got a mixture of heritage and modern outlook and some of the buildings stand testimony to it. Below are some of the places that one must visit when they are on a trip to Chennai

Sun Rise at the Marina Beach

Marina Beach: Whenever someone says Chennai and the first thing that comes to everybody’s mind is the famous Marina Beach. This the world’s second longest beach with a distance of 13KMs. The beach is beautiful and efforts have been made to make this a litter free zone. People from all walks of life enjoy their evening stroll in the beach and the place will be crowded in the evenings especially during the weekends. One should not miss the Bajji which will be sold in the every nook and corner of the place. This place is around 3 to 4KMS from the famous Anna Salai and is easily accessible from all corners of the city.

Temples/Church/Mosques: Chennai is one city in India which boasts some of the biggest and ancient temples of India. Temples like Parthasarathy Temple at Triplicane, Ashtalakshmi Temple at Besant Nagar, Kabaleeshwarar Temple at Mylapore, Kaalikambal Temple at Georgetown are not only big but also ancient and adds lots of historic significance to the city. The Basillica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas is one of the 3 churches in the world to have built over the tomb of Apostle of Jesus Christ this one being St.Thomas. The big Mosque at Triplicane is one of the oldest mosques in the city.

Fort St.George: This houses the TamilNadu Legistlative assembly and secretariat. This was the first fortress of the English in India.  The fort campus also has a Church St.Mary’s, Wellesly Museum and a flag post which is the tallest in India.

Guindy National Park: Probably the only national park in the country within the city limits. It houses various reptiles like the crocodiles and snakes. Chennai is also famous for the Arignar Anna Zoological Park which is one of the biggest in India.

Museum: The government museum at Egmore is certainly should be on the agenda of any one visiting Chennai. It is one of the largest in Asia and 2^nd oldest museum in India.

Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram: A 2hrs drive on the east coast road from Chennai is the famous Mahabalipuram. This is one of the UNESCO World heritage site and has got some of best sculptures of Pallava Kingdom. The Shore Temple, Krishna’s butter ball, 1000 pillar hall are some of the famous sculptures one should not miss on their trip to Mahabalipuram. The drive on the east coast road runs parallel to the Bay of Bengal is bliss especially the morning drive.

Chennai also gives one a unique shopping experience which houses some big shopping malls like Express Avenue, Spencers Plaza, Chennai City Center and also the more famous and crowded Ranganthan Street at T.Nagar and Pondy Bazar.

Chennai being a cosmopolitan city hosts a variety of cuisines. South Indian, North Indian, Chinese, Western, Italian are widely available in Chennai.

How to get going:

Chennai has got one of the best public transports in India. All the places said above are very well connected through the local Bus and Train services. Koyambedu Bus Terminus is the central bus terminus which houses all the moffusil busses and buses to most part of the city.

Autos: Chennai Autos are widely available at any part of the city and at any time. However, they are the most notorious and demand huge amount of money even for a distance of 1 to 2 KMs.

Call Taxis are also widely available across the city and is said to be safe given the amount of traffic in Chennai.

Chennai is best visited in the month of December to February as there will not be any rains and the weather will be relatively less hot. Also in December one can witness the Margazhi Music festival and dance festival.     

Its time to introspect

Indians were given a whitewash at the hands of English and am sure heads will start to roll. It is at these times, people tend to take decisions in haste and take all the wrong decisions. There are some repair work need to be done to this Indian team, but do not forget that the repair should be done in the planning as well. The FTP should be planned in such a way that the team gets at least 45 days of break before a major tour starts and have at least 2 or 3 warm up games before the test match starts. Well it is easy to scribble here than to plan but the board must look in to this seriously.  With regards to selection of team, its high time the committee looks in to the fitness level of the players. They should have the guts to drop even the best performing player if he is not fit enough to play. The Zaheer Khan incident ll certainly bring down the morale of the team. Similarly Sehwag was not even half fit for the match and I found no reason on why he was flown to England for the last 2 tests.  The selectors also need to groom in new talents by giving them opportunities at the highest level.  Only in WI tour, I felt the selectors did a very good job but that was due to unavailability of seniors. They should groom the likes of Piyush Chawla, Cheteshwar Puraja, Rohit Sharma and other budding talents. The selectors should have the confidence in these people and give them an extended run in the tests. It is not enough if the players are selected only for the one dayers. After all one day international is anybody’s game where the fortune changes in a matter of minutes. Test cricket is the highest form of game and people should believe in that. Players who have excelled in test cricket have also excelled in other forms of cricket, but its not the other way around. The likes of Dravid, Tendulkar, Kumble they are all the legends of the game who have excelled in all the 3 forms of the game. Raina played some cruicial innings at the world cup, Yuvraj was the player of the tournament but when in England, it was Dravid all the way. He opened the innings, had come 1^st down, kept wickets and still was the leading run scorer for India. Infact he scored more than 50% of the runs scored by India in the whole series. Raina looked completely out of sorts when he was bowled a bouncer. Think of Raina in the early 80’s when WI was packed with fast bowlers. He would have never played cricket in life. One more problem this series has shown is the lack of all rounder. India really felt the absence of a genuine all rounder in the first test. That is where top teams like South Africa, England and Australia really outshine India. India really need to groom Irfan Pathan for the future as he is the only person I know capable of filling the all rounder spot.

It is time to introspect the problems Indian cricket is facing which was not long ago were the world champions and No 1 test team. This series should be an eye opener for the officials and most of the players are nearing their end of career this is the right time to groom younger generations which is certainly going to be good for the future of Indian cricket. Certainly there is no dearth of talent in India, we need to properly guide them and shape them to face the future.

The 4 pillars - need urgent attention

India is a developing country, one of the fastest growing economies, one of the biggest economies in the world, world’s largest democracy. Being an Indian, I feel proud whenever I see these things in the media. However I feel lots more need to be done for India to be called truly a developing nation.

Education Reforms:  This the foremost reform that the government should address.

• Just implementing RTE is not good enough, providing quality education at the primary level is the most important thing.
• There should be a school every 1KM (depending on the population) which provides at least till 6^th standard.
• There should not be more than 30 students in class. This helps the teachers in assessing the students individually.
• Do not burden the children with exams. A project is a better way in assessing the students at this level.
• Provide proper infrastructure for children to play. Children need to go out and play for the betterment of the physical fitness and mental relaxation.
• Provide good exposure for children on subjects other than academics. This ll help children of economically weaker sections.
• Increase the wages of teachers. This is the most important of all the things. There is no other way we can attract bright and young professionals for teaching other than by increasing the pay. They are the most important people in the world and they should be treated on par with other professionals. I am sure there are thousands of quality teachers who couldn’t take up the profession because of the pay. This results in people with lesser qualification to take up the teaching profession.
• Remember, India is the land which made two of its teachers as the President. So I hope the government ll certainly look in to this issue.

Police Reforms: The next in the line which requires urgent attention is the police reform.

• Again, the first and the foremost thing are to increase their pay and provide better environment. An average salary of 15 to 20K per month is certainly not enough in the age of rising inflation. No wonder why police asks for bribes. On top of it, a traffic constable standing under the hot sun in Chennai is certainly a daunting task. I am sure better work environment and pay ll reduce the bribe they take from common man.
• Make sure people do not fear police. A common perception nowadays that a police can register a false case against anybody if they don’t toe their line. Only if this perception goes, people ll be ready to come out and fight against the day to day problems they are facing. I am sure there is some solution for this to happen and it’s the duty of the government to find a suitable solution.
• Monthly or quarterly appraisal is certainly the need of the hour, esp Tamil Nadu police who have this habit of having a big tummy soon after joining the profession. These days most of the criminals are physically fitter than the police.
• Police are the protector of the law and if we cannot keep them happy, it ll become a serious problem in the future.

Electoral Reforms: The next in the line of reforms which needs government’s attention

• Put a cap on the usage of money during elections. If this does not happen, then all the black money ll be easily converted to white money.
• Basic qualification for the candidates standing in the election. I am sure no explanation is needed on why we need this reform.
• Conduct in Parliament should be one of the main criteria for people looking for re election. A good conduct is absolute necessary and should be one of the main qualifications while filing the nomination papers. When, conduct certificate is more important in schools and colleges is it not necessary for the same in Indian Parliament and assembly when the members stoop to very low level so often. It is like degrading the dignity of the house.

Agricultural Reforms: With the introduction of food security bill, the demand is just going to shoot up and if the issue on supply is not addressed properly it ll be a major disaster for India. It is high time, the government bring in 2^nd green revolution before crisis sets in. Since I am not an expert in agriculture I certainly cannot suggest anything to the government. So I leave it to them to take whatever steps they need to increase the supply.

Cheers please...

Not long ago, I cheered for the UPA when it was elected for the second consecutive term to form the government. I cheered not because I am a Congress supporter (neither do I support them) but because of the clear mandate of the people which brings in the stability at the center. The left withdrew their support from the UPA and I was expecting more on reforms from the UPA 2. I should certainly say with a sad face that UPA 2 has failed miserably. The 2 year old government is like a food without salt and spices. It is bland. They are surrounded by every kind of scams that is possible be it the spectrum scam, CWG scam, Adarsh housing scam, land grabbing scam.. the list simply goes on. Tihar jail has become synonymous to 5 star prison which houses some of the most high profile people.  On the economic front too, the country grew at a slower pace when compared to few years ago. A much of it is attributed to recession but the government has done little enough to curb the inflation which is at a staggering high of 9%. The biggest of all is that the PM, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi chose to remain silent on every issue and it required the Supreme Court to monitor the investigations on the multiple multi crore scams. Come August 15^th, Dr.Singh will hoist the tri color for the 8^th time and we ll be hearing yet another optimistic speech from him. However it is always less done than said in India. We say a lot but do little. There seems to be a wave of pessimism across India about its future. This too shall pass away is what keeping things going for the Indians.

Wait..am I going too much pessimistic about India. Well these are the times India needs it people to be optimistic. Whatever happens there is no place on earth which is full of life like India. Though surrounded by troubled neighbors, India is relatively peaceful. There is no other place in the world, which is so unorganized, yet very much organized. India is the land of A.R.Rahmans, Saina Nehwals, Sachin Tendulkars  who always find a way to come out of adversity. There is nothing to be worried about India just like its cricket team which is going through a tough time in England. At the end of the day, it ll come out of all the obstacles it faces.

Its Independence day, time to cheer up as all is not gloom in India.

Jai Hind

Cricket Classics

The pinnacle of cricket is reaching yet another milestone, 2000th test match and it coincides with the 100th test between India and England and there is no better ground than Mecca of cricket to host this historic test match, the Lord’s. To add more spice to this, a century at Lord’s for the Little Master means it ll be his 100th international century and 1st at Lord’s. There is no doubt this is going to be one of the most important test match in Cricket’s history. Adding to it is the world’s no 1 ranking is at stake for the Indians. If they lose by a margin of 2 tests (2-0 or 3-1), it means England will be the new world no 1 in test cricket. It would be a great disservice if me being a big fan of test cricket, do not re-visit some of the classic encounters over the past years.

1. India vs Australia (Kolkata, 2001): This is certainly one of the best test matches ever played. India was down 0-1 with Australia winning the 1st test at Mumbai. Things didn’t look good at the start of this test match with Australia piling up more than 400 runs in the 1st innings, thanks to a brilliant century from the captain Steven Waugh with ably supported by Jason Gillespie. In reply, India was bowled out for less than 200 in the 1st innings. Australia enforced follow on and India started of better than the 1st innings. However India was staring at defeat until the Wall joined Laxman. The duo played more than a day without losing the wicket with Laxman scoring 281 and Dravid (180) and taking India past 600 and set Australia a target of 384. Australia started of very well and draw seems to be inevitable. However in the final session of the 5th day things turned around with Harbhajan and Sachin Tendulkar sharing 9 wickets among them and taking India home to what would be called as the greatest victory in their history.

2. Australia vs West Indies (Bridgetown, 1998): If at all any budding player wants to know how to play under pressure, I think he should watch this match. This match is known for the heroics of one of the greatest test batsmen, Brian Charles Lara. Australia score 490 in the 1st innings thanks to a brilliant century for Steven Waugh and Ricky Ponting. In reply, WI conceded a lead of 161 runs. However in the second innings Australia were bowled out for 140 with Walsh taking 5 wickets. Needing 308 to win, WI was struggling at 105/5 before Lara and Adams put on a century partnership. However when the score was 238, WI lost Adams and soon they were 248/8. In came Curtly Ambrose and he along with Lara put on a 50 run partnership and took the team total to 302. In between there were nervous moments with catch dropped at the slips. With 1 wicket remaining, Courtney Walsh not known for his batting hung in there until Lara finished of the proceedings taking WI home. Lara score 153* and scored more than 60 runs with the tail.

3. India vs England (Chennai, 2008): Including this test match in one of classics may not be an apt in terms of finishes but for the spirit of English cricket who toured India despite the terror attacks in Mumbai barely weeks before the start of the match. Needing 387 to win, India got off to a flying start by Virender Sehwag who scored a quick fire 87 setting up a great platform for victory in the 5th morning. The final day belonged to none other than Sachin Tendulkar who along with Yuvraj Singh saw India through. Sachin scored a brilliant 102* on a difficult Chennai pitch.

4. India vs Australia (Chennai, 1986): This is the second test match that ended in tie after WI vs Aus. The match is also known for the heroics of Dean Jones who scored a brilliant 200 in the heat of Chennai fighting dehydration. Needing 348 to win, India started off well with Sunil Gavaskar scoring a brilliant 90 on a difficult turning track. He forged a century partnership with Mohinder Amarnath. Soon India was 253/5 with Ravi Shastri and Chandrakant Pandit at the crease. Shastri forged a 40 run partnership with Pandit and another 40 run partnership with Chetan Sharman to take India close to the total. When the scores were level at 347 and with 1 wicket in hand, the match was poised for a great finish. Maninder Singh was at the striker’s end and was out lbw to Greg Mathews giving him 10 wickets in the match.

5. England vs Australia (Leeds, 1981): The Ashes is touted to be the ultimate contest in test cricket and this match lived up to its name mainly because of one man, Ian Botham. Austraila scored 401 in the 1st innings with Botham taking 6 wickets. However England was bowled out for 174 in their first innings with Botham being the top scorer for them. Asked to follow on, England was tottering at 135/7, when Dilley joined Botham. This was the partnership that changed the course of the game. The duo put on a century partnership with Botham scoring a brilliant century in less than run a ball. Once Dilley was out Botham forged another century partnership with Bob Willis and took England to 356 setting a modest target of 130 for the Australians. However the day belonged to Willis who took 8 Australian wickets for just 43 runs bowling out the Australians for a meager 111.

The above test matches were just a sample of hundreds of classic matches which proves that test matches are the ultimate form of cricket. These matches listed here are not in any order. There are matches which may be better than the above 5, but the idea of this is just to highlight the importance of test match cricket which sees dwindling audiences and revenue. It is these matches which tests the true ability of a player and one who comes out with flying colours at the end of their career are truly the legends of cricket.

Why Lokpal will be ineffective?

2011 is certainly will go in the annals as one of the most important in the Indian history. So much happened that it evoked extreme emotions among Indians. This year saw the unearthing of India’s biggest scam famously called as 2G scam or spectrum scam. The magnitude of the scam is so high that it really shook up the people of India. On constant pressure from the opposition and from the media, Andimuthu Raja was finally arrested and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. If this was not enough, the other scam which came in to the light brought one of the biggest shame for India, the commonwealth games scam. Again, when the government was reluctant to take any action, constant pressure from the opposition and the media led to the arrest of the games committee chairman, Suresh Kalmadi. He is also currently lodged in Tihar Jail.

Not for long public can be tolerant and this was evident with the sudden hunger strike from the social activist Anna Hazare against corruption and to bring the Lokpal Bill. The huge followers supporting the movement shook the government to draft the bill which is still in indecisive stage.

What is Lokpal Bill?

This intention of this bill is to create an independent body which handles the corruption cases against whomever a compliant has been registered. The verdict should be delivered in 1 year and the convict ll be given immediate punishment. The bill also wants to bring Prime Minister and all the sitting MP’s in the ambit of the bill so that we have a clean and efficient ministers at the center.

I really appreciate the efforts of Mr. Hazare and fellow citizens who are fighting for the lokpal bill. Corruption in India is so high that it affects the economy and also the spirit of the nation. If this trend continues, foreign investors will fear investing in one of the fastest growing economies resulting in the slowdown of the economic growth. There is urgent need of strong Act like the lokpal which should act as a deterrent against corruption. However I am skeptical about effectiveness of the bill.

Why Lokpal will not work?

1. The Bills and Acts will only be helpful in punishing the convict and cannot prevent the crime.

2. People who are considered to safeguard the law of the nation, themselves are not sincere enough in their work.

3. With rising inflation, people find it difficult to manage their livelihood, corruption tend to happen. On top of it, when there is no performance based appraisal and a job security for life time, people ll never take their work seriously.

4. Red Tapism is so high in the country that a person ll be willing to bribe the official to move the papers quickly to another department rather than wait for the officer to act on it. Life is moving fast and the public simply doesn’t have time to wait.

5. Lack of transparency in the government.

6. The public doesn’t trust the politicians and the judiciary. Rowdism and fear for life stops bright and young people from entering politics. This makes it easier for the least qualified person to join the politics.

7. The greed for money is certainly the biggest cause for the rampant corruption among Indians. People are not satisfied with what they have and the want for more takes them in the wrong path.

8. Financial imbalance among the people. 80-20 rule perfectly suits the Indian Economy where 80% of the wealth is in the hands of 20% of the people.

9. People simply don’t have time to fight corruption unless led by a leader and they simply will not complaint against them fearing dire consequences.

10. Lack of accountability among people and officials.

This just reminds me one of the funny dialogues in a tamil movie, “building strong, aana basement weak”. If the government can do its homework and get the basics right, I am sure corruption will fade away automatically. Till then we can only fight corruption and certainly cannot get rid of it.

Tamil cinema is in safe hands

Movies are certainly a great entertainment and movie stars are more popular than any other artists, may be only next to cricketers in India. When it comes to South India esp Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, movie stars attain a demi-god status. M.G.Ramachandran and N.T.Rama Rao are perfect examples. Their cinemas touch the very essence of problems facing by poor from the rich. They portrayed themselves as the savior of poor from the rich which certainly helped them in launching themselves into successful political career. In fact, NTR’s Telugu Desam Party is the only regional party to be second largest party in Parliament. Such was his popularity in his home state. MGR enjoyed an equally cult status in his home state of Tamil Nadu. Politics apart, when it comes to cinema, MGR was a star of masses. Most of his revolve around him being savior of poor. He was certainly a bankable star and the producer of sure of making profit from a MGR movie. During his time, his competitor was ‘Sivaji’ Ganesan. He was considered as one of the best method actors of all time in India. The great Marlon Brando himself has said about the talent of Sivaji Ganesan.  He has acted in several genres including historical, mythological, romance, action and comedy. It is said that there no role that Sivaji cannot perform.  “Veerapandiya Kattaboman”, “Thiruvilayadal” , “Thillana Mohanabal”, “Vietnam Veedu” are some of his finest movies of his time. The 60’s and 70’s of tamil cinema was ruled by these two legendry actors. Apart from these two, there was ‘Gemini’ Ganesan who was an equally brilliant actor. Most of his films are romantic and hence his title ‘Kathal Manan’. However, when it comes to competition it was between MGR and Sivaji. By the end of 70’s saw decline of MGR and Sivaji. This period also saw the rise of one of the greatest actors of all time, Kamal Hassan and India’s greatest superstar, Rajini Kanth.

The 80’s and 90’s saw the emergence of these two actors. Their movies followed the path of MGR and SIvaji. Kamal, being a method actor is seen as the successor of Sivaji. Rajini’s movies are always centered upon how he overcomes difficulties and win over the villain. The decade was ruled by these two actors with one went on to win 3 national awards for best acting and many international awards. He has given some of the greatest tamil movies like Thevar Magan, Nayanga, Michael Madana Kamarajan, Moondram Pirai. The other emerged as the king of box office in this period with almost all his movies crossing 100 days and creating records in box office. Annamalai, Baatsha, Muthu to name a few. During this period tamil industry saw some good actors like Karthik, Mohan, Sathyaraj. But it was these two who ruled the roost. There was always comparison between these two as who is the best. By the end of 90’s these two actors have slowed down in the number of movies they make but continuing to give hits. This decade also saw the rise of two young stars, Joseph Vijay and Ajith Kumar.

Even though both of them made their debut in 90’s it was in the end of 90’s and 2000’s saw the rise of these two actors.  Both Vijay and Ajith started in a promising note with films like Kathaluku Mariyathai, Aasai, Kushi, Vaalee. Their popularity soared, however they never reached the heights of their predecessors. This period saw a change in the trend of tamil cinema with many actors evolving during this period, most notably Surya Sivakumar and Vikram. These two are supposed to be the best actors of tamil cinema at present with sterling performances in movies like Sethu, Pithamagan, Kaakha Kaakha, Varanam Aayiram etc. This period also saw the rise of actors like ‘Jeyam’ Ravi, Silambarasan, Vishal, Bharath, Madhavan and others who all have given some good movies to the audiences.

The most important thing to note is, the current generation of tamil cinema is not dependent on Ajith and Vijay unlike 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The industry has got variety of actors who can fit in to any role. The directors rely more on story than actors and a string of low budget movies with new faces have released and have done well at the box office. Movies like Subramaniapuram, Chennai-28 doesn’t boasts big stars but relied on the story and screenplay. The audience have evolved and looking in to the story than star cast which is definitely a good sign for tamil cinema.The presence of directors like Aameer, Bala, Gautham and others means tamil cinema is certainly in safe hands.

Cricket World Cup 2011 - A Preview

With only 2 months to go for the cricket’s biggest sporting spectacle, we look into the strengths, weakness and chances of winning the world cup of each team.  I know its too early to look into it but I feel nothing much ll be changed in another 1 month.

India:

Certainly one of the favorites to win the cup. They are currently on top of their form with everyone making healthy contributions to the team. The team management will certainly be happy with the way things are proceeding. A series whitewash by a second string Indian team against New Zealand (when I write, its 4-0 with one to go) will certainly boosts their confidence. A tough tour of South Africa will certainly help in appraise the strength and weakness of each player and would help them sort out before the world cup starts. One major cause of worry is the No.7 batsman. Even though Yousuf Pathan have almost cemented his place for the No.7, it ll be interesting to see what is in the mind of Dhoni. The strength of this team is their batting with everyone is in top form. The major weakness in this Indian team is runs they leak in the death overs and the power plays. If at all they can contain the powerplays, there is no reason why India cannot win this cup. Moreover playing in home conditions will certainly improve their chances of winning the cup. This team is certainly an improved unit than the one played in 1996 which was a one man army and that man is still playing and is in form of his life. The chances of winning the world cup is 30%

Sri Lanka:

Second of the three host countries in the tournament. The last time the cup was played in the sub continent they were the champions. Under the astute leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga, they romped home turning the phase of Srilankan cricket. 15 years later they are led by a similar astute captain, Kumar Sangakara. Bouyed by their success in Australia, their first series win down under, this team is certainly be one of the favourites to win the cup. Their main strength is their batting led by the classy Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakara. These two will be key if at all they have any chance of repeating 1996. Their bowling is equally strong with Nuwan Kulasekara leading the attack. He is one of the most consistent bowlers around. Since they ll be playing all their matches in their home, it is an added advantage for the lions. The chances of they winning the cup is 25%.

South Africa:

If at all they have to win the world cup, they have to hold their nerves. Famously called as “Chokers”, they ll certainly be keen in removing the tag. There is no reason why they cannot win the cup given the bowling attack they posses. Steyn and Morkel are supposed to be the best of the current bowling attack in the world. Hashim Amla and AB Devillers are in form of their life and you have ever reliable Jacques Kallis and all these players are led by a brilliant and astute Graeme Smith who plays a major role with the start he gives.  Even though they have the best new ball bowlers, there is no one to back up. They have Tsotobe, Parnell in the line up but not as lethal as Steyn and Morkel. Another big drawback is the absence of spinners in the team. Johan Botha is only spinner they have but he will be ineffective when he plays in sub continent. The chances of winning the world cup is 15%.

Australia:

The performance at ashes, defeat in the hands on Sri Lankans and defending champions all add to the pressure. They are certainly not formidable as they were 4 years ago, but one cannot write away the Aussies for their ability to fight till the end. Their bowling looks strong with Bollinger, Harris, McKay, and Johnson. Their batting is equally strong with the likes of Watson, Ponting, Clarke and crisis man Hussey. The thing about the Aussies is the ability to rise to the occasion and nothing becomes demanding than a world cup. They would certainly want to play at home in 2015 as defending champions but recent form suggests they have difficult task ahead. The chances of winning the world cup is 10%.

England:

Certainly on cloud nine after their performance in the first two test of the Ashes. They are at present playing brilliant cricket. They won their first ICC trophy when they lifted the ICC Twenty20 world cup in West Indies. Buoyed by their success they ld like to repeat their feat in the 50 over format too. If at all they need to go through the quarter finals, the big man Kevin Pietersen should be continue his good form all through the tournament. Their bowling looks good with James Anderson and Graeme Swaan leading the attack. The crisis man Paul Collingwood should find purple patch before the world cup starts as he is one of the key member of the English team. Off all the players, Andrew Strauss should fire from all cylinders and lead from the front if at all they have any chance of making it to the semi finals. If they transform their test form into one dayers, no doubt they are a key contender to lift the trophy. The chances of winning the world cup is 8%.

New Zealand:

Certainly not the kind of preparation they would have liked to have. A 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Bangladesh and another whitewash against the Indians. They have lost their last 9 ODI’s they have played. If at all they are to win the world cup, a miracle should happen and only 2 players can cause the miracle in their team, Daniel Vettori and Ros Taylor. Much will be depended on these two players if at all they have any chance of making it to the semi finals. Brendon McCullum will be a key player but his inconsistency should be a worrying factor for the Kiwis. Their bowling is good with the likes of Tuffey and Mills but I think it will be difficult for them to carry the burden on their shoulders. The chances of winning the cup is 5%.

Pakistan:

The most unpredictable team in cricketing history. If they play to their true potential, they are certainly world beaters but the infighting, spot fixing scandal, absence of Amir and Asif are going to be a serious blow in their preparation to the world cup. In the absence of the Amir and Asif, Umar Gul and Shoiab Akthar should lead the attack. But apart from these two, I don’t see any bowler giving good support to. Batting on paper looks strong with the likes of Younis Khan, Yousuf, Afridi, Umar Akmal but it all depends on the mood of the dressing room given the controversies surrounding the team. It is sad that the country which produced one of the greatest fast bowlers and all rounder is struggling with so many problems. Their chances of winning the cup is 3%.

West Indies:

Any cricket follower and lover will certainly feel sad with the demise of once the greatest team to play cricket. The country which produced the greats like Richards, Marshal, Hall, Garner, Ambrose, Walsh, Lara is now struggling to even find a decent player. Apart from Gayle and Chanderpaul, I don’t see any one performing consistently. Not many would have thought Sammy to be the captain when he was not even a permanent player in the side.  If at all they are make in to the semi finals or even quarter finals, Gayle, Chanderpaul and Roach should play to their full potential else it ll be another disappointing world cup the West Indies. The chances of winning the world cup is 2%

Bangladesh:

They are a good one day unit and on their day they can create an upset which was evident from 2007 world cup. They are currently on a roll after defeating NZL 4-0 at home. Shakib al Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Tamim Iqbal are some of the key players whom the team look for if at all they need to reach the quarterfinal stage. The chaces of winning the world cup is 2%.

Happenings in cricket and my World Cup Squad

This is a great time for all the cricket lovers as all the top teams are in action and with jus 70 odd days to go for the biggest cricket event The World Cup, fans like me certainly are having a great time. The Ashes started off with blinder from Peter Siddle followed by a brilliant partnership between Cook and Trott. It was a perfect start to the games oldest and bitter rivalry. Then it was Kevin Pietersen’s turn to frustrate the Aussies which followed by a brilliant stuff from Graeme Swaan to win the Adelaide test by an innings. If this was not enough, back home Indians were made to toil by the Kiwis in the first test but Indians proved why they are world no 1 by winning the third test by an innings. I should congratulate the Kiwis for their brilliant fight after a drubbing they got at the hands of Bangladesh. The hero of the series was the Turbanator, though it was his batting that won him the laurels. I would have loved to see him winning the match for his bowling, but a century will always help the team irrespective of who scores. However, the game of cricket witnessed one of the worst series that can happen, the series between Sri Lanka and West Indies. Most of the time, the players enjoyed indoor as rain interrupted all through the series. One positive the cricket lovers can take from the series is the triple century by Chris Gayle at Galle. With this triple ton he joined the elite club of Don Bradman, Brian Lara and Virender Sehwag to score 2 triple centuries. Kemar Roach bowled brilliantly in the given opportunity but the biggest disappointment is the failure of captain Darren Sammy. I think a captain should lead from the front to inspire his team. Another dull series which the game witnessed is the series between Pakistan and South Africa at Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Both the test series were drawn but its good for Pakistan, which is fighting the spot fixing scandal and internal terrorism to get some game to be played. In a week’s time, India is set play South Africa in South Africa, which many considers to be the mother of all battles. Its between the top 2 test nations in the world and India’s poor record in South Africa meant the pressure is high on the Indians. Moreover, people back home in India are expecting 50^th test century from the little master after a disappointing series against New Zealand.  Its action packed season for cricket and I am enjoying it.

With so much stuff happening around the cricketing world, let me take some break and analyze who in the Indian team will be making it to the world cup. It is one of the toughest assignments given the performance of various players. So this is my Indian 15 member squad for the world cup. Of the 15, 10 players are of automatic choice,

1. Sachin Tendulkar
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Gautam Gambhir
4. MS Dhoni
5. Suresh Raina
6. Yuvraj Singh
7. Virat Kohli
8. Zaheer Khan
9. Harbhajan Singh
10. Ashish Nehra

So the question for who are the remaining 5 people who is going to make it to squad arises. Based on my analysis and intuition the following 5 should complete the 15.

1. Shanthakumar Sreeshanth – Has been bowling well off late in the tests and his success against South Africa in South Africa will help him get in to the squad. However it is his economy rate that should be a cause of concern for him. He should bring it down as it ll be the deciding factor between him, Ishant and Munaf. His ability to pick wickets has made me to include in the squad.
2. Ravichandran Ashwin – He is the second spinner in my squad. He makes it to the 15 just because of his sheer performance in the on going one day series against New Zealand.
3. Praveen Kumar – He will complete the fast bowling unit of the Indian squad for the world cup. His main strengths are his ability to swing the ball both ways early in the match which can certainly trouble the batsmen.
4. Yousuf Pathan – He is the answer for India’s No 7 player at least for now after his brutal knock against NZL and his off spinner will be handy in Indian conditions.
5. Parthiv Patel – Two reasons why he should make it to squad are that he is the back up keeper for Dhoni and his current batting form is good which earns him a place ahead of Dinesh Karthik and Wridhman Saha.

Human being par excellence

He has been on the field for more than 20 years, has played more matches than anyone else, have scored more runs than anyone in the game, there is no award that is not there in his kitty but still he says "I have lot to learn in cricket". This kind of simplicity, humbleness and down to earth has kept him achieve such heights. Yes, I am talking about none other than the little master Sachin Tendulkar. He started playing for the country at the age of 16 and immediately showed his commitment towards the game and for the country when he played with a bleeding nose when hit by a Waqar delivery. Few days later he showed why he is regarded as the replacement for Sunil Gavaskar when he hit Abdul Qadir for consecutive fours. If this was not enough, the century at Old Trafford which saved the game for India or the century at Perth, showed why he is a class apart. For more than 20 years, there was no instance at which his commitment towards the game or the country dwindled. A person who has achieved so much, who is considered as God in his place has shed tears for people died in 26/11 attack, congratulated all the CWG winners, and is involved in many charity work and that too silently is simply mind blowing. Till today he has been performing consistently for the country amid controversies and injuries with same enthusiasm and passion. Critics may not consider him as the greatest ever player to have played the game, but no one who has played the game is so down to earth, disciplined and also among the runs. Hats off to this great cricketer and a great human being for completing 14000 runs in test cricket and helping India win the series against Australia. May God give happiness to him and his family and long life.

The problem with Indians

My professor tells that “China doesn’t fear India but Indians are afraid of China”.  This is true to a certain extent given the kind of attention people give to the issues related to China. China has certainly is way ahead of us in almost all the fields be it research, agriculture, information technology or manufacturing. They have invested a lot in defense, infrastructure and research where as India’s investment is very less when compared to China. All of us certainly agree that India and China are similar. Both have rich and varied cultural history, huge landmass, and big population. India got its independence in 1947 and the Chinese civil war started in 1949. If Gandhi and Nehru shaped today’s
India, Mao Zedong is responsible for today’s China. Strategically both India and China had close ties with the Soviet Union and there was this famous ‘Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai’ slogan all over the world portraying the closeness of India and China. Post 1947, the race to the top in Asia was certainly between India and China because of the sheer amount of their population and land mass.
Economics is all about production and consumption and with majority of world’s population is in these two countries, whoever wins the race certainly ll be the next super power in the world. With everything in common between these two countries, 63yrs later China is well ahead of India in the race and the way it is going it certainly touted to replace the United States as the next super
power in the world.

India believes in Gandhian principles which are ahimsa and freedom for all. This is certainly one of the greatest thought as I do not want to live with my hands tied in my own country.  I need my freedom to express whatever I wish, I need freedom to do whatever I want within the framework of law and I certainly need freedom to follow the culture which is the most comfortable for me. India is the only place as far as I know where I have the full freedom to express myself. I can even raise my flag against India if I feel I am discriminated in my own land. I can agitate against any thing if I feel it hurts my sentiments and beliefs and I have the power of choosing my representative and what he must do for my improvement. As a citizen of India I have all the powers a normal human being can have and I am sure not all the countries give this freedom. I wonder if I have all the powers then why India is still lagging behind many countries, still 37% of the population is below poverty line and still lots of mal nourished children in my streets. The reason behind this is know I have all the powers but I do not know that these powers come with a discipline and responsibility. I should know the rules to follow while I am driving a vehicle, I should know where to throw the garbage, I should know what I should do when someone is asking for bribe and also I should know to choose the right person as my representative. I should not vote based on the popularity but based on the profile of the candidate and his manifesto. I should first respect the law and last but not the least I should love my country and support it in whatever situation it is in.

On the other hand, China imposed these qualities on its people and hence the growth is phenomenon. I am not sure whether India should impose it or not on me, as long as I love my country and ready to die for it I am sure India ll surpass China soon.

“Be the change if you want to see the change” – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

So I take pledge today that I ll not let my country down and available to serve her whenever it needs me.

*Note: I refers to the wonderful citizens of India and not me