Pakistan’s absence: who will be impacted?

This time around IPL will defiantly miss the action coming from across the India’s western borders, which also brought with them the support of millions of Pakistanis for teams like KKR. IPL was a huge hit in Pakistan, I guess maximum interest among the foreign nations, mostly because of all big players of Pakistan playing along with the popularity of Sharukh and Zinta in urdu speaking country.

The biggest sufferer of this absence will be KKR, who had four players coming from Pakistan. I consider Umar Gul as one of the best T20 bowlers, as he has the ability to bowl the Yorkers consistently and for that I believe he will be a big miss from the KKR squad. Umar Gul’s last year performance might not have been able to match the might he showed at world T20 2007 in SA, and since IPL 2.0 is held in SA I think Umar could have been a great asset for KKR.
Salman Butt was another big player on KKR payrolls. Salman again did not contribute significantly during IPL1.0 but still his impact at the top of the order can not denied. At international level this guy has a knack of performing well against India, but I am not sure how does that transform when he plays for an Indian team. Salman might not be a big miss because of prolonged availability of Chris Gayle and McCullum.

Shoib Akhtar was another big signing of KKR from Pakistan, and he made some impact during his 4 match stint at IPL 1.0. But I believe apart from cricketing prowess Shoib was one of the biggest factors of Pakistan’s support for KKR. Hafeez came to IPL with a badge of a big hitter, but ended up as an extra baggage, and might not be missed at all in the presence of other big hitter in the ranks of KKR.

So KKR will miss the firepower on the seam bowling department and will also loose their big fan base in Pakistan, still I am not sure if that will also impact their fan base in Bangladesh.
The other team, which will miss Pakistanis a lot is the current IPL champion Rajasthan Royals. They had three Pakistanis on their payrolls and Sohail Tanvir’s contributions to their campaign can not be debated. In absence of Tanvir their bowling attack will be led of Morkel and Patel as Shane Watson, another big find of IPL 1.0 will also be missing from action. They will have to rely on the new (publicized) sensation Kamran Khan.

Rajsthan will also miss their wicket Keeper batsman Kamran Akmal and now they have rely on local talent to fill that gap. Also their middle order might miss the stability that could have been provided by Younis Khan. My take is that from the pure cricketing perspective RR might turn out to be the biggest losers.

Delhi comes next with two Pakistanis in its squad, but both Shoib Malik and Asif turned out to be the over heads with their limited contributions. Malik was a big flop as an alrounder and Asif was also not able to match the firepower of McGrawth, Mahroof and Yo Mahesh. Now with Ashish Nehra also coming back to his home team, Delhi will not miss the Pakistani duo at all.

Bangalore and Hyderabad had one player each from Pakistan with them last time, but both Misbah and Shahid afridi were not able to justify the high price tags they came with. Even though Misbah was a personal choice of Malya, he failed and was not able to match the level of so called test players in the team. The biggest failure of star studded Deccan Chargers team undeniably was the Man of the series of world T20 2007. Shahid Afridi failed miserably both with bat and ball. With their pathetic performances the tow bottom teams might be feeling a bit light after doing away with the excess baggage.

Mumbai Indian, CSK and Kings XI were the teams with no Pakistanis and obviously have no impact coming from the stand off between India and Pakistan.

The New Age Jaichands

Prithivi Raj chauhan's campaign against against Mohammed Ghori's repeated attempts came to an end when Jaichand decided to take personal revenge by helping the forigner.

When Sonal Shah was appointed in the Obama’s transition team, some Indian-Americans expressed their concerns about her VHP and RSS Links. A big news was made of this, however I still fail to understand why someone having links with RSS can raise concerns among Indians living in USA, after all RSS is not a terrorist organization. Obama has links with church and no one makes an issue of that, then why should someone having links with VHP be considered a problem by Indians. Same way congress and its supporters living in US make it a point to lobby strongly against the visa to a democratically elected CM of Indian State.

I do not know really how brutal it was in Kandhar, but the way it was portrayed it just looked like another holocaust. EU expressed its concerns for the safety of cristians in India, why because of some people in India sitting and reporting and making it another holocaust. It might have been bad, not as bad as was reported. I know a few people, working in MNCs, who applied for immigration to European countries on grounds of threat to their lives in India. Then there are NGO who have to sell such things to get the money.

Coming to the report of SIT, which was appointed by Supreme Court, that says that NGOs actually cooked up the events in Gujrat after Godhara. SIT clear points out that people like Teesta have actually tutored the witnesses. The role of media can also not be denied in this, people might remember the sting operation done by Tahlka just before the last Gujrat Elections. Are the people like Teesta are doing it just get some extra money, which casts India to be ranked among the countries not safe for minorities.

I think all such people, who just for the sake of some personal rivalries or some money go all out to malign the image of India, are more dangerous then one Jaichand. If such people are not controlled, I fear India might be just getting closer to another partition (Current population break up of India is pretty close to what it was in 1947). Anyways the experiments like Ulema Council have already began, which if work out the bad days are around.

IPL Outsourced

In a week’s time, the cricket’s biggest extravaganza will set its first global footprints, thanks to Indian Government. In an era of outsourcing, India has benefitted the most by bagging the IT and other jobs. However as is the case with any business having money, people around the globe will be more then happy to work with you or work for you. India is the biggest market for cricket and that makes it easy for even the cricketers from first world countries (even those who criticize the playing condition in third world countries) to argue with their national boards about the 6 weeks stint at IPL that can earn them a million dollars.

This time around when this ultra rich baby was aborted by its parents, SA decided to take care of it. Obviously South Africa knows the kind of stimulus IPL can provide in such times. But with that I also see an opportunity for IPL in this. Last year’s IPL was a mega event for sure, but was mostly confined to India or at most in south Asia. This year when the 8 city franchise teams start their journey for the trophy, they will find more supporters in form of those living in Johannesburg and Cape Town. IPL has almost every good cricketer across the globe on its payroll, but still a person in SA or Australia will not be bothered much about the performance of Smith or Lee for RR or Kings XI, just think how much interest we have in county cricket when our players participate in that. However now with the teams starting their journey on an offshore location (a term highly used in outsourcing), it will be interesting to see the kind of interest It can generate there with the help of Big Indian diasporas and bollywood stars.

Franchises may loose some money of ticket receipts and might have to incur additional travel costs (Actually hotels in SA are much cheaper than those in India), but still I consider it a good opportunity for them increase their support base. Still I am not much happy with the format, if every team was allotted a home ground in SA and then they were asked to repeat the same format as that of last year, the city based loyalty might have hit the roof.

From the cricket’s point of view IPL anyways presented a great opportunity for the domestic cricketers to get a feel of Big Games, before venturing into the international arena. This year it takes the experience forward by giving them an opportunity of playing with big guns of cricket at a global location, which must help them and in turn Indian team for future. Anyone can see the evolution of likes of Asnodkar, Ravinder and Dinda. I also feel that this time around the results might be very different from the last year’s as I doubts the capabilities of domestic players on bouncy tracks and that might just change to order of teams.

I will quickly rap up the discussion with a little SWOT analysis of IPL at an offshore location:
Strengths: Teams with international players will be able to get good results as well as support base. Indian domestic players will get more recognition.

Weaknesses: Only four overseas players allowed in a team, thus restricting the global fragrance. Indian domestic players might not be as accustomed to playing the shots on backfoot as compared to their mastery on front foot on slower Indian grounds.

Opportunities: A new market thrown open for IPL and with that it can really get a global status. Also it will be good for Indian cricketers to get a feel of international cricket at international location. The timing is also perfect from Indian team’s perspective as they will play on wickets, which are closer to those they will get in England during world T20, thus enhancing their chances of retaining their champion status.

Threats: With no matches in India, the city bases loyalty may fade. Anyways no Hyderabadi would back Hyderabad this time around :D.

The Future of India by Samajwadi Party

After looking at the manifesto of Samajwadi Party today, I felt they are the most futuristic party of India, as they are probably the only one supporting the reversal of wheel of development. In the time when every one is crying about the global warming and bad economy of America, Mulayam and his team has really gone a step ahead and devised the plans accordingly.

First and most important thing Mulayam Promises is to curb the usage of computers, and I am sure its the first leap towards past. He is very true in telling the people that computers are bad, as they let the people to get the information easily (even with bad government websites a person can get his land records on web) without paying chaipani to Babus. Indian government is yet to utilize the computers at its fullest, but Mulayam singh must have got horrified by seeing the way computers help the common people in developed countries, and he must have also got a glimpse of what can be done with IT in India, by looking at the IT Policy of BJP. But don't take him wrong, he knows that computers consume lots of electricity and also they are symbols of US capitalism, so he is trying to help us save energy as well (Anyways UP doesn't have much). Also computers enabled the seem less flow of information across the borders and also helped to move the funds easily, and Mulayam can not tolerate some one sitting in NY continuously keeping watch on BSE, and rather controlling it along with other exchanges. Also Mulayam doesn't like stock exchanges and future trading, very true whats the point of betting on future and making the prices artificially inflated.

He also plans to curb usage of English, as US economy is sinking and now with his plans of cutting of the India from the rest world, whats the point of carrying the extra baggage. He however will send his illegal children along with those of akhilesh (His legal son) to UK and USA for studies as used to happen in the era of Rajas and Ranis.

Once English and computers are gone, he has machines in is agenda next and with that Indians will back to the era of Mother India (Someone might remember Sunil datt pulling the plough). Sanjay Datt would love to see others doing what his father did in that movie. Sanjay Datt will also start the publicity of charkha, but since charkhas will need wood, which is no where available, they will ask us to shed the clothes altogather, anyways they don't make the people civilized (well the "Return to Blue Lagoon" movie proves that). However people will still use the cell phone as Amar wont like to harm his friend Anil Ambani, and with no clothes (Vimal Still with Mukesh) and motors around Mukesh will be busy managing Mumbai Indians. Anyways IPL can continue as BIG TV will beam the signals live. This will be a great society you can imagine.

Also Mulayam singh will be pushing for the good relations with Pakistan and Bangladesh, with Pakistan falling in hand of Taliban, it would be sin for Mulayam not to talk to Islamic fundamentalists sitting in Islamabad, and he would need their best wishes to keep is regime in India flourishing.

Then Amar Singh might also start building another Taj in the Memory of Jaya Prada, anyways they will just keep the tradition of moghuls going. Also Taliban will get entry into India and Non Muslims will be forced to pay Jizya.

But with All this no one would be required to bother about Global Warming and no more fighting at WTO (as No more global tread from India) and G8. India will be a clean country as it was thousands year back and Mulla...yam would be the Shanshah (Amar will deal with Amitabh for no claiming his copyright)

I Know its a bad dream... But with such great leaders around dreams may come true.

The New Emotional Atyachar- Juta

When Raj Kapur sang the song "Mera Juta hai Japani", he would have never imagined that the Juta is going to be one of the most pronounced ways of expressing one's anger against the mighty people. The most powerful person alive on the earth was probably the first among them, then the list just keeps going on and the latest addition is Naveen Jindal.

Even a few people tried using some other substances like custured(In UK) in place of Juta, but I am sure nothing can meet the emotional power of a Juta. If the trend carries on may be the Netas, before coming out in public will ask the the audience to come barefoot and I know for sure Madam Mayawati will be the first amongst them, who already imposes a curfew on roads when she moves around. May be the union home ministry will come up with a new Z-Boot category of security for the possible targets and most importantly the commandos guarding them wont also be allowed to wear the Juta (as people still remember Indira was killed by her own security guard). May be for them the dress code will include the black painted toes (as was done by the participants of one Indian reality show). Also may be a new act on the line of NSA will be devised to protect the lawmakers, by putting any shoe hurler behind the bars for at least one year without bothering about bail. Or may be a Juta in hand can be included in the Arms Act (Sanjay Datt's one).

However once ready with all the acts and agencies to act against Juta Hurlers, the union ministry will carry out an assessment to decide the category of threat. I think that assessment should include past and present acts of screwing up the people. If I was to come up with the assessment my list will go like this: threat level max at top

1. Mayawati
2. Karunanidhi & Vaiko
3. Amar Singh
4. J Jayalalitha (The leaders from tamil nadu may do the task themselves)
5. Lalu Yadav
6. Mulayam Singh yadav
7. Shivraj Patil
8. Raj Thakre
9. Narendra Modi
10. Rabri Devi
11. Mamta Banarjee
12. Prakash Karat
13. Arjun Singh (For OBC reservations)
14. H D Devegauda
15. V.S. Achutanandan (Kerala CM)
16. Narayan Rane
17. Shalman Khan
18. K. Chandrasekhar Rao (TRS guy)
19. Ram Muthalik (a surprise entry, thanks to our media)
20. Om Praksh Chautala

However even after blocking all the Jutas, there might be other even more deadly weapons like the undergarments (Not sending by post, actually some one might remember Kangna Ranut doing the act in Woh Lamhe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIHLeulXRTI).

# Even though I tried to be as unbiased as our Media is, however my perception might have caused a couple of name not included in the list. However I want to make it very clear that these are not the people who I want to target, but simply I think they might be targeted.

Others are free to put their additions and omissions for the list.

Is Indian Media too biased

I have just put following post on IBNLive.com, I am almost sure of this not being allowed to appear on their website. If it does appear Kudos to IBN, or else they should just revisit the concept of freedom of speech.

If this topic appears, means that Indian Media really cares for freedom of speech.

I have suggested this topic, as while browsing through the various Indian News channels and Websites, I found a strange similarity that is an anti BJP and stron Pro Congress views expressed by all the bloggers, and commenters.

Take the case of Sanjay Jha's Latest Blog on Ibnpolitics.com about Mr. Rahul Gandhi. I do not know how can someone boast of a democracy with dominance of one family. I just wanted to compare the views expressed by Rajdeep on Varun issue and on D Srinivasan (If you don't know, he made similar statement as that by Varun but this the tables were turned). Or a debate topic on BJP's manifesto, the topic of the debate itself is biased, shouldn't it have been Comparison of Manifestos of BJP and congress instead asking if BJP's one is more xyz.

If I browse through India Media sites, it gives me a strange feeling that BJP is a pathetic party without any support at least among the educated class, but the max thumbs up on IBNlive are for Advani. When I browse through Orkut in any Community I find more Pro BJP people, is Indian Media not allowing even the people to express their views freely. Media companies always cry for the freedom of expression, I feel that should be applied to them as well. If we are allowed to protest against government on a road built by government, we should be allowed to debate about the role of Media on a Media website as well.

A trip to Kanpur and Agra

Sorry for being lazy again... I know I broke my resolution but still I can have a chance to put up an excuse. I was without Internet for around 11 days during the period, isn't that too much for a person who is online almost 24X7. I celebrated Holi in Kanpur and also visited Agra.... yes to see the Taj for the first time.

Driving to Agra was fun, never thought will be able to cover 270 Kms in just four hours, thanks to the golden quadrilateral. Even though I had been on that highway but only for a limited stretch and this time around It was a lot more. The highways is world class but the people still need a lot to learn. People driving on the opposite directions is quite a common affair even on a highway. For people on Bicycles and other two wheelers such an endeavour I consider an suicidal act, what else should I say when a car or truck at 100+ gets frustrated seeing you there (that for the fortunate ones).

Came back to Hyderabad on 16th and since then life is again back to the routine stuff including 24X7 (I know its an exaggeration, but some feel that way).

UPA takes credit for Slumdog

The credit of oscars must go to congress party ??..............................Bcoz without congress there would not have been slums in India even after 62years of independence.
JAI HO !!

Ram bhi dar gaye

Shri Ram coments on Ram SethuThe Lord Shree Shree Ramachandra Prabhu surveyed the Ram Setu and said "Hanuman, how diligently and strenuously you and your vanara sena had builtthis bridge several centuries back. It is remarkable that it has withstoodthe ravages of the climatic and geographical changes over centuries. It is indeed an amazing feat especially considering the fact that a bridge atHyderabad built by Gammon using latest technology collapsed the other dayeven before they could stick the posters on its pillars."Hanuman with all humility spoke "Jai Sri Ram, it is all because of yourgrace. We just scribbled your name on the bricks and threw them in the seaand they held. No steel from TISCON or cement from Ambuja or ACC was ever used. But Lord, why rake up the old issue now."Ram spoke "Well, Hanuman some people down there want to demolish the bridgeand construct a canal. The contract involves lot of money and lot of money will be made. They will make money on demolition and make more money onconstruction. "Hanuman humbly bowed down and said "Why not we go down and present ourcase"
Ram said "Times have changed since we were down there. They will ask us to submit age proof and we don't have either a birth certificate or schoolleaving certificate. We traveled mainly on foot and some times in bullockcarts and so we don't have a driving license either. As far as the address proof is concerned the fact that I was born at Ayodhya is itself underlitigation for over half a century, If I go in a traditional attire withbow and arrow, the ordinary folks may recognize me but Arjun Singh may take me to be some tribal and, at the most, offer a seat at IIT under thereserved category. Also, a God cannot walk in dressed in a three-piece suitand announce his arrival. It would make even the devotees suspicious. So it is dilemma so to say.""I can vouch for you by saying that I personally built the bridge.""My dear, Anjani putra, it will not work. They will ask you to produce thelay-out plan, the project details, including financial outlay and how the project cost was met and the completion certificate. Nothing is acceptedwithout documentary evidence in India. You may cough but unless a doctorcertifies it, you have no cough. A pensioner may present himself personally but the authorities do not take it as proof. He has to produce alife-certificate to prove that he is alive. It is that complicated.""Lord can't understand these historians. Over the years you have given darshan once every hundred years to saints like Surdas, Tulsidas, SaintThyagaraja, Jayadeva, Bhadrachala Ramdas and even Sant Tukaram and stillthey disbelieve your existence and say Ramayana is a myth. The only option, I see, is to re-enact Ramayana on earth and set the government recordsstraight once for all."
Lord smiled "It isn't that easy today. Ravan is apprehensive that he maylook like a saint in front of Karunanidhi. I also spoke to his mama Mareecha, who appeared as a golden deer to tempt Sita maiyya when I was inthe forest and he said that he won't take a chance of stepping on earth aslong as Salman Khan is around."

Can someone tell her about the map of INDIA

I still remember the controversy a few months back regarding the Nokia maps, where they had shown LOC and LAC as international boundaries of India, instead of the boundaries accepted by India, that Includes Pak occupied Kashmir and Aksai chin. Then there was a controversy about a Map of Himanchal Govt.

But the ad given by CM of UP, posing inside India is the heights of %^&&%&*&^. Such an Idiotic act could have been expected from one and only Mayawati. I believe Dainik jagran is also equally responsible for this, they also need to make sure not to publish such maps.

Also I am not sure, if no one really picked up coz I didn't read or hear about this anywhere till now, its already one full day.

I understand that India has no administrative control over those areas but Fortunatly for India, Mayawati is not yet the person to decide about the borders of India, nor am I.

Diversity and freedom

We have a President who insists on covering her head and wearing long sleeves even in the height of summer, a Prime Minister who wears a turban, a Chief Election Commissioner who proudly displays a caste mark, and Parliamentarians who make a practice of sporting unconventional apparels which ensure that their caste, community or region is easily identifiable. I personally feel, that to build a harmonious, integrated society in modern day India, it might be wiser to try ironing out differences in society, instead of going out of the way to reinforce the angularities.

I recall the advice to the Parsees by the ruler of Sanjan, Jadi Rana, back in the eighth century. The Parsees, who fled religious persecution in Persia, landed in Gujarat and requested asylum. Jadi Rana allowed them to settle on certain conditions. The Parsees were told to give up the Persian language and speak the local lingo. They were also asked to dress like the natives and respect and observe the customs of the majority community. They could practise their religious ceremonies in private. The king's advice was sound. This minority community prospered in its adopted land by melting easily into the mainstream, even while maintaining its identity for over 1200 years.

The New Youth Icon

Mr. Rahul Gandhi, the so called yuvraj of Congress on India, is touted to be the youth icon of the country. INC wants to use him as a youth mascot of an elderly party. When I say elderly party I did not mean, about the age of the party or of its leaders. Rahul has only one qualification to become a youth mascot and that is his surname gandhi.
But I would say that Rahul is either not grown up or is already elderly, I am saying so because of his thinking. A person who puts Industrialization as pro reach can not be fit to be called a youth. Probably he is carrying the same thinking, as has been forced by his forefathers, of just wooing the voters by non relevant things. If anyone looks at the world, he/she can easily find that, its the industrialization that changed the world. USA may be a capitalist country (a Pro rich) and the country hardly has any poverty. Today we may say that USA is struggling, but let me assure you about the fact that they are still better off then most of the Indians. The only thing is that they are not used to even slightly bad things and we have grown up seeing worst things around us.
If rahul thinks that by spending a night at a Dalt's house, he is doing nothing but proving his incapability. It simply means that in the first 36-37 years of his life he never got a chance to look beyond the dream world of 10 Janpath, USA and Columbia (his GFs native ).
If Innocence is hallmark of childhood then Ideology is the hallmark of the youth and for that reason I say that Rahul can not be termed as youth as for him, I don't know what matters beyond votes.

Two sets of rules

"What became clear to me is that we can't send a message to the American people that we've got two sets of rules: one for prominent people and one for ordinary people. So I consider this a mistake on my part and one that I intend to fix and correct and make sure that we're not screwing up again,"

This is what US President Obama said in an interview to Fox, about the appointments of two tax evaders in his staff.

The Point I wanted to make here is that, in India at least every politician and influencial person tries to convey the message very clearly, that in India, there really exist two set of rules, one for Prominent Indians and one for Ordinary Indians. Be it the BMW case, where kin of ex Navy chief was involved or any other in which at least we got to know about the case through the coverage provided by Media. Here we have one more rule, i.e. if its about an influential person Media will cover it with full glare, but numorous numbers of crimes committed every day in all the parts of the country just go unnoticed.

In India no government has tried to give such a message till date, even if they are caught, all the possible attempts are made to cover up the things. I hope some day India will get its own Obama (Please do not compare him with Mayawati just both are from underprivileged sections of the society).

Our Great Secular Media....

Today I have spotted two contrasting news and their coverage by the so called secular Indian media. One news, which got extreme coverage was that "More proof on Muthalik's Malegaon blasts connection". This news appears on the main page of NDTV website and has been followed ridiculuosly through the day by the fanatics (journalists).
Now if you go through the article you will realize that Mr. Ram only praised Pragya and Lt. Col. Purohit, and if NDTV considers this speech as a proof of his involvement in Malegaon Blasts, then probably all the politicians of Tamilnadu should be behind bars, as they not only praise LTTE but also use their influence on Indian government to help them. How about the Imams of Jama Masjid Delhi and deoband, who do not shy away from praising global terrorists like Osama bin Laden.

Now contrast it, with another news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7857468.stm
If you look at the picture, the protesters are holding the Indian flag upside down. This in itself is a big crime and in addition to that these are the guys backing the culprits of batla house. Now I do not understand why should our national media ignore such a big thing, when it puts a speech of support as proof of involvement.

Just imagine what NDTV will report if there was rally in support of Pragya and Lt. Col. Purohit.

Back again...

Sorry for such a long pause. I have taken a new resolve today i.e. to keep my blog updated and to post at least one new article in a week. I was not doing anything, but just my laziness, and then once it became a bit long, i didn't know when to start again. But now I have decided...