When God speaks

When God speaks, you don’t hear anything! You only see – magic!

And when God of Cricket speaks, well, you still see magic :)

It was pure magic to hear Sachin speak with Arnab, frankly! Every word an “inspiration”; every sentence a “quote”! It was incredibly enchanting to watch two of my favourites chat with each other, and, frankly :)

Watching Sachin answer to Arnab’s probing – sometimes provoking – questions, yet reverential and friendly, took me more than two decades back. I was in Bombay – yes, it was called Bombay then; not that i call it by any other name now; Sachin Tendulkar had become a big name by then; and it was in the grapevine that he had met his love of life, his future wife Anjali Mehta.

It was a Sunday afternoon and we were at the Dadar Club, enjoying snacks while enjoying a club level tennis match between Ashok Mankad’s son Harsh and his opponent (I don’t remember his name).Befitting a cricket crazy country, our talks veered towards cricket and soon it got concentrated on Sachin. Imagine: we were watching a tennis match and talking about cricket! A friend of ours, a born-&-brought up Mumbaikar, who happened to personally know various sportsmen including Sachin, seeing the group’s enthusiasm extended his “generosity” and promised to take us to meet him at his home; he only needed a couple of hours to fix up our meeting for the coming weekend.

Wow! We spent the seemingly never-ending week counting days! And came the day when we were to go and meet Sachin Tendulkar. Yes, the same Sachin Tendulkar, who today is referred to as the God of Cricket!

We gathered at the Dadar Club, got into our friend’s car and started towards Sachin’s home. Excitement was at its peak! Unbelievable! And indescribable! And then the disaster struck! A dear friend of ours who had suffered from heartbreak recently went into sudden depression and refused to go anywhere. In sympathy, we friends dropped the “idea” till next weekend, which, of course, never came.

I too did not try to cheer up my friend or insist upon rest of us going ahead to meet Sachin as I too had recently suffered a personal loss – assassination of my most beloved personality, Rajiv Gandhi uncle, and I too was in not so cheerful mood. Then there was the hope that there would always be a ‘next time’ – next week – with our Mumbaikar friend being around. Today, I cannot believe it myself! Not even my family, who rightly think that I have been the biggest fool to have ever walked the planet Earth!    

Soon our days in Bombay came to an end and it was time to go back to our campus – without meeting Sachin, of course. And as the fate would have it, within months we got the tragic news of the death of our Mumbaikar friend and the link to Sachin Tendulkar was lost, forever. May his soul rest in peace. We miss you, Kamlesh :(

Since then I haven’t been able to understand God’s design in not letting that meeting happen with Sachin. I have regretted the lost opportunity every time I see Sachin; and will continue to mourn it even post my death. Once up there I am going to ask the God that why He not let us meet the then future God of Cricket! Was the God himself feeling threatened about this “imminent” competition?!

The regret regressed little bit when I got the God sent opportunity to watch Sachin play live.

The day was 7^th February and the year was 1999. The venue was Feroz Shah Kotla ground in Delhi. The occasion was the second test between India and Pakistan. It was the 5^th day of the test match. Pakistan was batting in their 2^nd innings. The advantage was that India was fielding and thus all players were visible on the field! And, yes, it was then that I first saw Sachin Tendulkar live! In flesh and blood, from so near that I could touch him! Yes, the God of Cricket was in front of me, playing, and I simply could not believe my luck! That day too I rushed back to Bombay of 1991. The memories of that day are so vivid that I can narrate in all details even after 13 years!

It was indeed a special day in my life! Not only for the fact that it was my first meeting with Sachin Tendulkar in person but also for the fact that Anil Kumble single-handedly demolished Pakistan with his historical 10 wickets haul in an inning! What a match it was! And what a meeting it was with the God of Cricket! And, that day too, I regretted deeply for having missed out, yet again, on seeing Sachin for four more days during the first four days of the test match; believe it or not, i did not go for the first four days of the test match as i was so-called busy with routine office work whereas actually I was wasting my cricket passes and the God’ sent lifetime opportunity!

I wonder if Sachin would remember this fan of his in red pullover and blue jeans :)

Many years have passed since then. Cricket has evolved further in India. We are the world Champions for the second time! T20 is the most popular format today. IPL is a big brand globally. India has become the super power nation as far as this sport is concerned. We may not have remained the No.1 in various formats of the game for long but India surely dominates – and dictates - the world of cricket!

In today’s times of too much cricket, I do not watch matches always. Not even when my country and my favourite players – Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni – are playing. Watching cricket matches live has also reduced drastically for me. But watching Sachin speak about his “imminent” retirement and his doubts about his availability for the next world cup gave me goose bumps! Indian cricket without Sachin? NO! The thought itself is frightening! Watching Frankly Speaking I prayed to the God for letting the God of Cricket be a part of cricket as long as possible – always, actually. I am sure even the “cricket atheists” will join me in my prayers …

And, thanks Arnab, for your wonderful chat with Sachin! You could bring out so far unseen dimensions of his personality with your superb interviewing. I especially liked your introductory comments and your concluding remarks. I am sure even Sachin is going to remember this interview for ever, when he spoke Frankly :)     

  

Fan-tastic!

Below illustrated is the ‘anatomy of an admirer’.

Sounds like a biology class! At least it is not a lesson in “postmortem” as the admirer is still alive! …

Before you start wondering, I would like to narrate a recent incident. I was in Bhopal having dinner at the Jehan Numa Palace’s famed restaurant “Under The Mango Tree” when I saw Jaya Bachchan walk in with a few friends & relatives. Obviously all heads turned in her direction including mine but there was no pandemonium. She sat at the next table, ordered food & drinks and they started having peaceful conversations. Once the dinner was over I decided to go and talk to her which I did. I congratulated Jaya aunty for becoming a grand mother and reminded her of my previous meeting with her at the Delhi airport when she was with Amitabh uncle, Abhishek and Anil Ambani – all returning to Bombay in Anil’s private jet post her (and Anil’s) oath in the Rajya Sabha – which she, of course, did not remember but seemed to be happy talking about – and I genuinely complimented on her still maintained elegance and charm! She thanked me profusely and then I requested for a photograph with her. Jaya aunty very sweetly declined saying “it is an extremely private dinner; there are so many people around who too would like to do the same; hope you will understand and not mind … God bless you.” I understood of course and did not mind also! Three days later when I was returning to Delhi, I again saw her walk inside the airport wearing a beautiful dress looking every inch a “Guddi”! She had a bit of harried expression around her. Had she spent a few minutes around, I would have gone to her again, requesting her to pose for a picture with me – this time at a public place, giving her no opportunity to refuse! … Her departure started a discussion about this entire phenomenon called “celebrity-admirer” relationship. And I decided to pen down my thoughts. So, here I am …

Watching Jaya aunty board the aircraft to Bombay I got reminded of an article by a celebrated journalist more than half a decade back in one of the national dailies in which he (a hint!) lamented the species called “admirers” – a “fan” in popular parlance – and labeling them to be “Goodwill Hunters”! Well, he must have had his own reasons (very flimsy from his account in the piece though) but it hurt me immensely. Because I am also a fan of a very few but have never indulged into “goodwill hunting” – so far!

The “Goodwill Hunting” term hurt me because as an active person with interest in various fields I have met many a celebrities, have interacted with them, taken snaps with a few but I do not think that being a non-celebrity, I have ever tried to “hunt them down for any goodwill”! No way.

Of course, there many people who are real fanatics (fan comes from fanatics!) in their hero-worship but this kind of frenzied behavior is reserved for a select few and that too at select places – few film stars and few cricketers being amongst this coveted club! General public otherwise is so ignorant about most of the things that people – celebrities – in most of the fields other than film and cricket are not even known, forget about being recognized! Thus, the bizarre attitude of a few little known names/faces is so offending that you actually wonder at their fantasy about their own self!

Here is the disclaimer: I admire/respect many celebrities/achievers but am a “fan” of very few; they being authors (Orhan Pamuk, Shashi Tharoor), anchor (Arnab Goswami), industrialist (Ratan Tata), social leader (Anna Hazare), film star (Amitabh Bachchan), journalists (Karan Thapar, Vir Sanghvi), politicians (Rajiv Gandhi, Barack Obama), cricketers (MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar), sports (Michael Schumacher, Boris Becker) and my ultimate favorite Mahatma Gandhi! And I have never ever tried “goodwill hunting” with any of them! …

Only a couple of months back I was watching Ranbir Kapoor talk about ‘fans’ on “Frankly Speaking” on Times Now and I found his thoughts to be refreshing! He mentioned about his father’s haughty behavior towards the “approaching fans” and thus his determination as a young kid that if ever he became a celebrity he would always respect his fans because it is because of the fans that a film star is born and sustained! He sounded noble and “hat-ke” though in reality if he really practices it is yet to be confirmed…

I also find one more aspect very odd about many of the celebrities. That if you correspond with famous people (not because you want to trespass/harass but only to share your opinion on certain issues and the celebrity in question need not be from ‘your set of favorites’), they will not respond; or if they do ‘oblige’, most of the time they will not address the person with his/her name. And if they do, they will not use the expression “dear” before the name. Now, prefixing “dear” is just a civilized way of writing/replying; no fool (recipient/fan) will ever believe that he/she has become a “dear” of the personality!

Not that I blame them entirely for their strange attitude. Sometimes admirers can be really rude and unforgiving and crazy but generally they are supportive and understanding. I also realize that they are so hard pressed for time that taking time out for responding to each and every email/letter could become hugely challenging (by the way, how many such personalities would be there in this world?!). I also buy the argument that they are humans too and thus need personal space in their ever-crowded environment in which every person is out there hungry for a piece of him/her! In many instances, their own insecurities and personal troubles could be so overwhelming that they live cocooned and seldom bother to look around and savor the privileges bestowed upon them by virtue of being successful/known in their chosen field! Nevertheless, what I also understand from all this is that they clearly fail to understand the favorite-fan relationship.

This celebrity-fan relationship is very interesting. And divine. Though friends of a celebrity are often because of his/her fame, but fans are like stars in the universe: shining for him/her with ‘moral support & well-wishes’ from afar but never crossing their paths to cause eclipses like ‘planets and satellites’! This relationship is absolutely one-sided, without any kind of expectation from the more blessed one, though the latter get taken-for-granted often in this divinely unbalanced equation. And there is no “goodwill hunting”, for God’s sake!

Nevertheless, I remain a fan, forever … J

Hang Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv’s assassins’ pictures in parliament!

Invitation

You are cordially invited to witness

The Hanging of Ajmal Kasab, Afzal Guru & Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins’ pictures in the Parliament of India.

Venue: Central Hall, Parliament of India

Date: 15^th August

Time: 12 noon

Please be seated 15 minutes before the start of the function.

RSVP: India.

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Yes, hang Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins’ pictures in parliament! If we are so hesitant to hang these proven assassins and murderers and killers, at least hang their pictures in the parliament. India would, in effect, then – technically at least – be seen doing something. Status quo cannot be sustained for long – like in all things in the world. By this we would – as desired so desperately – be demonstrating to the world that India upholds a human’s right to live at all cost! So what if these so-called humans in question are terrorists? So what if Ajmal Kasab’s madness as a mass murderer was caught on CCTV cameras and broadcast live to all corners of the world?! So what if Afzal Guru, a self-confessed once-upon-a-time-active-terrorist-but-now-a-passive-terrorist orchestrated the deadly attack on the Parliament of India – the prime institution which epitomizes what our country stands for: a sovereign and a democratic nation?! So what if the LTTE mercenaries assassinated the former prime minister of India – Rajiv Gandhi – for sending peace-keeping forces in Sri Lanka?! So what if scores of people’s lives – people around these named victims - got extinguished and their families’ lives getting massively impacted, changing the definition of life for them forever because of the dastardly deeds of these so-called humans, the lives of whom we are now so desperately trying to protect?!

I say: why waste precious time debating whether “to hang or not to hang”? Simply hang these killers’ pictures in the parliament of India! The End.

Now, why only these high profile terrorists should get this privilege of not going to gallows? Let us extend this opportunity of avoiding punishment to all criminals of our great country! This way we will be able to showcase to the world once again our great criminal justice system. “Justice-for-criminals” system! After all, with the craving for a pat from the world – our self-created notion solely, not the prevalent worldview – we have so diligently guarded Kasab and kept him safe at the cost - a few million dollars only so far! And have kept Afzal Guru safely away from the hangman! And in case of our prime minister’s assassins we have set a record of safeguarding their existence for more than two decades now! Wow!

Soon the world is going to see our esteemed proponents of “justice-for-criminals” being elected to the high offices of the International Criminal Courts and all criminal courts of the world. And our esteemed “justice-for-criminals” system is going to get included in the syllabus of the courses on the subject throughout the globe. After all, India has set unprecedented examples in the “justice-for-criminals” field. Whether other countries emulate this Indian “justice-for-criminals” system or not is anybody’s guess!

Well, now that the whole argument is hinged on two facets: that “capital-punishment-is-not-a-deterrent” and that even the “state-does-not-have-the-right-to-take-life-of-a-killer” – the privilege lies with the God solely! – let us overhaul the whole criminal justice system. Let us dismantle the entire judicial infrastructure and demolish the prisons. Let us retire all judges and lawyers and do away with the police. Why waste valuable time and money and efforts on something as wasteful as maintaining the functioning of this interconnected mechanism when the “ultimate outcome” is not going to be achieved?

Yes, why waste time and energy on something which is so fundamental and a manifestation of Nature’s Design? God’ s creation! Let nature take its course. “Natural Selection”! Charles Darwin so assiduously tried to teach all of us that the world works on the principles of “Natural Selection” and “Struggle for Survival”. “Survival of the Fittest”! Therefore, let people who are “fittest survive”; others can perish in former’s hands. Why frown? If criminals and rapists and robbers and murderers and killers and cheaters and fraudsters and kidnappers and scamsters are “fitter” then let them “thrive”; the rest of us from the lesser fitter gene stock can be eternally thankful for being let to “simply survive”. Moreover, one should not try to alter the “Natural Biodiversity”. The earth remains worth living only because of this biodiversity in which all survive together – humans and these so-called humans. As per Mr. Darwin, if we do not “adapt” to the ever altering ecosystem and embrace “biodiversity” – humans & in-humans included – we will become “extinct”. In addition, this will disturb the delicately balanced global ecosystem – the food chain in which we – the lesser fitter kinds – often fall prey to the predatory instincts of the “fittest” kinds. Natural Selection and Natural Justice, I say!

Again coming back to Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv’s assassins’ saga, by not hanging them India will get recognized as the beacon of human rights on this earth. So what if these so-called humans are the same set of humans who so meticulously plotted and executed other humans? (Cannot blame them; in the “Origin of Species” & the “Descent of Human”, they simply got left out a bit in the process of “evolution”.) Hey, haven’t we heard so many times that “all is fair in love and war”! And these so-called humans were in “war” – by their own definition – so let us be “fair” to them. Let us pardon them all, en masse. Period. The End of the Debate. We, the people of an Incredible India, let’s Enjoy Life till it lasts J …

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Lest you forget: Please be seated 15 minutes before the start of the function. India is going to hang Kasab, Afzal and Rajiv’s assassins’ pictures in the parliament. For details see the “Invite”. See you all there …

My brother Rahul,

My brother Rahul,

You may not know but my sister is a great fan of yours! To me, you are my brother by virtue of being Rajiv uncle’s son. And, therefore, both of us – like millions all across the country, and the world – wish a lot for you! And, expect a lot from you – and rightly so.

Thus, when my sister made a comment on my previous piece “Why is India incredibly helpless, always?” on the recent Bombay serial blasts and in reference to your reaction in same regard that “Rahul should know better what that 1% failure of the government means in tackling terrorism as he has himself suffered a lot because of this 1% lapse in security by losing his father”, I thought you must pay attention to her and amend the things required to be at your end at the earliest.

Rahul, you are destined to become the next prime minister of the country if the Congress / UPA manages to retain power at the Center, which it will in all likelihood. And prime ministership, as you too know well – is not a position; it is a responsibility – lots of that, in fact! Those monumental responsibilities – coupled with accountability – will be towards the country and its citizens and also towards your own party and coalition. As you know, Prime Minister is The Leader of a country, and the “buck stops with him/her”.

Now, Rahul, imagine that you have become the prime minister and are faced with a similar – may be worse – situation of terror attacks on India. (No one believes that 13/7 was the last in sequence of attempts of terrorists.) Even then will you try to defend intelligence failure by making such remarks? And will that not amount to admitting the failure of your government in utilizing the mammoth infrastructure built to deal with all such eventualities? Moreover, do you believe that only admittance will suffice and exonerate you of your accountability towards maintaining peace and security in the nation? And, will the world not wonder at you and your government’s credibility to govern?

On the contrary, Rahul, I am sure that you will beforehand itself ensure that an effective anti-terror mechanism is functional and India is safe and secure and peaceful. Because, you very well realize that tackling terror is a “zero-error” and zero-tolerance” business.

So, Rahul, would you now care to “clarify” your statement in the press and let people know that you did not mean to disrespect the victims and their families and certainly did not try to defend the indefensible intelligence and administrative failure of the government in preventing the always-anticipated terror attacks?... Do it; you will benefit immensely in the long run by regaining whatever respect you have lost in public eyes, and hearts.

Rahul, as I said, India has lot of expectations from you – and rightly so. You have the fortune of inheriting the political gene pool of Nehru-Gandhi families and are all set to become the next prime minister of the country, as important in the global arena as India. But for this almost certain dream to come true, you will have to demonstrate to the nation and the world that you truly deserve the top post. Not that you have not already done so; however, you need to do more – much more.

You should start, Rahul, by strengthening Congress’ foundation in the political field and regaining its national party identity. Congress’ national base has got eroded badly. Reclaiming it would be a huge challenge. To make it happen you have to have dedicated politicians with high degree of integrity and support at state headquarters who would in turn work at the grassroots level and organize the party and make it strong enough to stand – and win – on its own. Congress cannot claim to be a national party by walking on coalition crutches – and being in coalition clutches, therefore! “Coalition compulsions” will otherwise keep pulling down the Congress and it will never be able to reclaim its foothold in the national political landscape.

Rahul, for this huge task, you need credible and able people – politicians. Politicians who are young, educated, clean, and have a dream and ambition for India – and not for their own self. As you too know, India is at the cusp of great things in the world. Being touted as one of the major powers of the world is a great responsibility as well as we will be required to live upto that image. By being seen as an utterly corrupt and chaotic country, a country which lacks courage to defend itself is going to be hugely detrimental in the progress of our country, both economically and politically. India will never be regarded as a “developed” and powerful nation – forget about the global leadership role that it envisages for itself - in the foreseeable future and that would be a big setback to all our global aspirations.

At the micro-level, Rahul, i.e., at the public level, the single most important expectation from any government at the helm is good governance. A government which is capable of delivering on its promises and needs of the people and society. A government which is courageous enough to maintain country’s dignity and security amidst growing fundamentalism and extremism. A government which will reverse India’s impression of being a “soft target” and will showcase to the evil elements that India will not tolerate any breach in its safety, security and peace and will not suffer losing even a single life to terrorism. A government which will exhibit “zero-tolerance” towards sinister plans of terror forces and will ensure a “zero-error” anti-terror mechanism to prevent even that 1% attack chance.

Rahul, I don’t have to tell you the obvious things that you are in a position even without being the prime minister today to actualize all the necessary things – for the Congress and the country, and in the process, enhance you worthiness as the future prime ministerial candidate of the country.

India is a young country and a young prime minister like you, Rahul, will do wonders, about which I do not have even 1% doubt! But you need to prepare yourself, sincerely and seriously…Rajiv uncle, and Sonia aunty & Priyanka, of course, besides my sister and I would be very proud of you J

Captain Courageous' Mahi-Way!

Mahatma Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Ratan Tata, Barack Obama, Arnab Goswami, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, … One common thread running through all these names is that they all are (were) courageous! Besides, of course, being legends & leaders! And, as you must have guessed it by now, I am a great fan of them all! …

These are just a few names that I have mentioned here but there are many more – many many many more! - from India and rest of the world, contemporary and historical, spanning the entire spectrum of Life who have stood apart from the crowd - but always with the crowd; they all have been bold and brave and, thus, true leaders!

And I salute each of these leaders! And I also salute all those nameless and faceless people – commonly called ‘common man’ / ‘aam-aadmi’ – who have displayed courage in their life and have stood for their ideology and along the way have inspired themselves and others in their sphere to do just what they had always wanted to do – just like the way the world leaders from all walks of life, sports included, have motivated people since the time immemorial!

Watching Mahendra Singh Dhoni lead India to lift the most prized possession in the world of cricket, famously called The Cup That Counts and bring back the most coveted of the silverware in a trophies-chest after 28 long years with his masterstroke of an innings of 91n.o. when India looked shaky from the early exit of stalwarts like Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar said a lot about the man! In spite of so-called not being in his “true form” during the tournament with bat – I say, he was in full form with his captaincy! – he took that bold step of coming out at No.4 when the chips were down for India – and the stakes were pretty high. I cannot imagine any other captain being his ‘natural’ courageous self when India’s possible monumental loss could have got pinned on his shoulders for ever if his strategy had backfired! He looked his usual self i.e. calm and determined from the first go; he remained focused even under intense pressure; and he set out to play the much needed “Captain’s Knock” and steered India the Mahi-way to the victory! And when he hit that huge winning SIX, the nation cheered and cried simultaneously! And then like a true leader he slipped out of the glare and let his team savour the moment! (In no photograph taken on the ground with the cup you will see him clearly.) His ability to handle such momentous moments is supremely humble which is simply awesome!

It was an enormous emotional moment for the entire country. To see a super cool captain Dhoni trying to hide his tears from the cameras was indeed overwhelming! (I couldn’t control my tears.) And who can ever forget tears rolling freely out of legendary Sachin’s eyes (I can hear Sachin say: “I had a dream…!”) and Yuvraj’s, Bhajji’s and almost every member of the winning team adding to the collective pool. Those “Tears of Joy” made the entire country cry with happiness and relief and the satisfaction of getting to hold the Ultimate Cup, again, and being crowned as the Cricket Superpower! … Let the Celebrations continue! …

The most remarkable dimensions of his personality – character is the most apt word – are his trademark brutal honesty and straightforward streak! His beautiful smile on his handsome face (long hair/short hair/no hair: he looks as admirable as always!) radiates his core the best! His ability to stick to his principles and values and beliefs even under trying circumstances is almost unprecedented and infectious; and, his greatness to be able to remain rooted in spite of being a “super successful” and a “super rich” sporting icon in today’s times of glamour and glitz is incredible; remember, he is Indian cricket’s favourite poster boy! His leadership of guts and gutsy decisions – gut instincts! – are aspects of his being that are hugely inspirational! His unshakeable inner calmness with an equally strong confident exterior which he reflects is amazing! He commands respect from all, to say the least. Let us not forget that most of the members of the present team have played under erstwhile captain; it was Dhoni becoming the captain which made them perform at their best.

Let us not forget that he doesn’t come from any “cricketing nursery” – the so-called big towns – where cricket is considered a serious career option and have necessary cricketing ambiance and facilities. What is extraordinary about his constitution is that in spite of this he has been able to carry his team and its individual egos – comprising of seniors and juniors and contemporaries - forward as the most successful captain – and a formidable cricketer - of the most successful Indian cricket team ever! Mahi is a magical leader! 20-20; 50-50; ODI No.1; Tests No1; what next, Mahi?!

Today, if MSD is called Midas Singh Dhoni, then let’s accept the fact “fortune favours the brave”!

(Keep up your courage, Captain MSD! And, a huge THANKS, Mahi and your formidable team (especially Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvi, Bhajji, Zaheer, Kohli, Nehra, and …) along with Guru Gary and the entire support staff, for bringing the Cricket World Cup back to India!)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a study in himself! …

May God be with MSD, as always J

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Honi ko anhoni karde, anhoni ko honi!...

Aur kaun, but our Captain Courageous Dhoni! J

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Besides cricket per se, another highlight of the just concluded – and conquered! – cricket world cup has been the transformation of Sonia Gandhi. After Uncle Rajiv’s death, she seemed to have gone into her cocoon in spite of being in the public life as a political leader. It was a pure delight to see her enjoy India’s win over Pakistan in Chandigarh! She looked living her life, finally! And, yesterday night, watching her come out in an open jeep to be amongst the celebrating crowd cemented her “coming of”! … Keep it up, Sonia Aunty :)

You would have been 66 today, Rajiv uncle :)

Rajiv uncle, I became your fan on the 31^st day of October in 1984. The character exhibited by you on that day while taking over the prime ministership of India attracted me towards you. I felt I have found my “Hero”! On one side you looked completely composed, showing no signs of extreme personal trauma with your mother’s assassination – every bit a national leader at that young age – and on the other side you seemed to be absolutely apolitical. Yes, you not looking like an average Indian politician appealed to me the most!

Rajiv uncle, as you were the first person I had become a fan of, I started behaving like one! If you would have met my parents they would have told you how annoyed they used to get seeing “windows” in newspapers even before the day was over! Even repeated scolding could not deter me from cutting out your photographs from newspapers everyday! Magazines were also routinely subjected to same brutal scissor treatment by me! Diamond Comics series dedicated to you was soon bought by me. The result of this hobby which I was pursuing religiously was that soon I had built a beautiful collection of your photographs – of all possible sizes - which gradually grew into uncountable numbers and a precious possession! (I still indulge into this habit.)

Rajiv uncle, today I will confess about my “chori”, the only one so far! – of my life. I had accompanied my parents to a doctor’s chamber where I saw November’84 – perhaps – issue of Frontline magazine dedicated to you. It was, as guessed by you rightly, full of your pictures. I politely requested the aged physician to give that magazine to me and he refused flatly. I acted like a “true” fan and resorted to the best technique I thought appropriate at that time: I filched the magazine! You should have seen the anger followed by resignation on my mother’s face later! But I still believe that “effort”, howsoever “illegal”, was worth it!

And, I was always thankful to our good old Doordarshan for giving adequate airspace to you, which ensured I could see you speak regularly.

Rajiv uncle, your becoming the prime minister also initiated me into the world of “current affairs” – politics – of India and the world as well. From Day1 of your assuming office I started maintaining a “Diary” in which I used to note down in brief your daily itinerary. Soon the ambit of my notings enlarged to sports – tennis and soccer in particular, and cricket in general – in separate diaries. (Soccer and F1 diaries are still being filled in regularly.)

Rajiv uncle, your becoming the PM also put me on the path of communication with a person whom I had never met. Yes, of course, I am taking about you. I treasure all your letters – replies – and cards – and your autographed photograph - which I can never exchange even for the entire wealth of this world! Thanking you for taking time out from your extremely busy schedule to reply – timely – to a young fan would not be adequate. I really do not know the right expression for this grand gesture of yours. But to say that I enjoyed exchanging views on the then prevailing political situations with you would be an understatement. In fact, the day I would post a letter or a card I would start waiting anxiously for your response! Initially you used to acknowledge my letter in a few words but gradually those grew into 2-pages long detailed discussions. I sometimes read them to relive those days!

Rajiv uncle, here I would like to confess about one of my biggest mistakes which I committed under the influence of my young age. I still hate myself for stopping writing to you after the Bofors scandal. To tell you honestly, my immature mind and heart were absolutely shattered at the alleged involvement of yours in the whole corruption scam. “Even Rajiv uncle? …” And I foolishly decided not to pursue my communication with you any further.

Rajiv uncle, I know that the world is not going to believe me if I tell them that after 8 months of hiatus, you wrote to me without waiting for a letter from me. And I felt ashamed till my core. I cannot thank you enough for ensuring our favourite-fan relationship continued till you lived. I have lived with enormous guilt since then because soon I came to know that I will never ever get the chance to “undo” it in this lifetime. I am saying sorry today, which I know I must have said then. I am sorry, Rajiv uncle.

Rajiv uncle, I remember receiving your last letter dated 21^st April on 3^rd of May to which I couldn’t send a reply as the next day only I had to travel to Bombay for academic pursuit. Little did I know then that I will never ever get the chance to reply to your letter in this life of mine. Your mindlessly brutal killing on 21^st May’91 shattered me immensely. I went numb. My family and close friends called me to inquire as they all knew how deeply attached I was to you. Watching your body being consigned to fire made me cry in public for the first time. Those sacred flames seemed to be taking away my Hero – my most favourite personality ever! – forever…

Rajiv uncle, I hugely regret not getting the opportunity to meet you in person. It was of course my biggest dream - to meet you and talk to you and discuss the entire world with you! But what I regret even more is the cruel cutting short of your life at a young age of 46. The closest I could get to you was when I met Sonia aunty at your home on 31st May'06 on her invitation.

Rajiv uncle, I felt intensely connected with you also because of our shared date of birth. You know that your untimely demise has never let me enjoy my birthday in real sense as every year on 20^th August, the date of my birth – our DOB – I start the day with moist eyes. I simply cannot help crying seeing your photographs in newspapers.

Today is 20^th August. You would have been 66 today. I know you are not alive in the worldly sense but you are - will be - alive - living - in my memory, forever. I miss you, nevertheless.

Happy Birthday, Rajiv uncle :)

Waka-Waka: World Cup is here, again!

Mexico’86! Still rings magic in my ears even after so many years!

I was a newly initiated in the world of sports. The love for almost all forms of games – barring the ‘contact’ types – had started on the day in ’83 when India won its maiden – and the only one so far – World Cup in cricket! The euphoria was infectious and I got contaminated for life! My newfound love for sports grew stronger in ’85 when the world discovered Boris Becker! The Indian cricket team was also at its zenith! Then came the summer of ’86.

Yes, the summer of ’86! The world was going crazy! The greatest show on the earth was to start in Mexico! Ditto was my state! With little bit of cajoling I got permission from parents for late night matches. And what an experience it was! Staying awake till late in nights and sleeping till late in mornings! The month long gala event completely altered my daily schedule! It didn’t matter at all if India was not participating – it still doesn’t matter – or that I didn’t understand the nuances of the sport! My sheer pleasure was in watching the beautiful game! To my luck – perhaps! – the World Cup got Maradona! And Maradona was a magician! Pure was his magic! My condition was such that I was watching football, eating football, sleeping football all the time! Maradona, Valdano, Baresi, Rossi, Bats, Platini, Edinho, Zico, Socrates, Alemao, Voller, Mathaus, Lineker, Shilton, …………………… as spoken by commentators, these names used to constantly ring in my ears – match on or not on! As if I was living under a spell – of soccer!

It was during Mexico’86 that I got another diary: a diary to keep records of the Football World Cup. It was in addition to my earlier two diaries: one to note down Rajiv Gandhi’s day-to-day itinerary and the second one to write down the important happenings around the world. The Formula 1 diary got added many years later. And I am pleased that though the Rajiv Gandhi and the current affairs diaries are no longer being maintained by me - my habit died with the death of Rajiv uncle - but I have continued with my World Cup and Formula 1 diaries! Perhaps it was this diary-hobby which subconsciously made me choose “Anju Chandel’s Diary” as my blogs’ Net address.

Italia’90, USA’94, France’98, Seoul’02, Germany’06 and now South Africa’10: the love is intact!

“Waka-Waka” - Shine-Shine! - as Shakira shook and sang aptly; “This is the African World Cup; the time for Africa has come,” as Jacob Zuma said; … the Rainbow Nation is poised for greater things in future! Bafana Bafana – the Boys the Boys – will surely bring cheers in homes and hearts of millions of South Africans and Africans in general!

The World Cup frenzy is in air, again! This time quite literally, too! Just switch on to ESPN and you would be deafened by the constant high decibel sound of thousands of Vuvuzelas! (Does it remind you of a certain Mayawati and her recent encounter with the Bees kind?!)

If you ask me about my favourite team in this tournament, I will say honestly: none. May the best team win! Nevertheless, I love to watch Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, England, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain play! Likewise, I have my array of favourite players: Kaka, Ronaldo, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Messi, Drogba, Eto’o, Henry, Klose, Torres, … This time, however, it is a double-pleasure to have Maradona yet again – though in dugout, but kicking the ball nevertheless; his energy is still overflowing! I would have prayed for Argentina’s win but Maradona’s promised “nude run” … I am not sure if I want to see him in his natural state!

Waka-Waka: also sounds like “keep awake”! Well, I do so to watch 12am matches!

Happy World Cup watching :)

Bhopal Gas Tragedy -----------

I confess: I really don’t know how to title my piece because that is what the lives of the people who survived or lost their loved ones on that fateful night of 2-3 Dec’84 look like: blank, absolutely.

And so is India – blank – even 26 years post that fateful night.

Today, the courts tried to fill in that “blank” with whatever paltry of everything they were left with: justice, sympathy, sentencing, verdict, penalty, punishment … all in miniscule proportion when compared to the scale of the tragedy. The so-called compensation which the victims got earlier was even paltrier in comparison.

Rs. 25,000 penalty and 2 years jail for 20,000 deaths! The mathematics is mindboggling! Hardly a rupee for every life lost? Not even a night in prison for every life extinguished forever?

To add insult to injury: all convicts were granted bail immediately after the sentencing!

If it is not an absolute mockery of justice, then what is it? How could the judiciary be so cruel in delivering? How could the government act so insensitive? It is a classic case where all four pillars of the Indian establishment failed miserably, Media included. (I wonder if any other news channel other than the Times Now – Arnab Goswami – had the courage to accept its own inadequacies in covering this monumental disaster. Though, honestly, Rajdeep Sardesai was equally effective and passionate in debating and bringing this horrible story to all of us on CNN-IBN.)

I vividly remember the morning of 3^rd December 1984 when my father had switched on the television for me to note down the “Today’s News” for school assembly and subsequently to be put on notice board for students' perusal. Even when I was - as always - in a hurry to catch my school bus and was, thus, furiously noting down the important “headlines” - that day TV had only one - I found myself freeze with pain seeing some of the horrible visuals of victims. And when Rajiv Gandhi, the prime minister, came to share his grief with the nation, I simply went into a paralytic state. Whatever I was watching was simply nightmarish!

In those days there was the Doordarshan solely to share the happenings – news – from India and all around the world. And I as a child had only a year ago got "really" interested in current affairs; my “transformation” was all thanks to the fervour surrounding the Cricket World Cup in 1983 which we won to the nation’s huge delight! Then came the assassination of Indira Gandhi and India got its youngest ever prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. As you must have guessed by my tone, I became Rajiv uncle’s “fan-at-first-sight”! I was – still am – such an ardent admirer of him that I used to maintain a “news diary” for noting down his day-to-day movements and activities as the PM. It was this habit which got me deeply involved with the details of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy even at that young age. Union Carbide, Methyl Isocyanide became the scare words.

Twenty six years have passed by since then. India has seen many governments go by at the Center and the State but no one – I repeat, absolutely no government or the party – ever showed enough eagerness or seriousness to bring the perpetrators to the books. Rather the entire Indian government machinery went into collusion, manipulating the process and the progress of the case to suit the interests of the irresponsible corporate and its officials – so much so that the case against the UCIL was dropped only a couple of years later; the CEO was allowed to leave the country; the firm was permitted to sell off its Indian business; the number of dead and survivors were grossly under reported in order to reduce the compensation burden on the culprit company, … . It is a sad tale of comprehensive corporate negligence and criminal connivance by the Indian establishment and the Union Carbide, reflecting complete disregard for all “non-privileged” Indians, living or dead!

If only a similar tragedy would have happened in the Unites States of America, can we even imagine how much in compensation the company would have had to pay? Union Carbide would have gone bankrupt long ago! And, of course, Warren Anderson, its CEO would not have remained absconding! The US would have ensured his extradition from any part of the world he had hid into! … (Barack Obama has already ordered a criminal probe in BP’s recent failure to contain oil spill. And believe me, it will not take forever for the findings to come out and verdict be delivered.)

Let’s accept the fact: India has failed one and all - in dealing with the aftermaths of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Perhaps willfully; simply to appease the US investors. … Shameful; Disgusting; Nauseating; to say the least.

The saddest part of the story is that in those days India had only the government controlled Doordarshan which most of the times sounded like party-in-power’s mouthpiece. Thus, the truth and ground realities were distorted at will in this tragic case of worst industrial disaster. Moreover, in this case too, with passage of time, other “big news” items caught up with populace’s imagination and the story of the Bhopal Gas victims almost got erased from the collective conscience of the country.

I am sure that if only the Indian newscape had numerous news channels like today, the sheer competition to stay ahead with “Breaking News” in TRP race would have ensured justice for victims and adequate punishment for culprits. And the case too would not have dragged – that too only to its half conclusion – for 26 long years!

Nevertheless, what is immensely baffling is the fact that in today’s scenario with inevitable intense Media scrutiny, the Indian systems – including the Judiciary – could dare to display an absolute insensitive attitude with its joke-like justice. Probably the courts misjudged the Media reaction completely; they perhaps thought that in an “old” and “not-so-interesting” case, Media will not take much interest – as it had not shown much concern earlier ever.

If you find it hard to believe, just recollect the Media hysteria around Medha Patkar’s one-of-numerous attempts at fast-unto-death at the Jantar Mantar only a couple of years ago. Aamir Khan was in Delhi – strategically? – and wished to visit her to persuade her to end the fast. By mistake he entered the protest camp just opposite the Patkar’s but left immediately realizing his folly. The Activists in the “opposite camp” were the representatives for Bhopal Gas victims and their efforts was sans any Media glare unlike Patkar’s drama just across the road!

Therefore, today, the Media which takes enormous pride in its Activisms cannot absolve itself of its responsibilities as a social “watchdog”. It too needs to introspect. The only appreciable thing about it in this case is its “belated” initiatives post courts’ disastrous verdict today, which I still believe has the potential to force all concerned to act accountably from now on.

But in all fairness, it is not the Media but the various arms of the Indian establishment which are primarily accountable for ensuring appropriate justice for victims and sufficient sentence for accused.

Nonetheless, the Media will once again have to take up the case of Bhopal Gas victims with enough seriousness and sincerity that it manifested in myriad cases: from Jessica to Ruchika. … Media is increasingly becoming the last straw in almost all cases in India of today. Not a healthy sign. But till we witness social and political revolution, the Media will have to keep up its good work to keep India functioning. And India is proud of its Media.

Hopefully, the victims of the Bhopal Gas tragedy will see a "closure" soon with adequate justice delivered

Happy Birthday, Sir!

Happy Birthday to you, Sir! If I may use a few lines from a popular Hindi song: Aap Jiyo Hazaron Saal, Saal Ke Din Ho Pachaas Hazaar! (May You Live For Thousands Of Years, With Every Year Having 50,000 Days Each!)

In fact, Sir, you are the only contemporary Indian – after Mahatma Gandhi – who has truly transcended the Indian borders and has etched his place permanently into the global consciousness! Tatas’ legacy couldn’t have been carried forward more beautifully by anybody else! Your name’s abbreviated form RT equally represents Respect and Trust as much as Ratan Tata! The Tata Group is immensely fortunate to have you as their Leader! May you be around to guide and lead them, always! Likewise, may you always be there for India! You are the true Bharat Ratan!

If God ever granted me three wishes for letting three historic figures (Your place is set in history, already!) live forever on this earth, I would say: Mahatma Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and, You!

Happy Birthday, again!

And, a Happy 2010! May the coming year be the Best for You, so far!