The Other Modern Avatars that Modi Forgot

When our PM compared the Punjab CM (Prakash Singh Badal) to Nelson Mandela, other politicians lost no time ridiculing Narendra Modi. Of course, this is another of the bloopers that Modi routinely makes, but I feel our netas were peeved more with the fact that they have never been compared with any one as great as Mandela.

Now, I do not have the same stature as even the local politician but to assuage the feelings of our netas (and other bigwigs), here is my partial list (arranged in alphabetical order) of some of our countrymen who are no less illustrious than Mandela or the senior Badal:

Amit Shah – Forced to leave his home state (though under the orders of the court), he has braved it all out like that another famous exile – Dalai Lama. All but win the Nobel peace prize, but we all know the Nobels are usually a western conspiracy.

Asaduddin Owaisi – For the zeal & single-minded focus on voicing the concerns & protecting the interests of the significant minority, can there be a more suitable person to be considered Martin Luther King Jr of our times?

Asaram – His message of brotherhood to girls about to be raped (Pls read http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-01-07/news/36192700_1_asaram-bapu-religious-guru-gangrape) along with practical tips to avoid it, reminds us of that another spiritual leader who mesmerized the americans by addressing them as brothers (and sisters) – Swami Vivekanand (of course, SV was only attending a conference & had no reason to fear anything).

Laloo Prasad Yadav – (Hope the bhakts don’t gun me down for this one) Sardar Patel may get the credit for a mammoth of an achievement for uniting the various Indian states into one union. But I consider Laloo’s feat of uniting various political parties under a Grand Alliance as equally commendable & more difficult. Do we expect a Grander Alliance in 2019? If this one lasts till then, maybe we can.

Manmohan  Singh – “Read my lips”, famously said George Bush (Sr). Manmohan Singh, throughout his tenure, appeared he too was saying this. But either Madam did the talking or the kid was kicking up a storm & the ex-PM walked into the sunset as silently as he came in.

Rahul Gandhi – Isn’t it our Fundamental Duty under the constitution to develop a scientific temper? While other netas have not moved beyond Facebook & Twitter, only one to have displayed an understanding of fundamental science has been our RaGa. Recall how he applied the concept of “Escape Velocity” in the social domain (if you missed out this one, pls visit http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/politics/rahul-dalit-pitch-rahul-on-velocity-643775.html) & you will agree that he is Stephen Hawking of our political world.

Robert Vadra – Despite not being a Gandhian (well, he does have a Gandhi connection), he is the Vinoba Bhave of the 21^st century. And he did not even resort to any padyatra to make people give up their land, yet achieving a similar result.

Sheila Dixit – She revived the Commonwealth Games from ruins to one of the most successful sporting events hosted by India, just as Margaret Thatcher turned around the British economy. And she outlasted Thatcher by 4 years in office too (though never becoming a baroness).

Pictures sourced from:

Modi Tweet - https://www.sikh24.com/2015/10/12/capt-amrinder-singh-slams-modi-for-disrespecting-nelson-mandela-south-africa-files-defamation-case/

George Bush Sr. - http://www.stewwebb.com/2015/01/07/leonard-millman-and-george-hw-bush-narcotics-money-laundering/

Manmohan Singh - http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-harsh-on-narendra-modi-manmohan-singh-leaves-rest-to-history-1944782

Martin Luther King Jr. - http://crenshawcomm.com/communications-lessons-from-martin-luther-king-jr/

Asaduddin Owaisi - http://muslimmirror.com/eng/muslims-are-the-only-community-who-are-indians-not-only-by-birth-but-also-by-choice-asaduddin-owaisi/

Sardar Patel - http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/patel-found-bar-on-dressbased-discrimination-needless/article6222528.ece

Laloo Prasad Yadav - http://www.mid-day.com/articles/supreme-court-grants-bail-to-lalu-prasad-yadav-in-fodder-scam/244427

Vinoba Bhave - http://www.samaylive.com/article-analysis-in-hindi/special-days-in-hindi/104122/vinoba-bhave-mahatma-gandhi-philosophy-ideas-bhoodan-movement-.html

Robert Vadra - http://metrovaartha.com/en/2015/07/23/bjp-submits-notice-for-privilege-motion-against-robert-vadra-for-facebook-post/

Stephen Hawking - http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/stephen-hawking-very-ill-in-hospital-28476059.html

Rahul Gandhi - http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/for-success-dalits-need-to-break-free-from-jupiter-not-earth-rahul-gandhi/1180144/

Dalai Lama - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/tibet/8816545/Dalai-Lama-visa-blocked-over-South-African-trade-fears-with-China.html

Amit Shah - http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/amit-shah-for-law-to-ban-conversions/article6769669.ece

Margaret Thatcher - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-09/margaret-thatcher-in-her-own-words/4617186

Sheila Dixit - http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sheila-dikshit-slams-insensitive-delhi-police/article4304217.ece

Swamy Vivekanand - http://www.niticentral.com/2014/09/11/swami-vivekanandas-911-america-237795.html

Asaram - http://indilens.com/63308-aiims-medical-board-examines-rape-accused-asaram-bapu/

Is India Still a Cricket Centric Country?

A few years back this question by Decathlon (see the fine print at the end) would have met with derision, but times change very fast. Today, the sports section of newspapers cover less of cricket than other popular sports. You just need to look at the coverage of various European football leagues vis-à-vis the Ranji trophy & you will understand why these European clubs are on a marketing hyperdrive in India. But once the IPL season starts, it’s a return to the good old times for cricket (the cheerleaders play as important a part in IPL as in this post)!

  

So rather than a simple, straight-forward answer to this question (after all, Decathlon is offering splendid prizes for this one!!), let us list out why’s & why not’s of India still being a cricket centric country.

Why not?

It is the consumers that certify success of a product & the uncontested reign of cricket in the hearts & minds of the Indian sports fan has ended. At an age when the former porn star, Sunny Leone, has an established career in mainstream cinema, cricket only has very few glamorous WAGs to fall back on. This void is filled with other champs endowed with ample oomph factor – the Saina’s & the Sania’s of the racquet world. Moreover, the men in blue score only in the brash quotient, but are outplayed in the brawns department by the likes of Vijender Singh & Akhil Kumar. And these champs are outshining the cricketers. On the personal front too. If Shikhar Dhawan & Irfan Pathan married Australia-based girls, Sania Mirza got herself a foreigner as hubby!

Professionally too, other sportspersons too have made a mark at international level. While we have a Leander Paes in Tennis who has outlasted Sachin Tendulkar in the longevity stakes, we also have a young Saina Nehwal in Badminton who has successfully breached the great wall of China. If India has had a long tradition in cue sports, the early exploits of shooters have made us a strong competitor with an assembly line of upcoming stars. And each success story in these sports is magnified by the media, in turn spawning recognition, awards, adulation, fan following & endorsement deals. Sounds so similar to cricket, doesn’t it?

In cricket, the best batsmen play higher up the order, while the not so good ones are pushed to, what’s called, the lower order. We have examples of many lower order batsman moving up the order as their skills improved (Ravi Shastri, for one). But in this cricket crazy nation, we also have the likes of Patels (in Gujarat), Gujjars (in Rajasthan), etc., who are going against this basic tenet of cricket. Else, why should these worthies be fighting to be included in the lower order of the social hierarchy (at least, for sarkari benefits). Can you ever imagine Virat Kohli asking to come in & bat at No. 8?

Cricket is called a gentleman’s game. Yet how many gentlemen do you come across in everyday life? Go to an end of season sale in a mall, or travel during rush hour traffic or even witness a ganesh visarjan procession. There is nothing gentle, manly or gentlemanly! And we are not even talking about the rapes, riots or discrimination on various grounds. The reality of India differs a lot from the idea of Cricket.

Why?

Traditionally, cricket was a relaxed game played in white flannels by men (the early Lankan stars sported a well-rounded middle too!). Then came the limited overs variety, coloured clothing, year-round games & players who are acrobats. Indian politics too has witnessed a similar transition as cricket. It’s not just the dapper Modi Kurtas replacing the boring white khadi. If the parliament manages to last 5 years, we have major state elections every 8 to 10 months, so much so that the PM is always shunting between election rallies & foreign trips. And the manner in which today’s netas switch sides, ideologies & stance, they put to shame the young cricket stars. (Pls disregard the fact that netas never turn around & ask Howzzat.)

In cricket, an umpire’s decision has always been final. Players take it, even when adverse, in their stride, throw their chin up & continue with the game. With changing times, the players have been given the limited liberty of approaching the 3^rd umpire. In India too, the parents have traditionally played the role of an umpire. But as newer generations get more rebellious, 3^rd umpires are in vogue – we call them the Khap Panchayats. When parents fail, it is these 3^rd umpires that come in & make the truant youngsters fall in line. And just like cricket, there is no appeal beyond the Khap Panchayats. Yes, life often imitates cricket in India.

And cricket imitates life. At least when it comes to corruption, nepotism, conflict of interest, and what not. The IPL has been accused of all these and more. And hasn’t the misdeeds of sons-in-law led to the downfall of the powerful in cricket & political worlds? Pre-IPL days too, match fixing in cricket always had an Indian connection. Let us also not forget the monkeygate, which is a staple of our casteist/racist/communal cauldron.

Cricket terms are used as metaphors in life & vice versa. Take rape, for example. Aversion to rape unites almost all Indians (except the rapists & Mulayam Singh Yadav). Wasn’t it a rape in the capital that led to candle lit marches across the country by people who skipped their dose of Ektaa Kapoor soaps? Rape is also what most Indians term (at least on social media) a typical batting display by Chris Gayle. And it (Gayle’s batting, stupid, not a rape) also gets all viewers glued to the television screens. Cricket still remains a unifying force.

As you can see, it is difficult to decide whether India still remains a cricket-centric country. Well, at least I can’t. But I do know that, looking at the clout wielded by BCCI & the popularity of IPL, cricket has certainly become an India-centric game. And this is something we can definitely be proud of!

This post was originally submitted to Decathlon for its contest

Picture Source: Cheerleaders (http://ipl8livescore2015.blogspot.in/2014/04/ipl-7-cheerleaders-2014ipl-cheer.html), Collage made from various online sources