Beijing Beckons!

So the countdown for Olympics has started.The Games are about to start in just a couple of days from now.Athletes from around the world are adding finishing touches to their preparations.The Olympics are considered to be the pinnacle of sports.Good performances in Olympics are applauded throughout the world.

Now what can we expect from the Indian contingent this time? Just to remind you,India won just one bronze medal in 2000 and just one silver in 2004 and finished at the bottom of the table.Contrast this with China's performance-In 2000 they finished 3rd, getting a total of 59 medals(28 gold) and in 2004 they finished 2nd, getting a total of 63 medals(32 gold).This time they are the hosts and they may well end up with the highest number of medals.

To add insult to injury,for the first time since 1928,our men's hockey team won't be taking part in the Olympics because they failed to qualify.We hear so much about India being the next big thing,about us becoming a super power by 2020 and all that but is being an economic superpower enough?Can we ever become a sporting superpower?For how much more time will we continue to get embarrassed like this at important international events such as Olympics?We need to learn from China.They have made such huge investments in sports and the result if for everybody to see.Everybody is in awe of the Chinese athletes.

There is no point in becoming a super power when our athletes are given such pathetic facilities.Just pick any sport other then cricket and see what the situation of that sport and it's players is and you will understand what I am trying to say.Facilities at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala (which is Asia's largest Sports Institute) are abysmal to say the least.There are no trained dietitians,masseurs,psychologists etc. to give proper guidance to the athletes.

In spite of all these odds,the very fact that 57 of our athletes have qualified for Beijing is in itself amazing.It shows how talented our sportsmen and women are.If we can give them even half as good facilities as Chinese athletes get then they can do wonders!

But all is not lost.Of late the corporates have started showing interest in sports.Airtel has already announced it's plans for Indian football.The 'Olympic Ratna' Program of Samsung has also been quite successful.Hopefully,India Inc. will put in more money in Indian sports in the coming years.

Coming back to Beijing 2008,I feel that this probably is the best Indian contingent ever.I have high hopes specially from our shooters and boxers.Dola Banerjee and Saina Nehwal can also spring a few surprises.In tennis a lot would depend on the draw we get.

So just sit back and enjoy this sporting extravaganza and pray that we get more then just a solitary medal this time.

Wah TAJ ! ! !

So it’s all over. The Taj has won the 18-month-long worldwide poll to select the new seven wonders. There was so much of media hype around this entire campaign. But if, suppose, Taj had not won, then would that have made it any less an architectural marvel then what it already is? It’s great to see Taj on that list but does it need such a certificate from some commercial organization(New Open World Corporation)? I admit that like millions of other Indians even I voted for the Taj but does that make me more patriotic then those who did not? Though there was no harm in voting(which is why I did) but still I feel there was no need for such a campaign. It was a commercial project without any scientific basis. The organizers laughed all the way to the bank while we kept voting for the ‘Symbol of Love’. If anything, it just shows how shallow our patriotism is. We all felt as if we had done something great for the country by just pressing a few buttons.

No doubt, the inclusion in this list will definitely boost tourism and when you realize that much of Agra’s economy is based on that then yes, you do feel happy that Taj has won. In fact, the citizens of Agra were so keen to see the Taj win that they put up banners all over the city urging people to vote. That’s understandable considering the amount of revenue Taj generates for the city. But there are so many pressing issues we need to look at. Pollution is taking its toll on Taj which has already started to get yellow. If not pollution, then corruption will surely destroy this magnificent monument (remember the Taj-corridor scam involving Mayawati?). Well these are all serious issues which we need to tackle. But we don’t want to since this involves much more effort then just casting a vote from the comfort of our house's.

While all the attention has been focused on Taj, there are several other historical monuments which are lying in a state of neglect. ASI, the caretaker of all such monuments, does not have the requisite resources and funds to maintain them. Does it make any sense to spend so much money to make Taj win while other monuments are in such a bad shape? India has such a rich heritage and we need to preserve it. More resources are needed for this purpose which must be allocated by the govt. Even the general public has a more responsible role to play. How often does it happen that we find the names of Romeo’s and Juliet’s scribbled on the walls of these monuments?

Well I only hope that this campaign will create awareness among the people regarding our heritage monuments. To begin with, we should pressurize the govt. to prevent the yellowing of Taj and to clean-up its surroundings. That may not be achieved by just a SMS campaign. Will people come forward to help save Taj and other such monuments? Well that remains to be seen and my guess is as good as your's! Right now, all I can say is Wah Taj!!

So how "HOT" are you feeling?!!!

So finally exams are over and I am back here! Was really itching to get back to blogspot! Well my exams may be over but still I have to stay indoors the whole day due to the unbearable heat outside. The temperature’s have been hovering around 45 degree's in much of the country. In fact, the average global temperature has increased by nearly 1 degree celsius in the past century due to Global Warming and we can literally feel the heat in India. Much of Orissa has been turned into a dessert due to this climate change.

Almost every thing that we use contributes to global warming, right from the ubiquitous bulb to the fridge to the AC and this list can just go on, consisting of each and every item without which we cannot imagine our lives. Nowadays a lot of awareness is being generated about global warming but the country which is the main culprit of causing global warming remains unperturbed. The US accounts for nearly 25% of the total CO2 emissions and it has not even ratified the Kyoto Protocol. In fact, the state of Texas (from where Bush comes) produces more emissions then Italy, France and Canada combined!

Recently an NGO, Greenspace, launched the ‘Ban the Bulb’ campaign. The incandescent bulbs which we use consume a lot of power and also produce a lot of heat. Greenspace activist’s say that we must replace all the incandescent bulbs with CFL’s since they are much more power efficient and also produce less heat. So far so good but alas, there is a catch. The CFL bulbs contain the toxic element mercury. We don’t have a system in place for proper disposal of fused CFL bulbs and what will happen if a CFL bulb breaks? In the West, they have proper procedure’s to be followed in such situations but there is nothing of that sort in India. In fact, you’d be surprised that many people here don’t even know that CFL bulbs contain mercury.

Well there is no doubt that we need to do something and do something really fast to stop global warming. CFL’s maybe a step in the right direction but we can’t use them until proper mechanisms are in place for their safe usage. Another option is LED’s. They have all the advantages of CFL’s plus they don’t contain mercury. So maybe that is an option that need’s to be explored. But, just changing the bulb isn’t sufficient. There are so many other things we need to do like using public transport, car-pool’s etc. which would help in reduction of emissions.

We need to take such steps before it gets too late. Meanwhile, I continue to get bored staying indoors the whole day! I wish something is done before the mercury hits the 50 °C mark, then I won’t even be able to stay indoors! But till any such thing is done, I guess we all have to just live with this heat. By the way, I am feeling really ‘HOT’!!!

India's sporting woes

At last,the cricket world cup has come to an end.The Cup stretched for a painfully long duration of almost a month and a half,despite the fact that only 16 teams were competing for the title.Contrast this with the football world cup held last year.It had more then 30 teams but still it was completed within a month.This is what irks me the most about cricket.It is just too time consuming and it just drags on,as a result of which it get’s very boring.Since it is so lengthy,it becomes difficult to maintain a high level of interest throughout the duration of a match because of which it doesn’t arouse as much passion as a football match does(I know that the cricket fans would be up in arms,but this is how I,like any other football fan,feel).

This lack of ‘instant action’ is the reason why cricket’s popularity is confined only to the sub-continent whereas almost the entire world loves football.Football is a high action,fast paced sport which keeps you on the edge of your seat whereas cricket will keep you seated until your ass starts paining! People say that cricket test’s the energy of a player but let me tell you that running across a full-length football field continuously for 90 minutes requires far more energy then,say,just standing at the third man position and waiting for the ball to come towards you.

Cricket may be advertiser friendly (which is the main reason for it’s popularity among the sponsors) in the sense that there is ample time between the overs,when there is a problem with sight-screen etc. wherein commercials can be aired but it is not at all spectator friendly.We inherited cricket from the Brits and we haven’t been able to get over this colonial hangover.I wish Kerry Packer had taken cricket to US because Americans would have surely changed its format in accordance with the changing times but,alas,that did not happen.

Contrary to what you may be thinking,I don’t completely hate cricket.In fact,I find the twenty20 format very exciting.It is a lively form of cricket which is attractive to the spectators.It is fast,it is furious and it is fun!Twenty20 has really helped to revive cricket in England and also in the Caribbean’s besides popularising it in other parts.I am really looking forward to the twenty20 championship this year in South Africa.It is unfortunate that the BCCI has not encouraged twenty20 because of its vested interest’s.

Well,it’s not my case that you don’t watch cricket but please play and watch other sports as well.We as a nation are pathetic when it comes to sports(besides other things!).We don’t have a sporting culture.For majority of Indians,sports means only cricket and the media’s partiality towards cricket has also not helped the matters.While cricketer’s are raking in the moolah,other sportsmen are just about managing to eke out a living.Thats a shame.The government’s apathy is also appalling.We should be focusing on improving the sports infrastructure in the country instead of bidding for Commonwealth and Olympics.India is a big country and surely different sports can co-exist instead of just one sport hogging the limelight.There is abundance of sporting talent in India,it just needs to be nurtured properly.

We need to learn from China.Untill recently,the Chinese could not distinguish between the hockey stick and the baseball bat but in last year’s Asiad they won silver medal in hockey(they even beat India 3-2).They topped the medals tally with 316 medals whereas India could manage just 53 medals.China’s prospects look good in next year’s Olympics too which in fact they are hosting.Woudn’t it be great if we could also produce such world class athletes and sportsmen?Well,we can do it but only if we don’t remain so preoccupied with cricket.Untill then,lets just hope that India will do well both in the up-coming twenty20 championship as well as the next year’s Olympics.Amen!

The Land of Paradox

Cheers!! India has turned into a trillion-dollar economy and it is the 12th country in the world to achieve this feat.The economy is growing at 9%,the stock markets are booming and the overall economic sentiment is positive.Much of the growth has been fuelled by the services and manufacturing sectors and the best thing is that this isn’t just a flash in the pan because even if the economic growth rate slows down now we would still end the year with a trillion-dollar economy.

So you may feel that we should all be happy and gung-ho,but should we?At the risk of sounding too pessimistic I would like to say that the picture ain’t as rosy as it may appear.The economic growth may be buoyant but what about the social growth?Urban areas maybe reaping the benefits of the growing economy but what about the rural India?A large number of villages still don’t have water and electricity connections.Large number of farmers continue to commit suicide.There is a huge urban-rural divide in India.

We cannot call ourselves developed until the rural areas are also developed.Development does not merely mean urban development. The BJP-led NDA realized it the hard way when it burned its fingers with the ‘India Shining’ campaign.The benefits of globalization and the rapidly growing economy must trickle down to the lowest common denominator.The growth rate of the agriculture sector,which is the mainstay of our economy,has been abysmally low.Rural India has great potential and we have seen how well this potential has been harnessed by the telecom industry in particular.In a similar way,other industries must also invest in the rural sector.

But let's not get bogged down by this urban-rural divide and take away anything from what we have already achieved.Infact,in terms of Purchasing Power Parity(PPP),which is a more correct method to compare currencies,India is the fourth largest economy in the world behind only the US,China and Japan.Cheers again!So let’s just hope that this paradox between the urban and the rural areas is removed and the country develops holistically.Remember,a 9% growth rate with farmers committing suicide and women having to trudge miles just to fetch water means nothing.In our quest for growth and prosperity,we cannot leave our rural cousins behind.We need to grow as a whole and only then can we be truly happy and feel proud of our economic success.

Pseudo-Patriotism

To say that Infosys is a brand would be an understatement.It is probably more recognizable worldwide then even bollywood.Infosys has made the world stand up and take a note of India’s large pool of talented professionals.Thanks to Infosys,India is now known as the land of software and not snake charmer.Infosys is synonymous with rising India’s sense of self and the man behind all this is the ever modest N.R.Narayana Murthy.

Recently,President Kalam visited the Mysore campus of Infosys.As per the protocol the national anthem had to be played and Mr.Murthy chose to play the instrumental version.Though I personally don’t think that the vocal rendition of the anthem would have been “embarrassing” for the foreigners but so what,did Narayana Murthy commit any crime by playing the instrumental version?Ofcourse not.Instrumental versions of anthems are played at all international sporting events.Even when the PM unfurls the national flag at Red Fort on 15th August, the instrumental version of the anthem is played by the defense band.If anything,it was just an unfortunate choice of word(“embarrassing”) by Mr.Murthy.

Unfortunately,this entire incident has been turned into a debate on patriotism and nationalism.As predicted,the politicians were quick to jump on to the bandwagon.They labeled Murthy as an “anti-national” and said that he had committed an “unpardonable offence”.The fact that most of them are charged for heinous crimes doesn’t bother them one bit.Mr.Murthy had to publically apologise.Sachin Tendulkar was also caught in a similar row.His “crime” was that he had cut a cake which was baked in the colours of our national flag.Even he had to apologise.

Both these incidents highlight how shallow our patriotism is.Why do we need a rule book of do’s and dont’s when it comes to displaying our love for our Motherland? Why cant we drape the tri-colour around our body?Why cant we eat a cake baked in orange,white and green?The corrupt politicians can display the flags on their vehicles and when honest citizens of this country do the same, they are charged for “offending” the nation.How ironic and how sad.

True patriotism is the love for one’s country.It is not about just singing the anthem or just saluting the flag.It is something that has to come from within.We should feel proud to be Indians and we should be proud of people like Narayana Murthy and Sachin Tendulkar and not humiliate them by making them apologise the way we have.Then only we can call ourselves true patriots.

Tabloid Journalism

Thanks to the media frenzy,everybody from Gurgaon to Goregaon knows that Abhishek and Aishwarya (AbhiAsh,as the media prefers to call them) are now married to each other.The media covered the entire wedding as if it was an event of utmost national importance.We were bombarded with every minute detail.Prateeksha and Jalsa are now probably more famous then White House or 10,Downing Street!Each time the gates of the bunglow were opened,it was breaking news;each time some worker went in,it was breaking news;Abhishek arrived on the horseback,it was breaking news and yes when some starlet turned up for her 15 minutes of fame,it had to be the biggest breaking news.

So where is the Indian media heading?Is the paparazzi culture ready to take over India?Well,sadly,by the looks of things it seems yes.The competition has become so severe that the media houses will do anything and everything to grab your attention and in the bargain it is the real,serious journalism of yore that has gone for a toss.Now it seems as if the media is meant for morons.News channels have “serious” studio debates on issues as banal as the Richard-Shilpa kiss.Newspapers come out with full page coverage of such events.The situation is particularly bad in the Hindi media.Hindi news channels are far more guilty of such tabloidism then their English language counterparts.Though I wonder what could be the reason for it.Are Hindi viewers so gullible?I hope not.

But,all is not lost.Remember it’s because of this very media that justice was delivered in the Jessica Lall case.It is this media which is fighting for Nitish Katara,Priyadarshini Matto and it is this media which highlights numerous other issues every day.I just hope that the media realizes how important a tool it can be.We have seen what paparazzi and tabloids have done in the West.We certainly don’t want such things to happen here.Lets just hope that the mainstream media realizes it and channels its energy in a positive direction.