Why there is nothing like the idea of India...

This is a many part blog which I'm starting from today, I'd add to it as the days go on. Ever since I was a kid, I've often heard about the "unity in diversity" being the idea of India. I think this is a fallacious argument. I'll come to the reasons shortly. It would be instructive first to look at how the idea of a nation-state was born and where did it originate. Next, we'll look at the example of Japan, a nation which was in ruins in the mid 40's and its emergence as the second most important economy of the world. Then, we'll look at why we won't progress even with a loose federal structure. We'll discuss the origins of civic sense in association to the home-land, and how block wise development is harming us even further. And in the end, we'll try to come to some conclusion other than blaming poverty or over-population, I hope some of you might give your opinions an all this.

The times they are a-changin'

I like this song by Bob Dylan immensely. Especially the part

"And don't speak too soon

For the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin'

whoThat it's namin'.

For the loser now

Will be later to win"

And at no point in my life I've found it to be more appropriate than now.

I absolutely abhorred soaps on TV. My idea of entertainment on television was lots of sports, plenty of National Geographic, lots of CNBC and loads of punjabi songs. Then I got married. I watch Indian Idol on Thursday. Monday through Wednesday, I make it a point to catch Jassi. And be it Federer Vs. Safin or Serena Vs. Sharapova, I prefer to watch Sujal and Kashish. SRK is my favorite hero and Some of the best movies that I've ever seen are Dil to pagal hai, kuch kuch hota hai and Veer Zaara. I went to buy Matrix trilogy on DVD but returned with Swades and Dil Maange more. I make it a point to notice how the lead pairs of soaps and films dress up and generally reserve a comment or two on it. The first thing that I lay my hands on in the mornings is "Delhi Times", though I still subscribe to "The Hindu" but I'm planning to stop it. This is not any kind of self-deprecating humor but this is the truth of my life. God save me.

Thank God its Thursday!!!

Its thursday and "Indian Idol" is on air tonight. "--- Idol" has proved to be a jackpot for fremantle media. It started with "Pop Idol" in UK, they followed it up with "American Idol", then came "Australian Idol", "NZ Idol", "Malaysian Idol", "Singapore Idol" and what not. Last heard, Nalini Singh's Nepal One was copying it for "Nepal Star".

So what makes "India Idol" special??? Afterall, Sony stopped airing "Jassi" on thursdays and Jassi wasn't anything short of being Indian Idol if TRP's are the right indicators. BTW, my mother is an avid follower of Jassi and my wife feels that it is good in the sense that it doesn't show ppl marrying, cheating, remarrying, recheating or cribbing about their in-laws. Not only this, but a neutral eye might even feel that the show is stage managed with hamming hosts, pompous judges creating a mega fracas.

I believe it has worked because a) Sony promoted it aggressively and b) it isn't bad. The same funda which applies to say, Karan Johar - SRK films. Have a bankable star cast, above average music and then promote it as a masterpiece. K3G is not a masterpiece or a classic by any stretch of imagination. It is a play-safe movie, well within the contours of an average film but with a big canvas. Besides, What helps Indian Idol is that the show does have some talented but seemingly not-so-well-off contestants. I bet my money on Prajakta, Rahul Vaidya or Amit Sana. Anyone else, and it'll be a minor miracle for me. Initially, I did vote for Ravinder Ravi but that meant Rahul Vaidya was out, I realized my folly. My typical Indian mentality was at work, don't know whether it was pity, past performance or punjab, Like Elections, and like most indians, I let my heart overrule my mind...

But I also can't deny the fact that Indian Idol is a hot topic of conversation at tea-time, and not on friday alone. Last time, I followed any show on the tube so religiously must have been Chanakya and it was long long back. Good Job by Sony helped by poor poor jobs by other channels. Finally, my TV is playing something other than etc, etc punjabi and Aaj Tak. Getting nostalgic about some TV shows that used to be so popular, Neenv, indra-dhanush, sigma, buniyaad and a host of others. But I'd leave that to some other day...

GRAND SLAM WOMAN

At 18, reaching the third round of a Grand Slam tournament when you are an indian and a girl is a big big achievement. But so strange is the world of women's tennis, that for some time now, it is being ruled by adolescents. For all her achievements, Maria Sharapova will turn 18 this year!!!

But that doesn't take anything away from Sania Mirza. She had been doing pretty well in the ITF circuit but it was high time that she did something big on the pro circuit. For the average viewer around the world she might be a wild card who was lucky enough to win a couple of matches, but to us in India, she is much more than that. She has given a huge fillip to womens tennis and to tennis (in general) in India. I am sure that for atleast a couple of more grand slams, ppl will be interested in not only knowing but also following her performance. What a couple of good showings can do for tennis is anybody's guess.

We might not have the best infrastructure in place but today, atleast, it is much better than ten years ago, when sport meant cricket and there was hardly anyone who was playing any other game. OK, tennis was still there but ever since Krishnan and Amritraj, there hardly has been any singles player of note. Women's tennis is a glamouros sport, if Sania does well, there'll be plenty of rewards for her!!!

And also, sporting achievements make a huge contribution to a nations prestige. Look at China, don't we feel envious seeing their medal kitty at the olympics. After all, Its only sporting feats that can give our collective ego a much needed boost...

Go Sania Go, Our best wishes are with you. The world is yours to conquer.


P.S. Indian diaspora in Australia (and living in melbourne), go and cheer for her... plz!!!

Godhra etc.

Politics and politicians are the two dirtiest words in our country. I suspect this notion is further strengthened with the release of the report of the interim committee headed by Justice Banerjee to probe the Godhra incident. The term of the panel was uptil March 3 but to leverage the gains which could accrue from the report, Laloo ensured that it was released just before Bihar assembly elections. By hook or crook, Laloo will manage to come back to power again in Bihar, a couple of reports on television about rival candidates of RJD being arrested on arbit charges were eye opening. Its no hidden fact that executive and judiciary have often bowed to their political masters, Laloo knows this pretty well.

Anyway the interim report has little legal validity as a criminal trial and a commission of inquiry is already on. All it can do is to rake up the issue once again and freshen up the old wounds. The best that media can do in this situation is to act responsibly, and avoid giving undue weightage to this 'interim' report.

Me and Marathon: A Pipedream.

I was into serious distance running last august, The world half marathon was coming to Delhi in October and I had to run the 7.5 Km run. I was training hard, running 5-6 kms daily and by the time the moment of reckoning came, I was fit enough to run 7.5 kms in almost 35 degree heat and on an almost empty stomach.

StanChart marathon was scheduled to be held in Mumbai on January 16. This was the next target and it needed extensive planning. Good old Hitesh was the partner in crime. Infact, he was the guy who got me into endurance running. Detailed training programmes were charted out, sometimes focussing on speed and sometimes on time and sometimes on both. All links on distance running were scanned, fartlegging, pacing and all techniques were being used to train. Equipment was imported from USA. Professional quality shoes and even an accessory belt in Hitesh's case. Meanwhile, entry forms were out and were duly filled along with drafts, Hitesh was running for a cause, I was running for the sake of it. I modified my diet according to the recommended diet for endurance runners. I almost had illusions of winning the race. Distances were increasing by the day, from 6 to 8, 8 to 10, from 10 to 12 and further.

Everything was in perfect order, we were discussing our progress on daily basis, spending hours on telephone and boosting each others morale. Target was within shooting distance. Plans of a running club were on the drawing board, where ppl would emulate us were chalked out. This was going to be our biggest achievement in life. Sunday used to be the big training day. People in office were asking every monday about the progress.

Cut to 17th January. I was fast asleep when the race was over and don't know about Hitesh. Surely he was somewhere in Gurgaon, perhaps its Everest next for him.

A New Start!!!

For someone like me, Blogging is an exercise in shameless narcissism, I feel I'm clever with words and have generally interesting things to narrate (ppl may feel otherwise). Anyway, I'm sure there are two people who'll always read my blog and no, unfortunately, my wife is not interested in my ramblings.

Today, I'm just starting out with writing everything that I have an opinion about on my blog. I hope its a worthwhile journey.

Rabbi Shergill has caught my fancy in a big way over the past weekend, Infact, Bulla ki Jaana might be hugely popular but its the other song 'Gill Te Guitar' to which I'm hooked. It makes me emotional as I can associate with it in more ways than one, memories of time spent with a couple of my closest friends comes rushing back to me, I just wish that those days can come back again, Gaurav and Tarun, miss you guys!!!

Back to Rabbi, I guess he has the potential of being the Pink Floyd of Punjab. Not only is the music good but the lyrics are pretty good as well, guess the guy knows what he set out to do.

And one more thing that happened over the weekend is that Amit's (Arora) car was stolen. Poor chap, just spent about 10k refurbishing it. Nazar lag gayee!!!

Not getting the time to catch up with premier hockey league but would definitely like to do so as and when I get the time. Cricket, I guess, is on the backburner for some time till the Indo-Pak series starts...

I'll keep adding...