Live Life & Embrace Death, Naturally....as it comes by !!!

Paul, the Octopus had become a household name after his accurate predictions in the last World Cup Football 2010. So much was written on him & so many interesting stuff had started in his name.
A friend of mine in FB had suggested trying "Paul the Psychic" just a few days back & I decided to do so yesterday late evening. It was quite interesting & I laughed at the results.
I dont know whether it is coincidental or accidental or suggestive, but today morning, I opened the newspapers to read that Paul, the Octopus has expired !!!! A regular Octopus life span is between 18-24 months, & Paul lived from Jan'08 to Oct'10....around 33 months. So obviously much longer than a regular life span, but his death leaves a spooky coincidence with me. I had just asked Paul about my future ahead, & he died!!!! Remember Muqaddar ka Sikandar....the Amitabh Bachhan blockbuster of late 70's, with some immortal songs. In that movie, towards the end, Sikandar,(Amitabh Bacchan), having lost Zohra(Rekha)someone very close, goes to Fakir Baba(Kader Khan) & asks about the future, only to see that Fakir Baba is also dead.....& finally the movie ends, with Sikandar dying in his friend's arms, with the famous Kishore Kumar song going....Zindagi toh bewafa hai, ek din thukrayegi, Maut mehbooba hai apne saath leke jaayegi.....,(Life is going to betray you someday, Death is your true love as it will take you along.......)

Actually, I have heard of quite a few deaths around me over the last few days, & some of them have been rather close to me....its been like a spate of such bad news !!! & I seem to be getting continous premonitions !!!! With too many incidents in the recent past, I am clearly struggling.....
Guess, the still silence & absolute certainity of death, is at times rattling. Maybe, thats the reason, most of us are unable to come to terms with this phenomena......While, each one of us knows that death is an absolute happening for all of us, we dont seem to accept it.
Since the inception of Life, through generations, we have kept attempting to defy death, relentlessly, while, the God of Death must be just smiling at the endeavours. All we have achieved is to prolong the agony......only to be consumed eventually.....hey all this is so depressing...& I dont intend to sound like one !!!!
Am sure my future does not lie in the hands(I mean tentacles)of Paul......its more likely Paul...Omi..Gosh !!!!( as Guruji would put it!!!!)....not many would understand this wisecrack though...hahahahohohehehehihi....

Having read & taken inspiration from Bhagwat Gita from my childhood, I repose in my faith. Some extracts from Chapter 2, Shankhya Yoga :
He who lives the inner life knows that death is truly his resting-room. To him, death is anything but extinction. It is a meaningful departure. When our consciousness is divinely transformed, the necessity of death will not arise at all. To transform life, we need Peace, Light, Bliss and Power. We cry for these divine qualities. while they cry for our aspiration. They are equally anxious to grant us everlasting life. But until our body, vital, mind, heart and soul aspire together, the divine Power, Light, Bliss and Peace cannot possess us.

The body has death, but not the soul. The body sleeps, the soul flies. "Even as man discards old clothes for the new ones, so the dweller in the body, the soul, leaving aside the worn-out bodies, enters into new bodies. The soul migrates from body to body. Weapons cannot cleave it, nor fire consume it, nor water drench it, nor wind dry it." This is the soul and this is what is meant by the existence of the soul. "Death, has no separate existence by itself, it is only an absence of life"
What we call death is nothing short of ignorance. We can solve the problem of death only when we know what life is. Life is eternal. It existed before birth and it will exist after death. Life also exists between birth and death. It is beyond birth and death. Life is infinite. Life is immortal.
This second chapter throws considerable light on Sankhya (knowledge) and Yoga (action). Sankhya and Yoga are never at daggers drawn. One is detached meditative knowledge, and the other is dedicated and selfless action. They have the self-same Goal. They just follow two different paths to arrive at the Goal.
To come back to the sense-life. Sense-life is not to be discontinued. Sense-life is to be lived in the Divine for the Divine. It is the inner withdrawal, and not the outer withdrawal, that is imperative. The animal in man has to surrender to the Divine in man for its total transformation. The life of animal pleasure must lose its living and burning breath in the all-fulfilling life of divine Bliss.

According to Katha Upanishad :
"Higher than the senses are the objects of sense, Higher than the objects of sense is the mind, Higher than the mind is the intellect, Higher than the intellect is the Self, Higher than the Self is the Unmanifest, Higher than the Unmanifest is the Supreme personified, Highest is this Supreme, the Goal Ultimate".
Bhagwat Gita further tells: "Dwelling on sense-objects gives birth to attachment, attachment gives birth to desire. Desire (unfulfilled) brings into existence the life of anger. From anger delusion springs up, from delusion the confusion of memory. In the confusion of memory the reasoning wisdom is lost. When wisdom is nowhere, destruction happens within, without, below and above."
So let us all pine for salvation. The disciplined, self-controlled aspirant alone will be blessed with ultimate peace. He will eventually be embraced by Salvation, the inner Illumination.

If Rajni Kant no one ever Can !!!!

As Endhiran (Robot) fever grips the whole Nation,  - let's remind ourselves once again why there is wonly vun RAJNI !!!!

• When Rajni does push ups, he isn't lifting himself up. He is pushing the earth down.
• There is no such thing as evolution, its just a list of creatures that Rajnikant allowed to live.
• Rajnikant can divide by zero.
• Rajnikant can judge a book by its cover.
• Rajnikant can delete the Recycle Bin.
• Rajnikant can slam a revolving door.
• Rajnikant once kicked a horse in the chin. Its descendants are called giraffes today.
• Rajnikant's Calender goes straight from March 31st to 2nd April. No one fools Rajnikant.
• Rajnikant can make onions cry.
• Rajnikant destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognises the element of surprise.
• Rajnikant once got into a knife-fight. The knife obviously lost.
• Rajnikant never wet his bed as a child. The bed wet itself in fear.
• Rajnikant does not own a stove, oven or microwave, because revenge is a dish best served cold.
• Rajnikant has already been to Mars. That's why there is no sign of life there.
• Rajnikant doesn't move at the speed of light. Light moves at a speed just behind Rajnikant.
• Rajnikant knows Victoria's secrets.
• When you say,"no one is perfect", Rajnikant takes it as a personal insult.
• Google wont find Rajnikant because you dont find Rajnikant; Rajnikant finds you.
• Rajnikant leaves messages before the beep.
• Rajnikant calls Voldemort by his name.
• Rajnikant is so fast, he can run around the world & punch himself in the back of the head.
• Rajnikant doesn't wear a watch. he decides what time it is.
• In an average living room there are 1242 objects that Rajnikant can use to kill you, including the room itself. 
• When Rajnikant is asked to kill someone he doesn't know, he shoots the bullet & directs it the day he finds out. 
• Rajnikant's next film is called Twitter. - He plays 140 characters.
• Rajnikant has counted to infinity, twice. 
• There are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Rajnikant lives in Chennai. 
• Water boils faster, when Rajnikant stares at it. 
• Rajnikant kills two stones with one bird.  
• Rajnikant killed the Dead Sea.
• Rajnikant gave MonaLisa that smile.
• Rajnikant can drown a fish.
• Rajnikant knows what came first, 'the Chicken or the Egg'.
• Rajnikant once got into a fight with a VCR player. Now it plays DVDs.
• Rajnikant once ordered a plate of idlis in McDonalds, and got it.
• Rajnikant can win at Solitaire with only 18 cards.
• The Bermuda Triangle used to be the Bermuda Square, until Rajnikant kicked one of the corners off. 
•  Rajnikant can build a snowman out of rain.
• Rajnikant can watch the show 60 minutes in 20 minutes.
• Rajnikant will attain separate statehood in 2013.
• Rajnikant's email is gmail@rajnikant.com
• Rajnikant did, in fact, build Rome in one day.
• Rajnikant can play the violin with a piano. 
• Rajnikant kills Harry Potter in the eighth book. 
• Rajnikant gave the joker those scars.
• Rajnikant once warned a young girl to "be good, or else". The result, - Mother Teresa.
• Rajnikant electrocuted the Iron Man.
• Rajnikant killed Spiderman using Baygon Anti Bug Spray.
• Rajnikant can strangulate you with a cordless phone.
• Rajnikant puts the word, 'laughter', in 'manslaughter'.
• Rajnikant goes to court & sentences the judge.
• Rajnikant can handle the truth.
• Rajnikant can teach an old dog, new tricks.
• Rajnikant grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his own rage.
• The last time Rajnikant killed someone, he slapped himself to do so. The other guy just disintegrated. - Resonance.
• Rajnikant can lick his elbows.
• There is no such thing as Global Warming. Rajnikant was feeling cold, so he brought the Sun closer to heat up the Earth.
• Rajnikant once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They made him blink.
• Rajnikant does not get frostbite. Rajnikant bites frost.
• Rajnikant got his driving license at the age of 16 seconds.
• The statement, 'nobody can cheat death', is a personal insult to Rajnikant. He cheats & fools death everyday.
• Rajnikant can give pain to painkillers & headache to Anacin.
• Rajnikant knows what women really want.
• Time and Tide wait for Rajnikant.
• Rajnikant can answer a missed call.
• As a child when Rajnikant had dyslexia, he simply re-scripted the alphabets.
• Rajnikant doesn't need a Visa to travel abroad. He just jumps from the tallest building in Chennai & holds himself in the air while the earth rotates. 
• Rajnikant's brain works faster than Chacha Chaudhary's. 
• Rajnikant doesn't shower. He only takes blood baths.
• To be or not to be? That's the question. The answer is Rajnikant.
• The quickest way to a man's heart is with Rajnikant's fist.
• Where there's a will there's a way. Where there is Rajnikant, there is no other way.
• At Bowling, Rajnikant doesn't bowl strikes. He just knocks down one pin and the other nine faint & fall out of fear.
• Words like Awesome, Brilliance, Legendary etc, were added to the dictionary in the year 1949. That was when Rajnikant was born.
• Archaeologists unearthed an old English Dictionary, dated back to the year 1236. It defined 'victim' as 'one who has encountered Rajnikant'.
• Once a King Cobra bit Rajnikant's leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the King Cobra died.
• Rajnikant is a champion in the game of hide & seek. No one can hide from Rajnikant.
• Rajnikant proves Newton wrong all the time. Every time he performs an action, he simply eliminates anything and everything that can provide reaction.
• Rajnikant is a weapon created by God to use on doomsday to end the world.
• Aliens do indeed exist. However, they just know better than to visit a planet that Rajnikant is on. 
• Rajnikant doesn't style his hair. It lays perfectly in place out of sheer fear. 
• When Rajnikant plays Monopoly, it affects the world economy. 
• Rajnikant is the only man to to ever defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis. 
• Rajnikant's house has no doors, only walls that he walks through.  

PS : I got all of these from a friend over an email, & burst out laughing. Could not help put them up for people across the world to read & laugh as well......its simply hilarious !! If anyone has more to add, please do so.......
(I have been given a grace of  10 days to watch the movie Endhiran, or die. I am going to watch ROBOT, the Hindi version, next week, cause if I dont Rajnikant Will !!!)......Pls pray for my survival !!!!

Rains please go away....health please come back !!!

Its almost 1.30am in the night & I am not able to sleep.
My head is heavy with a groggy pain & my mind is struggling with various hypothesis.
I am completely at a loss to understand or explain two things........ the continuing rains in Mumbai & my health.
Both seem to be as erratic & as unpredictable......& just don't seem to leave. We have had enough of both for this year.....plsssssssssss leave, at least for now...for this year !!!!
Over the last one month, every time, we all felt that the rains are over for this season, the sky would darken from nowhere, & heavy rains would lash the city, catching everyone unawares......the roads, would become slippery with slush & mud, traffic snarls would spring up with long frustrating queues at rush hours, leading to frayed tempers between commuters & the police.

Today too, while returning from work in the evening, from nowhere, the sky darkened & torrential downpour caught us all napping..... the traffic clawing to a standstill.
Easing out from my meetings, I had decided to leave early. On my way back, I got on the phone with one of my friends from Blore Ashram, catching up on Guruji & theNavratri celebrations. By the time I finished my conversation, I was already engulfed in a traffic snarl, with the highway still some distance away....
Humming to the music on radio, I slowly snailed onto the highway, only to be greeted by the unusual showers, which kept getting heavier, making driving increasingly difficult & noisy. Rains were no more making music....it was sheer cacophony.....

The din around was making me feel uncomfortable, as I crossed the Andheri flyover, & suddenly out of nowhere, I felt a searing pain in the back of my head....as if the world around me was reeling.....it was difficult to manage the steering as my vision started blurring, stars started blinking all over & I felt weak....very very weak. I realised that, my controls were getting out of hands, as the head felt like been pounded.....
Don't know how, but, I just about managed to steer the car to the left & take it off the highway & bring it to a grinding halt. I was sweating profusely & the world was spinning...round & round !!!!
It must have been quite some time, as I sat motionless on my seat......unable to even raise my hand. I closed my eyes & prayed in silence for strength, as traffic kept crawling by.
After a while,.....must have been a good 10-15 minutes, I slowly opened my eyes.....the floating stars slowly faded, the pounding in the head subsided, the searing pain had eased....... people passing by looked at me quizzically, thinking of me as a drunk, out of control...I sure must be looking like one.
I was feeling drained, as if someone had squeezed the entire energy out of me....I gulped down water from the bottle in the car & gradually found my breath easing......
Slowly, I started the car & drove into the traffic....home seemed to be an eternity away.

Subho Bijoya.... Durga Mai ki Jai....

Today is Bijoya Dashami....& I realise that, this year, my Durga Pujo celebrations have been rather subdued.
No pandal hopping, no new dress, no anjali, no bhog.......OMG, am I going mad???...am I nuts???...I am being an utter disgrace to the traditions & heritage of Bengal. Cant remember any year, that I have done so !!!  Even when I have been in our Blore Ashram for Navratri Celebrations, I would still sneak into a Pujo pandal, at least one of the days to offer Pushpanjali & eat Bhog.
Maa would be so unhappy...Baba would be furious...every Bengali would be ashamed of me!!

Typical of any Bengali, across the world, these five days of celebrations ( Shasthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami & Dashami) are synonimous to coming together in unison, celebrating the triumph of Good over Evil.
Durga Maa, comes to her paternal home, the Earth along with her children to celebrate & spread peace, prosperity, joy & laughter. Maa Durga, also known as Durgatinashini, kills Mahishasur, the demon, & the world rejoices Bijoya Dashami !! ( for details refer to my earlier posts last year, "Durga Pujo...the mythology...the rituals"). 

Across the world, bengalis, wait eagerly for these five days...plan their yearly holidays, save money for elaborate spendings. Its time to leave behind all worries, all troubles, ignore any official work et all & join in celebrations wit the gusto of a child. Kolkata, the epicentre of celebrations for all Bengalis, comes to a virtual standstill. You cannot imagine any office open for these days...its like sacrilege. Everyone has to be a part of the Durga Pujo celebrations !!!!!
A typical day starts, with Pujo, Arati & Pushpanjali,......the traditional drums beating in the background, in an unique rhythm. The Pondit Moshai ( the priest) is on the stage, chanting shlokas...Yaa Devi Sarva Bhuteshu, Shakti rupenu Shamastitha, Namastassai, Namastassai, Namastassai Namoh Namah..... 
People thronging the deity to offer Pushpanjali.......Kids, youth & old, all alike dressed in traditional outfits, coming together......
After Pushpanjali, everyone rushes towards food....The Bhog!!!.....the Prasad!!! in form of the afternoon lunch....The most delicious part of the celebrations. Hot khichuri( a traditional preparation from rice & mung dal), Labra(another traditional preparation from a mixture of vegetables), Alur Dom ( a pasty tasty preparation of potatoes), Begun Bhaja(bengali eggplant fry), Chatni & Payesh & Sondesh(sweet dishes). All of these very unique & traditional & extremely mouthwatering food. The content on everyone's face, while eating is so wonderful....one could just keep on eating & eating....the taste is such.....The food is served to one & all.....everyone is welcome to join in the celebrations, sit & eat !!!
As if Devi Annapurna has come down to feed her devotees. This goes on till late afternoon.
Evening becomes colourful with Dhunichi Naach ( a unique form of Aarti, where dried coconut cover burns slowly on an earthen pot, with traditional perfumed camphor), amidst the chanting of shlokas,...the pandals resplendent with sandal perfumed smoke. The drums beating in their unique rhythm adds to the momentum & mood. The whole environment becomes pious, poignant & Divine.
This is followed with various cultural programs, which are a reflection of our rich tradition & heritage.
By the time one is back home, its way past midnight.....
Through the day, people shout in unison, almost every minute .......Durga Maai ki Jai!!!!........

Wish all of you a very Happy Bijoya Dashami......may your life ahead be full of happiness & prosperity & solidarity.
For the next two weeks, Bengalis all over would visit each other's home & wish Shubho Bijoya. Elders will bless, while the youngers will take blessings by touching feet of elders.. traditional sweets(sondesh, rosogolla, chitrokut, golapjam, payesh, shorpuria, kanchagolla & so many more)& delicious eatables(ghugni, luchi-alurdom, chop, bhaja & so many more) would be distributed, as the celebrations continue...amazing culture & heritage India brings to the world.....
Durga Mai ki Jai....Asche bochor aabar hobe !!!!( Will come  back again next year)

Spread the message of Love.

Shera bades Goodbye.....Closing Ceremony of CWG 2010

The 19th Commonwealth Games, held in Delhi from 3rd to the 14th Oct'10, had a total of 6081 athletes representing 71 Nations competing in 272 various events. This was the largest ever international multi sport event till date to be staged in India.
In the end, our athletes at the CWG did us more than proud by securing the No 2 spot just behind Australia, as the Games came to a glittering end. The hosts had broken the 100 medals barrier, with a rich haul of 38 golds. There were many super stars for us. Gagan Narang, the golden boy in shooting, Deepika Kumari in archery, Sushil Kumar in wrestling, Somdev in tennis, Sarath-Saha in table tennis, Krishna Poonia in discus, Paramjit in boxing, Saina Nehwal in badminton.......& many more.

There was remarkable determination & desire to perform in the Indian contingent & the final rewards & medals total is a testimony to their efforts. The only black spot would the the failed dope test by Rani Yadav, though this did not change the medals tally.  

After the administration & the officials(read Kalmadi & his cohorts) had shamed us in front of the world, even before the games had started, the sports persons brought us glory, their sweat & toil on the turf, reaping rich dividends.
Our women athletes deserve a special mention for their grit & never give up attitude that would have surprised many & it was finally the winning gold by Saina Nehwal, coming from behind, that pipped us to the 2nd position.
The mens hockey team played well to reach the finals, beating Pakistan & England on the way, but were completely bulldozed by the Aussies, losing 8-0...one of the worst defeats. Similar disappointments were from Sania Mirza, Leander Paes - Mahesh Bhupati, on whom we all had pegged our medal hopes.

The closing ceremony had all the light & glitz as the stadium bathed in multiple colours all over. But it lacked the spark of the opening ceremony. The music was average at best, & I was quite surprised to hear Waka Waka being played here.....the theme song of World Cup football was certainly a surprising misfit.....Rehman's music was also quite disappointing.....
Long boring speeches by jokers like Kalmadi (he was booed throughout), were a complete sham....

Now that the games are over, there should be an enquiry commission immediately to bring people like Kalmadi to book & serve an example against corrupt officials.
Hopefully the deserving athletes will now get better facilities to practice, so that they can perform better in the future competitions.....

Commonwealth Games now head to Glasgow, Scotland, which will host the 20th edition of the Games in 2014........

No 1 without a doubt....India rules Test Cricket !!!

India retained its No 1 status in test cricket, as Dhoni's men outclassed Ponting's punters at Bangalore to win the much touted Indo - Aussies series 2-0 in a complete whitewash. The once mighty Aussies are now languishing at No 5 in the rankings. Something that's going to hurt them for a long time to come.

On the last day, when Ponting had set India a tricky target of 207, there were a few worried brows in the Indian dressing room. The pitch was behaving erratic & the ball was suddenly jumping up or keeping low. The tension built up further, when Sehwag got out cheaply & the Aussies had their tails up.
The next man walking in was Cheteshwar Pujara, the debutant, who had failed in the 1st innings, & it looked a recipe for disaster. In the commentary box, as well as in the stands, people gasped at seeing this young man in, instead of the experienced Wall, Rahul Dravid. But this young Turk, who has been scoring runs at will & aplomb in the domestic matches, looked defiant & confident. He launched into a counter attack, which left the mighty Aussies completely bewildered. With Murali Vijay first & then with Sachin, he stroked India back into the game & by the time he was out for a brilliant 72 runs, India were firmly back on track. Veterans Sachin & Rahul completed the run chase with ease & Ponting was left wondering what else he could've done. He still remains win less in India.

In Cheteshwar Pujara, India has found a solid bat, who can be an able replacement to Dravid, in the near future. Pujara, shows uncanny confidence & plays with a very straight bat. He has been scoring, rather plundering runs at will in the domestic circuit as well as playing for India A overseas. For him today the pressure was more of an opportunity, which he grasped with both hands.
Some credit should go to Ganguly, who sighted this talent & played him for KKR in the IPL. Though the shorter format did not give him much success, the former Indian skipper has been strongly recommending Pujara for the National side. He must be proud to see one more of his finds do justice to the National Cap. Ganguly has also predicted left arm pacer J Unadkat as the next big name in the Indian bowling attack, who also has been given exposure through KKR. Who knows, Ganguly may yet serve the country , as the Talent Hunt head, getting in young rookies, who would carry India with laurels ahead.

Meanwhile, Sachin has been virtually unstoppable this year. The Man of the Match & Series was a certainty for him as he regained the No 1 position the tests batting since 2002. Going beyond 14000 runs, scoring his 49 test century, aggregating  a stupendous 99.5 for this year till now, Sachin has been enjoying probably the best patch of his career, as records keep tumbling one after the other.

Ajab Test match ki Gajab Kahani.....Very Very Special !!!!

At a time, when in world cricket, test matches are fast losing their sheen & shine to pacy one dayers & T20s, the just concluded test match between the Aussies & India at Mohali, would most certainly bring crowds flocking back.
It has been one of the finest test matches in recent times, as fortunes swayed from one team to the other, & eventually ended in a fairy tale victory for the Indians.

Ricky Ponting, the Aussie skipper, has not won a single test match in India, since he has taken over the Captain's role & could most certainly put the blame on VVS Laxman....their nemesis in chief over a decade now.

Chasing a seemingly easy target of 216 runs, the much touted Indian batting line up had run into trouble at the end of the 4th day with scores of 55 for 4 at stumps. With Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid & Raina back in the dressing room, it was all left to Sachin to guide India home on the 5th day, hopefully in the company of Dhoni & probably Bhajji, as Laxman was nursing a bad back ache, which had kept him indisposed in the game till now. When Sachin fell after a restrained 38, & Dhoni and Bhajji failed as well, the score was reading a miserable 124 for 8....defeat looming large in India's face.....Ponting & company just about waiting to wrap things up......I dare say, there were very few takers for India, with Laxman at the other end of the crease. But "cometh the hour, cometh the man", & Laxman seemed determined as ever to rewrite a fairy tale....something which has now become like a habit for him, especially against the Aussies. He was firmly in the middle, with Raina as a runner, determined to pull away an incredible & seemingly impossible win from the marauding Australians. He probably was the only one who believed in this possibility.
In Ishant Sharma, he found an able company & they both scripted one of the most fascinating fight backs ever, stitching together an unbelievable partnership of 81 runs. While Laxman kept the scoreboard ticking with his customary & wristy touch of the willow, Ishant was actually defiant, facing 92 deliveries & scoring 31 runs as well !!!!! Stupendous performance, when you realise that his batting prowess in tests till now has been miserable to say the least. It was as if he was possessed by some supernatural powers...as anything the Aussie bowlers tried on him met with a straight & steady bat.
When Ishant finally got out LBW to Hilfenhaus,(replays show he was clearly not out!!!) India were still 11 runs away from an impossible victory, & in walked Pragyan Ojha, with all the 11 Aussie players breathing down his neck...... nails biting seemed to the most appropriate action for sitting in the stadium.....the tension was palpable.
With 6 runs needed, Ojha looked all at sea & was probably out to a Mitchell Johnson delivery, rapping him on his pads dead in front of the stumps, but umpire Billy Bowden's crooked finger did not come up & an overthrow resulted on a boundary & then 2 leg byes brought up the winning runs.
The Australians, looked completely shattered.......they had looked so secured to win this test & Dhoni's men had snatched the victory from their clutches.....Laxman standing tall & broad....73 unbeaten runs.....one more Very Very Special victory.....one more Laxman rekha saving India the blues !!!!
One more fairy tale crooning India's way....

However, there have been a lot of blips in this match. Umpiring has been atrocious.....especially, when you see that the two men in charge are among the best in business.
Fielding woes of India, especially behind the stumps has been alarming.
The much touted Indian batting, looks brittle & uneasy...especially against the chin music. It still banks heavily on the ageing shoulders of Sachin, Dravid, Laxman & Sehwag. India should thank their stars, that Bollinger was unfit in the last innings, & the Aussies sorely missed his away deliveries.

The man of the match award went to Zaheer, for his match haul of eight wickets. However, like millions across the globe, I was shocked to see Laxman denied of this accolade....he was the one who brought about an improbable victory...& that's what matters....
Its sad that someone like Laxman, who has probably won India more matches than the colourful & flashy stars, has never found the fancy of media or endorsements. He remains the silent crusader, who rises like a phoenix amongst the ruins & scripts the most unbelievable victories....fairly tales come alive...

VVS.....you will remain in our hearts, ever & always.....a Hero.....mostly unsung!!!!
Chak de India.....

Ayodhya Verdict - peace & hope finally !!!!

Well, as almost every Indian, I also woke up today morning with apprehension......what would be the verdict???......What will the influence of the Centre on the Judiciary???....how will the Nation react???......

The morning drive to office was rather quick, the traffic was light & I realised that a lot of people have taken the easy route by staying back at home.....at office, one could see tense faces & the apprehension was palpable.....by around 2pm, the offices started wearing thin as one by one, people slipped away.....very few stayed back to work full day.... our office has TV facility & obviously we observed more coffe breaks than usual, just to sneak in to get a news update......the verdict kept agonisingly getting delayed, & finally after 4.30 pm, the Allahabad Court came out with the one of the biggest & arguably historic verdicts of recent times......after sixty long years....

The return drive back home was quicker than morning, as there was hardly any traffic.....guess almost everyone was glued to the TV screen, whereever possible.....
Obviously, I too reached home to click on the news channels on TV to watch & hear the various reactions.

The three judge special bench, Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal & Justice DV Sharma pronounced the following verdict :

1) The disputed site in Ayodhya, where a makeshift temple was built after razing down the Babri Masjid in 1992 is the birth place of Lord Ram.
2) The disputed land would be split equally amongst three contesting parties, the Hindu Mahasabha, Nirmohi Akhara & Sunni Central Waqf Board.
3) The Central dome of the disputed structure, where the idols of Lord Ram are presently kept(Ram Lalla) in the makeshift temple, should be alloted to Hindus.
4) The Sita Rasoi & Ram Chabootara can be given to Nirmohi Akhara.
5) 90 days of status quo - None of the litigants would take any action on the land for the next three months.

Some salient quotes of the judges :
Justice SU Khan : "Disputed structure was constructed as mosque by or under orders of Babar. It is not proved by direct evidence that premises in dispute including constructed portion belong to Babar or the person who constructed the mosque. No temple was demolished for constructing the mosque, but it was constructed on the ruins of the temple or some of its material was used in the construction of the mosque."

Justice Sudhir Agarwal : " It is declared that the area covered by the central dome of the three domed structure, the disputed structure being the deity of Bhagwan Ram Janma Sthan and place of birth of Lord Rama as per faith and belief of the Hindus, belong to plaintiff- Bhagwan Sri Ram Virajman. and shall not be obstructed or interfered in any manner by the defendants, Rajendra Singh and others."

Justice DV Sharma : "The disputed site is the birth place of Lord Rama. Disputed building was constructed by Babar, the year is not certain, but it was built against the tenets of Islam. Thus it cannot have the character of a mosque. The disputed structure was constructed on the site of old structure after demolition of the same. The ASI has proved that the structure was a massive Hindu religious structure. The idols were placed in the middle dome of the disputed structure in the intervening night of 22/23 December 1949."

The judiciary had taken the courage to come out with a verdict that has something for everyone, especially both the representative communities. Unlike previous times, the country seems to have matured into accepting the verdict with poise & character. There were no news of any untoward incident or knee jerk reaction. Majority of the panel & speakers at various channels across the country, seemed happy with the verdict & felt that this is a good platform to build communal harmony & peace. The political parties for once did not attempt to score brownie points, though there were some muted & veiled suggestions.
The Hindus seem to be rejoicing at establishing the birth place of Lord Ram. There was a definite upbeat mood among the saffron ranks on the verdict. Their spokesperson was already urging the nation, especially the muslim community to now come forward & support the construction of a elaborate Ram Temple on the disputed site, which they feel will pave the way to a resurgent & harmonious India. The TV anchors were quick to jump on this scoop & kept prodding him for a receprocal response to building a mosque as well, which he kept on overhearing.
However, there was clear resentment from some factions of the Muslim community. They seem to want the whole land or nothing. This three way division - middle path did not seem acceptable. They strongly felt the need to appeal to Supreme Court for a review. Time ahead will tell us how well has been the acceptance of the verdict.

In a democratic set up, obviously, there would be difference in opinions & outlook. However, as a nation we need to come together, absorb the various sentiments & move ahead in time.

Like a billion Indians, I am looking forward to peace & amnesty ahead.

Jai Hind