The North Korean Starbucks!

If I had gotten a penny for every time I predicted a Korean bonhomie, I would have been broke as hell! The laws of physics are often considered to be the zenith of rigidity and adherence. But if one thing could have scored higher on the zealousness and rigidity chart, it would have been the North Korean society. Their inherent sense of hatred towards the western civilisation and an unyielding fidelity to their Supreme Leader had made North Korea a very dangerous international player. North Korea is like that random neighbour who has unnaturally high compound walls and an insanely short temper. He hates his neighbours for no reason, and his social life is non-existent. Basically, North Korea is the 'psychopath' among nations. The eccentricity of their leader has contributed to this tarnished image, but the society has not been faultless. There are no leaders in the world who would not love to crush freedom of speech, and rule with an iron fist. Self-importance and narcissism are the most universal hallmarks of all leaders, and only spiritual leaders can claim any deviance from this template. National leaders are often so full of themselves, that their actions and perspectives seem bullet-proof and any opposition to them feels pointless and irrational! Combine this trait with unlimited power and dynastic legitimacy, and you get a dangerous concoction called Kim Jong-Un. Kim exhibits all qualities that a rogue leader must posses- arrogance, blatant disregard for the world, narcissism and most importantly, a keen sense of entitlement. Kim is part of a dynasty that has achieved high-standing in North Korea. His father and his life is the stuff of legends that the North Korean kids grow up hearing. There is actually a generation growing up in North Korea, who are unaware of the Avengers and what Thanos has done to them! The North Korean way of life revolves around the mythical aura that the Kims have created around themselves. There are stories about how a 10 year old Kim lifted a hunting rifle and shot the bull's eye thrice in a row. How this great marksman grew up to be a chubby and ruthless dictator remains to be understood. The North Korean problem, is an outcome of poor administration and a misplacement of trust. People claim that Kim never sleeps, and that he shoots fire from his arse. But none of this points towards how he might be an efficient leader. Or even a pleasing entertainer. Kim allows very little of North Korea to be seen by the outside world. There are regular reports of poor living conditions and draconian restrictions on civil liberties. The press is literally non-existent and the citizens are completely brainwashed. The type of government that Kim runs is based on convincing the citizens that affluence is a state of mind and that he is the guru who shall lead them there. There is no other explanation for the heightened spiritual pedestal that his family is given. It is this vice-like psychological grip that has created loyal citizens in the midst of utter poverty and serfdom. North Korea is basically like Wakanda, but without the technology and the money!

So how does an arrogant spiteful leader like Kim Jong-Un come to the negotiating table. What has caused this abrupt capitulation to western interests? A change of heart seems unlikely, and any sort of compulsion can be ruled out. While the conspiracy theorist in me is hoping that this is all an elaborate plan hatched by the North Koreans, it doesn't seem likely. North Korea has an impressive arsenal of nuclear weapons, which may not have flattened San Fransisco or Portland, but could have most definitely destroyed US allies in the east. So the only reason why Kim might have thrown in the towel, is cause he wasn't the biggest predator in the jungle anymore. Donald Trump is as near a Kim Jong-Un as an elected leader can be. With grandiose statements and an aggrandised sense of his own capabilities, Trump is a character that Kim has never encountered. Both leaders have an insatiable ego, palpable arrogance and total spite for the fate of the world. But as Trump pointed out, his nuclear weapon is much bigger than Kim's. The world's accepted solution to North Korea was a pacifist approach aimed at conciliation and appeasement. They continued to let Kim bully them, while their Gandhian appeal to his conscience made little to no progress. Donald Trump proved to be a different animal. He didn't seem to care whether a nuclear war broke out or not; this was a battle of two egos, and Trump was not going to back off.  To say that Trump was truly concerned with the Korean problem and felt a moral urge to relieve tensions is beyond any sense of reality. The recent events are a classic example of a new bully taking on the old bully, except the new guy is much more powerful. Kim has reached a point where disarmament is his only strategy to retain his country. A nuclear war would devastate Korea and non-cooperation would surely have drawn the American wrath. So the god-like mythical saviour turned out to be nothing but an opportunistic man who crumbled when his existence came under threat. So much for legacy! The Republicans have always had a more decisive stand on foreign policy and their eagerness to exercise the USA's hard power is well documented. Combine this with an egotistic president who wants to etch his name into history, and the present is what you arrive at. While there is no denying that President Obama's carrots only policy had allowed North Korea to fester into a bigger threat, the ramifications of  what is about to happen might be too much for the North Koreans to bear.

Imagine being told day in and day out, that the Americans are Satan's henchmen, only to see your very leader hug it out with the enemy commander. The emotional shock for the people might be too big for Kim to contain. And if North Korea follows the Chinese way of opening up its economy, Kim might find himself out of power very soon. Economic freedom is the seed from which civil liberties are born, the sapling from which the desire to speak one's mind germinates! While the Chinese Communist Party is largely like a caucus, the North Korean communism is based on dynasty and personality trait, two things that never survive the test of time. Western society and western culture bear the hallmarks of freedom and excellence, the epitome of affluence and enlightenment. And the wave of resistance and demands that this shall create in the North Korean society will be too much for Kim to quell. The alluring light of western luxuries has been the coupe de grace to many civilisations, and North Korea doesn't seem different. An exposure to the American dream might be the end of the Kim dynasty. If Kim feels that Trump will adopt laissez-faire once the disarmament is complete, he is completely mistaken. Trump remains a businessmen at heart and he will pressurise North Korea to join mainstream international politics and be party to international agreements and organisations. Trump will try to create a vassal out of Kim, which is unlikely meet a successful end. In the end, Kim's decision to let up on the arms race so as to protect his sovereignty, might have been the worst thing he could have possible done, and it might be all downhill from here for the evil King T'Challa!

Lets scrap the IPL!

Lets look within ourselves for a moment and accept the fact that the IPL is just a platform for rich people with way too much money and time to make fools out of a million people! Sure the first season was exciting. Nobody knew what this tournament would do, or what purpose it would serve. But the IPL has pretty much done it's job. It's made the game more febrile, the players have become household names and club loyalties have been solidified. One would think its time to wind up this charade and get on with some good old inter-national matches, but the BCCI is just too unresponsive. The organisation has a strange allure which creates money mindedness in every person who holds office. The sole purpose of the IPL was to garner support for the new 20-20 format which suddenly gained traction once India captured the World Cup in South Africa. The IPL definitely achieved some great things. Its been a source of livelihood for many out-of-favour players like Gambhir and Uthappa and has introduced new stars like Sanju Samson and Ambati Rayudu. But how long can this go on? Surely at some point these players have to break into the national side and prove their mettle! But how many have done this? And who is answerable for all the money that has come into the game? The IPL has hijacked the game of cricket and made it so attractive, that it has become an obligation to watch each and every one of these matches.

Lets start with the auction process. Even if one is to let the seemingly antediluvian concept of selling people slide, what logic does a pre determined pay cheque make? Think back three years and you'll remember an absolutely appalling performance from multi-million dollar man Yuvraj Singh who was paid upwards of 10 crores for his dismal show. Many guys who were paid with lesser zeroes ended up making a mountain of runs. So at the end of the day, its not talent or performance that earns you money in the IPL, its your reputation. So in theory, a player could bring in 20 crores for himself, and not make even 20 runs throughout the tournament. This logic is lost on me and hopefully many others. The IPL is thus the clash of well founded assumptions made by affluent people on who is likely to make runs or take wickets. In foreign leagues there are scouts who traverse the geography in search of fresh talent. But in IPL, scouting is delegated to statisticians and the new talents are often benched or given a few matches at most. If the idea of the IPL was to win the trophy, then why is there a limit on the number of overseas players. The IPL was envisaged as an effort to develop grass root cricket and discover talent, stashed away in oblivion. But discovering and shaping talent is a long and arduous task, which often collides with the self-serving interests of the team management. After 11 years of IPL, the highest point of many great players' career has been representing their club!

The actual IPL matches have become facetious to the point where the lack of context has become all too obvious. The people of India who ignore their state's Ranji team and yet catch a flight to follow their club are also at fault. Beyond money, there is no loyalty that the players share with their club. Some matches are simply begging for more relevance and sense. The reverse fixtures are often monotonous and the lop sidedness of the teams is becoming too huge to ignore. Come the second half of the tournament, dead rubbers dominate the schedule with table toppers feeding their egos by steamrolling physically and emotionally drained bottom-placed teams. The umpiring standards have dropped this year, and understandably so. There are literally more than a dozen games to be played for each franchise. To put this in context, 20 teams in the La Liga play each other twice. And so do the meagre 8 teams in the IPL. If the goal is longevity, then surely their must be some context. The passion and fervour of the international fixtures is completely absent from IPL matches. Most of the stadiums are occupied by people who are out to have fun. To spend the evening and unwind themselves. But there is nothing unwinding or relaxing when India is playing! The tension is palpable and the crowd is genuinely involved. This fanaticism is what sets cricket apart in India, and the IPL is slowly killing it. The yearly overdose of irrelevant fixtures and nonsensical pre-shows which are basically like a pension scheme for retired cricketers is a dull script which begs to be scrapped. IPL matches need to bring more meaning to the players involved. There must be appropriate incentives for victory and dire consequences for failure. This would probably make the viewers more interested and the players more responsible. With around 14 games to be played, almost every team is bound to win a handful of matches, but with no effect on the overall result.

Almost everything associated with the IPL has become trivial. The cheerleaders look disinterested, the contest winners look like they'd rather be somewhere else, and the stadiums get emptier every year. This brings me to my next problem. The venue of IPL matches. Home grounds are an asset to every team, but the IPL was never like any other sporting league. The La Liga is all about the prestige of the Spanish cities and the honour that comes with lifting the cup. The city based clubs in IPL are only auxiliary to the ultimate goal of improving Indian cricket. Thus home grounds make little to no sense. Bengaluru has a population of 1.43 crore people. The Chinnswamy has a capacity of 40,000. It would take 50 seasons of IPL for everyone in Bengaluru to watch an IPL match. During this span, not only would the population have exploded, the second generation of players after the current crop would have retired. Since making the IPL matches a universal right seems impossible, it would have made a lot of sense for the BCCI to shift games into newer stadiums and smaller cities, where the experience of a live cricket match remains novel. The IPL is not a birth right of all metro habitants! The continuous change in venues would make the tournament more interesting and also socially penetrative. The opening ceremonies are an event in themselves, where Bollywood's overpaid celebrities make it a point to delay the cricketing action with their dance numbers.

The IPL was supposed to be about cricket. To bring out the best in the game that has evolved so much over the years. Sure, the IPL has created a niche for itself in the cricketing world, and yes it has revitalised limited overs cricket, but at what cost? Regular reports of corruption and narcissism, coupled with an unending schedule of exhaustive fixtures, the IPL has made cricket, a mere adjunct to the whole concept. I think its time the BCCI puckered up and decided to scrap the IPL and replace it with more meaningful international fixtures. The Champions League of the past made more sense! The IPL has grown beyond India and the BCCI. It has lost relevance and has become a tradition which is carried out annually. We would do well to take a leaf out of the Big Bash league, where Australians have found some good limited overs cricketers. The IPL still caters to the ego of already established players who have no point to prove. Soon, the IPL will dominate Indian cricket in such a way that international fixtures will loose prominence and the cricket lovers will have to be content with meaningless matchups between genuinely disinterested franchises. The alternative of course, is to scrap the whole thing!

Ball tampering- the Australian way!

If cricket is a religion in India, then its a way of life down under. This is a country which prides itself in the raw and in-your-face brand of cricket that it plays. A country which sets the bar and stews in its own arrogance for so long, that the bar is now invisible to it. There is nothing gentle, or pristine about the way the Aussies play their cricket. They are brash, they don't mind some verbal abuse, or 'banter' as they apparently call it, and take the occasional sojourn to the dark side. When Australia toured India in 2017, and Steve Smith had his 'brain fade', many people interpreted it as an honest mistake; a momentary lapse in concentration. But it was representative of a much bigger strand of DNA that the Aussie cricketers imbibe. A trait of entitlement, and an air of superiority over the other cricketing nations. But pre-meditated ball tampering is a different animal altogether. This ongoing series between South Africa and Australia was dubbed as the dual of pace. With a literally seducing roster of players on both sides, this might have ended up becoming one of the most competitive test series in recent times. But instead, this series will be canonised for 'sandpapergate'. The distasteful footage of a novice in international cricket, tampering the ball with a pre-determined plan, and then shoving the tool of mischief inside his trousers will haunt every cricket fan alive. But is this the first time a cricket ball has been tampered with? Is this the first time a captain had been in the know-how about such a dubious plot?

Ball tampering is as old as the game itself. While the modern day cameras and ever-vigilant officials have made it a dangerous affair, one would imagine that in the good old days of un-televised sports, it was a regular affair. But that does not make it right. Indeed the sight of reverse swing is glorious. The red cherry darting in late and castling the batsmen is what made legends out of Akram, Waqar and even young Starc. Make no mistake, reverse swing is one of the most febrile aspects of test cricket, and if executed properly, pristine to watch. But does that make ball tampering alright? Surely you can't give A B De Villiers two wickets just because the fans love watching him bat! There are legitimate and proper ways to make the ball reverse. None of them involve sand paper! Even the South Africans managed some reverse swing when they were bowling; so surely it wasn't so unobtainable. The truth is, that the mental state of most of the Aussie players was mixed up. Smith has been churning out hundreds with alarming frequency, yet this series had been a bad harvest. Warner has been in the news, but for all the wrong reasons. The Australian side which had made the English team look like a bunch of schoolboys, was struggling! The odds of going down 2-1 seemed all too real. And tampering the ball, seemed all too easy. To say that Warner was the chief conspirator wouldn't be far fetched. He has had a dismal series, he isn't new to controversies, and his mental state is vulnerable given the vitriol he has received from the African public. To say that Smith was probably unaware of the entire plot, also seems plausible. But would the number one ranked Test batsmen, with half a dozen good years of cricket left in him, take up the blame for a plot he had no clue about? Many players have been caught while tampering the ball, but none of their captains have taken responsibility for their actions. So why would Smith make the ultimate sacrifice? And why would he burst into tears of guilt for a crime he didn't commit? Smith is definitely to blame for the atmosphere that prevailed in that Aussie dressing room. The game of cricket is the true representation of the English culture. It is played in a very punctual and orderly fashion, with neatly pressed whites and tightly combed hair. A sport, where contact between the players is frowned upon (imagine football) and where courtesy and graciousness accompany failure. Cricket truly is a gentleman's game. And this is where Smith failed as a leader. Winning is the ultimate goal, but competing is the true objective. The Aussies got so held up in winning the prize, that they never realised what they were giving up-the unflinching pride of the Kangaroo nation.

Cricket has survived two world wars, many economic depressions, the fall of its maternal empire, and the hegemony of a behemoth called soccer, all due to the unwavering army of fans that the game boasts of. One can describe basketball fans as deeply analytical, soccer fans as die-hard, but there is only one word for a cricket fan- pious. There is a reverential relationship between a cricket fan and the players. Sachin is indeed a god to many, in the sense that he represented the best of India. But when gods are caught cheating, the blow might be too severe to recover from. One thing about India and Australia is that we take our cricket very seriously. We disregard a life-taking drought to water the plush grass at Wankhede. We disregard our exams in the hope of seeing Kohli take apart bowling attacks. And i have seen that very zeal in the eyes of my Aussie counterparts. The passion and vigour, as they furiously wave their hands and spill the fizzy beer that they later down in joy! Aussie fans are a religious lot! So what happens when a guy who holds an office older than that of the country's Prime Minister's owns up to cheating. Pandemonium! From scathing tweets to public protests, the Aussies were up in arms. Even the Prime Minister got involved. At this point, there was very little that Cricket Australia could do. The world was baying for blood. They wanted a high profile casualty, and that happened to be two blokes who accounted for more than 40% of the runs that Australia had made in recent times. The entire world, which now apparently means only social media, is now batting for Steve Smith. While a one year ban does seem a bit harsh, it was also a bit hurried. If Bancroft was given a lesser sentence because he was only doing the seniors' bidding, shouldn't Smith also have been given a reduced sentence, considering even he wasn't the agent provocateur? There is, or was mischief in the Aussie dressing room. Whether it was Warner or Smith, or both of them together who hatched this conspiracy, the pride of the game has been stained. Steven Smith is too good a batsmen to miss out on one whole year of international cricket. And he doesn't need a lawyer to convince Cricket Australia, as the current crop of Aussies playing in his place, are doing it for him. The sentence will be reduced, and Smith will be back, with his awkward stance, and leg-side flair. But will the world see innocence in his idiosyncrasies, or will they see the shadow of a man who once betrayed their trust?

What happened in South Africa is a message to the world. No one is incorruptible; and not a 100 year old wine, but the winners' champagne is the tastiest drink in the world. Sports shall always be marred with questionable choices and regrettable decisions. The yearning to win will again drive many sportsmen to explore the boundaries of 'what is legal' and 'what is illegal if caught'. But in the name of victory, values must never be compromised, ideals must never be forgotten, and the baton which legends have so gracefully carried.....must never be dropped!

The IPL and the drought!

The 9th edition of the IPL has kicked off. The first match of the season almost mirrored the plight of the drought-struck farmers in Maharashtra. The defending champions were easily humbled by a team that was making it's IPL debut. Since 2008, when the league first kicked of, controversies always seemed to follow it. The infamous fixing allegation and the 'conflict of interest' observation were the ones that were actually uncovered. Just as the die-hard Indian cricket fans were longingly hoping for the IPL to subdue their hurt egos from the World T20 exit, the High court of Maharashtra made a scathing observation. The paradox was quite visible, but maybe people just chose to ignore it! At a time when the farmers are committing suicide, a billion dollar entertainment league does seem a bit reckless. The cost of the IPL has always been an ambiguity. The auction, the advertisements, the cheerleaders, the fan army, everything seems alluring, but the expenses have always remained a mystery. A few things however are within our realm of understanding. Having followed the IPL since it's inception, one of the greatest things about the competition is the lush green outfields which are often as quick as an oiled marble. The question however is, how the outfield remains lush at the Wankhede and  Pune, while the fields of Maharashtra stand dry and worn out. The answer lies in the gallons of water that BCCI has been using to keep the outfield green and lush. What appears to us as green and appealing, is actually at the cost of thousands of farmers in Central India. The basic question here is rather simple. What is more important? The IPL, or the grieving farmers? Democracy mandates the welfare of citizens encompassing the nation, and despite the fact that cricket is nothing short of a religion in India; people trump cricket at any given point. The fact that IPL, as a brand is slavishly dependent on the Indian public validates the High court observation. The drought and the subsequent shortage of viable water must be given primary importance, over and above the IPL on any given day.

This would have been a non-issue in most democratic countries, but Indians have always been sensitive when it comes to cricket. The IPL has indeed been a great success. The discovery of new talent, the galore of sixes and wickets, the theme songs and cheerleaders...the IPL is probably the sole reason for the new global affection for the shortest version. Indeed, the IPL is something the country is proud of. But the question today is not about the IPL, or it's import, the question is the glaring dichotomy between the fields of Latur and the outfield of Wankhede! The IPL in 2009 was shifted to South Africa as India was undergoing it's General Elections. There was no backlash from the players, no retaliation from the BCCI, but a simple acceptance of the fact that something bigger than the cricket league was confronting the country- the Elections. Today, in 2016 the state of Maharashtra has been confronted by an issue much larger than cricket- Water! The BCCI, and it's coterie of stakeholders have seemed to fans like me, perennial office-bearers. Since the time I can recollect of this great game, the likes of Srinivasan and Dalmiya have been the so-called torch bearers of the game. The power wielded by the cricket board is not derived from the staunch fans that the game boasts of, but the shrewd political muscle and acumen of the BCCI leadership. Indeed the BCCI office-bearers are legally bound to serve the game in it's true spirit, but at what cost...what can be an acceptable collateral? Surely the bar has to be set higher than human necessities. The BCCI did make a convincing stance regarding the issue. It's secretary, Anurag Thakur asked the courts as to how many 5-star hotels were asked to drain their expansive swimming pools. A compelling argument one must say! But by comparing the IPL to few 5-star hotels in Mumbai, the secretary has completely lost track of the success of the IPL! The reach and public visibility of the IPL worked against it in this instance. But the fact remains that the BCCI missed a trick! At a time when the benevolence, and the integrity of the board is under deep-seated public and judicial scrutiny, it would have been a great accolade if the BCCI accepted the court's observation without crying foul! It would have rejuvenated the people's faith in the game and the board, and earned them praise from all quarters. But by continuously resisting the public sentiment, the board has lost the little faith it possessed among the avid lovers of the game. The demand is not really threatening to the IPL at all. Maharashtra has two IPL teams, Mumbai Indians and Pune Supergiants, and both of them have home grounds within the state. The court opined that the scheduled matches in both the venues be shifted out of the state so as to conserve the water which would be otherwise used for maintaining the outfield and the pitch. The court never said that the shifting of the matches would solve the ongoing crisis, but the matter of principle and social responsibility do come to the fore. India has around 45 international cricket stadiums of which around 7 are situated in Maharashtra. That leaves around 30 international stadiums for the 2 teams to choose from as their home ground! And to think that this actually became an issue! Despite the availability of grounds and the public outcry, the BCCI refused to yield for many weeks.

The issue had become a rallying point across the country, fans just wanted to see some action. It did not matter whether they played in Maharashtra or some other state....on a realistic note, most fans wouldn't be bothered if the IPL was once again shifted to South Africa as long as they could watch it from the confines of their living room. And despite Dhoni's convincing arguments, the game looks the same in TVs of all sizes and set-top boxes of all configurations! The stubbornness of the BCCI was further fueled when the Indian skipper waded into the controversy. MS Dhoni claimed that shifting the IPL venues was not the solution, but the catch is that, it was never a solution. The court observation did not claim that the shifting of venues would by any scale solve the crisis, it merely questioned the social responsibility of the BCCI. The issue in it's most simple terms can be defined as follows- what is the primary use of water? Drinking, or watering outfields? By joining the controversy, the skipper has clearly betrayed the millions of fans who chant his name when he wields the willow! Why is the BCCI against the shifting of venues? Surely there are stadiums which are as lucrative as Pune and Mumbai! Surely the players must empathize with the people who are suffering from the drought! Surely Mrs Ambani, who prides herself on her philanthropy, would not mind a change in her team's home ground! But once again, the game and it's pawns have let down the Indian public. The BCCI tried to prevent the inevitable with means that seemed even absurd. They even tried the low-hanging 'money-fruit' trick. Anurag Thakur reminded the state government that it would loose a 100 crores if the league was shifted out of the state. Fortunately, the state government saw beyond the haze of the glitz and glamour and asked the BCCI to do what any responsible civic body must do. With the mountain of public opinion flooding in, the BCCI was left with no option but to fold. The Mumbai Indians have already opted for Jaipur as their home ground, in what has been a 'rainy' move.

The issue has been solved, or has it? The games in all likelihood will be shifted, the people and their will has prevailed, but why the delay, and why the controversy? The BCCI, the body governing India's largest religion should have taken cognizance of the paradox without the court's poke, and once the poke came, it should have been swift in carrying out it's social responsibility! This issue has not affected the IPL or it's stratospheric aura; but once again the question of cricket and where it stands on our hierarchy of importance has propped up. How powerful should the BCCI be? If the courts can break centuries-old temple traditions, then how is the BCCI immune from it? The game of cricket has always been placed on a pedestal, one that has grown higher over the years. But when the rain gods frown on the people, their fury from heaven first paralyses the pedestal and then the ground!

Dooars XI - representing the struggle!!

This election season, politicians are running amok, hoping to attract their archaic votebanks. For years, the society despised the idea of community voting, rather than individual....but now the situation is dire. Certain communities are so deprived, that they have formed a votebank among themselves to promote their demands. The most popular of these would be the women. Unnoticed, discriminated, contained, harassed, and arbitrated, she is now left with one last grail. To pool their votes for leaders who shall heed their cries. This idea is constitutionally incorrect, but the situation calls for this. As Arvind Kejriwal rightly said; to clean the mud, you have to get down in it. The women of our country have to stand up for themselves and they must vote for their causes and their demands. Gone are the days when women used to be mere proxies for the men back home. They are now a near half of the voting mass in our country. Election in India is of continental proportions. It is a cocktail, with skulled ingredients. This is exactly why we all remember Juggernot, but never Scooby doo. Power, and strength are the 2 things that dictate your fate....and if you can command the former, you can anticipate your fate. This is the tactic that the women have to adopt. Flex their muscles and make their presence felt. Gender equality in our country is at an all-time low. Even the educated and sophisticated women fail to put their hands up when it comes to benefits of equal remuneration. We all admire and adore our filmstars and some of us brand them as extremely modern and broad-minded, which is indisputably correct. Then why is it so, that these messiahs of modernity continue to promote gender inequality in remunerations. Actresses are paid almost half of what the actors get...for the same job. The reason why gender inequality is so entrenched and parasitical in our society can be traced to our salient acceptance and approval. Do we see an actress demanding equal pay? A female labourer revolting? No! The society lies low and accepts injustice that is being served to them. The idea should never be; an actress suffers, the what chance do I have? This calls for better policies and a stimuli...fuel....to ignite the fire.

Society, in all it's aspects, is unjust to women. But there are some areas where they become clear-cut. For example in sports...men's cricket, football and what not...is given heavenly importance, whereas their female counterparts are given..well lets say they are unknown. India brags that cricket here is a religion. Well this religion is extremely patriarchal and people don't even realise this arbitrary patriarchy. If you are an Indian, the my question is- who is the Indian cricket captain? Inevitably you know the answer... Now tell me who the women's captain is? Lost for words? Like in the case of many other sports, we are unaware of even the captains, let alone the players. In a country that is dominated by cricket to an immeasurable scale, the aim of other sports is merely to survive. Triumph over cricket is merely a euphoric imagination for these sports. In this backdrop, if you add the various variables, ranging from cultural restrictions, social disapproval, lack of patronage, general negligence and so on....the situation becomes grim and dismal. This is exactly the same void that Dooars XI, a woman's football team in India is staring at. A group of talented, hungry women, who are chained by all those dilemmas mentioned above. The club is extremely gifted, with passionate women fighting against all odds to fulfil the vision that they once saw. One of the players has even represented India at the international level. On being asked what she has received from the government, her answer was to the dismay of many football fanatics across India. "Shoes, socks, and jersey." The others also dream of representing India, despite learning of the meagre services that the government has provided. Well, black is black....but compare it with while and it seems dull. The 'shoes, socks and jersey' has to be read in contrast to the multi-million dollar transfers that the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid make in the 'fiscal hot balloon' leagues. The game they play is same....maybe they are not as talented as say a Lionel Messi...but why the million dollar gap. The Indian cricket team and BCCI is probably richer than the Government of India, and the brand endorsements run out of my hands. In stark contrast these women, talented and passionate wait for an opportunity to represent India, knowing the reward- roti in a gold plate.

Most of the players wear shoes that belong to their brothers or cousins...or those given by supporting and empathetic coaches or mentors. Despite their financial hardships in realising their dreams, they are pelted with disapproving and taunting comments from people in their village and even within their family. To think that if the Dooars would have been in a European football fanatic nation, then they would have been much better off makes us very sad to say the least.

So what can be done? A lot depends on us. Why has Indian cricket or European football developed leaps and bounds? Because of the immeasurable viewership that they clock. So we have to divert our attention to women's cricket, women's football and likewise...so that our masters will divert money into these fields. But government intervention can only take us so far...lot depends on the privatisation and commercialisation of the sport. Live broadcasts create advertisements, international events give a platform for companies to sponsor, domestic leagues are the epitome step, as evident form the success of the IPL. A combination of these measures from our part and theirs can revive these games to their former glory. And through this, we can achieve the greater cause of women empowerment. And so for now, let the Dooars XI be a flag bearer for this cause, and I wish them all the best for their future.   

The power of 49.

Lately....the 'idiot box' seems to be in a bid to fashion a more sensible avatar, with serious advertisements of how Congress is saving India, and how 'women win, when they vote'. But impetus is always virtual, and reality is always harsh. Can women vote in India? Yes! Do their vote count? Yes! But are women on the same weight as men? Not likely. Men in India, are swirling in the fog of superstitions and parochial ideas, often forgetting that their gender counter-parts are the same flesh and blood that they are. I could either present a few facts, revolving atrocities like rapes, dowry deaths, and eve-teasing....or I could talk about the bigger issue at hand. The writing on the wall, cries out that men are narrow-minded and apprehensive about the rise of women in our society. What better to solidify this than the fact that the women's reservation bill is still pending in the Lok Sabha. Though out in the open, we are bragging about women's empowerment and equality, once inside the 4 secretive corners of our house, we subject our women to the most heinous and brutal treatment. This, in stark contrast to the serene position that women occupied in the archaic history of our country. In this regard, I have to make the submission that the western nations are much further ahead than us in treating their women with dignity and respect. But we are still sulking over the hellish condition that our women negotiate every day, with very little intent to actually solve the dilemma at hand. Our women are craving for change. But the people who matter seem to be ignoring this issue at large. Parties are compiling bulky manifestos with probable and bizarre claims in an effort to win over the people. But it seems like the nutshell brains of these politicians haven't registered the fact that 'the power of 49' means that 49 % of the voters are women. So the apt caption is.....when women vote, parties win. But the 'logic of 49' has left many politicians gaping and pouting as to how this is possible.

The AAP with all it's hype, in reality, failed to address the issue of 'atrocities against women'(which has now become an Indian syllable) during it's cameo at the capital. Kejriwal swept the women-folk with promises of a safe Delhi....but even he couldn't sweep the moral debris from the 'minds of these mindless monsters'. But credit be given to the fact that parties do take this issue seriously now. Yet, a strange anguish engulfs our spirits as another case drapes our ears. The number of such crimes have increased to the extent of a plausible newspaper page being reserved for it. Truth be told, women now seem to be craving for an alternative....somebody who can not only understand, but materialise their needs. For a moment it seemed like Kejriwal was dubbing women as AAP...but then, the archaic momentary brethren between BJP and Congress kicked in and the honeymoon was over! So much for women win, when they vote. The BJP and Congress have a good history of women empowerment as far as the ropes stretch for the top brass....vis-a-vis Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj. But their definition and jurisdiction seem to end with 'I' and 'J'.

To bring out atrocities is one thing, and to solve them is another. Programmes like the much hyped, and less typed Satyamev Jayethe bring out figures that deepen the wounds and graft the burns. What India needs right now is an effective vigilance force that can prevent such crimes from surfacing. But the 'strange case of Indian women' seems to be getting more stranger with our protectors becoming the predators. When women resort to reporting to the police, they utilise the helpless situation of these women, and prey on them. The khaki is now stained to an extent fro where there is no reprisal.

Vizhinjam....an undiscovered treasure grove.

Adjacent to the Arabian sea, on the foothills of Trivandrum, lies a god-blessed natural port called Vizhinjam. Engineers are still speculating as to how Vizhinjam has been naturally blessed with all the attributes of a world-class deep seaport. This port has the capacity to bring huge monetary gains to the Union government...a value of 1000 crores can be saved by opening up this port. Vizhinjam lies on the most important trade route of the nautical world, merely 10-12 nautical miles from the very busy route of Persian Gulf-Malacca which formulates a third of the entire sea traffic!! The port, surprisingly has a depth of 20m to as close as 1 nautical mile away from it.....something that is extremely rare and almost implausible. Added to this is the low littoral drift, which means that very little maintenance in the form of dredging would be required during it's operational years. Vizhinjam is located way out of the city-limits and thus, has lavish space to synchronize the creation of an 'a la mode' port. At the same time...it's acceptable proximity to the city and the transport hubs like airport and railway station is an added pro. Once the port opens up, the Indian exporters will not have to depend on foreign ports for trans shipments. Further, the central position of the port enables it to cater to the needs of both the east and west. On a quick glance, Vizhinjam seems to be a god-intended port facility, that only needs a touch of human magic to facilitate it's glory. The above said bullets are the conventional features of a world class port that has the calibre to be known around the world. But the hindrances are innumerable, and coupled with political, environmental and social pressure...Vizhinjam is set on a rocky course ahead.

The entire mantle of implementation of this project, has been deposited to a special-purpose company, named Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited. This is a fully government-owned company responsible for a final investment of 1 billion dollars that will see this project reaching the finishing line. The initial drive, was to build the port with a PPP system...where we would see a partnership between the private sector and public sector. The PPP however failed to see daylight as both the rounds of bidding were a failure. As the Chinese company who won the first bid, failed to get security clearance....Lanco group who won the second round of bidding, withdrew after legal pressure from another corporate giant....Zoom developers. The major reason for this falling-apart was the general idea that the port was un-viable on an economic yardstick. Ultimately, the government decided to take the responsibility and set up VISL. The second obstacle at the table was the bidding for the operator's role. When the bidding concluded, Welspun emerged as the eligible proprietor and demanded a 480 crore grant. After negotiations with the state government, they reduced the requested amount to 400 crore. However, the state government declined the grant, stating that their was no economic rationale for the state in such a deal. As the money was blocked on the table, the next step was the clearance from the centre. This historic clearance was made on the 3rd of December, 2013 to the escalated delight of the people of Kerala, who have been waiting for this holygrail to provide impetus to the state's economic condition. The total expenditure for the project, is pegged at Rs 6595 crores. But if mathematics prevails...then the port shall regain this initial amount within 7 years! Then what is preventing our elected masters from pushing the button? There are more than just one monsters, trying to rip this master plan apart.

The first is of course the archaic laziness and lack of effort from the side of the government. The people crave for the port to bring a sea-change in an otherwise hapless territory. There is always a conception, that a single luminous body can light others around it. This analogy works for Vizhinjam too. Once the port is erected, and the trade oils in....the surrounding area also develops automatically and prospers. This is very much needed as the Vizhinjam area lacks proper organisation and cultural and educational progression. Being out of urban limits, Vizhinjam has a rural trace, that it has never been able to shed. This project however shall bring about high intensity changes in the society focussed on Vizhinjam. As the trade smoothens; hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, even urban-centric blocks like malls and multiplexes may come up in Vizhinjam. This is quite contrary to the present scenes in Vizhinjam. The sea port project shall fill the social isolation of the fishermen community there....and also erase the conventional imagery of squalor and suffocation. There used to be a time...when the name Vizhinjam used to stink in itself. But the general development and the anticipated project has made a face-lift of this area. Now Vizhinjam strikes a note of hope and giganticness. Redtapism has groped this project, and it's making snail-strides through each floor of our impossible administration. Clearance after clearance, seal after seal, deliberation after deliberation....one's mind boggles to think as to why this 'no-brainer' is eating so much time.

The next challenge is much more serious. The natives of Vizhinjam are entirely dependant on fishing, and the subsequent selling in the local market. The propping up of this port shall hamper this gateway of fishing as the government shall set up a perimeter around the port that shall eat up a lot of fishing area. The market ground shall also be acquired by the government, thus, literally throwing hundreds of their jobs. But the point to be realised, is that these people shall get much better job opportunities, IF the port comes up in quick time. The Kerala government has shown zero interest to fulfil this project, as the pressure from international organisations like the World bank increases. While the Union government has dumbed it's hand on the issue, the state government remains static. It seems like nobody of administrative prominence is interested in making this dream, a reality.

The final challenge is not popularly known. It has been turned down many a times...but the fact is true. The Indian Union, in general has shown a good deed of backlash to the Southern peninsula. The obvious ignorance towards their development and progress has often been brought out to the public. The same is the case of Vizhinjam too. Lying in the far southern point of India.....Vizhinjam doesn't ring a bell, even in the most seasoned politicians of India. Added to this, Trivandrum has been ostracised by the state of Kerala, despite it's capital status. In all matters ranging from the presence of the high court, to metros, to subways....Trivandrum has been dumbed at the cost of Cochin. And here too, a certain animosity to the idea of Trivandrum overtaking Cochin, might have crept in. This sort of intra-national hostility is not good for democracy, or for our ambitious plans ahead. Cynicism has tapered this star studded project and has set I back many a miles. What is to be the 8th wonder....what is to be the backbone of Indian commerce; may end up being yet another 'proposed plan' that dusts in mid-air. Just thinking about this destruction of potential....makes an optimistic Indian tremble in his guts. So lets hope that Vizhinjam turns into reality in the days to come....and that Indian growth story will sketch in the days to come.