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.

 

Cricket In India-Tracing the breadcrumbs of history!!

It was a sport of morality and class.......it was a sport, built on the talent and passion of Indians......it was played everywhere, from the foothills of Himalayas, to the swamps of Gujarat. The game developed it's own identity as India paced forth in the global stage. When cricket was being played with fancy bats and jute balls in the meadows of Britain, Indians were sweating it out in the hot sun. Cricket in India developed over the country's subjugation under the British. As India awoke from the ashes of a break-free from the British, the game underwent rapid changes leading to the era of CK Naidu and Lindji. Then a long stride resulted in Kapil's Devils raising the prestigious World Cup in 1983, after a triumphant victory against West Indies. From then, India didn't look back. From Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly......to Anil Kumble & co, India has produced the best cricketers in the world. But this free-flowing game of India was to crash into a road-block that nobody expected.

It all started when the cricketers were given opportunities in advertisements. As a result, the corporate sector found a very firm wicket in the form of cricketers to bat on. In the end cricket itself was clean bowled by this very corporate sector. The world now, is based on greed and money than trust and morals. As a result, influential and wealthy people found cricket, quite near to horse racing. The true monetary potential of the game was exposed much later when the so-called 'limited-over' games were introduced. Now a days, there are not even local games where hoardings and sideboards are absent. The BCCI and to some extent, the ICC, is now just a mask to a corporate-cricket link, that has ballooned over the years. Now-a-days, noticing the colour of a team's jersey is impossible, as it is covered with small ads and campaigns.

The already existing bruises were deepened as the 20-20 format came into existence. The idea of a cricket match being shuffled into a few hours, attracted the public of India.....which, as time exposed was quite similar to giving the corporates a juicy full toss. As India won the first 20-20 World Cup, the name of a so-called messiah who would save Indian cricket from it's downfall rang through the ears of all Indians. MS DHONI. The proclaimed explosive lower order batsmen with a sturdy pair of hands and long pleated hair, attracted the gullible youth for as long as today. Just when a string of questions were being raised against his credibility as the captain, India won the World Cup, for the second time. And what more could Dhoni have wanted? An easy length delivery slapped for a six....from his bat finished the game. The ferocious flame-thrower Lasith Malinga failed to bowl even a single Yorker as the Srilankans played like a couple of clueless boys in their backyard. Things appear much more clearer after the revelations of the past week.

The mud became more gooey and mucky as the infamous IPL occupied the limelight, with a grand opening ceremony. The amount of money involved in IPL is in the dark even today, most of the teams being owned by the Bollywood darlings. As the first season went on as a test run....the private companies were dumbstruck by the viewership statistics....which were through the roof. Thus, in the second season, there was more money being poured into the IPL bucket, via film owners and people unknown till then. While the darkest of the herd stayed aloof, they sent in scape -goats for a test run. As the scape goats came back alive, the major players placed their money in the right places, and got away with it till now. With each season probably more corrupt than the other, Pespsi could not resist the popularity of the set-up and decided to adopt the sporting banner of India. Little did they know about the late-night surprise they were scheduled to receive.

Three and most likely more players have been indulging in spot/match fixing for monetary benefits....despite the slave trade auction system that provides them sufficient money. As the experienced and popular stayed cautious....players like Sreesanth who have been out of the national side for as long as 2 years, couldn't resist the pay-pack or at times the honey traps. As more and more evidence is being unearthed......the guilty finger seems to be pointing at the BCCI and it's chief, whose son-in-law is behind bars for match fixing. Yet, Mr Srinivasan is clinging on to his throne...despite a huge storm, trying to blow him away. But the fact of the day is that- in between all this errand-running for personal gains and favours....what is being destroyed is Indian cricket....one of the only remaining relics of India's cultural and historic taste for sports. What is being destroyed is the only secular religion of India....were people 'bleed-blue' for India. In a country where cricketers are treated as gods...this is indeed a backstab which has gone through the backbone of Indian cricket!!!