Why I abhor the News these days!!!

Thank God the IPL is over. As "I try hard to be flamboyant" Modi goes overboard and throws accusations towards Shashi Tharoor and his ilk, its pathetic to see the media revel in the glory and obnoxious macabre dance to sensationalise the drama. IPL seems to be less about cricket and more about money, BIG money , no doubt. Sadly, it has reduced the "Cricket" to sort of a tamasha. I am not against the spread of T20 cricket, neither do I find the gyrating cheerleaders obscene (annoying might be a better term, distracting still better...). What I find absolutely detesting is the "outside" media coverage of the now acclaimed Tharrorgate saga.



First things first, lets get this clear. While many "patriotic" fans claim otherwise, yet the fact is that the BCCI is nothing but a "private" body handling present day. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI, is the apex governing body for cricket in India, headquartered at Mumbai. The board was formed in December 1928 as the national governing body for all cricket in India. BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. It is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. The BCCI often uses government-owned stadiums across the country at a nominal annual rent. It is a private club consortium. Basically to become a member of a state-level association, you need to be introduced by another member and also pay an annual fee. The state-level clubs select their representatives (secretaries) who in turn select the BCCI officials. BCCI are not required to make their balance sheets public. In the past, tax exemptions were granted to BCCI on the grounds as promoting cricket was a charitable activity.



Huh? Charitable activity? What rubbish? I think the negligence of sports like Football, Hockey, and indigenous sports speak volumes as to how the game has changed the face of sports and become symbolic to sports. Incidentally, Hockey, the National game of India languishes miserably while India stands a shameful 126th in the FIFA rankings. And yet Cricket continues to be promoted under the “charitable” hood. Surprisingly, their clout is such that even ICL and other rebel leagues had to bow out with disgrace. While it is indeed appreciable that privatising the game has brought fame, glory etc., but the present crisis is more than just a mole. First came the match fixing saga and now this, with links further pointing towards the betting network in the country. Sad and shameful to say the least. That too, for a sport which is considered to be a gentleman’s game.



And the media loves to feast on such fodder anyway. What is abhorrent is the way the media is influencing opinion. Its disgraceful. I distinctly remember there was an attack on the IBN Lokmat office a few months ago. Hardly any media channel had captured the violence. One may say, every channel has a bias. Agreed, but somewhere in between the ethos of the media is lost. Today, media figures like Arnab Goswami, Rajdeep Sardesai, Barkha Dutt are all parley to the mindless sensationalisation of news. They out rightly decry individuals like Narendra Modi, Arundhati Roy, etc. I mean, who gives you the right to sway public opinion? Media is supposed to “report” news and I think that’s it. One cannot beat the opinion and nail it into the head of the viewer. Let the courts decide, let the public judge the individual. The media cannot and should not be biased against what it “feels”. When such a thing occurs, it is termed as “Propaganda”. And that creates a rift always in the public. The media in India, I strongly believe is “INCOMPETENT”, completely incompetent. Like a spoilt brat, it doesn’t know when to Shut the **** up!. And this has been proved not once but multiple times. The Mumbai attacks, the Riots, the Naxals menace, they all have invariably benefited due to the media. And worse still, is the “speculative” nature of analysis. Disgusting to say the least…



While one is free, one should also be aware of one’s duties. The media seems to have forgotten theirs. Its very sad that in a “free” country like ours, lack of responsibility has made these TV channels like rabid dogs on leash. They bark without caring a damn about the consequences, especially the damage it does to a person's image in public.

A Clear Mandate for India

So, finally the Elections are over and the verdict is out. The nation has witnessed a thumping victory for the Congress a.k.a the UPA. And what a Mandate!!! The UPA just needs a few seats more to pass the magical figure of 272 to form the Govt. And going by the eagerness with which the Independents and smaller parties are supporting the UPA, I am confident that we should see a Stable Government. The Markets have gone Crazy today and quite rightly so. The Biggest positive that the markets have seen is the decimation of the Left, who has since inception been opposed to reforms and Capitalist moves of any kind. So now the onus lies entirely on the Central Govt. to take its own decisions. Hopefully this will bring about relatively faster Decision making. So much Hope rests on the shoulders of the New Govt. One sincerely hopes they come true and they live up to their expectations. So Congratulations to the victors and for the losers, well, au revoir (Until the Next Time...). For Critics, the Indian Nation has voted. So shut the hell up and accept the verdict whether you like it or not. For the next 5 years, this is the Government you have to bear, regardless of your preferences.

Meanwhile, the Clouds seem to darken and the weather has taken a complete U turn now. Mangoes are back and the juicy delights of the yellow fruit are a joy to savour. I believe sincerely that one of God's greatest creations was the Alphonso mango. A ripe Alphonso mango is simply too difficult to resist. They are best eaten at 6 Degrees chilled and of course, you do not cut the mango in bits and pieces, but eat it from the top, entirely. That's the Best way to have it. Why??? Because that's the only way you get to have the whole Mango...Everyone also seems to await the Monsoons. It is humid but better than before now. I am dying to get my Windcheater and Umbrella out. Reminds me of a song by Rihanna - Under my Umbrella....

Being a weekend, I had the opportunity to relax off and watch the IPL for a change. Kolkata Knight Riders seem to be brilliant at losing an almost "won" match. As for the rest, the teams are all slugging it out to make it to the semis. The fight is too close for comfort. And every run counts, esp. after yesterday's Kings XI Punjab defeating Hyderabad Deccan Chargers by a single run. Well, some team is lucky, and sometimes you don't win it all. Come on, Cricket is a game after all. As someone rightfully said, "You lose some, you win them all.” Now keep figuring that out, yourself….

An Ordinary Day...

Now two of the things that have really kept me glued to the Television are 1.The Indian Premier League and 2. The Indian Political League...

The Indian Premier League is nothing but a nice example of how a sport can be popularized using Marketing effectively. My bro kept complaining that the event being showcased in South Africa doesn’t have enough viewers. It seems they don’t need viewers cos most of the organizers costs are recovered from sponsors, ad revenues, and of course tv commercials.......no wonder they end up paying those guys a bomb for 3 odd hrs. Crazy world this is, isn’t it?? Who needs an MBA for heaven's sake? Even education costs a fortune these days...phew!!!

The Indian Political league is more fun than the Indian Premier League. with great pomp and hopes we go out to vote only to later sit back and see what are the new political alignments & re-alignments constantly taking place. While conspiracy theories do the rounds, it is fun to watch how politicians woo people with everything from rice @ rs.2 / kg to promises of building temples and proving dominance. Hmm now rice@ Rs. 2/kg is understandable but a temple??? Okay some say that its an emotional issue, culture, pride blah blah....finally comes down to one factor......treating religion like a commodity......i give u rice, u vote for me...................okay forget the rice, i give u temple, u vote for me........Whatever suits the masses, deliver the same!!! Like a Commodity!!!

And we fall in the trap. What pity!!!! But then we live in a real world and fantasies and dreams are called so for a reason after all.

These Newspapers are full of the regular stuff......murder, rape, thugs, goons, fraud, etc...
Ever wondered how they are a depiction of the real "us". maybe not quite, but they are indeed an example of our emotions, feelings...products of why we are the way we are today....Products of Society and Civilization. A friend of mine told me once that given a chance we wud all behave like freaky animals and just like to do what we wish, regardless of whether it is ethical or not. Something similar to what Osho preached if I'm not mistaken. Osho btw proclaimed himself to be GOD. Hmm thats a nice thought but then, who has seen GOD??? What proof do we have of him if there ever is one? And even if we were to prove him or see him, wouldnt we question as to how did he come into being? Maybe the answer lies in the essence of God in itself. God resides in each one one of us as does the Devil. After all, maybe the great battle of Kurukshetra is fought always in our minds. The fight of Good over Evil. And the choice is ours to make: God or the Devil. So why fight so much over Religion in the first place?

An evangelist once met me on the road outside my office while returning home. As evangelists are, he started off with a conversation
Evangelist: Sir, can i talk with you?
Me: Yes (Dude, I look like a likely bakra. Go on with your rant!!!)

E: Sir, have u heard about Jesus Christ. Only he can save you.
Me: Well yes. Im a Catholic. So???

E: Sir, open this bible to page no.... and read this para XYZ....
Me: yes i have read it before but why are you telling me this? (Time for Brainwashing)

E: Sir, this says that only Jesus Christ can save you.
Me: Okay well but that's your interpretation of it. I don’t think I wud put it that way.( I am not taking your Bullshit talks lying down)

E: Sir, u need to understand that what they teach you in ‘your’ Catholic Church is fake. Follow our teachings and our Church as we are the only true Church as Jesus says here in the Bible, there will be fake preachers blah blah....and we only need to follow the word of God which is the Bible,blah blah....
Me: As I said before I don’t think that is how I wud put it. I believe that is your interpretation of it. Maybe I may not think of it that way.

E: Sir, do u understand u will be condemned and burn in hell eternally.
me: Well okay but i believe in on religion called Humanity which supersedes all other faiths. If for that I have to burn in hell, so be it!!!

E: But sir, only this Word of God can save you.
Me: Who says so? I think being humane to others is greater a religion than any of these books or scriptures. And why would I need to follow things the way they are in the book. Isn’t it possible that your interpretation may be biased and incorrect? And what if you are wrong?

Finally, the evangelist gave up and he left. Although I wud still ask the same question to anyone. Would a person who only follows a particular faith (desisting other faiths, making a mockery of them), be greater than someone who may not even believe in a concept of God, (yet being humane to as many as possible)??? Why would he burn in hell??? And if that were really the case, then maybe we don’t deserve to be humane in the first place!!!

The evangelist had no answer and I don’t think anybody would either....So then I conclude that maybe we might all differ in faiths but isn’t being in a common "humane" religion much better a way to find God?