Random bickering about India

So the last week had been packed news.

Two olympic medals is enough to keep us happy for four more years. We spoke of how the girl child should not be killed; apparently because they will win you medals! No, no, not because they are humans.

And then we celebrated how Shewag made Piers Morgan looks ridiculously stupid! Oh ya, the joke is on the British Media man.  The same Britain Morgan represents, came second behind us, four years ago in the commonwealth, that had made so much progress and had even over taken the mighty chinese in this olympics.

Oh yes, we did celebrate by calling Pakistan hell; and by making sedition charges on the person who opposed equating Pakistan to hell! Most who celebrated don't believe that hell exists. But, who cares! And by the way, meeting the prime minister of Pakistan on a surprise visit is Nationalism. Comparing Pakistan to hell is sedition! Plain and simple.

Then there was news that the movie Kabali by Rajnikanth was a failure and all the distributors of the movie had to face loss! Oh Yes, we fought on how had it been a 'Non dalit' director the movie would have got better reviews, and hence would have made more money.

And we joyously celebrated how the 56' chested Prime minster masterfully brought in the issue of Balochistan on his independence day speech and put Pakistan on the backfoot! Sure, it was a great move by the PM; Just that Kashmir at that time was burning. Doesn't matter!

And the reality dawned. When this man had to carry his wife's dead body on his shoulder for twelve Kilometers, while his daughter walked beside him crying all the way. The Ambulance was denied because he could not pay. The people on the road watched him go! Till he was helped by the Journalist, not before he video taped it and sent it around.

The reality called India is painful! More so, when we pack news with things unreal and fake!

When India stood still for one young girl!

Some cricketers gathered around one idiot box! Twitter was being bombarded by #ComeonIndia hastags.  The whatsapp groups were full of scores. The world around stood still. There was tension in the air.

Nope! It is not MSD batting with India needed 20 runs to win from 2 overs. Something else is happening in Indian sport. A young girl, all of 21, is changing how we have viewed Indian sport all these years

PV Sindhu, the only gold medal contender of this year's olympics for this huge hero starved country is changing the dynamics of the sports watchers.

This is new to us. We are only used to cheering our Indian cricket team. Only men have we cheered!Rarely hockey. Yes, we have rarely cheered a Sania Mirza. Four years before we cheered widely for the badminton queen Saina Nehwal. But never have we seen such frenzy before. Never have we seen India praying and rooting together for one girl like this before!

Let this girl lead you in to the sunshine India! Let this girl change the way we have all watched Indian sport before. Let this be the start of following shuttle badminton and various other sports round the year like the way we do with cricket. Let this be the start of the many more medals at the world level in various other sports.

The moment you lost I switched off the TV! Much like we have done for a long time for the MSD wicket or much earlier the Sachin wicket.

More power to you girl! Lead us on to more victories and make India a better sporting nation. 

Independence day rant!

So the day start with me hopping on from one meeting to another! Taxi hopping. In a new land. Meeting new people. On working new partnerships. Thinking about new ways of improving health care and education delivery systems in the country. 

Suddenly the next signal a bunch of ruggedly dressed people turn up! Selling national flags. That reminded me that it is Independence day; We should be wearing the tiranga on our chest! The other day they were begging!

Independence day!

On the same day a group of people, who we have always considered lesser mortals, or dalits as we call them; who had not been allowed entry in to churches and temples, treated as second class citizens even in market places were beaten up by a mob for carrying out a protest march! Freedom to protest!

Few days ago, a magazine's editor in chief, one of the popular one at that, was sacked, just because it ran an article against child trafficking by a particular organisation! Freedom of press!

Few weeks ago, young men, our own, were shot at by pellet guns; some became blind; Some dead! Just because they thought the government is not doing the right thing and protested! Freedom of speech!

A Politically elected government had been stopped at many fronts; To do what they think is better suited for the city that had elected them! Freedom of governance!

A world renowned NGO was blocked and threatened arrest because they were organizing protest against the misdeeds by the govt. Freedom of Expression!

I repeatedly ask myself the question, what does independence mean to me as an individual?

For all the myraid problems facing this country, If it is still better for us to be ruled by the present rulers than having some foreigner ruling it for his benefit then yes, may be independence day may have some meaning to it.

But we are really far from being truly independent! 

Do we deserve an olympic medal India?

My brother was disappointed that day! The Indian Archery team had just lost by a whisker in quarters. Abhinav Bindra has come 4th he said. Looks like we won't win a medal this time said he. He was not happy. Neither was I!

So, the last time we won 6 medals it seems. He was not very sure, neither was I! Boxing, shooting and shuttle badminton said he! I thought weight lifting was also there. Then we moved on to our regular discourse, on how India picked up the wrong team in the cricket test series happening in West Indies. He was very sure that the selection of Rohit Sharma was a mistake. So was I! When there are many other young people waiting in the wings, we have given him too many opportunities said he. I agreed!

So, two sports maniacs, who did not know who were the sporting icons who brought us the olympic medals, but knew which youngster is ready to get in to the Indian cricket team.

Do we deserve to complain that India does not win Olympic medals? Do we (my brother and I) who last saw the archery girls team 4 years ago, whose names we hardly knew deserve an olympic medal? Do we as parents who have often asked our children to stop playing and concentrate on studies deserve to complain about an olympic medal?

Do we as teachers, who borrow the games periods to finish our lectures, deserve to see an Indian on the podium? Do we as politicians, who have not done a dime except, to suck off all the money in all the sporting bodies, deserve to complain about a medal? Do we as sports buffs who follow Indian cricket team and Manchester United passionately day after day, and not know what tournaments other than olympics our boxers, the shooters, the archers, the swimmers play, deserve to see an Indian on the podium?

The PM spoke passionately about how every district in the country should send a sportsman to the next olympics! And I'm sure, if he is around for the next time, he will repeat the same damn thing.

Just because, we don't care; and so we don't deserve!