Through the Rain of Tears

The day had been particularly very mundane until he saw 'her'. Was she the same person whom he had known since his Master's and Research days? Hard to believe!! He tried to pinch himself, to try to not remain in reverie. It was real; a chance encounter. As he approached her, he feared whether she could still recognize him after all these long years. She did. He silently thanked the seminar organizers for having chosen this city for him to present a paper. After all, his bachelorhood was still continuing with all such engagements other than the primary task of teaching in the very university, where he acquired his Ph.D. With lunch being already done, the chance was only for a small refreshment. However, he chose a dinner date-after all these years!!- and she agreed. One of those small beach-side restaurants was going to prove to be the dating point.

As he got ready for the occasion, a wave of memories hit him. The day they had first met as newcomers to that great university, and how their friendship had blossomed. How they had cursed and reprimanded the professors together, that too at times when he himself did not have any problems with them; How much he enjoyed accompanying her to the station to see her off for home; then the longing at heart, the yearning that she 'returns' soon; the wait for sweet-meats from her home; How eagerly he wanted to help her in everything that she wanted; How much he longed to spend every minute of his life in the campus with her!! How those long hours of chai at the dhaba in the campus had proved to be a jelling factor for them; how much he longed to have a bike, just to make her sit behind him placing her lovely hands on his shoulder and zoom off!! And how really he got one, on which she did sit. But not as he wanted. Those days were full of colour and fragrance. Life seemed to have an entirely different meaning; a different purpose altogether; something better to live for. Those Days...................

And now here he was by the sea-side before her on a table specially arranged both of them. It seemed only yesterday that she had left him.............the vagaries of life which was so deceiving!! He watched her face from the glow of the candle on the table.........Though the age was beginning to play the usual tricks, the old tenderness still remained, something that had captivated him in the past and made him fall for her........Those lovely hands and tender fingers......how much he longed to touch them......!! He couldn't, neither then nor now. What stopped him??........Was it the ever-arising fear of losing her??............ Dinner came; "some nice fish varieties, fresh from the evening catch, sir", the waiter was repeatedly trying to please them...... The waiter doesn't have to understand his feelings, for he was not paid for that. All through she spoke very little.........Occasionally she smiled, but her innocent laughter which he hoped to treasure some day as his sole possession, was certainly missing. The talk generally moved around the usual enquiries regarding the mutual friends and as how their lives were moving along. The aroma of prawns and pomfrets wafted through the air accompanied by the cool sea breeze............It had been two years since her marriage!! Was he shaken?? He did not show it, though. A sudden loss of words and he 'cooked up' his heartfelt wishes. But settling into the family life did not seem to produce the happiness in her. Was it her disappointment that she could not chose her life with him; was it because she expected him to take the initiative and seek her hand; or was this all part of his fantasies, thereby making him realize that she was indeed contended with her marital life.........

The night was advancing. The next day, he had to take a flight to get back to his daily slog, to the world of books, students, lectures and seminars; and she had to return back to her home, to her own world. The question still rankling him was whether she ever had any reciprocity to his feelings for her. In their long night walks in the campus when she would have really wanted him to hold her hands, kissing her little fingers, or wrap his arms around her.................. When she wanted to lean unto his shoulders for comfort............He would perhaps never know............His timidity was always getting the better of him and thus preventing him from asking her about that. Perhaps even her heart was going through similar turbulations right now........Her mind fighting several battles on such questions......He was increasingly getting that gut feeling..........He hoped and prayed at least for once that the walls of silence surrounding them to be shattered, allowing both of them to open up. That would never happen for he knew their destinies were never linked........If they did, then their lives would have been so different today. Call it fate, ill-luck or whatever..............!! Was life beckoning to move on??........but move on where? Tomorrow, they would go in different ways; perhaps there could be a phone call or an email once......Even that would disappear in the course of time. Far in the sea, the lights of fishing boats and trawlers were flickering.........the sea was calm today. It was a clear night, with all the stars twinkling above them..........The sands beneath their feet was trying to provide a cushion.............The coffee tasted well. With the bill being paid, they began the long walk back to their hotels.

Over their heads, the sky was getting heavier now. Flashes of Lightening were streaking across. The Clouds were gathering. A light breeze was flowing, which was gathering pace rapidly and which carried the message of the imminent rains. Her long, curly hair was ruffled in the breeze, and it covered her face. She adjusted it with her lovely hands, which again made him look into her eyes with the same unbridled love. They wanted to speak........But the words never came out!! Her hotel was first in the route......Leaving her at the gate, he blabbered something.......she promised to call soon.......Was her voice breaking........was there a tinge of sadness lurking in that voice??............His throat had gone dry.......tears were welling up in his eyes........He controlled them and prayed that they didn't break out before her. He could see from a corner of his eyes that she too tried hard to control her emotions with her eyes becoming moist.......Seeking to end this agony, he bade her farewell and wished her good night. Above in the sky, clouds were beginning to grow heavier and a light thunder was rolling down. Gradually rain began to fall. "Off-season Showers", someone remarked!! Slowly, she alighted the steps and moved into the hotel lobby, from where she silently disappeared into the lift......In that short journey, she had turned back several times, hoping that he would call her back and warmly embrace her, holding her close to his heart!! He only kept waving his hands...........Standing there, he watched her go, the same way as he had watched her leave years back in the campus...............As she disappeared from the scene, he placed his hands in the pocket of his trousers and walked back to his hotel. Tears rolled down his cheeks as the reservoir of emotions had finally been breached. The night was growing darker and the rain was coming down heavily now. His sorrows were soon submerged in the showers, as he quickened his walk through the Rain of Tears.....................................

Re-Living History: People's Power through the Ballot

April 5, 2007-This landmark day marks the 50th anniversary of the first Communist Government to come to power anywhere in the world through ballot. The State of Kerala elected the Communist Party under the leadership of Comrade E.M.S. Namboodiripad as the Chief Minister This Golden Jubilee-celebrations will be carried on throughout the State by the LDF government led by the CPI (M) -is a time for memories and reminiscences. Typically an occasion to re-live the Past and re-visit History. (In the pic. is the front page of the Deshabhimani on April 5, 1957 describing the coming to the power of the E.M.S government).

The State Government's progressive policies were mainly of the Agrarian Reforms and the Democratization of the Education System-the then Education Minister being Prof. Joseph Mundassery. The government was unceremoniously dismissed from office after only 28 months, with active collaboration of the Centre, then under the rule of the Congress(I) in connivance and funding from the CIA. The dismissal was also effected by the large-scale gang-up of the reactionary forces of the Church and the Nair Service Society, combining with the Opposition parties, in what was infamously called the Vimochana Samaram. This clearly exposed the bourgeoisie-Landlord nexus, against the pro-people government.

As Comrade Karat puts it in his article in the People's Democracy, this was, perhaps, the first time in the history of the world Communist movement that the Communist Party had agreed to form a ministry under capitalism – with a bourgeois-landlord government controlling the centre and with effective economic power in the hands of a handful few. How was it possible? It was possible because it was the desire of the Kerala masses and masses elsewhere. It was possible because the immediate issue before the people was not the introduction of socialism – social transformation – but urgent social and economic reforms – including land reforms, honest administration and implementation of the rights given under the Constitution. The policies on which first Communist Government of Kerala had embarked continue to have an impact on the country as a whole, even today. Perhaps, that's the biggest tribute we could pay to the Comrade E.M.S-led government of 1957 which is well enshrined in the slogan "People's Unity Long Live"!!

When Idols are Crushed and Heroes are Hounded..............

The twin faces of sport are extremely complex. Sometimes it takes you to great heights and at times, it brings you down to earth with the same force. Thats why Sport is a great leveller!!

Cricket falls in the same category. It takes you to the commanding heights as well as to the amazing lows. In fact, thats the beauty of the game, "the good old game". It is often taken a cruel form when the taste of defeat is always bitter. That has also made the followers of the game take it to their hearts. Then their reactions spiral out of control and dons a fanatical role. Hence, when Sachin or Inzamam fail with their willows-which on any given day would pack a very powerful punch-there are uproars for their blood. In this fanatical following, where the rational minds are thrown out of the window and hearts rule the roost, the biggest casualty are the mortals or to be more precise, the players. Therefore, when the fans who root for their stars to shine brightly by shaving their heads, colouring their faces, placing large bets, and sit for hours before the television sets to catch late night action in the Carribean, go overboard with their reactions, its not the way to follow a sport. To put things in the right perspective, an innovative coach losing his life while being in the process of taking a great but unpredictable team to ultimate glory is certainly not cricket. The amount of stress, both physical and mental, carried on the shoulders of the players and the coaches is something that is highly alarming.

It serves to drive home only one point that the people whom we raise to the pedestal of glory are in a way, only mere mortals, always prone to errors. Sometimes getting to bask in the sunshine, and at times receiving nothing but the sack as well as flak. However, this is not to play down the level of commitment that the players have to put in every game, that is in its each and every aspect. The angst of the fans are also moulded by the role of the media. The inconsistent and irresponsible role of the media in bringing out the right picture is to be blamed. It is the media, that takes the players to greater 'summits'. Thus, the fans are forced to go through a great deal of emotional travails, thereby bringing in both dreams and nightmares with equal force. Thats where sport loses its magic, its charm, its unpredictability.................!!!! It turns morbid, and redundant while pushing the entire game into the background and bringing into the forefront needless and mindless discussions which are not only time consuming, but also not in keeping with the positive spirit of the game.

The World Cup-to decide the champions of cricket-happens once in four years and losing out in the process is a serious issue. However, it is not a case of life and death!! India and Pakistan may have made an early exit, but the game has to go on. Both the teams would need to start afresh with the goal being aimed at the next World Cup. There have been new teams showcasing their skills and they had a better day in the field. The need is to encourage their performances and give credit where it is due. The true winner is only the game, at the end of the day. Cricket's magic has to return and for that to happen, the fans need to be more understandable. As the people in West Indies tell you, "its afterall only a game maan"!! Only if they gave a helpful ear to the now-famous words of a great tennis icon at Wimbledon sometime back: when Boris Becker broke the silence at the press meet in 1985 after losing out to the little known Peter Doohan, "Nobody died, I just lost a tennis match!!" That is why no sensible fan should entertain the thoughts of drastic steps and in fact should direct their reactions/interventions towards issues which concern our daily life, of bread and butter than just a game of cricket.......................... This is the precise reason why yours truly will not jump into the Indian Ocean for the humiliating exit of Team India from its World Cup campaign even very-well knowing that they were the finalists during the last edition............................!!!!

P.S: While writing this, the death of Woolmer is growing murkier with each passing day. Even the can of bookie worms is being re-opened!! This is a script whose climax may never be known!!!!......................

On a Long Drive.......

As the clouds gathered and shrouded over the Sunday morning, sleep never withdrew from my eyes and mind......... Pulling my rajaai the body once again, I tried to forget the world outside.......every bit of it, including the impending Chinese language exam, which was hanging like the sword of Damocles.......... The cellphone suddenly bursts out with the Malgudi Days ringtone. No peace of mind, even on a dull and chill weekend........

But the news is interesting.........offer of a long drive to a wedding in Haryana, about 100 kms from Delhi. After initial reluctance to get out of the comfort zone, I decided to have a quick bath and tuck in some light brunch-for the regular breakfast time had already passed due to my over-sleep. Since living away from home for sometime now, the skill of automobile driving-that too a four-wheeler-seems to have got a bit rusty!! The vehicle for travel was an Alto, of Maruti. Not too complicated to drive around!! Getting onto the wheel accompanied by four others, the journey had started well. The car had just one deficit, which being the absence of a music stereo. Long route; sometimes plain highway and at times some bottlenecks in traffic. Moving away from the highway into the interiors!! The metalled roads giving way to cattle-tracks. Plus, the overnight rains bringing in slush and mud into the road!! driving at around 80 kms is no doubt a challenge. Stopping for chai and light refreshments at two three places, keep on asking people the correct location, and re-filling gas, the journey was memorable.

Reaching the destination just in time to see the ceremony, and being part of the grand feast was something more joyful. As soon as the things were done there, the return. Now through the state highway, watching the rain coming from a distance; through the midst of mustard fields, blowing the horns loud and clear; clearing the way for the car to race ahead at a speed of 80-100 km/hr..............another kodak moment!! The absence of music system was forgotten as each of the passengers sang their hearts out!!!! As the sticky rain continued with the car splashing through the puddles on the roadside, hits of Kishore-Amitabh flowed delicately......... As the dusk finally settled around, pal pal dil ke paas was the reverberating tune...........Finally after the day long journey ended with the vehicle entering the campus and the keys being handed back to the rightful owner, its time to end the role of the chauffeur. Some accolades from the fellow passengers, with pats on the back and praising words for being an expert driver, there are even promises of dinners!! As I walk back through the wintry night to get quickly under the quilt, there is a tune on my lips. May be the next marriage should ideally be in Agra.......!!!! Long Drive, another vehicle perhaps and another occasion to feast upon.......Hmmmmm, its really mouth-watering!! By the way, have the showers again started??

Watching Traffic Signal.............

Watching the movie Traffic Signal by Madhur Bhandarkar last week, has my mind more lighter. In the sense that, unlike his first two editions in the Mumbai trilogy, Page 3 and Corporate, Traffic Signal does state the obvious; however, it doesn't go beyond that. In the sense that, the film doesn't go on to say something new. The life at the signals in the metros of our country is well and truly reflected in the film. In fact, my take would be that under the given circumstances, this could only be the right way to produce it on the screen. However, it still is silent on the aspect that the character of Silsila-played by Kunal Khemu-can also be exploitative, wherein he opresses those under him. Here, he is generally portrayed as a messiah or as in the end, a kind of redeemer or kind of saviour. The movie's end is also one on predictable lines-going on to "wash off his sins"!! The other critiques of the film also stand-like no proper organziation of the characters, no soul-filling music unlike his earlier films in the trilogy nor any hard-hitting statements against the system or the way of things.

Hence, this film cannot in any terms be compared with his other two ventures. Page 3 and Corporate were strong statements on the times we were living in, particularly on the cosmopolitan life we generally feel cozy about. The hollowness of the life at the Page 3 parties as well as the rush to sell off public assets for a song do not necessarily match the life led by a big group of people at the numerous signals in the metropolitan cities. However, the most remarkable thing which the director has been able to expose the hierarchy exisiting within the system. The hafta taken from the people at the signals is taken over by guys like Silsila, who in turn are led by another perosn, who essentially acts as the middleman and takes the collection to the lord above. This lord is on the other hand controlled by the hawala transactions from outside the country's borders. This whole racket or ring is a huge one, which is thereby linked through a long chain. This chain link is effectively something 'cast in stone'!!!!

Overall the movie has a typical signature by Bhandarkar; but that signature is not on the same lines like in the past. It, on the whole is more lighter and much more 'out of the emotional bracket'.

Abnormal Times

Saddam Hussein has departed from the face of the earth today morning at 6.05 Baghdad time (8.30 IST), when he was hanged to death in a specially constructed ( can even better be termed as hastily built!!) facility on the banks of river Tigris. His departure marks the end of an era in West Asian politics; something which began with him taking over the reins of the country in the 1960s and carrying on till 2003.

His trial- of killing over 148 Shias in Dujail in 1982-has been one of the most biggest shams ever seen. The same is the case with other trials like the killing of Kurds in Hallabja or the human rights violations accused on him by the invasionist forces in Iraq today. No fairness in trial, his defence lawyers being murdered and no chance given for Saddam to defend himself. Even the Appeals Court, within a month of the trial court's verdict ordering his execution, refused to seriously re-consider the same. All the agencies-the courts and judges, the puppet regime of Morouki and Talabani propped up by the US were hell-bent on doing away with Saddam Hussein forever. However, the whole story was scripted in Washington and London. George W.Bush states that this was a milestone in the restoration of 'democracy' in Iraq. That has got to be the joke of the year!!!!His New Year party would now be more relishing and that wine may taste more 'sweeter'!!!! His loyal poodle Tony Blair would only be more contended in 10, Downing Street before his puts in his papers!!!! Consider this. Who should have been there in gallows in the real place?? Saddam or Bush, Blair and Company????

A war that was committed in the name of WMDs (it has been over years now and is there still any news of those WMDs ????); Leave any WMDs, there were not even sophisticated and worthwhile armament units in Baghdad!! Will Bush ever stand trial for the crimes against humanity that he committed with his loyal allies?? Will he answerable to the hundreds of children who died for the want of essential food and medicines during the days of sanctions?? Will he ever be implicated in the human rights violations committed in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Gharib?? Will he and his company be ever answerable for the 'illegal invasion' (as termed by UN itself!!But with UN not being seen as an effective International Organization anymore, won't this statement be a joke??)?? Has the thirst for Oil ended or are Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil and British Petroleum still looking for newer pipelines to be laid?? There are only questions that are visible. Answers seem to have been lost or to say, forgotten in the eagerness to conquer new regions!! The Empire has to be nourished and the Emperor needs to adorn new clothes!!

Afghanistan and Iraq have already been vanquished; newer areas like Iran, Syria and North Korea fall next in priority in the 'axis of evil'. But have the former two really been 'done and dusted'. Then, that is incorrect. The massive resistance by the Iraqi people against the imperialist forces, as well as the fire faced in Afghanistan have made US seriously think of the R word-of Retreat!! That has always been the unwritten rule of the thumb for US Imperialism. Enter a Country, use it as a tool ans very conveniently wash the hands off and leave. Saddam Hussein is another friend-turned-foe of the US. As from the beginning till the 'instruments' had usage, they were oiled and well-maintained, later to be dumped!!Typical use and throw!! The US creates and later turns out to destroy the creations. The Mujahideen in Afghanistan were trained and armed by the CIA against the Soviets, but they provided the US with Osama Bin Laden. Similarly, once upon a time Saddam was their comrade-in arms against Iran, wherein the 8-year Iran-Iraq war itself had the US administration pitching Baghdad against Teheran. Even before in some the overthrows that happened in Iraq in the 1950s, the US sided with the Baath party. But the Iran-Iraq war caused major impacts on the Iraqi economy, forcing Saddam to raise oil prices, which directly angered the US. Then, the invasion in Kuwait broke any existing links between the two countries. So, the moral of the story is never go in for any permanent arrangements!!

There is no doubt that Saddam was involved in human rights violations. He had silenced any dissenting voice against him; he had wiped out the communist party, once an important section in the government of the country. But many also say that even though he ruled with an iron hand, he had united the country, trying in to bring in a Socialist system. He had tried to provide a better deal to the peasants and the poor; many feel that perhaps his biggest contribution was curb any sectarian violence between the Shias and Sunnis, thus providing rock-solid stability to the country, something which is primarily absent today. He may be right or wrong, but that has to be decided by the people of Iraq; decided by a popular and sovereign government elected by a mass majority of people, and not by puppets installed at the behest of Washington; the affairs of the country cannot be run by people who fly every second time to White House and Downing Street!! Seems father, Bush Sr,. has been avenged by sonny, finally!! However, will Iraq be ever the same again?? That is the million dollar question. The neocons believe Saddam's execution will put things right in that country. However, the mass peoples' resistance is only growing, and there is no so-called religious differences emerging between the Shias and the Sunnis. Both are united in a prolonged battle against the imperialist forces.

Our country, whose anti-imperialist freedom struggle had inspired many of the Third World countries to throw off their foreign yokes, has shown the similar non-serious stance. The MEA called the execution as 'unfortunate' and 'disappointing'!!The ministry seems to now have a well-rehearsed and by now, a stale statement to make!!Look at this country's Foreign Minister's statement: the Indian government 'hoped' that even after the verdict was upheld by the Appeals Court, Saddam would have been spared of the gallows and thus, would not have been executed!!!! . This joke should definitely be a threat to the contestants of the Great Indian Laughter Challenge Show, for the minister may give them a good run for their money!!!!There was no strong stance adopted by the UPA government. The government has become a spokesman of the Bush administration!! The efforts are aimed at going to any lengths to please the US; by kowtowing the mission is to become the junior partner of the US. The Indo-US Nuclear Deal is the best instance, along with the Joint Military Exercises, keep up the strategic relations with Israel, inspite of its actions against the Palestinian people. Here, even ministers are replaced on the account that, the 'US was displeased' with their actions!!The ruling classes in this country are readying themselves to tear away the Tricolour and replace it with the Stars and Stripes!! The fact that Diego Garcia is only some nautical miles away in the Indian Ocean has meant that the region is under the radar scopes of the imperialist powers.

Saddam's martyrdom, as I would call it was in the battle against Imperialism and the refusal to live in the shadows of the colonial masters. He faced death courageously, and kept his head high while walking to the gallows. His death proves to be yet another clarion call for the anti-imperialist and progressive forces all over the world to join hands against this globalized struggle against imperialist globalization!! The struggle has to be at various fronts like political, economic, and cultural, thus, taking the resistance to greater levels. Many term the resistance happening in Iraq as 'bloody'; but then according to Tariq Ali, when "you have an ugly occupation, then you cannot have beautiful resistance". The model shown in the backyard of the US-once considered the laboratory of the Neo-Liberal economic policies-under the leadership of Castro, Chavez, Morales, Ortega and many others have opened the doors for many nations to assert their sovereignty, thus challenging the supremacy of the US. The mass peoples' movements, built on the foundations of the association of various fronts would engineer the struggle against hegemony and dominance. Therefore, this New Year beckons us to once again go back to Pastor Niemoller. We are living in times when the Empire wants to take every shred from the people to feed itself; hence, the need to fight it with tooth and nail. This is an Empire wanting the Haves to go on stocking the resources, and Have Nots cast to 'dangerous tempests'. It is a struggle between the Elites, who throw the struggling masses into the furnaces of Global Wars to feed their 'unsatiated hunger' for more power!!Saddam's execution is also a cover-up to protect these poweful elites from any skeletons that might be unearthed in future!!! These are Abnormal Times, where the only motto that matters is that "People United Shall Always Be Victorious" !!!!

The Magicians

As the year comes to an end, the media and the masses have already started to float their minds back at the events that occured in the passing year. There were many fond memories and some painful ones. While many people may choose different issues, themes and incidents, for me the one memory of this year will be from the sporting arena. The Azzuris were crowned the World Champions in the Beautiful Game; China reasserted itself in the Asiad at Doha; Nadal and Federer continued their glorious run in Roland Garros and the Centre Court of the All England Club; Indian cricket team went through its usual highs and lows; Sania Mirza created some flutters; Schumacher and Agassi walked into the sunset of their careers with their heads held high. But for me the image of 2006 would without doubt be, the retirement of the two magicians from International Cricket- Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. The duo who have formed a great wall for the Australian cricket, will be the last members of the Allan Border era to bid their farewell to international cricket. As they hang up their boots, becomes impertinet to all the lovers of the Gentleman's Game.

A Magician performing trciks through revolutions in the cricket ball. That was a breath-taking sight. Shane Warne-a wizard becoming synonymous with magic word of Spin; he was truly a magician on the field. That too of the art of 'Leg-Spin', at a time when that art was dying away due to the lack of quality bowlers. Like an artist whose works were marked by clear precision and guile that would go on to bring about a final product of aesthetic beauty and splendour, Warne's bowling reminded us of the similar works of art by Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Making his test debut against India in Sydney in 1991-92 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, he was thrashed all over the park by the batsmen adept playing any quality spin. Even though he went for over hundred runs, he took the wicket of Ravi Shastri, thus announcing his arrival in the test match arena. But it was in Old Trafford in 1993, with the ball of the century that he showed his real spirit and stamped his authority against the batsmen. A ball that was pitched outside the leg stump, turned viciously to hit the off-stump of Mike Gatting. Later, Warney played a pivotal role in many Ashes series wins for the Aussies over the English. Warne's bowling statistics in test matches reaffirms his class and grittiness. Warne also has a good batting record with scoring more than 3000 runs and scoring 11 half-centuries. Warne's ODI record is also impressive wherein he having played 194 matches got 293 wickets with an average of 25.73 and got a career best of 5/33. This wizard brought along with him a series of weapons in his repetoire. A whole array of different sort of deliveries which kicked and turned even on lifeless surfaces. He had the googly, the flipper, the drifter, the conventional leg break, the slider-which was a new delivery by him-and then the 'wrong un'. He also had a delivery like that of a medium pace bowler, which was so cleverly disguised that it was difficult to predict whether it was the leg-break or the off-break. With a shorter run-up and higher trajectory, his deliveries could never be read clearly by any batsmen. With his magical fingers being held across the seam, the ball came from the back of the hand, thus cleverly disguised from the watchful eyes of the batsmen across the world. With his favorite victims being the Englishmen, and the South Africans, Daryll Cullinan was his bunny. He could only name Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as the most difficult batsmen to bowl at. Who can ever forget his duels with the Indians in general and Sachin in particular?? In his 3 tours to India, he could only have one 5 wicket haul. Indians were perhaps the only people against whom Warney struggled enough, which is also reflected in the record books. But still he played his part in the first series triumph for the Aussies against the Indians on the latter's home soil for many years, during the 2004 tour. Having been crowned as one of the five best cricketers of the century by Wisden, Shane Warne has also been given the Wisden Player of the year award on several occassions as well as the Man of the Match in the World Cup Final (the 1999 edition in England). Away from the cricket field, his private life may have been in rocks, with accusations of match fixing, doping and adultery, but he tried to hide his sorrows with his bowling. His presence was a revival for Leg Spin, which was absent from the scene since the days of Richie Benaud. Infact, Warne's legacy was followed by his contemporaries like Anil Kumble, Mushatq Mohammed, Danish Kaneria, and his own compatriot, Stuart MacGill. An ever persuasive Shane Warne is a beauty to watch on any given day-even his 700th wicket, the first by any bowler in test match cricket, was a portrait to be framed forever wherein Andrew Strauss' stumps were rattled by a ball that pitched outside his off-stump. The batsmen around the world can rest easy with departure from the scene by this assassin.

On the other hand, Glenn McGrath made his test debut against New Zealand at WACA in Perth in 1993/94. He was a pace bowler with great accuracy and penetration. He did not possess express pace or a great amount of swing. His strength was to pitch the ball in the right areas and stick to an off-stump/outside the off-stump line, thus never allowing the batsmen to get away. Through that long career, McGrath rose to be the No.1 strike bowler for Australia thereby getting into the shoes of Dennis Lillie, and Craig McDermott. His bowling record in test matches bowling tell the accurate story. He was also a good batsmen at the tail for his country with him scoring even 1 test fifty. This being the case in the middle of the Boxing Day test of the Ashes series. However, it was his ODI record that needs further mention. More than that he was part of two World Cup winning teams (Along with Warne, he was also part of the team that was beaten by the Sri Lankans in the 1996 final at Lahore). With he going to be part of the team to defend the World Cup in the Carribean in 2007, it would be fitting climax to his long and chequered career if the team bring the trophy for the third straight time. In Test match cricket, his bunny was Michael Atherton whom he has dismissed 19 times, with Lara and Tendulkar also being among his high profile victims (Sachin was his victim on 6 occassions!!). The Pigeon as he was fondly called, had been thinking for long of calling it a day to spend more time with his wife, who has been suffering from breast cancer.

With the end of the New Year test match of the Ashes series both the legends will walk into the sunset in the longer version of the game; however, McGrath would be free in formal terms only after the World Cup. The world of the batsmen will heave a sigh of relief with the moving away of these greats. However, the world of cricket will be never be the same like before. The magic may have ended, with many pundits and doomsayers even predicting the downward trend of Australian cricket. Fortunate are we souls to have lived in an era, when these two magicians performed tricks with the ball, mesmerizing cricket lovers and enthusiasts world wide, encouraging more and more generations to take up the art of leg-spin and pace bowling. In a game where the bowlers were always the underdogs when compared to the batsmen, Warne and McGrath showed different paths. As the sunset approaches, Murali may overtake Warne and McGrath may have opened the doors for a fresh bunch of young blood to come and stick to line and length, thereby forcing us to engrave in our minds that there is also something to pace bowling beyond express pace and high swing. But then like the Kohinoor which comes only in one generation, Warne and McGrath are the wealth of this generation, who have thrown open the vistas for further expansion of the game. Their footprints lie in the sands of time, undulated and undeleted, telling each of us that the Gentleman's Game was a fine work of art, with they being the artists. Those were memorable days!! Adieu mates, and Thank You for the Golden Memories................

Medical Care, Death and Others!!

Level-Playing Field!! That term has never been felt by me in such a way as during a recent visit to the Medical College Hospital in Calicut. An Eye-Opener for many of the Elite who live in their own ivory towers. It was just this week when I had a chance to go there, as one of my relatives is admitted there. A walk through the wards are enough to open the eyes of many of the people, who never leave the coziness of the Private Super Speciality Hospitals!!

The rich can afford an expensive health care system!! The withdrawal of the State from the Primary Health Care Sector has meant that the poor have been neatly deprived of one of the prime matters for any population. Coming back to the visit to the Medical College, the building itself has all the looks of a governmental structure. The white and yellow white washed walls, with dark green being colour of the linen and hospital clothes. Perhaps that colour seemed to set the tone for the system to be used by the common masses. The wards having a limited number of beds, has patients occupying even the floors. Even the corridors have people lying all over!! The doctors-both the seniors as well as the house surgeons, or the final year medical students come visiting in one go, the nurses going on having a carefree approach and going about their jobs of administering medicines with no emotions on their faces-perhaps they feel its part of their job and is also a daily slog-and then the relatives coming in all hues, the common hospital food being served as regular meals, the scent of medicines and surgical equipments and much more...........

The Calicut Medical College is the largest hospital in the Malabar region and has also the distinction of being the hospital to have the largest number of children being born in Kerala-some records even call it dealing with the largest pregnancies in Asia-even Yours truly was born here. This has went to such lengths that now a separate building has been built to handle pregnancies alone!! But to go on to the real issue, the hospital becomes the mirror reflecting the real life in the country, that is the Common Masses. Talking to my relative revealed that, the ward in which she lay had seen nine deaths since she had been admitted there. One such death was when they were having their lunch. After the body was taken away, she decided not to continue her meal. Death just seems a reality. More than that, it is a Fellow-Traveller here!!! It takes into its fold all the people, not looking at their class, caste, religious and gender backgrounds. The people are helpless in its front as the feeling of Death stalks stealthily. The Medical College is a microcosm of the larger macro India out there. The tale of the Medical College in Calicut is not restricted to Kerala, but also reflects the same story in the whole of the country. Something that has to be witnessed by every citizen of this country, irrespective of his/her background. In fact, it would be a great anthropological exercise to go indepth to study the government medical institutes and hospitals of the country. The compulsory One Year Internship in a Primary Health Centre in the countryside, now practiced as ration should strictly be made formal, for the Medicos see the profession more as a money-churning exercise rather than as a service to humanity. Some even forgetting the Oath of Hippocrates. The rush now is to get an MBBS and fly out of the country to the foreign shores. The need is to put a full stop there, for the people dying each passing hour due to the lack of proper medical care is quite high.

Returning to the case of the Medical College Hospital, the Level-Playing Field seems have reached the optimum level. Perhaps, thats the visual I take as I descend the steps of that 'great Institute'. As they say, Death is a great Leveller!!May be atleast in death, all the people lose those fundamental contradictions between the Haves and the Have Nots. For all the people are destined only 6 feet of earth in the end!!!!

Birthday Musings

The 21st of November always brings with it the critical fact that I have completed one more year of life; the underlying feeling that the pirannaal has marked another milestone in my life; a short pause before the journey unwinds itself again. But as each Birthday passes, the candles and the cakes move apart further.........There are no more new dresses, no more gifts, no more sadyas, no more distribution of sweets and no more gala celebrations, no more love-filled strokes on my cheeks or ruffles on my hair by ma, no more early morning shower..........Perhaps each birthday is a further realization that life has got to move on...............

This birthday saw my sister presenting me a wrist watch-from her salary, which reminds of the fact that she has already taken the plunge into the swift currents of employment and livelihood issues. Now it comes down to either a phone call, or an sms, or an email, or to the maximum extent, a detailed birthday card......Life away from home is really sinking in.........The coziness and comforts of Home have been replaced by the daily slog in the hard life................No wonder they say that life is not a bed of roses..........Birthdays just drift in the wind, where the only companion is solitude..........where your heart and mind is at peace.............May be the only impressions left are nostalgia..........the bygone days of Childhood.............who was that poet who wanted to go back to those days of innocence, and thought of climbing the coniferous trees to reach the heaven?...........................

JNUSU Elections

The biggest festival of JNU-the Students' Union elections-formally concluded today in the morning. The one week that passed saw the entire campus having only one breath, that being the polls. The election saw the return of the SFI-AISF alliance to the Presidential post, something which proved elusive in the last two years. Comrade Dhananjay 's victory as the JNUSU President, along with Comrade Jyotsna being elected the Joint Secretary is another strong message that the SFI-AISF combine is definitely the force which has won the mass verdict of the student community. But the victory of the Ultra-Left AISA in the post of Vice-President and General Secretary-Tyler and Sandeep-also needs to be taken with a pinch of salt due to the sheer fact that this organization has always targetted the mainline Left, more than the Right-wing forces. In the posts for the Councillors for the different schools, though the SFI-AISF has maintained the convenorship in the three major schools namely the School of International Studies (where yours Truly has been re-elected as a Councillor), School of Social Sciences and the School of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies, there has been a drop in the number of seats won by the alliance, where the AISA has gained from the last year. While in SIS and SSS, the SFI-AISF won three posts and two posts being tied with the AISA, SLL&CS, saw a completely split mandate with the alliance winning two posts and rest being divided equally between the AISA, ABVP and NSUI.

However, these elections were fought majorly on the plank of 27% OBC Reservation, with the anti-reservation forces under the banner of the Youth For (In)Equality holding one end up. The Science schools in the campus where there was a record 90% polling, even when the overall polling in the university was 65%, the YFE emerged clearly with a lead of more than 250 votes in all the 4 posts of the central panel. This meant that, the SIS, SSS and SLL&CS were critical in pegging back the trail and ensuring leads for the pro-reservation forces. The rise of the YFE needs to be viewed with concern too, due to the fact that even in the major schools there were some 'disturbing trends'. The casteist forces who wanted to make the socially progressive campus of JNU like AIIMS where the students coming from the deprieved sections are ghettoized and treated like inferior mortals have been handed down a clear defeat by the democratic and progressive sections of the campus. This message emnating from JNU is a clear and strong signal to the casteist forces that their politics-of casteism-has been given a befitting reply by the JNU students. The YFE which is a elite formation, that has no concern for the students coming from the depreived backgrounds, had always tried to wear a mask of being pro-poor. But they have been utterly unmasked by the students with a clear clarion call that these forces need to now pack up their bags and leave the campus or else they would be thrown out by the progressive students.

This election also sends a clear message to the elitist bourgeois media, which had always fanned vast support for these forces combined with the corporate world. The Shiv Kheras and the Navjot Singh Sidhus also need to watch their steps while dealing with JNU where the students do not tolerate such unhealthy forces. The national media, particularly the electronic section had given great credence to these forces, even equating them , with the movie Rang De Basanti. The media which till date has not concentrated on any of the student movements in all over the country in general and in JNU in particular, has suddenly found the issue of reservation as something dangerous and against the peoples' interests. The JNU students movement, especially under the banner of the SFI-AISF for the construction of new hostels, institutionalizing GSCASH and Equal Opportunity Office, ensuring students' representation in the Academic Council and the Board of Studies and the latest struggle for ensuring financial assistance to all needy students have always been left out of the pages and visuals of the mainline media. The students' movement here ,which has also seen the SFI-AISF led JNUSUs waging relentless struggles against fee hikes, saffronization, commercialization and privatization; this is infact lined to the broader struggles waged outside this campus by the Left forces as well as other like-minded democratic and progresive sections. This mandate reaffirms that commitment to link the struggles in the campus with the struggles outside.

At the end of the day, when all the dust and din settles, the elections in JNU (which is conducted by the students themselves)-with JNU being the only university in Asia to do so-are a clear reflection of the fact that rather than the glamour and poshness of people, the issues of the students get a voice. The Election Committee of JNU needs to be congratulated for ensuring a peaceful, incident-free election. This JNU model reflects upon the committees like the one under Lyngdoh, which are out to place curbs on the democratization of the campuses across the country. It is only appropriate to say that "students' unity long live"!!

Gandhigiri

Venturing into cine halls to relax the mind has meant that people have taken it upon themselves to laugh their way out. "Lage Raho Munnabhai" falls in that category of movies. It talks of two conmen-more like a Laurel and Hardy- changing their ways from dadagiri to gandhigiri. That takes an average Indian movie goer to fal back and realize the importance of Gandhi in today's context. This attempt by me is not to pass any value judgements on the Mahatma's role and his leadership to the Indian freedom movement. On the contrary, this is to look at the issue in both ways.


The Gandhian mode of struggle- Satygraha, Hunger Strikes and Boycotts have now become models of protest against the authority and resist diktats from the higher ups. This mode of protest has its own suuesses and failures. As a student activist, now involved in the student movement in JNU, the method of Hunger Strike is not the best from of protest, but it is definitely a popular form of protest. It gets credence from a big majority of the student community and has stood the test of the time. A large mobilization of the student community is possible for such a type of protest. But as a Marxist, I have serious objections to only sticking to this model due to the fact that even the highest form of hunger strike may be unable to give you that decisive victory. So, other modes like gherao may also have to be adopted. But this can be done only a concrete analysis of the concrete situation. Also, the act of boycott cannot impede the mass production of goods. In fact, the production conditions have to be changed on the whole.


Gandhi's emphasis on Non-Violence is correct to a large extent; but in a society ridden with contradictions and where a fundamental transformation is required, a mass overhauling is imminent. It means to put things bluntly a Revolution. A non-violent revolution may not be the outcome always, for the ruling classes would never give up their power willingly and so, the Class Struggle is a concrete reality. Gandhi's basic idea is Status-Quoist, while the Marxist framework stands for Change. The best case scenario is on the question of Caste, where Gandhi felt that giving leverage to the opressed sections-Dalits and the Tribals- would lead to such assertive demands also from the higher classes and so, any attempts to transform the situation would be problematic. This logic has often been criticized by Ambedkar, which I also feel is a correct interpretation. The very idea of receiving a slap on one side of the face and showing the other side is a faulty proposition which is even laughable in this era. What needs to be done is to take on the attacker with full vigour and thus, is the defiance of a rebel reflected.


The ills of corruption, poverty, gender violence, caste abuse, etc which is still an issue in this country, where the common man still can't find his basic needs fulfilled, where successive governments have brought in Neo-Liberal era with the withdrawal of the State from key sectors of the economy like Health and Education, where rural distress has already claimed the lives of 50, 000 farmers, where students are forced to commit suicides unable to pay exorbitant capitation fees, where foodgrains lie rotting in FCI godowns for rats to feed, where malnutrition has led to infants dying early, where India Shining is restricted to a certain Elite class who live in glass compartments, where the Government has faulty line to define Poverty, where Chief Ministers visit Microsoft in US more than the farmers dying in the nearby districts, where financial packages become a mere farce and where a Government on the diktats of IMF-World Bank-WTO keep kowtowing to Imperialist agenda and fall prey to Great Power politics, this question certainly needs to be asked whether the Gandhian model would be to deliver the masses from all these ills. May be that could be the decisive assertion in the whole debate.


Also, movies like Munnabhai and Rang De Basanti have turned the popular and commercial cinema into an iconic status. This cult figure syndrome has led the people to think that may be 'a new look' has to be put in place. But at the end of the day and as film reels wound to a stop, we need to look back and ask who has really gained from the movie? The Audience or the Movie Itself. For me I would not need any second guesses. I would go for the Latter.

Hunger Strike

Being without food is unthinkable for many even for one course of the day. But doing the same for eight continous days, is really something that is part of the spirit of the student movement of JNU. As a Councillor of the JNU Students' Union, I experienced this when I sat for an 8 day Indefinite Hunger Strike at the Administrative Block of JNU from the 21st of September. This agitational course-which was lifted after the Administration agreed to the major demands of the JNUSU-was mainly on the question of providing financial assistance to the needy students. This demand was formulated after a comprehensive questionnaire survey conducted among the students by the Union in the month of March 2006, where nearly 60% of the respondents pointed out financial constraints on their academics. Thus, the proposals was made whereby, the Means-cum-Merit Scholarship needed to be raised from Rs 600/- PM to Rs 1500/- PM; the income cap would have to be raised from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 Lakh and extending the scheme also to the Ph.D students who were not in receipt of any scholarship till now.


After a number of protest demonstrations and actions, the administration refused to budge. So, the Union went in for a One Day University Strike and even after this the Admn: never heeded to this demand. Thereby, intensyfying the struggle, the JNUSU gave a call for a Relay Hunger Strike which was later converted into an Indefinite Hunger Strike, where yours truly was one of the 15 strikers. Sitting in the Adblock for eight whole days was a wholesome experience. That too, staying alive only by having water and Lime water mixed with salt. This time-to-time tonic was the manna for those eight days!! Also, there was a medical check-up, twice in a day where blood, and urine samples were also collected. As the days passed, people started to wither and collapse. But what kept some of us, including me going was the determination built up within us that the "final victory would be ours"; also strong backing by the leadership of my organization SFI as well as common activists and friends. That kept the flaggering spirits going. Finally when the Adminstration called for the final round of negotiations yesterday night at 11. 30 pm., I was aroused out of sleep. This went on for around 3 hours and finally the deadlock was cleared whereby we emerged victorious and ensuring Rs 1500/- PM for M.Phil/Ph.D students and 1000/- for BA/MA students.


But the greatest experence which I gained from this agitation was that the students never forgot that we struggled for them. As I went along today morning for class campaign and also while sticking the posters of the agreement, the students overwhelmingly came forward to thank and applaud the eforts on the part of the JNUSU. That feeling is the biggest gift for me in this struggle. A Victory which would ensure regular scholarships for the coming generations in the JNU campus is a leagcy for the student movement in this campus. As the slogan we keep renting "The People United Shall Always Be Victorious".

First Day @ Cinema

Watching a film on the day of its release has become a sort of routine................Not only is it tempting, it also compells you to walk into the cinema hall as your mates queue up at the counter..........My experience in recent times have seen only five such films in the kitty................"Sarkar", Mangal Pandey-The Rising", "Munich", being the earlier ones seen.................But this month has already seen me @ the theatre on the first day for "Corporate" and "Omkara"..................It has been taxing not in terms of the sheer pleasure of watching the scenes explode on the screen, but it is in terms of burning a hole in my pocket, for the ticket rates here are sky-rocketing................People need to earmark a certain amount of money per month towards this "moviewatching" business...................


The addiction of the First Day would definitely take a heavier toll, as I embark on this drive further.................With mouth-watering ones like "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna" and "Kabul Express"- not to mention those good English ones too-it seems that my spendthriftness, is here to stay for some more time...............!!!!

Those Fifteen Minutes

Sometimes time just stops for those Fifteen minutes....You begin to wonder whether Your heart beats have stopped........Catching hold of a folder-if it is some sort of handicraft product made out of jute or other fibre, it would be more good-containing all your certificates, testimonials and CV outside a door;and inside people gathered around a table waiting to pounce upon you.......When they toss away your research proposal and start asking questions from 'anything under the sun', its an uphill task, you can bet on that. Life just grinds to halt for sometime.........This phenomenon called "Interview" is just a beast, memorable for some and forgettable for some...........It seems that the wait to get into the room to face those 'souls' there is more taxing than the interview itself..............If someone asked me the definition of Life now, I would tell him/her, "It is nothing but the "Intervening Period between the Wait Outside and the War Inside".

A Ball, a Cup and lots of Memories

As Fabio Grosso struck that penalty into the net away from the waiting hands of Fabien Barthez, the biggest sporting extravaganza on the planet after the Olympics drew to a close!! What a World Cup it had been.......Goals falling in, goals saved by the goalkeepers and defenders, fouls committed, cards shown, injuries ending the campaign of some mid-way, a few upsets........Everything fell in place in this month long spectacle.


What began in the Allianz Arena in Munich on the 9th of June between Germany and Costa Rica proved to be feast for the fans of "Jogo Bonito".Philip Lahm set the goal register ringing with that excellent ranger from the left hand corner of the penalty box of the Costa Ricans, it all became a daily affair cot d'oeuvre nearly sucking in the Argentines in that game in Hamburg, the Germans being made to sweat till the 90th minute by the Poles till Neuville tapping in off a perfect cross from Odonkor, the Brazilians scraping through against the Croatians, first timers Trindad and Tobago holding the Swedes goalless, the 'Socceroos' coming from behing to thrash the Japanese, Spain thrashing Ukraine, and the French not being able to break the Swiss wall........


But the tournament really was 'normal' in the sense that no big upsets happened like the last edition in Korea and Japan...The Ghanians pulverising the Czechs was the only exception!!The Czechs playing their first world Cup as Czech Republic were heavily grounded by the absence of regular strikers Jan Koller and Milan Baros.Pavel Nedved nevertheless played the role of playmaker to perfection, but couldn't quite do the finishing job.The Koreans really tried their very best, but couldn't repeat the magic of 2002.


The Latin American dominance could only last till the quarter-finals on this occassion.The "Albiceleste" and the "Selecao", that is Argentina and Brazil fell mid way into the last stages.The Argentines who who were no doubt the best team of this World Cup, fell due to some big tactical mistakes by their coach Pekerman and fate in the form of injury to their number one goalkeeper, Abidonzieri. The Brazilian who were the biggest star-studded outfit with all the big names could only remain so on paper.With all those dominance, Roberto Carlos couldn't mark Thierry Henry in that crucial moment.Perhaps the only creditable achievement for them in this edition was that record of all-time highest WC goal scorer for Ronaldo-wonder for how long will that remain, with Kolse really 'closing' in!!


The best goals in this World Cup would definitely be that volley from Maxi Rodriguez in the Extra-Time against Mexico...and who can forget that 24-pass poem from Argentina against Serbia and Montenegro ending with Cambiasso putting in the final signature!! That goal is one of the greatest goals ever in World Cup history.The goal by Maniche against the Dutch and that lon ranger by Joe Cole against Sweden are also lasting memories of this World Cup..........Also to be added are the ones by Frings against Costa Rica and Zambarotta against Ukraine.


The best and the worst moments of this world Cup are also many. The loss of Argentina in that penalty shoot-out against the Germans in Berlin(with the avoidable fistfights in the end), the exit of Brazil by that solitary goal from France, the Swiss not being able to score even once in their penalty shootout with Ukraine, those ugly scenes in what is now dubiously known as "the Battle of Nuremburg", where the Russian referee Valentin Ivanov dishing out 16 yellow and 4 red cards, Wayne Rooney sent off in that quarterfinal clash with the Portuguese, the German march finally ending in that fateful night in Dortmund at the hands of the Azzuri and the Aussies deceived in that last moment by Totti through that penalty. But the most disgraceful moment of the World Cup would definitely be that worst moment when Zinedine Zidane was shown that red card in the final for that head-butt on Materrazzzi, in what was his last match for his country.......


What a shameful moment it was!!A captain leaving his drowning ship......In a way this World Cup has moved in a similar trajectory like Zidane!!Sent off for that crucial game against Togo, and then coming back, displaying his skill and magic for which he has been famous against the Spanish and against the mighty Brazilians-whom he defeated single-handedly!! Then scoring against Portugal and even against the Italians in the final. Thus, it was a roller-coaster ride all the way.Perhaps this WC will be remembered for ever for that one crucial moment on July 9th in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.Zidane's greatest regret in his life would no doubt be the same. This World Cup has also ended the careers of Oliver Khan-demoted to a second position against Jens Lehmann-, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Lillian Thuram, Patrick Viera, Fabien Barthez-cud he turned to be the savior for the French in those penalties??-, Cafu, Nedved, Ruud Van Nistelroy-Marco Van Basten never gave him a chance against the Portuguese!!, Luis Figo-what a player he was-, Pauleta and some more!!


The two coaches for whom this World Cup has been a blessing are Marcello Lippi of Italy and Jurgen Klinsmann of Germany.Klinsmann, ever criticized by his countrymen for being based in California, has really changed the Germans from having a 'defensive' mindset to an 'all-attacking mould'!!Even the great "Kaiser" Beckenbauer has asked him stay on in his job. Lippi took his team from the morose and dreariness of the match-fixing scandals in the Series A back home and crowned them to glory!!For others like Jose Pekerman, Carlos Alberto Perreirra, Marco Van Basten, Dick Advocaat, Zico, Guus Hiddink-couldn't quite repeat the magic of the last edition-, Bruce Arena and Karol Bruckner, it was only tears and sighs....Luiz Felipe Scholari and Raymond Domenech would have expected a little more from their teams.


Italy really made that effort to win the trophy for the 4th time!!What an occassion for them!!To lift the glittering trophy designed by an Italian Silvio Gazzaniga.......In the end there has to be some words for the organizers....The Germans under Franz Beckenbauer have presented an absolutely wonderful World Cup.....Even the motto of "A Time to make Friends" has clicked big time....All those people deserve a standing applause........In four years time South Africa hosting the 19th World Cup-the first time in Africa-has to put up a similar and fitting show........


Till then the "Jogo Bonito" rolls on!!Viva the game of the masses!!The Show will go on............

Nostalgia

As the rains lashed against the window sill in the deep night, as the crickets hummed soft tunes, and as a calmness swept through the entire atmosphere, the mind wandered back..............to the days of innocence, days of pleasure,days of friendship...........a sudden flood of memories sweeping over.........People have defined that feeling in a number of ways.The English language has called it 'Nostalgia'.........

Turning in my bed, I get up and search for my autograph diary.........It seems far away, but I manage to get hold of it.......The pages have started coming apart!!But the ink, and designs-if u can call that-scribbled by me still remain, giving a vision of the bygone years.It was a historic occasion or as they call it in Malayalam "Chatritrapradhana Nimisham" that meant historical moment.I was one of the last members of the course called Pre-Degree in Kerala.......That was the time when the people felt that 'uniforms' suited well to the students even after Class Tenth!!The loss of Innocence was to begin soon........

Pre-Degree was given a fitting funeral, with Plus-Two becoming the watchword. College campuses talk of it as an unbearable loss!!Seems true enough.But the memories inscribed in those diary leaves seem to take shape now......As I turn over the pages, the lines acquire faces; I try to recollect them and it is an uphill task..........Time has played a very heavy game........Alzheimer's striking early!!But people say it is nothing to worry about whereby it is not possible to remember all the names in a class with a strength of over 90. One of the entries say that "we were summer birds who are flying back with change of weather".Can nature be so cruel??I do not know................Again another mate wishes that "as I fly higher and higher, my wings shouldn't tire"!!But my dear friend, my wings seem to tire now, as I enter a life where comfort zones are minimal or on the periphery........There is a 'mean world' out there where expressions like love and compassion seem to have dried up into dead habit.............A friend advises me to fill that autograph book with scribbles and entries from all the people, as the past years were filled with colour, fun and frolic!!Have I done that fully??Again such questions keep staring at me.............

Now, the only sound I can hear is that of the rotation of the fan.Every thing else has faded away into the mists of time.........Another entry notes that "Autographs are only for those who feel that days of 'closeness' were over.Why should we need it??" Mate. when did I last contacted You??Words are like that.They sound very beautiful when expressed delicately!!But when the act of 'practice' is expected, the very same words feel miserable!!I turn over the pages again......Same lines repeated..........Wishes, happy future, achieve targets,don the mantle of a media person or a civil servant,don't forget to send the wedding card(I doubt if such a thing is possible in the near future), and so on!!Many have given their snail mail addresses, telephone numbers, and even email IDs(technology was in its incubation period then!!). But now with passage of such a long period,contacts have come down......Earlier, there used to be a 'phone call', or a 'letter'.But now the vanishing act is complete!!As the last hours of the night make an entry, I am struck by the lines of another friend....."The World is Round and We are Bound to Meet Again" . So, feel rest assured.We are never separated from each other, thats the essence of her words.It is almost five years since then......I did meet some of the people, but the old days were far behind.The meetings have lost their warmth as a coldness encompasses everything.....The old smiles and taunts are missing.......New friendships have arisen.......Time has made me conscious of thefact that the past had now to be put on the back-burner.New relationships have to be established.Friends, how wrong were you when you said that "Make New Friends, but never forget the Old ones"!!

I close the diary and wander into thoughts.Am I also not a culprit?? In a way, I'm.......Perhaps then these had to happen........or were there any other reasons??Those questions still have not found solutions.May be tomorrow, I should change things around and make some calls, write some letters, and compose some emails............... Sleep slowly takes over me.Perhaps it has started raining again and the chatter of the crickets resume.The frogs have started their croaks and fire-flies dance about...............Have I closed that window?

The Argentinian March!!

So finally it has started!!The Argentines moving into the quarterfinals to meet the Germans in Berlin.They are out to settle scores for the 1990 World Cup final loss in Italy.So, thought this would be the best time to post the photograph of the full Argentine squad in this World Cup....Viva Argentina.........

Jogo Bonito in Argentinian Style

The "Beautiful Game" or as the world knows of the game called Football. Thats how poetic one can be, to describe the most simple game ever that mankind has played. Perhaps, the romantic tradition in the Literature of Classic ages has drafted the game and given it a mesmerising effect. Within this beauty, the special aura has descended on the Latin American style. "Latino" is not just a term, but a feeling, a passion and a pedestal for glory in ultimate terms.

Thats how the the game of soccer has enmassed the the continent of Latin America, especially Brazil and Argentina. Both the teams always been likened to Houldini, for performing magic with the ball. They are no doubt Magicians!!Argentina, is currently having its 15th World Cup appearence in Germany and the last time, they missed the World Cup was in 1970. Their arch-rivals, Brazil has played in all the editions of the World Cup. Thus, Brazil is the only team in the World Cup football history to have done this achievement. Still, the Argentines, twice kissing the ultimate summit, in 1978 and 1986 and once being the Runners-Up in 1990 have special charm o their own. It is like Da Vinci or Michelangelo holding the brush or chisel creating perfection (though it is still a matter of dispute as to whether anyone could achieve perfection!!) or Shakespeare placing his characters or Mozart & Beethoven setting the magical tunes to create those highest forms of musical spectre!!

Latin America, often considered as its backyard by the Imperialist US and seen as a laboratory for the Neo-Liberal Economic policies ahs been devastated by Authoritarian Governments, poverty, unemployment and other mass ills.Amidst all this dreariness the game of soccer has got its own prominence. Just look at the background of the players there. It is mostly a lower-middle class structure, with the boys playing the game in the bylanes, streets and the interior villages of the country. Diego Maradona is the living example of this phenomenon in Argentina. The performances of Argentina in the world of soccer has always provided solace to the heart of the masses and atleast temporarily lifting them into the surreal world from the hard realities of mortal life.

The crowning achievement for the Argentines after the 1978 win-clouded in the authoritarian dictatorship then-came in the form of a man calledMaradona when he led the team to the second crown at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City in 1986.The most scintallating spectacle then came in the form of the game against England when the Albeceleste disapalyed an exhibition of football par excellence.The game was known for two goals by the King-one , the famous Hand of God and the second immediately after, which remains one of the top goals not just in World Cup History, but in that of the entire footballing woorld.The second goal scored by him after deceiving atleast six Englishmen and finally putting it past the hands of the English goalkeeper Peter Shilton is altogether above the sublime.It stands out with the works of Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Mozart and Beethoven, and is on a greater pedestal.This is the work can be classified as a "top-notch", away from the works of mortals like us.No goal has come anywhere near that one till today, even though U may remember a person called Michael Owen paying back in the same coin to the Argentines on a night of high-drama in St.Etienne in 1998.

However, this World Cup has started showing the glimpses of those glorious days in 1986. The game against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen where the successors of Diego ruled the pitch for the full 90 minutes has clearly defined the view. All the goals in that game were complete team goals, and not of any individual glory.Esteban Cambiasso scoring the 2nd goal after a multitude of 24 passes just displays the power as well as the poetry of Latin American football. Certainly, that could have been done by only a team from Latin America.Hernan Crespo, Javier Saviola, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Juan Roman Riquelme, Juan Pablo Sorin, Pablo Aimar, Maxi Rodriguez, Esteban Cambiasso, Gabriel Heinze, Roberto Ayala and Abodenzieri with other members of this Argentine squad are following the overwhelming legacy of the country in World Cup Soccer and seemmdetermined to get that ever-shining trophy designed by Silvio Gazzanigga back in Bueonos Aires.Also, it is now authoritatively concluded that the team that beats Argentina would be the one to be crowned the World Champions on July 9th.

The story of Latin American football can thus be read from the script written by Argentina; a script whose climax still remains a suspense...........