Slaps, Cheerleaders and Big Business: IPL Musings

The Cricket jamboree has finally dawned on this country. There is strict regulations on media coverage where monopoly has been garnered over using images; also included are 'Slap-Stick' comedy involving players in Mohali that gained more prime-time than any other event; then there are the cheerleaders. There is 'slam-bang' action, big hits, faster runs, swifter turn of events, rising TV timings and much more. The efforts are now to make us believe that IPL is THE BIGGEST THING happening on this planet. In this 'see it believe it' world, sport has got entrenched within the very same system that creates "One Country, Two Nations". That of millions living and struggling for one square meal a day, where hundreds of farmers have committed suicide due to agrarian distress in the countryside, where prices continue to rise thereby further trampling the aam admi and where the country shines & rises for the corporates. On the other end of the spectrum are a handful of multi-billionaires who keep vyeing to always remain in the top brackets. It is into such a volatile milieu that the manna called IPL has made its descent.

As games egg on, with cities in India pushing and shoving to be noticed, where false consciousness is injected with full vigour; thus making people identify and personify their 'model' teams; where sportsmanspirit and camraderie seem to come from the only fact that different nationalities melt with the joining of hands. Big money has come to stay authoratively in this make believe world. The game has been made to move on from the hands of the puritans to that of the entertainers. Throw in the corporates, throw in the big bucks, throw in the big names in entertainment industry and throw in the high-profile sponsors waiting to extract their share from the market. You now have the perfect receipes for the Big Dish. Thats what Cricket in the country in India has got as the label. Matches are being started in tune with the TV timings, with the best example being the Chennai Super Kings v/s Kings XI Punjab match had already crept into the scheduled 8 pm telecast of the Delhi Daredevils v/s Rajasthan Royals match; however, the latter match started only after the entire proceedings in the former match was done with. Entertainment has become the buzzword, with the sooth-sayers and eulogizers crying over the roof tops that the 20-20 format has started attracting the housewives (or as they say the fairer sex back into the drawing rooms in front of the television sets!!)

But such form of Entertainment brings with it crass commercialization and encourages the race for profit as correctly put forth by Nirmal Shekhar. The Cheerleaders of the different franchisees performing in the grounds has already raised much debates and protests. The 'roving cameras' moving in different angles is not only atrocious, but also projects women as mere objects for sexual desire. The commodification of bodies of women resulting from such concepts of cheerleading that have been justified under the banner of them existing in the United States, speaks volumes of the hankering of such culture. The space being occupied in the media by IPL has relegated many other serious issues into the background that include Price Rise, the international situation and even the new lows happening to India's national sport (and thats not cricket), Hockey. The expose of corruption ruling the roost in the administrative establishment of our game (that this was our national sport could only be realized once Chak De made it explicit!!) in an Olympic year where our team has failed to qualify brings home the realization that full degeneration has occured in our sporitng milieu as a whole. The 20-20 version has been often used to underline the need to chuk out the aged and replace them with fresh blood. The failures of Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, and Kumble (Tendulkar not playing in the 1st 4 matches for his team) has been cited as the need to infuse new passions by abandoning the old baggage!!

Cricket has changed..................not only from the white flannels to coloured clothing or from the red cherry to the white kookaburra, but also the perception and larger vision. Money has started speaking BIG!!Players feel more secure in IPL than national duties (Aussies certainly think so and even New Zealand cricket is feeling pressure of both IPL and ICL with fear of desertions!!) Players are even demanding 45 days' window in the ICC Future Tours Programme so that IPL could be conducted smoothly without any 'hitch' of being called for national duties, thus envisioning IPL as a permanent feature not just for the coming 5 years, but mcuh more than that in the future. With the players being professional, they can afford to skip even national duties to play in IPL. After all, its their choice!!But as things stand now, this seems a mere formality. The game plummeting to new depths has been often stated; however, this is not a doomsayer's prophecy. Its a general lament. However, the question is whether anyone is listening?

A Jamboree by name IPL

That Indian Cricket is going through a glorious period is something that has caught the fascination of many in this country. The team has started winning consistently outside the sub-continent. Whether it be in venues like Port of Spain, Kingston, Perth, Nottingham, or Johannesburg, where the test team has recorded comprehensive wins. The Twenty20 phenomenon too has caught on and the dreams of the young blood raising the 2011 World Cup are also being increasingly put forth with greater intensity. However amidst all this comes, a big festival by the name Indian Premier League or call it IPL.

Christened by that name, the IPL was the official version drawn up against the revolting Indian Cricket League of Subash Chandra and the Essar group. This parallel league envisioned could not take off in a fitting manner due to the efforts of the BCCI to erode any attempts to change its dictum in India's cricket scene. With the Twenty20 fever catching on in the country in the context of India's win at the Twenty20 World Cup has made IPL a permanent entity in the cricketing arena. However let me at the outset state that the game is increasingly become commercialized. A dear friend writes stating that this commercialization is nothing but fait accompli. Though I appreciate his article, for once I do not endorse the fait accompli factor at all. The Board of Control for Cricket in India or the BCCI is the most richest sports body in the country. Lalit Modi, BCCI Vice-President and the brain behind the IPL is out to 'market' or 'sell' the game.IPL is nothing but a complete sell-out to higher interests. In the name of Franchisees, big corporates have pooled in their moolah. The bidding process bares out the commercial interests running-or say, ruining the game!! The way in which players were bought exposes this fact. The corporate media was in the forefront stating disappointments as to why certain stars were sold only on the base price? Ricky Ponting expressed his belief that he could have been for a 'bit more'!! With the glamour quotient quite in vogue in this cricket crazy country, the film stars add glitz to the entire IPL!! Throwing in a Shahrukh Khan or Preity Zinta fetches more returns according to market analysts!!

The dream machine or the treasure box called IPL has also been sold out in terms of media rights, with the five years of telecast rights given to Sony television, which had also similarly pumped money to the ICC in five years to telecast World Cup and the Champions Trophy. The media has also gone to town with the fact that many small town cricketers will stand to benefit, thereby somewhere putting in the theory of trickle down. That the small town boys do have great dreams of wearing the India cap and colours is not some thing I would argue against. However, one also feels that brand endorsements along with the graded contracts system now in place in Indian cricket do benefit them. Even the domestic cricket today has a much more enhanced graded payment. Post-retirement too the players have been given many sops. Indian cricket arena has turned out to be a golden goose laying prosperity. But whose prosperity-of the corporates, brands, players or the audiences?? Thats the million dollar question!! My dear friend, though rightly points out that the entirely skewed system of IPL is part of the same system that produces handful of multi-billionaires and hundreds of farmers committing suicides!! However what is even more interesting is the fact that the person who should have been held accountable for those suicides is himself running this showbiz by being at the helm of affairs in Indian cricket. Perhaps the Great Indian Tamasha, now unravelling the maze of cricket's corporatization has more such fun-filled tales to reveal!!

(Cartoons courtesy The Hindu)

Inzamam-the Symphony has ended!!

The phenomenon called Inzi has finally walked into the sunset of his career. The 2nd test against South Africa at the Gaddafi stadium, Lahore proved to be his swansong. Inzamam-ul-Haq, one of the prodigies unearthed by the great Imran Khan was not just a wonderful batsman, but a great cricketer on the field and a good human being off it. Whatever be his limitations like the running between the wickets or his physique, there should be no doubt in any body's mind as to what a wonderful batsman he was. With the technique, timing, shot selection, and the hand-eye coordination, he had lifted Pakistan as a great cricket team. The Flick, the Cut and Pull, the Hook, the Slog sweep and the more orthodox sweep shot, Cover drive, Straight Drive, Back-foot Punch and the Square Cut are all the versatile shots in his book.

There can be many innings played by him that can be described as "the best" by the pundits. Whether it be the 60 against the Kiwis in the semi-finals of thr 1992 World Cup, the 184 against India in Bangalore during his 100th Test Match, the hundred against India in Karachi One Dayer in 2004 which India won by 5 runs, the epic 329 against New Zealand in Lahore in 2002 and the crucial half centuries against Australia and South Africa in Karachi in 1994 and 2007 respectively. But I would choose his undefeated innings of 138 against Bangladesh in his home ground at Multan in 2003 as the best I saw from Inzi. That innings-something for which I stayed glued to the television-was played under immense pressure and that too, with a significant contribution from the tail. Having had a disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa, where Pakistan crashed out of the first round and where Inzi himself had a poor campaign, the magic in Multan was due to the calming presence of Inzi. Needing to score around 262 for a win, the home team was tottering at 205 for 8 and the Bangladeshis smelling a rare away victory. Inzamam who had been removed from the team after the World Cup was making a comeback. He along with the last two tail enders ensured that the team was home by one wicket. That kind of shots played by Inzi that day just made things more clearer as to why he along with Tendulkar and Lara were among the best batsmen in cricket. My favourite Inzamam shots on any day would be the pull/hook and the flick. The way in which he used to move forward and back against the faster bowlers for the pull/hook shot was just a treat to watch. No wonder Imran called him 'the best player against fast bowling'. Even the sight of his stepping out of the crease to hit the spinners for towering sixes was a also a visual treat.

However, at times he was susceptible to quality bowling. Anil Kumble got him the most (8 times). But even then, Inzamam always came back well against him. His stint as Captain also had its own highs and lows. His partnership with coach Bob Woolmer proved to be a winning combination too!! But then another disastorous World Cup campaign in the Carribean and the tragic death of Bob Woolmer were some of the darkest days not only for him, but for the entire Pakistani cricket history. With the departure of Inzamam, the last of the legends of 1992 World Cup triumph too have moved on. Despite all the ruckus of the ball tamepring and match forfeiture at the Oval against England, the incident only reflected Inzamam's pride in leading Pakistan. Something similar to Arjuna Ranatunga's defence of Muralitharan against umpire Ross Emerson in Australia in 1999!! Standing by his team through the thick and thin brings out the best in the leader and same was true for Inzamam. 17 out of his 22 Test hundreds proving to be match winning ones also speaks loud of his commitmment to the team cause. The reply given by him in his last press conference as a test cricketer, Inzamam had pointed out that he badly wanted to win the match for Pakistan and which he felt could be achieved through aggressive batting; but then the sort of the dismissal (stumped by Boucher in the bowling of Harris) as he said, could on any other day have been a ball that might have fallen into the stands. Inzamam was truly a phenomenon and without him, the soothing effect one feels while watching the Pakistani batting, is no more going to be there. Thus, he just slipped away from Pakistan cricket.

Hero in a New Avatar

Watching Anil Kumble getting to his maiden test hundred at the Oval wherein he was undefeated on 110, was something that brought out the unexpressed batsmanship in him. The way he deifed the English was something that reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the cause. As India were dismissed for a mammoth 664 and thereby dreams of a Test series win in England since 1986 seeming to be headed towards materialization, Kumble the champion emerged holding his head high. A person who had every now and then been put outside the 'orthodox' bracket due to the sheer fact that he couldn't turn the ball. The Jumbo has always answered the sceptics with his wizardry over the ball. The never-say-die attitude of Kumble makes him a very potent force wherein he keeps on maintaining the pressure and thereby always comes at the opposition batsman. This hundred is compounded with the numerous half centuries he has made like the 88 against the likes of Donald and Co. in Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 1996.

The Master has reworked his magic; the willow replacing the ball this time around. Salutations to you, sire!! The series win against the English which very much is now on the horizon will also be a fitting tribute for the Bangalorean where he made his debut in 1990-91-Allan Lamb was his first victim-and where his swansong would also be the loudest.

One More Round Without Food

Another agitation has just ended in JNU in the form of yet another of Indefinite Hunger Strike and yours truly was also part of it for 8 days. Though it was 12 days for the other strikers, I joined late. So, one more round of appaluse, the usual enquiries about health. This was the second such effort within the past 10 months. Seems the practice of staying without food is working well!!Some people are even terming me as a Veteran in this front!!Hmm...........Life Moves On........

On World Anti-Tobacco Day

31st May is a good day to write something in the blog, for that would end the long summer drought of 'no posts' in the entire month. As I racked the brains and did a lot of hair splitting, found one topic of interest. For this, I thank Pallavi Aiyar for her article in The Hindu on the rising use of Tobacco in China. Yes, May 31st is World Anti-Tobacco Day.

Statistics point out that tobacco is one of the biggest cause of human deaths, though not an immediate basis. Still it has a long term effect, not only the life of the smokers, but also those who could be termed as passive smokers. Cigarrettes and Beedis form the major chunk of tobacco consumption. Under the WHO norms whcih many nations have signed and ratified, including India and China clearly states some measures to be undertaken t0 restrict their consumption. Under this comes, the ban of smoking in public places as well as puttting up pictures of people affected by smoking on the cigarette labels. In India, the Health ministry has already started working on these lines, with the the statutory warning of "Smoking Being injurious to Health" being showcased widely. Already the movies and tele series have been asked to ban smoking scenes within them and for those which have already come to the fore, warnings have asked to be displayed before their screenings. Also hefty charges and fines have been levied on the people who smoke in the public places. Various public awareness drives and campaigns have also been carried out by the Government and various other agencies as well as non-governmental groups to highlight the negative effects on human health due to tobacco consumption.

However, the ultimate question that Pallavi points out is regarding the Government's revenue from taxes on the cigarette companies vis-a-vis the health factor of the people. However, on a personal note, neither do I smoke nor do I endorse anyone else doing the same. At times I even go to the extent of asking the smokers to not do so, when I am in their midst and feel uncomfortable. However, I feel that imposing moral codes on people to make them quit smoking is to go the other extent. Though smoking has to be discouraged for people in their teens, I do feel that others are more mature and do know the consequences of tobacco consumption. Hence, there is no need impose sanctions on them as they can very well understand the gravity of the things. Also, there is a question of imposing blanket bans, as that would amount to closure of these companies and units in the long term, thereby causing unemployment for those working in them. Thus, the role of the State is critical here, as it needs to maintain a delicate balance. The ideal measure would be for the State to continue with its educational campaigns on this matter and allow the citizens to make the proper choice. On an individual level, the non-smokers could continue their efforts to make the smokers realize the ill-effects of smoking, thereby having a cascading effect on them and making them quit smoking altogether.

Aussies Rule Again

Didn't feel any particular need to write something in the blog, after having a post just couple of days back. Then saw the Aussies triumph for the third successive time at the World Cup finals, this time against the Lankans. McGrath had a fitting farewell as he was declared the Player of the Tournament. Just do not know whether any other team can rise in the near future to challenge the Kangaroos. Seems as if the real battle is among the rest of the teams to decide the Second Best; for the title is reserved for the Aussies. Deservingly they have made winning a habit.

Well, speaking of the rest of the teams, just read this article by Rohit Brijnath in the latest edition of the Sportstar, titled "The Problem with the Australian Cricket". A nice refreshment for the heart and soul!! Really at least on one front, the Aussies need to learn from the Indians!!

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"!!