As Hayden Walks Away.........

There are some images which never fade away, even in the torrential flow of time. Such images that are gripping seem to transcend time barriers and move along bringing in a surreal experience. The game of cricket has always left many such powerful images in me, and one such image is that of the giant frame of that Queenslander called Matthew Hayden. Gripped with the willow and dominating the bowling, Hayden just synchronized his game with utmost perfection. The gripping image of Hayden that remains etched in my mind is his imposing figure during the pulsating and rivetting series against India in 2001; that time, when Steve Waugh dreamt to conquer the 'final frontier'-that unfortunately did not work out. The Aussie were then on a roll, emerging as the world beaters, crushing all teams that came their way. But if a post-mortem of the series is carried out even today-irrespective of that mammoth innings of Laxman at Kolkata- on individual terms, I would term it as between the batting prowess of Hayden and bowling magic of Harbhajan. That 'once-in-a-generation' series saw my admiration grow for him with the passage of every test match. As Hayden walked away into the sunset of his glittering career with a lump in his throat last week, that gigantic image in my mind also fluttering in the wind.

As I tried to engross myself in the process of studying and finishing my final year Higher Secondary exams, to earn a place for my graduation, the Indo-Australian series provided the excuse to remain glued to the television. Thus, I tried to gulp down every bit of news and trivia in the build up to this series. Hence, when the curtains were eventually lifted for the landmark series, the pulls between the television and books rankled. However, I never once missed a ball of that series; in the end, I could fully immerse myself in the world of study and preparations, after Harbhajan effectively sliced the ball towards deep point and ran a double with Sameer Dighe to clinch the Gavaskar-Border trophy. Hayden had announced his arrival with authority in the first test at the Wankhede, as he partnered Adam Gilchrist in re-building the falling Aussie innings. Both scored centuries as Australia batted India out of the test match. Complemented by a strong bowling attack with likes of McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne, the Aussies were home extending their record of consecutive test wins to 16. He carried on his exploits into the historic second test at the Eden Gardens by scoring fifties in both innings, when the Aussie juggernaut was finally stopped by a resilient Laxman and incisive Harbhajan. Even when the mighty Aussie batting line-up crumbled before a target of 384 set by the hosts on the final day, Hayden stood among the ruins with a fighting 67 before being trapped in the front by Sachin's leg spin.

But my best picture of Hayden is the 203 he scored in the concluding test of the series at the Chepauk in Chennai. Scored in the height of the blistering Indian summer amidst the hot and humid conditions that is prominent feature of this city, this double hundred ranks high for Hayden. It came at a time, whereby he continued his aggressive batting, despite the constant fall of wickets at the other end. After winning the toss for the third consecutive time, Steve Waugh sent his team to bat. Hayden, though initially deterred by the fall of two wickets, tried to stabilize things, with Mark Waugh. Slowly, the domination of batting also started. While Harbhajan was having a merry time with the ball scything through the Aussie tall order, Hayden kept one end up. Even though he lost Mark Waugh who perished on the score of 70 after mistiming a leg spinner from Bahatule to Badani at mid-off, Hayden upped the momentum. If it was not for Steve Waugh's hand that stopped a Harbhajan delivery that didn't spin-the captain was given out for handling the ball-the Aussies could have posed a much more higher score, riding on Hayden's knock. Coming from 320 balls and spending 474 minutes at the crease scoring 15 boundaries and 5 sixes, the Queenslander had led the team from the front. The tail did not wag for the Aussies, leading to their quick collapse before Harbhajan's antics. But what was more majestic about the innings of Hayden was the magic that lay within it. Those big arms bringing the willow down to meet the ball with passion made contests more intense. His authority was clamped down with force; toying with spinners through the employment of the powerful Sweep Shot was a feast to the eyes. His accurate head position,with the eyes coming straight to meet the ball was always a sight that turned new leaves for other batsmen around the world to play spin in the sub-continent tracks. Especially, for those batsmen who lack the magical wrists of the sub-continent, the sweep was a useful weapon. Hayden retained the command over the spinners and India, became one of his favourites preys. His test match statistics against India speak a magnificent tale-he scored 1888 runs from 18 tests at an average of 59 including 6 hundreds. As an Opener, he was involved in more than 20 hundred run partnerships with Langer. No doubt then that his captain, Ponting during his farewell media conference, called him "the greatest test opening batsman ever". Scoring over five hundred runs in that epic series, my analysis of the post-mortem became further accurate, as the two main protagonists of the series, Hayden and Harbhajan shared the Man of the Series award. Even though the final frontier could not be conquered then, Hayden had left his signature before he left the Indian shores after the series. He remained in the loop though later, as the Aussies achieved that dream under the able leadership of Gilchrist in 2004 at Nagpur. But as they say all good things must come to an end. The tracks in India-his favourite hunting ground-viewed his downfall in 2008. Replacing Harbhajan and his bag of tricks, was the exponential pace bowling of Zaheer and Ishant Sharma. The 'reverse swing' became more and more difficult to comprehend. Thus, Hayden's failures and the drying up of runs from his willow carried on in the home series against the Proteas; their den being conquered, the Aussies lost a home series after 16 years.

The super imposing image of Hayden once again flows into the mind from the WACA in 2003 when he went on to claim the world record for the highest individual score of 380, from Lara-which the prince from Trinidad reclaimed with a majestic 400 against the English at Antigua a few years later.In that test in Perth, he stamped his domination slogging the minnows all over the park. He ate his way into the bowling taking the ball to the cleaners. he scored his mammoth triple hundred scored after spending 622 minutes and facing 437 balls that was graced with 37 boundaries and 11 hits over the fence. Writing his name into the record books, Hayden's class was further strengthened through the knock.

As Hayden leaves, another image that may also disappear is his initial stance at the crease. As he walked in to take strike, he used to squat on the pitch with the bat prodding down. This was termed as his 'private talk with the pitch', a belief or practice for him. One would also miss his arrogance filled 'walk to hit the fast bowlers over the top'. Players with bigger frame and built like Hayden cannot miss the eye so easily. The images in the mind cannot be blurred that easily. Perhaps, it is only fitting that Hayden remains part of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, for his 'home away from home' without doubt would be the Chepauk arena. The cool sea breeze flowing from the close by Marina beach, continues to weave innumerable images of that valiant double hundred scored right in the middle of the hot and humid summer in Chennai.

As an Era Ends..................

On 30th December, 2008 a mighty 'empire' fell at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. As Hashim Amla and Neil McKenzie scored those winning runs to take South Africa to glory in becoming the first team in 16 years to trounce Australia at home, they had definitely struck at the foundations of an age-old structure, which many of us were 'led' to believe, wouldn't crash for time immemorial. When an Empire falls, there is a deafening noise; noise of a mighty fall that resounds for many ages. It may well be a hyperbole, but end of dominance always brings in the picture of the crumbled edifice. Australia, the once mighty and fearful force in world cricket is crumbling. Their ship has been wrecked more than once in the recent past. However, as the champions are quickly being unseated from their exalted positions, there is surprisingly no noise being heard of this mighty fall.

Sports have always been an extension of human endeavour, wherein the predicaments and aspirations have their own importance. Cricket is no different. The human emotions and physical exertions are well reflected in the playing arena. "Playing Cricket Differently"--that's what the world was reminded of Australia. That difference was between the victor and vanquished; the essential being to be a mile ahead of the rest of the caravan. "The Aussies used to maraude and trample"........those were the words used to describe every Australian victory. After the fall of the Windies' pace in the early 1990s, the Australians came to take their crown. A team built under the astute leadership of Allan Border, it was further nurtured by Mark Taylor. However, it was the mercurial thinking and commanding ability of the 'Iceman' Steven Rodger Waugh, that moulded Australia, into the fearsome unit. He made 'Australia' the force we know in world cricket. I belong to a generation whose prime age in adolescence passed watching Steve Waugh wear the tattered Baggy Green and lead his men to crush all opponents, thus adding new feathers to his crown-even though the 'Final Frontier' still remained unrealized!! This legacy was then taken over by Ponting with pride and moved on. For years, I believed Australia can never be 'defeated' consistently!! There may be an odd failure here and there, but that massive structure would have no cracks.

For people like me, Australia was always a fascination.........a dream that was being realized!! Their team in the history was also called the "Invincibles" in the 1920s; a team that included the legendary Sir Don Bradman. It was a belief that the team could never be made to bite dust.... that they could never lose. May be it was because they always found a champion on any given day to perform for them. The Cricketing world learnt many things from the Aussies-techniques, coloured clothing, white balls, floodlights and night games (from the Packer revolution). They kept on winning.......some stupendous performances, some truly magical. It was practically difficult to imagine any other team winning continuously without long breaks. One needn't had to watch the TV continuously to watch their progress; every morning a prophecy was made that they 'will' win and this turned true every evening.......Only the margin of victory was asked and the rest was understood. Patriotic fervours and biases were raising their heads only if the opposing team was India. But even then, the Aussies used to continue rolling their juggernaut. They won in different lands......on the soggy surfaces in Sri Lanka, in the greenish tops in New Zealand and South Africa, places favouring swing and seam in England, those 'Dead as a Dodo' wickets in the Carribean and even conquered the Final Frontier!! Their pace attack was lethal and armed with precision....McGrath, Gillespie, Lee, and Kasprowicz; they had true magician in those 'fingers' of Warne....along with the solid batting of the Waugh twins, Ponting, Clarke, Hayden, Langer, Slater.....the wizard in Gilchrist who not only rewrote the skills of keeping, but also effected the 'slam bang' in batting at the top order.........then they had the allrounders in Symonds, Bevan and Watson.....all these was stocked with accuracy and clinical precision in fielding. The Aussies were a complete unit in all ways; their team management was also a lesson for other teams to emulate....Simpson, Marsh and Buchanan were not only impressive, but also armed with the expertise. Their man-management skills were tactful and deceptive....Their dominance in the field showed in their verbal volleys too. Intimidating the batsmen, bad mouthing them and playing the 'Mind Games' to dismantle the opposition in all possible ways. They won every trophy on which their hands were laid....be it the World Cup thrice, the Champions Trophy and innumerable test matches.

So, when the historic turn-around started in 2001 under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly's Team India from that once-in-a-generation Test match at Eden Gardens, the sight was astounding....Reflecting upon the 'inability' to fully crush the opposition, Ponting said that their win in the Caribbean in 2008 to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy was the beginning of a period when the team had to switch back the usual method of 'Grinding' to win. This essentially meant that the days of test matches getting over within 3-4 days had virtually ended. The usual image of Australia only batting once to score more than 400 and then bowling teams out twice was not the visual that people could watch again with increasing frequency. But that 'grinding' is also coming to a halt; India in 2008 showed that in Perth in January and then again in the four remarkable tests in September-October 2008. The Proteas completed the formalities and showed the signs of shift in the balance of power.

Various reasons are being attributed to the decline of the Aussie aura. The retirements of senior blokes like Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist in quick succession along with Martyn, and Langer seemed to have left behind a big void that was never easy to fill. Plus dogged by arrogance and injuries, the seniors also were not firing when needed. Those magical times-when in need, hands would have 'lifted' automatically taking the onus on themselves-is a thing of the past. Captain Ponting is firing; but that is not causing any major breakthroughs. As they say, the captain is only as best as his team. The captaincy is also becoming a heavy burden for Ponting...tactics and plans are failing. There have been times when the team really lacked an alternative plan, if the original failed. Suddenly the giant scoring skills of Hayden and the pace of Lee seemed to have deserted them. Compounding all this is the fact that their second line is not that great. As Ponting himself says, it would be difficult to imagine that the youngsters like Johnson, Siddle, Hauritz, Kreiza, White, Bollinger, Hilfenhaus, McGain and others to perfect the role of the former senior pros. The rebuilding of the team that had to start earlier, well in time has been in fact 'well delayed'. Persisting with an unfiring old guard also do not help matters. It is in fact appalling that the Aussie playing XI for any test match that would have been announced a day earlier in the past, is no more a sureity. There are conflicts on the role of the spinner. The Australian team has played with four different spinners in the last 8 test matches they have played. This 'revolving door' policy, once which was the bane for Pakistan, is now turning its hood on Australia. To complicate matters further, there are even murmurs of breaking down of communication between players at times. This was amply seen between Ponting and Lee, during the second test against India at Mohali. Later, the Vice-Captain Michael Clarke expressed his inability and asked the media to turn their questions towards Ponting on the question of not asking Symonds to bowl against the Proteas in the Boxing day test in Melbourne. There are also notions that young blood is not given the right opportunities, which could also be said to mean a lack of will to invest in them. Thus, neglecting their potential and stick to 'experience' as the only factor.

The crown is slipping with each passing day and the contours of the game are being redrawn...game watchers are even stating that the rivalry between India and Australia that had been gripping the enthusiasts is now shifting in favour of the same between the Indians and the South Africans. That they say, is the series to be watched out. The descent has begun. A childhood illusion is also breaking.....that 'wins' are not always guaranteed; Defeats are also not just a rare possibility. Consistency in defeats are also not in the surreal world, but in real world. The collapse of empires and dominant regimes may not be loud and bombastic, but they certainly leave behind rubble. Gathering those rubbles to rebuild the splendid castles and citadels with stronger concrete is also a sight to be watched amidst this collapse. The child in me may have passed over to become the more mature adult in understanding the human aspect of Sport, whereby we realize that the men and women involved in this endeavour are also prone to wear and tear; that they are not 'Invincibles'. But somewhere at the bottom of the heart, one still longs for the report in the next day's sports pages that 'only the winning margin matters', for the 'rest' would always be................

Post Script: It is not often that one gets to write some additional lines, when the victors have vanquished the adversaries. However, the overhead piece was written some days before the New Year test at Sydney. Suddenly, you find the 'dead' rising. When pushed to the corner, the Aussies came up with a spirited show and manage to win the test match with minutes to go before stumps on the final day. The win was guided by a resilient hundred by Michael Clarke( scoring 138 off 250 balls and a fighting 64 by Mitchell Johnson). Peter Siddle joined in the efforts by taking 5/59 in the first innings of the Proteas and finishing the match with figures of 8/113. Aiding the home side was a crumbling SCG track, with enough cracks to make the South African chase in the 4th innings difficult. But the hero of the test match was definitely visiting captain Graeme Smith, who came out to bat as No.11 to try and save the test from the Aussie jaws. Already suffering a muscle tear-that ruled him out of contention in the later part of the tour comprising the LOIs and T20 games-he broke his little finger after a delivery from Mitchell Johnson reared up from a crack in the pitch. Despite having his hand in cast, Smith fought bravely to do the impossible: save the match for his team. His bravery reminds one of the bandaged Anil Kumble coming out to bowl in the Caribbean in the 4th test at Antigua, in spite of a broken jaw by a Mervin Dillon delivery earlier. This however is forgotten in the given list of brave acts on the field. However, the win for the Aussies doesn't camouflage their impending problems, which continue to linger. Hayden failed again, Ponting shined only in the 2nd innings with a fifty. This win has come on the backs of the youngsters......Clarke, Johnson, Siddle, McDonald, Haurtiz and Bollinger. The win does show that 'the castles and citadels can be rebuilt'........; the future for Australia rests on these young faces. Though the Aussies maintain their lead as No.1 Test side, the gap has been reduced. With the return series coming up in South Africa in four weeks, the crown on the Aussie heads is slowly slipping away.

Enthralling a Generation

As the year 2008 enters the home stretch, my friends feel that the last few months in the passing year has seen few contributions on cricket in the blog. The year saw the sunset of two icons in the modern game-people whom I have watched as I climbed each step of the age ladder; people who have thoroughly mesmerized my generation along with others through their spirit, courage, grit and mastery in the gentleman's game, thus excelling to reach the summits of glory. A great deal of time was spent this year, in trying to rush through the swansongs of the Fab Five in Indian Cricket. Intense speculation was fuelled in the context of the successes of the Young Blood under a young and bold leader. A case of seniors giving way to juniors, simply a Voluntary Retirement!!

After constant pricks and cribs, two of the Fab Five-Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly walked into the sunset of their cricketing careers. A detailed blog in the New Year will showcase their sparkling contributions and visions. But wading through Cricinfo-that treasure trove for every cricket crazy person-I came across this piece on this Senior batch who enthralled my generation. I confess, to follow them not only brought unalloyed joy, but also in the process made me realize what it takes to be an avid Cricket Fan. For those were the times, when Cricket was injected all over the body; something whose foundations still embedded deep inside me to this day!! Truly, those were the days........

What an Idea Sirji?

The advertisement says "an Idea can change your life"!! The mobile phone service provider Idea of the Aditya Birla Group's new ad shows film star Abhishek Bachan acting as the Private Secretary to a Chief Minister; herein, he seeks his mobile phone to get the opinion of the people to take a decision whether to have a Shopping Mall in agricultural land!! The majority-or a minuscule minority, given the time of the ad-voice their opinion as NO...........This opinion seem to cut across class lines and gender lines; people from rural and urban areas, including women and youth say this 'emphatic' NO................

The ad ends by saying that this 'exercise' is Democracy!! Wonder if this is the new fashion trend stepping in to promote social justice and people's empowerment!! or should we call it 'Corporate Socialist Democracy'?? By the way, this same service provider had showed its 'commitment' towards Social Justice some time back........replace Caste surnames with mobile phone numbers to prevent caste violence and atrocities!! In short, Casteism can be 'annihilated' by mobile phone numbers!!Wow, What an Idea!!

On a Christmas Night

Around me, its an aura that is glowing brightly........as the year meanders towards its logical conclusion, Christmas arrives with its full pomp and glory........for the non-believers like me, what does this occasion hold within itself?? A Chance to redeem all sorrows and unhappiness?? Or a chance to cast away all drudgery and dreariness for a more exalted feeling?

Around me, the lights have been decked up.......they shine brightly in different colours; sweet and soothing carols waft through the air; kids and even elders dressed as Father Christmas dance around calling out to people, thus spreading the message of love and happiness. Little Mangers are created out of wood and grass depicting that wonderful night in Bethlehem. Cathedrals and Churches have immersed themselves with the believers rushing in to celebrate that hour.

As the night extends, the lights glow more and their aura spreads further. The artificial statue of the Santa Claus keeps glowing leaving much light around. People say the night before Christmas is the most coldest of the year. I cannot verify that; but certainly, there is chillness in the air..............I try to sleep in that rich glow all around and keep my ears to hear the comforting and soothing carols!! May be as time passes, the eagerness and anxiety may ebb away. But the fragrance of the Christmas Night lasts forever, warming the chillness in the air.

Sojourn

Things need a break.........a time to cool off!!Home Beckons into its cool confines......Leaving the city tonight!! Back to those wonderful train journeys!! Life needs a sojourn every now and then..........In short, a much needed vacation, even if temporary!!

Picking up the Pieces-In the Aftermath of the Mumbai Terror Mayhem

Sitting miles away from the battle zone, one is relieved to know that the firefight is finally over........Combating freezing weather within the hostel room over the weekend, the Sunday turned out to be a dull day.But the dullness gives way to that feeling one is talking about. From 26th of November after 9.30 pm, it was mayhem in Mumbai. Terrorists taking over vital areas in the commercial capital, especially areas of human congregation. Though divided by their class affiliations, CST, Taj Palace, Oberoi Trident and Nariman House all are collectively under siege. Indiscriminate firing using automatic weapons and other ammunition like hand grenades, 10 youth are on a spree. Leaving more than 200 dead including around 25 police and security personnel, the city is virtually being run over. As the Special Forces mount Operation Black Tornado to sanitize Taj, Oberoi and Nariman House, Mumbai has come to a stand still. As the 59 hour long counter operation finally culminates on Saturday, November 29th, it has taken 2 days and 3 nights to neutralize the terrorists. Counting the dead, one also comes across a list of over 20 foreigners of many nationalities.

Sitting faraway, I try to imagine the aftermath of those devastating nights. Nights when brave men in uniform fought and lost their lives defending their city....Hemant Karkare, the ATS Chief;ACP Ashok Kamthe; Vijay Salaskar, famed Encounter Specialist in the Mumbai Police; Senior Inspector Shashank Shinde; and many more.......then the brave commandos of the NSG who were martyred during the operation to retrieve the temporarily lost possessions.....Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havildar Joginder Singh.........Then the Jewish Rabbi and his wife of the Chabad Lubavitch conclave in the Nariman House......then the countless innocents who were just shot down in Cafe Leopold, Girgaum Chowpatty, CST, Cama Hospital, Metro Cinema.......the list is endless........The bravery of the commandos and security personnel has to be saluted in the truest possible way. But several pointers remain unanswered. How could a band of ten young men armed to the teeth find their way to Mumbai unscanned and unhindered? Picking up the pieces of those days have pointed to the role of terror network outside the country, that is the Lashkar-E-Taiba. The abject failure of the Union Government as well as the State Government in preventing the mayhem beforehand despite several warnings, is something that is highly serious. In fact, the intelligence mechanism within the country seems repeatedly failing to perform, as explicit from the numerous bomb blasts across the country. Though 'finger pointing' and 'calling for the heads' is not something that's usually palatable, still they in itself isn't just enough. The resignations of the Home Minister as well the Deputy CM and CM of Maharashtra may have come as something to maintain accountability; but as said, the 'rains after the harvest' do not serve anyone's purpose!!

Another serious aspect that needs a detailed analysis in the aftermath of the mayhem is the role of the media, especially the electronic. Sanity seems to have been lost, as the media went on the overdrive to inject cynicism and hate for the political class. It seemed that the media was out to vilify the entire political spectrum, cutting across party lines. If not for the restrictions suggested by the security personnel, the Indian electronic media would have replicated their American counterparts in sticking to the "embedded" journalism. This would have meant that the cameramen would have wanted to follow the commandos into each nook and corner of the besieged locations. So much for 'sensational reporting' in attempting to sell TRPs!! Coming back to the manufacturing of the opinion by the media, NDTV says "Enough is Enough"!! Of course, the people of the country are fed up of terror; but the point is it the attack on "icons" like Taj and Oberoi that this feeling has come about? The class bias of the media is exposed again and again. Barkha Dutt tells Shyam Benegal that even after the attacks in Mumbai, people in Delhi went to vote in the Assembly elections!!Going by her logic, the people of this country should stop exercising their democratic rights altogether!! Pent-up emotions can burst out in times like this, but then restraint using logic and reason has to be applied. If the top media personnel in this country and that too Padmashri awardees do not realize this, then the it speaks volumes of this class bias. Mumbai CST is place where thousands of people commute everday and in fact this building also finds mention in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. However, CST got into the sidelines and periphery, as the focus were the luxury hotels. How many of the Mumbaikars have really found their way into the interiors of the Taj and Oberoi? The point that one needs to drive is that there shouldn't be any classification of which place should capture priority and lead space given that a calamity strikes, whereby you treat people differently on the basis of the class background. Death, all say is a great leveller; but in the Mumbai attacks that doesn't seem to be the case. The 'Civil Society' also has spoken with the aid of the media in these attacks. In fact, replacing the political class, it seemed that the socialites were running the country. Some talk of carpet bombing, some spew that from roof-tops of high-class hotels the sight one can feast is that of the slums below with 'Pakistani' flags!! One National Daily even went to the extent of letting its entire first page be splashed with the opinions of the Page 3 socialites and the 'civil society' voices!!

Hence, the solution this 'civil society' and the media offer-in fact baying for blood-trying to rope in the upper and middle classes, is full scale war, where our advanced forces will crush the enemy brutally. Sane voices are dumped to the sidelines. The real effort which should have been is to gather evidence and bring the perpetrators to book, has been swept under the carpet. The Right-Wing forces like RSS-BJP have joined this war mongering and jingoism, in their own efforts to milk rich dividends in terms of votes. It is in this situation that the solution offered by the Left gains importance. Using multilateral bodies like the UN is an option that needs to be positively and diligently looked into. Resolution 1373 passed by the UN Security Council binding all countries not to harbour or fund terror activities as well as book those behind them needs to be used, to put pressure on Pakistani government to act. Fighting Terrorism has to be political as well as in unison. Ultimately, loss of innocent lives repeatedly can make people cynical. Therefore, to prevent this, Unity of Purpose and Unity of Action is vital in such situations. Losing focus by caving in and falling for rabid war mongering would only strengthen those very forces that seek to divide people through mindless terror.

Cricket's Overdose -- Killing the Goose?

Life can be tenuous at times and with an increased workload, things can work up minds. Cricket is not alien to these pressures. In an era, where professionalism has come to dominate the game, cricketers have added responsibilites. Not just to play in different parts of the globe, but also adjust to the climes and surfaces. With hectic tour schedules, many cricketers have very often complained about the slog they had to undergo. With more and more LOI matches along with the new found manna of T20 being the flavour, the workload of cricketers have been an onslaught leading to burn-out of the players. Australians have often voiced their concern in this regard. Indians too have opined the same at times.

Indian LOI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the least complaining on this entire issue, as he often stated that being professional cricketers, these demands of the game's expansion have to be met them. Hence, there had to be no complaints by the cricketers, whose earnings had also concomitantly increased with professionalism. But the non-stop cricket played by Dhoni since the England tour in July 2007 saw him miss only the last test against Pakistan in Bangalore in December of the same year. He undertook the team Down Under and lead the team to win the CB series. Later, he got on to the T20 jamboree of IPL captaining Chennai Super Kings in all their 16 matches including the final against Rajasthan Royals.

Such a strenuous regimen finally caught up with Dhoni, and he complained of the format of the Asia Cup where India often had to play back-to-back matches. Even during the press conferences, he was not critical of his bowlers for leaking runs. Neither did he found faults with his fielders for the sloppiness in catching. He reasoned all this due to the effect of non-stop cricket. As India lost the final to the exploits of Ajantha Mendis, Dhoni finally broke open and finally opted out of the test series in Sri Lanka. This drives us to the larger question of such blind following of the international commitments. Though the Future Tour Programme calendar of the ICC has to be followed, the unmindful acts of the BCCI also have to be questioned. The timing of the tournaments in Bangladesh and Pakistan have really found no water. With Dhaka in the midst of the monsoon, and Pakistan in the height of summer, both the tourneys were ill-timed. The searing heat in Lahore and Karachi saw even the fans giving matches a skip. Even Indo-Pak encounters failed to fill the stadia. Compounding this were the lifeless wickets in both tourneys. 300 runs were scored and also chased successfully in almost all matches. The bowlers were made mincemeat and the fielders sent on leather hunts. The months of April-May, which earlier were the periods to rest for the tired legs and bodies have been eaten away by IPL. Such an overdose of cricket with sponsorships, endorsements, marketing and television rights and revenues have not only devoured the physique of the players, but also their minds. For a healthy body a mind is paramount. Cricket is also more of a mind game and positive thoughts have to be finely implemented to see larger success. The increasing demands for Sandy Gordons and Paddy Uptons exemplify this fact.

The recurring injuries resulting from such overkill of the game also dampens the spirits of the teams as well as of their fans. Due to such heightened professionalism, the players have also sought to hide their injuries and strains to meet the increased demands. Thus, cent percent commitment is often compromised. Though it may be a vicious circle, it is important that the responsible for well-being of the game take cognizance of this concern and initiate measures to remedy such plaguing ills. This would only refresh the hearts and minds of the players, thus saving them from monotony as well as preserving their bodies from wounds.

Ajantha Mendis -- Unearthing a Rare Breed

It is not always that with patriotic allegiances ruling our hearts and minds, we appreciate the talents and exploits of the opposition in all sporting activities. Cricket is no different; every time Team India gains the upper hand, the expectations of the fans rise sky high. Ever since Dhoni has started captaining India in LOIs, their exploits have led them to even defeat the world champions, Australia in their own den. So, with all these preconceived notions that 'our' team was virtually unbeatable, the Asia Cup proved to be an eye opener.

Though the Lankans dominated the final proceedings against India, the bowling of Ajantha Mendis require all the praise. Thus, it becomes natural that you put your hands together to applaud in genuine terms, the rise of such a champion. Perhaps, there is something in the water and soil of Sri Lanka, that they produce such multi-talented cricketers. The 1996 World Cup triumph under Arjuna Ranatunga reinforced that fact. Mutthaiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda De Silva, Roshan Mahanama, and later Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Lasith Malinga. Now, Mendis just produces beauties. Claiming 6/13 in the final at Karachi, he scythed through the strong Indian batting line-up. Bamboozling the Indians with his varieties of deliveries just made him unpredictable. As Dhoni later admitted, the batsmen just failed to pick him. Getting enough tweak and turn from the surface, he just showed that it was not just the batsmen, but even bowlers could dominate in the current Asia Cup.

On a wicket which produced 300 runs on an average in every match, Mendis' efforts are really breath taking. Earlier taking a 5-for against the Pakistanis, he repeated the same effort on the right time against the Indians. In the final, Jayawardene marshalled his resources well and used Mendis with care. His deliveries opened up the chinks in the Indian armour. Deceiving Sehwag with one that went the other way leading to his stumping, he then got through the defences of Yuvraj and Raina with straighter ones flicked from the back of his hand. Further, he trapped Rohit Sharma in the front with another straighter one. While in the 1st spell, he gave just 8 runs in the four overs to earn these four wickets. He later returned in the 2nd spell to finish the game with 2 more wickets, especially the one of R.P.Singh with a classical leg break.

Possessing all the weapons in his armoury, Mendis bowls six different deliveries in an over. Thus, he has the top spinner, off-break, leg break, flipper, wrong un, the doosra, googly, slider and drifter. All these are showcased with remarkable ease, with subtle variations in his wrist action. Along with this, he also effortlessly changes the position of his fingers to bring about the desired variations in the flight and trajectory. This is done brilliantly by him through camouflage, thus making batsmen to pick him off his hand as the only way to deal him. However, in the demanding game at the LOI level, long levels of patience is not a virtue for the batsmen. However, not only in the air, he is also unpredictable off the pitch. Thereby, he has all the essential armaments of any spinner, whether its an off-spinner or leg-spinner. His special though, is termed as the Carrom Ball, that he delivers using his middle finger with the thumb as the back up, similar to playing carrom wherein one uses the same action to use the striker to hit other coins on the board. Playing for the Sri Lankan Army, Mendis was picked up for tour to West Indies and there, he displayed his talent at the international level for the first time. With the Indian tour to Lanka coming up, Mendis is set to play a big role for the home team. Such exceptional talent has turned Mendis to be one of the gems for the Lankans.

As said in the beginning, genuine talent should always be praised, irrespective of team affiliations. Mendis with his bowling varieties has come out as once in a generation cricketers. As laptops and analysis software descend to decipher his wizardry, science tries to master art. However, his success would be ensured, if he continues to mask his art with mystery in spite of such heightened vigilance and surveillance of electronics on him. If properly nurtured, the game of cricket would be the biggest beneficiary, with such enormous and exceptional talent. There are times when you feel that it is art that is more superior to science and bio-mechanics. Mendis' night with the ball at the National Stadium in Karachi justifies your insights in this regard. Ajantha Mendis is indeed a very rare breed.

Homecoming

Today I woke up early..........the morning mist is still hanging in the air, the ground is wet and the trees are washed clean...........the nandyarvattam has blossomed, with the flowers standing with full glory.......the cows in the manger have woken up too, as the tiny bells around their necks ring merrily composing jingles.....the sleep is taking its own pace to leave the dreariness of my eyes.....the sky is still grey, but the rains have stopped. The milkman's cycle spins out a sound too!! As does the cuckoo in the midst of the mango leaves, letting out its sweet cry!! The village is slowly waking up from the deep slumber. The thechi has also blossomed.........its fragrance strikes me in the face!! Tomorrow, I am leaving from here.............to another world, where money and time are bound together, not necessarily, harmoniously!! Homecoming has brought with it all the native sounds and fragrances.......As I walk on the soft earth, the tender dew on the grass caresses my feet. Will these fragrances and sounds accompany me in my journey? The thumbapoo just stands similing..................

The Textbook Issue in Kerala: Exposing the Ulterior Motives

For the past few days, Kerala has been on the boil. The political oppostition, especially the students organizations of the UDF and RSS, along with socio-religious groups have been taking to the streets protesting against what they call attempts to 'inject atheism and communism' into school education, through textbooks. The KSU(I) and MSF, the student wings of the Congress(I) and the Muslim League have joined hands with the Christian-Muslim groups as well as the Hindu caste groups like the NSS to tackle such 'communization' of the textbooks. Before going into the entire debate, a mere glance through the Class VII Social Science Text Book, which has been picked up for such 'naked atheism', would make any average Malayali understand that such a ruckus is nothing but a mere attempt to take the people for a ride over a complete non-issue. This also unmasks the hidden face of the Opposition, to play upon the people's religious sentiments and galvanize them to spread instability and chaos in the state.

Titled 'Mathamillatha Jeevan', ,meaning a person with no faith, the chapter in the text book is in the form of an interview, wherein a school headmaster interviews a child named Jeevan and his parents, for admission to the school. Asked to fill the blanks in the application form for his religion and caste, the parents in turn ask the headmaster to leave those spaces blank. The headmaster then ponders over it thoughtfully and asks "what if the child grows up and feels like adopting any faith"? The parents calmly answer that in such a case, when he grew up, he could choose any faith he wanted to. Other than this conversation, the book also contain chapters detailing the religious tolerance and harmony prevailing since age old times in the Kerala. At a time, when communal frenzy and politics of hate has been viciously pursued by the right-wing forces, the need to maintain secular values gain paramount importance. In fact, the aim of our education system has to be to inculcate these values to build the future citizens of this country. Working unhindered against superstitions and blind beliefs, it is also important that the our school and university educational systems raise the rationality and scientific temper of the students, thus enabling them to analyze things much more deeply and question the decadent values and traditions. Going through these text books, yours truly never found one bit of 'communist injection' or attempts to question religious faith. In fact, the chapters in the said text book has only spoken for the need to respect all faiths, thus building common harmonious bonds. To illustrate this, there are verses quoted from Mahabharata, Bible, Prophet Mohammed and Guru Nanak. There are also various assignments and projects suggested to understand these matters further. If this is so, why is the opposition creating such mayhem?

To analyze that, it is important to also look at the political history of Kerala, where the Left has had a significant role. Education has proved to be glue for all forces to stick together and corner the Left. Such a situation that exists today, finds its ripples in the 1st Communist government to be elected anywhere in the world through ballot in 1957 under EMS Namboodiripad. The very same forces, who have taken up the cudgels to protect the sanctity of faith had then come together to unleash a vicious campaign against the communist government. Launching the 'Vimochana Samaram' or the Freedom Struggle, the Congress led opposition joining hands with the same socio-religious groups was able to establish a "make you believe" world, which sought to portray the Left as anathema to the state of Kerala, that had to be unseated at any cost. Aided by the designs of Indira Gandhi who was literally running the show behind Nehru, President's Rule was imposed in the state. Later, it was also been established that the CIA had worked in tandem with the centre in the move to dismiss the EMS government. A crucial fact that needs mention is that even then educational reforms had proved to be the galvanizing point for such rightist and anti-democratic mobilization against the Left rule. The then Education minister and litterateur, Prof. Joseph Mundassery had brought in measures to curb the overarching powers of managements and bring them under the government net. This was vehemently opposed by the managements, most of them being under these very socio-religious groups acting on vested interests. Strong attempts are being made today to make Kerala face a second Vomochana Samaram. Even the media has not spared any space to lash out against the ruling Left Front Government that has completed two successful years in office. The rabble-rousing media, which has always found the Left to be its beternoire, has come out forcefully in its diatribe,thereby displaying its class interests.

Yours truly has always believed that the Education Ministry in Kerala has to be handled by a national party and not be given to smaller, fractious parties, to be used as their fiefdoms. In the era of coalition politics in the state, both the UDF and LDF had earlier left such a crucial ministry in the hands of such smaller parties, which led to the pursuit of erroneous policies and immobilization of the entire sector. Ever since the present LDF government was given a massive mandate by the people of Kerala after having borne the brunt of the misrule of the UDF, the attempts have been to come out with a real alternative for the people. The CPI(M) took over the Education Ministry, with MA Baby having the charge. The Private Managements like NSS, SNDP, and other Christian as well as Muslim groups had virtually eaten up the self-financing sector of professional education. Charging exorbitant fees and making education a privilege for the common man, these managements sought to frame their own rules and thereby, establish their own authority by overriding the state's directives and holding it to ransom. Claiming more than 50% percent management seats, they also sought to trespass into the government seats too. Getting the help of an insensitive judiciary, they sought to call the shots. The LDF government, unlike the UDF refused to be cowed down and brought in the Self-Financing Colleges Act to fix fees and regulate the managements. However, this progressive step was overturned by the state High Court, and gave the managements the decision-making powers, thus handicapping the government. Not only in this issue, but also progressive steps of the government like to make the local bodies in charge of overseeing the school functioning, making sex education part of the curriculum, appointment of teachers in aided institutions under the state Public Service Commission and removing the hurdles to make the seating arrangements of boys and girls together have been opposed. Many of the steps have been remarked as "working to spread sexual anarchy" in the educational institutions by the religious groups. The managements felt threatened by these measures that could erode their sweeping powers have manufactured farce logic such as attempts to bring in atheism into the society. Pastoral letters and sermons, along with communal campaigns have been launched by the right-wing in all faiths. They have been goading people to join in large numbers against such a 'faithless and atheist government' that had to be unseated.

Therefore, the latest protests over the textbooks have to be seen in this light. The opposition UDF under the Congress bereft of any real issues have sought to stoke people's passions. Kerala has a remarkalable long-standing legacy of communal amity and tolerance. Several legends have been found, wherein the rituals and religious ceremonies have bound the communities in the state together. To quote an instance, the pilgrimage to Sabarimala to get the blessings of Ayyappa is considered incomplete without a visit to the shrine of Vavar, a Muslim saint. Also, the base camp of Sabarimala, at Nilackal has been built on the land donated by the Church. In another case, many Christians have practiced Hindu practices in celebrating their church festivals. The state is replete with instances of temple festivals starting with blessings from a church or mosques. Thus, the state's religious tolerance has been such that the communal RSS despite its presence in the state, has never been able to make even a foothold in the state legislature and has been unable to send representatives to the Parliament from the state. The education ministry in the state has courageously decided not to recall the said books. The minister M.A.Baby has repeatedly assured that the government was ready to initiate technical committees to study the books for any technical corrections, but any fundamental change in the curriculum was not possible. This decision is commendable, for the fact that this would help in unmasking of the communal forces that were behind the violence and riots against the Sikhs in Delhi and Muslims in Gujarat before the students. Despite this, many teachers' organizations of the Opposition have issued blatant threats to not teach these books. Such threats only reinforce the notion that any brave attempts to inculcate rational values has been opposed by such groups with vested political interests. Our young generation has been disallowed to 'grow up'. This trend is not only unhealthy for their future in terms of character building, but also seeks to negate the fundamental duties of the state to provide a rational and scientific education system devoid of decadent values and superstitions. This would only go on to bind them in the age-old practices and thus, defeat the very purpose of pursuing education.

As I Dream.......

Dreams.....the mirror images of the reality, we wish to see!! Reveries are those which you can see in the day, the counterparts of the dreams you see, in the depths of your sleep. Every sleep brings more dreams; the unfulfilled wishes......like conquering the world, winning the heart of the lady you long for, and so. So, dreams are related to power, love, happiness and even disappointment..........Nightmares are another part of dreams.......!!Myths say that dreams foretell the events that unfold in each life....there are even beliefs that dreams you see in the morning become reality...some also say that the things which you carry closest to your hearts, also manifest themselves in your dreams.........Every man is a king in his dreams, for he or she is the one who carve their destinies...those little moments under the sun belong to him or her............Many even say that every idea is born out of some dreams too!! For some, dreams are even weird too!! Without dreams, this world would never have been the way, it is today.......So, let there be no limits...........let there be more and more dreams.

Confessions of a Sleepish Researcher

Today I decided to sleep for some more time; extension of my sleeping hours.....Everyday, I go to bed aiming that the next day should be early for me, and that I get up at the first bell of the alarm. "Early Bird catches the Worm", thats an old English saying which could also be heard along with "Early to Bed and Early to Rise makes Jack Healthy, Wealthy and Wise". Sayings are after all for the sake of speech......the coziness of the bed is always irresistable. Curling up in the bedsheets and spreads brings the feeling of not getting up. Even after extending the alarm for every hour, the laziness and drowsiness remain. The dissretation still lies unworked.......Harding and Riskin call me to induct them.....so does Meisner, Solinger and other Chinese economists....law of value, commodity production, markets, planning, all seek to make their way in and be comfortable............China beckons......but sleep does too!! May be I should get up early from tomorrow.....the dissertation needs to be stylized well.....some polishing required too. Sacrifices make life.....I hear the notes of a prayer song floating through the morning mist!!Is that for me?Is my sacrifice to be counted as a loss of sleep........Every paradise has ample room for a 'crown of thorns' too!!

Learning to write Letters

As the rain drops come down heavily, I open the door for the freshness to come in......and sweep me away!! Its still a joy to feel the tiny sheets of water caress your face......I have been waiting since morning for the Postman to come........Suddenly memories flood in.....This time, of my childhood when I was learning to write letters. Taking the ink-fountain pen and racking the brains, splitting the hair...to extract the words.........to start is the problem....Once the flow starts, then it is easy; this is what people say. Those days inland were in so vogue....those light blue folding mechanism...I had often tried to draw the images of the entire system of postal services in our country........how would my letter go to its destined place?? Tried to even imagine the people carrying it to the destination.

Well, returning to the very process of writing the letters......it was no doubt a laborious task.....our school education system has been a blessing.........it teaches you how to be formal and aristocratic........letters of various hues; some from a friend, some for a leave application, some for employment, some for blood relations, and so on.......But writing letters in childhood may be because of spontaneity too, like some lasting memory, some sights that you couldn't just forget, or some achievement you think as your own.............But the most diffcult part is when you write a letter on your parents' demand and then have to read it to them.....So there is a case of rough draft and then with the corrections (they always appeared inadvertently)!! Such labour and that too just to fill words in some pieces of paper............As you grew in age, love letters had to be the norm, according to the film world......But that in virtual reality, thats just an illusion!! For, people in relationships have resorted to much more advanced forms like e-mail, messaging, scraps and chats.........so letters have lost that touch too, except when some one takes the pains to gift a card!!

Coming to think of all these now, can make one laugh........the rains seem to have stopped now. The postman should be here any moment......hope my parcel is intact!!

Karnataka Assembly Election Results- An Analysis

Its almost been one week since the verdict of the Karnataka Assembly Elections have come out. The Saffron forces have come to power south of the Vindhyas, for the first time and that too almost on their own. While the BJP had been coming upfront since quite some time now, this time around they have consolidated their position. The BJP has won 110 seats on its own, with the Congress(I) getting 80 seats and the JD-S reduced to a paltry 28. The Independents, all of them rebels got 6 seats.This verdict also is a time for serious introspection on the part of the secular forces because the rise of the Sangh Brigade in the state has far-reaching implications.

First of all, the people of Karnataka voted for stability and they saw the viable option in the BJP. In fact, the BJP was also able to play on the 'Great Betrayal' lament put forward by them, wherein the JD(S)-with whom they had shared power in the earlier Assembly-had refused to stick to the agreement of transfer of power. Playing on that emotion, the BJP carried forward their lament through out the election campaign. Also, in the Kumaraswamy government, the BJP as an allaince partner had got plump portfolios which they used to good effect. Also, the BJP by projecting Yeddyurappa as the Chief Ministerial candidate was also able to put forth the face of the party before the people of the State. Looking at the verdict, it is serious to note the growth of the BJP in many areas of the State. Taking Bangalore, always seen as a Congress stronghold, the Saffron forces emerged victorious in many metro constituencies taking away many from the Congress. The BJP also managed to retain its hold in Hyderabad Karnataka, Mumbai Karnataka and Central Karnataka-the Hubli-Dharwad region. It also made its presence felt in South Karnataka and maintained its position in Coastal Karnataka. It is also has to be noted that the BJP has expanded at the cost of the JD(S), whereby the latter has lost several seats. Though the traditional Hassan belt of the Gowda family has stood by it thsi time too, the disastrous performance by the JD(S) also has lots to do with the kind of opportunistic alliance it struck with the BJP under Kumaraswamy.

While the communal riots in Mangalore, Bangalore and Hubli happened under the BJP-JD(S) government, that was not the sole reason for the triumph of the BJP in these elections. Rather than aggressive posturing and rhetorical campaign on Hindutva that was seen during the Gujarat polls of 2002, the party also sought to take on the basic issues that also struck a chord with the voter. In fact, they had projected Yeddyurappa as the 'farmers' leader' and tried to ensure that the BJP be largely seen as a 'rural party' in the State.Building up the tempo by marking out this angle, the BJP was able to make good gains. However, the win for the Saffron forces was also helped by the incompeteness of the Congress. The lack of any vigour or meticulosuness in the Congress campaign machinery speaks volumes for such a performance. Typical of the politics of the bourgeiose parties, the dissidence within the ranks of the Congress party. Infighting within the party over ticket distribution even saw their senior leader and former Railway Minister, Jaffer Sharief resign from the party, only to return later after pacifications by the 'High Command'. Such squabbles further disoriented the party, which was biggest secular party. Even the bringing in of S.M.Krishna, who resigned as the governor of Maharashtra to oversee the polls did not help matters. While the Congress(I) did improve its performance from last year winning more seats and retaining its vote share, these efforts could not translate into a performance to beat the BJP. The pro-liberalization measures of the UPA government, breaking the back of the common man, have also played a significant part in these elections. The ever-Spiralling rise in prices has been a single point of attack on the UPA government, that percolated down to the State. Thus, it further damaged the prospects of the Congress(I). The party was thereby, never able to provide an alternative to the BJP.

The Secular consolidation that could have stopped the BJP, was also very weak. The JD(S) under Devegowda and Kumaraswamy through its opportunistic politics and alliance turned themselves into turn-coats. The BJP has in fact won more seats from the JD(S), wherein the constituencies that voted for the latter in 2004 have turned to the former this time around. The loss of several seats for the JD(S) is purely due to such unscruplous politics. In fact, the word Secular suffixed to them has been rendered completely meaningless. The tag of Kingmakers attached to Devegowda had also been made obsolete, in these elections. Tired of its his hip-hop, the mandate was clearly against him.

Having said all this, the ride ahead is also difficult for the BJP. This is very much evident in the ministry of Yeddyurappa that was sworn in. Consisting of 30 members, all the Independents who pledged their support except one, have gained berths as cabinet ministers. Hence, the need to get the simple majority of 113 that forced the BJP to seek their support has become an 'albatross around its neck'. The need now for the secular forces is to do the proper introspection and play the role of an effective as well as vigilant opposition, keeping this government at the toes, thereby raising the voice of the people. With one more year left to the General Elections, this verdict should also be a wake up call for the UPA government at the Centre, to pull up its socks and get its act together. In its pursuit of the Neo-Liberal policies and seeking for a strategic alliance with the imperialist US, the picture of 'RIsing India' put forth has all indications of going the 'Shining India' way of the NDA. The fact that such 'Indias' have been decisively defeated by the people of the country, has repeatedly been forgotten for the sake of convenience.

Post Script: However, despite several such wake up calls in the recent past, it doesn't seem that the UPA has woken up from its deep slumber.

People's Mindset in Kerala-Growing Elitism?

As Godmen make headlines in the 'God's Own Country', the media-both print and electronic-have gone great lengths to unmask these fake spiritual sooth-sayers. The State Government has also pulled up its socks to take on these 'agents of divinity'!! Not a day passes in Kerala, when there isn't news about the nefarious activities of such fake men. Sitting in Delhi, one gets the feeling that perhaps the epitome for the state clearly sticks!! However, in the midst of all these exposures, somewhere lost among the fine print is the declaration of the SSLC results in the state.Coming a few years after the government of the State replaced its 'rank' system with that of grading, the State has seen a success percentage of close to 93%.

Such a remarkable success rate of the students comprising mainly of the government schools speaks volumes of the tireless efforts on the part of the Education ministry of the State to improve the overall outlook of this front. The Education Minister of Kerala, M.A.Baby had remarked during the result declaration that "to internalize such a remarkable result, the perception and vision of the Malayalis had to undergo a sea change". On expected lines, the socio-political spectrum in the State has reacted to these results; the opposition parties along with groups like the NSS-SNDP and other groups have sought to pooh-pooh such a high pass percentage!!In fact, the UDF in the state feels that next time around 'cent percent pass' is a strong possibility. Some have called these entire results as mockery. Rather than talking about the dynamics of the SSLC results itself, it would be interesting to understand the Malayali mindset through this result. Taking forward, Mr. Baby's arguments, the need for sea change in Malayali's frame of mind does give serious food for thought. The average Malayali today, especially those within the State have a great aversion towards government-run schools. This phenomenon, however is not restricted to Kerala alone; The government-run schools have always been looked down upon, and seen as lacking basic infrastructure and facilities. This is true to many such schools in far-flung areas. The Malayali parents, in their quest to give their children the best education available, see the management-run elite schools as their destination. Wearing ties, creamy uniforms, with smart polished shoes and bright ribbons have always been viewed as having a 'tip-top' character. In such a scenario, the uniforms (sometimes even lack of it!!) of Khaki pants and Green Skirts-Salwars lack the appeal. As commercialization and privatization has come to rule the roost in the primary education sector, Keralite parents run from pillar to post to ensure that their children are properly equipped to encompass themselves within such an elite background.

Many of these elite schools within the state have imposed gags on speaking in the native tongue, Malayalam. There have even been instances of the authorities imposing hefty fines and even literally branding students by having boards put around the necks of students 'who violate such gag orders'!! The Malayalis have come to accept such harsh discipline, along with increasing workloads of the students. Daily tutions, special classes, entrance coaching classes (for professional courses to be optimal in the race in the job market!!) other than regular classes not only over-burden the students (symbolized by the weighty school bags, which are back breaking!!), but also leave them little time to even breathe. The 'False Pride' of the Malayalis has also been an inseparable part in such aversion towards government schools. The very belief that students in such schools are indisciplined, not bright and 'countrys' as often stated by the Malayalis is a stark reflection of the elitist mentality of the Middle-Class in the state. While those Malayalis within the State exhibit these features, the non-residents outside Kerala go further ahead in displaying such false pretensions!! The learning of the Mother Tongue was considered out of fashion and many take pride in the fact that they never undertook serious measures to get their children to absorb the Malayali essence!! In fact, children speak to their parents, in all languages except the native tongue!!

I do not want to sound parochial through such articulation on my part. However, at times such false pride and pretensions of the Malayalis disappoints and demoralizes; In the rush to adopt CBSE/ICSE mode of culture for their children, the Malayali's mindset is also dove-tailed to suit that culture. So, when government schools by their continuous efforts to enhance their excellence succeed in their endeavours, the trivialization of these efforts by not coming to terms with the results and subsequent blame game, thus trying to drive home the point that such things are not possible at all. In such a situation, these efforts on the part of the elite middle-class echelons of the Kerala society definitely reeks of vested interests, thereby raising the need to take all of this with not just a pinch, but a handful of salt. So, when M.A. Baby talks of 'transforming people's mindset', the remarks have to be viewed by the Malayalis all the more seriously. Henceforth, the tasks for 'socially conscious' Kerala also become uphill.