Updates

Its been some time since I wrote a post here. Partly because I have been busy with work, my brother's marriage preparation, but mainly because I am so damn lazy. Lots of things have happened since my last post worth mentioning here.

-Elections : This has become the talk of the nation. Every other thing is subdued and rightly so. The General Election is and should be the biggest event in the country. I have mixed feelings regarding the elections. Sometimes I feel great to be part of the biggest democracy. Comparing the situation in Pakistan, I feel blessed to be part of India. But at other times I feel Sad, Disappointed and outright Angry. I feel that I'm part of a circus crowd watching the clowns (read politicians) perform. I won't go into the talk of which party is better, who has a better manifesto, who has criminal records, or who is worthy. Its not for me as a single person to decide. Its for the entire nation to decide. But I do feel for our country. India in its current state does not deserve Democracy. Its too much power in the hands of innocent people who are being exploited. But having heard stories about all the deadly dictators in history, I feel we are better of with the clowns leading us.

-IPL : Ranks in Second only to elections. The IPL fever has caught everyone and I'm no exception. The shift to South Africa clearly demonstrates that IPL is a truly global event. I am, have been and always will be a true supporter of Royal Challengers Bangalore. They have had some hard luck, key players losing form in crucial moments and also at times some dismal performances. But the way they have fought through criticism, is inspirational. A special mention has to be made here for Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble. You have made us, kannadigas proud with your determination and talent. Keep the red and yellow flying. Our support is always with you.

-Friends : Lots of good news coming from friends. Ravi left to HongKong for his internship with Merrill Lynch. Aditya got his admit call from XIMB. Neeraj got a call from IIMK and converted it. Amit Bhansali got a call from SP Jain and he is coming to Mumbai.

-Tirupati : The much avaited trip is finally happening. It used to be my custom to visit Tirupati after every semister in Engineering. It gave me confidence and strength. But after Engineering I have not been able to have a darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. Not that I was busy or I was arrogant. It just din't happen, and that makes me feel sad. But I'm going to Tirupati tomorrow with Bala, Srinath, Pande and Lakshman. Hoping to have a great darshan before I go to Mumbai. Govinda Goooovinda.

-Movies : Watched lot of movies lately. Firaaq and Gulaal are two movies worthy of watching. Firaaq is extremely well directed by Nandita Das and Nasaruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, and the small kid (don't know his name) give mind blowing performances. The film seems so real. The pain suffered by each individual is communicated to the last tear drop. Extremely well made movie. A must watch. Gulaal is also a good movie. Kay Kay's performance is top notch. The dialogues are excellent. It gives a interesting insight into politics of a different kind. Also watched The Reader, Revolutionary Road, Madagascar 2, Me and Marley, All the boys love Mandy Lane, Milk, Luck By Chance and lots more. Uff... I told you, I'm a lazy bum :-)

Time to say TATA to DADA with respect

One of the hot topics this week has been the future "Fab Four" of the Indian Cricket Team. At least we now know that during the Border-Gavaskar series we will be bidding adieu to Sourav Ganguly aka Dada. I have to confess, I have never been a hard core fan of Ganguly. By that I mean I haven't supported him during his "rough patches". But you have to give it to the sheer determination of this guy for staying in the dark for a whole year and making one of the most inspiring comebacks in the history of sports. In his comeback year he scored the most runs by a Indian in that year, achieved his highest score in Tests, and was part of 2 series wins. So, why is everyone questioning his place all of a sudden? Is it because of that one failure in SriLanka, where he scored 96 runs from 6 innings? I don't think so. Like most Indians I feel it is more of a forced exit than a individual decision. I feel it is unfair for someone who has served BCCI for so long, not to be given the right reasons to quit the game. They cant tell that due to age he has slowed down. 5 years ago when he was the captain, he was not a inch faster than he is right now. He was never a good fielder, in fact he was and is a pathetic fielder. Unlike last time when he was dropped, he is told to quit for the wrong reasons. Age should never be a concern for an athlete, until he is performing at his peak. And for me Ganguly is batting at his best in last 1 year. There is a never seen before determination in his batting. Lets take the example of Lance Armstrong, according to me one of the greatest athletes to set foot on earth. He has decided to compete in the Tour at the age of 36. And this is no small team which he is coming into, he is coming into Astana, which contains 2006 tour winner. So, why is that in a country with such patriotic and fanatic fans of the game, do we treat those very people who have brought joy to our lives on numerous occasions with such disdain?

I also completely disagree with the concept of terminating a career with future in perspective. Let me put out the current scenario here. A upcoming player struggles against the system to make it to the national squad. By the time he is noticed in all the domestic games he is 25. By the time he is a permanent member in the starting eleven, he is 32. And when he just about turns 34, all the talk about the seniors start. So he will effectively get 2 years of cricket. And we are not talking about normal players. No. They will get far less to play. We are talking about greats, those who have changed the way people play the game. And I'm all the more ashamed to say that this seems to happen only in India.