Okay, of all the TV networks which one was the best debate on match fixing? Well, for me it was the one on Times Now where our dear old Bishen Singh Bedi appeared half drunk. At first it seemed like I was mistaken but when he started talking I was more than convinced that he was indeed three or four drinks down, at least. A couple of drinks more and I’m sure Bedi would’ve told Arnab Goswami,” Oye, Chadd Yaar. Tainu Kee? Aye koi nai gall thodi hai. Salon se ho raya hega. CHEERS!!” or words to that effect. But you can’t really blame Bedi for this. What do you expect people to be doing at nine in the evening? Good people work through the day and party in the evenings. Don’t they? For that matter, Farouq Engineer who was speaking from Manchester, UK where it was around four thirty in the evening, was seen having a huge cup of coffee (or at least that’s my guess) because you are supposed to have coffee at that time.

On a more serious note, that there has been match fixing in cricket has been known for a long time. The only difference this time is that there is a video of News of the world to prove it. And images stay longer in our minds than events themselves. Mohd Asif, Salman Butt and Mohd Amir have all been unlucky to have been captured on camera doing this. According to me, they are just one of the many who are doing this. And it definitely is not limited to Pakistan alone, although they are the ones who provide the perfect grooming grounds for such people. In a way, PCB had it coming. If they keep forgiving people who indulge in such behavior this was bound to happen. Remember Shahid Afridi biting the ball in Australia who is now back in the team? Yet another guy Waqar Younis who was also accused of indulging in match fixing is their national coach. And there are many more like Wasim Akram, Salim Malik, Shoaib Malik (of Sania Mirza fame) and Naved Rana who have all been accused of the same offence but have been more or less forgiven by everyone in PCB now. But the best one among them is Kamran Akmal, who has been accused of the same offence in January this year by Intikhab Alam, their national coach at that time. But guess what? It was Intikhab Alam who was removed from his job while Kamran Akmal continues to be a part of the team. Crazy, don’t you think? If this is the way PCB deals with offenders what else can you expect? Like I said, they had it coming.

As for these three players (excluding Kamran Akmal), PCB is preparing for their ‘defense’ in London despite there being a watertight case against them. I guess they still haven’t learnt anything. It is actually quite ridiculous to see the PCB taking up such a defiant stance. It also shows a lack of maturity and will to improve. In a way this attitude is an extension of their game of double standards in the war against terror. Well, I can actually foresee a full fledged war between ICC (with an Indian, Sharad Pawar at the helm) and PCB.  And tell you what? I’m now looking forward to this war. Things are going to be very interesting in the next few weeks.  Just for the record, Sharad Pawar and PCB chairman Ejaz Butt have no love lost for each other. I also have this stupid feeling that PCB itself and in the bargain Pakistan is now in danger of being banned from all kinds of international cricket by the ICC.

When asked about this issue Ricky Ponting pointed out that this is a cultural thing. And he enlarged the scope when he implied that this is a problem in not just Pakistan but in the entire Indian subcontinent. What he implies is that people out here are very easily corruptible. Somehow, I find myself agreeing with him. This is not to say that people like Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni etc are indulging in it. What it implies is that there are lesser mortals who come from impoverished backgrounds and may be tempted by easy money. In fact, Atul Wassan, a former national cricketer, said as much to Rajdeep Sardesai on CNN IBN, that there were a whole lot of young boys who were playing in IPL who have been approached by bookies. He did not name them but it is quite obvious that little known players may have indulged in it. Also, check out all the bookies who have been named in such scandals. All these guys are either Indians themselves or are doing it in connivance with Indians. Apart from cricket, if we just look around us we’ll find umpteen examples of our cultural mediocrity, as far as morals are concerned. There is little doubt that we are indeed a corrupt lot, honest ones being more of an exception than anything else.

]]> http://www.makesplash.com/match-fixing-its-a-cultural-thing/feed/ http://www.makesplash.com/can-we-measure-up-to-china/ http://www.makesplash.com/can-we-measure-up-to-china/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:40:16 +0000 Sush http://www.makesplash.com/?p=4852

Do you guys know why we have military exchange programs with any country? Well, we have such programs with those countries with whom we envisage a scenario where our troops would be operating together to achieve a common goal. That is the reason we have such programs with US, UK, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and a host of other countries with whom we have good diplomatic relations. If that be the case, then why do we have such an exchange with China? What are the scenarios where we think we would be working alongside Chinese troops? To reduce tension in South China Sea or Sea of Japan? Quite obviously, I really do not think that a such a scenario would present itself anytime soon in future. Then why do we need to have these programs? Or are these just confidence building measures? In any case, whose confidence are we trying to build here? Chinese or ours? Ridiculous, if you ask me.

And this confidence was terribly shaken once again by the Chinese when they denied a visa to Lt Gen BS Jaswal who is GOC-in-C Northern Command, areas which Chinese say are disputed. Mind you, the officer was going to China in connection with the same military exchange programs which I spoke about earlier. Thankfully, for a change, we have given the Chinese a tight slap across their faces by cancelling these exchanges, at least for the time being, and by denying the visas to three of their officers who were due to come to India in near future.

But this is just one small step in the right direction. We need to hit them where it hurts the most. And that spot is Tibet. Every time the Chinese act funny with us vis-a-vis J&K we need to tell them and the world that J&K is to us what Tibet is to them. If they make this an issue then we too can create an issue on Tibet and it’s independence/autonomy or whatever. Also, our govt needs to start interacting with Dalai Lama more visibly. Let them know that we mean business. They’ll start seeing reason soon enough.

The reason why Chinese do not want India to get hold of complete Kashmir goes much beyond than just the issue of boundary. It’s got to do a lot with communication and energy. Check out this report of Times of India dated 29 Aug 10 which says that Chinese have nearly 11,000 troops in Gilgit-Baltistan region in POK who are building road and rail network in the region to enable access from Eastern China right upto the Gulf. This, it is said, is being done to facilitate move of cargo and oil tankers from Gulf to mainland China in just under 48 hours. There you have it. It’s all about energy security and much less about boundaries. If they agree that Kashmir belongs to us then they’ll need to take our permission to work in POK. Just for the record China has resolved it’s boundary disputes with many other nations including Mongolia and Russia, but not India, quite possibly because it doesn’t want to resolve this dispute. You see, once this thing is resolved China will not have any reason to keep backing Pakistan in it’s nefarious designs against India. Also, it sees India as the only country in the whole world which would be in a position to challenge the hegemony of China in times to come. Even America may not remain as big a force as it is today in say fifty years down the line. But India, in fifty years from now, or even earlier, would surely be a force to reckon with. And therefore keeping India on the boil on the issue of Kashmir makes lot of sense for China.

Unfortunately, it is the Indian establishment which has not yet woken up to this harsh reality (Check out my post Climate Change: Wrong Partner). They still feel that we can build bridges with the Chinese and be partners in progress rather than being competitors. What they fail to fathom is that we are the ones who are actually impeding their development at an even faster pace than what they are achieving right now. We are the ones who are competing with them to corner more foreign investment. We are the ones who are leaders in software development in the world for which the Chinese hate us. We are the ones who because of our hold over English language are the preferred destination for BPO and KPO for the western world. And off late we have even started to give cheap Chinese manufacturers a run for their money, a scenario which will only get better for us in future. Moreover, our democracy, even if it is flawed, makes us a more acceptable and trustworthy partner all around the globe, sans Pakistan and China itself. It is therefore not really surprising that like Pakistan, China too does not want to be our friend. It is this harsh reality which Congress and Dr Manmohan Singh have to accept and act accordingly. The retort given by them on the issue of the visa, though just a small step, has therefore come as such a big relief to the citizens of this country.

And guys, don’t be surprised if we see the Chinese suddenly backing down because of our unexpected retort. They know very well that this is not 1962 and we are not pushovers anymore.

Do you know why Lalu Yadav was asking for Rs 80,001 as basic salary for MPs? No, it’s got nothing to do with the salary of cabinet secretary as was being widely reported in the media. You see, if you have nine kids you need that kind of money to run your household. Don’t you? OK, I know that was a poor joke. Nonetheless, I find myself agreeing with Lalu Yadav for reasons which I feel are worth talking about.

There has been a wide debate in the national media on this issue and the feeling that comes out of most of the debates in newspapers and TV channels is that since politicians are as it is quite corrupt why should we give them more money? It very clearly shows the antagonism that the Indian middle class has towards our politicians. Well, that antagonism may be quite valid to say the very least, but it would be incorrect for us to justify this antagonism and link it to the pay hike.

While this hike may not reduce corruption in our polity it may well encourage honest young Indians to enter politics. Don’t be surprised guys because there are still a whole lot of MPs in our parliament for whom this salary is the only source of income. If you really break down the Rs 1.6 lakhs that MPs will now get, you’ll see that this is not really an exorbitant amount to be paid to a lawmaker for a country as big as ours. Include the income tax, the money spent on chai-pakora to visitors, gifts to poor from respective constituencies etc etc and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Though quite a few newspapers and TV channels have made comparisons between salaries of MPs of other countries vis-a-vis ours I feel that this is misplaced simply because the cost of living in India is much lesser than anywhere else. What we should be comparing these salaries is with those of executives from corporate sector here in India, for two reasons. Firstly, because we live here in India and secondly, because we want to attract talented and capable people to join politics. By that analogy Rs 1.6 lakhs does not really seem too much at all.

Yet another thing which has been blown out of proportion is the fact that nearly 300 of our MPs are already crorepatis, and therefore why should we give them more? Well, firstly, a crorepati MP doesn’t mean that he has one crore in cash. That’s his net asset value including property which may or may not have been inherited by him/her. Secondly, let me remind you guys that in today’s times what the hell is a crore in any case! Anyone who has a decent a couple of bedrooms flat in any decent locality in any city in the country is a crorepati today. By that analogy even my husband is a crorepati though flying even in economy class is something which we can afford to do only once in a while. So what crorepatis are we talking about? Yes, there are Vijay Mallyas, Digvijay Singhs and Naveen Jindals who are multi millionaires many times over but they do not bear the expenses of MPs who are not.

Lastly, let me point out that by discussing the pay hike we are missing the whole point here. What we indeed should be discussing is the accountability of the funds that they control (Rs 2 crore per yr for their constituency) and their overall productivity. Let them take some more money if they wish to but they need to work to justify this hike. Check out this report in Times of India which says that twelve ministers of state in Maharashtra govt who cost us Rs 12 crore/yr have no work to do at all. These are the things which all of us should be focusing at.

There is nothing against the law in America which prohibits anyone from building a mosque or an Islamic center, if you please, anywhere in America. That’s a known fact. But that’s just the law. There is much more to it than just the law. There was a 9/11 attack in which nearly 3000 Americans died and it cannot be just wished away. To say that an Islamic Center close to the site of attack will help in bridging gaps between the two communities is just too far off from the practical realities on ground.

Reality number 1. If anyone is living in America it is rather prudent for him or her, especially a Muslim, to be careful about not hurting the feelings of the mainstream Americans. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to appreciate this. If that be the case, the very idea of mosque at this place is repulsive to say the very least. If the whole idea is to build bridges through this mosque why is it necessary to build it in Manhattan? Why not anywhere else in New York? Or for that matter, anywhere else in America? What’s the big deal in making it at Manhattan? If it is symbolism which Faisal Abdul Rauf, the man behind the project Cordoba, is aiming at, he has got his timing terribly wrong. 9/11 is still fresh in our minds. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are still raging. The Israel-Palestine issue has still not been resolved. What symbolism is Faisal Rauf talking of? Also, building a mosque by a Muslim in a predominantly Christian country is hardly the correct form of symbolism in these times. If you ask me, it should be the other way round. Muslim countries should allow churches and places of worships for other religions to be built within their own countries, which is currently not the case for many of these nations.

Reality number 2. Amongst the developed world America is one nation which is still the most open society for people of different faiths. To borrow a quote from Lisa Miller of Newsweek, the “many paths to God” consensus one finds in America is present almost nowhere else. Like I said earlier, it is also the responsibility of Muslim countries to reach out to others. And they need to do this in their own countries not abroad. Can any of you guys recall any such inter faith positive action taken by any Islamic nation anywhere in the world in the recent past? I can’t. Just today itself there is this report in Times of India which says that 60,000 Sikhs living in Kashmir have been threatened to either convert to Islam or leave the state, something which Indian govt has taken serious note of.

Reality number 3. If you believe Faisal Abdul Rauf, American constitution is in sync with Sharia. Well, firstly it is quite ridiculous to compare these two and secondly please note that this statement clearly implies that Sharia is superior to American constitution. It also implies that Sharia is something which American constitution should follow. And no, I’m not reading too much into this statement. Such statements are deliberately crafted to further their own causes. Thirdly, this statement also shows that Faisal believes in Sharia and would love to see it being implemented, at least for Muslims in United States.

Reality number 4. The name Cordoba House is also quite symbolic. Faisal says that this was a place where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together peacefully. That may well be correct. Cordoba is indeed a place in Spain where they lived peacefully from 700 AD to 1200 AD. What he conveniently forgot to mention was that this was under Muslim rule, which in other words implies that once Muslim rule is established people may be allowed to practice their own faiths, something which is very difficult to believe.

Reality number 5. The next stark reality is that an organisation, namely Cordoba Initiative, which only had $20,000 to begin with is now amassing millions of dollars for this project which is being touted as a $100 million one through means which are questionable. Faisal Rauf, on different occasions in interviews to different newscasters has given different accounts of source of money for this project, depending upon who is asking the questions. Like to an American newscaster he has said that money is being collected from American Muslims only and if the newscaster is Arab he has said that money is coming from all over the Muslim world, a statement which has raised some serious hackles amongst the economic watch dogs in US because ‘all over the Muslim world’ could mean anything including hardliners and terrorists. Suffice to say that there are some serious concerns about the sources of funding for this project.

Reality number 6. Barrack Obama, has to be very careful when he makes his comments on such sensitive issues. There is little doubt about the fact that he initially supported the mosque when he made that speech during the Iftar dinner he held in the White House but later retracted it in a very lame manner when he said that though the Muslims have a right to build a mosque but that he was not commenting on the wisdom of it. Well, this is not the first time that he has had to make amends to his statements in a matter of days which clearly shows that he is not being briefed by his staff properly. It is therefore also not surprising to see Republicans like Sarah Palin taking up cudgels against him very strongly on this issue of the mosque. Not to forget the elections for 37 seats for the Senate which are due in November this year.

Reality number 7. Another related aspect of the whole imbroglio are Obama’s poll ratings which have taken a big hit ever since he assumed office. Also, quite alarmingly a large number of Americans are now beginning to believe that Obama is actually a Muslim, especially after he endorsed Faisal Abdul’s plan to build this mosque near Ground Zero. Pertinent to mention that Obama’s father belonged to a Muslim family though it is said that he was essentially an atheist. Nonetheless, Obama may have to now go really out of his way to dispel such doubts which can cost him a re-election when it’s due.

Having done a reality check of all the aspects of building the mosque near Ground Zero it is quite safe to say that it is not exactly a good idea to go ahead with it at this juncture. The question is- Can Obama do something directly or indirectly to stop it? Well, doing it directly may not be entirely feasible for him especially after what he said at Iftar dinner though that would still be the best way for him to project himself as a true American Christian. But if he wants to tread more carefully he can also do this by ensuring that the plans are rejected on some technicality or the other, possibly on the sources of funding of the project.

Whatever be the case Obama has to find a way to stop it otherwise once it is built Cordoba House may well come to be known as Obama House for all times to come.

So it was independence day, once again. Like all independence days I tuned in to hear what our PM had to say today. But I need not have because his speech was so boring, repetitive and ridiculous that I nearly fell asleep. And it was only eight in the morning. In fact this speech was quite appropriate for the last year, the year before that, the year before before that year and quite likely for the next year, the next to next year and may be even for next to next to next year. What a PM! Hasn’t he got bored of talking about the same things in the same manner for seven years at a stretch? His speech writer needs a few kicks. On second thoughts, what can the poor speech writer do? He can’t really write anything when the PM himself has nothing to show for or nothing more to promise to his countrymen.

After the speech, I checked NDTV, CNN IBN and Times Now. Well, none of the channels had anything positive to say about the speech. There was a lot of show of national jingoism for the independence day about us being great democracy and emerging power(?) and stuff like that which are good enough for just school kids but nothing beyond that. Quite possibly they knew that this would be a non event and therefore none of their main anchors Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai or Arnab Goswami came on air to talk about it. To be fair to Manmohan Singh, what new can he say? He can’t step out of line on any one issue. Check this out.

Kashmir. He says that violence needs to stop and we need to talk to people in Kashmir. Also, Pakistan needs to stop sponsoring terror and blah blah blah!!!! Well, what else can he say? Can he say that one more terror attack and Pakistan is going to pay for it or can he say that Hurriyat Conference will pay for the chaos they’re creating in the valley (Check out my earlier posts on this issue Tactical shift in Kashmir policy and Go after Hurriyat). NAH, he can’t really say such stuff. You need a man made of steel to do something like that, not a puppet in the hands of Congress high command (Sonia Gandhi) who has very little say in the way things are run in the country.

Maoist threat. He says that Maoists must give up violence and come for talks. Nothing new or newsworthy about that. Again, what else can he say? Can he say that those ministers in the coalition who have direct links with Maoists, namely Mamata Bannerjee will have to face the law? Forget it. Think about it, if anyone of us has links with Maoists we can be arrested but not a central minister. Ridiculous to say the very least. (On this issue read my post Politics of compulsion and Who has limited mandate?)

Commonwealth Games. Yeah he did talk about CWG but just that that it is an honour for our country and blah blah blah. No word about corruption or Kalmadi. In fact, he didn’t even say that those found guilty in the probe would be punished. Well, that’s because it is a known fact that none of the guilty would ever be punished. Some sidekicks like Darbari or Mahendroo or some other idiot may get nominal punishment but don’t expect to see Kalmadi behind bars even after CWG is done and over with. That would be like too much to expect. And no, the PM cannot speak about this either. (Check out my post CWG: Just get it over with)

Inflation. Any one in his place can say what he did, that we are doing our best and that it will come down in a couple of months. But wait a minute. Hasn’t he already said this million times before? And he has deregulated fuel prices after having said so (Read what I wrote earlier Oil price hike: Rude Shock). Quite naturally, because of this alongwith other ineffective measures taken by this govt inflation has not really come down. I guess he needs to stop saying mundane stuff which have either no meaning or are repetitive. What’s the big deal about saying that inflation is a concern for everyone?

There are a whole lot of other issues like millions of bucks made by A Raja in 2G spectrum scam, Mayawati’s wealth, dissension within Congress, Bhopal Gas tragedy etc etc, which our worthy PM cannot speak a word about. And if he cannot say anything relevant on any ongoing issue why have this charade at all? To hear about varieties of wheat which one research institute was producing, as he so proudly boasted? Give me break, Dr Manmohan Singh. You may be a good economist but you are our PM, for God’s sake. My maid can be more decisive than what you’ve been in the last couple of years. Obama may have given you a certificate of being a good man but I don’t need a good man as my prime minister. I need a good leader as my prime minister. And there is a big difference between the two. At this moment, as a prime minister you’re failing us and the country as a whole.

A few days ago BJP’s Arun Jaitly termed the PM’s silence as a conspiracy of silence. He was so very wrong. Our PM is a good man, remember? And good men don’t conspire. It is more like compulsions of silence. The poor good man can’t speak anything he wishes to.

All of a sudden in the last couple of weeks the entire policy or attitude, if you please, of every Tom, Dick and Harry including the govt of India on Kashmir and Kashmiris has undergone a drastic change. Now everyone is talking about the feelings of Kashmiris which has led them to resort to violence in the valley. Even media personalities like Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai and Meghnad Desai (sitting in London) are constantly espousing their cause through regular tweets and columns in various newspapers. In fact Lord Desai even said that all stake holders must dilute their positions in order to reach an amicable solution. More about this later in the post.

Contrast this with the situation a month or so ago when everyone including those mentioned above were blaming stone pelters and Hurriyat Conference of instigating trouble in the valley. Times Now even aired recorded calls between a paymaster from Hurriyat and someone who was being paid to create mayhem in Kashmir. Even people in the govt were saying similar stuff that anti social elements (implying Hurriyat) are behind this since terror and terrorism was on the wane thanks to our security forces.

All of a sudden things have started moving in a different direction. Omar Abdullah is now being seen as an inefficient CM who cannot control the situation, which unfortunately he is. In fact, people say that he has lost contact with the masses which has led to the current unrest. Dr Manmohan Singh too has suddenly broken his silence after a couple of months and offered ‘autonomy’ to the state, out of the blue I might add, an offer which has been completely rejected by Hurriyat.

Well, what kind of dilution of our position can we possibly do? Well, Dr Manmohan Singh has already done that. Autonomy is the MAXIMUM THAT HE CAN OFFER, even though in my opinion that too is not correct (read my previous post Shall we give autonomy to J&K?). There is no room for him beyond this now. Yes, he can further sweeten the pill by offering more economic packages but those are just frivolous measures which do not have much impact because this fight is more political than economical. And on the political front there is no room left for Dr Manmohan Singh, alongwith National Conference and the rest of confused Congress, to maneuver. Anything beyond this, implying AZADI or merger with Pakistan, is outside the scope of our constitution, which Dr Manmohan Singh is not authorized to deal with.

So what now? Even the best that Dr Manmohan Singh can give is not enough for Hurriyat. They will not budge from their demands come what may. In fact this is the sole purpose of their existence. And it is on this very premise Pakistan is giving them money and support. Well, that leaves us with one and only one choice- Crackdown on all hardliners especially Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Each and every person who stands for Azadi needs to be put behind bars and tried for treason. Yes, there will be a backlash amongst a section of people. So what? They have been agitating for more than sixty years now. Let them agitate some more. If Pakis want to feel bad about it, let them. How does it matter? Let me also add that the day our govt decides to be stern with the hardliners the entire polity of the country will rally behind the govt. Not just the govt but the average citizen of India too will support every positive action the govt takes.

There is yet another theory being propounded by writers and journalists that we need to strengthen the social fabric of the state first by implementing the Panchayati Raj system, the Human Rights Groups, the RTI Act alongwith other goodies like the economic package etc. What all these writers, Barkha Dutt in particular who has soft spot for all the hardliners, forget is that billions of dollars from ‘Hindu’ India, as Hurriyat and Pakistan perceive us, have already been doled out to a non productive state, which on it’s own is incapable of sustaining itself. Despite all the largesse showered on them they remain defiant harping on the same old chants of AZADI. Let me also add that in Times of India’s edition of 13 Aug 10 there is a report Valley youths chuck career to pelt stones, the title of which is self explanatory of the content. And they are talking of people like young businessmen, management teachers, students with good career options and such like people who have taken up stone pelting as a full time job. What kind of social and financial support can we give these guys? Virtually nothing, if you see. All these people are being made to believe in a dream by Hurriyat and Pakistan, which itself will never let Kashmir be independent. Had it been so they’d have granted independence to POK by now.

As is evident from the current situation, we need to break this will of Hurriyat to wage this kind of war on India, like I spoke about in my earlier post Go after Hurriyat. All other options have been tried and exhausted. Try a different one this time.

When David Cameron, the British premier, was in India he said what all Indians wanted to hear, “Pakistan must stop exporting terror.” When Zardari met him recently in London just days after this statement, the communique which came out after the meeting had no relation to his previous statement made in India. Not surprisingly, it said what Pakistanis wanted to hear, that terror must be fought decisively and blah blah blah. When Barrack Obama meets Manmohan Singh he refers to him as a ‘good man’ which is music to any Indian’s ears but when he meets Zardari or Geelani the words that come out are that America and Pakistan have pledged to fight terror to it’s end or words to that effect. There is hardly any reference to Indian concerns, though there is some lip service separately by their foreign office just to keep the Indians in good humour.

As you can see, international diplomacy is an art. It is all about timing your words for the right audience. And this is where India has to learn how to make the most of international developments to further their own cause. There are so many things happening around the world which have a direct bearing on us which we must respond to very aggressively to but are sadly silent. I’ll give some instances where we seem to have missed the bus.

To begin with after David Cameron made those statements here in India our focus should’ve been to exploit this godsend opportunity. We could’ve done this by ensuring that these words remained in focus of not just Indian media houses but in international media especially BBC also till such time Zardari was in UK. Don’t be surprised people, this can be done and is widely used as an effective tool by govts around the world to further their own interests. Secondly, our ambassador to UK should’ve written huge columns in all major dailies of UK just before Zardari’s meeting with Cameron highlighting his comments made in India thereby forcing them to refer to those words in their communique. Had we launched an all round diplomatic and media offensive this could’ve been a major victory for us.

The second instance is that when when American secretary of defense Robert Gates made this statement recently that withdrawal of American forces, as laid down by Barrack Obama to being sometime in the middle of next year, is not laid down in stone. We should’ve tom tommed this statement as widely as possible. The govt too on it’s part should’ve welcomed this and our foreign minister should’ve spoken to the media about it. Had this been done we may have even forced Taliban, who along with Paki establishment seem to playing a waiting game of waiting for Americans to leave, to react to it.

The third instance is the selection of Rashad Hussein, White House official who has been picked by President Obama to be his newly appointed Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference. And the best part is that he is an Indian American to boot. Also, Hussein has stated very clearly that he’s proud of his Indian roots. What could be better than to have some kind of an Indian voice in OIC! Pertinent to mention that way back in 1961 we were about to be inducted into OIC but this move was thwarted by Pakistan. Again, we ought to have played this appointment of Hussein in our media by welcoming it and by making the meetings between Hussein and PM/foreign minister a public affair. We need to show the world that Hussein is our man too in the OIC. Who knows this may well pave the way for our entry into OIC? And no, this is not too far-fetched.

What we need to understand is since we are not exactly doing anything substantial otherwise to contain the ‘export of terror’ by Pakistan, to borrow Cameron’s words, we have to do everything else diplomatically to aggressively pursue our case in international forums. We may well be surprised by what an aggressive diplomatic offensive can achieve. And after the loud snub that Qureshi gave us in Islamabad it makes a lot of sense for us to embark on one.

I was in Mumbai a couple of days back and was chatting with my nephew Shaurya, who is a handsome young boy doing his B Tech in computer science. Our conversation started with how things were in Mumbai (Thane to be precise) and the job scenario in the country and stuff like that. I was kind of zapped when he said that we should not be wasting tens of thousands of crores on Commonwealth Games. He said that at a time when we are still in our developing stages and have not yet reached a position when we could ’splurge’ a couple of billion dollars on something like hosting games, which in any case was not a very prestigious event in the world in the first place, we would’ve been better off utilizing this money more gainfully. He pointed out the state of roads and sanitation which can be spruced up to benefit millions of Mumbaikars or the number of poor in Mumbai who could be given a decent livelihood with the amount which is now being ‘wasted’ on the games, which hardly anyone is going to watch in any case. I tried to reason with him that these events are not about the amount of money being spent but more about showcasing our ability to hold an international event of this magnitude. Moreover, after this event we would also be able to bid for bigger events like Olympics. Also, this kind of expenditure provides lot of job opportunities etc etc. He just shrugged his shoulders, unconvinced by my arguments.

But that was then. A lot of water has since then gone down the bridge. Today, my own belief in this argument stands absolutely shaken and stirred. Today, I’m of the firm opinion that we Indians as a race are an incompetent lot with the most incompetent ones running the show. We only believe in I, me, myself. Our sole aim in life is to make money, by hook or by crook. If others get killed during our pursuit of our sole aim, so be it. If the reputation of the country goes to dogs, so be it. We really couldn’t care less, as long as our aim of making money is being fulfilled. The rest be damned.

If our nationalistic fervor comes to the fore and we get emotional while we watch patiotic movies like Border or during an Indo-Pak cricket match, let us not fool ourselves by believing that we are patriotic because we are not. Those are only momentary feelings which lie subdued inside us and get stirred up when we are in these situations. Normally, the over riding feeling inside all of us is I, me, myself and how to make more money, legally or illegally. That’s the bottom line. Period. Those of you who are feeling offended or are feeling bad by this statement may have a reason to, I agree. But that’s the whole aim- to make all of of us feel bad about the kind of people we actually are. And we all need to be ashamed of it. By the way, our general attitude is not CHALTA HAI, as people like to put it. It is more like BHAD ME JAI!!!!!

The members of organizing committee of CWG are no different from the rest of us. After all they are Indians too, Suresh Kalmadi inculded. If Suresh Kalmadi and his team alongwith the vast resources of the central govt cannot complete stadiums and infrastructure projects in time and conduct the games in an organized manner despite the fact that the games were allocated to us seven years ago we need to be ashamed of ourselves. And I wrote about the same issue in my post Will we be ready for CWG 2010?  But at that time I really did not know that money was being funelled out of the country from this corpus for personal gains. We all know commissions are generally paid for govt contracts awarded to various companies for any and everything. That’s not really surprising anymore in this country. What is really surprising is the brazen manner in which funds are being diverted abroad. And as if to give a tight slap on our stupid faces it is not an Indian agency which has brought this to our attention but the govt of UK. It’s like they’re telling us that we do not know our jobs. And they are dead right. We do not. But tell you what? We are not even good at doing the illegal stuff. Because had it been so this would not have come out in the open.

Also, given the kind of revelations which our CVC has made about the quality of building material used I really doubt that these stadiums and other infrastructure projects will last for much longer beyond the games, if at all. Not just the tendering procedures which have financial implications been flouted but there are reports of inspection procedures too having been openly flouted which have a direct bearing on the safety of people using these stadia during and beyond CWG 2010.

I don’t really know about you guys but the over riding feeling that I now have is JUST GET THE DAMN GAMES OVER AND DONE WITH.  I don’t care if we do not win even a single medal in the games. Just ensure that people do not die during these two weeks because of our poor preparations. As far as bidding for Olympics is concerned, you got to be kidding me. If there is a world cup of gilli danda that’s what we should bid for because that’s what our capability is, if at all. Just that that they should tell us at least hundred years in advance.

Out of hundreds of allegations of fake encounter deaths why is the focus of our entire nation on Sohrabuddin and Amit Shah? Is it because a fake encounter of a Muslim is a different story than that of a Hindu? And that too because it happened in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat? Why is the CBI investigating only this case and not so many others where the guilty are quite likely from the Congress party? What about numerous allegations of fake encounters in Andhra Pradesh? What about the prosecution of Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar in Sikh riots case? What about Ottavio Quattrochi? Why was he let off the hook? What about all the allegations against Buta Singh and his son? Why hasn’t thousands of crores worth scam in allocation of 2G spectrum been given to the CBI for investigation? What about Mamata Bannerjee’s links with Maoist murderers? Well, you may say that CBI is carrying out this investigation against Amit Shah because they’ve been told by the Supreme Court to do so and the others have not but that would be like stating the obvious. What is not obvious is the fact that this case which has been filed by the brother of Sohrabuddin has quite likely been done at the behest of Congress. In my view that’s a foregone conclusion.

You may also say that these cases are not related. Sorry guys, but you’re all wrong. They’re very much related. And they’re related by the strings of power attached. If you’re in power at the center then you’ll only investigate or facilitate investigation in cases which are beneficial to you and harmful to opposition. That’s the reason why despite being a convict in Rs 950 crores of fodder scam Lalu is a free man. That’s the reason CBI has been asked to go slow against Mayawati in the disproportionate assets case. That’s the reason why Congress is asking for CBI investigation against Reddy brothers in Karnataka because they know that Lokayukta Santosh Hegde will expose everyone and not just BJP. There are many others like the Bofors case or the medical scam which I wrote about in my post Why aren’t we talking about Ketan Desai? which are being pushed one way or another depending upon the comfort levels of Congress in that particular case.

I’m not at all suggesting that investigation in Sohrabuddin case should be stopped or Amit Shah be let off. By all means this case should reach it’s logical conclusion. But so should all the others including  those against Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler. BJP has done what they were supposed to do in this case so far. Not only has Amit Shah resigned from his office but has even submitted himself to the law enforcement agency, namely the CBI. It is now the turn of Congress to show that they too are morally upright. Having said this, I’ll add that this is not going to happen. The day they start proceedings against Mayawati/Mamata/A Raja/Lalu Yadav this coalition govt will collapse like a pack of cards. What a stupid predicament!!!!

BJP, on it’s part, now needs to focus on links between Congress and Sohrabuddin’s brother and expose them to the media. They also need to pressurize the UPA govt on the issues I’ve talked of earlier in the post in the forthcoming monsoon session of the Parliament. After having taken the moral high ground they now have a right to question the govt on each and every one of these relevant issues. Lately, BJP and rest of the opposition has only attacked the govt on the issue of rising prices. It’s now time to enlarge the scope of attack.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry in this world knows that working out is important but if you count the number of people you know who workout on a daily basis or even regularly you’d be amazed to see that there are hardly any. If you have more than ten of your acquaintances/relatives/colleagues who make it to that list you are a lucky one. And no, please do not count those who go for walks regularly because walking the way people do is more like a stroll than anything else and let me add that it doesn’t do a world of good either. Imagine, not even ten people in your entire list of all those people whom you know workout on a regular basis! But the important question is - ARE YOU IN THAT LIST OR NOT?

Well, there are a whole lot of excuses people have for not being regular in their workouts. You may like to call them ‘reasons’ instead of ‘excuses’ but in my view they are just that- EXCUSES, because if you want to workout I’m quite sure you can. Here are the ‘excuses’ or ‘reasons’ why people do not workout.

1. Laziness- You’ll agree that this is by far the most important reason for people not working out. They are just too lazy. It is also a question of inertia. People who have never really sweated it out find it pretty tough to get up early in the morning or even in the evening to do something physical. But if you want to look and feel good you have to get over this inertia. Try the following tricks.

- Keep the alarm clock away from your bed.

- Join a group for exercise. Exercising in a group is a lot of fun.

- Join an expensive gym. Once you’re paying a packet you’ll reach the gym for sure. And once you’re there, you never know, you might surprise yourself by actually working out.

2. I don’t have time- The second excuse people generally have is lack of time. No wonder “no time to exercise” brings up 152 million search results on google. People giving this excuse say that since their work requires them to leave early in the morning and they get rather late coming back home it is nearly impossible for them to find time to workout. Again, they are all wrong. If you cannot spare 45 minutes at a stretch to workout you can very easily space them out through the day. Ten to fifteen minutes of working out thrice a day should do the trick. Do something like taking stairs instead of elevators at work or take your office breaks outside your building by taking a walk around it. Even at home do vigorous household chores like mopping and sweeping which are excellent calorie burners.

3. I’m already lean and thin- Well, if you are already lean and thin you are one of the few lucky ones in this whole world. But tell you what? There is a world of difference between being lean and being physically fit. Although most people exercise to lose weight but thats not what the whole issue of working out is. Exercising regularly is meant to condition your mind, body and soul. Losing weight is just one part of working out. Therefore, those who are lean and thin too need to workout for better health and vigor.

4. I’ve a medical condition- People having medical problems like backache or blood pressure or pain in joints or those suffering from chronic diseases too give this excuse. But let me clarify that everybody can exercise. Just that that the degree and methodology for such people will differ from the regular ones. For such people selective postures of yoga are a great way to make them fitter. Also, in most cases they would not be suffering from these diseases or medical problems had they been exercising regularly in the first place.

5. I’ve just had a baby- It is a very common sight to see women putting on excessive weight after their pregnancy. Yes, they may not be able to workout just after delivery, especially those having caesarean babies like me, but thats just a misconception. There are hundreds of ways by which such women can lose excess weight in a matter of a few months. Moreover, if you are fit you’ll be more energetic and be able to take care of your baby better, unlike most new moms who feel drained out throughout the day after feeding the baby.

6. This is not my age to do physical workouts- Nothing can be farther from the truth. There is no age bar on when you can exercise and when you cannot. Let me just recount this story of Fauja Singh who started running at the age of 81. The man, who lives in UK, has taken part and won numerous marathon events in the world. At ripe old age of 99 he has become a legend. So much so that Adidas featured him in their ad campaigns. And he is no different from you and me. If Fauja Singh can do this I’m dead sure all of us can, especially those who are younger to him.

7. I don’t get tangible results- After laziness this is by far the most important reason for people giving up doing regular exercise. They get frustrated because they either do not loose enough weight or do not build up their muscles despite going to the gym regularly for say, a month or so. It must be appreciated that it can take upto 12 weeks before you really see perceptible changes in your body. Also, along with working out you have to be careful about what you eat. If after doing a good workout you have cheese burgers for breakfast or lunch you are back to square one. Moreover, being fit is not a short term goal. It has to be a part of our daily routine which we should carry on with throughout our lives. And if it is not a short term goal then it is foolhardy to expect dramatic changes in one’s body in just a month’s time or so.

Soreness in body after workout, especially for beginners, or a feeling of burnout after a week of heavy gyming is also a very important reason why people give up after some time. Well, these are sure signs of trying to achieve too much too soon. You don’t need to do that. Here are some tips to avoid this feeling.

- Set realistic goals. Don’t try and lose five kgs in a week or even a month. If you try to do that you’ll only end up with a very sore and weak body with no energy left for anything else.

- Workout with a trainer. A qualified trainer knows how much you should be doing each day.

- Mix it up. Don’t do the same set of exercises every day.

8. Depression- We may not realize this but people who are depressed or are stressed out are quite unlikely to hit the gym. On the contrary, in many cases depression in fact leads to binges of eating and in some cases even drinking. What I can say is that going to the gym and sweating it out can be an excellent stress buster for such people, if only they could muster the strength to hit the gym.

9. I can’t afford a gym membership- Who said you only have to go to a gym to workout? I don’t because I do my workouts at home, or in the park. You only need a pair of good sneakers to jog and your cell phone to hear some music while you do so. You can also start playing games like basketball, badminton and squash or even swimming which can be extremely beneficial. In fact, in many ways playing games is much better than going to the gym because it is not boring at all. You could even exercise in front of your TV screens which have a host of programs running on all the networks at a fixed time of the day.

10. I do not know how to exercise- This one has got to be a truly ridiculous reason for not working out. With plethora of information available to us on the internet as well as on TV this ‘excuse’ does not hold any water at all.

Having seen the reasons or ‘excuses’ why people do not exercise I can only say that it’s time we got out of our comfort zones and did ourselves a favor by putting on our running shoes and doing some serious workout on a regular basis. And those who are still not convinced are doing so at their own peril.