Supernatural Fun

Establishing communication with specters may or may not be tenable, no matter whether or not the means is Planchette. But the practice of Planchette in a dark room with people silently circling a candlelight with solemn seriousness should be fun for its sheer eeriness, if not for anything else.

Defence Unguarded

The recent assault of a senior and otherwise respected political leader like Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and that too by suspected supporters of his own political party, only goes to underline the sorry state of the state's opposition, willing to vent their grudges against each other in public, that too when the civic polls are knocking at the doors. On a wider scale, the incident is also a pointer at the present sorry state of integrity within the hundred and twenty years old political party which now happens to be the leading stakeholder of the country's ruling opposition. Also, one wonders how the miscreants could so manhandle the person who happens to be the country's Defence Minister. There is no reason why one should not be sceptical about the efficiency of the security personnel.

Empowering Information

The state's duty of publishing information should be complied with utmost fidelity and sincerity towards the citizens. Such a legal provision is of utmost necessity in a diversified democracy like India on the verge of being torn apart by corruption. The citizens should thus be more vigilant as to safeguarding their liberty. Information provides them the tools to achieve that end.

Aborigine Enquiry

One wonders how far it is true that there have not been substantial efforts for bringing the aboriginal tribes into the mainstream of the modern society. May be it is true that such efforts have not yielded encouraging results yet, noticeable to the common and distant onlooker. But by no stretch of imagination are they treated merely as cultural oddities of use only in intellectual inquiry.

Cure Within Reach

The concept of a drug cocktail supposed to reduce heart attack deaths is a welcome one not only for its potential healing capacities, but also for the fact that it is supposedly cheap, the ingredients being mostly out of the reach of the menace called 'patent'. The sooner such a drug is ready to hit the medicine stores, the better it is for the innumerable patients with cardiovascular ailments, especially in the developing countries. The conept of the Polypill supposed to effect a substantial cut on the occurrence of cardiac diseases as also increase human life expectancy, with minimum scope for serious side-effects, is no less positive.

Discomfort Underground

When the heatwave is on in Kolkata and the humidity count on the higher side, the air-coolers in the city's Metro Railway stations are off. In the stretch between Netaji Bhavan and Central, covering seven stations, the air coolers of only two stations, namely, Maidan and Esplanade seem to function properly, reducing the comfort factor that one happens to attach to the city's underground railway system. Adding to the discomfort level inside the compartments are some of the fans, which move but with the least effect. There is no reason why such otherwise petty mechanical snags cannot be promptly repaired.

Watchdogs

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Babulal Gaur has proved to be grossly irresponsible and callous in trying to hush up the brutality against anti-child marriage activist, Ms. Shakunatala Verma. His insensitivity over the entire issue is simply alarming. Perhaps he epitomises people's laxity over the obliteration of such social evils as child marriage. Closer to home at Sonarpur in the southern fringes of Kolkata expanding, we find attentive spectators watching a young woman's clothes torn off. Again, the amused gathering kept quite, with the police trying to follow suit. Needless to say, but still worthy of pointing out, it is these corrupt representatives of people and spineless policemen whose inaction allow people to act foul, with the protestors 'punished' and others 'watching' - as ever.

Spare The Children

Some people are overtly sentimental about the continuation of certain social malpractices like child marriage. And these people are still, well into the twenty-first century, hell-bent in sticking to such malign and malicious practices, by hook or by crook. That is why an anganvadi activist like Shakuntala Verma has her hand chopped off, by miscreants supporting the vice that child marriage is. No law has proved capable enough to prevent proliferation of the evil. That is because fear of certain sick traditions of an otherwise rich cultural heritage overwhelms the fear of law.

Geographically Incorrect Anthem

There is no justification why the petitioner against the word 'Sind' in India's national anthem should have been fined, that to the tune of Rs. 10,000. After all, the person was right in his own way of viewing things and the basis of his views was not entirely untenable. The controversy did not lead to any unnecessary furore over the issue. It actually made people sit back and remember the national anthem once more. The country's apex court was right in allowing the national anthem to remain intact, but perhaps the punishment it meted out to the petitioner was a bit too harsh.

Capital Crime And Punishment

Delhi may be the coveted place for the country's politicians, but it is fast gaining notoriety as the country's 'Rape Capital' as well. The proliferation of rapes in the city is really alarming, exposing the inefficiency and irresponsibility of the Delhi Police. Clearly there is no point behind the Delhi Police's recent order for early closure of the city's dhabas, which have been somehow singled out as the city's rapists' hub. Perhaps those personnel at the helm of affairs in the city’s security system are blissfully oblivious of the brutal inhumanity associated with the crime that rape is. That is why the rapists, if at all they can be tracked down, manage to escape death sentence.

Ones For The Future

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, though still very much new to international cricket, should be an inspiration for budding cricketers from lesser known cricketing centres, like Jharkhand. Already we have had the likes of Debasish Mohanty and Shiv Sunder Das from Orissa. Mohammad Kaif, hailed by some as the future captain of Team India, is from Uttar Pradesh. Again, we have Railways winning the Ranji Trophy this time. So, cricket, though a fairly expensive sport to pursue seriously, is making its presence felt all over India, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with his powerful hitting and agile wicket-keeping, can be the icon of new-generation cricketing powerhouses, if he is able to live upto his potentials.

Choose The Best From The Rest

Rajdeep Sardesai is right in saying,"...the proliferation of news channels...means widening consumer choice". Stiff competition from within the television news sector itself, apart from the print media, as also radio, and not to forget the internet, can only lead to the betterment of the way information is provided by the TV news and current affairs programmes. Freedom of choice for the consumers in an era when only the fit ones survive and compete for excellence, is certain to further the operation of the enjoyment factor that has been making TV news-viewing a thoroughly interesting experience.

Spare the Players

The ACTF and the AITA are doing a Mohammad-bin-Tughluq with the Gujarat NRE Coke ITF Women's Circuit Tennis 2005, being played at Ahmedabad in 42-degree Celsius temperatures. Organising such a tournament during schoolchildren's summer vacation to attract more kids to the ground could have been a praiseworthy plan had the weather been congenial. So, the idea was interesting but the execution left much to be desired. But then again, India, including Ahmedabad, hosts day-long cricket matches in similar, if not more oppressive, weather conditions.

Play And Prosper

India has no dearth of sporting talents. But it lacks a professional approach to the development of games and has a loophole-ridden infrastructure, so far as sports are concerned. Domestic cricket is no exception. In this context, Steve Waugh's mooting of the plan of setting up 'cricket cities' in India is a welcome proposal. The National Cricket Academy at Bangalore and the MRF Pace Foundation have been pioneers in systematic and serious training of budding cricketing talents in the country. It is vitally important to spread the game in the lesser-known centres, where there is no lack of enthusiasm surrounding the game, and where the youngsters are no less willing to take up the game seriously. 'Cricket cities' can go a long way in tapping such potentials and showing them the right way. Cricket can show the path for other games to follow, only if the administrators are willing to oblige. That can ensure that the Indian contingent is not just a showpiece at the Olympics. Let this not be just a wistful thinking.

Knot Too Early

The statistical revelations of the latest Census report regarding marriage of minor girls in the country leaves us shocked. It is frustrating that no amount of awareness drives from the Central, State and local-self governments, as also from NGOs, has been able to substantially lessen the recurrence of this social evil. Other social menaces like child labour and female foeticide are never going to come to a full-stop until and unless the curse that child marriage is cured.

Doctored Movie

Hats off to the 'Munnabhai MBBS' team for being able to convince Hollywood's Fox Movies that Bollywood movies can act the source of inspiration for Hollywood, when the reverse has been the order of the day since long. Let us hope that Mira Nair, the highly competent moviemaker that she is, does justice to Vidhu Vinod Chopra's uncharacteristic yet immensely successful venture into the genre of social comedy.

Confused Cops

How intelligent are those cops who pretend to be incapable of distinguishing between a Santro and a Maruti, and hope to be specially trained to make such identifications? No early closure of dhabas is going to make the capital safer for women at night, until and unless the Delhi Police sheds off its hypocritical mask of innocence ands stops taking ludicrous steps in a bid hush up its glaring lack of professionalism, coupled with irresponsibility.

Information For The Taking

The evolution of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 to the Freedom of Information Act, 2002, which has been renamed the Right to Information Act, is true to the spirit of democracy. This act is supposed to add that extra and long-desired bit of transparency to the functioning of the existing administrative machinery and administrative corruption, can thereby be checked to a large extent. It is an invitation to the people of India, to be more vigilant about safeguarding their own liberty. It remains to be seen how effectively the country's citizens are able to exercise this right, or, for that matter, to what extent the new democratic provisions are allowed to be put for effective practice.

Have A Ball

Javagal Srinath, with his vast experience all the world over and good track record as a bowling spearhead, is potentially a strong candidate for being Team India's bowling coach,- all the more so since he has played with a number of the country's current breed of bowlers. Also Srinath, who was plagued by recurring injuries in the later stages of his career, can give useful tips to the youngsters as to how to ward off and recover from injuries. But one should not forget that it was primarily his pieces of advice that undid Laxmipathy Balaji's guile last season, when the latter, all of a sudden, started copying his style, to Team India's detriment. Perhaps this hard-working former cricketer should be allowed some time to mature as a coach.

Childish Folly

On what grounds can a people's reprehensive, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Babulal Gaur make the comment that child marriage cannot be stopped? Is he himself aware of the misgivings associated with the inhuman practice of child marriage? It seems that he himself covertly endorses such incidents as chopping off a hand of a government activist seeking to create mass apathy against the evil that child marriage is. Perhaps India needs great souls like Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Ram Mohan Roy to be reborn to set the societal set-up on the right track. Again there should be public interest litigations against irresponsible public leaders like Mr. Gaur for making such callous statements.

Scarred Statistics

It is a matter of great shame that India is still not a leprosy-free country, thanks to the statistical manipulation and dishonesty of the government, Central and State alike. One the one hand, mass awareness campaigns denouncing the stigma associated with leprosy patients are on air both in the radio and in the television, and on the other, false statistical representation of leprosy patients in the country are published. This can only add to the psychological scars of the leprosy patients. Eradicating leprosy from the country is no impossible task and the government should come out of the spell of the utopian statistics and seriously get down to the business of making leprosy a matter of history in the country.

On Corporate Wheels

In an era when sports participations at the international level are becoming costlier and more complex by the day, it is encouraging to find a corporate brand sponsoring India's first world rankholder wheelchair tennis player, Boniface Prabhu. This corporate move is all the more laudable since wheelchair tennis is by no stretch of imagination, a popular sport in the country. More such corporate sponsorship, as also state backing, are required in the field of sports to encourage more and more worthy youngsters to take up sports as profession and make the country a sporting superpower.

Computer Calling

Owning personal computers is not going to be a happening phenomenon in India, unless people are able to do away with their fear of putting the five-figure worth electronic device out of order. The government should conduct computer awareness and literacy drives and get people acquainted with the fact that modern-day operating systems like 'Wndows' and 'Linux' have made the machine immensely user-friendly and knowledge of usable language and day-to-day common sense are all one requires for effective non-specialised use of computers, including the vast information bank and smooth communication medium that internet is.

Law For Sports

The Supreme Court of India's recent ruling that government must stay away from sports bodies, is praiseworthy. It is definitely a sporting move and supposed to safeguard the deserving sportspersons' interests against red-tapism, nepotism and other corrupt practices. But the highest court of appeal should also see to it that its verdict is not made a mockery of. Perhaps strict disciplinarians and out-and-out professionals like Jagmohan Dalmiya are the needs of the hour, so far as the administration of the country's sports bodies are concerned, so as to make India a sporting superpower.

Exhibits In Disarray

It is known to all that the Indian Museum at Kolkata has a loophole-ridden security system. Even the maintenance of the exhibits, especially which are not accommodated in a protective covering, is far from convincing. The huge skeletons of pre-historic animals have been allowed to be reduced to message boards of sorts for some of the over-enthusiastic visitors. The visitors are officially debarred from touching the exhibits. But it seems that those appointed for cleaning the exhibits have been making it a point to follow the rule, instead of the visitors.

Arms And The Kingdom

India should have vied for a complete restoration of democracy in Nepal ahead of renewing arms supply to the country. The world's largest democracy could have effectively pressurised neighbouring Nepal king, Gyanendra to restore freedom of press, the inernal watchdog of democracy. Provision of arms to Nepal when the country is passing through such a precarious condition of politico-administrative turmoil may be effective in warding off the recurrent militant aggressions. But on the flip side, such a move may also further the perils of the repressed Nepalis, who are still debarred from enjoying certain civil rights.

Cricket Administered

Hats off to Jagmohan Dalmiya for being one of the three selected from among 250 candidates, to receive the International Journal of History of Sport achievement award. This is not just a formal recognition of the cricket administrator's tremendous achievement for Indian cricket and world cricket at large, but also a potentially huge boost to the reputation of cricket, which is still played seriously in only a handful of countries, and is still not a part of the Olympics. In fact, Mr. Dalmiya has been instrumental in the globalisation of the game, the International Cricket Council (ICC) now having more than ninety members. His matter-of-fact, no-nonsense professionalism has found its reflection in an activity-oriented Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and an increasing transparency of the ICC.

Succeeding Themselves

First, it was the US Republican, George W. Bush and now it is the England Labour Party Leader, Tony Blair, who have successfully survived the election scare to hold on to their positions of the respective heads of states. In fact, as far as Mr. Blair is concerned, this is his hat-trick as the England Prime Minister, something unprecedented in the country's history. Whether or not the smiles of these self-proclaimed crusaders against terrorism stand for the furtherance of their covert imperialistic ambitions, only time can tell. But the premonitory signs gathered from past experience definitely forebode hard times to come for those who stand in their hypocritical road of acting as the saviours and protectors of mankind.

Clash Of Titans

The Johnnie Walker Super Series between an International Cricket Council World XI and Australia, where the two teams will clash each other in three one-dayers and a five-dayer, should be an interesting watch. Australia has proved to be just a shade short of being tagged 'invincible' over the past few years in both the longer forms of international cricket. They continue to amaze one and all with their spectacular consistency and admirable tenacity, boosted by an awesome bench-strength. Let us keep our fingers crossed as the teams lead up to the potentially fascinating series. It will take a colossal effort from the rest-of-the-world heavyweights to gel together as a cohesive unit to overpower the Aussie arsenal. It is a good thing that no players from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have been included in the World XI preliminary squad. There is no scope for tokenisms in such prospective epic clashes.

Five Hundred Not Out

That a clean love story's appeal transcends all limits of time is proved yet again by 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'(1995) completing, on May 13 2005, five hundred shows over a period close to ten years at the 'Maratha Mandir', Mumbai. Three cheers to the makers, 'Yashraj Films' who created this saga on their platinum jubilee as their tribute to cine-lovers. Aditya Chopra struck gold on his directorial debut, proving to be the worthy successor of his father, Bollywood love lord, Yash Chopra. The movie's catchline, 'Come...fall in love', striking in its everyday simplicity, epitomised the movie's appeal and the magic it created continues to touch every human soul. Can we, like Simran, the movie's female lead, ever forget the lilting tunes of 'Tujhe dekha to yeh jaana, sanam' played on mandoline by the male protagonist, Raj? The music reverberates as the movie recreates history.

Parliamentary Perils

The Parliament is the platform for the people's representatives. Thus it is supposed to an icon of democracy, especially in a sovereign republic like India. And so when parliamentary sessions are put on hold, the citizens are bound to feel insecure and be sceptical of the credibility of those who prove themselves to be neither 'democratic', nor 'progressive, nor working in unison for the national cause.

Swept With The Waves

None was able to deter the tsunami waves from bringing untold miseries to mankind. But the dreaded red tape has made it certain that the long-term relief for reconstruction and rehabilitation do not reach the victims in any hurry. Nature's wrath of such mammoth proportions are still beyond the power of India to control, but India 'shining' and boasting of a phenomenal rise in the Sensex almost every alternate day, can certainly expediate the tsunami victims' return to normalcy, if the tightness of the red knot is set to nought for the sake of the hapless victims of nature's fury. But instead, callousness and corruption are rampant, at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of the tsunami victims.

Security Thrown To The Winds

The hopelessly sorry state of security at the Indian Museum as also in Shantiniketan and the Asiatic Society are direct fall-outs of the glaring lack of 'work culture' going hand in hand with red-tapism in West Bengal. The soothing security of government jobs seems to have drugged the personnel into a utopian lethargy, where fire safety measures recommended in 1992 take a dozen years to get implemented. All doors are open to theft and smuggling of the neglected valuables from the prospective high-security storage and display zones at government sites. This security system is virtually without loopholes, for the simple reason that it is next to being non-existent. Where corruption reigns supreme and callousness rules the roost, what more can be expected?

Fuel For Existence

It is high time that the government bid adieu to red-tapism once for all, as far as exploration and exploitation of non-conventional energy resources are concerned, especially since many of them, like sunlight, wind, waves - are seemingly inexhaustible. Moreover, the country's hydel power resources are also to be properly tapped. Though investments in these sectors can be huge, and the initial rate of returns slow, India, the fuel-deficient country that it happens to be, cannot let itself be a puppet at the hands of the oil imperialists for long. Proper and timely investments in the non-conventional, inexhaustible or renewable energy sources can secure the prospects of India's industries and the national economy at large.

Map To The Past

How come the Mundaris and the Nicobarese have independent origins, in spite of sharing the same linguistic family? There languages must be sharing certain distinctly common characteristics. Otherwise, the issue of establishing a common ancestry would not have cropped up. Had their forefathers managed to come in contact with one another, before both of them landed in what now happens to be India, at different times though? Such unsolved puzzles provide the driving fuel to anthropologists to codify a full-proof human ancestry map.

Draws And Quick Results

Trevor Chesterfield hits the nail on the head when he says that the ICC should identify serial offenders and blacklist the venues of drawn Test matches. But then again, the concerned people should also be penalised for preparing sub-standard pitches where the Test matches are over within the virtual blink of an eye, even if below-par teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are not featuring. The Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai pitch in India's 2004-05 home series against Australia and the Eden Park, Auckland wicket during India's 2002-03 tour of New Zealand, are cases in point. Such pitches, though produce results, are more detrimental to the game's interest than those wickets where eight hundreds, including a triple ton, are scored within five days or where a team scores close to a thousand runs in a single Test innings.

Evidence Of Conscience

If evidence obtained under false pretences, lies and coercion is absolutely permissible in the eyes of the Indian law, one can only appeal to the conscience of daily evidence-gatherers, especially journalists, to abstain themselves from such otherwise 'wrong' practices as far as practicable. However, in the present era of sick hurry and divided ends, where cut-throat competition calls the shots, such 'ethical' norms are often obeyed in the breach.

Education Enterprises

An insight into the new-age Kolkata schools provides a valid picture of the emerging trend of imparting quality total education in the city. All-round development of the child's latent talents is a foremost necessity in the current competitive world for the youngster to discover himself fully, so that he may choose his future vocation with greater efficiency and enhanced scope for success. And these 'Generation-Y' schools, if they may be clubbed under that heading, seek to achieve just that. However, most of these schools are beyond even the dreams of the middle-class.

Building Brand Bengal

Hats off to Mr. Purnendu Chatterjee for bringing the world to Bengal and taking Bengal to the world. His global business ventures should inspire budding Bengali entrepreneurs to set their goals higher. Together with West Bengal CM, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's liberal and rationalistic approach towards increasing business investments, in the state, Mr. Chatterjee's iconic and inspirational projects should direct at a prosperous future for industries in West Bengal. Those 'Communists' who seek to promote strikes and processions, and such other undesirable machineries disrupting the normal flow of work, in the name of voicing protest against breach of the workers' rights, can afford to spend their time behind the bars.

Laughing One’s Guts Out

The Hindi comedy shows are like a breath of fresh air after a day of drudgery. They epitomise what is called 'comic relief'. Not only the serials like SAB TV's 'Office Office' and Zee Tv's 'Karena Kareena', but such comedy shows as Star News' 'Pol Khol' and MTV's 'MTV Bakra' are rib-tickling in their comic appeal. However, often there is the lack of new concepts due to sheer overdosage of bawdy, exaggerated comic material. Star One's reality show, 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge' with the Shekhar Suman and Navjot Singh Sidhu should be great to watch.

Aids For Doctors

At long last the West Bengal Government has woken up to the career needs of the students studying in the state's government medical colleges and the economic needs of the doctors teaching there. Inviting reputed physicians from within the state and outside to deliver lectures at the state's government medical colleges is certainly a positive move so far as the prospects of the budding doctors are concerned. Equally practical is the decision to allow private practice of the doctors teaching at the state's government medical colleges. After all, though the humanitarian service motive is the hallmark of the profession of doctors, it is a gross injustice to the latter, if the government does not allow them to make a few extra bucks by dedicating themselves to the service of a few more patients.

Talent Hunted

Woeful lack of infrastructure led to the infamous 'Fame Gurukul' disaster at the Science City, Kolkata premises on May 6. The organisers should have arranged for registration of the candidates well in advance to avoid the mockery of hopes. The enormous potential for instant fame, and the huge prize amount going with such 'talent hunts' naturally allure hopefuls, young and old, in huge numbers, and glaring loopholes in event management provide ample scope for vandalism to creep in and rule the roost only to dash properties and hopes alike. Going by the hysteria over 'Indian Idol', the organisers, Sony Entertainment Television, should have been able to estimate its own reach and appeal. The government should step in and judge the credibility of such 'talent hunts'.

Fuel For Survival

The momentum oil imperialism has gained in recent years only goes to forecast a world crisscrossed by oil and natural gas pipelines in the near future. In this fiercely competitive world always on the move, a developing country like India, where the gulf between the indigenous demand for and supply of petroleum is widening by the day, can ill-afford to abstain itself from the oil-possession rat-race. The initiatives of ONGC Videsh Ltd. in exploring the petroleum resources beyond India's international boundaries should be encouraged. However, India with its huge resource of immensely talented brains, has to look out for economical production, distribution and utilisation of non-conventional inexhaustible energy sources, because in any case, the economically viable petroleum resources are fast getting depleted and there is no reason to take it for granted that the currently explored potential oilfields will have virtually inexhaustible quantities of fuel.

Mind Your Pet

It is high time that people lessened pampering their carnivorous pets like dogs, because such pets, quite like spoiled brats, tend to indulge themselves in all sorts of nuisance, upto the extent of mortally wounding people. However, since the animals cannot be punished, the masters and the keepers are to be heavily penalised for their inability in controlling the pets. The judgement has to be strong enough to deter people from the grossly callous practice of pampering their otherwise violent pets that endanger the lives of those whom the pets seem to dislike.

Upliftment Of Still-colonized

Mere admittance of 'historical injustice' done to the tribals and recognition of tribal forest rights will be of no help unless the proposed reforms are implemented and the tribals really made to feel one with the rest of the society. It is astonishing that the rejection of the colonial legacy in favour of logically humanitarian reforms is still under consideration, even after nearly six decades of political independence whose professed and hypocritical goal was to carry the light of 'civilisation' to the 'other' world.

Crime Cannot Be Legalised

A rape, whether or not within the bounds of the wedlock, is a heinous crime. Marriage is a sacred institution. And this institution goes beyond the aridity of a mere contractual relationship. And none can allow people the liberty to so sanctify a criminal offence like rape by bringing it under the fold of marriage. A rapist, who does not know the meaning of respecting the honour of a woman - a fellow human being, can ill become a husband, all the more so when the brutality extended upto the blinding of the victim.

Health Hoodlums

One wonders how drugs or drug-ingredients with life-threatening side-effects at all come to the market, especially when medical science has made tremendous advancement, at least in developing countries. And when something injurious to health is found in any medicine, some countries ban the concerned medicine, with no further delay, and rightly so. But the problem gets acute in developing countries like India, which cannot readily react positively to the situation. The drug monitoring authorities in India have to be made more vigilant. For that more funds have to be allocated and properly channelised to the pharmaceutical sector. The pharmacy research and development programmes should also provided an added boost, so that India does not require to remain shamelessly under the mercy of the multinational drug producers. The Indian administration should specially prioritise this issue, as people's health is not to be toyed with.

Look East To The Rising Sun

After initiating a new era of friendly relations with China, India is all set further its amiable already amiable ties with yet another Asian super-power, Japan. Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi's visit to India is expected to usher in a new vista of mutual co-operation in several key areas like defence, petroleum and natural gas production, movement against nuclear proliferation, among others. But the one utmost important thing that India has to learn from Japan in the optimum utilization of the existing human resource. If the manpower can act to its optimum capacity, there is no reason why India, with all her recent spurt in the inflow of money capital, technical innovations and increasing government support, has to languish far behind the top-notch 'developed' countries, when it comes to the matter of industrial development and progress. India, in some parts, has the inherent disadvantage of lack of congenial climatic conditions for industrial activities. But still the Indian workforce, which has an enviable record when working abroad, can take a few leaves out of the book of Japanese work-culture, for twin advancement of the their personal and the country's broader interests.

Black Lining In Silver Cloud For Muslim Women

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s (AIMPLB) proposals of documentation of all marriages, regarding women as 'owners of household' and denouncing the system of triple talaq, among others, are praiseworthy. Such legal provisions and recognitions have been long outstanding. But the fact remains that women are still at a disadvantage under the Muslim marriage laws. The very fact that Muslim women are still debarred from initiating a divorce in India under the new model nikahnama, goes to show that such high-sounding, 'inspirational' coinages like 'women's emancipation', 'women's empowerment', and the like, are still mere fanciful word-plays, when the matter boils down to the Muslim women bound by wedlock in India. In a community regarded as a 'minority' in the 'secular' country of India, the female voice is all the more feeble, as epitomised by the nearly 3:1 representation ratio in favour of the males in the AIMPLB".

Ban On Black Friday

In the modern fast-track life, movies do have more ready appeal than books. On this ground, the stay order against the screening of 'Black Friday' may appear justified, even when the book published a few years back on which the movie is based was out of such controversy when it was released. But then again, though public opinion may be swayed by movies, that of a judge in the court of law, is not to be expected to get biased by it. Moreover, the police has not still been able to eradicate the menace of cheap distribution of pirated copies of movies. So even if the court goes to the extent of banning a movie, there is no reason why the eager movie-buffs will be deprived of watching the movie. To make the stay order effective, the legal machinery should also ensure that video piracy cannot make a mockery of the court verdict.

Gayle – The Recurring Plunderer

Chris Gayle deserves all the kudos for joining the elite-300 club of cricketers to have scored a triple ton in a Test innings. Though the wicket at the Antigua Recreation Ground was even more placid than usual, still the balls had to be put away, and Gayle managed to do just that, in quick time - underlining his fitness. Over the past few seasons, he has been an unsung consistent performer in both the versions of the game for the otherwise lacklustre West Indies. He goes to show how sheer courage, a cool temperament and a good sense of timing can make up for a conspicuous lack of foot movement while facing the quickies. The modern cricketing fraternity seems to be characterised by the noticeable presence of such immensely useful no-nonsense players like Mohammad Kaif for India, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for Pakistan, Hamish Marshall for New Zealand, Chris Gayle for the Windies, to name a few,- who are seldom under the spotlight and still go about their job with quiet confidence. They know the art of making best use of their talent and their sincerity and devotion towards their team's cause reap rich dividends, when the more flamboyant and hyped ones fail to deliver and live upto the expectations.

Going Great Guns

'Education Times' is a manifestation of the perfection already there in the Times Group. With such masterful strokes as 'Guidance', 'Alert', 'Campus Collage', and of course, 'Interactive', among others, to boast of , 'Education Times' has been dedicated to the noble mission of illuminating the future of the enlightened student community. Continue giving us useful insights into education and all our heart-felt love, respect and good wishes are for you. Long live the neo-Extraordinary Terrestrial, ET - Education Times.

Stressed Out Youngies

It is a lurking fact that the adolescents are fast becoming ruthlessly violent when it comes to securing their demands. And the major reason behind this is the ever-increasing sense of competitiveness in all spheres of life, education and employment taking the box-seat. Though employment opportunities are increasing at a steady pace in the country, the hiatus between the demand and the supply of jobs is still frightening for one, who for some reason or the other, cannot get oneself enrolled in one of the premier educational institutes providing job-oriented higher education. The country's administration is being kept too much busy in patching up political wrangles and such important areas like promotion of self-employment opportunities are still being relegated to the back-seat. The disturbing state of the country's administration, though apparently better than in some other nations, is only adding to the already tremendous sense of insecurity that is eating into the optimism of the country's young generation. It is high time that the 'tragic generation' of our prolix politicians took notice of the gravity of the situation and stop cudgeling the brains, directly or indirectly, of the country's future prospects. There is no point in blaming just the hapless parents for hurling their wards into the whirlpool of claustrophobic competition. The state, as also the family, and of course, the adolescents themselves should act in unison to ease out the psychological burden on formative minds.

Royal Mess

More than a 'royal failure', the emergency in Nepal had been a 'royal farce’. The militant Maoists rebels seemed least bothered about the entire state of affairs, as democracy was made to play the waiting game. The common citizens of Nepal had to bear the brunt of the King's whims, with the Press, commonly regarded as the 'fourth estate' in a democracy, still disallowed from functioning freely. Such meaningless repressive actions from the royal court can only lead to the outbreak of a few more instances of ruthless militant violence. India, with all her diplomacy, can certainly help Nepal out of its present precarious situation, in a way more humane than what the US undertook for Afghanistan and Iraq.

Learning Curve

The English county cricket provides quality opportunity to cricketers to keep up their tempo during off-seasons, if at all such prolonged breaks are to be had in the modern-day international cricket. Zaheer Khan who had been bowling his heart out with little success in the previous international season, is rightly eyeing a stint with an English county during Team India's three months leave from international commitments. Though back-to-back games take a lot out of the players, Zaheer Khan, the single-minded trier that he is, should enjoy county cricket and reap rich dividends from it. He is already no mug with the bat. And some serious batting at the fiercely competitive county level might also add consistency to his lusty hittings, especially when Twenty20 cricket is experiencing a boom. He might just return as a reliable all-rounder for India, at least for the one-dayers, as did Dion Nash for New Zealand, Nixon McLean for West Indies, among others. Even Jacques Kallis, who was just a batsman who could turn his arms to decent effect, made a sensational return to international cricket as a match-winning all-rounder in both the versions of the game.

Tennis On A High

Only a few years back India had a few male tennis players who were hailed as Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi's worthy successors. Among such talents were Syed Fazluddin and Prahlad Srinath. But now they have faded into oblivion. One reason for that may be lack of state or corporate sponsorship, especially since professional tennis is an extremely costly affair. Perhaps the same would not be the case with the likes of Prakash Amritraj and Harsh Mankad. This is because, now tennis getting popular by the day with extensive media coverage and with Indians, Paes, Bhupathi and off-late, Sania Mirza, doing consistently well at the highest level, there is no dearth of sponsorship for those who have the tenacity to survive at the professional level. With Mahesh Bhupathi and Vijay Amritraj providing the professional managerial support, Indians should do well at the professional and international circuits. Apart from Sania, other Indian ladies like Rushmi Chakravarty and Shikha Uberoi, in particular, are also bright prospects for India in women's tennis. Sania Mirza is perhaps right in saying that an Indian revolution is on the cards in tennis.

Forest Trail

The ongoing controversy regarding the shooting of the big-banner Bollywood movie, 'Kaal' in the interior of the Jim Corbett National Park in alleged violation of the Wildlife Act, seems to be a blessing in disguise for the movie's makers. The controversy just seems to be adding fuel to the already much-inflated hype surrounding the movie. One wonders why none questioned the disputed part of the shooting when the production team was on-location at the National Park. Whether or not the controversy is valid, only time can tell, but this 'negative' publicity is all set to further the cause of the co-producer buddies, Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan.

What A Character

'Character actors' have always been the loved yet neglected species in Bollywood, unless they are of the imposing stature of a Nasiruddin Shah, or an Amrish Puri, for instance. Mukesh Rishi, the 'Salim' of 'Sarfarosh' has since then, as before, been the punching bag of Mumbai's macho heroes. Ashutosh Rana's steller performance as a psycho, 'Lajjashankar Pandey' was acclaimed by one and all. But his acting potentials have been left largely unexploited on the silver screen. In recent times, Amitabh Bachchan has added an extra bit of glitter to 'character roles' with his memorable performances in 'Aakhen', 'Aks', 'Kaante' and of course, 'Black'. And traditionally 'character' actors like Vijay Raaz ('Raghu Romeo'), Irrfan Khan('Rog'), Rachpal Yadav('Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon') are venturing into lead roles with varying degrees of box-office success, though their acting and entertaining capabilities are beyond doubt.

Spice It Up

India has been known for her spices, including chilli, since time immemorial. The Spices Board should promote the consumption of chilli abroad, so as to increase India's chilli export. Moreover, the medicinal value of chilli has also to be ascertained to provide cheap ingredients for various diseases, especially at a time when economic measures like VAT and patents have meant an increase in drug prices.

Leader In The Making

Virender Sehwag is no longer just a brutal murderer of the cricket ball. A fair amount of international experience has meant that his thinking cap is always on. Otherwise he could not have been the consistent big centurion that he is. That he is also turning out to be a threatening partnership-breaker with his deceptive off-spin, also adds to his credibility as a 'thinking' cricketer. His ability to take decisions swiftly and his adaptability to various match-situations to go with his consistent fair contribution to the team effort, makes him a prime contender for the captain's office at Team India in the near future.

Thinking Murderer

The momentum Virender Sehwag imparts to the Indian innings right from the word 'go', is simply astounding. The hallmark of his willow-wielding in the past few seasons has been his amazing consistency, especially in the longer version of the game. He has well and truly emerged out of the shadow of Sachin Tendulkar. He is not just a brutal murderer of the cricket ball,-he is a thinking cricketer par excellence. Otherwise he could not have gone on to score such big international hundreds with such remarkable frequency. This swift and no-nonsense thinking, coupled with his natural aggression makes him a prime contender for the box-seat of the Team India bandwagon in the near future.

Teennapped

The incident of a fourten-year old's fabrication of self-abduction for money only goes to show how unrestricted and fantastic dramatisation of crimes in the modern-day masala movies and television shows, are having an adverse effect on formative minds. These fictions are driven by profit-motive through cheap entertainment and unfortunately, India still has not got a television content regulatory authority and the country's film Censor Board is apparently always concerned only with the portrayal of sex in movies. Cannot our Communist comrades show us the way out of this social degeneration?

Kaun-Pic-Shun

The content of the photograph illustrating Ramchandra Guha's article, 'Where left meets right' is ironical. The people seen in the picture are supposed to campaign against foreign-owned soft drinks containing harmful levels of pesticides. But instead, even though the word 'poison' is painted on both the Coca Cola and the Pepsi cut-outs, the artistry gone into the making of these cut-outs are potentially and certainly ironically, providing free advertisements for the said cola majors, that too in a congested metropolitan area in daytime.

Ripe Old Trouble

One gets the feeling that the administrative machinery, as also the society at large, in the country is always overburdened with political troubles and economic wrangles. It has no time to pay quality attention towards such ground-level social issues like geriatric suicide. Over-simplified tracking down of the cause of this social disease to hapless isolation of the elders do not hold ground in certain cases. As the social set-up gets more and more complex by the day, the laws need to get more and more case-specific. Our elders, like Gen-Xs, Gen-Ys and the like, are also an integral part of our social system and are to be respected like any other human and treated likewise. This is something that one gets to know since one's infancy. But the thing is that this bit of theoretical moral value has to be implemented in practical life. Is the twenty-first century neo-Indian Homo sapiens economicus in the global village, just a narcissist or is he/she still humane enough to 'love' the young and the old alike?

Language Liberalization

It is debatable as to how far, if at all, e-mail and SMSing reduce IQ. But the 'Counterview' that 'Shortening language has negative implications', is very much pertinent. The threat is primarily for children who tend to adhere to wrong spellings and faulty grammar on account of excessive e-mailing, internet chatting and text messaging on mobile phones. Turning a language on its head by means of abbreviated communication may be fun and time-saving even, but this unrestricted and rapid liberalisation of language may be difficult to cope up with, as simple and important messages are often getting difficult to decode.

All’s Not Fair

In an increasingly liberalised economy, it is imperative that cut-throat competition will lead the business houses to attempt to gain ascendancy over one another by hook or by crook. It is then left to the country's administrative machinery to look after consumer protection. The government is late in reacting to the falsity of promises made in pushing up the sales of cosmetics in particular. But then again, even if the ingredients of cosmetics are detailed on the labels, how are the common consumers to judge whether an item is harmful or not? Perhaps even after a decade-and-a-half of initiation of large-scale economic liberalisation of the country, India is yet to formulate an effective system of tackling the harmful fall-outs of such leniency.

Rungs Of Nation

UNO Secretary-General, Kofi Annan's 'advise' to India to stop daydreaming about winning the veto power goes to show the apex body for the union of nations across the world is a plaything of its five permanent members. The so-called 'developing' 'third world' can still act in unison with the 'superpowers' and their allies to make the world a better place to live in. For that to be achieved, the power-based tags are to be done away with. But are those who have been tasting the elixir that power appears to be, ready to taste and share the fruits of whole-hearted co-operation with a broader and level base at the international level. Unfortunately, as the situation seems to stand at the year 2005 A.D., the 'developed' countries are appearing to prefer to remain despotic. That tantamounts to another unfortunate and equally bitter inference,- in spite of Mr. Annan's high-flying and high-sounding motives, democratisation of the UNO is still a distant dream.

Solid Bat

In the one-dayers, Mohammad Kaif should bat up the order, certainly ahead of Yuvraj Singh. Kaif is a great innovator of shots but only when he has spent some time at the crease. Now, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni doing well with the big gloves, Rahul Dravid is relieved of the tiresome job of keeping the wickets and can certainly come to the crease after the fall of the second wicket. It would be best suited to the cause of the team to allow Mohammad Kaif to follow Dravid, since both are excellent runners between the wickets and, by means of quick singles, twos and threes, with the intermittent hits to the boundary, can really keep up the tempo in the middle overs when the field is spread. The natural hitters like Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia and Irfan Pathan can be ideal for merciless butchery of the cricket ball at the end overs. Moreover, Kaif has already been successful up the order, especially in the 2003 World Cup. Whoever the 'think-tank' consists of, Team India should make best use of the tremendous understanding between Dravid and Kaif when it comes to clinical batting in the crucial middle overs of an ODI.

Political Ill-health

Given the typical irresponsibility shown by elected people's representatives, even gastroenteritis can assume serious proportions in West Bengal. Exemplary punishment is perhaps the only medicine to break the hibernation of erring representatives, who always seem to be treading through a Utopian ambience under the spell of the security that corrupt politics tend to provide to those at the helm of matters. It is shocking and at the same time, shameful on the part of such elected leaders, that their unwillingness to act properly and promptly has endangered the lives of so many at Garulia and Siliguri. The lack of organised protest from the thus far patient sufferers is furthering the spread of such passive crimes. Deep-seated and rampant political corruption have drugged the political leaders and numbed the citizens at large.

Of Religion And Health

Disallowing deadbodies of AIDS patients to be given proper burial at the Catholic Church's cemetery grounds in Kerala is beyond comprehension. Such ostaracisation practised in a country where religion still plays a vital part in forming public opinion and driving their action, can be malicious to the health of the society. Instead of adding to the stigma attached to AIDS, all religions need to embark upon a common drive to counter the disease and stand by those who are HIV positive. Mass awareness campaigns to make people vigilant about the disease are the needs of the hour. There can perhaps be no better medium to effect this than religion.

Break Break Break

The politics of separation is well and truly on in India. The rate at which new political parties are formed at the expense of older ones goes to show that the hackneyed tag of 'unity in diversity' does not apply to politics practised in India. The irony this time round is that Subroto Mukherjee, who has been famous(or, infamous?) for his leftist loyalties in spite of his donning firstly, Congress and then, Trinamool colours, is forming a statewide anti-leftist forum, and that too, by going against Trinamool Congress, which is obviously notorious for it having 'anti-leftism' as its only apparent political ideology. In fact, 'political ideology' is a misnomer when it comes to the Mamata Banerjee fraternity. That the opposition in this state is in a total mess would be an understatement. Perhaps the political colour of the state is to remain gory for the times to come.

Swaggering In Cold

As expected, Aftab Ansari and six of his aides convicted in the January 22, 2002 American Center, Kolkata attack, have been given the death sentence. But the 'dignified coldness' of the prime convict, Ansari leaves one and all startled. This rank criminal with an ironical swagger is least repentant for his misdeeds. One wonders whether the real purpose behind punishment is at all being served. The society is being purged off such malicious elements, but is the exemplary punishment still being able to prevent the creation of criminals to any noticeable extent? Mere removal of miscreants will not reform the society. The crimes themselves have to rooted out. We need corruption-free national leaders, not necessarily political, to meet that end.

Fossils For Foreigners

That dinosaur fossils are sold by local tribals to foreigners for next to nothing, shows the glaring lack of interest of concerned government authorities in scientific research. Perhaps the lack of interest is accentuated by the lack of fund allocations. Perhaps India is much too far entangled in the quagmire of political drudgeries to pay worthwhile attention to national resources which apparently remotely affect the countrymen in general. Where the nation is showing neglect, the foreigners are reaping rich dividends. One wonders how such fossils are taken outside the country. The obvious answer is 'smuggling'. But then again, the next question is, 'What are the Customs doing'?

Ganguly Gang

It would be a gross distortion and glaring misinterpretation of facts if it is claimed that Sourav Ganguly's poor run with the bat is not affecting Team India's performance. His perilously short vigil at the crease has made him a butt of ridicule, but not among his band of boys. His Team India colleagues are sparing no words to acknowledge his contribution to the team's cause. Though Ganguly has been penalised much too often for his onfield indiscipline, he remains an inspirational leader par excellence. He had persisted with once-youngsters like Harbhajan, Kaif, Sehwag and Yuvraj in particular, when they were going through lean patches and has been able to pass on his confidence to the rookies. His present loss of timing and woeful shot selection has not deterred him from implementing innovations, the latest being Dhoni’s promotion up the batting order in the one-dayers. The present break in Team India's otherwise busy schedule will allow him to make necessary adjustments in his batting, so that he can be back with a bang in Team India's next international assignment. Ganguly, the modern Indian cricketing icon, should be retained as captain at least till the 2007 World Cup.

Disgraced

Neither in cricket nor in graciousness, could India match Pakistan in the recently concluded cricket series in India involving the traditional 'arch-rivals'. And this is precisely where the root of the Indo-Pak animosity rests. Every new generation is made to believe right from its inception that the two countries are 'enemies' and that the breach finalised in 1947 cannot be repaired be any means - bilateral talks, third party interventions, transport services, cricket, or anything else. Under normal circumstances, this undercurrent of tussle remains hidden from view, but when emotions are charged up, Mr. Hyde takes the better of Dr. Jekyll and the manifestation is somewhat as one found in Ferozeshah Kotla during India's losing cause. But where the Pakistanis restrained themselves in 2004, Indians failed miserably. India was disgraced before the world when the fans turned into fanatics.

The Heat Is On

The office starting an hour early should supposedly beat the heat. But it ending an hour early is only expected to make the weary souls moving out of the concrete boxes on to the asphalt slabs, prisoners of the sun. However, the proposition is nonetheless worth experimenting with.

Larger Than Life

No person representing India in whatever field, can put his or her personal interest prior to, and at loggerheads with, the cause of the nation, not even Sachin Tendulkar, "at his age, and after contributing so much to the game" of cricket. Those who are out to defend Sachin Tendulkar current "cold", "robotic" batsmanship, as the 'Wisden Cricketers' Almanac' puts it, on the grounds of his age and contribution to the game, seem to be under the spell of his once-murderous batting style. Such uncalled-for 'sympathising' actually belittles the Little Master's indubitable dedication towards the game in general and his country in particular. He may not be the entertainer that he used to be a few years back, or as Virender Sehwag is now, or as Vivian Richards continued to be throughout his career, but still the fact remains that Sachin Tendulkar is still an integral part of the Indian outfit. That he is no longer indispensable is not due to any shortcoming of his. Rather it is to the credit of the likes of the Gangulys, the Dravids, the Sehwags and the Kaifs that the Indian team has now become 'Team India', which is far from a one-man show. Slogans like 'Cricket is our religion and Sachin is our God' are better as literary exaggerations. There is no point in taking them literally. Whether or not he is, or will be, a legend, his 'fans' and 'well-wishers', and the 'experts' should remember that he is, actually, after all, a flesh-n-blood human.

Right To Intellect

Intellectual property rights laws, especially those dealing with crafts copyrights are in a nascent state in India, and so there are new controversies everyday, especially under the current economic liberalisation process. The problem is perhaps most acute with the music industry, where remixes and remakes are mostly based on older movie numbers. Also mobile ringtones and caller tunes, as also vehicle horns are now using music from popular songs, wherefrom the original creators, the music directors are not being benefited to the desired extent. With the Indian organized crafts sector, especially fashion textiles, emerging as a strong stakeholder in the world market, the concerned copyright laws should be re-framed in a well-defined manner without any further delay.

Morality Movie

The controversy regarding the amount of vulgarity and violence permissible on screen comes in waves and dies out before any solution can be reached. This time round there are signs of approval and adoption of concrete steps in the form of guidelines to set concrete criteria for demarcation between 'Adult' and 'Universal' ratings. Whatever may be the outcome of the move, the cinema authorities, as also the local police, have to see to it that minors are debarred from entering into halls screening 'Adult' movies. Adequate infrastructure has to be built in this regard. Already some of the multiplexes have started strictly adhering to the policy of examining age-proofs before allowing entry for an 'Adult' movie show. The process may be cumbersome, but it acts a complement to the system of censoring. In the traditional cinema houses, sometimes even parents accompany their minor children to 'Adult' movie shows, especially in case of Hollywood movies, most of which end up getting the 'A' certificate in India. This practice has to be stopped,- otherwise the very purpose of censorship is left unachieved.

Sweet Blessings

The news of the sad demise of the Ramakrishna Mission Math and Mission President, Swami Ranganathanandaji, comes as a shock. The down-to-earth erudite scholar that he was, he was particularly popular among the students of the Mission's schools and colleges. He had the unique way of blessing the visiting students at Belur with lozenges and toffees. The gesture, minor in itself, was heart-warming nonetheless, so much so that certain students preferred to refer to him as 'Lozenge Maharaj'. In spite of his illness and ripe years, the soft smile that he bore on his face, was a source of inspiration to the students to surge ahead in life and serve the country and humanity at large.

Sweets Soul

The news of the sad demise of the Ramakrishna Mission Math and Mission President, Swami Ranganathanandaji, comes as a shock. The down-to-earth erudite scholar that he was, he was particularly popular among the students of the Mission's schools and colleges. He had the unique way of blessing the visiting students at Belur with lozenges and toffees. The gesture, minor in itself, was heart-warming nonetheless, so much so that that certain students preferred to refer to him as 'Lozenge Maharaj'. In spite of his illness and ripe years, the soft smile that he bore on his face, was a source of inspiration to the students to surge ahead in life and serve the country and humanity at large.

Police The Police

When cops turn corrupt, they hit the news, especially when they are into criminal acts. The Mumbai policeman, Sunil More's alleged rape of a minor college girl, and that too at a police outpost, is shocking and shameful. Mumbai Police Commissioner, Anami Roy is right to have summarily dismissed More from service. A handful of such cops defame the entire police fraternity. Rape is inhuman and when a supposed protector of law commits such a crime, people are bound to be sceptical of the selection and the training processes of these government servants. The judiciary should look to it that the case is not hushed up. The rapist should be thrown behind the bars, if not hanged. An exemplary punishment has to be meted out to the criminal, so people dare not think of raping, whether or not under the influence of narcotics. Spare a thought for the victim! Perhaps the root of the crime lies in our social setup where even till date, women are often commodified, and where often 'women's liberation', 'women's empowerment' dwindle into oblivion as empty vaunts, and bear only academic interests.

Women On Top

Though the Indian Federation Cup women's tennis team managed to lose out to the only so-called tough opponent, China, still the performances of Shikha Uberoi and Rushmi Chakravarty in particular, were laudable. That India managed to make a mincemeat of their other opponents like Singapore, Uzbekistan and South Korea among others, without the service of Sania Mirza, goes to justify the latter's claim that an Indian revolution in women's tennis is on the cards. The government should implement schemes to encourage more and more Indian girls to take to the game seriously. It is nice to see business enterprises coming up to sponsor the game and the individual players. The mass media are also providing necessary mileage to the game. These are not just because of the gleaming glamour factor associated with the game. Talent and more importantly, performance always have the final say in popularising and promoting the game, especially in a country like ours which is far from being a top-notch sporting nation.

Birthday Boy

Is their any justification behind making a news of Sachin Tendulkar's turning 32, especially when he decided to celebrate the occasion only with his close ones? An analytical feature on the icon of current cricket, and Indian sports at large, on his cricketing career thus far with special emphasis on his present role in Team India, was just what the doctor ordered. Sachin Tendulkar for once need not have any media mileage.

Domestic Police

As crime continues its upwardly mobile trend in Kolkata, this time with the murder of Tara Chand and Sarda Banka, in a highrise, it is not just the police who are supposed to maintain law and order in Kolkata. If the citizens are not responsible enough towards their own safety, no way can a handful of men in white ensure their immunity from untoward incidents. The problem is particularly threatening in the city's posh high-rises, where often elderly people are left stranded, only to be exploited by the shrewd domestic helps, who often seek to adhere to the dictum of 'self-help is the best policy' by hook or by crook, making an 'unreal mockery' of humane considerations. However, notwithstanding whatever amount of callousness on the part of the ever-busy but never-ready citizens, the police should be able to track down the miscreants, especially when such crimes are showing definite trends.

Crime At Kolkata

The recent spate of murders, kidnaps, robberies and other crimes, as also road accidents, in Kolkata, justifies the city's losing reputation of being 'safe'. However, if people afford to spend a little extra effort on precautionary measures like knowing actual whereabouts of domestic helps, sticking to traffic rules, and the like, there is no reason why such untoward incidents cannot go down in the city.

Cross-border Rivalry

Cricket is certainly one of the major, if the not the major, common point of interest between the common people of India and Pakistan. Cricketing ties involving the two countries always generate great enthusiasm among the Indians and the Pakistanis all the world over. But it will be asking for too much to expect the game to bridge all the diplomatic gaps between the two countries. As long as the Kashmir issue remains restricted within the narrow confinements of a mere 'prestige' issue for both the countries, the undercurrent of scepticism in Indo-Pak relations is never going to die out, and in spite of the ''Main Hoon Naa''s and ''Veer-Zaara''s, the ''Friendship Series'' and ''Aman Setu'', the neighbours will remain arch-rivals.

Into Character

'Character actors' have always been the loved yet neglected species in Bollywood, unless they are of the imposing stature of a Nasiruddin Shah, or an Amrish Puri, for instance. Mukesh Rishi, the 'Salim' of 'Sarfarosh' has since then, as before, been the punching bag of Mumbai's macho heroes. Ashutosh Rana's steller performance as a psycho, 'Lajjashankar Pandey' was acclaimed by one and all. But his acting potentials have been left largely unexploited on the silver screen. In recent times, Amitabh Bachchan has added an extra bit of glitter to 'character roles' with his memorable performances in 'Aakhen', 'Aks', 'Kaante' and of course, 'Black'. And traditionally 'character' actors like Vijay Raaz ('Raghu Romeo'), Irrfan Khan('Rog'), Rachpal Yadav('Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon') are venturing into lead roles with varying degrees of box-office success, though their acting and entertaining capabilities are beyond doubt.

All-round Worries

Irfan Pathan did bat well and bowled his heart out. But his deliveries definitely lacked the guile he is famous for. Pathan is still very much young and given the opportunity, he can be just the ideal all-rounder India has been looking for since the retirement of Kapil Dev. But, in any case, Team India fans need to remember that Kapil Devs are not born, nor made, at ten years' intervals. India should thank its lucky stars if it can make a Manoj Prabhakar, sans betting of course, out of the talent that Pathan is.

Of Law And Politics

In a country where child marriage, female foetecide and Sati are still practised in some parts amidst much fanfare, how can same-sex marriage be permissible? Political leaders with one foot entangled in the quagmire of religion and both eyes fixed on the seats of power, are there to pounce upon such issues to prove their loyalties to their respective vote banks. In such a social scenario, legal sanction of same-sex marriage is a far cry from reality. However, still we can validly hope for an amendment of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to the effect that paedophiles, rapists and regular couples are no longer put within the same bracket.

Fuel For Cops

Even the cops' lives are not secure under the scorching Kolkata sun. And now the casualty is a thirty-year old traffic sergeant, after having to get dehydrated all the day long. One wonders why these sergeants need to wear metallic helmets all the time even with the sun blazing down. Some cooler and lighter variety of protective headgear can certainly be introduced. Also the duration of the traffic cops' duty shifts can be cut short when the weather is so unbearable. The Kolkata Police can reinforce their traffic workforce by hiring part-time traffic personnel on contractual basis for the summer months. Provisions can also be made to provide the traffic sergeants with adequate number of glucose water pouches, which they can collect from the local police station before joining duty each day. It is high time that the bosses at the top took notice of the state of affairs and implement necessary measures promptly so that the young lives do not wither away in the heat.

Seat Of Learning

In an era when the spotlights are always on the IIMs and the IITs, the quality holistic education that old warhorses like Delhi's St. Stephen's College have been providing, does not really go without notice. Such traditional centres of learning, where education is a sacred experience, are like banyan trees whose shade energises the travellers making their way up the road of success. They do not have the superficial gloss but their importance in making of man can in no way be undermined.

All Nazar On Kiss

The current controversy over Pakistani actress, Meera's onscreen kiss in the first ever Indo-Pak movie collaboration, 'Nazar', is illogical. Debutante director, Soni Razdan is correct when he says that Pakistani censorship laws should not apply in India. There is no reason why political and diplomatic issues are to be considered in any thing and everything that involves the two neighbours. Meera's comment, "I am not even comfortable doing bold scenes" is also ambiguous,- either she is going against the consensus of her country by not considering a kissing scene to be a bold one, or she is directing at any compulsion that she might have been put under in doing the controversial scene.

Round Characters

Bob Woolmer has suggested the remedy of three-dimensional players for the rejuvenation of Indian cricket. In this respect, although he has made mention of the batting credentials of Irfan Pathan, he has missed out on the bowling acumens of Dinesh Mongia and Sridharan Sriram, who are much more regular first-class cricket bowlers than the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag. In fact, Sri Lanka has been immensely successful with their spinner all-rounders like Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Chandana, who stifle the run-flow in the crucial middle overs of a one-day match and even take wickets when the final slog is on. The likes of Mongia and Sriram, along with Sehwag in particular, can do the same for India. The problem with India, even under the dynamic leadership of Sourav Ganguly, has been that batsmen who can bowl are not groomed as all-rounders and bowlers who can bat are allowed to continue only as entertainment packages when it comes to the matter of wielding the willow. The Indian think-tank, whoever it consists of, must accept the fact that all-rounders if not born, are to be made, as Pakistan has done with Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik and earlier with Azhar Mahmood.

Food For Thought

On paper, it is not difficult to teach children the concept of 'balanced diet'. But the problem lies in the practical application of the theoretical knowledge. When it comes to the matter of satisfying one's appetite, unless of course there is any immediate threat of deterioration of health, very few people, no matter whether they are young or old, try to restrain themselves. The problem is certainly grave in case of junky fast foods.

Metro Menace

The Metro Rail service is often far too slow at peak hours, especially in the morning. One gets the feeling that the engine is incapable of pulling the overcrowded compartments. Often the train literally trudges into and out of the middle stations. And once the passenger pressure starts to ease out on the train approaching the terminal station, the desired speed is restored. And no matter how clean the stations look, the tracks are perhaps cleaned only once in a blue moon. The stagnant water in between the first and the second rails may just be the ideal breeding ground for the city's dreaded mosquitoes. Whatever may be the difficulty, technical or organisational, there is much scope for improvement in the city's underground rail services.

Old Code

One wonders what makes the Supreme Court of India adhere to the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code as framed way back in 1868. The Indian social set-up has undergone a sea-change in the intervening period of nearly a century and a half. And now once taboo topics like homosexuality and lesbianism are actually topics of a number of commercial Indian movies. If the empathetic portrayal of such 'unnatural' relationships on a popular mass media like movies is not a crime, then how come the practice of such relationships be deemed illegal, especially since sex is often a matter of pure pleasure, without any objective of procreation. If the parties involved agree to have such relationships, then how on earth can any court in a democratic republic denegrate them, especially when the practice of such relationships involves adoption of safe-sex measures?

Nuclear Stand

If the US is taking so much interest in Iran's nuclear ambitions, it should actually be happy that the gas pipeline proposed to run from Iran to India via Pakistan should be a step towards lasting peace in the Indian subcontinent. Moreover, the measure is also supposed to divert Iran's nuclear ambitions towards a fruitful end. So there is no reason why the Bush administration, posing to be the saviour of the world, with the burden of peace-keeping all the world over, should feel skeptical and insecure in this regard.

Law Before Law

West Bengal government's proposed legislation on pre-litigation conciliation boards is definitely a praiseworthy move. If at all an official provision is made in this regard, it is certain to speed up the otherwise long-drawn-out and cumbersome judicial litigation process. The enormous time and also money involved in getting the final verdict from a law court are often the factors that discourage people to resort to legal remedies of certain problems. But even this otherwise good move has to pass through the acid test of the state's murky political atmosphere. Moreover, if the provision is at all actually made, the rural political be-alls-and-end-alls are there to bypass its wise motives and use it for their own betterment, which often run at cross-purposes with the interest of the people, whom they are supposed to represent and whose good they are supposed to look after. Chief Minister, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has a boggy road ahead, which is all the more unfavourable for progress because of the red party's virtual monopoly over rural Bengal's state of being, as also over the state's bureaucracy.

Face Of CricInd

Ganguly is an inspirational leader par excellence. He is the icon of Team India, whether they are in white or in blue. Let him lead the boys at least till the 2007 World Cup. Kaif or Sehwag may take over from there.

BSF And Bodos In Bad Light

The base way in which the BSF as also the Bodos have been portrayed in the movie, 'Tango Charlie', only goes to show how the entertainment entrepreneurs are willing to distort facts and defame people to any extent in their endeavour to make a few quick bucks. It is high time that the Censor Board took notice of such glaring anomalies between appearance and reality as explicitly portrayed in movies, which dwell upon sensationalisation. In any case, the final verdict comes from the public, who, as the saying goes, "knows everything", and has the good sense to make out how far the limits of the right to freedom of expression can be extended to make room or otherwise for the aesthetic appeal of any art form. And 'Tango Charlie', with its heavyweight starcast, is just a shade better than a wash-out at the box-office.

Test Run

The much-hyped VAT regime was supposed to bring uniformity to the tax structure prevailing in different parts of the country. But Orissa has definite reasons to feel deprived, so far as revenue collection is concerned. Lower tax rates in neighbouring states like West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh is certain to divert the local traders' attention to these ready markets. The matter acquires much more importance when the issue encompasses even commodities of daily use, especially foodgrains. But perhaps there is still no justification to specifically accuse the UPA government at the centre for all the discrepancies and loopholes still present in the system. The VAT system in India is still in its formative stage and all the state finance ministers, no matter which political party or coalition they represent, have to act in unison detect and rectify the mistakes. The VAT has been implemented for long term benefits of all concerned and one should not raise a hue and cry if the system does not achieve desired results right from the onset. The ministers should understand that there is no reason why narrow political interests should creep into economics that affect the entire country.

Home Team Grounded

India finally did manage to lose the one-day series to Pakistan. Perhaps that was a fitting gift for the visiting Pak President! Levelling the Test series at one-all was no less disgraceful and humiliating for the home team. Pakistan for once showed discipline on the field and the squad which was dubbed as the weakest ever Pakistan team to tour India, romped home with all the honours. Right from Kamran Akmal, Asim Kamal and Danish Kaneria in the Tests, to Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, Salman Butt and Shoaib Malik in the one-dayers, Pakistan had their resources well-marshalled. Of course, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan were there to lead the way and they did accomplish their job to perfection. On the other hand, apart from the emergence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the revival of Ashish Nehra to some extent, India achieved very little worthwhile from the one-dayers. Thankfully, Sourav Ganguly's poor run came to an end with the ICC ban and the BCCI restriction. And though one ton and a five wicket haul in six matches may not appear too bad on paper, the bitter truth is that Sachin Tendulkar, finally, is showing imminent signs of prolonged inconsistency. With John Wright gone and Sourav Ganguly woefully out of touch, who is going to set things right for India? "The answer, my friend, is blowing in the winds."

Biman Down In Alms

It is amazing why someone who proclaims himself to be Communists before anything else, like to strike the pose of a beggar. Biman Bose's pre-Kolkata municipal poll eye-washing stunt of pooling alms from people to bear the cost of his legal wrangles consequent to his irresponsible criticism of Calcutta High Court judge, Mr. Amitava Lala's decision, is ridiculous. And the CPI(M)'s supporting him in this regard is deplorable. How dare these people hope to tax people with the burden of their own nuisance? The irony of the entire gimmick is that people can very well see through Bose's as also his party's materialistic motive of winning voters' sympathy before the elections. Whatever this may be, it is certainly far off from Marxian Communism. Can hypocrisy be better expressed?

Valley Rail Ride

The age of adventure is certainly not over. Now we are having the Jammu-Udhampur rail link, to be extended to Baramula, to challenge the Konkan Railway in terms of sheer exotic romanticism associated with rail ride. But will many people have the guts to take advantage of this Kashmir rail route, especially when militants are still very much on with their vandalism in the Kashmir valley?

Model For Rural India

West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya shows no intentions of wearing the mask of Communist bigotry. He is very much open to not just mere acceptance of something innovative, notwithstanding its source, and has the real zeal of a people's representative to implement the new plan promptly and with utmost efficiency. The Bhalki model based on a design by McKinsey has to be adopted in other parts of poverty-striken rural India, with necessary alterations as and when required. The greatest virtue of this model is that it requires a modest investment, which is why it is all the more practicable to apply this model in a large scale in rural India.

Bus Bondage

No such single confidence building measure like the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service is individually going to be of much help in normalizing Indo-Pak ties and solving the Kashmir issue. The bus service success, however, is certainly symbolic of the inherent undercurrent of the strong heartfelt cultural bondage that exists between the commoners of the two countries. It can be viewed as one of the stepping stones for the union of the Indian and the Pakistani soul. The wave of such positive measures undertaken at the grasssroot level in the recent past, including, of course, restoration of cricketing ties and wide acceptance of such movies as 'Main Hoon Naa', and 'Veer-Zaara' in both the countries, are promising as far as the quest for obliteration of the animosity between the two countries is concerned. It is encouraging to see that the diplomats and the administrators of the two countries have finally realized the importance of providing platforms to common citizens of the two countries to interact face-to-face with each other, in a bid to know and understand each other better than ever before. That will allow India and Pakistan to stand strong in unison.

Swashbuckling Shahid

It is good for world cricket, unless one is not an opponent, that Shahid Afridi is well and truly back on song, scoring the second fastest ODI century, bettered only by himself. However, Brian Lara too has an ODI century scored off 45 balls, as Afridi did against India at Kanpur. Perhaps Afridi was not conscious of Lara's feat; had he been aware of that, he would certainly have gone in for claiming the even the second spot all by himself. One wonders what he had been doing down the order all these days, considering the fact that he has 200 international sixers to his credit. It seems that the calming influence of Inzamam-ul-Haq and the master tactician that Bob Woolmer happens to be, have had a positive effect on Afridi's batting, which is now no more a mere compilation of instinctive butchering of whatever comes his way in whatever way. It is a real pity that he happened to have only three ODI tons to his credit prior to Kanpur. Moreover, he has also got consistent with his bowling. Fieldingwise, he is one Pakistan's bests. And now, when the Shoaib Maliks and the Abdul Razzaqs are on fire, can Shahid Afridi be far behind?

Football Frenzy

The bombardment and consequent blazing of Milan's San Siro Stadium turf with fireworks thrown by spectators, was an instance of unprecedented folly and nuisance. Such hooliganism seems to rise by leaps and bounds in a body-contact game like football. The charring of cars outside the stadium on the occasion of the Juventus-Arsenal match twenty years after the infamous match involving the two teams when many fans died, is another case in point. Such rowdiness, at a lower level as the game standard itself is, is also a part of Indian, especially, Kolkata football. No amount of security arrangement seems to be adequate once tension and excitement spreads among the fans. A major accident seems always in the offing.

Metal Versus Earth

How far is the measure for replacing earthenwares and plastic containers with metallic ones economically feasible, in India? And before that, how long will it take to disseminate the information and create the awareness that metal is a safer bet than earth or plastic when it comes to the question of fighting harmful water-borne micro-organisms?

Match Lost, Skipper Fined

Finally Sachin Tendulkar managed to join the run-feast but the tragic irony lies in the fact that India still managed to lose. No kudos is enough to congratulate Inzamam ul-Haq for a splendid and mature innings to steal victory. And it was again a bit too harsh on Sourav Ganguly to suspend him for as many as six ODIs for slow over rate. But still it cannot be refuted that sometimes the modern-day captains do tend to lose track of their alternate plans in tight situations, making it all the more time-consuming to set fields, and more so when suggestions appear to be showering in from all directions. And then again, why are these matches being played in such extremely trying weather conditions, where the heat scorches the brain and the humidity numbs the senses? The pitches, too, are dead as dodos, making field-setting a mere formality. The International Cricket Council has made some of the rules too difficult to adhere to, while some are too lenient. On a positive note, this suspension is perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Leader in Blue to regain his form and confidence in domestic cricket. However, the captain is setting bad examples before the next generation cricketers by getting suspended or fined once to often.

Bloody Bihar

Every rebel has a concrete motive for bloodshed, whether or not the reason stands as valid. But what is happening in Bihar? Now a priest is stabbed in Mokama for voicing protest against extortion. This is an apparently isolated incident bearing little significance to those unaffected, especially when, I have deep regrets saying, 'Bihar' is interchangeable with 'corruption' and nuisance'. But still such incidents make news and quite rightly so, since things are to be set right. Every moment is a step backwards into the deep, dark craters of regression. It is tragic that the ancient seat of learning and prosperity boasting of someone as great as King Asoka, among many others has degenerated to haven for all evils. One needs a Jesus to save Bihar.

Giant Leap

Amidst the news of widespread malpractices in forests, endangering flora and fauna at large, the news of rise of elephant population in Kaziranga National Park by around 200 over 2002-2005, comes as something pleasant and heartening. After all, the takers of ivory must have got humanised enough to spare these animals. The forest administrators too must have done their job sincerely. Kaziranga elephants should show the way to others as well. Corruption in the forests should end once for all. One need not destroy the forest ecosystem to further one's avaricious economic interests, that too at the expense of law. One hopes that other animal censuses also reveal such healthy trends. Long live humanity and long live animals!

Culture On Common Plane

The Sino-Indian relation has become so deep-seated in the recent past that the two countries are now willing to co-operate with each other even in thus-far uncharted areas like movies. The exotic Chinese locale of mountain ranges and intermontane plateaus, especially the Takla Makan Desert with the snow-capped Tien-Shan Range providing the backdrop, can be the ideal setting for Bollywood songs and thriller climaxes. But perhaps more importantly, the people of the two countries can know each other better by watching each other's movies. Understanding the culture of foreign countries is the key to maintenance of friendly relations at the international level. Whatever the diplomats do at the administrative level not always touch the lives of the commoners and those which actually manage to cast an impact on them, usually have long gestation periods. Cultural intercourse through movies, which always have a wide appeal, can accelerate the advancement of better relations among the common Indian and his Chinese counterpart, as it is both the ancient countries have rich and diversified cultural heritages and always venerate great men like Hiuen Tsang, King Asoka, Fa Hien, King Harshavardhan.

Foreign Hand Of Help

Many Indian educational institutions, especially those imparting higher education in traditional disciplines like accountancy, humanities, management, mass communication, medicine, science and technology have gained worldwide reputation. So, foreign degrees in such academic and professional courses do not necessarily give the students any additional edge as such. However, foreign degrees in up and coming disciplines like oceanography, disaster management, tourism do impart added value to the students.

Women On Top

The Women in Blue deserve all praises for securing the second spot at the recently concluded women's cricket World Cup. Though they were comprehensively overpowered by the Aussies in the finals, the former produced some sterling performances throughout the tournament. Their beating the former champions, New Zealand in the semis, was particularly astounding. The electronic media should cover women's cricket more extensively. Business houses and NGOs need to join hand with the Sports Ministry to promote women's cricket in India, where as it is, 'cricket is the religion'. Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Anju Jain deserve to become household names.

Mower Truck

Dishonest policemen do make news. This time round one such 'protector of law' is suspected to have, at least indirectly, accounted for the lives of two boys in Rajabazar, Kolkata. It is nice and fine that the truck-driver wanted to bypass the cop suspected to have been waiting for his dose of bribe. But did the policeman pop into the scene out of nowhere? If that is not the case, then why was the truck-driver not careful enough to notice that the two boys were playing on the pavement, when he attempted to speed past the policeman? The driver must have been inattentive. Perhaps he was too engrossed in the 24x7 radio revolution. Whatever the case may have been, who are going to care for the bereaved family members of tiny Shahabuddin and Azharuddin, who perished before flowering?

Blown-up Knotty Affair

The Charles-Camilla marriage is being unnecessarily sensationalised. The British monarchy is an object of romance all the world over, especially in the commonwealth states. So it is imperative that the second marriage of the aged prince will make news. But on what ground can it eat into so much of newsprint for so long? The verdict is loud and clear - we, the people of India, do not wish to carry the burden of colonial legacy even after nearly six decades of freedom from the British imperialist rule.

Deliver Or Retreat

Irfan Pathan's poor show with the ball in the third Indo-Pak ODI where he went for around eight runs per over and was debarred from bowling for delivering two beamers, resurfaces the question, why is he still there in the squad, in spite of being visibly unfit? Though he managed to score a well-compiled half century, he is certainly not going to be kept in the squad when he is flayed to all parts of the ground and goes wicketless, and that too when the consistent domestic cricket performers like Ajit Agarkar and J.P. Yadav are waiting in wings. Irfan is still very young and considering the mine of talent that he has proved to be, he can certainly return to international cricket with a bang, after a regenerative break. Even captain Ganguly, though age is not in his side, can do the same.

Beat And Flee

One wonders what has happened to the law and order situation in West Bengal. The beating up of a Higher Secondary examinee, Vivek Sharma by a 'youth leader', Sanjay Bakshi, is shocking. And as usual, the police is lying defunct. The city's law and order is the object of satire, the police being the target of ridicule. So long the state politics remains contaminated with anti-social elements, innocents are going to be assaulted, especially when the protectors of law are finding it too difficult to trace out a law-breaker with a political tag when the municipal elections are round the corner.

Fix `Em Up

Sadly enough, the cricket match-fixing allegations have resurfaced. And Mohammad Azharuddin is being made the scapegoat yet again. It is difficult to make out why he is constantly being made the wretched object of ridicule and target of vituperation. One wonders how such a sensationalised news makes way into the first lead.

Bridge For Revival

Kudos to those who blew up all the fears and apprehensions associated with the crossing the 'Aman Setu'. The determination of the government officials and the security personnel who put their heads down to make this bit of history possible is no less praiseworthy. The militants should learn to give up their baseless terrorist ideologies, which do not hold ground before such overwhelming sense of brotherhood shown by the travellers from both countries. There should be more and frequent implementations of such confidence building measures between the two countries, which share an undercurrent of inherent longing for each other, and which can no more be denied.

Groom And Grow

It is absolutely pointless to have teams like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh pitted against say, Australia, or for that matter, any of the other Test-playing teams. More than a decade has passed since Zimbabwe have been awarded the Test status, but apart from a few wins here and there, they have never looked like posing a real threat to their illustrious oppositions. Bangladesh, with their home series victory against a depleted Zimbabwean outfit, are finally, at long last, showing promising signs of improvement. But it would be still an understatement to say that they still have a long way to go. Even Sri Lanka took a long time to establish themselves as a cricketing force to reckon with. But their batting, with the likes of Duleep Mendis, Roy Dias, Sidath Wettimuny and Brendon Kuruppu, was always threatening. More importantly, the Sri Lankans played as a cohesive unit right from the word ‘go’. But especially the present Zimbabwean side is over-dependent on Tatenda Taibu, Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut, with none of the rookies except Elton Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya, to some extent, showing potential to survive at the highest level. However, Bangladesh with a promising breed of youngsters like Aftab Ahmed, Enamul Haq, Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazmul Haq, Nafis Iqbal, among others, need to add the element of consistency to their play. As it is, they have shown maturity and tenacity to compete at the highest level, in their ODI series triumph over Zimbabwe, where they hit back strongly at the visitors, to win three consecutive matches after being 0 - 2 down.

Instead of stripping the ODI status from Kenya, they should be allowed to play more against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Perhaps the International Cricket Council should introduce a new tier for its Associate Members who manage to qualify for the World Cup or the Champions Trophy. Here they can improve and nurture their skills before they can be considered for awarding the Test status. Teams like Canada, Holland, Hong Kong, Namibia, Scotland, U.A.E. and U.S.A are not without potential. The first five-wicket haul in the 2003 World Cup came from a Canadian - Austin Codrington, the Dutchmen boast of two ODI tons, Namibia did scare England in their World Cup encounter, Scottish John Blain and Asim Butt were among the highest wicket-takers in the group league stage of the 1999 World Cup. And who can forget Salim Raza's(U.A.E.) and John Davison's(Canada) batting heroics in the 1996 and 2003 editions of the World Cup respectively. Kenya's dream run in the 2003 World Cup was a testimony to their immense talent.

But for such stray successes to be elevated to the level of consistency, these teams are to groomed properly, say, by making it mandatory for the Test-playing countries to send their second string teams to these countries on a regular basis. Actually India has been doing exactly the same with Kenya in recent years. Moreover, a Bangladesh side featured in India's domestic Duleep Tophy this season. Some of the Kenyans, Namibians and Zimbabweans feature in South African domestic tournament. Likewise, some English county teams recruit Dutch, Irish and Scottish players. In fact, Kenya's 2003 World Cup hero, Colins Obuya was recruited by an English county side. At the same time, the ICC must make it sure that more and more natives and not just the immigrants from Test-playing nations, feature in the Associate Members' national sides.

Bus Blow

Just when things were going right in the Indo-Pak relation, with the likes of renewal of bus services between the two countries, 'Friendship Series', 'Main Hoon Naa' and 'Veer-Zaara', to name a few, the bombing of the Tourist Reception Centre at Srinagar, where the passengers of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus were lodged, comes as a shock, making things haywire once again. Perhaps the Indian Government requires to obliterate the militants and their ideologies once for all. These terrorists and their aides need to be taught a lesson and tough at that, especially since it is clear by now that these disruptive elements do not have popular support from either side of the border. The bus must roll on.

Deserted Domestic Cricket

On the one hand, tickets for India-Pakistan one-dayers are being exhausted within the blink of an eye and on the other, the Ranji Trophy Elite Group final at Mohali was witnessed only by former India cricketer, Railways' Harvinder Singh's family. It is a pity that people are least interested in the domestic games, which are the actual grooming grounds for the Team India cricketers. So, actually Punjab had no support playing at home. Even though big names like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Karthik and Dinesh Mongia were missing former India cricketers like Sanjay Bangar, J.P. Yadav, Pankaj Dharmani did perform creditably in the match. But still the authorities did not care to promote the match. The galleries were deserted even though the match was not telecast live. Moreover the players still receive pretty poor pay packets playing at the domestic level. One wonders what the BCCI does with all the money it earns. Such neglect produces the Abhijit Kales of Indian cricket.

Club Club

Indians finally are performing well consistently in sporting events other than cricket. After the likes of Sania Mirza, Narayan Karthikeyan and Pankaj Advani in the last few months, it was now the turn for golfer Arjun Atwal to club his way to glory('Atwal swings title, almost', April 06). His securing the joint second position at the $ 5 million BellSouth Classic US PGA Tour at Duluth, Georgia makes Indians feel proud. Atwal's performances over the past few seasons have been encouraging and along with Jyoti Randhawa, he seems all set to create more than just the few odd ripples in the PGA Tour in times to come. The way things are presently going, perhaps India's first US PGA Tour title is not far to seek.

Jaya Fumes Over Vivek’s Saving Souls

Whatever a star does becomes a news and when two superstars like Jayalalithaa and Vivek Oberoi are involved, the news eats into the newsprint. The accounting wrangle jeopardising corporate fund-raising for Oberoi's 'adoption' of the Devanampattiam village in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu has made him the object of vituperation of the TN Chief Minister. The Oberoi family has wisely thought it safe to tackle the issue with a straight bat by solemnly denying any 'publicity' motive behind Vivek's otherwise humanitarian efforts. Now, Jayalalitaa's aggressively defamatory stance against Vivek Oberoi cannot be supported even if it is true that the latter has contributed very little moneywise for the December 26, 2004 tsunami victims. Curtains should fall on this desi version of the modern 'Much Ado About Nothing' with immediate effect.

Railway Ruckus

It is amazing to note the frequency at which rail accidents ravage India, where there is a separate union government ministry for railways and where this branch of the nationalised sector is more than a hundred and fifty years old. Moreover, the railways are the single largest employer in this second highest populated country. But still five bogies of the 3008n Dn Toofan Express caught fire in the Mughalsarai-Patna section and fire fighting engines had to be brought all the way from Gazipur. Quite obviously the five compartments were gutted. And the passengers, though rescued, had to undergo untold miseries, thanks to the callousness of the railway authorities. But, in any case, the passengers themselves need to be more vigilant to avoid such accidents, as the cliche goes, 'Prevention is better than cure'.

Circus Shock

The news of twenty-one circus animals including sea-lions, eskimo dogs and others orignating in cold countries charred to death in a Mumbai circus tent, comes as a shock. Mumbai traditionally experiences a high temperature at this time of the year. How at all could the Russian circus be allowed to stage its shows there in the month of April, and that too with animals that are not known as not familiar to heat and atmospheric humidity? Three air-conditioners with one out of order are just not enough for the animals. It is nothing short of being utterly inhuman and imprudent to use polythene-based material for setting up a circus tent. That makes one and all – humans and animals, owners and spectators open to the threat of being charred if and when there is a fire. Profiteering has to be tempered with some sympathy for the circus inmates. Are the authorities finding themselves too out-of-gas to look into the matter and take necessary actions promptly?

S.O.S.

Wild life conservation is unfortunately still a neglected aspect of Indian administration. With rampant corruption ruling the roost and emancipation lying in profiteering, wild life, both flora and fauna, are in danger, posing serious threats to the ecosystem. We seem to be too badly entangled in our daily rounds of drudgeries to pay worthwhile attention to wild life conservation. The lessons in environment enumerated in the textbooks are not being put to effect.

Seeing Stars In Daylight Under Taratala Fyover

Several of Kolkata’s flyovers are complete. Whether or not they will be successful in easing out the metro traffic mess only time will tell. But certainly the construction of the Taratala flyover is adding manifold to the Behala traffic pandaemonium. It does not require only a frequenter to the area to realize the mammoth magnitude of the menace. At a stone's throw from the crossing, there is a big boggy depression bearing the impression of an archaeological excavation site. With the rains not particularly far to seek, the area is heading towards a state which is just about a shade better than that of a paddy field. If and when the flyover is actually complete, the authorities can well begin paddy or jute cultivation in the ever-inundated road stretch below the flyover. That will provide livelihood to those who otherwise prefer to set up their household beneath the concrete elevated roadway. Hats off to those patient souls who pass through the sickening stretch everyday.