Vande Mataram!

"Motherland" - what significance does it have in your life? Same as that you have for your mother?

Every citizen from day one is taught to respect his or her motherland. Right from childhood days, we pledge for mother India, sing national anthem with great pride in schools, sing our national song "Vande Mataram". Learn what great freedom fighters did for the nation, hear patriotic stories, watch patriotic movies, represent India or cheer for India everytime India participates in international events. All this and more in inculcated into every citizen from childhood days. This to make everyone patriotic, so that the person serves mother India in every possible way, everyday, every moment. This is how a nation grows. John F. Kennedy has rightly said in his inaugural speech - "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".

Children grow into adults, start earning money, and sometimes fame as well. The first thing many of them try to escape is tax - by hook or by crook! We bribe, small and big, most of the time to avert paying fines or get things done - legally or illegally. Politicians very proudly and without much thought declare bandhs (strikes), acts of vandalism destroy national property worth crores in hours, in minutes. Scams, protecting scamsters, generating and hiding black money, etc. makes India that much more poorer. And still we say we are patriotic and we love our motherland!

We should ensure that every act helps India grow, directly or indirectly. Work for India, live for India and breath for India! That should be the mantra! If this happens, we need no laws! In a way, country having less laws have more patriotic people and less thieves! Why would there be a watchman where there are no thieves in the first place!

Whoever involve themselves in corrupt practices are not patriotic! They are anti-national elements and should be dumped in the Arabian Sea. No place for them in motherland!

Vande Mataram!

I'm Anna Hazare!

It is good to see India Awakening! Indians from all walks of life, forgetting their age, gender, caste, class, geography, were on the streets all over India, for a cause. That cause, as you all know is corruption. Corruption has been eating our country all these years, a major hurdle in development, growth, hurdle in the fight against hunger, diseases, illiteracy, injustice, terrorism, environment protection ... if not more. And it wasn't that the people weren't ignorant. They weren't acting. They didn't have support, didn't have ideas.

Anna Hazare, age 72 years, a social activists, a retired driver in Indian Army has driven India to a new awakening. A true patriotic person, did not stay back when India was fighting China way back in 1962. When the nation called for its people to fight for the country, Anna Hazare immediately responded. He has done a lot for the country before this anti-corruption movement. But this was different. Different as the nation supported him full-fledgedly. And certainly this is not his last.

Government on day one of Annaji's fast, thought this to be some kind of movement that will be fast forgotten. Thought it will get burried in other breaking news. Thought it might just hit routine prime time debate on some news channel for a day or two. What politicians think and know is that public memory is short. Government said "Who is Anna Hazare!". They even came up with government form of toothless Lokpal bill, just in case...

Young India sporting "I'm Anna Hazare" cap

Quick came the answer, this time from the youth. Young India in their 20s gave a fitting reply. Said "I'm Anna Hazare", every Indian is Anna Hazare and do not mess with us. We decide. Government measured the potential this movement had and cleverly, this time, came in to support the movement before it was too late. Formed a panel containing 5 politicians and 5 participants from the civil society, to work on Jan Lokpal bill, which they promised will be floored in the lok sabha in monsoon session of parliament. An unprecedented thing. All thanks to Anna, for forcing the government to act on something that was in cold storage for 42 years.


Who's going to stop us! We, the civilians, rule!

India won yet again, this time a bigger win. But this is just the beginning, has a far way ahead until this bill is passed and India puts an end to corruption and corrupt people.

What an idea.. sirji!

Today, after a normal day at work, I reached home. After changing over, I started browsing through TV channels. Browsing stopped at Star Cricket, where re-telecast of India-England ICC World Cup '11 match was on. While watching that for sometime, something struck me hard. There was silence all around, I heard nothing for some time. Instinctively, I touched my head. There was no blood on my hand, rather found nothing unusual. What was it that struck so hard! Then I realised it was a thought! Started digging into it, deeper. 
I was thinking about the world cup format. India won the world cup, but England drew the match against India, in that sense England is equal to India and so England also won the cup! Secondly, South Africa won against India, so with similar logic South Africa won the cup! But, South Africa lost to New Zealand, which in turn lost to Pakistan and Pakisatn lost to India, so India is a worthy winner! Haha...
Kuch aur kaam nahin hain kya, kuch bhi sochta rehta hain... bakwaas band kar!
Huh.. who said that!? Forget it, I thought, let me go deeper into my original thoughts!
Com'on this is so common. I have thought about it hundred times before!
Then, go over it one more time, hardly matters. Why not have a world cup, wherein all matches are knock out matches. Lose one, you are out! We can have best of three. Have groups made up of two teams, play each other until a team wins twice. So, if there are twelve teams to start with, we have six groups. Twelve will become six and six will become three. Three play each other twice, if there is a circle formation i.e. if B wins against C, A wins against B and A loses against C then sum all scored-for runs minus scored-against runs and decide the winner. No final will be played. If there is no circle formation, then play best-of-three finals.
Moron you are!
Well, let me continue. Groups will be formed based on matches played against each other in last four years. So, not only the world cup, but all the matches will be interesting.
Hmm, this seems to be a good idea!
So, unless a match is declared as a friendly match, all other matches will count for group formation. And teams will have to play certain minimum number of matches against each other in the four years between two world cups.
This seems to work!!!
I knew it! Something good comes out of garbage thoughts as well! :)

Sachin, Tusi Great Ho ...

India has been celebrating its world cup win for last more than twenty-four hours! And neither are the news channels tired of reporting stories related to the world cup win, nor are we Indians tired of watching it. Everyone just wants to follow the cricketers wherever they go and whatever they do; everyone wants to celebrate endlessly.

India is a country where cricket is passion, playing, watching or following the cricketers. After the win, it was all about dedicating the win, felicitation programs and reward time for our cricketers. The team was felicitated by the President of India, while rewards are pouring in from BCCI, various government bodies and large corporations. Our cricketers have made Indians proud and they certainly deserve it all. Along with this, there were discussions happening mainly comparing '83 vs. '11 ... win, captaincy, team and so on. But when it came to dedicating the win, all unanimously dedicated it to our great son of Mumbai, Sachin-paaji.

Yuvraj, Raina, Yousuf carrying Sachin on shoulders for the victory lap

Sachin's 21 years of service to Indian cricket may just be one reason for this unanimous dedication by team players. But this world cup probably being his last one of his career may just be another! Probably there may be more reasons to it. Possibly, his contribution in this world cup!?

Today, when I was watching one such television discussion, there was a question asked as to why there is so much of affection between Yuvraj and Sachin. Well, they may be friends, are together for so long, playing for India. But there is more to it than just this! When Yuvi was out of form and had been dropped from the team in 2007-08. It was Sachin who was in constant touch with him. Caring and ensuring to it that he practiced and kept himself fit to one day return to the one-day squad. But, I think, it wasn't just this as well. There is more to it!

I remember Sachin, in particular, was upset over India's early exit in 2007 World Cup. There was a movement going on against Sachin in the media, asking him to quit. This was something Sachin could not take. He had a dream of holding a World Cup in his hands. He had seen Kapil paaji do it, he wanted to do it himself. He wanted to win it for India! It was because of this dream that Sachin, in his childhood days, started playing cricket with season ball instead of a tennis ball. Sachin, in 2007, was seeing this dream being shattered.

Sachin's dream fulfilled.

Sachin decided to stick. He had made up his mind to play 2011 World Cup and win it. Cricket, being a team game, he wanted support. He wanted match winners in team India. Yuvi was one such match winner, he didn't want to lose. Sachin, as intelligent as he is, took personal interest in Yuvi, when the latter was dropped from the squad. Sachin used to call Yuvi daily; to ensure that Yuvi practiced, remained fit, made it to the team, get into form and win it for India, for Sachin. Little Master's off-field master stroke! From what was seen as a controversial selection before the world cup, Yuvi went on to became the man of the tournament! Had it not been for Sachin and his dream, we probably might not have won the cup ... who knows!

Sachin, tusi great ho ...

India Tastes Victory ...

Dhoni lead the way, in style, to another victory! This has given the nation, especially young India, joy like never before! Most of what young India heard about, and clips of Kapil with the cup in '83 that we saw on television was all second hand experience! This team has given us first hand experience, the real taste of victory! A much needed victory to prove to ourselves what we are capable of. We are the new champions! We are the world!

Team India did it for 1.21 billion people of India; for Sachin Tendulkar, who tried hard to achieve this feat for last 21 years in 5 previous world cups; for Guru Gary and for themselves. What started with an early exit from 2007 world cup, got us this title! Yeah, I believe, it was that spark that has now ignited in a flame, in each one of us, to achieve what team India collectively achieved. Immense talent, no doubt, is there in this team. But, moreover, India wanted to win very badly (tears of happiness just proves it). That urge got us through some of the toughest and challenging moments that team India faced during this world cup.

Wins against Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were all big, and Indians backed the team all through. Indians, including politicians, businessmen, actors, all came in large numbers to witness this historic win. Celebrations, after the win in finals, ran throughout the night! India was glowing on a new moon night! This was the glow from within each one of us. Just wondering what kind of positive vibes a win could possibly get. 

While watching India celebrate the victory on a news channel, I saw a person with Indian tricolour in hand, with all emotions right up on her face, saying "Mere India ne world cup jeeta. Yeh India ke liye hain". I think and hope that this "for India" urge, will soon show up in other fields too, especially in politics. This may just be the beginning of a new era. Era, which will change India forever, for good and show to the world its true potential.