Just back from my first trip to Leh –Kargil- Srinagar. And what a trip!
Ladakh, beautiful is the word. What impressed me was the organized way in which everything functions. Every shop has a shop and establishment certificate and the local market committee certificate put up on its walls. Ask a taxi driver for a charge and he will show you the government rate card and charge accordingly. Quiet peaceful people who do their business as it should be done. That’s called law and order. The locals tell us that all that remains in Leh in the winters at -20 degrees is Dogs, Donkeys and Jawaans. Always feel that the people who are ready to make sacrifices are the ones treated badly.
The last leg of the trip, the drive from Leh- Kargil and Kargil- Srinagar was the dangerous and the interesting part.
Kargil is the quaint little town, disconnected from the outside world, vulnerable from everything, cold winters, shelling from across the LoC, bombing! Visit the town and you won’t feel it to be a part of India. Neither do they have anything remotely Indian in terms of culture or way of living. Don’t think any leader has ever visited the town. Why should the people there keep their allegiance with India?
As we drove towards Kargil we saw young children continuously waving towards us. A young guy who did seem educated whiling away his time throwing stones at trees. Probably that symbolized the state of affairs of the place. What have we given them except for insecurity, fear, unemployment and nothing to protect this region which is the worlds second coldest habitat. We don’t deserve the beautiful nature that lies there.
As we drove down from Sonmarg towards Srinagar, it gave the feeling that nature can’t paint a more beautiful picture than this. Lush green mountains, beautiful flowers all around and snow in the background. Whoa! Paradise it is!!
But Srinagar was burning. 24 deaths in the 4days before we reached and 15 deaths in the riots that were happening on the day we were there. Amidst a curfew we heard bullet shelling, heard a “Julus”, heard provocative “azaadi” speeches right up to midnight. Left the city at 4 in the morning for a 12 pm flight to save our lives. En route to the airport we saw things broken, some things burning and blood on streets leaving a permanent memory of a city in conflict.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Fitting reply
Just months back the living legend, Diego Maradona, refused to share the dais with the promising German youngster, Muller. The comment made by El Diego as he walked off the stage was that Germany had sent a ball boy for the post match conference and he felt insulted to be sharing a dais with a 20 year old rookie. Such insolence!
It was the same 20 year old Muller who has lived a dream world cup so far and played a big part in sending Diego’s men packing back home in probably what could be called as the biggest Route in this world cup. It would have probably been something more than just good fortune had Maradona been even invited to share the dais with Muller post the world cup quarter final.
It’s a strange world. You are bound to be beaten some day. It’s about how you treat your success that matters.
This reminds me of a small anecdote about Einstein which I had read. Einstein happened to meet a scientist who would provide consultations to the Govt and other institutions on matters of physics etc. He introduced himself to Einstien as a scientist working along with the great Mr ABC, PhD in XYZ, specialized in some unknown branch of physics. Einstein, then already a world renowned figure just introduced himself as “a student of physics”. True greatness shows!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Dont question it?
Sulking on the air in the room
Sipping on the hot milk
Unsure about continuing with the chore
Stirring the cream in the cup
He continues to stare into the dark
The stars veiled by the clouds beg him to move
At bed, Mummy is ready with the story book
Ram is getting ready to battle the evil
He’s still never understood Hanuman’s giant leap
He’s told it’s wrong to Question it
Morning brings its own routines
He wants to spend time in the park
Play in the muck and dance in the water
But he’s learning two times two is four
He’s told it’s wrong to question it
No one sees his dance of confusion
His quietness and emptiness
He sees his sister not being educated
She’s pickled, sealed and put away
He’s told it’s wrong to question it
He’s curious why brickwalls turn mossgreen
Eager to catch bees and pluck fruits
Sit beneath the Mango glade and jump in the pond
He still can’t understand Hanumans giant leap
But his wings have been mangled, the story is spoilt.
Sipping on the hot milk
Unsure about continuing with the chore
Stirring the cream in the cup
He continues to stare into the dark
The stars veiled by the clouds beg him to move
At bed, Mummy is ready with the story book
Ram is getting ready to battle the evil
He’s still never understood Hanuman’s giant leap
He’s told it’s wrong to Question it
Morning brings its own routines
He wants to spend time in the park
Play in the muck and dance in the water
But he’s learning two times two is four
He’s told it’s wrong to question it
No one sees his dance of confusion
His quietness and emptiness
He sees his sister not being educated
She’s pickled, sealed and put away
He’s told it’s wrong to question it
He’s curious why brickwalls turn mossgreen
Eager to catch bees and pluck fruits
Sit beneath the Mango glade and jump in the pond
He still can’t understand Hanumans giant leap
But his wings have been mangled, the story is spoilt.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Why I think Dhoni is not a good Captain… :-(
Being a Ganguly’s captaincy fan, I often end up making these statements. Cant help it. From strategy point of view in many games I feel Dhoni lacks(evident in the 1st ODI against SA) but more so because of his players selections.
A good captain to me is the one who first of all identifies good talent, backs it, persists with it. The present bunch of youngsters in the team don’t give the feeling that the current team is the best India can have at this stage. Infact many of the selections in the last couple of years leave you with the feeling that how did these guys enter the national team.
Ganguly developed a team which could serve the nation for a good decade. He backed players with genuine talent who could have their places in the side for years to come. Sehwag, Yuvraj, Zaheer, Dhoni are all Ganguly products. And he backed them even in their tough times, had full fledge arguments with selectors to the point of blackmailing them with his own resignation. But as a Captain you have to do it.
Ganguly even persisted with Agarkar, Pathan and Jaffer in spite of their bad form for he saw some talent in all of them. You cant just go in with some average person who with good form can stick it out for a couple of years. Even Dravid got in Gambhir, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma and backed them. This is where Dhoni lacks. Last year or so hasn’t seen a single new comer who has given the feel that he will become a regular part of the Test or One Day team for the next 4-5 years or so.
Joginder Sharma, Badrinath, Praveen Kumar? I don’t think any of them deserve a place in the national side. Do we have a back up for the test middle order once Sachin, Dravid and Laxman retire. At present I don’t think so.
A good captain to me is the one who first of all identifies good talent, backs it, persists with it. The present bunch of youngsters in the team don’t give the feeling that the current team is the best India can have at this stage. Infact many of the selections in the last couple of years leave you with the feeling that how did these guys enter the national team.
Ganguly developed a team which could serve the nation for a good decade. He backed players with genuine talent who could have their places in the side for years to come. Sehwag, Yuvraj, Zaheer, Dhoni are all Ganguly products. And he backed them even in their tough times, had full fledge arguments with selectors to the point of blackmailing them with his own resignation. But as a Captain you have to do it.
Ganguly even persisted with Agarkar, Pathan and Jaffer in spite of their bad form for he saw some talent in all of them. You cant just go in with some average person who with good form can stick it out for a couple of years. Even Dravid got in Gambhir, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma and backed them. This is where Dhoni lacks. Last year or so hasn’t seen a single new comer who has given the feel that he will become a regular part of the Test or One Day team for the next 4-5 years or so.
Joginder Sharma, Badrinath, Praveen Kumar? I don’t think any of them deserve a place in the national side. Do we have a back up for the test middle order once Sachin, Dravid and Laxman retire. At present I don’t think so.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Telangana ? :-( ? :-(
She sat there, crying, next to the body of her child. She was shouting to the many people around to let her be alone, let her feel her sons body by herself. I saw this all in shocked horror. Her son, a student at some university had committed suicide for the cause of Telangana state. Some people had led the students believe that their future would be great only if the state is created which in turn would lead to locals being given preferences in admissions, jobs and everything.
People started blocking roads around. A large number started gathering. Some people saw an opportunity in it, an impetus to their on going protests for the past two months. Shouts and chants started filling the atmosphere. The car in which I was travelling was already surrounded by a mob.
She just sat there, numb to all that was happening. My car started moving, finding its way through the mob. I saw the last glimpse of the woman for whom her world had got over. The suicide had killed two people. The shouts and chants began getting louder, for the creation of their state, their own state. Incidents of student suicides are on the rise for this cause. They are now ready to give blood. Something must have gone terribly wrong at some point of time somewhere for people to get to such extremes. Have things gone so wrong that a mother’s tears are not cared for? A helpless mother just crying away and asking, “why??”” Would there be more mothers whose sons bodies would be used for political mileage or have the emotions got so strong in the region that these sons would be called “shaheed” a few years later.
People started blocking roads around. A large number started gathering. Some people saw an opportunity in it, an impetus to their on going protests for the past two months. Shouts and chants started filling the atmosphere. The car in which I was travelling was already surrounded by a mob.
She just sat there, numb to all that was happening. My car started moving, finding its way through the mob. I saw the last glimpse of the woman for whom her world had got over. The suicide had killed two people. The shouts and chants began getting louder, for the creation of their state, their own state. Incidents of student suicides are on the rise for this cause. They are now ready to give blood. Something must have gone terribly wrong at some point of time somewhere for people to get to such extremes. Have things gone so wrong that a mother’s tears are not cared for? A helpless mother just crying away and asking, “why??”” Would there be more mothers whose sons bodies would be used for political mileage or have the emotions got so strong in the region that these sons would be called “shaheed” a few years later.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Plain Luck is it!
I was just plain lucky to be at the place at that time! I was thinking about it for the past few months, talking about it with a few friends, trying to find information on the same. And there I was, the information I needed presenting to myself on its own. Had I left at my usual timing from the Office I might not have been able to lay my hands on it. But just that very day I decided to hang on till late for some data. It was almost 9.30 in the night. Had I even left with a colleague 10 minutes back which I planned to, still I would not have been able to get this on my palate. Thats what you call destiny.Well not destiny. That is what I might make with this piece of information. This is plain luck.
It seemed a bit weird that someone else was collecting just the same information I was looking out for, for this information does not have connections with anything I am doing currently or even any connections with the other person who found out all about it and presented to me. Strange, I said to myself. But hang on, probably that means I am thinking in the right direction myself. For someone else in similar shoes as mine, with no connection to this particular piece of information also sees a logic to it.
Thats the weirdness of some ideas, you cant draw a clear logic for them and still you understand that the idea is hinged on absolute logic. And you also know that the idea will work !
It seemed a bit weird that someone else was collecting just the same information I was looking out for, for this information does not have connections with anything I am doing currently or even any connections with the other person who found out all about it and presented to me. Strange, I said to myself. But hang on, probably that means I am thinking in the right direction myself. For someone else in similar shoes as mine, with no connection to this particular piece of information also sees a logic to it.
Thats the weirdness of some ideas, you cant draw a clear logic for them and still you understand that the idea is hinged on absolute logic. And you also know that the idea will work !
Thursday, July 16, 2009
One foot from a winning touchdown
I had written sometime back about a victory on the sports field giving the maximum high possible, at least to me.
http://independent-judgement.blogspot.com/2007/09/dancing-on-that-ground.html
(Yeah read that again :-) )
The other day I was watching the classic Roddick vs Federer final. I put myself in Roddick’s shoes and my heart felt for the guy. He had put in his everything, un match able serves, a pure glimpse of grit over class, but just felt short. Just like sports is able to give you the maximum high I felt it can also give you the biggest of lows. “Emotionally drained” that is all I could make out from Roddick’s face after the defeat, at least for that particular moment. It’s that moment when you are so close from what can be a huge victory and suddenly you see it slip out of your hand. You are left helpless and dejected and emotionally drained. Just wanting the thing to play over again. The thoughts of how you could have changed a few things keep lingering in your mind. Just hoping that that one stroke of luck had gone your way…..You have gone into the match picturising the entire crowd shouting your name and cheering you and then suddenly you are there watching the opponent/s clutching the winning trophy and dancing on that very ground!!!.....
When I mentioned this feeling to a friend the question I was asked was, “Is winning everything then?” I do not have an exact reply to this question(although my heart probably continues to say Yes) but I believe this entire feeling comes more because of the love for the sport and the passion for the same than just the pure thought of winning.
http://independent-judgement.blogspot.com/2007/09/dancing-on-that-ground.html
(Yeah read that again :-) )
The other day I was watching the classic Roddick vs Federer final. I put myself in Roddick’s shoes and my heart felt for the guy. He had put in his everything, un match able serves, a pure glimpse of grit over class, but just felt short. Just like sports is able to give you the maximum high I felt it can also give you the biggest of lows. “Emotionally drained” that is all I could make out from Roddick’s face after the defeat, at least for that particular moment. It’s that moment when you are so close from what can be a huge victory and suddenly you see it slip out of your hand. You are left helpless and dejected and emotionally drained. Just wanting the thing to play over again. The thoughts of how you could have changed a few things keep lingering in your mind. Just hoping that that one stroke of luck had gone your way…..You have gone into the match picturising the entire crowd shouting your name and cheering you and then suddenly you are there watching the opponent/s clutching the winning trophy and dancing on that very ground!!!.....
When I mentioned this feeling to a friend the question I was asked was, “Is winning everything then?” I do not have an exact reply to this question(although my heart probably continues to say Yes) but I believe this entire feeling comes more because of the love for the sport and the passion for the same than just the pure thought of winning.
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