When The World Fought To Live Another Year...!

11:59:00 P.M,Dec 31st,2008:
Half the population(approximations made) of both the sexes(Is this what You mean byEquality of Rights?)would be drowned in bottles of wine.To you all,whats the use of such New Year night-out parties when you are going to forget your drowsy celebrations of ushering 2009 the next morning?Think.*smirk*
I might have lost most of my few readers within the first few lines,never mind!For the rest who managed to hang on,this is for you and ITW wishes you all a splendid 2009!
Looking back at 2008,one would rather come to the conclusion that halcyon days were over in the 20th century.True.Yet there were those odd moments which shall stand still as the years roll by-Here's presenting before thy,the defining moments of 2k8...

• Honestly,I'm in a dilemma.This deserves to top the 2k8 rankings but I'm still wondering what has made me put this moment,right up there.

1. the sheer stupidity in the statement.
2. the extent to which his Govt can go to protect their nation which is considered to breed terrorists camps.
3. the guts he possessed to come up with such a sweeping statement.
4. Husband and father of Cambridge educated wife,Oxford educated,smart looking,bespectacled son,above all 11th President of a troubled country and still can't understand the least of human sentiments.

Mr.Asif Ali Zardari bags the honours.I always knew he would,when he was quoted saying by a television news channel,since more number of people were affected in the Pakistan blasts than in Mumbai,Pakistan needs to worry more.Whatever it is President,you do not need to go about counting corpses to measure the scale at which one needs to worry.Value human life.I wish i could forward this SMS to you-

India-Pakistan

1. Army Force: 13,00,000- 6,00,000
2. Asst.Army Men: 10,89,700- 2,90,000
3. Tanks: 3898- 2460
4. War Flights: 680- 415
5. Air force pads: 61- 9
6. War ships: 25- 7
7. Submarines: 16- 8
8. Brigades: 16- 0
9. Nuclear bombs: 150- 50 (approx)
10. Missiles Agni2 Shagin2 (max range km 3500-2300)
    India is the second largest army in the world but India seeks PEACE.It remains to be seen whether the Indian Govt's Rahul Dravid like defensive strategies will work,though.*hope*
    2009 would answer that,perhaps.

• The easiest way to reach global acclaim,slam your country.Time and again,this has been proved.This time around,credit to Arvind Adiga.

For the desk of:Winner,Man Booker,2008,

No address,(on an escapade from the Indian media)

From the desk of:A patriotic Indian citizen,

Living in the best possible country in the world,India

Mr.Adiga,
Definitely,the jury would have lost its sanity after reading the "compelling,gripping",300 odd page novel,that 'The White Tiger' won the Booker.One can't demean or bring down his motherland to win an award.Thankfully,for you,my English can't find cruel words to vent its anger on you.I would'nt agree with most of your notions.India is synonymous with spiritualty.God is one.If this was not taught to you in your primary school days,I pity you and the students studying in that school.You dont become a slave if you worship Lord Hanuman and He was a loyal to his master unlike your protagonist.Countless ways exist to move away from darkness,not just 'by spilling a little blood on the way to top'.If you please,I can arrange an appointment for you with my vegetable vendor(In your words from Darkness)has through honest means bought a Rs.25,00,000 flat.Quit travelling around the world,experience the utopia in my country and then pen your thoughts.I can't bring my blog's standard down by discussing the sins of 'The White Tiger' any further.Change.
Hoping I drove something into your head,
A Proud Indian.

• In November 2008,Senator Barack Obama beat John McCain to become the 44th President Of United States of America.Obama,I would say Obama is a person who has undertaken this quest for more reasons than mere ambition.Hope he does'nt do a Bush.Speaking of hope,few can add new dimensions to that word in a political context and yet remain so casual.A senator,a lawyer,a professor,now Mr.President-I would be one among his million admirers,as of now.What impresses me is, his electrifying and erudite speeches find space for empathy, inclusiveness,hope and change.All at the same time.I did read,somewhere,that Obama just like Bill Clinton has the knack of weaving together the personal and the anecdotal with the political and conceptual,so that each point seeems to be persuasive.I wish he does live upto every word he's being written about.His magical words,"Yes,We can" moved an entire generation of not just Americans.

Looking forward to "Living The Change" in 2009.

• He may not be as blessed as BarckObama in terms of public speaking,atleast the M.P's think so.Rahul Gandhi's speech on the Nuke deal was heckled by mediocre politicians.I would agree,that Rahul might not be the best of speakers but what he did on that eventful July 22nd morning was,

1. Wake up the ministers from their deep slumber in the Parliament House.
2. Speak from the bottom of his heart taking up the case of Kalawati,linking the Nuke deal with her.

Rahul Gandhi's speech was jeered and repeatedly disrupted but here was Rahul wanting to stand up and be counted.India doesnt need ministers(exceptions there) who are 70+ and believe that they are the future of the country.We need someone like Rahul who can come across and reach out to everyone.

"It is important at this point not to speak as a Member of a political party but to speak as an Indian."Those words of Rahul Gandhi instil hope that someone in politics still cares for my country.July22nd,2008 marked the arrival of Rahul Gandhi on the big stage and he is only going to blossom in the years to come Go,Rahul!

• The Wall Street meltdown,the global financial crisis did'nt deter ex-FM Mr.P.Chidambaram from saying to the investors the all-together familiar words,"You need to be patient."Patience might be his virtue,not the investors' and certainly not Mr.Manmohan Singh's.This is precisely the reason why the PM took up the Financial Ministry,he did so,many assume,in the guise of transferring Home Minister's powers to Mr.Chidambaram.Hail,PM!Hail our new HM,as well!

• Nov,14th,2008 the ISRO team decided to gift the children of the country something special and sensational.Chandrayaan-1 was launched,India's first unmanned moon mission.Moon Impact Probe(MIP) was infact the brainchild of People's President,Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam.The launch of the spacecraft has definitely,fuelled hopes amidst children to dream bigger.The sky is no more the limit.At a time of global economic uncertainity,when the country has its own people struggling in poverty,the 386 crore project can be deemed as a courageous decision.We can't afford to lag behind US,China or Russia in having access to space.It gave me a lot of joy when I came to know that G.Madhav Nair who led the team was a product of India's own universities and had not graduated from a foreign school.

• The Beijing Olympics showcased China's culture to the world.China's dominance will be another excuse for DD Sports to play the 2008 Olympics videos even a 100 years later.Much has already been written(in ITW as well)about Abhinav Bindra,SushilKumar and Vijender Kumar,leaving me little to pen about them.These men possibly,have given India's biggest sporting moment giving us goosebumps back home.

• Not a single year can end without the mention of India's most loved sport-cricket.Rahul Dravid's form deteriorated further.Sourav Dada and Anil Kumble's farewell were highly emotional moments.Having grown up watching these men,play,it was more tough for me to accept their decision.I would go on to say,my childhood died that day.

• This is literally one of those special 'moments'.An extra leap second was added to 2008(23:59:61) to end the year.The last time this was done was in 2005.

• I wish someone calls me humble,for ranking this moment at 10 ;)The point is you wouldnt be reading(assuming you got through them,to end up here) all those nine 'moments' if this hadn't happened in 2008.ITW blog was created in 2008.

Cheers!

VOLITION

Volition,unlike other reports in the blog is a highly opinionated column.Penning down everything from the bottom of the heart,here is the author shooting straight from the shoulder.

When India's financial capital,Mumbai was attacked by mindless terrorists,the whole world came to a standstill.Terrorism had assumed a new face,had reached the next level and here was the country still trying to figure out how to combat it.U.S President GeorgeW.Bush,President- elect Barrack Obama sent messages of solidarity and support stating they would stand by the nation in their fight against terror and Lo and Behold!Here is a party within the nation that still continues to play the blame game.Is it the time to point fingers at every other party in the country and asking them to shoulder the blame.Is it not the time where all the national and state parties must unite and show their resolve against terror?When the whole world stands by us,where is the need to fight within us?We know that you people form the opposition party in the country,there is absolutely no need to prove it jumping up and opposing every move playing the blame game.As elderly statesmen there must be a maturity level which should make you understand that both the parties are children of the same mother-Mother India.

How many times have we heard "I condemn the attacks.People need to stay calm and move on."Possibly more times than a trademark punch dialogue in a Superstar film.Seriously,its become a very common thing condemning attacks every month.When will top leaders gather the courage and gain the guts to come out in open and state that hereby the Govt will ensure that the country will never be attacked by terror.There wont be any bloodshed.Point2...staying calm.People are shot like birds and staying calm?!?!Damn!Should we not fightback?!?!Should we not show what material Indians are made up of?!?!We are not saints.India's got to display strength and courage and not bow down to these barbaric acts of cowardice.We need to nail down every one who try to terrorise the country.Lets stop using the word condemn...May the leaders promise that India is never ever going to be attacked by terror!Let the Indian Fightback begin!

Delink internal security,defense,foreign affairs,law and order from politics.Politicians can no more garner votes with these factors.These are the sentiments of the people acroos the country.If half of the money spent in election campaigns goes towards the defense in the country,if only!But instead it goes down the drain and into promoting and demeaning each others' party.Why cant these posts be given to the top cops in the country who perhaps would be equipped with more knowledge then infact current politicians or for that matter even corporate heads who could handle the state of affairs in a better fashion.This is the rock bottom it cant get worse possibly,can it?!!?

Reports state that the country had been already warned of such an incident and that danger would come through the sea.Where have our intelligence sources gone?!??!To take a stroll?Shouldnt we have learnt a lesson from the previous attacks??There must be perfect coordination between the Navy and the Coastal Guards.It is said that fishermen knew RDX was being smuggled.Yet,nothing is brough to the limelight *pathetic*Shouldnt every vehicle or in this case(boat) that enters India be thoroughly checked?Maybe the politicians need not be blamed after all,its the system under which they are working that need to be revamped.A week after every attack, there are debates held on what is the next step.Someimes we even go to the extent of planning moves to counter terrorsim!But the implementation?Execution?The problem is the gravity of incident decreases and the mayhem and the assault is forgotten except by the victims. Change.Federal Investigative Agengy needs to be set up,not alone promised to be set up.Ask for target dates.

During World War 2,self defense was taught to the citizens.Liberalize and allow licensing of weapons.Its a legal right to protect ourself from murderers,isnt it?The Taj for ages has been a symbol of Mumbai's heritage,its not just a hotel.Lets strive to rebuild it with whatever contribution possible.The Taj needs to be resurrected in all glory.


"Forgiving the terrorists is upto GOD.
Fixing their appontment with HIM is our job"
-Indian Army

All politicians need to be made to serve for the Indian Army,just to understand the meaning of patriotism.For a change,lets swap roles!How would it be like if Hemant Karkare and Ashok Kamte were leading the country in political issues?Paradise India. When terrorsits were armed with AK-47's one of the Mumbai policemen was found using a .303 pistol used in World War1!And we still hope to gun them down!No proper funding of equipment,ammunition by the Govt to the Army,NSG. My heart goes out for all those selfeless heroes who laid their lives for the country.Hemant Karkare,Ashok Kamte,Sandeep Unnikrishnan,Gajender Singh,Salaskar and other commandos,India salutes U.These men have died, for the country to live on.Its not in throwing money to the families of these gentlemen,that's enough.The only way you could possible respect their sacrifice is in ensuring that another Kamte or Karkare doesnt die.The only possible tribute that we could pay them is that to ensure that their sacrifices have not gone waste.We will.We will ensure that we continue to fight the battle and emerge victorious.Behind every fearless face of a commando is an entire family praying for its son.Behind the confidence in their eyes are an entire family's nervous eyeballs crowned by twitching eyebrows.We will not let down the heroes.India will fight.Atleast my generation will.

To the mad,senseless and mindless animals,India will fight back.India will hit back,hit back HARD.You may have been able to shake the foundation of Taj but our resolve in fighting all you terrorists is unshakeable.

Mumabi Meri Jaan!

Bharat Mata Ki Jai!

Jai Hind!

The Tiger's Final Roar

June 1996,Mecca of cricket,Lords,London:
Against the likes of Cork,Mullalay,Martin a bespectacled,exuberant youngster from Calcutta who had been written off by cricket pundits after an inauspicious debut in 1992 cracked a phenomenal century on a chill,windy,biting morning at the United Kingdom.
Sourav Chandidas Ganguly had announced his arrival at the world stage.
Twelve years later,in a routine press conference at Bangalore:
"Just one last thing lads, before I leave. I just want to say that this is going to be my last series. I have decided to quit."These were the words used by a mature Sourav Ganguly which shook the roots of Indian Cricket.The choice of words was tantalising,he said 'Quit' instead of 'Retire'.That in itself reflects the lone battle he was waging with the never ending BCCI politics.



Lets play the numbers game;
400 matches,18000 runs,37 centuries ,150 wickets,a healthy average of over 40 and 1 bad series was all it took for the axe to fall on his head.When the whole of Fabulous Four fail against the mystic spin of Mendis and Muralitharan why was sourav zeroed in and dropped from the Rest of India squad?Is this the way to treat a cricketer who played his heart out everytime he donned the Indian colours?
Was it a golden handshake or was it Sourav's own decision,we will never know.There will always be debates raging about the timing of the call; whether Sourav could have played for another ten months or so.Lets respect his decision;C'mon we have been scrutinising every move of his,over the last decade.He is the best person to judge his career.
What the tainted images of Mohd.Azhruddin,Ajay Jadeja or even a Kapil Dev,Dilip Vengsarkar couldnt figure out(time to retire),Dada has.As long as you play for India it is absolutely fine but when one begins to dance to the internal politics,Sourav is not the one to face the music,he plays his own.

All it matters is at the end of the day,Sourav has signalled his exit with dignity.



Sourav,the cricketerA career which has seen it all.Unimaginable peaks,depth of controversies,team loyalty,internal conspiracies, drawbacks, comebacks,disappointing defeats and intangible victories.
Rahul Dravid says,"On the off side ,next to God,there is Sourav."
Strong words,but Sourav lived up to it.His ability to pierce through any field on the off side won him his opponent's agony.Ganguly cleared the ropes with ease,the victims being the slower bowlers predominantly.Who could possibly forget his 183 against the Sri Lankans in the 1999 World Cup???Muralitharan was taken to the cleaners.At a point of time in the late 90's Sourav Ganguly became the most feared batsman(he still is!) in world cricket with 7 centuries under his belt in a single season.
The Prince of Kolkata could turn a match on its head in a space of a few overs,not only with the bat but also with the ball.His 5-16 against arch rivals Pakistan will never be forgotten by the people on both sides of the border.His intimidating stance,adventurous strokes,sweet timing,deft placements dented the confidence of bowlers across the globe.Earning himself the name The Royal Bengal Tiger,he was always on the prowl...



The leader
When Sourav Ganguly took the reigns from Azharuddin,Indian cricket was in dire straits.It had been rocked by the match fixing scandal.Top players had been caught.There was hardly any experience in the Indian side.Tendulkar had been burdened by the expectations of captaincy.A normal cricketer who had accepted the captaincy would have been a victim of the circumstances but the name was Sourav Ganguly.He gleefully accepted the responsibility and shouldered it with zeal.He moulded an inexperienced outfit into world beaters.He made the youngsters believe in themselves.Sehwag,Yuvraj,Kaif,Harbhajan,Zaheer,Parthiv enjoyed their captain's backing.He changed the face of Indian Cricket,bringing about a huge transition.
The team no longer lacked the killer instinct.Aggression was one adjective which went with Sourav Ganguly.He led the team with gusto making Rahul Dravid keep wickets and cement his place in the one day side.Some called him adamant,some adventurous.Sourav was not the one to bother about critics."Dont worry about things which are beyond your control."he said.The results reflected his words.He had delivered the goods to the people of India.Indian Team was tranformed into Team India.



The Attitude
Can any Indian dream of making an icy cool Stephen Roger Waugh lose his calm.
Sourav Ganguly did.He made Waugh wait unconditionally for the toss.He looked into the eyes of his counterparts.He tormented the Aussies at their own backyard.The streak of aggression he brought in inculcated fears in the minds of the opponents. Dada almost spoilt Steve Waugh's Farewell series.He was one cricketer who shed all inhibitions about reputations.
People said he wore his heart on his sleeve,the English team will always remember Sourav's shirt swinging act at the Lord's balcony in reply to Andrew Flintoff's bare chest scene in India.An excited Sourav took off the Indian jersey and swung it sending Indians back home into a dizzy.England had to bow down to the Maharaj of Cricket.Moral of the stroy:We give back what we get.



The Conquests
Pakistan was sent searching for cover when Sourav Ganguly's boys thrashed them convincingly in both forms of the game in Pakistan itself.No other Indian skipper had manged to do this.The epic 3 match test series against Australia in 2001 where India came from rock bottom to register a series triumphwill stand testimony to his positive attitude.Champions Trophy triumphs,World Cup finals added to the numbers in his list of victories.The skipper trusted his instincts.He proved everyone wrong when he elected to bat on a windy day,when the ball was swinging both sides.He went on to the extent of pursuading Javagal Srinath to comeback after retirement.Obviously he had to succeed. Sourav's ability in man management and nurturing youngsters went a long way in him becoming India's most succesful test skipper ever.



Comeback King Sourav Ganguly Part 2:
"It is easier to give up.All you need to say is I Quit.The tough part is to carry on"-Sourav Ganguly.
A Greg Chappell or a Kiran More would be able to author this section in a better fashion than me!!!
In a public spat in the year 2006 with the then coach Greg Chappell ,Ganguly was stripped of his captaincy.Accused of lack of motivational and fitness levels Ganguly was dropped."All doors are shut on Ganguly.He cant make it to the team forever" said chairman of selectors Kiran More.(Think twice before you speak,but who cares?!!?!)
Sourav lost his place in the side.Sourav lost his touch but what Sourav did'nt lose was his belief. He went back to the basics,played for Bengal,scored heavily in the Duleep Trophy and after a string of losses for the Indian side,Sourav was recalled.What followed was the most dramatic and remarkable comebacks in world cricket.The man was on a mission to prove his distractors wrong,he did and how!Sourav Ganguly Part 2 was unleashed on the field,his will power and determination came to the forefront.Sourav won the test of his life.Scoring runs like never before,Ganguly was the top run getter for the Indian team in Tests and piled over a 1000 runs in both forms of the game in the calendar year.Subsequently,Ganguly was awarded the Castrol Asian Cricket of the Year.
Greg Chappel,Kiran More,need anything more?!?!?!Shock of your lives eh?!?!,C'mon yaar...it is Sourav Ganguly....you should have been prepared for it!


The Final Roar
"Getting a ticket to the cricket stadium 1000 bucks possibly,
Watching Dada bat,Priceless!
There are some things money can't buy!!!!"
When Sourav Chandidas Ganguly walks into the cauldron at Nagpur,taking guard for one last time a wave of mixed emotions will engulf the cricketing world.The 22 yard strip would be graced by his presence for the final time.Through the grills of helmet if one notices his eyes, Nagpur,2008 would be unmistakably the same as Lords 1996.With the heart of an youngster,Sourav retires .As Sourav Ganguly walks into the sunset of a glittering carreer,he will be always remembered as a cricketer who gave his all for his country.The Royal Bengal Tiger strides away from its hunting ground,the cricketing field,retiring to its cave,the heart of every Indian where it will rest...

Rags To Riches And Rightfully!

As the curtains came down in Beijing,India's bronze medallists ushered a new era in Indian Sports,an era which offers more than a glimmer of hope for sportsmen who come from a-not- so affluent background.During the past couple of weeks,the spotlight has shifted from the cricketers to Vijender Kumar and Sushil Kumar.These men have been making headlines overshadowing even the Nuclear deal ;their photos are being splashed all over leading National dailies.I kid u not,before the Beijing Olympics 2008 almost the whole nation remained benighted about these boys. *bemusement*.Definitely,its not been a bed of roses for these small town boys.Their sporting careers was fought tooth and nail to finish.Go over thier careers with a fine-tooth comb; startling revelations in their life would surprise anyone.The Inside Story:

Vijender hails from Bhiwani,a small town in Haryana.He again was one of the many Indian sportsmen( read other than cricket)who never got his due.His father was a bus driver who worked overtime to pay Vijender's boxing club's fees.I would like to emphasize at this moment that his semifinal opponent's father was a boxing champion.It establishes the fact that as long as you have the desire and the drive to win even the greatest power on Earth can't crush you.Though Vijender did recieve substantial cash from the Govt.,boxing still being a fickle profession in India forces him to take a job with the Haryana police.

Sushil Kumar is no exception.The son of an MTNL bus driver,a cousin whoose wrestling carrer had to be put to an end as the family could support only one wrestler(How many such talented sportsmen has the country missed?God Knows.)Baprola to Beijing,a journey which has had more than its fair share of challeneges.A gloomy,dark,dingy room,his boxing dormitory plays host to twenty people,rats cockroaches and mosquitoes.In the name of basic amenities,a tubelight and two fans which rotate slower than the Earth have been provided.My conspiracy of silence conflicts with me.The other dormitories can't even boast of those two coolers,unlike in Sushil's case.Two sportsmen have to share the same matresses with hardly any space to walk inbetween the beds.Conducive conditions to breed an Olympic Champion?Definitely,not.Unassuming,simple but serious Sushil's endurance paved the way for his rise to fame,his rightful place in the history books.

When cricketers get to experience the ambience in a posh seven star hotel it is ambiguous why the Olympians were lodged in a hotel with average facilities.Why this indifference?Shameful.

It is indeed heartening to know that towns such as Bhiwani and Baprola have produced sportsmen of such calibre.

Small towns,Big dreams.

In a country ,where,when even a cricketer sneezes makes headlines,Sushil and Vijender Kumar making news deserves appreciation.Behind this moment of Olympic glory lies a decade of toil ,hardwork,grit and courage.Persevearance does pay!Its not through the system they have come into limelight,its aginst the system.(I doubt if there was one in place,if there was one-why did'nt these guys get support before their victories???Puzzling.) Their story has all been about guts,glory,pain and gain.Sushil and Vijender have converted failures into success,obstacles into stepping stones and have confronted every problem as a challenge.The medallists have put India back in the world map as far as boxing and wrestling are concerned.As long as there are places like Baprola and Bhiwani producing men like Sushil and Vijender,despite the ineffective system India will continue to bag those medals at world sporting events.Administrators,did you hear that?!?!?!

India's Golden Hero - Abhinav Bindra

When I looked up at my calendar,rubbing my eyes,little did I realize that 11th August,2008 was going to be an unforgettable day in the history of Indian Sports as 25 yr old Abhinav Bindra shot his way to eternal glory in the 2008,Beijing Olympics.Dont pinch yourself,this is no dream,the ace Indian shooter came from behind to win Independent India’s first ever individual gold medal.
Bindra who had ealier finished 4th in the qualifying round,with a score of 596 out-played all other shooters in the finals scoring 104.5 thus shooting a total of 700.5.“It’s the thrill of my life. That’s about it. It’s hard to describe. I just went for it. I knew I was lying in fourth. Thankfully it went my way and I just went for it.”said Bindra. In an edge of the seat thriller, Abhinav tied with Henri Hakkinen of Finland after the second last shot.As a whole nation watched with bated breath,not daring to move an inch Abhinav Bindra shot a near impossible 10.8 of 10.9 sparking vociferous celebrations among a section of Indian fans present there.
It was never easy going for Abhinav,struck with a career threatening back injury,he opted out of the Doha Asian Games to keep his dreams of Beijing Olympics alive.A resilient Abhinav fought back and the rest as they say is history. “Its just great,”said Bindra just before climbing on to the podium.The Indian national anthem was played in the background as the tricolour unfurled and rose in Beijing,millions of people went into raptures.A truly emotional moment for a country which had been waiting for ages for an individual gold at the Olympics.
“ They have all been telling me what a huge achievement winning Gold is. I realise that but frankly the enormity of the goodwill generated has caught me by surprise. Honestly enough it really has not changed me, I am still the same Abhinav who just a day ago was hanging around alone in my room in the Olympic village.”wrote Abhinav Bindra in his blog.Indeed he has his feet firmly planted on the ground keeping a check over his emotions after clinching the gold.
11th August,2008 would take a long time to sink in for any Indian.Abhinav Bindra has signaled the rebirth of Indian sports in the country.As he opens up a plethora of options for a kid looking up to take an Olympic sport,this moment of truth will be cherished for a long time to come.India’s success story doesn’t end here.As National shooting coach Sunny Thomas points out,"This is just the beginning.”
Olympics,Here We Come!!!

The Roland Garros Showdown!

Come the Sunday,8th of June,France will be geared up to witness a grand spectacle,history in the making,the final showdown!When The clock at Roland Garros strikes half past three, two men will walk on to the red clay court of Paris for the final battle........



One of them dressed in his sleeveless t-shirt matched by his long burmudas will be pacing the courts, taking long strides,making his intentions of winning the open very clear in his threatening,narrow eyes.He will be chasing his fourth successive French open title eying his date with history.......Hail the King of clay Rafael Nadal!Vamos Rafa!



The other is cool,calm,composed and collected and is so sure about his shots that it is indeed rare to see a mistake from this master.However as things would have it the French Open has eluded him these many years but knowing the Swiss Ace, he is sure to bounce back in the red clay courts of Roland Garros.Who knows Federer may well call the shots this evening!C'mon Roger!



The clay courts have always favoured players who are stong at the baseline due to its slow nature and high bounce.There is little to choose between the World No.1 and 2 be it the 'Nike' headbands which they sport or even physical measurements such as their height and the pounds they weigh-its all the same!Roger though holds the racquet as an artist would hold his brush while the left hander's grip is tight and domineering.France might be Nadals' domain but Federer would be looking to conquer it as well.As he puts it"I am thrilled to play Rafa and i am getting better with every match."Now those are strong words,Roger would be looking to shed his disappointments and cremate his earlier losses against Rafa and begin anew today.It remains to be seen whether Federer becomes another case of Pete Sampras who never got the better of clay courts.Experts say"Roger needs to use his drop shot more often while returning Nadal's service as Nadal stands a good 2-3 meters away from the baseline" Watch out Roger for Nadal serving to your forehand when he is 15-40 down!!!Viewing a tennis match just cant get bigger than this!



By all means the finals is expected to live up to its expectations as a humdinger of a contest and not turn out to be a dampner.Agony,disappointment,loss for one and ecstacy,elation,triumph for the other.Its not the prize money at stake but the pride.Both wouldnt care even if they get paid a dime after winning the French Open for the title makes up for it.

The quest for glory will end this evening......lets wait and watch.......

History beckons Nadal but what does Federer reckon???

'Reserve' Your Best For The Country

.......................Eyes that were awaiting a bright future,lips that were praying,ears waiting for the final verdict...moments elapsed......the eyes turned red,the tear glands started functioning,wet cheeks,prayers turned into protests.


The dawn of a new era in the life of a potential IIM student had been struck by a thunderbolt in the form of a man Arjun 'Mandal' Singh. The dark clouds of the nation's highest judiciary poured horrible numbers.........49.5% reservations for the sc/st's,obc's and bc's.Reality reigned.


The life of an Indian student is predominantly navigated by two inevitable and indomitable forces-the fat purse or the dark skin.The 1.3 kg of pinkish blobbed mass of gray and white cells inside the skull is as irrelevant to Indian education as a certain Mr.K.P.S.Gill is to Indian hockey.


Ask a student who has passed his Std10 Board exams and he would say that Mandal had not only called for reservation but also recommended and i quote,"Residential schools should be set up in these areas for backward class students to provide a climate specially conducive to serious studies. All facilities in these schools including board and lodging should be provided free of cost to attract students from poor and backward homes.".If sound infrastructure had ben provided at the grass root levels there wouldnt have been a necessity to raise such a hue and cry when it comes to the question of higher education.Sigh!if only the officials had been educated.........in a system free of reservation.......


Believe me its not going to be long until we see reservation in sports,if a person from the backward class clears the infield its going to be a six!Does'nt the government realise the very fact that allocation of seats in colleges based on caste and creed is a form of racial discrimination and spells the death of 'Right to Equality' of an average Indian citizen?Is it not true that they are making a big compromise on merit?Wont it degrade the standarad of the institution?Does India's 'flamboyant' youth still need to support itself on the crutches of quotas?Can't they stand on their own legs?They definitely can.............we definitely can...We Will.


Only time holds the key whether this latest stunt on the part of ruling government is a strong stand taken by them or merely yet nother political gimmick in view of the forthcoming National elections.If the reservation epidemic is not put to an end it might well turn out to be the epilogue of Indian Education.Mr.Arjun Singhyou have got your plates full and if your not going to turn the tables around in quick time the dish the country is going to savour is not going to be the least delicious.......