Leader In Making : Arvind Kejriwal

He Might Have The Key in 2014 Elections

It was last year in April or so that the movement picked momentum, India Against Corruption (IAC),a fight aimed at rooting out corruption in the public system. Veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare leading the movement, it was his impeccable image which took the movement to what it is today.The team of leaders , christened ‘Team Anna’ had representations from the civil society, they were experts in their respective fields.

One of the better known faces of the movement is Arvind Kejriwal, Kejriwal graduated from IIT Kharagpur with a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering in 1989. He was an Indian Revenue Service official. He was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to fight corruption by holding the government answerable to the people. Kejriwal is also a Saathi (fellow) of the Association for India's Development, a Global Impact award winning NGO. In 2006 after resigning from IRS,he founded an NGO Public cause Research Foundation by donating his Magasaysay award money as corpus fund.In 2010, he along with a few like minded people formed India Against Corruption which aimed at enacting of strong and effective anti-corruption law in India.This resume cannot be of any common man.The IAC may have been dissolved but the fight is still not over yet!

Politicos both in power and in opposition kept on delaying the passing of the ‘Lokpal’ an Ombudsman to look for the public grievances especially relating to those of corruption charges. Lack of ‘political will’ ensured no fruitful developments in the regard,  Arvind Kejriwal then decided to go political. Anna Hazare distanced himself from the move but stressing on the fact that he would continue fighting against corruption while being completely apolitical.

Kejriwal’s decision is a welcome step,you better do it yourself rather than asking for the ‘favour’. Politics in present scenario is out of the reach of the common man,but wait,here is a man who we know has worked for bettering the system,is well educated. So,do we have an option before us? Here are a few reasons as to why he might be the key in 2014 general elections;

1)First and foremost,he is educated not just another literate like the many out there.

2)Candidates,the candidates put up by his party, hopefully would be at par with his ideology with the ‘aam admi’ connect.

3)This is an opportunity for those who don’t vote citing poor candidature and likes. This is the  chance for them.

4)The scams in the UPA II regime have done them no good and the NDA have done nothing to help themselves, lack of central leadership being the topmost irritant. His party might slice away a significant number from both these camps.

5)Last and by no means the least,the common man is fed up with the current political system,a change is needed desperately which he promises and has worked for.

I do not expect many seats for his party but a change is inevitable here,he maybe not be having political experience but I am hopeful he would be having enough numbers to be the key in govt formation in 2014.This can be a good start while taking into the account the 2019 general elections.

Phoenix : Rising From The Ashes

The New Crowned World T20 Champions

A West Indies win would be nothing short of a miracle in the finals of the World T20 after they put a mere 137/6 on board, Sri Lanka should chase this without much trouble with such an strong batting line up, especially Mahela and Sangakkara ,they would not allow the middle order to collapse which is what exactly happened.

This particular tweet from Harsha Bhogle says it all -

"if jesus christ could do no wrong and still get crucified who is darren sammy?"

He was skeptical of a WI win but again he rightly mentioned it was Sri Lanka’s game to lose. But for Sri Lanka no one is to be blamed. It was the best poised final they could win but ruing for their mistakes in batting is what they are now left with, disappointing!

Let us analyse the game from the very beginning. Darren Sammy won the toss and decided to bat first. The pitch seemed to have something for the bowlers and did help SLankan bowlers initially with the odd ball keeping low and some taking off after hitting the deck. The shrewd captain Mahela at work. The start WI got themselves was show of some top class bowling from the Sri Lankans,with WI scoring at a meagre 3rpo approx for the first 10 overs. Had not Samuels played a much needed 56 ball 78 runs innings, WI would have been struggling to reach the 3 digit mark. And some fireworks from Sammy in the dying overs helped WI post 137/6, something the West Indian bowlers could fight for. WI batsmen smashed a quick 105 in the last 10.

Sri Lanka were pretty happy with the total, they were confident to chase the target in less than 20 overs. But Rampaul and company had different plans, sending Dilshan back to pavilion for 0 in the 2^nd over showed they won’t go down without posing any challenge. Meanwhile Sangakkara and Mahela were going easy with a 2^nd wicket partnership of 42 runs, Sangakkara was out for 22 in the 10^th over. It was all then that the wickets fell like a pack of cards with Narine picking up the final wicket of Mailinga, catch Dwyane Bravo.

What went wrong for the Lankans? Did the pitch play foul? Not pretty sure of the latter as WI amassed 105 in their last 10 so pitch deteriorating maybe out of context. I would say bad overall cricket from the Sri Lankans, poor cricketing shots, lack of partnerships except the Sanga-Mahela 42 run stand there was nothing in the Sri Lankan batting scorecard. Not to undermine the West Indian clinical effort in the field and some quality bowling.

As soon as Malinga hit Narine over the extra cover, WI players started running towards the pitch as the last Sri Lankan wicket was down, catch Bravo. Celebrations had to be huge as flamboyant boys from the Caribbean were the new crowned T20 Champions. Gayle and the rest of them were dancing on the outfield for some time. It's all Gangnam, it's been their mojo this tournament. West Indies won today despite Gayle doing nothing with the bat, proves they are solely not dependent on the services of Mr.Gayle, it was a team effort, rightly said by Sunil Narine.

The West Indian team celebrating after defeating Sri Lanka in the World T20 final.

Suresh Raina and not his nephew tweeted this-

Don't know what was more entertaining - Samuel's sixes or the gangnam! Congratulations West Indies and a very happy birthday #CSK boy Bravo

Bravo could not have asked for more, a World-Cup victory as the birthday gift completes it all, well done boy, you deserved it.

Richie Richardson, the team manager, screamed into the microphone, before saying, "feels good, feels good. It's been a long journey. It is very important for everybody, we've made the people back home proud. A number of them have come here, one flew in for this match only."

Its hard to see another defeat to Sri Lankans in yet another World Cup final, they must be really frustrated but of all their finals this was their best chance, it was theirs to lose. West Indies on the other hand, played brilliantly. Despite having a modest total to defend , bowlers did their job and fielders backed them really well.

Thirty years since WI last played a world cup final, their best batsman gets out inside the power play, run rate is 3 after 10 overs yet they come champions, hats off to them. Celebrations have already started and it will be a long one this time back in the Caribbean.

Congratulations to West Indies, the newly crowned T20 Champions and congratulations to Sri Lanka for organising such a terrific event and being a wonderful host.

Failed Cartoon

Aseem Trivedi, puzzled everyone with his decision to participate in the reality show Big Boss season 6, might have hurt one or two in the process. "Aseem Trivedi", the name ring bells to most of the aware junta. Still for those who are clueless, Aseem Trivedi (born 17 February 1987) is a controversial Indian political cartoonist and activist, best known for his anti corruption campaign 'Cartoons Against Corruption'. He is a founder member of 'Save Your Voice', a movement against internet censorship in India. He has been awarded the Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award for 2012 by Cartoonists Rights Network International. That’s his Wikipedia info. He was just acquitted of the sedition charge for his controversial cartoons.

So why the young and the controversial artist went awry from where he started? Do we have an answer to that? I am not sure but he definitely did not do the wise thing, according to notion.

The IAC clique is now in jeopardize with Team Anna dissolving and Arvind Kejriwal deciding to go political, his party promising utopia. Anna Hazare on the other hand, distances himself from Kejriwal’s decision saying he would continue his fight against corruption, at the same time being completely apolitical.

If not for his association with the IAC, Aseem might still be publishing his cartoons in dailies and other journos. It was the media hype and coverage which brought Aseem Trivedi into the limelight. The cartoons in the controversy parody India’s national symbols, and were drawn to make a point on corruption in the public system but now it seems he weren’t serious at any point of time. One cartoon depicts the Indian Parliament building as a commode. At the right end of the cartoon, there is a roller with toilet paper. To the left, there is a pink flush with three flies hovering over it. ‘National Toilet,’ says the cartoon’s title, with this line beneath the sketch: ‘Isme istamal hone wale toilet paper ko ballot paper bhi kehte hain’.

Another offending cartoon redraws India’s national emblem of the four Sarnath lions of King Asoka that sit above the motto “Satyameva Jayate” (truth alone shall triumph) as bloodthirsty wolves underscored with the motto “Bhrashtamev Jayate” (long live corruption).And yet another features the “Mother India,” wearing a tri-colour sari, about to be raped by a character labelled “Corruption." The title of the cartoon is "Gang Rape of Mother India." Another cartoon shows politics and corruption in a sexual position to expose their immoral relationship. The line beneath the cartoon reads, "The immoral relationships are always harmful for a house hold."

While those cartoons landed him a sedition charge, his arrest drew criticism from various sects, IAC being completely supportive all the while. Kejriwal again staging a fast in protest against his arrest and demanding drop of charges and immediate release. Assem on the other hand declined to defend himself. What he said was his cartoons were misconstrued and miasma being developed by the political class. He denied protesting against the charges against him, even not agreeing for an advocate to defend him. Well, protest did come in handy with Mumbai police acquitting him of the sedition charges and finally releasing him.

But even those IAC members who stood by Trivedi all this while might feel hurt by his meretricious turn of events. Freedom of Expression might have a little longer to live but there is a clear question being asked by the public of the authenticity of the IAC members.

“Are there any glory hunters in there who may not be moved by the same cause as others in the IAC movement? Well, we just found one. Yes, you are right Mr. Aseem Trivedi got himself what he might have planned for.”

Refuge In Embassy

The WikiLeaks founder and spokesman Julian Assange is in self imposed house arrest in the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid arrest and subsequent extradition to Sweden.Here is what happened lately.

Julian Assange, the name needs no introduction,his cable leaks have resulted in governments across the globe finding themselves upside-down,pushed them on the very defensive.But Mr.Assange aka whistleblower is on the run ever since criminal charges were framed against him.There is also an Interpol 'red notice' over his whereabouts.

Since December 2010, Assange has been subject to a European Arrest Warrant in response to a Swedish police request for questioning in relation to a rape and sexual assault investigation,alleged by two different women.And since June 2012, he has been residing in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has since been granted the diplomatic asylum.The British government intends to extradite Assange to Sweden under that arrest warrant if he leaves the embassy, which Assange says he fears may result in his subsequent extradition to the United States of America to face charges over the diplomatic cables case.He termed the sexual charges against him as ‘fake’ so that the US authorities gets time to prepare for prosecution and subsequently extraditing him from Sweden.

Britain said it were disappointed on the grant of political asylum to Assange while Swedish spurned it as absurd.Ecuador said in a press release that the decision to grant political asylum was an independent one and that he will be staying inside the Ecuadorian Embassy indefinitely.Meanwhile,the Brithish authorities said they are still bound to extradite Assange to Sweden,an arrest would be made the moment he puts his toe outside the embassy.

For the time being he is safe,thanks to Ecuador granting of asylum to him and might have to live there for a decade.

My Pick : Catch 22

The West Indies  thrashing Australia in the all important semi-final of the World T20 gave us the sneak peek of the great West Indian side we had always heard of. Sir Clive Llyod,Viv Richards,take all the stars of "Fire In Babylon",they played fierce Cricket,intimidating the opposition while commanding respect.That is Cricket for any purist,utopian! Always playing for nothing less than the win.Can’t get better than this.

But wait,not everything has a happy ending.Who would have imagined that the once mighty West Indian side,winner of the first two Prudential Cups (1975,1979),would be struggling even to pick the best 11,board-player issue took for the worst with WI Cricket being the ultimate sufferer, not undermining the ever supporting WI fans.The collapse wasn’t overnight but the gradual weakening was quite a shocker as the new WI side lacked world class players,for the exception of the batting legend Brain Lara,so much we had heard of the Llyods,Richards,Holdings that it was difficult to relate the present team to its past glory. Surely, it must not have been easy,especially for the fans.

The final appearance in the World T20 is the 2^nd best performance by the post WI legendary team,apart from winning the 2002 Champions Trophy.A win here against the favourites Sri Lanka would serve as an elixir to all the troubles hopefully and surely would be a great tribute to its great past and the games most talented stars or “GENTLEMEN” should I say! It been ages since any West Indian side entered a tournament as favourites, now here is the chance for them to ask their critics to just shut up,they cannot afford to lose this, at any cost*,can they?

Here are some of the famous tweets after the game b/w West Indies and Australia ended with a huge semi-final victory for the West Indies;the messages clearly show how the tournament which started on a low has hit pamir.

Harsha Bhogle ‏@bhogleharsha

one of the reasons the west indies have always been so popular is that they bring joy. there is no rancour to their cricket

Harsha Bhogle ‏@bhogleharsha

everyone said the aussies couldn't win if they were 10-2. guess they were right. but astonished by the collapse.

Cricketwallah ‏@cricketwallah

How do you think Gayle (& Co) will party tonite? Most imaginative answer is not guaranteed participation, but a retweet for sure...

Sanjay Manjrekar ‏@sanjaymanjrekar

Gayle an exceptional batsman & character too..Said to me in post match with a big smile " The cup is ours, sorry Sri lanka "

Sanjay Manjrekar ‏@sanjaymanjrekar

Saw Ian Chappell, the ultimate purist of the game get all xcited when Pollard & Gayle went hammer & tongs..Who said T20 not for purists ?

Tony Greig ‏@greigtalks

I haven't seen anyone hit the ball harder than Chris Gayle! He would be my first pick in a T/20 World team

Sri Lanka on the other hand, played consistent cricket ever since they broke into the international arena.Cricket is the aorta connecting the war torn nation,its now inseparable from the Sinhalese culture,an integral part of it.Sri Lanka Cricket saw greats like Ranatunga, Jayasuriya, Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Murali, they won the 96 World Cup and shared the Chanpions Trophy 2004 with India.And since then no other major tournament title for them,they have been runners-up for the 50over World Cup in 2007(lost to Australia) and 2011(lost to india),also they finished 2^nd in T20 World Cup in 2007(lost to Pakistan).They have no option other than winning this World T20,a win at this time would heal the wounds from these huge looses they suffered in recent times.

Harsha Bhogle rightly mentioned in his twitter handle and I quote,” they talk of a spirit of nationalism to sri lankan cricket. is this why?”

In this article author Wright Thompson beautifully narrates what cricket in general means to the SriLankan masses,Jayawardene speaks out,Sangakkara also has his experiences shared.Here is the link to it.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-world-twenty20-2012/content/story/585585.html?fb_action_ids=4750064271993&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%224750064271993%22%3A231586200303919%7D&action_type_map=%7B%224750064271993%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=[] 

I am in a catch 22 of whom to pick as the winner for the mega event,don’t want to see another defeat to Sri Lanka in a big tournament at the same time the West Indies haven’t done well after their Champions Trophy victory against England back in 2004,a loss doesn’t seem fair to them either,sole reason I can come up with is their glorious past.Both Sri Lanka and West Indies have already won playing some good and competitive cricket.Its just that the format doesn’t provide for a tied game, there has to be a winner,they already won our hearts.