Devil's Advocate

Cricket is a religion in India. It’s a battered cliché. But as is the case with religions, they are hijacked by the pundits, the clergy and their ilk and are milked until it starts to bleed. Getting back to the religion that unites a rather divided India, cricket and IPL in particular proves just this point. IPL 1 was a success, no doubt about it. It proved comprehensively that the cricketing moolah emanates out of the Indian subcontinent. The fans had a good time, the players minted money, the franchisees and the sponsors had a roll and our very own BCCI filled up its coffers to overflowing levels apart from accomplishing world domination.
Fair enough. As an aspiring superpower we ought to have a heavy hand, at least in some aspects (no pun intended). But IPL 2 is a classic example of how ‘money is the worst servant’. Agreed that the BCCI was hard-pressed to move IPL out of India due to the democratic drama that will take place, but they should have at least thought of the millions of Indians who would watch the advertisement laden cricketing extravaganza. Point? Well barring the first two matches, all the other matches till date have been spoiled by the intervention of the rain gods. Duckworth Lewis in a T-20 match, pretty shameful. In this instalment of IPL, it has become a norm rather than an exception. Ladbrokes and other betting sites would be overflowing with bets wherein instead of betting for a team, people are betting on when will the rains start (due pun intended). The choice of venue couldn’t have been worse.
As if this was not enough, we now have ‘strategy breaks’ of 7.5 minutes in each innings. Brainchild of Mr. Modi, they are supposed to facilitate fabulous strategies. If a team is getting hit all around the park, take wickets. If you are not high on the run rate, start hitting the ball all over the place. It’s that simple in T-20. Pretty elementary Mr. Modi, wouldn’t you say!!!!
Sorry to disappoint the BCCI, but till now IPL 2 isn’t half as good as its predecessor. You guys are killing the golden goose. Or should I say ‘exploiting’. Heck, don’t be surprised if you wake up tomorrow only to find out that the goose is in the court of law charging the BCCI for ‘harassment’.

We've had a recent spate of events wherein the Common Man has taken up a stand. A stand wherein he has taken off his shoes and hurled it at our beloved (?) political leaders. Yes the same leaders who blatantly abuse each other at public forums without an iota of shame on their battle hardened faces, the same leaders who would not think twice before throwing mikes at each other, the same leaders who would field in Prime Ministerial candidates who are in their 80's in a country where the median age is around 32 years, the same leaders who will field in a certain candidate who is ready to pay money to anyone who gets him the head of a certain Danish cartoonist.

 

Is the Common Man wrong in taking such a stand?! Probably yes, probably no.

 

I'd say he isn't wrong. Cause and Effect, yes this theory is my best bet to defend myself on this count. You may say that we are a democracy and this is not how we should express ourselves. Agreed. But try and ask what democracy means to a person who is working in an Anganwadi (National Scheme) earning a measly Rs. 3.33 per day if the number of students is less than 20. Ask yourself-  are you proud of the fact that you live in a country which wants to call itself a 'super-power' and where malaria still exists, where infant mortality rates would put a third world African nation to shame.

 

Consider all these facts and then ask yourself whether hurling a shoe is worthwhile or not. It works for me if a person blamed for evoking Anti-Sikh emotions in Delhi leading to the 1984 Delhi Riots is not given a ticket for contesting the Lok Sabha elections because a 'flying shoe' woke up 'the grand old party of India'.

 

Long live the shoe.....