Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti (Birth Anniversary)!

Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak or Baba or Father Nanak (1469-1539), was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus, is being celebrated this year today, the 30th of November or whenever the full-moon day called Kartik Purnima occurs during October-November every year all over the world. Guru Nanak is believed to have travelled across Asia teaching people the message of 'one God' who dwells in every creation of His and constitutes the eternal truth. With this concept he created a unique spiritual, social and political platform based on equality, fraternity and virtue. We wish you all a very blessed Nanak Jayanti. 

We remember Guru Nanak today and his teachings, his messages and his immortal devotional poems that are composed musically as Bhajans in basic Punjabi, cutting across all religious and linguistic barriers in India. Composers, Vocalists and singers have been presenting his Bhajans or devotional songs to devotees and music lovers since centuries. My father and my first musical guru Tabla Maestro music composer and director, Late Pandit Vivekanand or Bibekananda Bhattacharyya had also composed numerous devotional lyrics into melodious bhajans, including those of Guru Nanak. 

I take great pleasure in presenting one of the Nanak Bhajans composed by my father-guru and recorded by me for you all. This bhajan is from my Album of devotional songs, 'Hari Darshan Ki Pyaasi' 

Hope this devotional presentation gives you enjoyment as well as peace of mind in the times of gloom and crisis. Baba Nanak tells you to look up to God, your only true friend or kin on this earth, for the ultimate love and solace. Best Wishes...

Australia Crush India To Win The 3-Match Dettol ODI Series 2-0!

 

India have not learnt any lesson from the first match in terms of improving body language, intensity on the field and the basic will to win, despite the second one-day international being the decisive one in the 3-match Dettol ODI Series. The team management reposed full faith on them by fielding the same team, not even replacing anyone in the bowling line-up, prominently Chahal and Saini. To make matters worse Virat Kohli lost the toss again, offering the platter one more time to the hosts to make hay. And they did exactly that.

 

The Warner-Finch opener-duo who posted another 100-plus run partnership and later Steve Smith who notched up his second consecutive century continued to prove to be India’s nemesis. A target of 350+ runs was to be set for India yet again (the average first-innings score being 319 at the SCG for the last five years). The Indian bowlers did nothing better than in the first match: Saini continued to be the most expensive; Bumrah ineffectual as earlier; Shami unable to repeat his earlier length bowling; and the spinners putting up another abysmal show of club-cricket bowling. For a change, Pandya and Agarwal were also tried a bit, but with no results.

 

The formidable Aussies even bettered the target of 375 set in the first match by scoring 389/4 in the allotted 50 overs in the second ODI in Sydney today, with Maxwell coming up again with a quickfire unbeaten 63, and Labuschagne dampening the Indian cause further by scoring 70 odd runs. The Australian batsmen displayed a repeat show of grand batting with effortless ease, making the ball run to the boundary at the slightest touch as often as they preferred and to all sides of the park. Indian fielders were seen mostly running haplessly around, perhaps in a surrealistic frame of mind, not knowing what was happening around them.

 

The Indian reply was nothing much to write home about. Despite Kohli’s 89 , Rahul’s 76 and the Pandya-Jadeja summary fireworks. They finished for 338/9 in 50 overs. For Indian fans the frustration of the first ODI doubled up today having to watch a numbing flop show by their favorite stars, yet again, and the cause lost as Australia have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match Series, making the third match in Canberra on 2^ndDecember inconsequential. Australia’s tight length bowling almost throughout and super catching should be revelations for the seemingly squeezed-up Indians. Although the margin of victory is only 51 runs, Australia have effectively crushed India in all aspects of the game, and exacted sweet revenge for the home ODI Series loss in 2018-19. Steve Smith was the Man of the Match for the second time for his back to back tons. 

 

Perhaps the three-month long isolation has impacted the spirit of the Indian cricketers, and how they are going to regroup for the T20 and the Test Series is to be seen keenly. Additionally, perhaps the ‘family matters’ of superstars have had some adverse impact on the team too: Rohit Sharma being allowed to attend to his family matters after IPL-2020 (he was injured initially, sat out in a few matches and was not selected for the Indian squads for the Australia tour. But he started playing again till winning the IPL final, and mystery surrounded his case with even skipper Kohli wondering about his status.), and Virat Kohli himself granted leave after the first test to attend to his family matters. In any case, the challenge ahead is mounting for Team India, and we have no option but to hope for the best, and at least to hope for keenly contested matches.

Dettol ODI Series: Australia Beat India As The Fans Are Allowed In At The SCG, Sydney!

 

Photo: espncricinfo.com

Before coming to the match, we must mention the most heartening thing about cricket new normal: for the first time in 8 months crowds were allowed at the Sydney Cricket Ground, of course, up to 50% of the stadium’s capacity. However, some of stands were seen to be packed to the brim, and in general, masks were not being worn nor social distancing kept. It is not clear how the bio-bubble is going to help in this crowded environment. We hope this does not translate into an indiscretion as far as the pandemic spread is concerned as crowds ranging from 50 to 65 capacities are going to be allowed for all the remaining matches of the India Tour of Australia-2020-21 including the Tests.

 

Australia have beaten India by 66 runs in the first one-day international match of the three-match Dettol ODI Series in Sydney today, giving the long-missed home crowds much to cheer. The moment the Aussies put up a mammoth target of 375 runs before India many cynics might have written off the visitors having any chance of winning or even fighting back. However, considering the pitch that was full of runs and India’s fabulous batting depth the match was still full of probabilities, of India winning or giving a tough fight or losing ultimately.

 

Wining the toss and electing to bat first, the Aussies, fresh from IPL-2020, attacked from the word go with Finch and Smith notching up respective super tons, Warner missing one and Maxwell somewhat venting his IPL-frustration with a quickfire 45. For India all the bowlers except Mohammad Shami who captured 3 for 59 were ineffectual and expensive. A few blemishes on the field did not help their cause either. A challenge of a chase was thus set up for India, the only inspiration being that there were lots of blue-jersey supporters too in the half-capacity crowds.

 

India gave a fitting counter to the hosts launching a brutal assault on their bowlers from the opening overs, openers Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal (in absence of Rohit Sharma) going great guns. But it was too good to continue for long. Hazelwood struck in the sixth over to get rid of Agarwal for 22 runs. With skipper Kohli on the field as the no.3 batsman the momentum was not lost though. But then, Hazelwood struck a vital blow in the 10^th over getting Kohli out for just 21 runs, and this possibly was the turning point of the match. Shreyas Iyer came and was gone in two balls, succumbing again to the lethal Hazelwood. While the Indian spinners struggled even to contain the batsmen Aussie spinner Zampa picked up a wicket in his very first over, that too of KL Rahul. India were 4 down for 101 in the 14^th over. The match was as good as over.

 

It wasn’t. Dhawan and Pandya had much better ideas. They went about as if nothing had happened, notched up their respective half-centuries surviving a few chances and kept the chase well ahead of the required run-rate, reaching 200 runs in just 29 overs. The probabilities we mentioned earlier were fast turning into possibilities, and incredible ones at that. After the Hazelwood burst the Australian bowlers looked ordinary, and the Indian duo went on plundering runs with effortless ease. But it was not easy at all to sustain the chase till the winning run with not much batting to come.

 

Australia needed just one wicket to derail the momentum, and when spinner Zampa got rid of Shikhar Dhawan, after a brilliant partnership of 128 runs with Hardik Pandya, the end looked inevitable. India still needed 146 runs to win in 15 overs with the last recognized batting pair on the field, and the required run-rate beginning to rise and rise. Although Jadeja had been in top batting form the challenge ahead was far too daunting. When Pandya got out for 90 the match was finally all over for India. It was Zampa again, he  ended with 4 for 54 runs. Wake up, Indian spinners!

 

In the final analysis the probabilities of the match did threaten to become possibilities, and the cynics were not exactly proved right. And Rohit Sharma was missed sorely. This match would inspire India too in terms of cricketing strategy, and the remaining two ODIs to be played in Sydney on 29^th November and in Canberra on December 2 are going to be real exciting stuff. Keep enjoying, not with fed-in audio, but with real fans in the stadiums! Scorecard:

A Peoples’ Leader Dies: Tarun Gogoi No More!

 

He has been much more than just a political leader; he has been an excellent human being with an ever-smiling face, friendly and spontaneous manners, a typical pure Assamese flavor in his warm communications, his deep roots in Assamese culture, his interest in fine arts and love for all forms of music, and an endearing lovable personality. Even in his ripe old age he used to mix with his admirers/supporters like one of them, talking to them in a warm personal tone, singing and dancing with them. Throughout his eventful political career, he maintained his clean image, at times against tremendous odds. People of Assam respected him as much as they loved him. We used to refer to him as Tarunda (like an elder brother) in our Assamese friends’ circles, and we were all fond and proud of him: as a leader who could articulate the state’s problems to the central leaders and in Parliament, and as a central Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Food under former Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao. No doubt, there have been non-stop community prayers in the whole of Assam for the last two days for his recovery, transcending all political, ideological and religious barriers.  

 

Tarun Gogoi, the longest-serving former Chief Minister of Assam with his three consecutive terms from 2001 to 2016 and a Congress stalwart of India, passed away today evening in Guwahati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) at the age of 86. He had been fighting the dreaded COVID-19 virus since the month of August. On August 26 he was tested positive and was admitted in GMCH immediately. For more than a month he had been treated by a team of doctors under the full supervision of the state government, and was also given blood plasma therapy. The born-fighter defeated the virus and was discharged in early October. However, after a few days he started developing post-COVID complications and was admitted again in GMCH late October. His condition deteriorated gradually and he had been in life-support for the last two days with almost total organ failure. Finally, he succumbed, perhaps due to his age and comorbidities. And, Assam and the Indian National Congress lost one of their most successful leaders-statesmen.

 

Tarun Gogoi had been six-time Member of Parliament during 1971-2002, from his home constituency Jorhat and later Kaliabor. He was made Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1976 under the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and later he served as the General Secretary of AICC from 1985 to 1990 under the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and during this time he also worked as President of Assam State Congress. After serving as a central Minister from 1991 to 1995 Tarun Gogoi started focusing on his home state of Assam, and contested elections for the Assam Legislative Assembly successfully several times since then. In May 2001 he became the Chief Minister of Assam, and then repeated overwhelming Congress victories in 2006 and 2011 to complete his three terms.

 

Tarun Gogoi suffered his first major political setback in 2014 when his party could win only 3 seats out of 14 in Assam in the General Elections-2014. As in national scenario anti-incumbency waves strengthened in the state and like the huge corruption scams that rocked the Congress-led UPA government the Gogoi government too faced charges of unprecedented corruption. Besides, he also had to tackle growing dissidence within the state Congress party. Finally, in the Assembly Elections of 2016 the resurgent BJP dethroned his government with an overwhelming majority. Tarun Gogoi continued to be a prominent opposition leader despite his age and health issues. With the decline of the Congress party nationally, Assam Congress again had to remain content with 3 seats in the General Elections-2019. Yet, his clean image as a peoples’ leader remained intact notwithstanding the tremendous ups and downs, and the swings of fortune.

 

Tarun Gogoi was born in October 1934 into an ethnic Tai-Ahom family of Assam in the erstwhile Sibsagar district. He completed his high-school and college education in Jorhat, and then obtained an LLB degree from the Guwhati University. Gogoi started his public career by becoming a member of the Jorhat Municipal Board in 1968, and after that there was no looking back.

 

People of Assam will sorely miss his jovial personality, his secular stand, his political jibes laced with humor and his role as a competent political opposition leader. Assam State Congress too is going to miss his reassuring presence, his guidance and his statesmanship with Assembly elections due in about six months. Till August this year the great leader had been in prime attention all around and was actively engaged in the process of chalking out possible alliances against the BJP in light of the growth of regional parties in Assam in recent months. Tarun Gogoi leaves behind his wife, a daughter and son Gaurav Gogoi who has been emerging as a promising new-generation Congress leader.

 

We salute an able son of Assam and one of the greatest political leaders of the nation. As the state government of Assam observes a three-day state mourning, we join in the prayers for the eternal bliss of his noble soul.

India Vs Australia: Cricket New Normal, COVID Stress, Pink Ball And Expectations!

 

Photo: rediff.com

India started their tour of Australia in 2018-19 too from November 2018 to January 2019, and created history by becoming first Asian cricket team to beat Australia in a Test Series in Australia. They also became only the second team of the world to beat Australia in Australia in both the formats of ODI and Test. The first test of that series too started in Adelaide in December and in that cracker of a match India won by 31 runs, one of their slenderest of victory margins. Australia won the second test in Perth by 146 runs, and India sealed the series 2-1 by winning the third test in Melbourne by 137 runs with the last match ending in a draw in Sydney. Then they went on to win the ODI Series 2-1 too. Under Australia’s split captaincy regime for different formats Aussie wicket keeper Tim Paine was the captain in the Test series and Aaron Finch captained the Aussies in the ODI and T201 formats, and they met Virat Kohli as the all-format Indian skipper. The rivalry remains the same this time, only with the exception that Virat Kohli is going to go home on paternity leave after the Adelaide test. But India have the advantage of the previous triumph behind them.

 

The major difference this time is obviously the pandemic cricket new normal with empty stadiums and a strict regime of bio-bubble which means that all members of the teams will have to stay put in their hotel rooms except for the designated bus trips to the stadiums for practice sessions or matches, no mixing allowed with anyone, no group meetings and players cannot even dine with their team mates. Now, this means that the Indian players have been continuously under bio-bubble since the IPL-2020 in September after which they were airlifted to Australia the next day after the Final was played on November 10 in which Mumbai Indians became Champions easily defeating Delhi Capitals, to be put under a mandatory 14-day quarantine in Sydney and then to continue under bio-bubble till January 2021. Nearly five months of isolation is bound to affect the mental preparation of the visiting players. However, this factor is also applicable to the Australian players most of whom were also in the IPL-2020, of course, with the exception of having a brief but precious exposure to their home environs. Besides, there will be players for both sides who have joined afresh.

 

In the Adelaide Test of 2018 Cricket Australia had proposed the day/night pink ball match, but the BCCI rejected the idea due to lack of preparation at that juncture, and then the latter organized the first ever pink-ball day/night Test in November 2019 in India, in Kolkata against the visiting Bangladesh side. This time in Australia, the first Test in Adelaide is set to be a pink-ball affair from the 17^th of December. All the factors, swing or no-swing or reverse-swing or the ‘twilight behavior’, will be in full display one more time. With the COVID-19 situation in Australia easing off nicely at the moment the earlier uncertainties about this match are more or less set at rest.

 

The main architects of India’s maiden series victory in Australia in 2018-19 among others were the Indian pacer-trio: Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami, with bits of spinner Ashwin, and the towering batting performance of Cheteshwar Pujara who amassed 550 runs in the four test matches. Uncertainty of Ishant’s fitness continues, but still India have the likes of Bumrah, Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj to that of Australia’s Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Cameron Green and so on. Ashwin would most probably figure in the final eleven. Cheteshwar Pujara is also there and his form will be of crucial importance. Uncertainty about the fitness of wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha who created a storm as an opener in IPL-2020 and then unfortunately got injured also continues. 

 

Injured Rohit Sharma has been included in the Test squad and his presence will be significant in the absence of Virat Kohli for the remaining three Tests. Ajinkya Rahane, with proven captaincy records, will be captaining the Indian team from the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Previous statistics also do not support the fears that in the absence of Kohli India perform dismally. No doubt, his absence is set to be a huge psychological advantage for the Aussies who would dearly want a sweet revenge for the loss in 2018-19. India’s tremendous depth in batting has been acknowledged internationally, and with the added advantage of world-class pacers, apart from the classic spinners, India is a formidable side to any opponent. Australians know this well, and therefore, they have been rather cautious so far, not indulging in their usual mind games prior to the contest.

Two of the traditional archrivals of world cricket will unfold the show with the first ODI to be played in Sydney on 27^th November, the next also there on 29^thand the third and final ODI in Canberra on 2^nd December. The three-match T20Is unfold from the 4^th of December. And then the 4-match Test Series. The day/night ODIs will start from 9.10 am Indian time; the night T20Is will begin from 1.40 pm Indian time; the day/night Test starts daily from 9.10 am while the three day-Tests start daily for 5 am Indian time. All the matches are to be telecast live by Sony Pictures on its TEN 1, TEN 3 and Sony Six channels. So then, the epicenters of the great expectations, cheers and support of the fans are to be their homes, exclusively this time. The anticipated excitement would definitely be able to neutralize some of the gloom generated by months of new normal times. Cheers!

Bihar Maha Bitterness: Why Board And Then Blame The Sinking Ship!

 

After riding on a palpable anti-incumbency wave and the predictions of clear victory by all of the exit polls the ultimate narrow defeat of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in the Bihar Assembly Elections-2020 is bound to cause huge disappointment and bitterness. Unable to accept defeat the leaders of the RJD first started attacking the Election Commission on a variety of alleged anomalies in counting, and then picked out the main alliance partner, the Indian National Congress (INC), for letting them down. A prominent RJD leader attacked Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi for their alleged callousness towards the election. The leader further alleged that they did not come for the election campaigns attending a very few rallies, but were only interested in having picnics. He also questioned the internal management of the INC and its lack of introspection.

 

Having said that, we must examine the underlying factors. The RJD under the leadership of a young and energetic Tejashwi Yadav must have been aware of the anti-incumbency wave and the strong public anger against the serving Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar, and also of the strategic Chirag Paswan factor as a vote-cutter. In that scenario, why at all did Yadav’s party allot as many as 70 seats to the Congress or the INC! They must also have been aware of the Congress track record since 2014. Considering everything the RJD should have fought in at least 200 seats sharing the remaining 43 with its allies, more to the Left parties and the least to the Congress. Once one boards a sinking ship, one loses the right to put the blame on it if it does sink later. Some leaders of the RJD have now realized this mistake and are regretting that they should not have succumbed to the pressure applied by the Congress for a larger seat-share. Therefore, it’s an opportunity lost for the RJD, entirely, and not at all for the Congress that had been used to poor performances. Confined to Tejashwi Yadav Vs Nitish Kumar, majority of the people of Bihar wanted the former to be their CM.

 

Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, has become a monolith in the INC, nobody can either wish him away or accept him. Thanks to his historical position he has always been the punching bag for all political opponents, analysts and even such unlikely observers as the former US President Obama! As a Youth Congress leader initially, Rahul had been the fresh young face inducted into the Congress party, but unfortunately, he got fossilized in that role over the years/decades. The old guards, scared of being forgotten and desperately clutching at the power stick, surrounded and guided Rahul and his mother and Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi as the staunchest of loyalists, for their mere survival.  

 

With a bright career as a student behind him Rahul had the intelligence to understand the significance of the momentous defeats of 2014 and 2019 in General Elections, and so, he resigned as Congress President in 2019, and was adamant never to assume that role again. The old guards got petrified with fear lest a non-dynastic younger leader got elected for the post. So, they convinced Sonia Gandhi to carry on, and again in 2020 the loyalists persisted on Sonia Gandhi to continue as the interim President of the party.

 

Thanks to the anti-incumbency factors Congress under Rahul did win three assembly elections in 2018, but the old guards insisted on appointing CMs of their ilk in those three states, and definitely not the promising and younger leaders who worked hard for the wins. Due to the cardinal sin of depriving the dynamic Jyotiraditya Scindia of a CM role, the party lost its government in Madhya Pradesh early this year. They nearly lost Rajasthan in July 2020, again thanks to the same myopic vision of not taking the party’s younger leaders into the scheme of things. This has created dissidence in the party structure with leaders like Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewary and others urging the party to introspect. And, the colossus decided to take punitive action against them, instead of doing the much-needed exercise.

 

Now, the RJD leaders too are trying to sing with the dissident leaders of the Congress. Kapil Sibal has again alleged that the INC has not been introspecting for the last six years which is true indeed. The RJD also did not have much to boast of with the Laloo legacy still staring and not sparing. However, Tejashwi almost came out of that legacy, establishing himself as a leader of much promise, on his own. But miscalculations within his own party prevented him from becoming the youngest CM of the state.

 

Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar was sworn in as CM for the fourth consecutive term yesterday with his party JDU able to secure only the third position. No doubt, he is flanked by two BJP Deputy Chief Ministers. And the inconsolable bitterness of the single largest party continues…

Actor-Legend Soumitra Chatterjee Passes Away In Kolkata!

 

Legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee passed away in a Kolkata hospital today after fighting with COVID-19 for nearly one and half months. He was tested positive on the 6^th of October 2020 and was promptly admitted to a hospital considering his age and vulnerability. The actor was on and off ventilator support as he developed a range of other infections. Great hopes were generated when he tested negative on October 14; but his COVID-related complications dashed all expectations of his final recovery. He continued to be on life support, and despite the best efforts of the team of doctors we have lost one of the greatest actors of Indian Cinema. He was 85, but still had enough ammunition to surge ahead with his creative pursuits, encompassing a saga of over five decades in Bangla movies. But for the deadly pandemic virus!

 

Soumitra Chattopadhyay has been one of my all-time favorite actors of world cinema, and living in Assam, I began to realize his immense contribution to cinema only in the eighties when the Doordarshan National channel opened up for the country, unleashing a wave of regional movies on its regular movie-slots day and night. As I watched more and more of his movies and his incredible range of roles, my bond with the legendary actor grew stronger and stronger, loving his natural acting, his lovable personality and handsome appearance: tall, imposing yet tender and with sharp features. Although I could not have much of him in the big-screen theatres, his acting aura remained with me, always.    

 

While working in Kolkata I was desperate to meet him, and possibly have an interview with him. I requested several friends to arrange an appointment. Unfortunately, it did not materialize due to various unforeseen reasons and circumstances. And then the pandemic came which locked us up away from the city of joy for months, and I could not proceed with my plans. This ‘miss’ will remain in me as one of the most regrettable things in life. The news of his illness caused pangs of pain in my heart. Finally, the legend is gone from the material world, but his images would always adorn the hearts of millions, forever.

 

Soumitra Chatterjee is best known for his long association with another legend of Indian Cinema, Satyajit Ray. The overwhelming critical acclaim received from the world over for Ray’s debut film ‘Pather Panchali’(1955), hailed as the first Indian classic and the pioneer of the Indian parallel or new-wave cinema movement, encouraged him to make a sequel which finally came to be known as the ApuTrilogy, Apu being the central character in the movies, from his childhood to adulthood. Soumitra came for an audition for the second film of the Trilogy, Aparajito (1956). Satyajit Ray understood his potential as an actor immediately, and although Soumitra was not selected for that movie as he proved to be too old for the adolescent Apu, Ray never forgot him. For the last film of the Trilogy, Apur Sansar (the World of Apu, 1959), Ray finalized Soumitra to play the role of adult Apu. And history was made.

 

Soumitra Chatterjee went on to act in as many as 14 films made by Ray, and then a few more with Ray’s son Sandeep. Soumitra also immortalized the character of Feluda, a private investigator or detective created by Ray in his short stories, in two films made by the legendary filmmaker. The Feluda Series, as it came to be known popularly, continued to flourish with more movies made by other Bengali directors and actors too. Few of the evergreen Ray films featuring Soumitra include Abhijan (1962), Charulata (1964), Aranyer Din Ratri(1969), Ashani Sanket (1973), Ghare Baire (1984) and Ganashatru(1989). He also acted in memorable films by Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, Asit Sen, Tarun Mazumdar, Ashutosh Bandyopadhyay among others, and also in films made by modern-day filmmakers like Aparna Sen and Gautam Ghose. He was believed to have given tough competition to the reigning superstar of Bangla cinema, Uttam Kumar, in the sixties and seventies. The legendary actor played roles in more than 210 films, and was active till the end of 2019.

 

Soumitra Chatterjee was born in 1935 in a cultured Bengali family that had theatre links, his grandfather being the president of a local theatre group and his father an amateur actor despite his government job. Therefore, Soumitra developed skills in the finer arts from childhood days, learnt acting from school days and played a significant role in a play while as a college student. He did his BA with honors in Bengali literature from City College, the University of Kolkata. He started his career as an AIR announcer while pursuing his main interest of a career in films, and came into contact with Satyajit Ray.

 

Naturally, awards and accolades showered on him throughout his career. Apart from the innumerable State awards Soumitra Chatterjee won several National Film, BFJA and Filmfare awards; Padma Bhushan in 2004 even as he rejected Padma Shri in the seventies; the highest award for arts given by the French Government Officier des Arts et Métiers; and the highest award of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2012. Apart from being an actor of the top order Soumitra was also a poet and a playwright. He also tried his hand in film direction. And of course, he was amiable, modest, soft-spoken and a normal family man.

 

At this painful hour of his irreparable loss to Indian cinema, we pray for the eternal bliss of the noble soul of Soumitra Chatterjee. The rich images he has given to the silver screen and the small screens will be eternally and fondly preserved in public memory. A legend lives on…

Happy Green Diwali-2020!

Diwali, the biggest festival of India, is a festival of lights, and is traditionally celebrated by lighting rows of earthen lamps or diyas, candles and strip electric lights, in and around homes and buildings. People can celebrate and enjoy in this way even during the worst crisis ever faced by humankind as there are no restrictions on burning oil or electric lamps. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to us to light up diyas just before Lockdown was enforced in March. Lighting up your houses essentially means driving away evil spirits and forces, and hoping for a bright year ahead. Celebrating Diwali this way does not in any way rob you of enjoyment.

 

Besides, if you’d like to have sweets and distribute those to your neighbors there are no issues either. Sweet shops are open across the country you can even walk down to and buy to your heart’s desire. Various state governments have also announced measures to ensure undiluted sweets for your good health. Then, if you want to buy new clothes there is still no problem. Retail cloth stores, malls and online stores are open across the country and you can buy without taking any risk in terms of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.

 

You can also enjoy company online and through video chats/conferences with your dear friends and relatives, and help yourselves by not inviting lots of them to your home. You must check your impulses to go to large gatherings, and instead, enjoy quality times at your homes with your families for whom you always care. You must understand that after long six months the pandemic situation is coming under control, and you should never give away the advantage by your impulsive indiscretion.

 

And, why at all do you want to burst firecrackers and fireworks? Under normal circumstances bursting of firecrackers and having bouts of fireworks greatly impact pollution, adversely affect the elderly population, particularly with asthma or lung or hearing issues and tremendously harm the street humans and animals. We heartily welcome the preventive measures adopted by the state governments of Rajasthan, West Bengal and Delhi with more states joining in the campaign to have a Diwali totally free of firecrackers and fireworks.

 

This a festival of lights and not of politics or of a particular religion. Therefore, politicking of any kind in banning fireworks must be avoided by the states. In West Bengal, the High Court had taken the initiative in banning crackers as it had declared all Durga Puja pandals as no-entry zones earlier which most probably prevented an explosion of infections in the state. The state of Karnataka first went for the ban, but then, perhaps political considerations taking over, allowed two-hours of fireworks which is not at all advisable.

 

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra has been consistently appealing to people to have a green Diwali while the municipal authorities in Mumbai decided to only partially implement a ban by allowing firecrackers of the milder variety and green crackers that are almost smokeless, but such measures cannot ensure full compliance. In Maharashtra Diwali is a five-day event starting today, and therefore preventive measures assume utmost importance here. Most preferably, all states must go for the total ban irrespective of any consideration. People can have a resonant Diwali next year if they comply with the restrictions this year.

 

The NGT (National Green Tribunal) has done the right thing by imposing a total ban in Delhi NCR region till 30^th November 2020, and by ordering all cities to enforce similar bans if the pollution indexes in those are above the moderate levels. Here too, the state governments must cooperate in taking suitable decisions, seriously taking local pollution levels into active consideration and observation. However, a total country-wide ban of firecrackers would be the most needed step at the moment. Under Epidemic Disease Act states are empowered to impose such bans. 

 

Wish you all a great and fulfilling Happy Green Diwali-2020! 

Bihar Elections-2020: Was Chirag Paswan BJP’s Conscious Strategy?

 

Defying all exit polls, the BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) came back to power with a simple majority in the closely fought Bihar Assembly Elections-2020, giving the fourth consecutive CM-term and fifth overall to Nitish Kumar. All of the exit polls gave simple to two-third majority to the MGB (Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance) led by the young energetic face of Bihar, Tejaswi Yadav, son of the Bihar stalwart and former Chief Minister for three terms, Laloo Prasad Yadav, who had been in jail since a long time on corruption cases, and predicted Tejaswi to be the next CM. One or two exit polls indicated, in the worst scenario, a hung assembly.

 

Various reasons have been ascribed for the incredible comeback of the NDA against all odds. The primary reasons are: the continuing influence of the Modi-factor, the 12 crucial rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bihar where he warned people against falling for the ‘Jungle Reign’ of the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) led by Laloo and family, a majority of the women voters favoring Modi and the NDA, and that Asaduddin Owaisi, MP and President of AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen), deciding to contest on its own in all the Muslim-dominated regions of the state, and thus weaning away crucial votes that RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and the Congress were expected to garner for the MGB.

 

However, the most crucial factor or the so-called X-factor had been the pre-poll acrobatics of the Lok Janshakti Dal (LJP which was formed in 2000 by Ram Vilas Paswan) led by Member of Parliament Chirag Paswan, son of another stalwart of Bihar politics, Ram Vilas Paswan, who had been a central minister for the NDA government in India and unfortunately died on 8^th October this year. He also served as a minister in the UPA government earlier under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. When Ram Vilas was alive in the first week of October the LJP left the NDA in Bihar saying that they did not want to fight elections under Nitish Kumar, and would continue to support BJP fighting on its own. So, the LJP went ahead contesting as many as 143 seats in the 243-seat Bihar legislative assembly.

 

After the demise of Ram Vilas, Chirag had been consistently opposing the leadership of Nitish Kumar and saying that they would be devoted to Modi and BJP and would form a government with the BJP in a new alliance. So, a situation emerged where a party not in the time-tested BJP alliance led a campaign against an integral NDA partner while vowing all the support for the BJP. And the BJP leadership kept mum all the time on Chirag utterances and deeds. This politically-unique Chirag-factor has been discussed and analyzed by various political experts all the while; but since the absurd situation made my head break at times, I decided to write about it.

 

It is not at all practical to assume that the BJP think-tank was not aware of the strong anti-incumbency wave against three-term-CM Nitish Kumar and open public anger for his mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic and the migrant workers of the state. The party leadership must have thought about it, and after much brainstorming must have approved the Chirag factor. There were obvious reasons why this strategy would work:

v This was sure to improve the acceptability of the BJP as it in a way joined the voters in their wrath against the serving Chief Minister;

v BJP has been known to playing as a Big Brother in any alliance in states, and this strategy would either eliminate Nitish’s JDU (Janata Dal-United) from the alliance entirely or would reduce its numbers drastically making its influence much weaker;

v Even if the probability of forming a BJP-LJP government in Bihar was far remote, the Chirag-factor would at least contribute as a vote-cutter, mostly affecting the JDU candidates and also for the RJD and other partners of the MGB like the Congress and the Left; and

v This strategy can also be seen as an effective counter against the surging young leader Tejaswi putting up another energetic young promising leader in the guise of Chirag.

Now, after the results were finally declared in the wee hours of 11^th November the following benefits to the BJP were apparent:

vBJP’s tally of seats increased remarkably to 74, almost making it the singe largest party in the assembly;

vAs was anticipated, JDU’s seats got hit to the extent of a loss of 28 seats, effectively making it the junior partner in the alliance;

vAs the margins of victories in the suspense-thriller of an election were very thin the Chirag vote-cutting visibly harmed the prospects of RJD and the Congress primarily, in many crucial assembly constituencies; and

vEven though the LJP finally managed to win only one seat it has emerged strongly as an ally for the BJP in future.

Of course, the strategy had its elements or risks that Nitish Kumar would decide to feel insulted and humiliated by the actions of non-NDA Chirag Paswan, and would walk out of the alliance post-poll which eventuality would have made the situation ripe for a Maharashtra-like twist. Therefore, the BJP always maintained that JDU had been an integral part of the NDA and Nitish Kumar was always the Chief Minister candidate. After declaration of the results the BJP has again reiterated the fifth term for Nitish. In the event of a BJP-LJP majority Nitish would have definitely been out even as Nitish said, emotionally and also significantly, in his last rally that it was going to be his last election.

 

How effectively the NDA alliance in Bihar works in the coming months and years is to be observed and seen. MGB has emerged as a great force in the state with 110 seats, and it will not be an easy ride for the NDA at 125 seats. Creating more and more jobs and tackling the migrant workers expertly would be the acid test for the new government, and the MGB won many hearts in Bihar with its focus on creation of jobs. In an expected move today, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while announcing another pandemic-stimulus package listed out a plethora of measures for job creation across the country.

Another Student Commits Suicide: Digital Education Still A Mirage!

 

Online education had been hailed as an integral part of the new normal after the COVID-19 pandemic hit India and lockdowns were imposed from 25^th March 2020 onwards. Schools and colleges were closed since late February, and after more than 8 months the much-touted online education is still not affordable for students of the poorer sections. The dream of Digital India had been sold years before with tremendous emphasis on smartphones and connectivity, even in the rural belt. And yet, one more bright student in a college in India’s capital commits suicide due to lack of a mere laptop or a proper smartphone with good internet connection. Earlier, incidents of students’ suicides were reported regularly from various states including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam.

 

Her name is Aishwarya Reddy, a topper in 12^th standard exam from the state of Telangana. This bright ambitious student got admitted in the prestigious Lady Shri Ram College of Delhi last year, as a B.Sc. Mathematics student. In February this year she came back to her home in Telangana as colleges were closed. Online classes were started after a few months by her college, and she found it increasingly difficult to attend and learn from these on her ordinary mobile phone and poor internet connection. She asked her father for a laptop, no problem even if it is a second-hand one. Her struggling father could not get it on time, and a part of India’s bright future committed suicide on November 2, leaving behind a suicide note saying that she did not want to burden her family further amid the pandemic-induced financial crisis.    

 

Her father has been a motorcycle mechanic who established his own repair shop only in March, and had to close it down after lockdown was clamped. To raise the money for his daughter’s higher education he mortgaged his house for Rs. 2,00,000, and was able to get her admitted in the Delhi college last year. Like millions of other workers and migrants he too got severely hit by the lockdown, as sources of income dried up completely. Although he opened his shop again recently, he had been struggling with his heavy compounded debt. Therefore, he was unable to get even a second-hand laptop for his daughter. And he lost her and the family’s hope, forever.

 

What about her college in the capital itself? Well, the Principal denied any knowledge of the student’s condition, and said further that the student never approached college authorities or teachers about her problems. Such claims are highly contestable, because when you do online classes with your students you have to accommodate all your registered students, and if some are missing in the classes you have to find out the reasons why. Besides, other sources in the college disclosed that she did indeed contact the college authorities with her issues, and nothing was done in the months that followed.

 

Aishwarya’s father also stated that she was selected for the INSPIRE scholarship by the Ministry of Science and Technology in the first quarter of the year, but the scholarship money never reached her. Why the delay happened is another contentious issue involving the college administration and the related Ministries including the HRD. If only a part of the scholarship money reached her even a few days back a precious life could have been saved.

 

A tremendous irony for a country that has been boasting of a Digital India since years, declared a new education policy and has been talking of self-reliance since the pandemic invaded the country. The Government of India has been continuously saying that the pandemic is indeed a great opportunity for momentous and permanent tasks and measures to strengthen our economy, but if you cannot provide for your students, the future of your country, then what opportunity are you talking about! Months back, this writer pointed out in social media that the greatest opportunity to take from the pandemic is to ensure a Digital India, giving away free smartphones/laptops to the needy students and making online education available and affordable for all rural and urban students.

 

But alas! Even after eight months of crisis the logistics are still not clear for the government. In the name of stimulus packages, they only provided free rations, but not the crucial financial assistance that millions were desperate to get. Do we need another pandemic and scores of more suicides to finally realize the priorities?

                                                                                                                            (Courtesy: NDTV Report)

Anticlimactic Twist To An Absorbing IPL-2020, KXIP And RR Eliminated!

IPL-2020 has been one of the most absorbing versions ever given very different terrains in the United Arab Emirates, its three stadiums being Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Dubai is almost similar to the Indian flat tracks inducing high scores while the pitches in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are on the slower side, both rather helping the bowlers yielding mostly modest scores, more than 200 runs very rare. That IPL 2020 is so absorbing is clear from the fact that only a couple of matches to be played in the final stage of the league, only one team has officially qualified for the play-offs and it is still not clear which three of the five teams would finally join MI there. Of course, Dhoni’s CSK had already been officially eliminated from the tournament, along with KXIP and RR as of today.

 

We had maintained in our earlier IPL piece that thanks to the slowish nature of the pitches the struggle between the bat and the ball was keener, and therefore, we were having many hard-fought humdingers. Besides, we also said that the Indian win-toss-and-chase strategy had been almost neutralized here which was a healthy sign for competitive cricket. However, things have changed dramatically in the final week of the league stage.

 

We are seeing now active application of the Indian strategy, that is to say, win toss and choose the option of chasing a target, and this has been paying off. In several crucial matches we are getting used to watching the toss-losing side batting first and making perfect mess of a target, with at least 2/3 bowlers, both spinners and pacers, of the rival sides creating havoc.  Yesterday we had seen a perfectly balanced side RCB making just 120 runs batting first against SRH and another top side DC setting a pathetic target of 110 runs against MI. In earlier matches we saw CSK and RR easily chasing down competitive targets set by KKR and KXIP respectively. In all these matches and in a few more the winning sides have consistently been the ones winning the toss and then opting to chase. Such has been the importance of the toss that all these matches ended as thoroughly one-sided affairs, adding an anticlimactic tinge to an otherwise absorbing tournament.

 

The most spectacularly disappointing victims have been RCB and DC, two top teams who amassed 14 points each more than a week back, and since the last one week had been unable to win just one match to proceed to the play-off stage. DC has lost last four games on the trot while RCB lost three. Of course, at least one of them would still make it to the play-offs. The struggling first and then resurging, Team KXIP had done all the hard work to amass 12 points and needed to win at least one of the remaining two matches. They lost both: against RR on 30^th October and against CSK today.

 

Funnily enough, CSK, after being eliminated from the tournament, has become a sort of kingmaker, preventing two teams from entering the play-offs: eliminating KXIP today and almost doing the same defeating KKR (on 12 points for a long time) on October 29. To the question as to why this strategy is evolving the answer is not forthcoming. The common theory is that pitches are slowish okay, but dew is affecting the bowlers of the toss-losing side and helping the chasing side score with greater ease.

 

The lament is the probability of either KKR or KXIP winning those matches that would have given them at least 14 points each had they won the tosses and chased. Of course, we cannot cry too hoarse for KKR, because the team has been suffering from an unpredictability of the West Indies type, non-performance of key players, change of team leaders and a classic saga of strategical mistakes. Then the two teams of RR and SRH that had been performing indifferently are surging at this late stage, RR is gone today, but SRH is still in the fight.

 

As we go on talking about the anti-climax of one-sided matches, we just have had a reversal of our own theory in the tough match between KKR and RR today in Dubai. As per the set strategy RR decided to field first after winning the toss. Through the usual series of fits and starts KKR finally managed to set an imposing target of 192. Then they entered the battlefield like charged Royal Bengal Tigers and made an attacking RR totter getting half of the side out in less than five overs. The rest just lingered on, the match turning out to be entirely one-sided, but neutralizing the set pattern. KKR won the match by  60 runs in 20 overs and earned 14 points to be in the fourth position, their only concern at the moment being a low net run-rate (NRR). RCB and DC also have low NRRs while SRH has a much higher one.

 

Now we need to wait two more days for the final line-up. Today, RR and KXIP are eliminated. Tomorrow’s RCB Vs DC match would ensure one of them reaching the play-off with 16 points while the last league encounter between SRH and MI on 3^rd November would be important only for the former as the latter is already the number 1 in the play-off line-up. We might be having 2 or 3 teams locked with 14 points each and in that eventuality NRR would decide the qualifiers. So, absorbing yes, but the one-sided matches are always disappointing. And we fervently hope that the win-toss-and-chase strategy does not influence the play-off matches. The first Qualifier is to be played in Dubai on 5^th November, the Eliminator and the second Qualifier in Abu Dhabi on 6^th and 8^th November while the Final will be played in Dubai on 10^th November.