Indian Farmers’ Crisis: Two Months And The Republic Day Aftermath!

Perhaps the Indian agitating farmers, protesting for more than 60 days, made two strategic mistakes at two crucial junctures. First when the Supreme Court of India stayed the Farm Laws till further orders and constituted a panel to carry forward the discussion. The farmers rejected this saying that all the four members of the panel were in support of the three Farm Laws, and that they wanted to talk with the Government only and wanted solutions through this. Perhaps, they could have perceived the stay on the implementation of the laws as a moral victory, and felt the opportunity in this, because the opinions of the panelists were not going to be the final say with the Supreme Court observing.

 

Second when the Government of India proposed what they had termed as the best offer: willing to stay the three laws for a period 18 months and carrying on the process of discussion, looking for required amendments of some provisions and so on. The farmers rejected this too saying that they would not stop at anything short of a repeal of the laws and a legislation to guarantee Minimum Support Prices. Perhaps, they could have reasoned that one and half years was quite a long time, and that the interim period was full of opportunities at finally arriving at the laws they would not object to.

 

The sole factor responsible for the stalemate has been the ever-growing trust deficit between the farmers and the government. The farmers did not want to put trust on the government due to many reasons, and they were also apprehensive of losing the momentum of the painstakingly built-up movement once they agreed to the proposals or rather falling into the trap supposedly set by the government.

 

The BJP-led National Democratic Government at the centre has always been used to more of cracking down on democratic movement than respecting the same over the last few years. The methods used to crack a movement are familiar to many, and in trying to crack the Farmers’ Movement most of the ‘time-tested’ methods are used: that the laws passed by the Parliament will be very beneficial for the farmers; that the agitation represented only two states of India and the rest of the farmers are always in support of the laws; that parallel farm unions are meeting the government to urge them usher in the reforms; that the opposition political parties are misleading the farmers; that terrorist elements have infiltrated the agitation and the enemy nation beyond the border is trying to take advantage of this to create disturbances; and that finally after a successful crack, labelling all agitators as anti-nationals or traitors or terrorists.   

 

What happened in the national capital on the 72^nd Republic Day, 26^th January 2021, in the wake of a tractor rally by the agitating farmers that was granted permission to enter Delhi after the Supreme Court refused to interfere, was a blot in the entire history of independent India. The utter chaos, the sporadic violence unfolding across the streets, the breach of the historical Red Fort and the injuries suffered by the policemen were unprecedented and must be condemned by all. Insult to the national flag cannot be condoned under any circumstances either. However, another chaotic drama unfolded immediately afterwards with the crosscurrents of photos/videos in the social media and on the television screens: one group saying the farmers had insulted the national tricolor and were actually terrorists while the other group alleging the opposite saying that the peaceful agitating farmers were not part of the violent acts, and that it was a conspiracy of the national ruling party to break the movement.

 

Well, the government, enjoying the support of a brute but abundantly clear majority, achieved what was required to put the agitation to an end irrespective of the contrasting narratives in circulation. FIRs and lookout notices were pressed in for most of the farmer leaders, and more forces, the police and paramilitary, were posted at all of the three protest sites bordering the national capital Delhi which are Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri. The Yogi Government of Uttar Pradesh issued an ultimatum to the farmers at Ghazipur, ordering them to vacate immediately, and the forces even staged a flag march there in the dead of the night of 27-28^th January, 2021. Water and electricity supplies were cut off. Similar moves were also noticed at the Singhu border which has been the epicenter of the movement since the last two months.

 

The two-month-old farmers’ movement seemed doomed and actually cracked open with several Unions withdrawing from the protests and hundreds of farmers returning to their villages. But then, everything changed which essentially meant that the government’s perception about the ‘movement’ was wrong. One front-running leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Rakesh Tikait, surrounded by security forces and deserted by many farmers during the same night of January 27-28^th at Ghazipur, cried out conspiracy and became tearfully emotional. He declared an indefinite fast, and said he would drink water only from his village.

 

His interview given to the media went viral instantly. And, his brother-leader in Uttar Pradesh along with thousands of farmers expressed shock, anger and sadness. They started garnering support immediately and started sending enforcements of farmers carrying the essentials including drinking water. Thus supported, Rakesh Tikait defied the Yogi government ultimatum with more and more farmers rejoining, even the returning farmers coming back. The plan of the Yogi government could never be carried out even as water and electricity supplies were restored the next day.

 

One more shocking event of mob violence happened at Singhu border on 29^th January which made the ‘conspiracy’ angle much more plausible. A group of more than 200 people, claiming to be locals and wanting farmers to end stir in view of they insulting the national tricolor, carrying the national tricolor were allowed to cross at least three heavy barricades and to come face to face with the agitating farmers, calling the latter names in the most horrific way. The mob started pelting stones at the farmers ransacking their tents and belongings as the police looked on. Only when the situation got out of control with some the mob swinging swords the police cracked down, and at least two of them were seriously injured. Fortunately, this time the policemen were not attacked by the ‘farmers’.

 

The Farmers’ Movement, instead of getting cracked open, has got a second lease of life, perhaps even stronger than before. The cultivators are the providers of food and they constitute the bane of the Indian economy. In the long run all stakeholders have everything to lose only if they try to divide or alienate them or calling them ‘traitors’, or ‘terrorists’ or ‘anti-nationals’. Good sense seems to have prevailed over the Government with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the first time, reaching out to the farmers saying that the ‘best offer’ still holds and that resolution must be reached through dialogue only. The concerns of the farmers must be put at rest first, reforms can come after that. 

OTT Webseries Blues In India: Tandav Just A Beginning Of The Tandava?

It seems, reasonably enough, that the outrage was waiting to happen. The growth of the Over-the-top media services platforms (OTT) that distribute video streaming over the internet, has been tremendous in the last eight years in India; in 2018 its market worth was more than INR 21.5 billion which has grown to INR 35 billion in 2019 and it is around INR 40 billion now. The market worth is expected to grow at the exponential rate of 45% to reach around INR 138 billion in 2023 and over 158 billion in 2024. The platforms enjoy a viewership of more than 1.7 billion subscribers currently which is likely to rise to a whopping 5 billion this year, making it the second-biggest OTT market after the US. Except for Reliance Entertainment’s launch of BigFix in 2008, the biggest of the 40-odd OTT platforms like SonyLIV, Disney-Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Voot, JioCinema and Zee5 started operations in India during 2013-18.

 

Initially, the OTT platforms were streaming released feature films, documentaries, short films and the like, but over time they have launched themselves into their own video productions of movies, shorts and most importantly, the Web Series, and then streaming those to their subscribers who can enjoy in their smartphones, laptops and desktops. Here lay the catch: there have been established regulatory bodies for print and electronic media; for advertising spots; and for the visual media comprising of feature films, documentaries and any other theatre-releases; however, for the OTT platforms, called Digital Media that includes social media and all other online expressions, there were no regulatory bodies, and this gave them a distinct advantage over others.

 

After watching the streamed videos, particularly the Webseries with up to 9-10 episodes, one feels, again reasonably enough, that what the filmmakers cannot afford to do in the to-be-certified film productions, they can do it in the most self-indulgent ways in the OTT productions. This means: they can allow their actors to mouth all of the slangs/abuses in wanton abundance, they can show explicit sex scenes in graphic indulgence and can also have violence beyond measure, in full gory details. This huge advantage was bound to raise concerns and alert the vigilante hardliners, sooner or later.

 

While the other forms of media, despite being regulated, have been facing attacks from the hardline groups and the fringe elements, the Webseries productions, despite showcasing much bolder content, continued to enjoy some kind of immunity except for the occasional PIL. This scenario is perhaps explained by the fact that the OTT platforms mostly cater to the urban users having the required facilities, and the viewing being primarily personal with headphones plugged in. Thanks to the Digital India connectivity campaign, the emergence of the Jio mobile-phone and internet services, and the consequent crash in mobile and internet charges all over, the subscriber-gates also opened up to the huge sector of rural India.

 

Naturally then, the Government of India started thinking about bringing the enormously growing digital media as a whole under its regulation. The mandarins of the OTT management sensed it too, and they worked out a self-regulation formula, coming together, sometime in early 2020. But the Government rejected this proposal, and eventually in November 2020 the Government of India, through a Gazette notification signed by the President of India, brought all of digital media under its control, that is, under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. After volleys of protests and concerns, the picture is still not clear as to how this regulation would work out in practical terms.

 

And finally, all hell broke loose as the Hindutva groups protested vehemently against Amazon Prime Video’s new Webseries, Tandav (Catastrophe), objecting against some scenes in the Series supposedly making a mockery of Hindu Gods. The Government of Uttar Pradesh went to the extent of lodging FIRs against the producers of Tandav, and threatening even arrests. The national ruling party, as usual, came out in full support of the chorus for action with some of its leaders pledging to bring those producers to book, at any cost. The producers were also summoned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for explanations. The stirrings transformed into a full Tandava as objections were also raised against Amazon’s most popular Webseries ‘Mirzapur’-seasons 1 and 2, after months of the streaming.  

Whatever be the premises of the objections, it must be pointed out here the concerned Webseries Tandav is a very poorly-made and ridiculous one, and it doesn’t even deserve controversy and free publicity.  

We can give two laughable examples here: first, the Prime Minster of India as portrayed in the Series, is dining alone in the huge hall without even a single uniformed attendant around, and obviously there were no security guards or reception lounges outside as her political rival barges in, sits beside her, snatches her plate and starts eating it himself while delivering the dialogues; second, one lady carrying a bag of INR 10 million in her car, enters the most protected VVIP area of the supposed national capital, gets down from the car with the bag, walks to a street-dustbin and pushes the bag in, then she walks into another campus, confronts one more dustbin, turns it down spilling over the items, selects her designated item and leaves in her car, and while she has been doing all these actions not a soul was visible around the big area, forget about security personnel or other cars. To such numerous other scenes, objections can be raised too, by even neutral connoisseurs of art and cinema. But why at all? The best thing is to let a bad work of art sink without a bubble.

 

However, that is not the sense that is prevailing now. Amazon Prime and all the crew members of Tandavapologized unconditionally, and even the disputed scenes have already been deleted. But no! the self-styled protectors of religion and culture would see them arrested and punished lest others dare to! In a society that is already polarized and deeply divided, this does not augur well for the future of the art and creativity of the country. Unfortunately, this Tandava, not at all related to the revered Lord Shiva, is only set to intensify further. It is high time the Government of India comes out with specific details of the intended regulatory measures. 

Welcome President Biden! Long Live Democracy!

Joseph R Biden or popularly known as Joe Biden, the 46^th President of the United States of America, was sworn in a modest inauguration event on the 20^th of January 2021 held in the premises of Capitol Hill which was invaded by Trump supporterstwo weeks back. At 78, he is the oldest ever President of the country to be sworn in: however, his arrival at this juncture is seen by many as momentous and much-needed in view of the aftermath of Trumpism.

 

Not surprisingly, considering the bitterly divided American society, President Biden pleaded for national unity and the end of the uncivil war with the slogan ‘shun division, embrace unity’. He explained that ‘unity’ is required in view of the paramount need, which he termed as ‘a desperate call for survival coming from the planet earth itself’, of countering the challenges of rising political extremism, white supremacy racism, domestic terrorism and the pandemic that caused more damage in one year than the whole of the World War-2 did to America. He declared that he was the President for all Americans including those who did not or still do not support him. The President said, ‘democracy is precious, democracy is fragile’, but went on optimistically by saying that ‘today is democracy’s day’ and that ‘democracy has prevailed’. There was much to heal and more to build, he pleaded.

 

The event was not attended by the outgoing President Donald Trump as announced by him a few days back, he became only the fourth President to do so in USA’s presidential history, and the first to do so in last more than one hundred and fifty years. However, Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence attended the ceremony, and significantly was not around when Trump delivered his farewell speech at an airbase before taking Airforce-1- to fly home to Florida. Trump has also earned the unique distinction of becoming the first ever US President to get impeached twice in the US House. With the Democrats establishing their presence in the Senate their next moves in permanently depriving Trump of all post-presidential privileges would be keenly observed.

 

Earlier, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the Vice President of USA, becoming the first ever woman VP, the first ever black person to rise to this post and the first ever person of Asiatic (Indian) origins to assume this privileged office of the country. People of her original village in Tamil Nadu, India celebrated this huge occasion by prayers in the temples and distributing sweets in large gatherings. However, Kamala Harris being a liberal democrat is unlikely to take her India-origins seriously and mix with the people as well as with some of the most aggressively Hindu nationalist governments of the country. More good news comes in the wake of Kamala Harris’s rise, in terms of appointing more than 20 Indian-Americans in Biden Administration out of which 17 are in key positions. In fact, Biden had already strengthened his COVID-19 team with quite a few Indian-Americans who had the expertise, and his call of ‘set aside politics, fight the pandemic’ augurs well for future of a country where around four hundred thousand people have lost their lives so far due to the Coronavirus infections.

 

President Joe Biden’s mission at the moment is clearly to end the legacy of Trump as soon as possible, and as he said in his speech, to start engaging with the world for peace and democracy. To lead by examples the President got into action on the very first day of his office. He signed around 15 executive orders reversing some of the crucial foreign policies and national security decisions taken by his predecessor Trump. These orders include, significantly, America rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change, revoking the country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization, making wearing of masks mandatory and rescinding a travel ban imposed on visitors from several Muslim-majority countries.

 

The President of the Democrats, basically the cynosure of all democracy-spirited people of the globe, had said in his inauguration speech, ‘Together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear, of unity, not division, of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing and goodness’. We hope Joe Biden succeeds in his mission of making democracy secure and permanent in his country as well as on planet earth. We also hope that this American story would inspire many in several major countries of the globe where democracy has been coming under serious and ever-increasing threat. 

Why Is The Brisbane Test Victory So Important For Indian Cricket?

The Gabba Fortress!

On the 19^thof January 2021 at the Gabba in Brisbane, the dying moments of the fifth and final day of the fourth cricket test match between Indian and Australia, India accomplished the most improbable by defeating the shell-shocked hosts by 3 wickets. Set a daunting target of 328 runs for a win the visitors replied at 4/0 at stumps on the fourth day which meant India had to get 324 runs on the last day for victory. The Indian team, already written off by many an expert after the catastrophic 36 runs all out in the first test in Sydney thus conceding an easy win for Australia, had a tough job ahead on an unpredictable last-day pitch facing arguably the best bowling attack of the world. Most importantly, the ground is popularly known as Gabbatoir for Australia where the home team never lost a test match against any cricket team since the last 32 years with an unbelievable tally of 24-0 wins. Therefore, at best, most of the cricket experts and fans expected India to somehow save the match by standing out the day and draw the Series. Against a forecast of rains the weather cleared up in the morning, perhaps to witness one contest of immense proportions.

 

Cricket lovers across the globe were to stand witness to one of the most incredible chapters of world test cricket. Mixing caution with aggression the Indian batsmen launched a campaign for outright victory, despite losing all-stars opener Rohit Sharma very early. Rock-solid Cheteshwar Pujara (56) acted as the anchor at one end while the other opener Subhman Gill (91) and captain Ajinkya Rahane, although briefly for 24 runs, carried on with their attack on the Aussie bowlers from the other end. Pujara held the fort till the arrival of the player-of-the-match Rishabh Pant whose talent has been discussed widely by cricket experts and fans for more than a year with almost no concomitant results, delivered, after a glorious 97 runs in the drawn third test in Sydney, the final blow hitting the winning four with just about 2 of the mandatory overs left in his unforgettable individual score of 89 runs not out.

 

And India breached the Gabbatoir, after 32 years, proving amply that Australia is never invincible even in their favorite fortresses. They had retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy winning the Test Series 2-1 coming after Virat Kohli’s first-ever test series victory in Australia against Australia in their 2018-19 tour. Shell-shocked, indeed, is the word that described the reactions of the Australian team, the Australian media and their cricket experts. We have already seen the tremendous importance of this victory for all stakeholders concerned. However, there are several other crucial takeaways from this memorable match that we mention as below:

 

·       The Gabba victory along with the four-test Series victory marks one of the most resilient comebacks for any team in the history of world test cricket. All odds were stacked against India after losing the first test in Sydney and the making of that 36 runs all out in their second innings. Then the exit of the regular captain Virat Kohli, called as disastrous by most Australian commentators/experts, put the team in the tightest of corners possible as they had to overcome the ignominy of the 36-run-all-out syndrome and had to carry on without their history-defining captain. Defying all predictions Team India regrouped under the calm-but-aggressive and the strategic stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane: gave a fitting reply to the hosts winning the second test in Melbourne convincingly by 8 wickets, and going on to stage the historic save of the third test in Sydney by keeping the ferocious Aussie pacers at bay for nearly one and half days.

 

·       Before the start of the final test at the Gabba chips went still downhill for India with nearly half of their team members down and out with injuries, mostly from the body blows they suffered in that Sydney save, that included the main strike bowlers. They drafted in their youngsters, most of them featuring only in one or two test matches earlier and some downright debutants. And, they breached the Gabbatoir.

 

·       India have discovered their incredibly talented bench-strength that would not have come into limelight without the injuries suffered by their mainstay. This is likely to prove era-defining for the future of Indian Cricket, giving the national selectors the run for their money to choose the ‘best’ team. This would also prove to be very helpful considering the fact that players tend to suffer injuries in ferociously-competitive international cricket.

 

·       The victory also marks a significant departure from having players in the national team mostly from megacities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata or others, because most of the gifted rookies like Mohammad Siraj, Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and others have come from small towns or villages with humble backgrounds, often from the grip of poverty.

 

·       India has proved again and again that super teams like Australia, England and the West Indies are never invincible, even on their home turfs, once the team has the resolution and self-belief in their abilities under any circumstances. Particularly concerning Australia, Sourav Ganguly’s India ended the world-record streak of 16 consecutive Test victories by Aussie skipper Steve Waugh in the Kolkata Test in March 2001 in Australia’s tour of India and Anil Kumble’s India ended Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting’s streak of 16 Test victories without a single loss in Perth in January, 2008, in their Australia tour of 2007-08. Not to speak of the away test series victories against the West Indies and England in 1971, and halting the juggernaut called the West Indies in the 1983 ICC World Cup.

 

·       Team India has also suffered spells of racial abuse from some of the stands during this tour, and sledging by the desperate-to-win Australian players. However, they have managed to come out trumps in this regard too.

·       It’s been proved again how strong is the game of cricket as a unifying force in times of the divisive strategies the world over and the horrors of the year-long pandemic. Simply, there is not a soul left in the Indian Republic who has stopped smiling since that unforgettable day of the 19^th January 2021, and they are going to smile a lot for a long time to come.

 

Long live the game of cricket! Let the spirit of competition of cricket conquer us again and again from the narrow horizons of divisiveness and communalism!

Incredible Brisbane Victory: India Lift Border-Gavaskar Trophy Overwhelming Australia 2-1!

Rishabh Pant

It was a rare of the rarest moments in the history of Test Cricket with a Test match going down the wire till the last mandatory overs and converting itself into a T20-like situation as India needed around 50-odd runs from the last 10 overs and Australia needed to capture 5 wickets. That too, in the fifth and final day of the match with India batting last facing a daunting target 328 runs for victory or to suffer defeat or to save the match and the Series. This was also like a classic tennis game with match points and Series points over a breathtaking and suspenseful period of time.

 

And, who could be a better player than Rishabh Pant in that T20 moments? Conclusively for the team, Pant blossomed into tremendous form from the third Test in Sydney and started doing what he had been expected to do since a long while, irrespective of the formats of the game concerned. With more successful players in the shortest formats, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur giving him company! Pant did it in his unique style and aggression hitting a four to wrest victory from an increasingly desperate Australian side, with just two overs more to go. This is a victory that would make the pioneers of the IPL really proud, at long last.

 

Washington Sundar

Yes, India has accomplished a task considered by many to be almost impossible, particularly after that 36-all-out syndrome in the first Test in Sydney, and lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy beating the hosts 2-1 in the four-Test Series with this incredible historic victory in Brisbane, the last Australian fortress to be conquered, by 3 wickets. We cannot afford to overlook the fact that the ultimate heroes of this victory are indeed the duo of Washington Sundar-Shardul Thakur for their historic 123-run partnership in the Indian first innings that brought India back into the game. This was Sundar’s test debut and Thakur played just one test before this. Then, there are the other youngsters: Mohammad Siraj, Subhman Gill, debutant Natarajan and Navdeep Saini who held their nerves and performed heroically overcoming their supposed inexperience.

 

This point brings us to another fact that Team India fielded for the Brisbane Test was without their striking bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav who were all in the injured list, not to speak of the on-leave regular captain Virat Kohli. This all-important fact augurs really well for the future of Indian Cricket, because now there are young, eager, fit, aggressive and competitively capable cricketers who can be called for field duty anytime needed and with confidence. On the batting youngsters, Gill really shone (91 in this match) showing great promise for the future; and of course, Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw still need to go miles before hopefully cementing their places in the team. However, all of them are superb cricketers making the reserves of Team India really an energetically vibrant place.

 

R Ashwin

The whole of the Test Series between India and Australia had been an exciting, intensely-fought and absorbing affair. But for the ‘36’ incident the first test in Adelaide could have gone India’s way too; led and batted brilliantly by the stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane the Melbourne test was won by India making the Series level, and this team-performance was just astounding as many considered the team was gone and out after that catastrophic 36; the third test in Sydney was marked by one of the most memorable fightbacks in world test cricket as Indian all-rounder Hanuma Vihari and spinner R Ashwin held the fort resisting an abusive Australia taking body blows for over forty overs; and the fourth test in Brisbane with inexperienced youngsters forming nearly half of Team India went down the wire with India finally scripting a victory to be remembered forever in great world cricket memory books. 

Jasprit Bumrah

For many, the final heroes of the Series would be the Indian bowlers who bowled with gusto and intelligence from the beginning, never allowing the hosts cross the 300-run mark except for on three occasions. Most importantly not only in bowling, but playing crucial roles in the batting too which were invariably match-saving or match-winning. And then, the racial abuse, the body blows and the sledging saga by desperate-to-win Australia.

Mohammad Siraj

 

Ravindra Jadeja

We must mention the leadership of the Indian stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane, even though he could not do much in batting in both the third and the fourth tests. He continued to inspire the teammates by putting faith in all the members, and by making strategic moves throughout. He has also been the only centurion from India, with Steve Smith and Labuschagne scoring the other two centuries in the Series. We can realistically suggest India cricket management start adopting the split-captaincy experiment, making Rahane the permanent skipper in Test matches.

 

It’s really tremendous to repeat the victory of 2018-19 over Australia in Australia. As we said earlier, this augurs well for the future, and perhaps for the first time in the nearly year-old depressive pandemic reign the Indians can actually afford to be all smiles. 

India Save The Sydney Test: Die-Hard Vihari-Ashwin Partnership Frustrates Australia!

The last recognized Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara got out in the 89^th over making it 5-down at 272 runs (target 407) with nearly two sessions still left for play in the fifth and final day of the third cricket Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. R Ashwin, coming in place of injured Ravindra Jadeja who had been crucial in both the Melbourne and this Sydney Tests, then joined Hanuma Vihari, and they fought a historic battle for over four hours facing more than 40 overs, with the mandatory 20 overs in the last hour, finally saving the Test match for India at 334/5. Vihari remained not out at 23 off 161 balls while Ashwin at 39 not out off 128 balls. The greatest part of this incredible partnership was the indomitable spirit and patience shown by both batsmen, never going for an improbable win and concentrating on defending each and every incoming ball till the end when the match was accepted as a draw by the hosts with the last mandatory over remaining.

 

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series thus remains level at 1-1 with the fourth and final Test starting from January 15 in Brisbane the uncertainty about which in view of the COVID-19 situation was ended mutually by the two cricket boards.

 

India had an uphill task of seeing off a minimum of 131 overs on the fourth day afternoon when Australia declared at 312/6, setting a target of 407 runs to win. Instances of a team chasing a huge target in the last innings of a test with more than a day to go and winning or drawing it are indeed rare in the history of test cricket. India had done it on only three important occasions: the historic win against the West Indies in West Indies in 1975-76 successfully chasing a target of 406 runs; the historic tied match against Australia in Madras in 1986 as India failed to reach the target of 348 runs in the last over of the last day by just one run; and saving a match against England in England in 2007 when Dhoni stuck on even as the team lost 9 wickets.

 

When stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane got out early today the stakes against India were at the steepest. However, injured wicket-keeper Rishav Pant finally did what he has been known for: launching a brutal counterattack he made an explosive 97 runs off just 116 balls, and with Pujara anchored at the other end brought India back in the match, almost clearing the ways for an incredible win. Owing, as always, to his aggressive impulses he could not complete what could have been a most memorable century, and got out in the 80^th over at the team score of 250/4. With all the recognized batsmen gone there was no realistic hope of winning the match now, and therefore, Vihari and Ashwin focused on saving it, and they were successful.

 

The frustration of the Aussies was apparent; the grimaces, the despairing looks on the faces of their top striking bowlers, fielding lapses, deliberately throwing the ball at the bodies of the Indians and the ultimate of the man-of-the-match player Steve Smith trying of smudge off Pant’s guard mark on the crease during a drinks break, perhaps with the purpose of applying mental pressure. Fortunately, it didn’t serve the supposed purpose as Pant searched for the mark, and not finding it took guard from the umpire again. Not to speak of the ugly racists that lurked in the stands, though reduced by the pandemic.

 

It has been tremendous cricket of bouncing back by Team India, overcoming the 36-run-all-out syndrome, winning the next one, drawing this one against all odds and now looking forward to the defining Brisbane test.

 

But it still has to be said that given a little consistency and application from the top batsmen the visitors could indeed have won this match too. The Indian batsmen are not performing consistently yet: Rahane seemed to have bloomed into form becoming one of the main architects of the Melbourne victory, but failed in both of the innings in this test; Rohit, Pujara, Pant were playing well, but not to the extent desired. Most importantly, the Indian batting seems to be over after being just four down with no recognized batsmen to follow. Perhaps it is due to the absence of Kohli, but it is still not acceptable to indefinitely keep KL Rahul rested, a player who has been used to the Australian conditions; although Vihari has finally justified the trust put into his all-round abilities. With the Indian batsmen playing to their potential India should be the favorites to win the Series 2-1 in Brisbane.

স্বাধীনতা সংগ্ৰামী বাউলীকবি কমলানন্দ ভট্টাচাৰ্য্য .🌺👏 Freedom Fighter Bauli Kavi Kamalananda Bhattacharyya...

 

🌺আমাৰ ককা -👏বাউলীকবি কমলানন্দ ভট্টাচাৰ্য্যদেৱৰ আজি ৭০ সংখ্যক পূণ্য তিথি । পুহমাহৰ কৃষ্ণা একাদশীত..,. ইংৰাজী ১৯৫১ চনৰ ৪ জানুৱাৰী তাৰিখে ৫৬ বছৰ বয়সত তেখেত স্বৰ্গবাসী হয় ।  

সৰুৰে পৰা ককাৰ  শ্ৰাদ্ধ দেউতাই  কৰি অহা দেখি ককাক দেখা  যেন লাগিছিল । এই দিন কেতিয়াও পাহৰিব নোৱাৰোঁ । নগাঁৱৰ ঘৰত সাংগীতিক পৰিবেশৰ মাজতে ককাক যেন পাইছিলোঁ । 

আজি ককাৰ গানেৰেই  ককাক স্মৰণ কৰি পূজা দিলো। ।ককা আহি গান শুনিবলৈ ৰৈ থকা  যেন লাগিল।

        ১৯৪২ চনৰ স্বাধীনতা আন্দোলনত  যোগদিয়াৰ পিছত ৯ মাহ কাৰাবৰণ কৰি  তেখেতৰ স্বাস্থ্যৰ অবনতি ঘটিছিল ।  দেশৰ কাৰণে প্ৰাণ  আহুতি দিয়া এইজন ককা ...আমাৰ সকলোৰে  ককা ..বাউলীকবি  কমলানন্দ  ভট্টাচাৰ্য্য দেৱৰ  মৃত্যু হৈছিল মাতৃৰ সমুখত  । সেইগৰাকী  মাতৃৰ  মানসিক শক্তি ৰ কথা আইতা আৰু  দেউতাৰ পৰা বহুত শুনিছিলো । তেখেত আমাৰ আদৰ্শ ।  নিজৰ পুত্ৰ জেলত থাকোতে , আৰু  পুত্ৰৰ   মৃত্যুৰ পিছত ধৈৰ্য্য সহকাৰে  ঘৰ চলাই নাতিক মানুহ কৰা এগৰাকী সাহসী  মানুহ আছিল 'আই '... দেউতাৰ মৰমৰ আই । দেউতাৰ আদৰ্শ আমিও পালো । 

       ১৯২১ চনত  মহাত্মাগান্ধীৰ  আহ্বানত গোটেই ভাৰতবৰ্ষ জুৰি  যি  অসহযোগ আন্দোলন  আৰম্ভ  হৈছিল --সেই আন্দোলনত  যোগ দিবৰ বাবে  তেখেতৰ লগতে  আৰু দুজন  কৃতী  শিক্ষকে  নগাঁও উচ্চ ইংৰাজী  বিদ্যালয়ৰ  চাকৰি  ইস্তফা  দি আন্দোলনত জপিয়াই পৰে । বিলাতীবস্তু বৰ্জনৰ বাবে দিয়া  আহ্বানত নিজৰ ঘৰৰ সমুখতে সকলো বিলাতী বস্ত্ৰ, দ্ৰব্য আদি প্ৰজ্বলিত কৰি ৰাজহুৱা ভাৱে  পুৰি ভস্ম কৰিছিল  । অসহযোগ আন্দোলনত  সক্ৰিয়  ভাৱে  যোগ দিয়াত  কাৰাবৰণ কৰিব লগা হৈছিল । সেই কালছোৱাৰ সৰহ খিনি সময়  ''ছিলেট'' জেলত কটায় । ছিলেট জেলত থাকোতে লেখা বিখ্যাত এটি গীত আছিল   ''তই  ভাঙিব  লাগিব শিল অ'অভাগা .....''--জেলৰ কয়দীৰ কষ্ট দেখি মনৰ ভাৱ প্ৰকাশ কৰোতে সেই সময়ৰ জেইলৰৰ  নাম দিও লেখিছিল .এটা অন্তৰা....কিদৰে কয়দীক বুট জোতাৰে গুৰিয়াইছিল জেইলৰে । কিন্তু  গীতটি পিছত ৰেকৰ্ড কৰোতে সেই অন্তৰা  অন্তৰ্ভুক্ত কৰা   নাছিল ।

             ১৯৪২ চনৰ আন্দোলনৰ পিছত জেলত থাকি ককাৰ  স্বাস্থ্যৰ  বহুত ক্ষতি হৈছিল । নগাঁও জেলৰ পৰা তেখেতক ১৯৪৩ চনৰ আগভাগতে  তেজপুৰ জেললৈ নিছিল । সেই সময়ত তেখেতে মনৰ  দুখত নিজৰ লৰাছোৱালীক চাবলৈ হেপাহ কৰিছিল বুলি দেউতাই মোক আবেগিক হৈ কৈছিল । যিদিনা যাব সেইদিনা আবেলি সময়ত এজন ভলন্টীয়াৰে গৈ দেউতাক খেলি থকা অৱস্হাতে ঘৰত খবৰ দিছিল । লগেলগে দেউতাই ভায়েক ভনীয়েকেক লৈ নগাঁও ৰেল ষ্টেচন পাইছিলগৈ ।  

          ১৯৪৩ চনত জেলৰ পৰা ওলাই অহাৰ পৰা ককা  লাহে লাহে অসুস্হ হৈছিল ।আৰ্থিক ভাৱেও জুৰুলা হৈ মানসিক শান্তি ও নাইকিয়া হৈছিল বুলি মই দেউতাৰ পৰা জানিব পাৰিছিলো । ১৯৫০ চনলৈকে ককাৰ অশেষ কষ্ট গল । তাৰ মাজতে ককাই গীত ৰচিছিল । স্বাধীনতাৰ পিছত এটা চাকৰি পাইছিল যদিও সিও আছিল দুদিনীয়া।  তেখেতৰ জমা পইছা থকা বেঙ্ক টোও বন্ধ হৈ যোৱাত পইছাখিনিও হেৰুৱাব লগা হৈছিল ।

US Capitol Shame: Unprecedented Assault On Democracy Even As The US Congress Certifies Biden Victory!

Just when the bicameral United States Congress was to sit in a rare joint session to certify Joe Biden’s electoral victory mobs descended on Capitol Hill, the celebrated seat of the US Government, and drafted a black chapter not only in the country’s democratic history but also in the world’s democratic traditions. Supporters of the outgoing President Donald Trump gathered in large numbers and breached the security to carry out an unprecedented act of desecration and vandalism. At least four people were killed in the violence, and the security personnel, totally overwhelmed by the surging mob, arrested around fifty rioters. Coming in as a light at the end of the tunnel the US Congress had met later and certified Joe Biden’s electoral victory which means that Biden is now the rightful official President of the country set to take over on the 20^th of this month. As per the latest news reports Trump has finally conceded his defeat and acknowledged Biden’s democratic victory.

 

The horrific part of the attack was that it was almost state-sponsored with Trump, still the head of the government, inciting his supporters for the act in a rally held prior to the joint session and putting incendiary social media posts. The social media posts were removed eventually, but a shade too late. We think Donald Trump has become the first ever head of a government in a democratic country to try cling to power in spite of a convincing electoral defeat, and egg on or even congratulate his supporters upstaging sort of a coup of an unprecedented order.

 

In fact, such acts are not unexpected. The US election of 2020 has divided the country almost into two halves—the Republicans, empowered by a populist and aggressive nationalism, and the Democrats, in the true spirit of democratic traditions to save democracy. Experts and political commentators have been warning about the inevitable repercussions of the divisions in the American society, and that right-wing nationalist Trumpism would outlast the Biden regime. Besides, Trump had refused to concede defeat from the beginning claiming ridiculously that he had won the Elections, demanding repolls and alleging that the Elections had in fact been stolen by Biden. The fact that many Trump supporters in the attack on Wednesday, the 6^th of January 2021, mouthing the slogan ‘stop the steal’ in an insane obsession says the sordid story that makes one ashamed of it all, and also fearful of democracy coming under serious global threat.

 

The growth of aggressive nationalism and intolerance in several frontline countries of the world including India corroborates the fear that democracy is indeed coming under increasing threat, globally. These openly right-wing forces in power propagate their ideologies bulldozing the government machineries, winning over a sizeable segment of the mainstream media through lucrative deals or even coercion, reigning supreme in the social media thanks to their ‘dedicated’ expert IT cells, passing controversial legislations to pander to the majority, repressing democratic movements with brutal force and creating in the process a foolish majority, blindly supporting anything that the ruling forces do or say. Elections are no longer democratic exercises; these are wars to be won at any cost, going to any extent of dividing or instigating or terrorizing the prospective voters. Accepting defeat with humility is a thing of the distant past, and the old saying needs to be revised to ‘everything is fair in war, love and (elections)’.

 

Donald Trump finally conceding defeat is indeed good news at this despairing juncture, whatever be the eventual outcome. Besides, a whole lot of the Americans still greatly value their democratic traditions with, in fact, some of the Republican legislators and strong supporters of Trumpism voicing against this assault on democracy and cherished institutions. Then of course, a vast chunk of the world’s citizens is still in favor of preserving democratic values and institutions. Therefore, should the fascist forces, disguised as genuine representatives of the people, try bulldoze democracy it would not be without a potent resistance movement across the globe. Save Democracy!