We Want Justice: The Young India Movement For Change And After..!

What happened in New Delhi on last Saturday and Sunday was perhaps unexpected for most of us, particularly for the Delhi authorities and the police. What happened in New Delhi on Saturday and Sunday was unprecedented for sure for the national capital. And therefore, the situation led to more debates about several other aspects and these are still raging. But the crucial debate following the brutal gangrape of a 23 year old girl in Delhi remains and is getting stronger day by day. “We Want Justice!” “Safety For Women Must Be Ensured!” 

Thousands of young students, boys and girls, descended on the most protected areas of Delhi right from the Saturday morning. Taken aback by the size and the unexpectedness, the police resorted to water cannons, tear gas shells and lathi charge giving rise to the debate if the police failed to handle a peaceful demonstration properly. There was violence in terms of stone pelting from the students leading to another debate if anti-social or political opportunist elements infiltrated the movement. Compelled by the size and the unexpectedness the Government of India announced measures that very day by evening. Proposed steps included making the rape laws stringent and paving the way for death penalty in rarest of rare cases, setting up of a judicial commission on women safety, suspension of several Delhi police officers for neglect of duty and others. But young India wanted immediate justice—severe punishment for the rapists and complete post trauma care for the victim.

The authorities and the police promulgated Section 144 to stop congregations, closed down several metro railway stations and blocked many roads leading to the VIP areas. But the Young India Movement defied everything and on Sunday thousands descended on the India Gate premises. As the upsurge tried to cross and break every barricade the police again resorted to stronger tactics. Violence of various forms broke out with injuries sustained on both sides. One police constable, Subhas Tomar, got severely injured due to alleged beating by youths and succumbed to his injuries today. The other debates got all the stronger.

Young India maintained that the peaceful nature of their Movement For Change and cried about police atrocities on innocent kids and even pregnant ladies. The police maintained its facts about the alleged infiltration and that the situation forced it to resort to strong measures. Several stock political opportunists and leaders took advantage of the mass upsurge to make mileage out of it and the death of the police constable and subsequent arrests made the situation delicate.

The main opposition political parties showed less concern for the issue and more for having another opportunity to pressurize and corner the Government leading to another debate if politicization of the issue would further slow down the process of justice for women. The Prime Minister of India addressed the nation yesterday appealing to all for maintaining calm, but the opposition parties still found it insufficient reiterating the demand for a special session of Parliament and all party meetings. Fortunately the 23 year old girl is better today, though still critical.

The thousands on the streets are getting thinner on Monday and today in Delhi and other parts of India no doubt, but the basic debate rages on. Young India has brought out everything in the open demolishing the secrecy, the privacy and the taboos. They have left no option for the nation but to feel shamed, shamed and shamed. Thanks to the efforts of the kids, the whole of India where Goddesses have been worshiped since times immemorial has now been arguing, thinking, interacting and debating about safety for women and prevention of atrocities against women. 

 The Young India Movement has indeed been guiding the nation surely and steadily For Change. A Change that our society needs desperately, and immediately.

Sachin Tendulkar Announces Retirement From One Day Cricket!

Just on the eve of the selection of Team India for the ODI and T20 cricket Series against Pakistanbeginning 25^th December today morning, the Indian cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement from One Day International cricket. One or two days back the little master was reported to have declared his availability to the BCCI for the ODI series against Pakistan. What transpired between him and the Indian cricket Board is not clear. Last night England defeated India in the second and last T20 match played in Mumbai on a last ball six by Captain Morgan thus drawing the T20 Series 1-1. The national selectors of the BCCI then announced its decision to declare a new team for the Pakistan Series.

Sachin Tendulkar, considered next only to the legendary Don Bradman, in his glorious one-day career of 23 years has amassed 18,426 runs in 463 one-dayers at an average of 44.83. The diminutive right-hander has an astonishing 49 hundreds in the format, including a double hundred -- the first in this form of the game.Tendulkar made his ODI debut against Pakistan way back in 1989 and interestingly he is quitting the scene just ahead of another series against the arch-rivals. His much awaited hundred of hundreds has been accomplished in March, 2012 in a one-day international match against Bangladesh. Tendulkar’s recent slump particularly in Tests had been a matter of great concern and speculation was rife about his possible retirement or being dropped from Team India.

One of greatest cricketers of all time, the 39 year old Sachin Tendulkar said in Mumbai this morning, "I have decided to retire from the One-Day format of the game. I feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup wining Indian team. The preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest." The brightest moment of his ODI career came last year when he finally became part of a World Cup winning Indian team after five previous appearances. 

The mood all around in India is an overwhelming sense of loss as the greatest Indian cricketer will not be seen in action again in the one-day format of the game. At the same time there has also been a sense of relief too as most of his fans and cricket experts were agonized watching him struggling for runs and failing again and again. Therefore, the reactions on the whole have been mixed and on expected lines.

Meanwhile, the Indian squads for both the ODI and the T20 Series against Pakistan have been announced. Yuvraj Singh is finally back in the one-day team and Virender Sehwag has also been retained. Ajinkya Rahane who played in the T20 Series against Englandreplaces Sehwag again for the opening slot in the T20 team. Rank newcomer Shami Ahmed gets selected for the ODI team as an all rounder along with bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar getting picked for both the teams. For the ODI team there have been six changes compared to the team that played in Sri Lanka in July-August, 2012.  Zaheer Khan does not find himself in any of the teams, and most importantly MS Dhoni remains Captain for both teams.

The Squads: 

ODI squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shami Ahmed, Amit Mishra.

T20 squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt), Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Parvinder Awana, Piyush Chawla, Ambati Rayudu.

Pakistan begins the India Tour with the first T20 International to be played in Bangaloreon 25^th December. Amidst high voltage expectations and anticipation of cricket lovers security arrangements are being made on an unprecedented scale considering the opposition from different political parties within India and the delicate bilateral relations between the two neighbors.  

Death For Rapists: Protests Gather Momentum All Around!

We had expressed disappointment here yesterday as election results and cricket seemed to have diverted the attention from the burning issue of our society—the subhuman fiendish progression. The ‘human’ beings of India have  come back today attacking the evil in all fury. Protests and demonstrations broke out almost everywhere—from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to Assam in the east. Busy as ever Mumbai too expressed its anger yesterday in spite of elections and cricket.

In Delhi, the venue of the heinous crime, demonstrations were held in various places as thousands of people took to the streets.  In Raisina Hill (the campus where the President of India lives), in front of the house of the Congress President, in Safdarjung Hospital where the gangrape victim is still battling for life in the ICU, in the India Gate surroundings and so on. Protests ranged from angry outbursts and sloganeering to candle light processions. 

Tomorrow the second and last T20 International cricket match between India and England is scheduled at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, but the city is not getting carried away by the lure of instant cricket fun. Mumbai is set to witness several demonstrations tomorrow from the symbolic fury to candle light protests. Common people and celebrities of the city have joined together demanding  fast tracked punishment to the rapists and prevention of crimes against women. There had been strong echoes on the floor of both the houses of the Maharashtra Assembly during the winter session in Nagpur that concluded today. Increasing crimes against women in recent times have threatened to dent Mumbai’s reputation as the safest city for women in India. Mumbai must remain so always at all costs. Other places of the country including Delhi in particular must earn this reputation too at all costs. It is now or never. We must keep up the momentum. Put in all your might to finish off those cowardly brutes and perverts.