Gaylestorm Gone, Hurricane Gayle Now!

Watching Chris Gayle in action the thought often comes to our mind, what will happen if he gets just uncontrollable like the unstoppable bullet train or the speeding bus! That’s exactly what happened yesterday, the 23^rd of April 2013, in Bangalore in his team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)’s match against Pune Warriors during the on-going Indian Premiere League—2013 (IPL-6). His bulldozing yet effortless shots all around the park created world records not just for IPL or T20 Cricket, but also for the world of cricket.

Gayle raced to his century in just 30 balls, a world record in all formats of cricket. He hit 13 fours and 17 huge sixes in his unbeaten knock. His tally of 17 sixes created another world record in all formats of the game, and RCB had also achieved a new high of 23 team sixes in a match. He did not seem to end his innings at 175, but the allotted 20 overs were over by then. This became the highest individual score ever in the history of T20 cricket. He helped his team reach a total of 263—the highest ever team score in the history of T20 cricket. In fact, Gayle has also completed a century with the help of sixes only (17 * 6= 102!). By then the result of the match was a forgone conclusion with the hapless Pune Warriors losing by a huge margin of 130 runs. Gayle already holds an IPL record of scoring four big hundreds.

Chris Gayle’s unbelievable knock of 175 in 66 balls created ripples throughout the world of cricket. India captain and T20 specialist MS Dhoni got overwhelmed by the superlative display of flawless batting. Darren Sammy, the WestIndiescaptain, had reportedly expressed his ecstasy saying Gayle was “not human, he’s a tsunami mixed with a nuclear bomb”. Yes, he is definitely Hurricane Gayle. His knock assumes great significance in IPL-6 where most of the matches played so far are low-scoring and choked with the bowlers enjoying an edge and achieving several hattricks already.

It is another wonder that despite having a player like Chris Gayle as the opener RCB has not been able yet to lift the title or rather any kind of T20 Championship titles, though they have proved to be the most consistent team in IPL reaching the knockout or semis stage several times.

But then, IPL-6is not even halfway through, only 33 match have been played and in all there are 76 scheduled matches. With the participation of many greats and veterans this extravaganza of money spinning tournament has invariably managed to inject some amount of genuine cricket too. By the way, today India cricket giant Sachin Tendulkar turns 40. Wishing him a Happy Birthday the cricket-crazy nation must be geared up to see some fascinating cricket from the little master in the rest of the IPL-6 matches.

Delhi Gudiya: The Rape Capital Shames India Again!

This time it was a five-year-old baby girl, lovingly called 'Gudiya’ (Doll), who fell to the perverted and fiendish greed of the rapists. She was reportedly abducted by a 25-year-old neighbor of her building on the evening of 15th April, 2013. The distressed family informed the police, but nothing was done except for registering an FIR with lot of delay. The point here to note here is that the family was a poor one with no political or influential connections to impress upon the police. And naturally, the ‘investigating’ officers never bothered to conduct a search in the building complex.

The baby girl was raped and tortured for more than forty hours. Finally, somebody heard her crying from inside a locked flat and she was rescued in a most precarious state. The neighbor seemed to have fled the premises as the noise over the abduction grew. The police arrived, and instead of taking the serious girl to a good hospital tried bargaining with the family for a cover-up. The family was allegedly offered 2000 bucks to remain silent and thus close the case. The 'magnanimous' police officials allegedly told the family that there was nothing now to worry about since Gudiya was found alive. 

Yesterday Gudiya was finally shifted to the best hospital in the city and protesters took to the streets creating a national outrage once again in the Rape Capital of India—Delhi— where only four months ago a brutal gang rape shook the government of India forcing it to consider the issue of crimes against women more seriously. Action, ordinances and draft bills followed in quick succession. Within three months the anti-rape bill was made into a law that aimed to cover a whole range of crimes against women prescribing the death penalty in the rarest of rare cases. But, unfortunately, all rape-related cases in a country inhabited by an overpoweringly large class of male chauvinistic monsters could only be commonplace occurrences while in most foreign countries such cases would be immediately termed as 'rarest of rare'. 

A team of specialized doctors started treating Gudiya. One of them said that he had never seen such barbaric torture inflicted upon a little girl.

More was in store. The same day yesterday some protesters barged into a police station demanding action and immediate punishment to the culprits. The police officers, true to their feudal colors, became oblivious even of the camera persons present there. Before a shocked nation one of them slapped a girl repeatedly and shoved the protesters out. The visuals went viral and angry reactions began to pour in from all quarters.

Even as the Prime Minister of India expressed his anguish and asked for stringent action to be taken Delhi Police showed little concern. The top cop never showed up and only a local Deputy Commissioner held a press conference last night. The Indian society, particularly the feudalistic northern belt, refused to change even after the most horrific Delhi Gangrape and the revolutionary aftermath. Another incident occurred at the same time at Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh where the body of a five-year-old girl with torture marks was recovered. When the mother of the child went to the local police station to lodge a complaint she was beaten and thrown out.

Money, power, corruption, perversion and degeneration have penetrated the Indian society to the core. If you do possess all these attributes you are fit to live in this country, if you try to be different better leave India.  In such a situation even strict laws, severe punishment and fast-track courts fail to act as deterrents. The only solution is a deep-rooted revolution. The Young India Movement for Change that started after the Delhi Gangrape must not be case specific and must go on without letup till it changes the ‘male-volent’ society.

Hope must still be kept alive in all our hearts. Gudiya is doing well as per the latest medical bulletin, but would need long-term reconstruction. The fiendish accused has been arrested in Bihar. A few police officials were suspended last evening, but suspension is only a stop-gap measure. All male monsters must be dismissed from service and arrested.

Terror Returns To America, Then Revisits India!

On Monday, April 15, 2013, it was Boston when terror returned to America after nearly 12 years. Two bomb blasts tore up a colorful and spirited Marathon. Three innocents were killed and scores injured, maimed and incapacitated for life. It could be matter of great concern considering the frightening perspective. 

On March 13, 2013, Terror returned to Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir in India after a gap of three years. The terror-ravaged northern state has been rudely reminded of the ugly evil. 

And today, a high intensity blast rocked Bangalore in Southern India. More than 15 innocents including several policemen were injured and fortunately no one got killed. 

The terror industry seems to be gearing up for another offensive against humanity. A selflessly united global initiative must happen now to stop terror on its track. 

For India the the situation is more terrifying with intelligence reports indicating possibility of more terror strikes. The apparent political  instability in the country with the ruling coalition and the opposition alliance both hopelessly divided, and the opportunist fringe groups regrouping for the General Elections-2014. 'Divide and Misrule' seems to be the slogan of all the political parties so as to fall in step with the vested interests for lobbying, corruption  and laundering. Divided and opportunistic politicking is the natural ally of terrorism. 

Beware of the Terror! Counter it before it is too late.