Cricket: India-South Africa One-Off Wonder Derailed!

What a pity! Team India went all the way to Johannesburg, South Africa to play just one match against the hosts. That too, a T20 cricket international or a three-hour cricket movie. But unfortunately even that little show was brutally cut short by rains. Winning the toss a still defensive Indian skipper opted to field first and his non-strike bowlers helped South Africa to post a mammoth 219/4 in allotted 20 overs. India started well and raced to 71 runs in about 8 overs when rains came down. As per the D/L method India were below the required runs and so South Africa were declared winners by 11 runs. The wonder worked ponders for India and us!

The reasons for this one-off wonder were not far to seek. This was supposed to celebrate the 150 years of India-South Africa relations. But in fact, the landmark was achieved in 2010 itself and there were celebrations too in various ways. So this must have been preserved and reserved for ‘wonderful’ celebrations!

For a change Dhoni did not mention about ‘lack of rest’ at all and a nearly full-strength team was sent with the exceptions of only Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan who were apparently rested. Team India made a long journey to reach South Africa on 28^th March, Wednesday and the South African team too had to hurry home from their New Zealand series. Now after the ‘wonder’ Team India had again to undergo a long journey to reach home either today or tomorrow—just in time for the biggest money-spinning event!

Yes! The India Premiere League T20 Cricket—Season Five (IPL-5) starting on April 4^thseems to be overriding reason for this ‘wonder’. Team India had been in an ‘unprofitable’ state of affairs after their disastrous tour of Australia, their inability to reach the CB Series one-day finals there and also their inability to reach the Asia Cup final in Dhaka. So, the ‘profiteering’ Indian cricket Board naturally wanted a booster to create the right mood for the multinational, colorful and glamorous IPL-5 that is set to go on for nearly two months with as many as 76 cricket movies. Maybe the nostalgic memory of South Africa hosting IPL-2 in 2009 due to security concerns in India was another reason! But the ‘wonder’ failed them woefully and it is to be seen what marketing strategy they adopt now. To their great solace newspapers and television channels who always cry foul against IPL for India’s Test and One-Day failures are now flush with the most glossy and glamorous publicity about the event!

Meantime, the ‘loyal’ Australian skipper Michael Clarke finally gave in to the IPL-5 temptations. He was signed by Pune Warriors (owner Sahara Group who recently threatened to withdraw from IPL-5 and also overall sponsorship of Indian cricket) as a replacement for recuperating Yuvraj Singh for a sum rumored to be one million dollars for just six matches. Of course Clark justified his decision pointing out the big gaps in Australian cricket schedule which only allowed him to have this aberration.

Bizarre Happenings and Politics of Turmoil!

From ancient times it has been a proven war strategy to try strike the enemy at it weakest point. At the moment the ruling coalition of India seems to be the common enemy thanks to all sorts of campaigns and bizarre happenings. And of course, the coalition has been at its weakest due to the number game and a series of unending scams.

If a few crucial allies withdraw support the ruling coalition of India will be reduced to minority and these allies got emboldened by the recent election results in five states of the country where Congress—the main part of the coalition—did poorly including at the most politically strategic state of Uttar Pradesh.

Opposition political parties saw another opportunity to corner the government and joined hands with the allies directly or indirectly. The state election results also indicated a possible reemergence of regional forces at the cost of the national opposition parties. The debate on center-state power equation in the federal structure of the country heated up questioning the Govt. of India on its proposals to enact central laws regarding the anti-corruption ombudsman and a national counter-terrorism center. And, bizarre happenings have become the order of the day.

• Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party came back to power in Uttar Pradesh with thundering majority and dad Mulayam ruled for his son Akhilesh to become the new Chief Minister. A major constituent of the central coalition Samajwadi Party’s continued support was reiterated by Mulayam. But suddenly he began to dream about becoming the next Prime Minister of India! Why now…obviously!
• The regional party in the southern state of Tamil Nadu—another strong constituent of the coalition—forced the government to vote against Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. A decision which the government of India would have examined intensively otherwise. Why now…obviously!  
• The regional party in the eastern state of West Bengal—another troublesome ally of the coalition—sacked its own railway minister at the center for presenting a healthy railway budget for 2012-13. The party feigned ignorance about the proposal to hike railway fares after almost a decade and created havoc just after the budget was presented. A new leader from the party was appointed as the railway minister and he immediately announced a rollback. While common people never objected to this most-urgent fare hike the party stuck to its populist propaganda or blackmail. Why now…obviously!
• In a sinister move the newly elected regional government in the northern state of Punjab decided to ask clemency for an assassin on death row who killed a former chief minister of the same state and who had been prosecuted by the same state government since 1995.  Why and why now? For regional or religious support? It is hazardous and extremely harmful to try guess any further. But obvious from our line of argument.
• The Chief of Indian Army General V K Singh chose his time to deliver a bombshell. He alleged that a huge bribe was offered to him by a retired General in 2010 to get a deal for sub-standard equipments passed. He refused of course, but waited for nearly two years to disclose the facts. General Singh had already been engaged in a bitter row with the government of India concerning his age and date of birth. Two sets of documents reveal two separate dates of births and years. He fought against the government in the Supreme Court, but lost the legal battle. So, as per his official date of birth he was to retire in May, 2012 and if the other date was proved he would have retired after nine months from this. General Singh also alleged of rampant corruption in army making it obsolete and thus compromising the security of the country in a letter written to the Prime Minister. Why this particular timing…well not that obvious, but giving ample opportunities for the interested parties to intensify attack on the ‘common enemy’.

The largest democracy of the world looks set on a course of bitter ‘democratic’ fights and politics of turmoil. Things are set at the moment to get murkier and more bizarre as time progresses.

For the citizens of the country identifying the ‘common enemy’ seems to be the most urgent task of the hour. Goddamned difficult it is going to be indeed!

Paan Singh Tomar: Serious Bollywood Cinema With A Strong Statement!

Paan Singh Tomar was a real-life hero of India—a great athlete specializing in Steeplechase run winning National awards for the country. He was in army service while achieving his medals during 1958-64. He was seven times national champions and also represented India in Tokyo Asian Games in 1958. His record in 3000 Steeplechase stood the test of time for nearly a decade. After retirement he returned to his native village and tried to live happily as a farmer. But eventually the pride of India turned into an outlaw and was killed by Indian police in 1981. As a great sportsman he was unheard of, but carried a big award as a most-wanted dacoit of India’s notorious Chambal Valley.

The melancholic story of this real-life hero inspired director Tigmanshu Dhulia to make this movie titled Paan Singh Tomar that released all over India on March 2, 2012. There is no dearth of dacoit-genre films in India, but Dhulia opted for the serious kind of cinema with a strong statement. Powerful story-telling, apt technical support, brilliant cinematography and seamless editing, lilting background scores and powerhouse performances have made this movie an altogether different experience within the genre.  No wonder the movie has attained the status of ‘run’ away hit. 

Talking of performances Irrfan Khan steals the thunder as usual in the title role. It was palpable how much efforts and labor he had put in to live the role apart from all the running. His characteristic wry humor adds to the personality of Pann Singh Tomar. Fresh in the Indian army Paan Singh boasted of his maternal uncle as being a ‘baghi’ (rebel) and not a dacoit. The memorable dialogue in this context ‘Rebels breed in Chambal while dacoits are found in Parliament!’ rings the air. After being forced into the career of an outlaw Paan Singh kept up the ironical comment ‘Nobody heard of me as a national champion, but the moment I became a dacoit the whole country knew me and I came to carry a huge cash award on my head!’.

The first half of the movie vividly describes Paan Singh as an athlete with his victory run of steeplechase. For his straight talking and running talent army officials decided to send him for physical training to develop into a sportsman. Honest and loyal to the core of his heart Paan Singh at the time of war regretted being a sportsman as he was not sent out to fight the enemies. Retiring in prime age Paan Singh returned to his native village and immediately got entangled in a land feud with his relatives. He did everything possible from his patriotic fervor to establish peace and amity. Failing in that he approached his army bosses for help and they guided him to the local authorities. But corrupt admin and police insulted and humiliated him. While a police inspector threw away his medals his relatives back in the village raided his home killing his old mother brutally and his family just escaped.

That was the turning point and he had no option but to take up the gun and constitute a gang with members who were also equally repressed and tortured. The second half of the film narrates his career as an outlaw leading finally to his entrapment and killing by police. In this half the director had a tricky problem of choosing between a normal dacoit drama and the enigma of Paan Singh Tomar. With a masterful balancing act he succeeds in taking his film forward without romanticizing or condemning the real-life hero while fondly preserving his true characteristic spirit till the end. 

And, so when it is over we leave the theater with a heavy heart feeling painfully for the pitiful conditions of Indian sportsmen who are not successful cricketers. Deeply moved by this unsung hero the word of mouth spread far and wide working wonders for this wonderful movie. The strong statement made by the movie in favor of Indian sports fraternity lingers on.