Sachin, Do it Now!

Now that Sachin is close to scoring his hundredth hundred any time, and it will be a major milestone I'n cricket history, the Government, on it's part, also is getting ready, it seems,to honor him with the nation's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, for that would be the most appropriate moment for bestowing this recognition on him. As per newspaper reports, the criteria for this highest award have been amended suitably to include 'any field of human endeavor.' And, the 92 not out that he scored I'n the match against Cricket Australia Chairman's XI is enough indication, that Sachin is perhaps all set to achieve that rare feat I'n the current series against the Aussies. The very name SACHIN should spur him to do it soon, for the letters in his name could read:

Scoring
A
Century of
Hundreds
Is to be done
Now

And it could certainly be so. The many failures in ninety's that he has had should not deter him to work towards that coveted milestone, and he would become, to quote the Narayaneeyam, (the treatise on Lord Krishna), the only 'sathamaghan' I'n the history of cricket - meaning one who has completed a hundred 'aswamedha yagas', which only Lord Indra could achieve - because he deliberately spoilt the efforts of Emperor Prithu, who wanted to also equal this record, and the latter had to be content with the title of holder of the record for performing only 99 aswamedha yagas.

While we could still anticipate similar hurdles for Sachin, he doesn't have to worry about any Lord Indras on this earth, who had already performed this feat. And, Lord Indra would also not mind that, since Sachin is only playing cricket, and I'n all probability, he too would be watching from above someone achieving this feat 'in an altogether different field of human endeavor.' That is not to underrate Sachin's efforts, since each of his hundreds already scored is a Yaga I'n itself.

The conferment of the Bharat Ratna on Sachin, would not only make him a real jewel (Ratna ) I'n the country, he would simultaneously become a 'Viswa Ratna' a jewel I'n the entire world.(of cricket history), for he would certainly deserve to be honored thus, since he will be the only Lord Indra in cricket for years to come.

His hundred hundreds will always remain etched I'n the minds of his countless fans as hundred rays radiating I'n hundred directions from this 'gem of purest ray serene' - such will be the glow emanating from this gem. We wish him all success to be able to score his hundredth hundred soon.

Se(e) h(ow) (he ) Wag(ged) (his) Bat!

Se(e) h(ow) (he) Wag(ged ) his Bat!



The Nawab that he is, Sehwag did give his fans, 'what he had promised', so he says.
Indeed his batting I'n the one-dayer, yesterday against the West Indies was almost wagging all the way; he hit 219 glorious runs, the highest one day score in cricket history; he hit 32 boundaries (25 fours and seven sixes), thrilled his fans and all this he did in just 140 balls. And he also enabled India to score the highest ever one-day score.

Sehwag's batting could be compared to the 'wagging of tail' by dogs. Sehwag is no tail-ender, though in the team. Some tail-enders (representing the tail of the team - the last few batsmen, who are mostly bowlers) do wag their tail occasionally and make match-winning scores too. But Sehwag is always among the first to (wag his) bat, so to say, being a hard-hitting opener, and creates big expectations among the spectators too. Seldom has he wagged his bat like the tail of a dog, as he did yesterday.

It is said that the wagging of the tail by dogs is generally a positive indication. So too Sehwag sets a positive indication whenever he occupies the crease. Further, it is said that dogs display the following factors when they wag their tails, to indicate such positive mood. First, an erect bodily stance. Sehwag shows this too, he is erect and steady to watch ; next dogs in very positive mood have a tendency of fast tail wags. Who can deny that Sehwag too has this attitude, for he often indulges I'n such fast bat wags, sometimes even recklessly losing his wicket? Another noticeable thing with dogs wagging their tail is said to be high tail position. Was not his bat in such high position, whenever he hit those fours and sixes? Again dogs in very positive mood show wide, swooping tail wags. Only those connoisseurs, who could analyze his wagon wheel of runs scored, could perhaps have seen such wide, swooping gestures with his bat.

Apart from all the above, while wagging its tail, and being in good spirits, the dog is said to be displaying his dominance. And so, it was with the Nawab displaying his dominance,(while wagging his bat) over the West Indies bowling, throughout his magical innings. I can only say, at the end, about his batting yesterday 'wah, Sehwag (the nawab) ka Jawab nahi.'

Sachin - the 'sathamaghan?'

The failure of Sachin Tendulkar on the fourth day of the Test against West Indies
yesterday to score his long awaited hundredth hundred must certainly have broken the hearts of many an ardent cricket fans. One can perhaps compare his efforts to the 'aswamedha' yagas performed by Lord Vishnu, (as Emperor Prithu') who was keen to complete his hundredth such yaga and earn the coveted title 'sathamaghan'. Indra , feeling angry at this, arranged for the horse meant for the yaga to be stolen and the yaga could not be completed. The horse was, however retrieved by the son of Prithu. But what happened each time he tried to complete the hundredth such yaga is well known to readers of Narayneeyam. The story goes thus. During each attempt of Lord Vishnu (Emperor Prithu) to complete the hundredth aswamedha Yaga, Indra ensured that the 'aswa' or the horse used for the Yaga was stolen by his followers. He acted this way, since he was keen to retain his title as the only one to have completed hundred aswamedha yagas ('sathamaghan').

The Rishis tried their best to bring Indra to the 'homa kund' and ensure that Indra does not succeed I'n his efforts to steal the horse, but of no avail. What happened, however was that Brahma Himself appeared I'n front of Lord Vishnu and said, 'Oh, Emperor Prithu, be satisfied that you were able to perform 99 aswamedha yagas only.'And, Lord Vishnu (Emperor Prithu) obeyed.

It makes one wonder 'has Sachin got a rival like Indra, who descends to earth every time he is on the verge of completion of the hundredth hundred and being the only 'Sathamaghan' I'n cricket?' With his 28 failures I'n the 90s, it appears there is a similarity here to the efforts of Lord Vishnu. But one good thing to admire is that even I'n failures I'n 90s, Sachin holds the record. On the other hand, while Indra still is the only 'sathamaghan' (holder of the record for having performed hundred aswamedha yagas),
I'n cricket there is no one with such a coveted title, yet. And, at least for getting one such INDRA I'n cricket (yes, Sachin is compared to God in cricket and revered too that way),
Sachin fully deserves to succeed. It will not be too far for that to happen. While Rampaul must have come as the villain yesterday (he claimed he felt so), as if appointed by Indra to deny him the well deserved hundredth hundred, Sachin's countless fans would continue to perform the 'yaga' for his success. The only thing his fans should learn to do is perhaps to restrain from 'breathing down his neck' every time he takes strike.

Even in the worst scenario of his not being able to make it, Sachin would still remain the holder of '99 aswamedha yaga' (equalling Emperor Prithu) and perhaps also create an unbearable record for maximum failures I'n the nervous 90 s. For, each of his hundreds so far is really an 'aswamedha' Yaga in itself!! Well, we all wish him to be the 'sathamaghan' in cricket history.

How Anna Hazare won his Cricket Match!

How Anna Hazare won his Cricket Match

The fast unto death undertaken by Anna Hazare for a strong Lok Pal Bill could be viewed as a cricket match. Here is how:

Stadium: Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

Playing hours - not defined

No day match or day-night match, it was daylong- nightlong match

Type of match: no ODI, no 20-20' but TEST

Entrance. Free

No flood light, but lit by sun, moon and stars

Teams: Government and People

Captains: Manmohan Sing and Anna Hazare

Ball : play without a ball, but the bowling was FAST

No balls: none, Anna never stepped out of crease

Wickets: No wickets, only the wicked.

Umpire: no umpire

Toss : won by Anna Hazare, but team elected to bowling, that too only FAST bowling

Score: Peoples Team: Ten out of ten, opposition: zero

Why Manmohan Singh agreed to play: he gad prior experience of cricket diplomacy

Man of the Match: Anna Hazare for his non- stop FAST bowling

Vijay Hazare gave India first Test Victory, Anna Hazare gave India first victory for People

Commentators. - all media channels and all newspapers

Total match duration: 97 hours, but only one innings played by FAST bowling team, played by Anna Hazare after which the opposition surrendered and play was called off.

Pitch and Weather: Ideal for the Peoples Team

Uniqueness: no lunch break or tea break, but only the final juice break

Cup: peoples cup of victory watched by all world.

Next Test: Most likely on August 16, since Anna is keen to win the series,
to further prove the effectiveness of his FAST bowling.

Making Government Act - the 'Fast' Way!

One thing is very clear from recent events happening in the country that fast (foregoing food) by a leading figure is the best tool to make the Government act and act fast too. First it was Anna Hazare, whose 'successful' fast resulted in fast action by government , starting with ending of his fast, calling him for discussions, listening to his views, agreeing to set up a joint committee of Government- civil society members to deliberate on the issue of corruption, deciding to Implement the Lok Pal Bill, initiating the drafting process, announcement regarding introduction of the bill in the monsoon session of Parliament itself, ratification of the UN convention on Graft and so on. . All acts are done fast. What was the Government doing all these days? Did someone has to undertake a fast unto death for all this to happen.? Well, perhaps the Government always need a wake-up call, since without this, the Government will continue to only 'promise' action, whenever people raise some serious issues and will take it's own sweet time.

Now, let us look at the fast unto death call given by Baba Ramdev. Here too things have worked fast right from the start. A group of ministers rushing to the airport to receive him, pleading with him not to resort to the threatened fast, agreeing to some of the steps suggested by him to detect and recover huge sums of black money stashed abroad, giving direction to the Income Tax Department, etc. Not only that, evasion of crores of rupees as tax in various forms have been already tracked too. All fast actions, no doubt. Though the full demands of the Yoga Guru are still to be met.

The above only shows the power of fast to make Government act fast. I'n all such cases where leaders with vast following resort to fasts unto death, Government has no tools I'n it's hands, but to counter by way of it's own fast action. In one way, this is a win-win situation for all, for the person undertaking the fast,(since he wins in his efforts), the Government (since it can claim fast action on it's part) and for the people at large (since the public ire and non-tolerance has been rewarded).

Perhaps, in future also one could anticipate such threats and acts of fast unto death by other leaders in other major cases like sexual harassment, dowry deaths and so on, to mention only a few. The old way of organizing bandhs and protests will gradually disappear, (if it happens it is good) both from the view point of their ineffectiveness and the huge losses to the nation, apart from disrupting the life of the common people. And all this will perhaps lead to the creation of a GOM (group of ministers) specifically to deal with fasts henceforth! One can say, that this is a paradigm shift I'n the way to handle serious national issues!! This is perhaps a true demonstration of the power of people to not only elect their representatives to govern, but also thereafter to make it act, and act the fast way, without allowing them to go into the slumber mode, once they are saddled in their seats.

Rajni to clean city drains?

The BMC seems to have discussed asking Rajni Kant to help them in getting the City drains cleaned ( report appeared in Mumbai Mirror, 22nd April).

Well, Rajani could perhaps try his hand at everything, and produce results too. But perhaps to make some miracles, like rescuing the government or the BMC etc, he would need to don the enthiran (Robot) attire. One could imagine how much money was spent in making the movie, and perhaps a good part of the money would have gone to the technology part of it, the machine being able to perform a variety of operations, making it appear so simple, but at the same time successful, including the feelings created for the robot. Hence, the BMC should also think of the money to be spent, if Rajni is to help them out.

The BMC seems to have discussed plans for cleaning the drains in the city well ahead of the monsoon. And, they seem to have lost all ideas. Now that corruption has become the burning topic, their usual practices of awarding of contracts for the cleaning of drains may be riddled with fear of the public eye on their moves. The fact that they have run out of ideas could very well be imagined by the twenty minute joke session they had during the discussion on this topic. Perhaps they were under the impression that it is not money that they were spending, which could be traced to see if there is corruption, but It is only the time that they were spending, and who cares perhaps as to how they spend their time.

With the economy in mind, the joke session may in all reality be a measure of austerity. How the corporators could otherwise enjoy and entertain themselves?

The BMC idea is perhaps good . The people in Tamil Nadu not only see Rajni as a super star but also as a super power, perhaps more so after his exploits in the Robot movie. He also has lots of supporters wanting him to enter politics and clean up the system, since he is also known to be a clean person.

The recent chiding of the Government by the SC: 'what are they doing, are they sleeping? in tracking black money is one more example of Government being inactive, fatigued and run down and run out of ideas as to how to govern. Once the party comes to power, they are not worried about actions and promises to people. They are in a sleep mode, in terms of major actions. But the SC now seems to have administered them a 'wake up' pill, to bring them out of slumber. And suddenly the PM has assured that the LOK PAL bill would be brought before parliament in the coming monsoon session, the UN convention in graft would be ratified, and public governance system will be improved through reforms.

Will all this happen? Would this sudden waking up ( that too through the SC admonition) for action have come about without the fast until death resorted to by Anna Hazare? Does not all this show that we need more activists to join the civil society movement to make the government work and deliver? And, there should be continuous association of civil society when it comes to tackling major issues. Good ideas and action points should always be welcomed by government, irrespective of who provides them and how they get produced. This does not mean that fasts should always be resorted to for anything to be got done by the government.

Anna (Vijay Hazare

This is all about Anna Hazare, who undertook a fast unto death for the noble cause of rooting out corruption in the country. In my opinion, with the kind of support he received from people and the media, it is a win- win situation for the Government and the people.The government won, because several scams had already tarnished its image,which could even have had costly repercussion in terms of victory in future elections and, at the same time, if anything untoward happened to Anna Hazare's life, peoples anger against the Government could only have multiplied manifold. And , for Anna, and the people who followed and supported him, it is indeed a peoples victory. Thus, for the people, he really became Annachi, the elder brother, who is now more respected and loved by all his Thampis, the younger brothers.

Anna, also has another meaning in Tamil (annam, meaning food. And Anna dhata , meaning one who provides food or one who makes Anna dhaan, offering free food ). Here, this Anna had to forego and forget his own food, and provide, in the form of a ray of hope for the people at large, a mechanism or means for cleansing the country of the worst kind of dirt, which could not easily be washed away by any kind of super acting, miracle detergent.

Again, Anna, by his example, proved that he could be an anaconda, the dreaded form of snake, because through his fast, he could pave way for saving this country from the daily- occurring, and recurring, multi-crore scams, which had eaten away peoples money, and made their lives miserable.

Anna Hazare, also proved that he could be the Vijay Hazare, ( who led India to her first-ever Test Win in cricket) who, with single minded devotion and determination, could bowl out the Government and win the game for the people, for he emerged 'Vijay' (victorious) bringing one more Indian Victory, after the World Cup Victory in cricket.

In the midst of all this, one wonders whether the Dand March II organized by Indian NRIs, who undertook a Dandi March for the cause of rooting out corruption by marching 240 kilometers, got enough coverage in the media. Though the people participating in that did not perhaps fast, they undertook an arduous task all the same. In fact, it appeared, that they were perhaps more concerned with corruption than the people within the country, and showed more concern for the people of their native land.


In one way, Anna's victory could give real meaning to the term 'of the people, for the people and by the people'. What is wrong in civil society being involved side by side with the Government (run by politicians) if that could lead to solving peoples problems, the way people want? And is it not because of the Government's failure In tackling this problem that Anna had to take this extreme step?

Karan Bedi, in contrarian view, in the Times of India, objects to this kind of peoples movement,since according to him, it is Governments problem and should have been left to the Government ( which represents people who elect them) He cites PIL as one of the means to have been adopted in such cases, without realizing perhaps that it is the indian Peoples League now which is gaining momentum, be it cricket or public life. And as for his worries that more such situations could arise in future leading to a kind of blackmailing the Government, he doesn't perhaps realize that it is the total failure of the government to act, which led to this. How could, and for how long, the people be blackmailed by the Government by empty promises and tardy implementation, when it comes to actually delivering. Perhaps people would now strongly believe that the best way to solve major problems affecting the country could be through such joint civil society- government committees.

In this context, should not the selection of the CVC also be left to such join-committee
Let alone joint committee, even nomination of non-civil candidates for this post is only left to the babus, now.

Right when I finished this, (1125 a.m.) my iPad flashed the NDTV news about Anna Hazare having ended his fast. The real success of this fast would be when a fast solution and fast action emerge in eradicating corruption. It could then be Anna (VIJAY) Hazare, and may God give him long life to see the result of his actions.

Dhoni - the Maha Indra

DHONI- the MAHA INDRA!

(by C.V. Subramaniam)


People worship every year Lord Indra, since it is believed that He is the one who gives us rains at the proper time to make our lives joyful. For this Indra Yaga used to be performed every year to please Indra. It is a different story that Indra was too proud and arrogant about his capabilities and Lord Krisna wanted to really test his powers. Krishna believed and told his friends and believers that it is not Indra who provides the rains, but we get rains due to our own good deeds that we all engage ourselves in during our life time. For proving this point he also said, 'look at the trees in the forests, they also get rains, but they don't worship Indra'. And Indra, on his part, as if to strongly protest this argument, poured continuous rains on earth with the result everyone assembled with Krishna at that time ran to seek His protection.

Dhomi, donned the Maha Indra Avatar in the World Cup final tournament with Sri Lanka yesterday, and continued, non-stop,pouring runs as though it was raining, perhaps wanting to outdo Indra . Such was his magnificent performance yesterday, that the Sri Lankan bowlers and fielders had to run for protection, (though they had to run in the field literally in all directions, after chasing each ball that he hit) though there was no Krishna in front of them to help them out, who could uproot the Govardhan Mountain and provide shelter to them. The many Indians who fasted, and offered prayers at various temples must have heaved a big sigh of relief at the end of the match that their prayers did not go in vain, and that the the Lord Indra appeared before them in his Maha 'avatar' and granted boon to all his worshippers.

For the Lankans, this thought of Indra and Krishna would not perhaps have come to their mind at all, though they had a flute player Murali, in their team, whose magic also did not produce the real winning tune for them. Or, did they only rely on the destructive power of the ten-headed Ravana to mean Sangakkara and his ten team-mates, to destroy the Indian's efforts?


No amount of petals of the 'incense breathing' flowers thrown from above by even Indra,would haven been sufficient enough accolades for Dhoni (and his Devils, of course), since Indra', flying in his own 'flower-craft' if He wanted to come down enough to watch him play from above, would have got frightened by the thought that the helicopter shot by Dhoni (his last winning shot, was indeed such a one) , could perhaps have interrupted his own 'flower- craft. All the same, Indra had indeed granted his boon. Now, it is not Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it is Maha Indra Sing(h) Dhoni!.

Battling Corruption -Some Thoughts

With increasing cases of corruption and scams that we read in newspapers daily, everyone talks about corruption and the so-called remedies to end corruption. The latest effort is by a group of NRIs in the USA, who propose to undertake a 240 mile dandi march, on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi's famous Dandi March while fighting for freedom for India.This march, named Dandi March II will be held during the same days, viz, March 12 to 26". The first Dandi March was, relating to imposition of tax on salt by the British, and could thus be described 'simply salted', while the present Dandi March II could be called a 'mirch masala' one, What would come out of this will be anybody's guess. Another important point here is that such a march will only spread bad news about our country in terms of exposing weakness in our governance to the outside world, and India's rating in the eyes of the world will further deteriorate.

Ending corruption altogether is perhaps a futile exercise, as can be seen from the new revelations coming up each time. Why I am saying this is because in a mail I received today from Mr. N. Vittal, on the subject of corruption, he says: 'another thought just occurred to me: 'God and corruption are comparable, both are everywhere, but nobody is able to catch either'. How true! To me it could be easier for one to hunt for God and succeed in the effort to 'catch HIM'', perhaps as easy as breaking open a pillar!

In a book entitled 'The Joy of Becoming God', by A, Vishwanath, he narrates a beautiful story in which he tells that in order to see God, it is essential to leave aside insecurity, fear and doubt. The same formula should perhaps apply also to seek the corrupt, for at least in their minds they (the corrupt) might also be thinking themselves as GOD (what with their illegally amassed wealth). Similarly, as in quest of God, Government should also shed their insecurity, fear of losing power and doubt as to whether they would succeed in their mission. Then they could also hear, as if from nowhere, 'though shalt see the corrupt'.

While efforts to end corruption continues, don't expect that the corrupt will be sitting idle. They may be engaged in writing code of conduct for the corrupt, detailing various steps to sidetrack those watching their actions, and giving right tips on each move.
They would also be believing that if at all finally they are caught, they would still be in
lime light, since newspapers and media channels will flash their photos and stories.

When the ruling party rules, it is the opposition's chance to point fingers at them and accuse: Govt. has failed in tackling corruption. When the opposition comes to power, the present ruling party will put on their garb and indulge in the same acrimony. Supposing the ruling party is ready to hand over the reins to the opposition and dare them to end corruption, would they be in a better position to achieve something?


Taking note of these factors, perhaps in future elections all have to identify minimum three main issues including corruption, and each party has to spell out in their manifestos specific action points aimed at positive results within a year. It should be for the public to then elect the one party whose action points appear workable and select that party to rule for just one year; why one year because, they have to show results within that period. If they fail they should immediately quit the government and hand over the reins to the next best. This approach could be a real test for the party's claims.

Next, how to punish the guilty, if finally caught. Each one of such corrupt person should be made to walk the same 240 miles ( within the country itself) , with a placard hanging on him which should read: I have brought shame to my country and it's people. I am ashamed of my act. I would correct myself and be a good citizen. During the march, perhaps no food should be served to them, except some drinking water, if necessary.

One another point: corruption, sexual abuse, inflation control etc. should be seen as national agenda, and talent groups of eminent people, forgetting party affiliations should be constituted to took into such problems and bring out remedies. And more important, act with speed on the workable solutions.

The Capsicum Pakora

A brief sojourn of 26 hours, 30 minutes and may be 10 seconds in Kodaikanal more than convinced me that if there was a place on earth which could bestow on you the celestial bliss which is only available to the mortals in heaven, it is only the hilly resort where thousands throng every summer - what with the atmosphere, the picturesque background, the scenery that unfolds in front of you (which none dare miss capturing into perpetuity), the surrounding hills flowers of all kinds in full bloom, the lake with it's placid waters, the neither-blue-nor-green, but both mixed colour all around, the boats, with the giggling children, the people attired in their fancy, I-want-everyone-look-at -me, clothes, with a riot of colours,, vendors on the roadside, beckoning you now here, now there......you see all around a foggy cloud, the kind of scene which you see in the movies when Gods and Goddesses are able to move as they wish, as though with invisible wheels attached to their feet, sailing smoothly in the wind; the sun playing truant occasionally, a sudden darkness descending, a surprising, though enjoyable sudden drizzle, a rainbow with all its vibrant colours inviting your attention,and, for a moment I thought that I am being transported to the portals of heaven the same way. Not to speak of the several love-bitten couples, looking here, looking there, diverting your attention occasionally and making you envy them by their gestures and antics,....(mostly honey-mooningers) was a rare happening, conjuring upon you the vision of a world where happiness is writ large on every face that you see. No wonder, I leapt with joy myself, as if I am in a wonderland, where there is no room or occasion for worries of any kind.

There are so many things that you can notice and enjoy, that you would regret that oh, I didn't turn that side at all. Apart from all that I mentioned above, on one side you can see an array of horses, all decorated and ready for the ride with you,particularly the kids.


Talking of the road-side vendors. lined up all your way,you see fancy dresses, bangles. toys and a host of eat-as-you-wander items of food - crisp 'murukku', fried pop-corns, channa and the fresh-from-the-frying pan,'mouth-watering ''bajji' -made out out
of basan flour and the longish mirth -without the sting of the usual mirch - the capsicum Pakora, or more popularly called mulagai bajji and, believe me, this and this was the one item which whetted my appetite throughout the fleeting sojourn in the 'paradise on earth'. Wherever I moved, whatever I talked, I could not resist the temptation of having a try at it, each timeni spotted the bajji.

And, even today, at the very thought of this, I wish I had wings to fly to that land to literally devour the entire stock available. Memories of this namkeen (and mircheen') delicacy haunt me day in and day out. I have lost count of the stopovers I had at the bajji vendors eating, single, double and triple.......I thought that the vendor had virtually hypnotized me. Since I kept count of each and every item of my expense on this tour, I still do not venture to see the cost of my stay in Kodaikanal only on that count. Yes, i would visit Kodaikanal again, if only for eating those bajjis - the captivating Capsicum Pakora.

Feel like going to Kodaikanal? Go by all means, but no guarantee for the goodness of the bajjis that I had eaten, because the vendors would have changed, oil used could have changed, cost may have gone up - doubled or tripled and still you cannot come and say that the bajjis that you ate were of the same taste questioning me for all the praises I showered on the bajji. Because, my visit to Kodaikanal was years ago!

If Someone Says to you Go to.....

IF SOMEONE SAYS TO YOU, GO TO........





Just a reflection about going to hell. Many a time, people dissatisfied with us for some reason might utter Go to Hell. Perhaps, one need not too much bother about such expressions. For one thing, no one, including those that shout at us, knows what is hell.
Secondly, it is not as though they have themselves gone to hell, lived there for some time,suffered and found it unbearable to continue there. For all they say,conditions there might be really fine too(?)

Why I am saying so is, I have read something about an Italian poet,Dante, who,while describing hell, says at the entrance of the hell is written: abandon all hopes ye who enter. Do not conclude that it is because of what is inside for you. It could as well be to prevent your entry, it could as well be to frighten you about what awaits you there, it could as well be that it is already full and further new entry is to be banned.

Well, when I say it could be due to full house, it could mean that many of our netha
log are already there and enjoying too with their colleagues, shaking hands, saying cheers with glasses in their hands, laughing and dancing, and hopefully with their bags full of black money they would have amassed which could not be detected by ED, CBI etc. while on earth, who would have least suspected they have to probe this location also. These thoughts may have made them (who were lucky to be the early birds to fill this place,bribe there too, their gate-keeper, who would have come out with this nice idea of the so-called banner at the entry gate. I guess only, one such gate!Otherwise, if some others who go there, who happen to be too honest, upright,uncorrupt, they are more likely to oil their party inside.

You may be wondering, you too can try to join them some day. But don't be in a haste, because for all your good qualities you may still wrongly land up there! You deserve a much better place. Didn't Shakespeare say,'there are more things in heaven and earth
(you may be less interested in the latter now, perhaps) Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy'?

The only difference between hell and heaven is, as many of you may have read, is in hell all are seated in one row with food placed far away and with long spoons in their hands, while in heaven people are seated in two rows opposite to each other and with food placed as in hell and long spoons in their hands, so that the one opposite can feed you and vice versa.

So, when someone says to you 'go to hell', simply forget. Continue your good work, and you may as well land up in heaven!

All these may yet be imaginary, because while missions have been launched to probe the moon, mars etc, technology has not yet advanced to launch such missions to such other worlds (if at all they exist), to probe what all lie there.

When Tendulkar Plays

When Tendulkar Plays Even Gods Watch

A TOI blog contained a sentence: 'when Tendulkar plays, those wanting to commit sins may do as much sin as possible, because the Gods themselves this would be watching him play. This made me think of the sinners and Tendulkar.

Those committing sin or contemplating any may or may not be thinking: is this the appropriate time to do so. But those who have mastered the art or those who are professional sinners rarely spend time for finding out the best time or muhoorth or auspicious time for such acts. If they do so, they would have to constantly look at calendars, panchangs etc.or at least consult some astrologers. If they linger on like this, they would only lose precious time, and in the meantime someone else, more clever would take way his booty.

And in case the the best time to commit sins is while Tendulkar plays, they would have to take into account various factors.First of all, the sinners themselves may be wanting to watch Tendulkar playing, (who wouldnt?)because they would start thinking while even the Gods take time off for such a treat, why should we forgo this pleasure. This is because, they could afford to be in the stadium occupying vantage seats, (without the fear of Gods watching them in the ground, since Gods would only be concentrating on Tendulkar's shots).Secondly, they have to take note of the game itself, like the opposite team, the format of the game, like test, one-day, twenty - twenty etc.,the weather, the pitch, the umpires, whether it is the first innings or second innings, at what position Tendulkar is to bat, how long he would bat and whether he would have to bat at all (if others have already made the runs enough to win the game. No dispute about Tendulkar's abilities, style, sincereity, and dedication to the game, all of which have earned all the praises that could be showered on him.

And, if the sinners forget all about cricket and bet on Tendulkar's batting time as the best time for a 'kill', while they could continue merrily, assuming that Tendulkar is in the best from and mental frame,and makes the spectators roar at each and every shot,whether it be cheeky singles, twos, threes and raining fours and sixes all the way, and everything ,is going fine for every one, their whole plan could suddenly crash - you know why, because, suddenly there could be a hush hush silence in the ground and in the millions of homes, where the entire family is glued to theTV, it could be india losing one more wicket, Tendulkar is declared OUT and the Gods rush back to their usual routine.

Of course, no one wants to miss Tendukar play, why, while team India play, because
everyone is caught in the current World Cup Cricket fever, , everyone wants India to play well, every one wants Tendukar play well (and create more records,) and every one prays for Tendulkar and everyone wants India to win the final and take the World Cup.
Such is the adulation, accolades, appreciation, applause that Tendulkar gets that no honor (including a Bharat Ratna about which many talk) can be enough recognition for him.

Talking about the sinners, therefore, most likely they are among the crowds watching Tendulkar play, rather than taking a chance. This is because even if the Gods take time off for a moment, Tendulkar himself would turn to be the God in the ground, since his fans respect him so much.

Taking note of all this, continue watching TV, continue watching every game India play, continue watching Tendulkar particularly. What if while all in the family are glued to the TV, if someone sneaks into your home and takes away something? Tendular's play is more precious than whatever material possession you have.