Brazen Corruption of Cricket in India

The BCCI is in a right royal mess,
Which has only succeeded at encouraging the Press,
To speculate and expose the corrupt people in power,
As more accountability is the need of the hour.

After much brazenness, Shrinvasan stepped aside,
Shirke and Jagdale quit, restoring some pride.
Dalmiya, once charge-sheeted, is now interim head,
And in all this confusion, Ankit Chavan decided to wed!

Meiyappan got arrested, thought he wouldn’t be accused,
Raj Kundra got suspended, Shilpa Shetty was not amused.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals - both under threat,
Spot fixing, bookies, underworld, how much worse can it get!

Corruption in Cricket has created a mighty storm,
Rules are now being broken in every shape or form.
Transparency and Credibility must immediately be restored,
So that Cricket remains exciting and the fans are not ignored.

When Will We Ever Learn??

I sat and listened in abject horror to the terrible news of yet another terrorist attack on Indian soil yesterday, this time in Hyderabad. As I watched the gory events unfold, transfixed to my television screen, my mind was filled with a multitude of different emotions – shock, anger, disappointment, trepidation and complete frustration.

Despite being an emerging global economic, scientific and technological superpower, we have failed to get one thing right – how to protect our people. Since September 11, 2001, the US has managed to foil atleast 40 attacks and has a perfect record to date of no terrorist attacks on its own soil since then, thanks to their homeland security. India, in stark comparison, has an appalling record of 40 terrorist incidents since 2001, the notable ones being the 2005 Delhi blasts, the 2006 Mumbai train blasts, the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings, the 2008 Jaipur blasts, the 26-11-2008 Bombay blasts, and now the Hyderabad blasts.

Sadly, national security in our country is taken extremely lightly and is not considered priority at all. We do not learn from our past mistakes and our politicians in power believe only in vote banks and in amassing as much money as they possibly can. Apart from that, blame games, tirades and knee jerk reactions to gain political mileage seem to be the order of the day. Instead of our politicial leaders telling us that they will ensure a more stringent security and policing mechanism that will protect our country from any further attacks, they are quick to announce compensation measures for the aggrieved - a mere band-aid on a wound that refuses to heal anytime soon. 

Our blatant disregard to learn from the past is costing us valuable lives. Are we so pathetic that we do not care one bit for the lives of our own citizens? We dismay and strongly condemn Indian killings abroad – why is it that life is so cheap here in India? Maybe there is a feeling that since we are in any case bursting at the seams as a nation, a few people dying every now and then in a terror incident is par for the course. Why do we have such a casual lackadaisical attitude when it comes to national security? With every terrorist attack that takes place, we have now got the drill down pat – we condemn it, then have an inquiry, make a few token arrests, sack or transfer a few police officers to another precinct and do absolutely nothing till ‘after’ the next terrorist attack. 

What is shocking in this particular case is that our intelligence agencies knew that there was a terror attack looming, but did not give it due importance. In October 2012, even a recce of Dilkhush Nagar in Hyderabad was carried out. This was the exact same spot where the twin blasts eventually occurred. The Home Minister even sent out a high alert to all cities about a potential terror attack, 2 days before the blasts. However when the Home Minister was asked by the media, after the blasts had taken place, if Hyderabad was one of the high alert cities, he said that he would have to check about that with his office. How appalling, to say the least, that he was unsure of something that should have been on his fingertips. So in the ultimate analysis, we still chose to do nothing about the warning signs – no CCTVs, no tightening of security, nothing - the result being yet another terror attack on Indian soil, taking the tally to 40 such attacks in the past 11 years 

When will we ever learn? After another 5-10 more terrorist attacks, when more and more people are killed and injured? When more public property is destroyed? What message are we sending out to the terrorists? That they can come and infiltrate our borders and attack us anywhere, anytime they like and we will simply let them? We cannot let this continue ANY LONGER. 

We demand answers for why there is such a lax attitude in this country when it comes to national security. We want better accountability. We want to live in a terror-free environment. We demand a professional, tough and intelligent national security that is completely independent and is able to carry out its duties without government or political intervention. We want better policing, less for the VVIPs and political diplomats and more for the citizens of this country. We want up-to-date weaponry. We want the best intelligence system which can intercept criminal activity and avert future attacks on our sovereignty. We have the resources but lack the will to do anything in this area. Let us make national security our first and foremost priority. 

We MUST make a HUGE hue and cry about this. Let us not sit back and simply sympathise with and commend the affected cities for their resilience – frankly I am sick and tired of the same old rhetoric. We need to act and we need to ACT NOW. If necessary, let us boycott the upcoming elections and refuse to vote at all, unless we see some concrete advancements being made to protect our nation. What is the point of national elections when we are not even sure of our own national safety? 

Let us, as responsible citizens of this country, demand our FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT to safety and security. Everything else – sport, cultural events, sending a mission to Mars, etc must be second to that. We cannot let this inept government continue to take our safety for granted because that is exactly what is happening. 

I urge you to forward this to each and every Indian that you know and spread the message far and wide that we will not be sitting ducks ANYMORE. We cannot be soft on terror ANYMORE. 

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Bombay – The Place To Be!

You must sing this to the tune of Hotel California for good effect!!

On a crowded city streetway, horns blaring everywhere,
Smell of bhel and chaat masala, rising up through the air.
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a mawali bhai,
He looked as though he could cut my throat,
But he was just making chai!

There I stood at the beach stalls on Chowpatty Seaface,
Eating puchkas, aloo tikki and chaat, I was stuffing my face.
Then I had a malai kulfi and a cassata slice,
Bombay locals all agree so, please take our advice……

Welcome to the fabulous Bombay city!
It has a real fast pace, I just love this place!
There’s plenty of room in this land of opportunity,
Anytime of year, you can find me here!

My mind is culturally twisted with all the festivals here,
We are a melting pot of cultures, its abundantly clear.
Lots of stunning architecture and history galore,
Watching plays and recitals will be enriching I’m sure.

A huge star attraction is our own Bollywood,
Aamir, Salman and Kareena, watch them shooting if you could.
Shopping doesn’t get much better, you get everything you need,
From the cheap to the luxurious, satisfaction guaranteed!

Welcome to the fabulous Bombay city!
It has a real fast pace, I just love this place!
There’s plenty of room in this land of opportunity,
Anytime of year, you can find me here! 

Materialism - The Curse of Globalisation

Materialism is a dominating sense of desire to pursue wealth and other tangible things that can provide physical comforts in order to lead an extravagant lifestyle. We live in a globalized society today where social status is more often than not, determined by conspicuous consumption of brands that control our every move – from what we wear, to how we communicate, to what we drive, to where we go on holiday. All this requires considerable amounts of money to be spent on product portfolios that will induce high self-esteem, satisfaction and pride. Most people have this incessant need to feel good about themselves and experience a real high only when satiated by a product with high brand recognition. Having bought the latest gizmo therefore becomes a wonderful talking point with family, friends and peers because we want others to perceive us as being successful and having ‘made it’. 

Competition has only exacerbated the issue, as it encourages us to constantly update and modernize our existing belongings, even if they still work well and have absolutely no need for replacement. Therefore, many of us end up having multiple mobile phones, digital cameras, mp3 players, etc, simply because a new trend has caught our fancy, and we feel the need to be a part of what everyone is talking about. The ‘Keeping up with the Jones’ phenomenon is testimony to competition at its aggressive best where a lot of parents find themselves indulging their kids with the latest i-pads and i-phones, just so that their children do not feel left out when they are in the company of their other pre-teen friends. 

At some point in our lives, we are all guilty of being consumed by materialism – some to greater while others to lesser degrees, which can even make us become judgmental, where we tend to view people more by what they have, rather than by the values they possess. While I do feel that there is nothing inherently wrong in possessing luxuries that enrich the quality of our lives, it is the materialistic motive behind purchasing those items that I object to. In my opinion, a product should be purchased for its utility value and not for selfish purposes like one-upmanship or greed. I do believe that we as people are not defined by our material possessions, but by our values and how we conduct ourselves and treat others. 

Research has now shown that people who place a high value on wealth, status, and material possessions are more depressed and anxious and less sociable than those who do not. In recent years, researchers have reported a list of downsides to acquiring and spending - damage to relationships and self-esteem, a high risk of depression and anxiety and less time for family, friendships and engaging work. Also, studies have shown that people who are materialistic, tend to be less satisfied with life and are more likely to be narcissistic, passive aggressive, and mistrusting of others than those who are not. 

Therefore, let us not get carried away with all things extravagant and uber-luxurious. Some of life’s greatest joys involve non materialistic pursuits as well, that can be cherished for years to come. 

To sum up in the words of Thomas Carlyle, “Not what you possess but what you do with what you have, determines your true worth.”

What World Are We Living In?

What world are we living in today, where we are surrounded by terrorists, mass murderers, trigger happy maniacs, rapists, pedophiles, drug smugglers, money launderers, human traffickers, the list goes on. Wherever we look, we see heinous crimes being perpetuated – 9/11, 26/11, the Connecticut mass shooting and the Delhi gang rape case, are just a few startling examples.

While we continue to rally round all those affected by these atrocious misdemeanors and show our support in whatever way we can, we are merely paying lip service to the affected and aggrieved. While we must continue to react in stern condemnation of all such crimes so that we as a populace show that we are deeply enraged, we must also ACT – i.e. get to the very core of the abominable incidences of crime and take all perpetrators to task, as well as scrutinize all possible mechanisms that deal with such crimes with a view to strengthen them wherever necessary.

Just like the 26/11 terrorist attack exposed India as a soft target, ill-equipped to adequately protect its people from terrorists in 2008, the recent Delhi gang rape case has also exposed our systems of startling irregularities: i.e. inadequate and corrupt policing, illegal buses running without proper permits, unauthorized tinted glasses on vehicle windows, archaic laws and inadequate sentences to uphold those laws, shortage of fast track courts and inordinate delays in justice, lack of proper street lighting, poor public transport systems, improper treatment of complaints and lack of functional helplines to deal with crime survivors, shortage of women constables, lack of proper CCTVs on our streets, scarcity of police to protect our citizens due to the inordinate amount of police personnel manning our VIPs, MPs and MLAs…..the list is enormous. Nevertheless, all the above issues and more must be dealt with and remedied, in order for us to learn from our shortcomings and progress as a nation. While we continue to seek capital punishment for all the accused in the deplorable Delhi gang-rape case and rightfully so, that is simply not enough. We must also demand and revolt for Systemic Change where we focus more on prevention of crimes rather than simply punishment for them.

A shocking case in Gujarat transpired recently, where a 32 year old man who had been imprisoned for rape and murder of a minor, was let out recently for “good behavior” and was arrested yet again for raping and killing another minor girl. This just goes to show that the 10 year jail sentence that he endured was not a strict deterrent for this felon and validates a strong case for more stringent laws to ensure the harshest punishment possible so that it does become a strong deterrent for the crime. In the case of the Delhi gang rape, the death penalty must be awarded to all 6 accused, despite the fact that one of the accused is just under 18, because not only was there a heinous rape which subsequently led to the victim’s death, but it has shaken the moral fabric of our society and a strong message must be sent out to all sex offenders and murderers that it is either DON’T OR DEATH.

The timeline for judgments of all crimes in our country is currently very lax and should be a lot more prompt so that justice delayed is not justice denied. There are currently more than 72 lakh crime cases pending in different courts across India pertaining to murder, rape and riots which is simply shocking. This appalling delay in resolution of cases provides an easy loophole to all crime perpetrators who feel that they can get away with just about anything, since the law will not catch up with them for a long time. We need to remedy this at once and ensure that there are processes and systems in place to carry out all pending criminal cases to a logical conclusion and mete out judgements in a speedy manner. We do not need politics, bureaucracy and red tape to come in the way of justice. 

We must learn from countries like Singapore, who set the bar high when it comes to eradicating crime in their country which combines deterrence, enforcement and rehabilitation under a very effective criminal justice system. They also have a highly professional and incorruptible police force that advocates community policing to ward off crime. This explains how nearly 40% of all major crimes in Singapore are solved with the help of the public. They also have various round the clock crime awareness and crime prevention programs for senior citizens, women, school children and job employees as well as Neighborhood Watch Zones, Crime Watch TV Programs, Annual Crime Prevention Campaigns, etc. This is certainly a model that we can emulate in some way, rather than providing knee jerk reactions which merely work as a band-aid on a wound not intending to heal anytime soon.

It is the Government, the Justice System, the policy makers and all those in positions of authority who must be more accountable when it comes to framing, amending and carrying out these laws, devoid of corruption, so that they do right by the citizens of our country by actually protecting the nation’s best interests, rather than simply fostering their own selfish motives. A complete shake up of our archaic laws and mechanisms is certainly the order of the day and not just cosmetic changes made to sway vote banks.

We live in a world where pizza gets to our homes faster than the Police; where we simply turn the other way when we see a person bleed to death on the street rather than offer a helping hand; where innocent minors are gunned down in schools; where minors indulge in heinous rape and brutal assaults on women; where people who are guilty of crimes still continue to be government ministers; where in the name of property, people throw their relatives out on the streets and oftentimes murder them as well;

Honestly. What world are we living in? How much longer are we going to read about violence, crimes, disasters and war? Not a day goes by without a report of something terrible happening around the world. While we cannot control what happens elsewhere, we can certainly make a difference in our own communities and play a part in cleansing our environments, i.e. where we live, work, shop, eat and visit as part of our regular day to day routine. All I am saying is that we need to be more P.E.A.C.E.F.U.L.

Proactive               when it comes to alerting authorities on any crime, as it happens.

Educated               about our rights, duties and responsibilities as citizens.

Attentive               about all that is happening around us.

Compassionate      towards all we know and meet, in our day-to-day lives. 

Empathetic             to all, offering to help, whenever we see someone in distress.

Friendly                  to create a more congenial environment and a sense of belonging.

United                    in our resolve for a crime-free, safe and peaceful environment.

Law-abiding            so that we can set an example for others to emulate.

Let us be P.E.A.C.E.F.U.L in our communities, in our neighborhoods, in our towns and in our cities, so that we can all make a difference and contribute towards making the world a better place.