A Terrorist attack on a premier educational institution, now why didn't anyone think of it yet.I did, in fact i vividly remember a conversation i had with a colleague wherein we veered from talking about the middle east, to India - Pak , when i told her about the sense it made to attack places of educational importance in India, the example we took was TIFR (maybe its next).
It just makes super "common sense" to me.Adolf Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf about how the first step in unifying Germany would be to destroy the Jewish press, and Jewish schools.(Although he's also written that almost all the newspapers in Austrian Germany belonged to the Jews, and they indulged in a mass brainwashing programme to keep the Germans subdued.I have neither been able to refute his claims nor can i deny them, for the lack of material evidence.Maybe he was right, or maybe not).Sun Tzu has mentioned about how the enemy needs to be weakened first, its supplies hampered, before you go ahead to conquer it.Now if i could get my hands on these texts am sure militant groups too could go ahead and use them for their benefit.
The fact that India is a soft target has been proved over, and over again.I believe i had written somewhere before that Indian Governments lack the balls to take decisive, and strong action against terrorism.The only step ahead in the past few years was the declaration that Indian Governments will not negotiate with terrorists, how good that can be, i do not know.Delhi, Bombay and now Bangalore, wonder who's next.From parliaments to educational institutes, we are vulnerable all the way.
In this period of strong economic growth, we need a strong leader who can channelize the benefits of that growth to the poorest states, and one who can take strong decisions, and implements actions to erase the banner of "soft target" that sits under our national flag.I believe we need a Indira Gandhi.MS was a good bureaucrat and a great FM, but that guy isn't a politician and he displays the tendency of bureaucrats to please everyone but still he's what we have got and i can't think of any other leader who can take his position and manage the country with the intelligence and ruthlessness both in sync.Just like FDI and foreign coaches in sports , we need an expat PM.A Putin would do just fine.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
2005
2005, its almost over and looking back, clouded by the visions of the future, it wasn't bad at all.Nowhere in the vicinity of bad.The first new formula one champion after a considerably long time, a thrilling Champions league final, Federers supremacy almost being threatened and a lot other "nice" things.
It also saw democratic processes being initiated in two war ravaged countries - Iraq and Afghanistan, which is a fantastic achievement.Amid attacks and threats of violence, people went to polls after decades of nonsecular rule and now there is hope, which is more than what the people in the respective countries ever had just a couple of years ago.Saddam Hussein being captured and brought to trial, now who would have thought of that.
Nature stamped its authority as the supreme giver, with earthquakes and hurricanes closely followed by the year of the Tsunami, Nature gave a wake up call to be respected, maybe its been enough.Terry Schiavo's death doesn't end the Man Vs Nature debate, and in many ways its hardly begun.I still think the removal of her life support system was "inhuman" and against basic human rights, if the creator wanted us to decide on death he might as well have given us a knob.Evolution might have conjured up such a biological sub-system.
One event, that probably gets my vote as the "Event of the year" was the withdrawal of troops from Gaza.Controversial, yes, as i vividly remember a Jewish woman, in tears, saying "For the first time in Jewish history, Jews have driven Jews out of their holy home".Regardless a comprehensive victory for peace efforts in the middle east.Wounded memories can never be the guide to a peaceful future.Terrorists meanwhile took centre stage during the London and Jordan bombings.The end to terrorism is not in sight, and the threat only seems to increase.The threat to terrorism is Globalisation, and the more we are able to subjugate economic borders and barriers between different classes of people, the more we'll feel safer.
Just like a new formula one champ, people also got a brand new, conservative , Pope, Joseph Ratzinger of Germany and a new CM in Bihar.The latter, especially, holds a lot of promise and isn't the usual run of the mill Bihari politician.If Bihar, UP, and MP clock good growth rates, the aim of a 10 % growth rate won't look unrealistic rather unambitious.
Apart from all the above mentioned changes, things were pretty much the same.Tiger woods captured (yet) another Masters and added to his tally with a British Open as well.Cricket saw the Australians tormented by one Freddie Flintoff, and the Ashes shifting continents for the first time in 16 years.Though cynics will argue that it was the absence of Glen Mcgrath that shifted the Balance, the trophy knows where its going to stay for a year.India saw the emergence of a team with actual sporting character and mental toughness and the future only looks bright, except for the unnecessary presence of a former captain.I would do injustice to a certain 19 year old, Aftab Ahmed if i don't mention his heroics when Bangladesh defeated Australia.He scored only 20 odd, but he kept his head to win a match against by and far the best team in the world.Magnificient achievement.
Ah, the champions league final..half time Liverpool 0 - 3 Milan.There was only one place the title was going, and then the struggle of one man,the stirring deeds and indefatigable spirit of one individual inspired the other 10 and in 15 minutes of absolute madness the meanest defence in Europe conceded 3 goals, and suddenly the scousers were chanting "We're gonna win 4-3" and they did.Football never had it so good.I hope i get to see another Final as this one in my lifetime.
In league football is got as boring as it never did, Romans Chelsea ate everything in its way to win last season and look good again.My beloved Manchester United look lost yet again and my brother Galacticos look the same in Spain, so no ones really in sight of bragging rights.Barca look superb but will they be consistent enough to get glory in Europe, or will they fall to the all conquering Bianconeri.Juventus have looked every bit the Italian mafia in their 15 odd wins this season, especially against inter, they defend ruthlessly and more than
attacking the opponent work on creating opportunities for attacking.
Who will rise upto the challenge of stopping Federer on Grass ?Going from this years experiences no one will, hes above the rest by a good couple of notches.He does everything else that anyone else does, only does it better.Lets hope that some star may rise, and there'll actually will be competition at Wimbledon.Raikkonen crashing out while in the lead, and Alonso chasing him down till the end, and taking the chequered flag, that's been the story of F1 this year.Single minded determination and perseverance paying it off for the Spaniard and we saw a new F1 champion.
One country that has had it pretty good this year, apart from England is NZ.The All Blacks, for me the sporting phenomenon of the year, the Bledisloe Cup, the Tri-Nations, the Grand Slam and the mauling of the Lions showed that Graham Henry's side were a class above the rest, and the now legendary tackle on Brian O'Driscoll by Umaga and Keven Mealamu, the new haka and the emergence of Dan Carter as an All Black legend and it is easy to see why 2005 was a year of redemption for the All Blacks.The men from league just pip the men from union as their victory was totally unexpected in the Tri-Nations and that 24-0 mauling of the Aussies, that'll live long, really long.Even bigger was the triumph of Michael Campbell at the US open, forced to qualify for the tournament, Campbell produced a masterful display of composed golf to clinch the trophy and hero-like status both in New Zealand and around the world.And just to prove it wasn't a fluke, he then went off to win the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth and he'll never have to buy a drink in NZ ever again.
And then, the man who's done it year after year, critics, opponents withstanding , the 7th Tour De France title for Lance Armstrong, his domination of perhaps the toughest sporting event is undeniable.There was little doubt that Armstrong was going to retire on a high, fastest in the time trials, strongest in the mountains and the captain of the fastest team, he duly destroyed his rivals on the streets of France.The lingering cloud of doping still hovers above Armstrong but his talent has never been in doubt.
I can almost see it now, 2006, the year of the the FIFA world cup, the biggest gratification of them all and the Winter Olympics at Torino, along with the rest of the usual happenings.Its bound to be a cracker of a game.
It also saw democratic processes being initiated in two war ravaged countries - Iraq and Afghanistan, which is a fantastic achievement.Amid attacks and threats of violence, people went to polls after decades of nonsecular rule and now there is hope, which is more than what the people in the respective countries ever had just a couple of years ago.Saddam Hussein being captured and brought to trial, now who would have thought of that.
Nature stamped its authority as the supreme giver, with earthquakes and hurricanes closely followed by the year of the Tsunami, Nature gave a wake up call to be respected, maybe its been enough.Terry Schiavo's death doesn't end the Man Vs Nature debate, and in many ways its hardly begun.I still think the removal of her life support system was "inhuman" and against basic human rights, if the creator wanted us to decide on death he might as well have given us a knob.Evolution might have conjured up such a biological sub-system.
One event, that probably gets my vote as the "Event of the year" was the withdrawal of troops from Gaza.Controversial, yes, as i vividly remember a Jewish woman, in tears, saying "For the first time in Jewish history, Jews have driven Jews out of their holy home".Regardless a comprehensive victory for peace efforts in the middle east.Wounded memories can never be the guide to a peaceful future.Terrorists meanwhile took centre stage during the London and Jordan bombings.The end to terrorism is not in sight, and the threat only seems to increase.The threat to terrorism is Globalisation, and the more we are able to subjugate economic borders and barriers between different classes of people, the more we'll feel safer.
Just like a new formula one champ, people also got a brand new, conservative , Pope, Joseph Ratzinger of Germany and a new CM in Bihar.The latter, especially, holds a lot of promise and isn't the usual run of the mill Bihari politician.If Bihar, UP, and MP clock good growth rates, the aim of a 10 % growth rate won't look unrealistic rather unambitious.
Apart from all the above mentioned changes, things were pretty much the same.Tiger woods captured (yet) another Masters and added to his tally with a British Open as well.Cricket saw the Australians tormented by one Freddie Flintoff, and the Ashes shifting continents for the first time in 16 years.Though cynics will argue that it was the absence of Glen Mcgrath that shifted the Balance, the trophy knows where its going to stay for a year.India saw the emergence of a team with actual sporting character and mental toughness and the future only looks bright, except for the unnecessary presence of a former captain.I would do injustice to a certain 19 year old, Aftab Ahmed if i don't mention his heroics when Bangladesh defeated Australia.He scored only 20 odd, but he kept his head to win a match against by and far the best team in the world.Magnificient achievement.
Ah, the champions league final..half time Liverpool 0 - 3 Milan.There was only one place the title was going, and then the struggle of one man,the stirring deeds and indefatigable spirit of one individual inspired the other 10 and in 15 minutes of absolute madness the meanest defence in Europe conceded 3 goals, and suddenly the scousers were chanting "We're gonna win 4-3" and they did.Football never had it so good.I hope i get to see another Final as this one in my lifetime.
In league football is got as boring as it never did, Romans Chelsea ate everything in its way to win last season and look good again.My beloved Manchester United look lost yet again and my brother Galacticos look the same in Spain, so no ones really in sight of bragging rights.Barca look superb but will they be consistent enough to get glory in Europe, or will they fall to the all conquering Bianconeri.Juventus have looked every bit the Italian mafia in their 15 odd wins this season, especially against inter, they defend ruthlessly and more than
attacking the opponent work on creating opportunities for attacking.
Who will rise upto the challenge of stopping Federer on Grass ?Going from this years experiences no one will, hes above the rest by a good couple of notches.He does everything else that anyone else does, only does it better.Lets hope that some star may rise, and there'll actually will be competition at Wimbledon.Raikkonen crashing out while in the lead, and Alonso chasing him down till the end, and taking the chequered flag, that's been the story of F1 this year.Single minded determination and perseverance paying it off for the Spaniard and we saw a new F1 champion.
One country that has had it pretty good this year, apart from England is NZ.The All Blacks, for me the sporting phenomenon of the year, the Bledisloe Cup, the Tri-Nations, the Grand Slam and the mauling of the Lions showed that Graham Henry's side were a class above the rest, and the now legendary tackle on Brian O'Driscoll by Umaga and Keven Mealamu, the new haka and the emergence of Dan Carter as an All Black legend and it is easy to see why 2005 was a year of redemption for the All Blacks.The men from league just pip the men from union as their victory was totally unexpected in the Tri-Nations and that 24-0 mauling of the Aussies, that'll live long, really long.Even bigger was the triumph of Michael Campbell at the US open, forced to qualify for the tournament, Campbell produced a masterful display of composed golf to clinch the trophy and hero-like status both in New Zealand and around the world.And just to prove it wasn't a fluke, he then went off to win the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth and he'll never have to buy a drink in NZ ever again.
And then, the man who's done it year after year, critics, opponents withstanding , the 7th Tour De France title for Lance Armstrong, his domination of perhaps the toughest sporting event is undeniable.There was little doubt that Armstrong was going to retire on a high, fastest in the time trials, strongest in the mountains and the captain of the fastest team, he duly destroyed his rivals on the streets of France.The lingering cloud of doping still hovers above Armstrong but his talent has never been in doubt.
I can almost see it now, 2006, the year of the the FIFA world cup, the biggest gratification of them all and the Winter Olympics at Torino, along with the rest of the usual happenings.Its bound to be a cracker of a game.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Have you seen my dream ?
I was feeling too lazy to sleep that night,as i walked upto her i could hear the breathe of her hair, embalmed with the smell of her braids the walls seemed to have cleared the humidity in the air.It looked as if her veins carried a message that words could not, words bowed down having carried the burden of her inner world.So often was i able to read her veins that, i, quite often, thought of the place where they met.
I'm blind now, she said.I heard the sound of the moon which it makes as it passes my window, i could feel the fibre of her body watching me through her naked skin, bone to bone, with her eyes closed.The previous night while the heavens beat upon her mud roof, the hens, poor creatures they, could not warm their eggs as the dark soil of the earth had turned into a brown sticky lifeform and wet their feet, came inside and pecked her eyes.
I went inside to prepare some soup, to escape the convulsive breathe of her hair, and looked around for my dream which i didn't see.I gathered the sound of the wind, the dark wind that never blows and never sits still and asked her if she has seen my dream, the one i didn't see as i was lighting the stove to prepare soup.No.
I must ask the other villages if they saw my dream go by, i told her, while i groped the cold walls that now smelt like cold goats cheese , blind as i was to find the door.No wait, let my face be warmed by the sun.
I'm blind now, she said.I heard the sound of the moon which it makes as it passes my window, i could feel the fibre of her body watching me through her naked skin, bone to bone, with her eyes closed.The previous night while the heavens beat upon her mud roof, the hens, poor creatures they, could not warm their eggs as the dark soil of the earth had turned into a brown sticky lifeform and wet their feet, came inside and pecked her eyes.
I went inside to prepare some soup, to escape the convulsive breathe of her hair, and looked around for my dream which i didn't see.I gathered the sound of the wind, the dark wind that never blows and never sits still and asked her if she has seen my dream, the one i didn't see as i was lighting the stove to prepare soup.No.
I must ask the other villages if they saw my dream go by, i told her, while i groped the cold walls that now smelt like cold goats cheese , blind as i was to find the door.No wait, let my face be warmed by the sun.
Monday, December 19, 2005
(is it) The end of the world
I never thought i would actually say this, but football has become "boring and meaningless".Due to a certain rich oligarch, who happened to buy a football club because he was running out of things to buy.Its horrible when you see a club scoring a goal - sometimes two, and then defending for an entire quarter, and even 2 quarters of an hour.And this has been happening week after week, and doesn't look as if its going to end.
Winning is important, and possibly the only thing that occupies the mind of top rung managers, but are we as fans paying the price to see our clubs win.Football has actally become so monotonous that even watching the english cricket team play sounds interesting, relatively.
I'm not entirely happy with the fact that Alonso will be joining us (McLaren) in 2007.In F1 you can never have two world champions, and with that you can't have two contenders in the same team.For me Kimi is the man, and i believe that it'll be him who will leave come 2007.
It was a delight to hear the Steve Slater say the phrase "The cold blue eyes of Mika Hakkinen", for one of the most wonderfully said statements in sports commentary (Eddy will agree).After Mika left came Kimi, same cold blue eyes, ruthless in approach and brilliant behind the wheel, it was as close to a Mika reincarnate we got, and i was extremely happy with that.
Alonso is a great driver, a superb champion but he doesn't have the raw, ruthless personality that i was used to in Mika, and frankly i'll find it extremely difficult to see him, and not Kimi as the frontline driver for us.Either of Kimi and Alonso won't agree to be wingman and if they do it'll be an insult to a fantastic sport.Football already has become "boring and meaningless" at times, it would be very dissappointing to see the same happening to F1.
Winning is important, and possibly the only thing that occupies the mind of top rung managers, but are we as fans paying the price to see our clubs win.Football has actally become so monotonous that even watching the english cricket team play sounds interesting, relatively.
I'm not entirely happy with the fact that Alonso will be joining us (McLaren) in 2007.In F1 you can never have two world champions, and with that you can't have two contenders in the same team.For me Kimi is the man, and i believe that it'll be him who will leave come 2007.
It was a delight to hear the Steve Slater say the phrase "The cold blue eyes of Mika Hakkinen", for one of the most wonderfully said statements in sports commentary (Eddy will agree).After Mika left came Kimi, same cold blue eyes, ruthless in approach and brilliant behind the wheel, it was as close to a Mika reincarnate we got, and i was extremely happy with that.
Alonso is a great driver, a superb champion but he doesn't have the raw, ruthless personality that i was used to in Mika, and frankly i'll find it extremely difficult to see him, and not Kimi as the frontline driver for us.Either of Kimi and Alonso won't agree to be wingman and if they do it'll be an insult to a fantastic sport.Football already has become "boring and meaningless" at times, it would be very dissappointing to see the same happening to F1.
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