The Stone Age Man

Deepak Jadhav aged 28 a constable attached to the GRP-Govt Railway Police was hit on the head by a stone flung by a unknown miscreant. He was standing on the foot board of the local train as it was crowded. Struggling for life he gave up the struggle after a couple of days, the cause of death being excessive bleeding sustained on a/c of the grave injury.
The only earning member of a family Deepak leaves behind his wife, mother, father and siblings to fend for themselves in this world full of indifferent and self- centered people. The only solace perhaps is that one of the surviving members will be offered a govt. job, they will be provided with an ex-gratia amount from the Chief ministers fund but the core issue will be brushed under the carpet and forgotten.
Many innocent mumbaites have been rendered visually impaired and few more unfortunate ones have lost their lives because of this menace which has not been controlled for the past few decades despite umpteen promises made by the administration.
People who have been arrested for these type of heinous crimes have often committed this for a high and for no rhyme or specific reason. Most of these youths are unemployed and often channelize their volatile energy into nefarious activities.
We have the Railway Protection force, the GRP and all possible other Para-military forces which are grossly underutilized or rather mis-utilized (to protect politicians and their ilk)which could be possibly used to counter such anti- social elements who try to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere by indulging in such shameful and disdainful acts.
The Police will work overtime to investigate this case and bring the culprit to book since for once, their own brethren has been at the receiving end.
The State Govt. meanwhile has immediately ordered a now familiar enquiry and the police is searching in the dark as blind as a bat to nab the unidentified culprit.
We Indians have time and again tried to challenge the age old DARWINIAN theory of evolution.
We have stopped evolving long time back and desperately trying to go back to the STONE AGE from which it all began.
Many such incidents has rampantly exposed the satanic behavior of individuals in this part of our Sub-Continent which if not controlled could erode the much hyped cultural values which we have inherited from our ancestors since the stone age.

Where Solkar Dared !!

Traditionally Indians have always been bad fielders the only exceptions being MAK Pataudi, Ghulam Parkar ,Brijesh Patel who stood like a rock in the covers ,Mohd. Azharuddin at slip and Gully , Abid Ali at mid-on/mid wicket and to the recent Ajay Jadeja/ Yuvraj Singh at backward point.
All these fielders were exemplary and achieved accolades for their courageous attitude and daredevilry on the field. However all these positions were ‘’SAFE’’ and the chances of getting injured was negligible if not impossible.
People who have played cricket at a reasonable competitive level reckon the position of ‘’Forward Shortleg ‘’ as a suicidal position to be in for any fielder of any calibre. Once the ball leaves the bowler’s hands and it pitches on and around middle and leg it is the natural tendency of the batsmen to heave his bat either for a flick or a pull which is enough for the fielder at forward shortleg to take evasive action. Instinctively the fielder will try to save his face and groin for these are some of the most sensitive body parts prone to get hit and if you do get hit YOU STAY HIT!! Atleast while Playing gully cricket (that too with tennis and rubber balls)most of us –including me always avoided that position and opted for safer areas like the slip cordon or at best be the wicket keeper.
In the ‘’PRE-HELMET’’ era of the early 1970’s E.D.Solkar – Eknath Dondu Solkar played for India who created his own space and stood within handshaking distance of the batsmen. Mind you there were no shin guards to protect the knees from getting hit and it was left to providence and destiny if they were to survive any onslaught from the batsmen.
It is said that LEGENDS are BORN and NOT MADE.
Born in perpetual penury his father struggled to make ends meet by working as a groundsman at Hindu Gymkhana where a hut in the far corner was home to Eknath and his 5 siblings.
Clad in tattered clothes he used to fetch the cricket balls in a jiffy for the fielders from the boundary.
Drafted in the Indian team he was a complete utility player who could play at any position and also bowled medium pace and spin as per the situation.
He had a very good reflex further complemented with a hawk like eye- sight which made him a predator on the prowl at the most enviable but dangerous position.
He played 27 tests and took 53 catches which is a world record for the highest average per test- which comes to 1.96 catches per test (for all fielders except the wicket- keeper who have played a minimum 20 tests).
The first ever overseas victory over the West indies and England in 1971 was a team effort but his contribution in batting /fielding in those twin victories is still talked about in cricketing circles.
During a recent effort while launching the Eknath Solkar academy his erstwhile team mates had come to talk about his super human efforts his colleague and of his most dear friends BS Chandrashekar, was choked with emotion and could barely speak about the long and fruitful association of the duo who mesmerized batsmen with the scoreboard often reading: caught Solkar bowled Chandra . Solkar took some amazing catches of his bowling and many debated whether it was due to the exceptional ball or the unbelievable catch that was taken. He had the ability to catch the ball inches off the ground and often threw himself forward, sometimes landing at the batmen’s feet. In the later stages when batting form deserted him he was included in the side just for his fielding exploits justifying his abundant talent and skill.
India’s famous overseas Victories over the West indies and England in1971catapaulted him to be acknowledged as the best close in fielder in the World and some odd dropped catch made Headlines!
England batsmen like Allan Knott and Fletcher lost confidence because of his close proximity which rattled their concentration and which ultimately resulted in losing their place in the test squad.
The legendary West Indian Batsman Vivian Richards made his debut against India in 1974/75 series and who treated every bowler during his playing days with disdain and contempt was shocked by the audacity of this slenderly built man with rolled up sleeves standing next to his shadow . He had to frequently nudge him with his bat to stand at a little more distance fearing that some of his shots could hit, maim or even kill the fielder who stood dangerously close for comfort. The greatest tribute paid by Richards was : “”Man! I am not afraid of your Chandrashekar (one of the best leg spinnners in the game) but this man gives me the goose bumps . This man is preventing me from playing my natural game and I really cannot concentrate’ . I can bet no one will field this close and even when he was hit on occasions there was not a flinch or grimace.
ED Solkar or 'Ekki' as he was fondly called by Chandrashekar became immortal on 26th June 2005 at a young age of 57, I reckon he had already attained that stature in his mortal state amongst his innumerable fans for his acrobatics and dare-devilry.
We were privileged to be born in an era and proud to have witnessed and heard about the exploits of this talented Cricketeer who was very humble and never discussed his on- field heroics and waived it off with a smile.
The image of the crouching fielder ever eager to pouch half chances that came his way shall always be vivid in our memory.

New cricketing terms and rules have come into existence and the ‘’FORWARD SHORTLEG’’ Position is now called as ‘’SHORTLEG’’ perhaps justifying the truth that –NO fielder will ever dare to stand in that fatal Position where ONLY SOLKAR DARED !!!

Grave Mistakes

The Govt. recently issued a circular which imposed a moratorium on the number of SMS being sent using security and enforcement of law and order as a pretext . A bill is on the anvil to gag or stall social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google which could empower the govt . authorities to force articles which it justifies to be deleted on the grounds of formenting communal divide, racial discrimination and inciting adverse reactions or take action against the writers on the grounds of defamation. Although facebook reluctantly has agreed to fall in line with the controversial legislations ,It is heartening to note that Google refused to buckle under the pressure and clarified that it would not be a part of its agenda to gag the ‘’ freedom of expression’’. Any one challenging the actions of the govt. are subjected to harassment ,threats , coercion and veiled attacks from paid goons.. Day in and Day out the Govt. is coining new measures to stifle any democratic movement against them and sabotage all honest attempts at reviving the anti-corruption crusade. The over whelming response and support by the youngsters to this crusade against corruption invoking their own innovative methods using SMS’s and social networking sites has prompted the authorities to tackle the issues in a very crude manner which is provoking them into making GRAVE mistakes which could catapault it into digging its own GRAVE..

The Amazing Sketchman- Mario Miranda

Obituaries and more obituaries. The legends are passing on to another world in a jiffy and falling like 9 pins. One of the latest casualty is the legendary Indian Cartoonist –Mario Miranda. The deep abyss left behind by these legends probably will never be filled as they were possibly handpicked to leave the indelible mark on mankind with their creative, unique craftsmanship daringly different yet refreshing. Circa 1970’s. The Children studying in English Medium Schools in the early 1970’s in the 2nd and 3rd Standard had Balbharati text book replete with the characters Tim, Mini and Robert. They were effectively complimented by sketch or murals or cartoons whatever name you may call. All these carved sketches had a distinct stamp and a trade mark at the bottom of the photo, signed by the inimitable Mario Miranda. The Sketch seemed to talk to the readers on behalf of the dumb characters, so vivid and complete was the insight provided by the thought provoking caption less masterpiece. The trademark stray dog or Cat at the bottom of the sketch as visualized also lent its silent meaning which defied the now familiar statement : The Pen is Mightier than the sword. For the soft spoken Mario the Paint brush was his talking tool which depicted all the things going on in this world from Current affairs to office jokes to everyday anecdotes which caused instant smirk amongst the viewers. It was the same Times of India Group which had rejected him earlier citing poor artistic skills which later on placed him on that unshakeable pedestal and linked him to its publications like the Illustrated weekly and Femina. The unforgettable characters of Miss Fonseca and Miss Nimbupani and the Sardar sitting in a bulb Specially created for Khushwant singh’s column will continue to entertain and endear the readers for generations to come. .

Last Man Standing

The demise of the evergreen star of Indian Cinema Dev Anand signifies the end of the nostalgic era of the early 50’s which mesmerized the Cinema goers with pristine music, exquisite and mind-blowing lyrics and un-hyped acting. The masses identified the characters on screen with themselves as they found everything so natural, down to earth and which synchronized their humble dreams unifying them with the celluloid print focused on the giant screens by a noisy projector beaming black and white images. Dev Anand along with Raj Kapoor were the trend setters which saw heroes who solely merited their presence on account of their handsome good looks. Prior to this people accepted disheveled, bearded or any ordinary looking guys and a good story coupled with good music alone guaranteed sure shot box- office success. Dev Anand was the last man standing as all the rest of his colleagues /co- stars of the magical era of the 50’s and 60’s had predeceased him. The puffed up hairstyle was plagiarized from the legendary Hollywood icon- Gregory Peck who as admitted by Dev Anand was his idol. Geogory Peck and Clint Eastwood were famous for their Cigarette smoking cum talklng acts which only a handful few could enact with such dignified charm and grace. Dev Anand too has enacted the MUST SEE scene in Hum Dono with aplomb with the cigarette dancing up and down in his mouth while chatting with his colleague in his customary style. The close resemblance between the actors(Peck & Dev Anand) has an interesting story which happened in the late 1960’s.Someone close to Gregory Peck told him of the amazing resemblance which raised curiosity and rustled his egoistic feathers and prompted the need to have a peek at the so called Indian film star. He didn’t waste an opportunity to Visit India when called upon to give the filmfare awards in the 1960’s. An amazing photo was clicked (this snap had appeared n the now defunct magazine- The illustrated weekly India) which showed Peck with a wry smile admiring Dev Anand from a distance. Dev Anand was simply gushing at the prospect of meeting his idol but perhaps the Hollywood idol himself was at his wits end calculating who was the better looker. Waheeda Rehman his co star in Guide had rightly pointed out that the magic touch waned rapidly in the 1980’s and some whimsical and eccentric films stumbled out of the once famed Navketan Studios. Yet the magic weaved earlier in films like Hum Dono, Solvaa Saal,Prem Pujari,Tere Ghar ke Saamne,Johnny Mera naam, Jewel Thief and Guide was good enough to keep his die- hard fans by his side despite the shortcomings as a Director in the later stages. True to his ever youthful image he didn’t wish to die with Cotton sticking in his nose and wished to have a funeral in some distant country where his true fans wouldn’t have a glimpse of see his lifeless body. His wish granted , even in death he remains an enigma difficult to decipher yet difficult to ignore. As the flames consume his MORTAL remains the SMOKE emanating from the funeral pyre would probably hum the IMMORTAL lyric: Har Fikr ko Dhueee mein Udddaaaaaa thaa Chalaaa Gaya !!!!

The Curious Case of Ishrat Jehan

Ishrat Jehan the name has once again raked up the controversies which were buried along with her dead body after a bloody encounter with the Gujarat Police.
Tongues started to wag soon after the encounter and pseudo political parties vied with one another to rake up the minorities issue and muslim organizations and Urdu newspapers united behind the family which portrayed this as an attack on faith and minorities.
The Khalsa college where Ishrat was studying lent support for its student who it claimed never indulged in any anti-social activities and was an average performer who maintained a low profile.
The Let – Lashkar- e- Toiba a well trained terror organisation scouted for individuals who had innocent backgrounds and brain washed its likely victim on the basis of false religious discrimination and other imaginary plots often citing that the existence of Islam itself was in danger.
While being interrogated by the FBI, David Coleman Headley the king –pin of Let gave full account of his recruits across Asia and confessed that Ishrat Jehan was indeed a Let operative and was working clandestinely to destabilize the Country by resorting to usual hit and run policy adopted by the experienced terror group. The FBI too later verified that the confession or inputs provided by David Coleman Headley were factually correct.
Of the other 3 killed one Pranesh Pillai a native of Kerala had converted to Islam using the alias name of Javed Shaikh. He was booked in a number of assault cases at Pune and Mumbai and was also charged in a fake currency racket . It is conclusive that a person who indulged in various nefarious activities and had strong criminal connections with people with questionable intents was hell bent on committing a terror act.
It is quite possible that the foursome were killed at point-blank range after their activities were proved.
To me it is very fair because had they been tried in some local court it is likely that they could have jumped bail and would have gathered enough time to spread their dirty tentacles in communally sensitive areas.
Its better to have such people eliminated rather than keeping them like Kasab who is thriving on tax payers money.

Occupy All streets

The Occupy Wall street movement Fallout seen in USA and other European Countries speaks of the volume of disenchantment and distrust of the common man over the accumulation of disproportionate wealth by the elite. The rule –books are cast to the dustbins when it comes to distribute the profits, maximum is stealthily relegated to their personal shelves and the people in the lower hierarchy are fed breadcrumbs to feast upon.
Working for a British Logistic Multinational Exel Plc. revealed the usual dirty corporate greed.
All earnings used to be dispatched to the Parent Company in Britain which in turn used to send a certain percentage to each specific region to be distributed as Bonus /Performance incentive.
The Indian regional top brass hatched upon a sinister Plan to distribute the bonus amongst themselves and the bizzarre gauntlet almost paid off but for a whistle-blower who blew the lid perhaps because he was a recipient of a smaller share of the booty. The middle management were informed that due to lower margins during that financial year incentive for that relevant yea r was being scrapped. The junior cadre, were furious on learning about the scam but the situation was quickly defused and frayed tempers were soothed by denials, sweet talk and coercion though not necessarily in that order.
Capitalism has failed miserably in this context where inequality and lopsided development has mushroomed and the gaps between the haves, and the have-nots has widened paving the way for the simmering discontent.
During the economic slowdown in 2008 billions of dollars was pumped in to save financial institutions/ affected banks from going bust as if the economic revival was based on their sole existence!
Citibank NA was on the verge of sacking their Chief Vikram Pandit during the global meltdown but when the bank was back in the black he was showered with unprecedented benefits that defied logic and rationale. Once the Supply- demand cycle was restored the first thing to be sorted was regaining all the lost ground for these bankers who made merry with their innovative skills of grabbing the opportunity with both hands.
A HR Chief S Mohan of BPCL a Govt. Undertaking was given a grand bash on retiring from the Co and an astronomical amount of Rs.40 lacs was splurged on the same. An amount of 40 lacs would surely hurt the bottom line of a company but who cares?
The salaries were more or less rationale during the early 2000’s but then all of a sudden Corporates vied with one another to carve out salaries in Crores. Once the bench mark was laid it was difficult to peg back the extravagant perks . Western Corporate Culture was bluntly copied by Indian corporates and the Obscene & vulgar display of wealth creation hogged the headlines. Jetliners to Luxury Yachts being gifted by industrialists to their wives and girl friends became a norm or some sort of ritual. A multistorey building was built as a residence in South Mumbai for a single family of 4. A race ensued as to who would list in the TOP 100 List of Billionaires which prompted even a mature and restrained person like Ratan Tata to issue a statement to all industrialists that such a Vulgar display of wealth is unfair to scores of people in our country who don’t even get one square meal a day.
This movement does not see any strategic support in India as most of the upper middle class people and those belonging to the elite certainly would not like to reduce the surging cash flowing into their coffers while those coming from the lower strata of society cannot sustain these kind of tactics as they are more concerned about holding onto their present jobs even if it is providing diminishing returns.
The Occupy Wall street movement which even saw Violence in some of the European countries is spreading its tentacles far and wide as the commoners have got fed up due to stagflation, unemployment, reduction of social security measures, disproportionate income levels across the board.
If not controlled the movement will ‘’Occupy All Streets’’ instead of limiting itself to Wall Street.
Bouyed by the success of the Egyptians/ the Libyans and the Anna Hazare movement the people in the Western Countries have held the corporate honchos and other wealthy bankers who more than often seem to get the optimum benefits by the scruff of their necks and time will tell whether they can effectively strangulate them to their benefit.