Dear friends,
“We have two common religions – cricket and cinema. Why then fight?”
Life for more than a billion people across India and Pakistan came to a standstill during the semi-final match on Wednesday. India beat Pakistan by 29 runs, 260 to 231.Well done India ! But that’s only half work done. You have another formidable neighbour to face in the final- the Sri Lankans. The Srilankans, who were once underdogs, are now a formidable team. Let us hope and pray that India continues to be lucky to enjoy the winning spree in the final too.
Though it was only a semi- final , the fact that it was a match against Pakistan and the hullabaloo that surrounded it , had made it appear to be the final itself. It happens every time when India takes on its traditional rival, be it cricket or hockey. Of course , the hype surrounding the game of hockey has faded into insignificance over the years , thanks to western countries who, due to their mastery, have taken over the center stage of the game.
After a long interval , I sat down to watch the entire game. Though the match extended well beyond midnight here , I chose to watch it as the entire family was glued to the TV and I too joined the bandwagon. India won the match. But there were some tense moments too. However India won the match, ultimately. Nothing succeeds like success. Hope M.S.Dhoni, the captain would steer the team India to victory in the finals too. Dhoni was candid when he said he misread the pitch and had favoured Nehra and dropped Ashwin from the team. I think such honest persons are needed not only for the Indian Sport but to the Indian Polity as well.
Thank God , the Punjab Government ensured the peaceful conduct of the Match without any hitch or disturbance. Indian army helicopters and anti-aircraft guns imposed a no-fly zone over the ground. Kudos to them. I wish to recall the malicious violence let loose by the communal elements some years ago at Mumbai who also vandalized the pitch on the eve of a cricket match between India and Pakistan.
It was an unusual innings from Sachin Tendulkar. Those greatest fans of Sachin who prayed for his 100th century, were completely disappointed. He couldn’t make it even after the DRS rescued him twice and four different fielders dropped catches he offered.
More than the cricket diplomacy that manifested in connection with the match ,what appealed to me was the ‘people to people’ contact that was enabled and taken forward on this occasion. Hundreds of Pakistanis crossed the border – helped by the relaxation of visa rules – crowded into the Mohali stadium. We have come across stories of relatives and couples meeting each other from across the border. Both the countries declaring holidays to their citizens to watch the friendly fare.People rushing to the venue by whatever means.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Yousuf Raza Gilani watched most of the match together from a private box at the stadium. The two Prime ministers sat side by side in a symbolic gesture which may restart the process of ‘confidence building’.
The cricket match ,which could be termed a friendly competition ,follows two days of peace talks between the two countries. Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and Pakistan's Interior Secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman met in New Delhi this week. It was the first formal dialogue since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, during which Pakistan-based militants killed 166 people.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, Pakistan agreed "in principle" to allow a team from India to investigate the attacks, while New Delhi said a Pakistani delegation would travel to India to probe the attacks. The two sides also agreed to establish a hotline to share real-time information on terrorist threats.
The so-called "cricket diplomacy" has been used as a platform to ease India-Pakistan tension even in the past. In 1987 and 2005, Pakistani leaders travelled to India to watch cricket matches.
“We have two common religions – cricket and cinema. Why then fight?” were the words printed in a bill-board near the stadium. Worthy words indeed!
Yours Sincerely,
Mushtaq Ahamed.I
Friday, April 1, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
A RETIRED BABU’S DAY OUT - "My Dad on his day out for a course on Citizen Journalism"
I am a migrant to Bangalore. I had to follow my son who secured his employment in the Bangalore’s IT industry. Though my home- town is Chennai and my roots in that city are half a century old, domestic compulsions made me migrate to the city of Gardens and my home, in this city, is very close to the largest of the gardens, the Lalbagh. Thus Bangalore has become my second home and Bangalore is no different from other metros – bumpy roads, impatient driving, traffic jams, indifferent public, greedy auto drivers, corrupt politicians etc. etc.
After my retirement from the central bank of India –RBI, I spend most of my time in reading, mostly the newspapers and of course watching the News channels and the talk shows. The news item on JM programme on Citizen Journalism which appeared in Bangalore Mirror, somehow, escaped my attention. It is my caring wife who pointed out the news and encouraged me to attend the event and today I am here participating in the event. I am very happy that I am back in the class room atmosphere sitting with the young and the old - a unique experience indeed.
I am a post graduate in Journalism and mass communication and hence familiar with the concepts of Media and communication. But these concepts, when explained by working journalists with live examples and livelier experiences, one is able to comprehend them unambiguously .When Aloke Thakore , while teaching the craft of writing a story, explained the five ‘W’s and one ‘H’ with the Hindi song “Ye Kya Hua, Kab Hua , Kaise Hua………..” it was pedagogy of altogether different kind. The same can be said of the story told by Shishir Joshi of a citizen journalist in Mumbai who traced the idendity of North European who died in accident and who could not be identified by the concerned agencies of the Government.
Turning to guest lectures and the guests, I can tell that the RTI Activists, Vikram and Viresh, did their job precisely, concisely and comprehensively within the limited time. The activists-duo, supplementing and complementing each other,shared their experiences which was like hearing straight from the horse’s mouth. Though frail in their physique they have taken on the bulls by their horn, have exposed the corrupt and ensured that the funds of the government are not swallowed by the babudom. This is what inspires those budding journalists to do their job fearlessly and farely.
The top cop who lectured on the “police system,rights ,duties and conflicts”, shared information on some positive developments in the police force, their interaction with public and their sensitivity and on the working of his department. One could also see that he was blowing his own trumpet –his impeccable record and his forays into the Facebook. All said and done, the police still appears to the public as an unfriendly and suspicious and corrupt outfit, of course with some exceptions here and there.
The President of the Press Club, Mr.Ponnappa who inaugurated the programme, could have been more magnanimous and addressed us in English. All of us would have understood him and his speech instantly. Anyway his lieutenant Mr.Shenoy, the Press club Secretary, was at his bilingual best and made good the shortcoming.
Summing up, I would say that it was an interesting day out for me.
-Mushtaq
Bangalore,21 January 2011.
After my retirement from the central bank of India –RBI, I spend most of my time in reading, mostly the newspapers and of course watching the News channels and the talk shows. The news item on JM programme on Citizen Journalism which appeared in Bangalore Mirror, somehow, escaped my attention. It is my caring wife who pointed out the news and encouraged me to attend the event and today I am here participating in the event. I am very happy that I am back in the class room atmosphere sitting with the young and the old - a unique experience indeed.
I am a post graduate in Journalism and mass communication and hence familiar with the concepts of Media and communication. But these concepts, when explained by working journalists with live examples and livelier experiences, one is able to comprehend them unambiguously .When Aloke Thakore , while teaching the craft of writing a story, explained the five ‘W’s and one ‘H’ with the Hindi song “Ye Kya Hua, Kab Hua , Kaise Hua………..” it was pedagogy of altogether different kind. The same can be said of the story told by Shishir Joshi of a citizen journalist in Mumbai who traced the idendity of North European who died in accident and who could not be identified by the concerned agencies of the Government.
Turning to guest lectures and the guests, I can tell that the RTI Activists, Vikram and Viresh, did their job precisely, concisely and comprehensively within the limited time. The activists-duo, supplementing and complementing each other,shared their experiences which was like hearing straight from the horse’s mouth. Though frail in their physique they have taken on the bulls by their horn, have exposed the corrupt and ensured that the funds of the government are not swallowed by the babudom. This is what inspires those budding journalists to do their job fearlessly and farely.
The top cop who lectured on the “police system,rights ,duties and conflicts”, shared information on some positive developments in the police force, their interaction with public and their sensitivity and on the working of his department. One could also see that he was blowing his own trumpet –his impeccable record and his forays into the Facebook. All said and done, the police still appears to the public as an unfriendly and suspicious and corrupt outfit, of course with some exceptions here and there.
The President of the Press Club, Mr.Ponnappa who inaugurated the programme, could have been more magnanimous and addressed us in English. All of us would have understood him and his speech instantly. Anyway his lieutenant Mr.Shenoy, the Press club Secretary, was at his bilingual best and made good the shortcoming.
Summing up, I would say that it was an interesting day out for me.
-Mushtaq
Bangalore,21 January 2011.
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