Few days ago as I returned back to home from college, my mom said that i had received my temporary voting card and I could vote in thie 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
As I heard the news first I could'nt belive it as I was not expecting the card this stime around.But as soon as I saw it a sense of excitement ran through me.Yes I could finally vote and have a say in deciding the government of my country.
After the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai, city had come out in large numbers to protest against the lack of security provided to the highest tax-paying city in India. At that time I also had strong reaction's but din know how to let them out.Well here was my chance by casting a vote.
It was 30th April 2009. D-day had arrived.It was voting time n Mumbai.All the bollywood stars had come out in full number's to vote.That furthur motivated me.I went to the polling booth a tad nervous.Actually din't know the procedure so was a bit tense.To my surprise there was no line to vote which was much to my dissapointment.I had thought that after the 26/11 incident many more people would come out and vote,anyways I went ahead with my stuff.The officer checked my name in the list then asked me for my i-d proof which i provided.Once that was verified they put the ink mark on my left hand middle finger and I put my vote.
The feeling which I felt coming out of the polling both was something surreal.I felt proud.I had used my fundmental right of voting.I had a say in deciding the government in New Delhi.According to an add brought out by the EC, they had said pappu can't vote.Well I can safely say I am not pappu anymore.
I HAD LOST MY VIRGINITY........ i.e. MY VOTING VIRGINITY.....................AND I WAS PROUD ABOUT IT
The Master,The Nawab,The King,Captain Cool,Mr Consistent and The NewComer.These are the top 6 of our Indian cricket team.A list of name that sends shiver down all the bowling line-ups of the world.Nightmare for any captain.
First up is the Nawab of Najabgarh.He is the vice-captain of INDIA.Virender Shewag.One of its kind person.Be it 20-20,odi's or test just one style of play go after the bowling.Hell may care attitude.If his day he can tear apart anyone in the world.Still remember when on 295 hit a six to reach 300.The audacity of the man to even think abt it.Invariably gives the team the perfect start.
Next up is the Master.He is a god for me and to millions of other Indians and ppl all over the world.He is the senior-statesman of the team.Much like an elder brother.While Shewag is goin bezerg he plays the perfect foil,nudging the ball aroungd picking up singles and giving shewag the strike.But if he wants he can tear apart the bowling like he did recently against New-Zealand at Christchurch.
Next is Mr. Consistent Guatam Gambhir.He had a fantastic 2008 yr and now is the new Mr Dependable after Rahul Dravid.You can almost be always sure he will score runs.Can play bothways attack or defend.
4th in the line up is the Yuvraj of the team 'Yuvraj Singh'.When the song came 'Singh is Kingg' it aptly fitted the man.He has become the king.He as brutal power with which he can hit a six as easily as riding a cycle(though tough 4 me).He hit 6 6's in an over in the T20 Wc.That was the first time it being done against a front-line fast bowler.That's the calibre of the man.He has an arrogance about him which makes opponents shiver.He always had the talent but never utilised it in the past.But now he is the main saty of the Indian line-up.
Then is Suresh Raina.He is the newest star of INDIA.He like the others can hit a six damm easily.Small in stature but has got all the powers t0 clear the boundary rope.Still only an ODI & a T20 player but he is surely the future for our test team as well.
Last but not th least Mr.Captain 'M.S.DHONI'.He is an ideal leader for the rampaging INDIAN side.Has the temperament to stay cool in most situations.Initially when he burst onto the scene he was a dasher but now like Sachin hplays the role of batting through the innings.He plays the second-fiddle and when required goes after the bowling.
As the little master said "This is the best batting line-up that i have played with".When someone of the calibre of the master says that,then mortals like us must understand we have a dream team.A team capable of beating anyone anywhere in the world.We are the
" SUPER POWER" of the world
It was supposed to be the biggest event for INDIA and for all cricket fans.It was IPL time.
Especially for me as me nd my friends are mad about cricket as most of INDIANS are.
But things have changed now.The recent terrorist attcks on the Sri-Lankan cricket team has made the picture blurr.It was a first of its kind attack on an cricket team.The Indian Sub continent is continuously hit by terrorist attcks,the MUMBAI attacks being the very recent.But whatever may be the case,it was always an feeling that cricketers are safe.No terrorist group would attck an cricket team in the sub-continent just because of its huge popularity.Cricketer's are GOD in our part of the world and attack on someone's GOD would bring in strong reaction.As Imran Khan had said no one would attack cricketers in Pakistan as they would loose the support of the local people.But now things have changed for the worse.
In such a scenairo a high profile event like The DLF Indian Premeire League would be a soft target as far as the terrorists are concerned.Just because the high scale nature of the IPL,security would be the top-most priority.Last year Jaipur blasts happened while the IPL was on,but that did not affect the teams and IPL went ahead.But now every one would be worried as anything can happen.
The elections for the 15th LOK SABHA are starting from 16th of April 6 days after the start of the DLF IPL.These are LOK SABHA elections,so India's top para-military forces will be engaged in looking after conducting the election's.Elections last till the 16th of March which means right through the IPL.
So recently our Home Minister P.Chidambaram said that he would ask the IPL organisers to postpone the tournament after the LS elections.That would mean starting the IPL after 16th March and going on for around one and a half month.But with the world T20 cup starting from 5th June in England,postponing the IPL would be impossible.
That will have the organisers of the famous league in a soup.Cancelling the event would mean incurring mind-boggling money so that would obviously be the last option for the organisers.Whatever be the decision I being a die-hard cricket fan hope that the IPL goes through well but the security of the players must be a top priority.
I was glued to the T.V. on monday morning the 23rd of February.It was OSCAR time.I don't watch them but this time it was special.We had a hope of winning an OSCAR. I was out of town nd the place I was staying there there was no STAR MOVIES.So had to watch the Academy Awards on the news channel.As time went expectations went up.Slumdog Millionaire had won the 1st award nd the news channels went crazy.'Slumdog ko pehla award'.
Then an Indian 'Resul Pookutty' won the award for sound mixing.That was special.And then came his speech he dedicated the award to all the Indians and that felt nice.Then soon came the moment we all were waiting for it was 'A.R.REHMAN'.He won 2 awards nd in his speech said 'Mere paas maa hey'.The man deserved it.He is blessed.He is the best.
But my post is not about these 2 winning the OSCAR.What made me stood up that after the Awards were over, all over the news channels there was breaking news 'INDIA had won 8 OSCARS'.INDIA?????
Then a thought crossed my mind 'Ah not again'.How can we say INDIA won 8 oscars.People celebratig Rehman nd Resul winning Oscars is understandable.After all they are Indians.But taking the credit for Slumdog winning 8 oscars as if we won it is completely ridiculous.The movie was made by an foreigner,made in the slums of Mumbai (cause you would'nt get such slums anywhere else),included Indian crew cause it would have been stupid to bring people from the west for roles meant for slums,and more importantly it was meant for the Western audience.So wherein does the Indianness come in between.
I don't know why whenever a person wins something and even if is remotestly connected to INDIA we celebrate that an INDIA has won an award.Take the case of Sunita Williams.She had made an achievement by going to the space but when she did that ,ohhh our newswallas went mad.She was an Indian.Excuse me,Indian??
She had never been to India, it was if I remember some of her relatives were living in INDIA.How many of us knew that an 'so called Indian' women was in NASA.Answer none.
Another example was 'LAXMI MITTAL'.He became the europe's richest person and here we are with headlines an INDIAN has become the richest person in EUROPE.What has he done for INDIA?Nothing.Infact it is more important for him to buy an Football club then do something for INDIA then how come we claim him to be an INDIAN.
We love HERO-WORSHIPPING.But we must differentiate what belongs to INDIA and what doesn't.I myself hero-worship but there must be a line drawn on what belongs to us and what doesn't.Please guys
'WAKE UP!!!!!!!'
This is an post related to an incident that happened with me.This incident urged me to start my BLOG.
This thing happened on 23rd February,2009. I was returning from Nathdwara a place in Rajasthan some 60 kms away from UDAIPUR.I boarded my bus at 14.00 hrs.Bus was of X[Name withheld] company which is an well-known company.It was an sleeper VOLVO.As soon as I boarded my bus I went to sleep.We were scheduled to reach UDAIPUR in some 60 mins where we were supposed to pick up passengers.I woke up after about 2hrs sleep at 16.00hrs.When I woke up I saw the bus was parked in an area which was like an jungle.First I din realise what was going on.Then i stepped down from the bus and asked my father what was happening.
He informed me that the bus was seized by the R.T.O. Everyone was thinking that it would have been some tax issue.But whatever be the issue,how can someone seize an passenger-bus with 22 people on it which included 15 ladies.As I wrote before the place wore an look of an jungle and there we were with no knowledge what was happening.
It was as if we were kidnapped by some terrorists but with only 1 difference that we could drink TEA.There was an chaiwaala who was well into his 80's.He would have never expepcted to have us as his customer.It was an Diwali for him.
As we all sat and were drinking 'masala-waali chai' it was fast getting dark.It was already 3 hrs since we had arrived at that place.Then my dad called X's h/o in MUMBAI asking him to tell us what was happening.They said it was some tax papers that were missing and it would be resolved within 15-20 mins.
Another hour passed and still nothing happened.It was 7 in the evening and it was completely dark.Then suddenly an bike came.There was some person who we could'nt identified.He said I have come from the X office and then told us the real reason why we were held up.
Let me clarify the reason that I'm going to state was as told to us by the X company.
When I heard the reason I was shocked ,petrified.He said 2 days ago they had received a call from R.T.O office that an guest of an local M.L.A was going to travel from Mumbai to Udaipur.So he wanted an discount on the ticket.So the company gave him some discount.Now after 2 days when the bus was seized what the reason given was why din't the compan give a free ticket to that so-called V.I.P. So the M.L.A got angry and told the R.T.O. officials to seize the bus.
Then maybe some settlement happened and we re-started our journey after spending 5 hrs in the jungle like area.At that point thepassengers were really angry and blasted the company-head that was present there.Company-head told us to come to the local collector and lodge an complaint with him.But we were already 5-hrs late which menat we would be reaching at around 10 in the morning at Mumbai.So passengers said we had no time to lodge an complaint and sat in the bus.
This was the 1st time I faced such an situation.If the reason given by the company was true,then well GOD help INDIA.Some M.L.A. had the audacity and more importantly the courage to seize an passenger laden bus.As they say 'MERA BHARAT MAHAN'.
This is my 1st ever post.So thought of introducing myself.I'm an Engineering student from the great city of MUMBAI.Currently in my 3rd year.As I'm an engineering student I have loads of free time so thought of starting my BLOG.
I'm a usual college going student.Like bunking(but within limits),love to hang around with friends and yeah playing cricket.
I just love watching and playing CRICKET.Sachin Tendulker is 'GOD' to me as he is to millions of INDIANS and people all over the world.Love watching the INDIAN team.Another of my interests include FOOTBALL.I follow LIVERPOOL FC.Let me add a DIE HARD LIVERPOOL fan.Love F.Torres(El Nino) & S.Gerrard.Also I watch Tennis.I watch only R.Federrer play.Just love his grace.
I'm very close to my family especially my lil' sis.She is the most dearest person to me in this world.
Writing a BLOG was my wish since long but just not materialised.But then an incident happened with me.I had to exprees my anger about the situation so finally I decided to start my BLOG.
That's all I have to share about myself with you all.Hoping that my posts would be read by one and all.
