All out for 46!
It must have required a Herculean effort, of another kind, to achieve this magical score. It was the lowest ever on our own soil, the second lowest we ever managed. Of course, the statistics keepers belt out other such dismal performances, every time we manage such heroic efforts. As if it were to comfort us, that even before, such things have happened. It is not as if this was for the first time; we have done them before, too.
Erratic displays have become more common, I get this sense. One great day, when the real records to be proud of, start rolling out. Is there a sense that as different formats play out, each with their own demands on the players, each with their own sets of rules, scattered in between – five days, ODIs and T20s playing out with different countries. Intermingling, almost seamlessly.Between formats, captains, teams and countries. We seem to have become the playground of the global cricketing world!
So, as expectedly, perhaps, splendid displays are getting suddenly marred by a dismal performance. A five-day test can be concluded in just two days! Much to the joy of one team, horror and shame for the other. It’s aggressive kind of cricket, of one kind, where one can win, and also lose. And we do! Is this the new brand of ball bazz that we were talking of, only a few years ago!
Given different formats, we have different sets of players for each, often leaving many of us confounded. Which format game, who are the players, and who is the captain? There are multiple players specialising in multiple formats, a few better at one or the other. Often, we have a team eleven that features multiple captains from various formats or from the different IPL teams. You could have half the team as captains! Do they listen to each other, what chemistry is there between them? In this intensely competitive world, with multiple formats, captains, and relationships, are these creating the right kind of camaraderie for a ‘national’ team?
The other moot question is are we playing too many games, one series moving onto another. One series has one set of five days matches, ODIs and T20s; another has its own mix. One supposes this is dependent upon availability of other country calendars, our own mix of matches, and our deep engagement to hold as many as we can.
Is this all a given, considering the array of sponsorships available, is there a lack of opportunities among available matches, and therefore the need to play more, provide more opportunities for sponsorship. Like they say, the more the merrier.There are no losers, only winners! One question does arise, is ‘cricket’ any loser? You could ask how does it matter, who wins or loses? Playing the game is what matters. And that, too, could well be the correct answer.
India Canada Row: Is it Heading Beyond Belief and Relief?
It looks surrealistic sometimes. That the civilised world is only worried about themselves, their own perceptions, their fears and security. The same yardstick cannot be applied to aspiring nations. In full public glare, in utter disregard to human sentiment, a war is being raged endlessly, with enemies being singled out, and killed in open public, one after the other. These are their enemies of state as Israel tirelessly fires on all its cylinders. Drones and missiles locate the target and finish him off. Remember the fate of another arch enemy, Saddam Hussein, who was dragged amidst public scrutiny, and finished off, while the world watched. Nobody is taking sides, but there are two sides of the same story. The other side was never heard.
Nijjar’s lawyer, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist the same year, has been making repeated and veiled threats at Air India and warning Sikhs to avoid flying the airline, and promised to give another name to New Delhi airport after Indira Gandhi’s killers. He has warned Hindus to leave Canada and declared that his group, Sikhs for Justice, was going to “Balkanize” India. Senseless rhetoric, with zero substance on the ground back in Punjab, and yet being given substance in the name of freedom of expression.
There are widespread reports of him giving support to supporters of a non-existent K state, only existing in their failed imagination. But what is Justin Trudeau doing about it. Despite reminders, time and again, all the Indian pleas continue to fall on deaf ears. Remember, during his disastrous visit to India his office had the temerity to invite a convicted terrorist to an official reception.
No country should be allowed to evade accountability, and India is no exception. But as Canada pursues justice, Canadians as people must ask themselves if this is what they want their nation to look like to the outside world. As a safe haven for convicted and aspiring terrorists, all of one community, a small portion of them, all aimed at one target, Punjab in India? And Canada has continued to accuse India of bringing terror, the moot question remains if the Canadian government will become a facilitator of international terrorism? No surprise then, some 29 MPs of the ruling party have asked the PM to quit!
So, the area of concern for the US and Canada remains Nijjar and Pannun. These are two known terrorists, who are mouthing venom openly against a friendly country, India. Both governments show no remorse; both governments are only claiming concern with the safety of their own nationals, which are these same people breathing terror. The rules of engagement are blatantly showing up as one-sided; what applies to the global South does not apply to them, and what applies to them does not apply to the global community. The elite club will hold sway. Has the South begun to question this status quo?
The India Canada tussle, meanwhile, is witnessing some relief with both governments saying these strains should not get reflected in people to people contact. This is of utmost importance, as Canada and India enjoy decades of the best of relationships; our growing diaspora is proof of the pudding. No single person, whoever he be, should be allowed to spoil this goodwill of our two people.
As Barkha Datt wrote in The Hindustan Times, “most egregious of all is the narrative in the West that uses Sikhs and pro-Khalistani groups as interchangeable nomenclatures. Not that any Indian has to prove their patriotism, but survey after survey shows that is otherwise a dead and buried issue Khalistan is in Punjab.
“These are tricky and challenging issues for India to navigate in the stand-off with Canada and the US. But no Indian irrespective of political leanings, is willing to be lectured by nations that celebrate the elimination of their adversaries – or those of their allies (see the responses to Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, for instance) – and cast other nations like sinners in a morality play.”
Here, the casting has been worse, in fact. More than a lack of morals, India is being portrayed as a devil while the forces of devastating fire power have been unleashed in other parts of the world, to which they have turned a blind eye. This too when India has repeatedly denied in any role in these killings.
Is India China Heading for a Truce, After All.
A much longed for announcement, came all of a sudden, when avid watchers were hoping for an announcement of a bilaterial meeting between the PMs of the two countries. Typically, our media has gone into an overdrive, calling it the big truce, much awaited breakthrough, their tickers suggesting it is peace already. The truth is that indeed, it is a most welcome step. It is an announcement that can, hopefully, lead towards a breakthrough. In a time and day when non-practitioners become experts and ‘China experts’ thrive with saying the ‘last’ word, we need to be cautious and exercise restraint and patience. It is always important to weigh in, government officials are not always obliged to tell everything, they most often cannot. They are sufficiently grounded, know from experience the difficult lines of an overall engagement. China is also a difficult relationship, not just bilateral, our ties figure within a larger global eco-system.
Any talk is positive. It is a most welcome step. As we understand the fine print, as and when it trickles down, we will know more. Why has China conceded its high ground? With all its might, when it is all that powerful, what has changed in their perception and interests? So, the best course is to wish this new chapter a success, that works well for both countries.
Complexities are plenty. There is an industry lobby that is pleading for easing of Chinese workers. China has marched into becoming India’s top most business partner, with our imports outsmarting the exports by far. We need to derisk our economy; often, China has not proved to be a reliable supply chain partner. In any case, the need for self-reliance was never more.
Is this a climbdown, if yes, why did China agree? Ambassador K C Singh writes in The Asian Age, and I quote: “There could be multiple reasons. Firstly, the Chinese economy faces challenges which cannot be remedied without serious structural reform. It needs to modify its economic model depending on growth from housing investment, exports and big infrastructure. According to the Wall Street Journal, currently 90 million housing units stand unsold. Chinese households have invested 80 per cent of their savings in that sector. Meanwhile, industrial profits are down by 17.8 per cent. Youth unemployment is up consequently. China can hardly afford to see its Indian market constricted when higher tariffs by Western nations, and the fear of a second Donald Trump term, are looming. Thus, China may have chosen detente with India for now.
Secondly, Russia would have also argued that to negate US designs India needs to be with them, even if one Indian leg is in the American camp. In fact, India and China have concurring views on many issues like climate change amelioration and reform of international institutions covering global finance and trade. However, when dealing with China, clarity is required to distinguish their tactical outreach from their strategic desire to dominate Asia and rival the United States globally.”
Meanwhile, imports continue to rise from China, which has climbed to becoming India’s number one trading partner, with an ever-increasing yawning gap in their favour. While it is critically important to derisk, withdraw as much as possible, none of this is an easy task. It would take time. The consistent efforts to Make in India will bear fruit, but not overnight.
Hoax Calls, a Worrisome 300 plus and Still Counting!
As we write this column, there is no stopping. What nobody is talking about is the trauma that every passenger undergoes when an aircraft in the sky is alerted on account of a call, that there is a bomb on board. That it turns out to be hoax, is a matter of relief. But some heavy damage has been done already. If I was on one such flight, carrying my rosary becomes all that an essential item to carry. Not to mention the trauma that falls upon the family!
Every such call is given its due respect; every aspect of an exhaustive drill is carried it. It costs money, inconvenience and ‘fear’ in the top bracket category. Fortunately, all these calls have turned out to be a hoax. It has however sent our aviation eco-system into a spiral. There is cost of re-adjustment, of flight and schedules, passengers being settled in unknown places, such flights being escorted by air force aircrafts of third countries. It is not any ‘joke’, we can all say a million times each.
This has assumed a serious matter going well beyond airline and passenger security. Are these calls inspiring other pranksters, newer ones, with every passing day? Is this only the work of pranksters at play? Is there something more to it than meets the eye. It is not for uninformed public to comment, except to express concern. And to believe and understand that those in authority must be actively seeking answers and solutions to this nagging display.
That we do not have a law that covers such situations is a sad reminder of the perils of democracy. Wreaking mayhem like of this order, and saying we will put such a prankster on a no-flyer category for five years? It is almost saying we will give you candy! Such calls, such pranks, deserve jail for five years, with no appeal. Serve this on two such pranksters and you will not have one more. It is areas like these, we appear as a soft state before the horror of terror. Arguably, any such situation, never happened before, should witness a quick joining of the three pillars of our democracy, acting in concert, making sure a new law can be put into effect within a matter of days.
Is there a bigger ploy at play? Is there a sinister design to test our patience, our state of readiness, to probe into our vulnerabilities. Rest assured, our concerned agencies will not be caught napping.
Meanwhile, none other than the PM himself has alerted citizens to be careful against cyber threats. These too are increasing on a daily basis. Here again, it is the centre and states, both, to be conscious of the need to allocate more resources for the police, especially on the cyber security aspect. This needs experts, who are well paid and respected. The spate of hoax calls, now spreading to hotels as well, need to be given a befitting response, the sooner the better.