Delhi Rape - Time For Stricter Measures

People say you are either born a leader or you are not. I was not and in the country I live in I am thankful I was not. At least I don’t feel like spitting on the mirror when I see my face in it. Well my frustration does not stem from the fact that there is so much hue and cry about Damini’s incident, it comes from a longer evil which our society has not been cleansed from. Sure we celebrate Independence with all pomp and joy but has much changed for the common man after Independence? I mean what is the use of my freedom of speech if I can be put behind bars for posting something on Facebook. The money from our country does not go to the British Banks anymore that has changed. But what about the fact that the money goes to Swiss Banks!! I mean Swiss Bank is not really Indian, is it?

Sadly, when it comes to female equality we have leaders championing the cause but what about the most basic of needs – female protection. Rape girls because their clothes provoke you but rape them as equals!! Is that what we are trying to achieve? But of course no one wants to champion the case for a harsher punishment for rape because that will not get them votes while on the other hand female equality will. Sad, that the people leading our country has not got their basics right!!

Finally, I will applaud the effort taken by my fellow Indians to bring about a change. But non violence is not the need of the hour, non co operation is hit. If you want to be heard then hit them where it matters. Rather than going on candle light marches, stop spending. Do not go to pubs on 31^st, organize a movement for closing down everything. Let us not go to our offices and schools till the leaders wake up from their slumber and at least protect our women.

Do not get me wrong, I love my country and that is why the current state of the country hurts. I am just a common man who is sipping coffee while writing the blog. I am scared of posting it even but more than scared I am angry. After all, someone has been killed for no apparent reason and we as a nation have collectively failed to learn anything from it. Rape cases are still happening just that not everyone is getting the same attention as this is. Slaughter one rapist in a public place and the second pervert will not be born!!

Titanomachy 2011 – Devil’s Take

I will skip the bidding process and the painful details about how we went on scouting for the best talents in the junior batch to finally land the team we did and jump straight to the event description.

Even before the start of the event, Agneya were out and out favorites because of the sheer quality of co owners and managers they had. No one gave any of the rest three much of a chance and we were quietly content that we could just go out and enjoy without thinking too much about justifying the hype. We had a decent team and were quietly confident about our chances but taking on the might of Agneya seemed extremely daunting.

Our first match was in cricket against Lazzardous, a team which was probably built only with the view to win only cricket. Nevertheless, they had an extremely competitive cricket team and we started the match and tournament as major underdogs. Our case was not helped by Sagar Kashyap who decided to show off his batting antiques as Lazzardous raced off to 90 in 8 overs. Faced with such a steep total we were never in the game except for when Rohit hit three consecutive sixes in the 6^th over to bring the required run rate to below 12 runs for the first time since the first over of our innings. However, the fight was short lived and we lost the match convincingly by 19 runs.

Probably, it was a bad way to start a tournament but that will be a shallow judgment. It brought our entire team together as a cohesive unit. A unit which wanted to win Titanomachy for each other. We were down but our heads did not drop.

In the other games of the day we demolished our opponents in TT, Football and Badminton to romp into the finals without dropping a single fixture. Come next morning we will face our strongest test in the form of cricket where we will have to bounce back from a crushing defeat to win two games on a row to qualify for the finals. Backed by Udhav’s destructive opening spell we made some serious early inroads into the Agneya batting and they were skittled out for a lowly 42. We chased the target with minimal fuss off just 4 overs. In our last league match we faced Blazing Sunburns knowing fully well that defeat would mean elimination. On a pitch in which the ball simply refused to come to the bat, a fiery and inspired spell of fast bowling by Manish bhai and Vinit Singh did not let us get off to a good start. We were merely scoring at 6 an over by the time the opening bowlers were done with their respective spells. Late onslaughts from Vineet Bakshi helped us to post a competitive 70 but our bowlers came to our rescue again as we bowled Blazing Sunburns for as cheap as 45.

So, at the end of the group stages from huge underdogs we had emerged as the only team which had qualified for all four finals. We started to realize what being a Devil meant, we learnt how to fight bodily limitations to win but there was no time to revel in our unity as due to scheduling problems we had to play all four finals on that very day.

After the group stages, our toughest competition was from Agneya who had qualified for three of the four finals. So, the equation was simple for us, we needed to win two out of the four finals. The first final was Cricket and already bruised and battered by the tough schedule we were farther plagued by an incisive spell of fast bowling by Sukesh and then Sagar completed the proceedings with a quick fire 40ish score. More worrying was the fact that Rohit had gotten injured while bowling and given our dependence on him in Badminton and Football, it could spell doom for us. In spite of cramps Rohit got onto the ground during the Football match but on that day Agneya’s fire power was too much to handle for us. With Shijil and Nakul standing strong in central defense and Nadeem connecting excellently with the strikers Karan and Jayanth, there was little we could do to stop the marauding Agneyas. Rohit suffered another injury during the football match and had to be carried off the ground.

Next up was TT and from being the only team to have qualified for four finals, we were one final away from losing our stranglehold on the cup. But we beat Blazing Sunburns quite easily in the singles finals to wrap up the proceedings in TT which meant it all boiled down to Badminton. It was a scene to behold as everyone from both the teams arrived at the scene of the clash and the players were greeted to a rapturous applause from both sides. This was when the Let’s Go Devils Let’s Go chant was born, which would later grow to epic proportions during the matches and managed to shake the entire locality.

In the first match Tarun teamed up with Apurva to face Archie and Viksit. It was an extremely close fought match which could only be decided after two match points apiece. A telling moment was when at match point Tarun and Apurva smashed the cork together and though we won the point, it was awarded to them for double bat. In the second match Nadeem faced off with the till then unbeaten Tarun and what a classic they produced!! The game started with Nadeem dominating the proceedings and threatening to wrap it off real soon but Tarun managed to pull off an incredible fight back to level it 1 - 1 with all to play for. The Let’s Go Devils Let’s Go chant grew even louder with every point and was almost deafening by now.

The next match was the girls single and Archie managed to stroll through the match without much ado to make it 2 - 1 for Agneya. Rohit, who hardly showed little signs of movement till then, stepped up to play the fourth match. But there was little he could do to stop an explosive display of smashes from Vikshit. His limited movement did little to help the fact that he was facing one of the best players on show in the tournament. Agneya clinched the match 3 - 1 and along with it the tournament.

For a moment all felt lost but reflecting on the “what could have been” is never a good idea!! All was not lost and Devils would come back to fight another day with renewed vigor. Devils, was a family like never seen before in IIFT, all motivated by the same burning fire to come back and fight another day. We did not win the cup but we managed to win hearts for our never say die attitude, the way we came back from being major underdogs to challenge the might of the Agneya. Sadly enough, Agneya is not participating this time. The Agneya - Devil rivalry could have been the stuff of legends but it is never a good idea to delve in “what could have been.”

Finally, this is just an earnest request to bring back Agneya. Remember the name Nadeem Khan, Shijil Neyan. Remember how Nakul stood all alone in the path of everything that was thrown his way to stop us from clinching the title in football. Remember the rivalry of Tarun and Viksit in Badminton and do bring back Agneya. Titanomachy will not be the same if not braced by Devils and Agneya.

P.S. – Udhav will miss you in Devils bro.

Manish Bhai – Thanks for the support even when you were not participating.

Rohit, Tarun and Sourav – Once more!! Let’s go Devils Let’s go!!!

Once Upon a Time in Kolkata

Kolkata was one of the safest places for women. For someone who has problems in differentiating between tenses just study the difference between what Kolkata was for women and what it is. Even before the wounds of the Park Street incident healed completely another dysfunctional pervert took it upon him to tarnish the reputation of the city. While you might chose to ignore it as a one off incident let’s look at the deeper problem. Such incidents at close proximities really leave u dumb stuck and wondering exactly what went wrong. Dysfunctional personality, lackadaisical police force or ignorance of people towards such issues or is the problem even more deep rooted to the system than this?

Horny men were always a part of the system but it is a sad day when the people in charge fail to control them. If what happened in Park Street was shameful what happened yesterday to a household woman was vile disgusting and loathsome. A women getting picked up from Exide and then taken to a city tour before being finally raped is something that makes your guts wrench out in utter disgust. And what do we choose to do – We let it be just one piece of news in the papers and hope to GOD that it does not happen to any of our near ones.

But what about the woman who died thousands of death at the hands of that mentally challenged retard who calls himself Mumtaz? What is the government doing to even remotely help her in overcoming this unparallel trauma? Wait, this is just in. Nothing, the government is doing nothing to help her. And what about the psycho rapist? Well, he will go to jail for seven years, eat, drink with the government’s money and come back and repeat the same feat again.

I know nothing’s gonna change by what I write and even I will go into the deep slumber the entire system is enjoying for so long. But things need to change. Now, more than ever things need to change. Create an example out of one such man, castrate him publicly and all of a sudden the entire landscape of such vile bastards will change. Instill so much fear into their heart that they are too scared to open their zip.  

IPL Review – Dhoni’s Midas Touch Likely to Continue?

How often do you need three results to go your way against the run of play and that is exactly what happens? Well call him lucky or whatever it has happened for Dhoni again. After Chargers crushed Rajasthan’s hopes and Delhi put an end to Punjab’s run it was left to Bangalore to stop Chennai from going into another finals.

 Till the break everything seemed to be going well and only Duminy’s innings was an aberration to Bangalore’s largely dominating bowling performance. Chennai players had almost booked an early flight home when the Gayle storm started early this time round with Gony’s first over going for 25. What happened next can be best termed as an act of GOD as calamity like never seen before hit the RCB players. Steyn bowled scintillatingly well and set up Gayle to bring the game back into balance. A few balls later Dilshan also followed suit and it was left to AB and Kohli to salvage the ruins. A mistimed shot from AB and Aggarwal’s dismissal brought on crease the injured Tiwary who had already gone back to the pavilion retired earlier in the match. Just when RCB were looking to finish off the match with only 24 off 30 remaining and Tiwary and Kohli going strong Kohli skied one and was caught in mid on. From a player who is generally known to finish games it was unexpected and disappointing and from being down and out Chennai was certainly into the playoffs again.

Some might argue that Dhoni has lost his midas touch as well as his ability to finish off games after the recent drubbings in Australia and England. In fact both in Australia and Asia cup while the entire nation waited with baited breath for the desired result both results went against India against the run off play. Dhoni’s indifferent form made the whispers turn into a large clutter from a cricket crazy nation. IPL gave no respite to Dhoni as comparisons were made between Dhoni and Ganguly, two of the most successful captains of India. Dhoni continued with his indifferent form and talks were even there about what Dhoni had done to deserve a place in the team.

While he has not done anything on an individual level to answer his detractors but his two fours and one six against the Kolkata Knight Riders at a crucial juncture surely returned a semblance of sanity among his critics. And while the loss to Punjab was supposed to spell doom for Chennai somehow it did not and they held on to that ray of hope to qualify. Surely, Dhoni’s midas touch is coming back.

Is Dhoni back in form? Probably, not till now but surely it is around the corner. Is Dhoni’s midas touch back? Yes yes and I hope he will prove me right today. As an Indian cricket fan I hope to dear GOD he proves me right. Dhoni has a knack of firing when the chips are down - Remember the World Cup Finals.

Dada vs KKR

Even before the IPL started Facebook and Twitter started buzzing with talks of Dada coming to Edens and conquering the city of joy. As Pune got off to a flier the whispers became a roar and pictures of Ganguly chasing SRK with a sword were too visible for anyone to miss.

One month into the IPL things have changed. Kolkata have played some great cricket to be safely perched at number two with four wins from the last four games and Pune have lost their way and is languishing at second last just ahead of a hapless Deccan Chargers. Gambhir looks in blazing form and Kallis has done his bit to ensure stability in the middle order. In Debabrata Das KKR have found a finisher they really lacked. KKR’s bowling has probably been the deadliest amongst all competing teams and Narine’s tremendous wicket taking spree has contributed significantly to KKR’s rejuvenated look. With Mc Cullum and Pathan still to fire KKR has all the potential of destroying any side in this IPL.

On the other hand Pune has been let down by an inconsistent opening pair, minimal batting depth and lack of impact players down the order. Smith has looked the only player in the squad capable of winning matches. Even Clarke’s arrival has failed to create the impact it was expected to have and Pune have continued nose diving farther into a bottomless pit. What bodes even worse for Pune is Ganguly’s inability to remember the format of the game while in the middle. In the last two matches Ganguly’s slow strike rate nullified heroic efforts by Steve Smith and Mithun Manhas. He looks like a complete misfit in this IPL and honestly should consider dropping himself for a few games at least. If not anything else, it will send a very clear message to the team to perform or perish. However, Eden Gardens might just be the place for Dada to make his comeback.

Looking at the two teams this contest is unlikely to justify its billing and KKR should steamroll over PWI like the heavy roller rolled over the Eden Gardens pitch. Gambhir should again be too hot to handle on an Eden pitch he has made his own over the last few matches. Law of averages will probably catch up with Mc Cullum who might just make a mockery of the game. A tight KKR bowling should be too much to handle for a clueless Pune batting. Finally, the best chances Dada has of going back as a hero is by dropping himself and sending an unequivocal perform or perish message to the entire team.

Caution Girls – Asshole Ahead

I was going through various Troll pictures on Facebook when I saw one which claims that guys who do not treasure their girl friends are assholes. Why? Because there is another guy always willing to give the girl that extra amount of attention or care the previous guy has made her crave. Seems like quite a life altering insight eh!! So what should guys do? They should wear their nanny pants and be ready to baby feed their girl friends, right?

Now, let me attempt to explain why it does not work that way. The reason is very simple. Most girls who will be reading my blog will know from experience that the second guy turns out to be the same asshole. Most men suffer from Intense Chauvinism Disorder referred to as ICD from here on and ICD is much easier to accept in the guy you just broke up with because you are used to it. Now, once the wooing period is over and the honeymooning is done with, the next guy also has the exact same flaw for which a girl breaks up for the first time. From the blue eyed girl you will be treated like a nagging pain in the ass. So if you are good looking or intelligent it is obvious that you will get a lot of attention but even if you are with an asshole think before you break up. The world is not too rosy out there!!

So what’s my advice? Do not break up? Oh God, no!! If you are out of love by all means break up as soon as possible but do not break up for a rosier tomorrow. If you do so then may GOD bless you because Satan (Next Guy) surely wont. 

They Say That a Hero Will Save Us I am Not Gonna Stand Here and Wait

Owing to my screwed up head and conscious attempt to do things a bit differently I have been called an attention seeker, arrogant, cocky, proud and what not. In this blog I will make a feeble attempt to explain what I do and why it should not be interpreted as any of the above. Gandhiji once very famously said that be the change you want to see in the world. Of course my interpretation of it was not the way he intended it but then I have managed to make it serve my purpose to a great extent. I just dare that one bit more to solve my problems, act a bit more crazy, take that risk which is generally not regarded sane by the society.

How many of you believe in miracles? Let’s not move ahead of us; miracles will probably be overdoing it but let’s say how many of you actually believe that luck will average out. From my personal experience I can tell you something - Luck never averages out. If you are having a run of bad luck you need to grab the situation by the throat and mould it. Similarly, if luck is going your way don’t get too cocky and don’t sit and relax, rather try pushing yourself to the limit to try and make most of it.

I was reading a book by Donald Trump where he speaks about how he had been affected by recession. He says in the book that his business had taken the beating after recession and he was once passing a beggar and realized that the beggar was richer than him by 9 billions. Woh!! 9 billions is some money right!! The easiest thing he could have done is laid down, waited for the recession to over, the government to pump in some money and then voila the business runs again!! But that’s not what he did. Rather than waiting for the Hero (Economic Condition Getting Better) to come rescue him, he stood up and made himself count. He worked out deals with bankers and other things which I could not really understand but at the end of the day he saved himself rather than waiting for the hero. What would have happened if he had waited for the Hero, no one knows but guessing from his current situation I don’t think his decision went too badly.

Anyway I have bored all of you enough with another mindnumbingly stupid blog but here’s one last pointer before I end. If you really think that bad luck is a passing phase and you can just wait it out, be my guest, but by my reckoning is if you do nothing about it, this phase will never pass.