Past is Past - let us look ahead!

Any journey down the memory lane is enjoying. I played only street cricket still, when we won the Prudential Cup in 1983, I felt as if I were a part of the Indian team! Till 1979, no team had won the West Indies in the Prudential Cup. When Sri Lanka scored a point against West Indies, courtesy rain spoilt match, Sri Lankan captain Tenekon joked that Sri Lanka was the first team to score a point against West Indies.

June 9, 1983, the World Cup-3 started and produced two great upsets of the cup. Zimbabwe aided by Duncan Fletcher beat Australia. The second upset involved India who had won only one match till then beating East Africa in 1975. The game between India and Windies started late due to rains. Yashpal scored 80+ runs and it was Sandhu’s swing sent Greenidge back home. Earlier, Sandhu dismissed Greenidge in a similar fashion at Trinidad. Then it was Madan and Binny who wrapped the rest of the team on 10th of June (as the play continued for the next day) not before Roberts and Garner gave us jitters with a 71 run stand.

The other league games did not worth mentioning, however, the glaring feature being Sunil Gavaskar turning out to be the Lucky- face of India. India lost both the games in which Sunil Gavaskar was rested. Vengsarkar was hit on the chin by Marshall and he was rested for the rest of the world cup.

On June 18, India faced Zimbabwe, who were all set to stage another upset. India was 4 wickets down for mere 9 runs and sooner it was 17 for five. Kapil dev ably supported by Kirmani, Madan and Binny scored a magnificent 175 of 138 balls with 19 fours and 6 sixes. No doubt, it was the mother of all “victory-steered-by-single-man”. Any defeat in Turnbridge Wells would have ruled out India from the race. Still, it was not over. We have to beat Australia to book a berth to semi-Finals. Srikkanth, Yashpal, Patil and Extras helped us to score a win over Australia.

With five wins from six league matches, England was over-confident to discuss their strategy for finals & not to bother about semi-finals. Though they started off well, the brilliant fielding of India put pressure on them. The direct throw by Yashpal to run out Lamb was the pick of the lot. Kirti Azad who had bowled only 2 overs till then was tried against Botham and he responded well by taking his wicket. This match produced highest opening partnership in the World cup-3 for India. Srikkanth & Gavaskar carved out a nice innings followed by Mohinder & Yashpal. However, it was Sandip Patil with his 32 ball knock of 51 made things pretty easier. England took time to come out of the shock and Gower responded saying, “Indians learnt that fielding can win matches and it was Kapildev’s captaincy brought them their deserving victory!”

The following weekend was so special not because it was the last day of my summer vacation but I got a chance to track the Prudential Cup Final. We did not have a television set at home and was hooked onto commentary. I lived in a place then named Tiruvallikkeni (Triplicane of Chennai) where everyone would discuss on any subject for hours together and if it meant cricket, then would discuss for days! So, we did a community-listening of the commentary.




Obviously, the organizers were not enthusiastic as none thought India would play Windies in the final. The turnout was poor as it seemed to be a one-sided match! Old war horse Clive won the toss & chose to field hoping to cash on the early dews. As expected Marshall got rid of Sunil Gavaskar in the 3rd over however, Srikkanth provided some drama as he hooked Roberts for a four. He was met with a faster bouncer now but Cheeka pulled this one now for a six! The third one was a superb cover drive from Cheeka that was belted to four again! In the earlier over he sliced Garner over the slips for a four! In all, Cheeka scored 7 boundaries and a six in his 38. From 100/4, we kept on losing wickets. Thanks to runs from Madan, Kirmani and Sandhu, and of course extras we posted a respectable total of 183.

The result was written on the wall. The entire cricket fraternity knew it’s a cake-walk for Windies! Kapil set a fielding as if it were a Test Match. Then, Sandhu produced the gem of an in-swinger (banana-skin swinger) that deceived Greenidge (for the 3rd time) and hit the stumps. Richards, the master-blaster walked in & started belting all around. In such an over-confident pull that skied high, Kapil ran behind to hold-on the one-of-the-best catches in ODI history! Richards (33 from 28) was out and the score read 50 for 2. Panic prevailed now in Windies camp. Not used to over-cautious approach, Windies started breaking down aided by tight bowling from Binny and Madan. Bacchus was hit on stumps by a direct throw from Srikkanth however; the umpire could not see it as the bowler came in-between. However, this did not cost us much as Bacchus was out next over! Then Dujon and Marshal started to build the innings for Windies.

Then Mohinder was brought into the attack. In a sense of urgency, Dujon played on and the reaction expressed by him told that Windies have already lost the match. After that it was all ritualistic and India wrapped the trophy in an unexpected manner. It was all fine till here!

The lesson we learn from the history is “we do not learn from the history!” When India won the World Cup, we had no stars but we had a team. The team composition was excellent. Contrasting openers one conventional and the other totally opposite, splendid support down the order from Mohinder, Vengsarkar, Yashpal, Patil. It had performing all-rounders in Kapildev, Kirti Azad, Madanlal, and Binny. Kirmani the keeper with useful bat. Seam bowlers who can swing was our weapon. We had disciplined bowlers in Sandhu, Madan, and Binny to exploit the English conditions.

The typical composition won India another trophy in 1985 at Australia against all teams! Alas! After that neither India got a team nor did it win! In today’s team, we have stars but no team. Cricket has become more of money-game than sports!

We, Indians are famous for basking in past glory. We did the same in hockey, we are doing it to Chess and now it is the turn of Cricket! These trophies should be an inspiration to us but we enjoy this as an entertaining episode! Gavaskar was made to sit out when he did not perform whereas we cannot do this to Dhoni or Sachin! Meritocracy had a place and not zonal quota system of selection.

If we are not ready to learn even now, we can do in what we have the mastery (by doing it again and again) – Basking in past glory!

Practising Democracy

Democracy is a form of Governance that is run by the whole population or ruled by the representatives of the population. Or you can say “A Government of the people, for the people by the people.” The main objective of a Government is to provide good governance. The objective of good governance is to provide the citizens freedom, prosperity, peace, protection of their rights, their participation in governance etc., Good governance has nothing to do with the form of governance.

One has to make it clear what attributes the success and failure of the form of Governance – the System or the people who run the system. Irrespective of the problems with the system, if one is determined to provide results, he will. If he decided to exploit the limitations of the system, then he will. When this exploitation happens in democracy, it is the not the ruler alone to be blamed but also its citizens!

I knew little about other countries so I discuss on Indian democracy only. Whether democracy is practiced in its sense is a rhetorical question that needs an answer. I have freedom of expression; or else, I would not be writing such whining blogs blaming Governments and get away easily with that. Peace is present though hijacked at times; however, my participation in governance needs a lot to be desired. I am interested but the politicians have conditioned the arena in such a manner that outsiders would never make an attempt to enter. Democracy has become dynastic-democracy. We are left with no options but to choose from the existing rotten lot.

At the outset, let us brainstorm some suggestions instead of discuss the system per se. Suggestions have erupted after experiencing problems in the system. Instead of elaborating on the problems, I would like to focus on the suggestions.

When we say representatives of the population, it has its inherent limitations. The first is obviously the numbers. Whoever has more number gets the opportunity to rule. This is the easiest solution one can always have. Shall we throw some light in this regard? In a country that is as vast as ours, X is popular in one corner and Y is popular in the other end. Fortunately, X belongs to an area that is twice as big as the area Y belongs to. Thus, X gets more numbers & will get the opportunity to rule. Is this the right way of electing our ruler?

• Shouldn’t the ruler get the approval to rule from all areas across the country?
• Or else, shouldn’t we lay down a rule specifying that the party that needs to rule must have a certain percentage of votes from all parts of the country?
  

The other problem is the number statistics. Ironically, every election does not record 100% voting. Hardly has it lingered around 40 to 50%. This means 50% of the people have already disapproved the contestants to rule. Out of the balance 50%, the ruler hardly gets 30% of the votes and is declared as winner. However, in reality, he is approved to rule only by 15% of the people. He is declared as the ruler. Is this the right democracy?

One might ask why you didn’t exercise your voting right. It is a bitter a truth that politics today has none other than notorious criminals. When one has to choose his representative, he has to ascertain who is the lesser-harmful criminal? If one is not satisfied with the contestants, why should he/she vote?

• If I can have the right of voting, shouldn’t I have the right of rejection also?
• Can there be an option of “none of the above” along with other contestants?

Another issue is Parties claim that our ruler will be chosen by the elected representatives. Can I vote for a faceless leader? There were occasions that we were ruled by Prime Ministers who did not face the election but made back-door entry through Rajya Sabha. None of the voters would have even imagined while voting that they will be ruled by a Prime Minister like Deve Gowda! Is not this an irony? Can you call this a democracy?

• When I vote, I should know who will be the Prime Minister I am voting for ?

The local representative I prefer and the Prime Minister I prefer are from different parties. Then how do I vote? In either way, I am going against my wish that is against democracy also.

My vote must have two options. One for local representative and the other for Prime Minister

Blame it on frustration or laziness or lack of interest, the turnout during election always remained poor. People take pride in boycott voting.

• Non-voters should be penalized or punished
• Voters should have the facility to vote from any corner of the country

Democracy is a Government of the people, by the people & for the people but the reality is Govt OFF the people; BUY the people & FRAUD the people. It has become a routine poor people are wooed by freebies, instant money and voting is manipulated. When people promise and did not keep it, they are punished but politicians promise do nothing still go scott-free. They say they are punished by voting out. But is this a punishment? Five years is too long a period for such crooks to damage the country! Is this right?

• Annual appraisal of the representative by elected personnel should be implemented. Failed candidates should be barred from contesting

It is not the system that fails us but those who run it. I am sure most of these suggestions are difficult to implement. However, discussions on these suggestions would pave a way for protecting the system from malpractices. Democracy fairly exists in its sense however; it needs improvement in its implementation. This will happen. I am confident.