Thursday 24 January 2008

The Great Indian Visit

The ongoing Australian tour of Indian cricket team would be remembered in the history of Indian sports forever. Exactly, not only for the India’s victory over the World Champion Australia and for controversy arose between the BCCI and Cricket Australia on the issue of alleged racial comment by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. But certainly there are some other memorable events and happening of Australia, which have been registered in the history of game. These would be remembered by all fans of sport everlastingly.

There is no doubt that the current tour of Team India would be remembered evermore by all that the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the removal of Steve Buckner from the Test series. Buckner, who holds a strong position in the elite panel of Umpires of ICC, was excluded from the Perth Test match. Certainly it happened due to strong confrontation by the Indian cricket management. It is considered that there was heavy pressure put up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which propelled the ICC to reach at this decision.

The Indian media and foreign media both said strong capital holding of BCCI was the main reason behind this decision. Certainly, India holds 70 percent of the total revenue generated from the game of Cricket all over the world. So, it’s quit natural that by giving a threat to withdraw the ongoing tour of Team India to the world’s smallest continent made a headache for the ICC.

This tour would be remembered for another reason. The Indian management withdrew a case against the Australian player Hogg. It was earlier filed by the management in a strong reaction of a petition filed by the Cricket Australia for a racial comment by Harbhajan Singh to Andrew Symonds. India’s stand to withdraw the case has been highly appreciated by the international community. It sent a message that how bigger India’s heart is. Really it was a major decision for India and consequently it showed its greatness. This initiative also showed that India has a sport spirit.

Of course, India made a history by winning the Perth Test. This victory is being considered as a landmark in the Indian cricket history. “It is one of the best victory of my life”, said Indian skipper Anil Kumble after Indian victory.

Perth’s pitch is regarded as the fastest pitch of the world. Additionally, this ground is also considered as the safest fort for Australian team. But India proved that it can challenge the three times World Champion at its own ground.

By this victory India just stopped Australia to make a history of 17th consecutive win once again. Earlier, it was the pitch of Eden Garden Stadium of Kolkata in the year of 2002, when India ruined the Australian dream to become the first Team in the World to make a history of seventeen consecutive win.

Another sweet memory of the ongoing tour is the achievement of Kumble. The Great Indian Spinner became the first Indian to take six hundred wickets in the Test cricket.

An extra point of sweet memory with this tour is related with master blaster Sachin Tendulakar. After such a long time Sachin made a century at the ground of Australia. Actually, he was suffering from a series of nervous ninety for a long time. But Australia became lucky for Sachin and he played a fine game.

For the first time, Australian team is facing so much criticism from domestic media. Many experts have clearly commented that Australia has no more supremacy over the game.

At last it may be said that it does not matter that whether India wins the series in Australia or not. What matters is that there are so many memories associated with this tour, which will remain with us without end.

First Published at
MSN India
January 23, 2008

MSN India - Contribute

Wednesday 23 January 2008

Opinion in TIMES ONLINE

TIMES ONLINE

From The Times

January 19, 2008

Australia fall short of historic victory
Times Online and Agencies

Have your say

Is it only the Team India, who can challange the World Champion? The Perth Test victory proves yes. Now the English Team should take a lesson and more importantly should learn from India how to beat Australian Team.

Siddharth Kumar, Bhopal, India

We Are Pluralists !

The recent controversy over the issue of stay of famous laureate Salman Rushdie at the residence of Godrej family in Mumbai can not be termed as a characteristic of a plural society like India. The world class writer is now facing a new controversy. Although controversy and Rushdie have a good relations always but this time it is not due to his writing or girlfriend but for staying at the house of his friend in Mumbai.

The All India Ulema Council has warned the Mumbai based top industrialist Adi Godrej to apologize for hosting the controversial writer. Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi, general secretary of Council has made a statement openly that Muslim community should boycott all the products of Godrej Company if Godrej fails to apologize on the issue. According to Daryabadi, the businessman has not cared about the sentiments of the Muslim community living in the country.

It is known to all that in the year of 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the then supreme religious leader of Iran pronounced a fatwa (religious edict) against Rushdie, which called on Muslims to kill him for his novel “The Satanic Verses”.

It was the blessings of Queen Elizabeth and her government that the writer got a safe place to live in the United Kingdom. Again Rushdie became controversial, when he was awarded for a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth. This again angered the Iran and Pakistan.

Apart from Rushdie there is another controversial Muslim writer, who was also in the mainline media recently. This is none other that famous Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen. The presence of exiled writer in India has sparked riots by Muslims offended by her books and controversial statements. She has been forced to live in a secret security facility in New Delhi. Earlier, she was living in Kolkata. It is a fact that wherever she goes for her speeches or readings of her poems or novel, Muslims have protested. Be it Bhopal or Hyderabad.

The basic issue is how much we are tolerable? These happenings ask that is it the real characteristic of a plural Indian society?

We have a culture of “Atithi Devo Bhava” for a long time. The Indian society has always given due respect to its all guests. Why not in current time? Why people are going to issue such a warning against our own people.

More importantly, Rushdie was born in Mumbai and he has spent his earlier days in the city. Likewise, many Bangladeshi migrants are living in India with full citizenship status then why people think in some other ways for these intellectuals.

One point, which is worth to mention here is the issue of Muslims of different countries. The question is whether the Muslims of Britain different from the Muslims living in India, Pakistan or Iran are different. After all they all are Muslims and follow the similar teachings of Prophet Muhammad and also the same Allah and Quoran.

And if the Muslim community along with others in the United Kingdom can live together with such a controversial writer then why not the Muslims of India, Pakistan, Iran or any other nation. After all, we have a long culture of pluralistic society.


Published in
The Central Chronicle, Bhopal
January 21, 2008

And The Bharat Ratna Goes To...

The current controversy among the different political parties of India on the issue of Bharat Ratna shows that how much our political leaders are aware about the image of the highest civilian award of the nation. Firstly, the letter of Lal Krishna Advani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, to recommend the name of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the Bharat Ratna was an unusual way of recommendation.

According to the norms a high level committee decides that who should be conferred with the highest civilian award of the nation. This high level committee comprises the leader of opposition as a member with other members. So, the recommendation of A B Vajpayee by L K Advani is not an explicable step.

If a member of selection committee recommends a person and more importantly before the national media the trustworthiness of the selection committee itself comes under the suspicion. Generally, the names for the Bharat Ratna are announced on the eve of the Republic Day. For the last six years this award has been not conferred to any one. Noted playback singer Lata Mangeshkar and Shahnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan were the last persons, who were conferred with this highly prestigious award in the year of 2001.

It is expected that Advani’s remark that Vajpayee has a great contribution in the politics of the nation and that he has successfully handled a coalition government of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) was aimed to get the favour of the highest regarded leader of the party. Moreover, it will also strengthen the candidature of Advani as the Prime Minister among the party workers by winning the hearts of the soft-liner of the organization.

On the other hand, apart from BJP all other political parties started to suggest a name for the award. Some leaders like Rambilas Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have suggested three names- Jotiba Phule, Jagjivanram and famous singer Mohammad Rafi. Similarly, former Bihar Chief Minister and the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has also suggested the name of former Bihar Chief Minister Karpuri Thakur. Earlier he has given his consent on the name of veteran left leader Jyoti Basu for the same.

The campaign for name suggestion does not end here. Ajit Singh of Rashtriya Lok Dal demanded Bharat Ratna for his father and former Prime Minister Devi Lal. Chandrashekhar’s name is also in the race. Further Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ms Mayawati has also demanded the Ratna for Kanshiram, founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and a great dalit thinker. Southern leader M. Karunanidhi’s name is also in the wish list.

It has been alleged by the different political parties that only congress leaders are not entitled to receive the prestigious award. In the past, many national leaders, who hail from the Congress Party, have been awarded with Ratna. In history, there are two Prime Ministers namely Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, who were conferred with the Bharat Ratna by their own signature.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of various names being suggested for Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said there is still time to take a decision on the issue. Now the time will tell us who will be conferred with the highest civilian award of the nation. But one thing is very clear here that politicization of such issue makes no sense and importantly the dignity and credibility of the award looses among the common people.

Thank God, till now our political leaders are not interested at the global level regarding the conferment of awards. But, no one knows the political parties of India may begin lobbying for the Nobel Prize for their leaders.

Published
MSN India
January 19, 2008

Monday 21 January 2008

Reporting the News

The biggest users of RTI are Government employees: Kejariwal

Bhopal: The Government officials file the majority of applications received by the Central Information Commission (CIC) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. The cases of promotion, salary, transfer and related matters come in huge number before the Commission for hearing. These facts have been made public by O. P. Kejiriwal, member, Central Information Commission, New Delhi.

"Eighty per cent of applications filed before the CIC are from Government officials, either serving or retired", said the Central Information Commissioner.

Kejiriwal emphasized that the RTI Act, passed by the Parliament of India in the year 2005, overrides all the existing Acts of the land, even the Officials Secrets Act, 1923.

"The applicants should file in very short and crispy application instead of detailed description in order to save the time of Commission and the applicant himself/herself", Kejiriwal appealed.

The Information Commissioner was speaking at a Media Workshop organized on Right to Information at the Academy of Administration, Bhopal on Saturday. It was organized by Department of Journalism, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication, Bhopal.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Information Commissioner of Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission, P. P. Tiwari said that there is a greater need of awareness among the people regarding this right.

“In coming days the facility to file an application through telephone under the RTI would be possible through out the country”, he said.

Although the Act has empowered the people at great extent but still there are so many hindrances in this regard, Tiwari added.

Comparing the functions of Central Information Commission with the Press Council of India, another major institution established by the act of Parliament, Achyutanand Mishra, a veteran Journalist and the Vice-Chancellor of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication said, “Unlike the PCI, the CIC is empowered with the penalty chagrining authority”.


Published in

MyNews.in

January 21, 2008

Tuesday 15 January 2008

'कागजी शेर' नहीं है बीसीसीआई

भारत और ऑस्ट्रेलिया के बीच चल रहे वर्तमान टेस्ट क्रिकेट श्रृंखला से अंपायर स्टीव बकनर का हटाया जाना क्रिकेट की दुनिया का एक बहुत ही अहम और दूरगामी फैसला है। दरअसल, अंतर्राष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट परिषद (आईसीसी) ने यह फैसला दबाव में लिया है। परिषद पर भारतीय क्रिकेट कंट्रोल बोर्ड (बीसीसीआई) की तरफ से काफी दबाव था और इस फैसले के अलावा शायद परिषद के पास और कोई चारा भी नहीं था, जिससे वह क्रिकेट की अपनी सर्वोच्च संस्था होने की साख बनाए रख पाती।

भारत में क्रिकेट की सर्वोच्च संस्था बीसीसीआई ने यह मन बना लिया था कि यदि आईसीसी ने भारत के आरोपी खिलाड़ी हरभजन सिंह को यदि अगले टेस्ट मैच में खेलने से रोक दिया तो वह अपनी टीम को बीच दौरे से ही स्वदेश बुला लेगी। बीसीसीआई के इस अकडू रवैये ने आईसीसी को झुका दिया।

वास्तव में भारतीय क्रिकेट कंट्रोल बोर्ड के प्रभाव पीछे कई कारक हैं। इन सभी कारकों में सबसे प्रमुख है पूंजी का प्रभाव। आज की तारीख में बीसीसीआई के पास क्रिकेट की दुनिया की पूंजी का लगभग 70 फीसदी हिस्सा है। जाहिर है यदि इस श्रृंखला से भारतीय टीम वापस भी आ जाती तो बोर्ड को अपनी आय के बारे में कोई खास फिक्र नहीं होती ।

दूसरी तरफ, आईसीसी यह नही चहती कि भारतीय टीम दौरे के बीच से वापस चली जाए। इसके तो दूरगामी परिणाम हो सकते थे-एक तो यह कि भारतीय टीम भविष्य में भी आस्ट्रेलियाई टीम से खेलने से मना कर दे और दूसरी यह कि बीसीसीआई, आईसीसी से ही बाहर हो जाये।

इन दोनों ही परिस्थितियों के घटने की संभावना को एक सिरे से खरिज नहीं किया जा सकता था, परन्तु इन दोनों ही परिस्थितियों में अंतत: पलड़ा भारत का ही भारी होता। अकेले भारतीय बोर्ड का क्रिकेट के बाजार के सत्तर फीसदी हिस्से पर कब्जा है और अभी तो इंडियन प्रीमियर लीग (आईपीएल) की बात भी चल रही है। जाहिर है आईसीसी ने परिस्थिति को भांपकर इस विवाद को टालने का सही फैसला किया।

एक बात जो यहां काफी महत्वपूर्ण है, वह है देश के गौरव का सवाल। पूरी भारतीय मीडिया ने इस पूरे प्रकरण को इतना तूल दिया कि भारतीय बोर्ड इस मुद्दे को दरकिनार ही नहीं कर सकता था। मीडिया ने इसे राष्ट्र-गौरव से जोड़कर दिखाया। लगभग सभी चैनलों और आखबरों ने इसे बड़ी ही प्रमुखता के साथ स्थान दिया। इसका नतीजा यह हुआ कि समूचे देश में इस बात पर एक बहस छिड़ गई। अंतत: बीसीसीआई ने भी विवाद के मुद्दे पर कड़ा रूख अख्तियार करते हुए अपनी बात को जोरदार ढ़ग से आईसीसी के सामने रखने की रणनीति बनाई।

मीडिया ने पूरी सक्रियता से इस पूरे प्रकरण को सामने रखा और देशभर में एक आम धारणा बनाने में कायम रही कि भारत को अम्पायरों ने हराया बल्कि एक कदम आगे बढ़ते हुए यहां तक कि बकनर बेईमान हैं।

एक और पक्ष जिसे इस प्रकरण के साथ ही जोर कर देखा जाना चाहिए वह है गोरे और काले प्रजाति का मुद्दा। दुनिया भर में क्रिकेट खेलने और देखने वालों का एक बहुत बड़ी आबादी भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप के चार देश-भारत, पाकिस्तान, बांग्लादेश और श्रीलंका में बसती है। भारत इस पूरे क्षेत्र का सबसे बड़ा और शक्‍ितशाली राष्ट्र है, साथ ही इसकी किक्रेट बोर्ड भी। सो कहीं-न-कहीं, बोर्ड पर अपनी शक्तियों का प्रयोग अपनी बात को जोरदार ढंग से कहने के लिए करे की जिम्मेदारी भी है, जिसे इस बार बीसीसीआई ने बखूबी किया है।

बहरहाल, अंत में यह कहा जा सकता है कि भारतीय किक्रेट बोर्ड केवल ''कागजी शेर' नहीं बल्कि वाकई दहाड़ने वाला शेर है और इस दहाड़ के पीछे है पैसों की खनक।

Published in

दैनिक नयी दुनिया

भोपाल

January 15, 2008

Monday 14 January 2008

"बापू के सपने"

बापू के सपने

हमने पाई आज़ादी
साठ (६०) बरस पहले,
तब बापू ने संजोये थे
कई सपने.

बरसों हमने कि मेहनत
और साकार किये सपने.

पर ज़ब दिल से पूछता हूँ…
कभी अकेले में,

तो आती है एक धीमी आवाज़,
हमारे नेताओं ने
और हमने
छोड दिए सोचना
न केवल
बापू के सपने
बल्कि सोचना
अपने सपने के भारत को भी


पूछता हूँ दिल से
क्या सच हो पाएंगे
कभी बापू के सपने
यदि हाँ भी
तो कब तक
कब तक ?


WRITTEN ON INDEPENDENCE DAY, 2007

दिल्ली

दिल्ली

दिल्ली है देश की राजधानी
दिल्ली है देश का दिल…..
ऐसा भी कहते हैं

क्योंकि बसी है यह
दिल्ली ऐसी
जैसा की शरीर में होता है

पर शायद
इसके अलावा भी कुछ है दिल्ली

मेरी नज़र में तो कुछ भी नही है दिल्ली

इस कुछ नही का मतलब है….
यह शहर नही कुछ और है

दरअसल, मेरी नज़र में दिल्ली है एक कालोनी
जी हाँ,
कई बड़ी कॉलोनियों से बना
एक मेगा कालोनी

क्योंकि ज़ब
दिल्ली की सड़कों से गुजरता हूँ

तब देखता हूँ बस
सड़क के चारों तरफ
छोटी-बड़ी, लम्बे-छोटे
केवल और केवल दीवारें

दीवारों
के ऊपर
लोहे की मज़बूत फेंसिंग
एक खत्म हुआ तो
दूसरी बाउंड्री शुरू हो जाती है

चारों तरफ से……….
बंद महसूस करता हूँ
इस मेगा कालोनी में

जब भी कभी …
उन्मुक्त छलांग लगाना चाहता हूँ
तो………
खुद को zakdaa महसूस करता हूँ
इस दिल्ली में.

दिलवालों कि है दिल्ली ?

दिलवालों कि है दिल्ली ?

कैसे कहते हैं..
कि
दिलवालों कि है दिल्ली

मुझे तो ऐसा लगता है
कि
अब दिल वालों (wall for Deewar) में ही कैद हो गए हैं
दिल्ली वालों कि

ठीक उसी तरह
जैसे
अनारकली कैद हो गयी थी ..
तब के बेरहम दीवारों में
जो अब वाल (दीवार) के नाम से भी जाने जाते हैं

कैसे कहते हैं
कि
दिलवालों कि है दिल्ली
यहाँ तो कोई सीधी मुह बात भी नही करता..
दिल से बात करने कि बात तो
दिल्ली दूर

दिलवालों को तो लुट लिया है
दिल्ली वालों ने

अब तो रईसों कि है दिल्ली
नेताओं कि है दिल्ली
ठेकेदारों कि है दिल्ली


नही तो पुलिस और अतान्क्बदियों कि है दिल्ली
खूबसूरत हसीनाओ कि है दिल्ली


पैसे वालों कि है दिल्ली
पैसे वालों कि है दिल्ली.

Friday 4 January 2008

Opinion in BBC Hindi.Com

January 03

BBCHindi.com आपकी राय महिलाओं के साथ बदसलूकी


आपकी राय

महिलाओं के साथ बदसलूकी

मुंबई में नए साल का स्वागत करने के लिए इकट्ठा हुए लोगों ने दो महिलाओं के साथ ही बदसलूकी कर डाली. वो महिलाएँ भी अपने मित्रों के साथ नए साल का स्वागत कर रही थीं और ख़बरों के अनुसार एक पाँच सितारा होटल के सामने लोगों के एक झुंड ने दो महिलाओं के कपड़े तक फाड़ डाले. इस तरह की घटनाएँ पहले भी होती रही हैं जो सवाल उठाती हैं कि अपनी भावनाओं को ज़ाहिर करने का किसे और किस हद तक अधिकार है. अपनी भावनाएँ या विचारधारा किसी और पर लादना किस हद तक जायज़ कहा जा सकता है? क्या इस तरह की घटनाएँ सुरक्षा की कमी दिखाती हैं या फिर लोगों में नैतिक मूल्यों की कमी?

प्रकाशित: 02/01/08 11:34 GMT टिप्पणियाँ
टिप्पणियों की संख्या:78
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Added: 03/01/08 11:01 GMT

यह घटना शर्मनाक है.

Siddharth Kumar Bhopal, MP

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