IF THIS DOES NOT WAKE UP THE AUTHORITIES, GOD KNOWS…WHAT WILL?

Less than an year to go for Commonwealth Games 2010 and we are way short of the “World Class City” status. It’s the same story today as it was about 2 years or maybe even 10 years back, same broken roads, same potholes, same tobacco stained spit marks on the walls, children throwing wrappers on the road, women disposing garbage openly and people urinating openly in public.

Some times I feel are we really the same country that fought for our independence with amazing vigor, for which we are praised around the globe. Did Bhagat Singh, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Tantya Tope, Chandrashekhar Azad, etc, lay their lives for the country just for us to spit on the walls, did the Mahatma went on hunger strike just so that we can pay bribes to corrupt officials who in reality are public servants, did Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru dream of a nation where Goonda Raj is more effective than Democracy?

I don’t think so!

If you have a small bit of patriotism and love for OUR COUNTRY, stop the next guy you see urinating openly, stop the next man to spit on the floor or walls, stop you kids from throwing empty wrappers on the roads, stop your friends from paying or taking bribes, stop your wives from throwing garbage out of the house in open, most of all motivate your self to make these changes.

Internal change is required to instigate external change.So – YOU BE THE CHANGE

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igdAYY227TI4Jh6IAN3tFA6BIn4Q

(AFP) – 3 hours ago
NEW DELHI — Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell has warned that the 2010 event in India could collapse and has sought the prime minister’s intervention, local media reported on Monday.
Fennell, in a letter to the local organising committee, wrote that it was “reasonable to conclude that the current situation poses a serious risk to the Commonwealth Games in 2010.”
With a year to go until the October 3-14 Games in New Delhi, Fennell has sought an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during next month’s CGF assembly here to brief him on the delays.
“I feel I must personally brief the Prime Minister of India on the lack of preparations and to seek his input in developing an appropriate recovery plan,” Fennell wrote, the Hindustan Times reported.
“The government of India has committed significant resources towards the operational delivery of the Games. It would be irresponsible and negligent of the CGF not to share its concerns openly with the government.”
Fennell blamed a lack of co-ordination in the local organising committee, headed by Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi, for the delays in preparing for the Games.
“Our concerns are such that unless there is significant change in the management culture and operation of the organising committee these Games will fail from an operational perspective,” he wrote.
“The CGF is extremely worried about the organising committee’s ability to deliver the Games to any comparable standard to that of the last two editions of the Games in Manchester (2002) and Melbourne (2006).
“I’m looking forward to some urgent actions in order to bring about the successful celebration of the Games in 2010.”
Fennell’s remarks follow an Indian government report last month that said work on 14 of the 19 sports venues was running late, while nine transport projects to improve Delhi’s congested road network were at a “high risk” of not being completed in time.
The Comptroller and Auditor General report said that the aquatic complex, which should have been 93 percent finished by August, was only 42 percent complete.
It also said the design of the renovated main stadium was still not finalised.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said she was unaware of Fennell’s letter, but was confident that the Games’ infrastructure will be completed on schedule.
“I am not aware of the letter by Michael Fennell, but I know the Commonwealth Games will be held on time,” Dikshit told reporters here.
“We are keeping alternatives ready, the Games will not suffer.
“We are satisfied with the progress of the work, but a little nervous about the completion of it.”
Fennell’s remarks were flayed by the treasurer of the organising committee, A.K. Mattoo, who insisted New Delhi will host a successful Commonwealth Games.
“I am shocked to hear his observation on the committee,” Mattoo told reporters. “We are doing our best and I am confident we will host a successful Games.
“Delays do happen, but criticising is not going to get you anywhere. Having said that, I am confident we will sit together and resolve the issue soon.”
The Games, the biggest multi-sport event to be staged in India since the Asian Games in 1982, feature 71 nations and territories that mostly comprised the former British empire.

This commercial speaks louder than words!

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/senior-citizen-dies-after-falling-into-manhole/508925/

A senior citizen out on his evening walk died on Friday after he reportedly fell into a manhole dug up by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi. The police said the body of 78-year-old Trilok Nath Makhen was discovered on Saturday morning by passersby.

 The police said Makhen lived in Shivalik Park with his 65-year-old wife, Jaya Rani. According to her, Makhen had gone out for a walk at 7.45 pm. When he failed to return till late, she asked some of her neighbours to look for him. When he did not return all night, she made a PCR call and registered a missing complaint.

 The police said there was no barricade around the manhole and they suspect Makhen fell in as he could not spot the hole in time because of the darkness.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Delhi/Newly-elected-MCD-councillor-faces-27-murder-cases-/articleshow/4949063.cms

NEW DELHI: Kishan Pahalwan, who has 27 murder cases against him and is currently lodged in Tihar jail, was on Saturday elected as MCD councillor in the national capital, where the BJP bagged three of the five wards where bypolls were held.

The Indian Tricolor

Lets see what’s playing on television today, many Independence Day specials on TV, people sharing their views on how proud they are to be an Indian, few patriotic films are on too, rest of us are planning to go an watch a movie in the cinema near our houses while some of us prefer to take full advantage of the National Holiday by relaxing or taking a nap.

Happy Independence day…Jai Ho…Best wishes on the day of India’s freedom…bla…bla…bla.

I have been receiving SMSes wishing me on this “JOYOUS OCCASION”.

But I am not Happy to be Independent…not in this manner at least. I want to sound REAL not “cool” or “philosophical” by posting such messages either on Facebook or sending my friends wishes of “INDEPENDENCE DAY”.

Does India rock after 63 years of Independence?

In all honesty, I don’t think so.

Yes we are independent to do whatever we want, but we don’t do it, we are independent to make choices but do we ever have a choice, yes we are independent to raise our voices, but do we really every raise our voice against anything?

Punching a few keys on the mobile phone to send your views to news channels on a certain piece of news does not mean raising a voice, to send a few SMSes to friends wishing them for Independence day is not being independent, having the right to vote does not mean having a choice.

So what really does independence mean?

To me Independence means something I can really be proud of, it’s the state of a nation where all individuals are equal and not discriminated from on another, where the guilty is prosecuted and justice is served as soon as possible, where people are not subdued by power, where senior citizens and women can live with dignity and children can feel safe…it’s the state of being completely in control rather being controlled, Raising your voice against corruption, against unjust systems of government is being independent, to think voting is not a matter of choice but a national duty, to pick the right person, to voice concerns over how our hard earned money which is given in the form of tax is used properly for us, is being independent. 

Dividing the country/state/village on basis of caste, religion or background does not make a county secular, when small kids instead of going to school, sell Indian flags on traffic signals does not make a country democratic. Soul searching, asking yourself, what have I done to eradicate these problems is required. 

Have we really reached that stage where we can do these things, take matter into our own hands when the higher authorities do not respond to our pleas…NO…which proves that we are mentally not independent, we need to break the shackles of the unjust rules, only then can one taste the real freedom.

 With last week’s Metro mishap, my point is proven once more that Delhi will not be ready in time for the Commonwealth Games next year making the capital the butt of all jokes on the world stage owing to complete lact of infrastructure.

Now when our hard earned money is spent in Parliamentary sessions where the debates still hover around who did what and who said what to whom, is there anyone who is trying to convey the common man’s problems to the higher authorities.

After yesterday’s (27th July, 2009) problems which the common people faced the Delhi’s Mayor promptly apologized for the misery caused and started another session of blame games, blaming the Delhi Jal Board and the DMRC for it. And to top it all, the media is not taking the initiative of highlighting the fact that how stupid we will look on world stage after such slow progress in work.

While I type this, trash still lies on Delhi’s roads, Footpaths still broken, pot holes covering major number of roads in Delhi, no drainage system in places, Traffic signals not working, beggars harassing people on traffic signals, inefficient traffic police staff still handling heavy traffic jams, etc, etc, etc.

Need I describe it

 And its not even about the Commonwealth Games anymore, why can’t the ordinary citizen expect a better city from the government. When I pay my dues to the country why don’t I get clean drinking water, why can’t I drive my car on a clear road, with out any obstructions, why can’t my neighborhood be clean, why can’t the kids in my locality go to a park which is green and not full of dust and garbage thrown by the slum dwellers.

Pot Holed Roads - A common sight

Why?

I keep asking this question to myself – But keep consoling my heart telling it that there’ll be a time when things will change for good, remembering these lines from the movie Phir Subah Hogi

Post 10 years of Kargil War, as an Indian my heart bleeds for those who lost heir lives fighting our nosy neighbour who just can’t stop meddling with us. These soldiers lost their lives for us people, whom they did not know, people who have not done anything for them yet they sacrificed their lives for us and yet evey year on the date our Army won the war all we see is one hour speacials on these heroes shown by new channels.

This situation begs a question – Do we deserve their sacrifice?

The answer is a simple – No.

We are still dealing with who said what to the other politician and how did he/she retaliate, which politician erected his/her own statues, which political party attacked which office, which politician spent money like water on self centered tasks, which businessman did what to the other company, which political party is doing what and how the opposition attacks them verbally, which politician has a bigger criminal background, etc.

Our Lionhearts

Our brave soldiers lost their lives for united India…Hindustan…Bharatvarsha.They did not lose their lives or one state, caste,sect or religion.And yet our politicians try and divide us Indians over these factors.These trouble makers as I like to call Politicians get security worth hundreds of crores when a common man cannot guarantee his/her family memeber that he will survive another day because who knows when a terror threat actually turns out to be true.

Its due to these army men protecting our borders on high altitudes that we are living today in free country. We must stand up against the corrupt practices of these politicals goons before they dont leave anything for the Army to protect because while our soldiers protect us from out side threats there is no one to save us inside the borders, because the damage internally will affect us more than anything else.

After the retirement of greats like Bradman, Chapple, Botham, Kapil Dev, Gary Sobers, Viv Rchards, Gavaskar, etc. , Test Cricket had adjusted to the void left by them.  Most recently, people had hadly adjusted to habit of not seeing legends like Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Justing Langer, Glenn McGrath, Michael Vaughan, Saurav Ganguly on the field, that another great servant of the game bowed out.

15th July 2009 will always be remembered as the day when Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff announched his retirement from the 5-day game leaving Test Cricket even more poorer.  You hardly get to see players like Freddie Flintoff nowadays who play the test cricket with utmost passion, determination and give their dedicated effort at everything they do. He bowls like a dream, bats like a demon and fields like a goalie.

Hit It

Super Fred

Bowling at full pace

The heart, the soul, the attitude speak volumes of the man nick named Freddie (after the cartoon character Fred Flintstone).

Why is he flawed ?

He is controversy’s second favorite child (because the first one is obviously Shane Warne).Yes he likes to have a few pints here and there, yes he had weight issues in the past, yes his batting is no longer dependable like his body.But no one in the world can question his commitment to play for his country. His statisics do not tell the whole truth. 3 five wicket hauls in 77 test matches with 11 four wicket hauls. The reason behind it is not lack of effort but its down to hard luck. The amount of catches dropped of his bowing during the early years of his career. In one such particular series against Sounth Africa in 2003, Ex England Batsman, Mark Butcher dropped 7 catches off his bowling in the 5 match series. Its been the case in so many matches that he’s bowling at 90 miles per hour and it’s the ultimate effort ball, batsman edges it to slip, gully, or any other position and the fielder drops it. Besides, He creates this atmosphere of pressure for the batsman encouraging his to lose concentration, make a mistake and the other bowlers around him feed off it.

When people say he had “that one good series against the Aussies (Ashes 2005)” I find it all the more amusing because he had been performing well for 3 years in a row before that playing a vital part in every series either with deadly bowling or brutal batting, be it tests or ODI’s every major team got the taste of Freddie Power. South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, India, Pakistan and yet the doubters only see Ashes 2005 as the only period he performed.

Ashes 2006-07 when England were whitewashed 5-0 by Aussies was the lowest point of Freddie’s career.And he was easily labelled as overhyped sportsperson. But when theywon the ODI tri series against Aussies and Kiwis, under his leadership, the “love and adulation” was back.

The circumstances in which he was handed over the captaincy in India earlier that year and the way team performed under him drawing the test series 1-1, there was no douting his captaincy skills, even the next series agaisnt Sri Lanka at home which they drew 1-1. But the squad going to Australia was completely inexperienced with experienced players like Vaughan and Simon Jones already out due to injuries and Trescothick withdrawing himself earlier. Cricket is a team game and eveyone has to perform, but when they dont and lose the matches, the easiest scapegoat is the skipper and that too one like Freddie who is also considered as the Talisman of the team.

With a total of 225 test wickets 126 (which accounts for 56 percent of his total wickets) have come against top sides like Australia (49), India (29) and South Africa (48).Not to mention that he is currently 6th on the list of most sixes in a career with 81 big ones.And the five players ahead of him including Girchirst, Lara,Cairns,Viv Richards,Hayden all retired, this last Ashes series will be a good chance for him to clear the ropes a much as he wants to, HE’S GOT THE LICENSE TO HIT !