Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Euro-US Bombing for Libyan Oil Undermines United Nations
| Target Col Gaddafi,Western Democracies Descend to Middle Ages |
| by K. Gajendra Singh 30 March,2011 |
| UNSC Cover for Euro-US Bombing for Libyan Oil
Moscow cries foul, too late; interference into the internal, civil war not sanctioned by the UN Resolution http://cms.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=10761"This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land..." "To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader and--more profoundly--our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as president, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action." Barack Obama "In his March 28 speech, Obama justified his air strikes against Libya on the grounds that the embattled ruler, Gadhafi, was using air strikes to put down a rebellion --- against state authority as presently constituted—However the current US president and the predecessor Bush/Cheney regime have murdered many times more people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia -- using air strikes and drones --than Gadhafi has murdered in Libya." Paul Craig Roberts, former assistant secretary of the treasury and former editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, "The Westphalian principle that nation states could run their internal affairs as they pleased helped to reduce war for 300 years. That principle is now increasingly abandoned, not just in Libya but through the International Monetary Fund and other non-democratic international organizations. (UNO!) The consequences are hugely hazardous, while putting at risk the immense benefits the ancient treaty brought." - Martin Hutchinson
"—Rebels have seized control of the bulk of Libya's oil industry – including the country's largest oilfields in the so-called Sirte basin and the main terminals –-with the assistance of NATO air strikes. A Libyan opposition leader said that Qatar had also agreed to sell oil on its behalf in international markets –Washington made clear that opposition oil sales need not be subject to the sanctions imposed on Libya." Financial Times, London
"We believe that coalition's interference into the internal, civil war has not been sanctioned by the UN resolution. Protection of the civilian population remains our priority," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on 28 March, 2011
"--The object of bombing are barracks of the Libyan army, around which are densely populated residential areas, and next to it - the largest in Libya's Heart Centers. Civilians and the doctors could not assume that common residential quarters will be about to become destroyed, so none of the residents or hospital patients was evacuated. – "With full responsibility as witnesses and participants of what is happening, we state that the United States and its allies are thus carrying out genocide against the Libyan people - as was the case in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Crimes against humanity, carried out by coalition forces akin to those crimes committed by the fathers and grandfathers of today's Western leaders and their henchmen in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan and in Dresden in Germany, where civilians were also being destroyed in order to deter, to break the will of the people to resist (Germany remembers it, and therefore refused to participate in this new slaughter house). Today they want in such ways to make the Libyan people surrender their leader and the legitimate government and meekly lay down their national oil wealth for the countries of the coalition." From a letter to president Medvedev from Russian doctors working in Libya.
"Gaddafi's acquiescence to demands to end his own program for developing nuclear weapons, and the price the North Koreans say he is now paying--North Korea may be right: its nuclear program does provide a solid deterrent against any notion of doing anything - even if North Korea isn't actually going to explode one of those things for real," Donald Kirk
In early 21st century, with Nobel Peace Prize (awarded in advance!) winner US president Barack Hussein Obama leading from front and then from the back, white European nations, the former colonial powers known for their genocide, carnage, loot and worse along with some client Arab states and a reluctant Turkey ruled by Riyadh supported Islamist AKP, have relentlessly Cruise and Tomahawk missiled and bombarded cities and positions held by the legitimate forces of Libyan strongman Moammar Gaddafi and the tribes supporting him. This action has been opposed by African Union, Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Venezuela, Argentina and many other nations who rightly demand its cessation as it is not sanctioned by UN Resolution1973.
Obama's predecessor George Bush had declared United Nations irrelevant before invading Iraq under patently false charges, for its oil. Now Washington with some Euro-nations and an assorted group are destroying whatever prestige and authority UN has been left with since its inception, under a feckless and wimp of a secretary general. Washington hated the guts of two secretary generals, Kofi Annan and Boutrous Ghali who did not act like US doormats. What purpose does United Nations serve now, specially its Security Council, except for the mighty powers who can go for their illegal objectives by naked brutal force? Why have this façade of an organization which was ostensibly set up to usher in lasting peace, freedom from want, social security, labor rights and disarmament as well as self-determination, free trade and freedom of religion. It has failed or not come up to expectations on most counts. "Few Americans realize it, but our leaders who lack military experience tend to be more hawkish than leaders who have served in the military," Matt Pottinger. Three Deadly Ladies It was the axis of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined by US Ambassador to UN Susan Rice and the influential Office of Multilateral and Human Rights Director Samantha Power who argued for airstrikes against Libya. Their advice triggered an abrupt shift in U.S. policy, overturning more cautious administrations' counselors. Both Obama and defense secretary Robert Gates opposed 'intervention' in Libya and No Fly Zone. This is the first time in U.S. history that a female-dominated diplomatic team has urged illegal military action. Invasion by air of Libya is a present day version of old gunboat diplomacy by former rapacious Christian powers, and not any humanitarian intervention i.e. to protect rebel civilians in Libya. It is like the erstwhile White man's burden and the mission of saving souls and civilizing the natives. But it always was to rule over them, grab and exploit their resources. This version is being enforced by Cruise and Tomahawk missiles and field trial of the latest weapons of destruction to help Libya's ragtag opposition composed of opportunists, Al Qaida and other such elements, recognized by France and now Qatar too. 29th March London Conference on Libya Xinhua net reported on 30th March about the London Conference with top diplomats from 40 countries meeting to discuss Libya's future. They agreed to form a contact group to direct political efforts in the country. Military action will continue. A statement released by the British foreign secretary, William Hague, says participants reaffirmed their commitment to full and swift implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on Libya and to continuing military action to enforce them. The statement claimed that the military intervention in Libya has so far been "successful in protecting countless civilians from Gaddafi's forces and ineffectively wiping out Gaddafi's air capability." Hague added that possible sanctions will be pursued at the UN and regional organizations.US and Saudi proxy Qatar which has recognized the rebels was cautious. PM Hamad BinJassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani said, "We are not talking here about invading Libya, nor we are inviting any military ground (troops) to be, but we have to evaluate the situation, because we cannot let the people suffer for so long, we have to find a way to stop this bloodshed."
Libyan Rebels, A Work in Progress –Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton acknowledged that the US-led coalition doesn't know as much as it would like about the rebels, whether they include al-Qaida or other extremists. She said, "We are picking up information, a lot of contact is going on... so we're building an understanding, but at this time obviously it is, as I say, a work in progress," she told reporters. Clinton said the conference is taking place at a moment of transition, as NATO takes over as leader of the coalition mission, an undertaking in which the US will continue to play an active supporting role. She says there is no timeline and it appears Gaddafi has made no decisions yet about his future.
If Ms. Clinton had her way, she will try for a regime change in Syria too, except that massive demonstrations took place in Damascus supporting president Bashir Assad. Syrians know what the West is up to, having seen it across the border in Iraq. Of course these combative and charming ladies do not talk about repression and protests in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Ms. Clinton, having had her ambition thwarted to sleep in the White House in her own right, still believes that Washington remains the hyper power as it was claimed when she lived there with Bill Clinton. But that was before 2003 and the unraveling of US military and economic power since then. Another London Conference! It will be a repeat of what happened to and in Iraq, if Western powers are not stopped, right now. It is necessary to recapitulate what western powers promised and what they achieved.
More than a millions Iraqis have been killed, a million widows added, 5 million orphaned, 4 million refugees in and outside Iraq and a country and a civilization destroyed. The country has been divided into Shia, Sunni and Kurdish sectors.
Let me quote from my article dated 17 February, 2003, just before the March 2003 invasion, "MIDDLE EAST- Iraqi Mosaic in Pandora's Box; Saddam' heirs, proxies and pretenders." "The Anglo-Saxons organized a conference of Saddam Hussein's opponents in London in mid-December 2002 to back their claim aired from time to time that they wanted to usher in stability and democracy as part of the regime change in Iraq. It was held after many postponements and much prodding. That the conference finally took place was an achievement itself. Many a times the proceedings looked like the scene from the film "Lawrence of Arabia" starring PeterO'Toole, with the Arab tribes squabbling and fighting after taking over Damascus following the withdrawal of the Ottoman troops. The French had chased them out.
"The conference brought together north Iraqi Kurdish parties, KDP and PUK - who are at each other's throat inside Iraq , Iranian-backed Shia group SAIRI , the Constitutional Monarchy Movement and the National Accord Movement. One of the prime movers of the conference was the Iraqi National Congress (INC), headed by Ahmad Chalabi, on the run from Jordan's law, but now a creature of Washington. Those who did not participate were the Iraqi Communist Party, the Socialist Party and the pro-Syrian branch of Iraq's ruling Ba'ath party. The Shia Muslim al-Daawa Party also did not attend, as the purpose of the conference implied an US attack on Iraq and installation of a pro-US regime. "The only apparent agreement reached was that after Saddam Hussein USA should not run Iraq (like making an advertising film without the product and the message). There was no agreement on the kind of political system or general frame work for a Constitution. The only common denominator to emerge was some vague form of federalism. The Kurdish parties argued for a bi-national model with an Arab and Kurdish state, (like Cyprus!) while others called for geographic and not ethnic decentralization. "US favorite Chalabi of INC wanted a government in waiting (with himself of course at the head); a political authority to provide legitimacy against political power vacuum after the fall of the present regime .The US strongly opposed the formation of a government-in-exile, arguing that it would alienate serving Iraqi generals and others who might mutiny once a war starts. Then Saddam Hussein, his government and people would fight till the bitter end, which left little flexibility with USA. But those wanting to come over to US side might well consider the fate of two highly placed sons-in-law of Saddam Hussein, who had defected to Amman a few years ago. They were rebuffed by the west. Unwanted and turned into pariahs, they returned but were brutally disposed off soon after crossing into Iraq.
"Naturally USA did not want to tie its own hands in advance concerning Iraq's rulers and its political fate. More importantly about the economic status of its oil reserves. Of course US's dear wish, proclaimed from the White House press room and by others, remains that someone would assassinate Saddam Hussain or there would be a coup d'état. From time to time, Donald Rumsfeld, Jack Straw and others, have talked of amnesty to Iraqi officials and generals and political asylum to Saddam Hussein and family, in Saudi Arabia or somewhere else.
War & Chaos All Around "Every party i.e. "heirs, pretenders and proxies" remains worried about the ambitions of the others. Chalabi is rightly worried about the Kurdish plans. While there is little official version to go by but there would be a mad scramble for power. Kurds with their peshmar gas and other groups would try to fill in the vacuum. Chris Kutschera of Middle East Report magazine and others have written that high-level Kurdish military personnel admitted that it was not just the oil-rich city of Kirkuk - the so-called Kurdish Jerusalem - that the Kurds sought, but they wanted a share of power in Baghdad. "We have an agenda for all possibilities." Western Propaganda Government controlled BBC and US corporate media (80% in USA) are gleefully showing states with nearly US $ trillion annual military expenditure bombing Libya with a defense expenditure of less than $ one billion only. West's usually lying media trills that a level playing ground is being created for the unknown, mysterious and shady rebels in Bengazi.
The message is that after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the law of jungle has descended on the earth. Has UNSC Become a Tool for NATO's Expansionist Policies?
United Nations Security Council dominated by five nuclear armed bullies with Veto power has disgraced itself first by passing resolution 1973 and then allowing the crusader nations to interpret it as they did the treaties with natives in 19th and 20thcentury. Moscow and Beijing have allowed the violation of UN charter, invasion of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Libya. They could have stopped it. Have they made deals with US! And reports suggest that now NATO will coordinate the military operations against Gaddafi's forces. Since when has NATO been designated the military arm of UNSC. Without UNSC or General Assembly approval! What is the role of UN now? And who are the deserving rebels needing protection. The unholy axis of Washington, Paris and London and other hangers-on have little to say about them as Ms. Clinton confessed at the London conference. There are reports that British special forces are already active inside Libya. But the axis is already talking of helping the ragtag rebels even with arms to take over oil producing areas and refineries and then invite in European and US oil companies. Remember that it was for Iraq's oil and its strategic location that US carried out 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' which it continues to occupy. The Iraqis have not allowed oil production to reach level of President Saddam Hussein era. The US army lies broken and is caught in a quagmire in Iraq;
What does UN Stands for? It is time to expose the claim and the myth that the United Nation Organization represents the will of the states or peoples of the world. More often than not in recent past, the so-called international community is nothing but Washington with poodle London and a small coalition of the coerced, bribed and not so willing. But this time around two of the armed nuclear powers, Russia and China with veto in UNSC have allowed the western warmongers to have their way. If this does not denote the demise of the UN like its predecessor the League of Nations then what else would. Tomorrow, Washington, which already has an Africa Command, with Paris and London, could start, protecting civilians in other African states with minerals and energy resources. Except during the Cold War, when fears of retaliation and the Mutual Assured destruction (MAD) maintained a kind of armed to high destruction level truce, international law was often violated, mostly by Washington. Will brute military power, with the capability to deliver nuclear arms and inflict unbearable destruction be the only safe guard a country? Will it remain the main currency in the world pecking order and the strategic equations where the big powers can accommodate each other and smaller nations like north Korea are forced to acquire nuclear and missile capability for their very survival? UN, a Legacy of the WWII The current pecking order with the Gang of the Five at the top is a legacy of the outcome of the WWII. So let us be clear about the concept and the evolution of the United Nations. It did not begin with the signing of the Charter in 1945. This agreement was the culmination of complex military and political efforts and maneuvering of big WWII military powers that commenced in 1941. The documents and the records of the war years include countless references to UN's origin as a strategic engine of victory in WWII. The document formalizing the Nazi defeat in the war includes the words: "This Act of Military Surrender is without prejudice to, and will be superseded by, any general instrument of surrender imposed by, or on behalf of, the United Nations on Germany…" US President Truman broadcast on8 May that: "General Eisenhower informs me that the forces of Germany have surrendered to the United Nations". The "United Nations" was the official name for the coalition fighting the axis powers since January 1942, when Roosevelt and Churchill had led twenty-six nations, including the Soviet Union.
The historical records clearly show that Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt created the United Nations to win the war both militarily and politically, and to create the foundations for a lasting peace. Churchill remarked during the height of the fighting in 1944 that the "United Nations is the only hope of the world". But the first expression of the Anglo-American policy was in the Atlantic Charter of 1941; this included freedom from want, social security, labor rights and disarmament as well as self-determination, free trade and freedom of religion. How military power corrupts! Thus the UN is not some liberal organization but a construct structured out of hard, realistic political necessity for the victors of WWII to dominate the post war era, which is now clearly askew and outdated.
Everyone realizes that UN has to be restructured after its being almost irreparably damaged by US administration under George Bush and further infliction of wounds on its moral and legal standing by the US administration in coalition with a bankrupt Britain and Sarkozy in Paris, who hopes to increase his popularity by this imperial undertaking for the presidential election next year. The reverse is most likely to happen.
The world is now reaching a situation when there is clear decline of US and European nations who colonized and exploited the nations of South and East after the Ottoman arms were repulsed from the Gates of Vienna in 16th century .The UN had emerged after the demise of the League of the Nations after WWII, though incubated during the war itself as brought out earlier. So sooner than later a change in UN must be brought about .It will depend on the decline of US, whose economy is in disarray and is being artificially kept alive by creation of trillions of dollars on computer screens, which has turned the world bourses into a Casino. The question is when the 2nd shoe will fall; the first fell in September, 2008. The misadventures in north Africa called 'Odyssey Dawn' would only hasten that fall like 'Operation Enduring Freedom' and Operation Iraqi Freedom' did. |
| K.Gajendra Singh 30-Mar-2011,Delhi K Gajendra Singh served as ambassador of India to Turkey and Azerbaijan from August 1992 to April 1996. Prior to that, he was ambassador to Jordan, Romania and Senegal. Apart from postings in Dakar, Paris, Bucharest , the author spent his diplomatic career in North Africa , Middle east and Turkic countries ( ten years in Turkey in two tenures ).He spent 1976 with National Defence college , New Delhi , established the Foreign Service Institute for training of diplomats ( 1987-89), was chairman / managing director of IDPL , India's largest Drugs and Pharmaceuticals company ( 1985 and 1986 ) and while posted at Amman( 1989-92) evacuated nearly 140,000 Indian nationals who had come from Kuwait. He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies.. |
World Cup and Cricket mania in India
World Cup and Cricket mania in India
"The people of India -- they are the ones whose attention, enthusiasm and love and support drive the great game, and business, of cricket in this country, and around the world." Greg Chappell.
"In 1983 , I was posted at Bucharest and had gone out with my son Tinoo for lunch at the Japanese ambassador's villa on lake Snagov. The other ambassadors were somewhat intrigued by my trying to get hold of a transistor, as there was no international crisis. Indian score of 183 depressed me. We came back home and before going for my siesta Tinoo wanted to listen to the scores. I said we would lose in any case, so why bother. He even said that there could be miracles but seeing my mood gave up . But I was woken up by the Pakistani Ambassador who congratulated me on the victory. I said why are you pulling my leg. Only when he insisted I tuned in and was absolutely delighted. In return ,in Amman in 1992, in spite of Pakistan 's indifferent form in the league matches, I had bet with the Ambassador for their winning the Cup and went over for celebrations with champagne," the author
Even in normal times India's national TV channels , obsessed with celebrity talks , interviews ,reality shows and trivia have little informed discussion on international and intellectual subjects , but with the cricket World Cup being played in south Asia , there is an overkill with cricket talk and walk . In India, Pakistan ,Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ,there is little but cricket , cricket and more cricket .
Because of terrorist attacks on Sri Lankan team in Lahore a few years ago , international cricket matches are not played in Pakistan .But with India and Pakistan going to play on 30 March for a place in the final , people across the border and India are animated and excited .Indian PM Manmohan Singh has invited Pakistan PM Gilani to watch the match in north Indian town of Mohali .That has added further grist to mill .But nothing will come out of the talks on bilateral problems as long as Washington with its massive military and economic aid manipulates Pakistan's policy .Unfortunately India now has an elite totally beholden if not servile to Washington . Yes we can expect some feel good vibes .For problems between the two neighbours see
http://tarafits.blogspot.com/2011/01/khurshid-kasuris-mid-winter-dreams-in.html
http://cms.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=10480
Although intenational cricket is governed by International Cricket Council (ICC) , but the overwhelmingly rich , like USA was after WWII ,the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) calls the shots .The revenues are mostly provided by sale of Advertisement by media and communication companies etc , who market their product to over India's 1.1 billion cricket watching audience along with another 400 million or so in south Asia and tens of millions people of south Asian origin abroad .
Killjoy Cricket Administrators & Hapless Indian Paying Public .
In India those who create desires which we knew not existed have gone beyond the threshold of pain , boredom , stupidity in ruthlessly exploiting one of the remaining means of entertainment and relaxation for paying public for cricket. Everyone beginning with ICC Chief ,Sharad Pawar ,a minister in India allegedly looking for patronage and some gain even if he knows little about the game and his equally ignorant squeezers out of the only popular sport with the Indians .The killjoy administrators .look how they are rolling in wealth and enjoying other benefits . It is crying shame that an alternative cricket centre the Indian Cricket League was killed by the BCCI monopoly .
Problem with Indian cricket commentators even for TV is that most suffer from usual Indian verbal diarrhea of argumentative kind .They know it is not Radio broadcast but still keep on yapping and trying to show their so called knowledge , disturbing the ball by ball display .The situation is made worse by endless mostly stupid ads mostly either copied from the West or imagined and forced by illiterate oil, detergent or peanut selling Baniyas with little vision or taste repeating the ads as if the public is dumb like them. Nowhere in the world except in India , the TV audience is so shabbily treated .They are the backbone of the game in providing revenues .Sometimes hardly 40% of the time is given for the ball to ball display in between a plethora of ads in poor taste .Watching a batsman out is as satisfactory as coitus interreptus . Channels home on to stupid advertisements . Verily it only confirms that Indians are killjoys .Fortunately one can immediately change the channel for a minute or so .
Cricket Commentators
Take for example one Arun Lal and Ravi Shastri, both born perhaps with genetic inferiority complex . Arun lal is so biased . he is always wishing and willing for the fall of an Indian wicket or a century by the opponents .Ravi Shastri is not much better .No wonder they are favourites of countries playing against India and are called up to do commentary. They are like non-Indian NRIs and non-Indian RIs. Thank God for intelligent former great player-commentator Sunil Gavaskar. Will the BCCI ban Lal and Shastri from Indian matches . Just listen to Australian, English or Pakistani commentators . They are so very patriotic and always praising their side .
Among the worst foreign commentators is Tony Greig of apartheid south African origin whose commentary against Indian players is almost racist .He has been involved in many unsporting controversies . I recall a major one ,when as MCC captain in mid 1970s, before the tour of West Indies ,he had declared that he will make the West Indies growl , reminding them of the colonial era. The elegant and brilliant West Indian players said nothing but Tony was welcomed at the pitch with a volley of short pitched fast bouncers around his ears at over 6ft height .He was soon out .A few West Indian players silently escorted him out up to the boundary line towards the pavilion .
In a recent test against Sri Lanka , when Indian batter Suresh Raina was on 96, Tony (do all Tony's like Tony Blair suffer from some grave malady ) recalled how Raina was once out first ball by Murlitharan , who was to bowl next .An embarrassed Sri Lankan commentator reminded Greig that since then Raina had played hundred ODIs and T-20s and scored many centuries .Raina got his century. Such racists must be banned.
A refreshing change is a former Australian captain, now commentator , Ian Chappel , which is a pleasure to listen too . Very correct and with insight .He is more of an exception among Australians, politicians ,most cricketers, and almost all diplomats and the media men I encountered in my 35 years as a diplomat and 15 as a analyst of international affairs .
It is strange that South Africa ,one of the top teams otherwise in bilateral 50 ODIs has yet to win a knockout match in the World Cup .Try a new Captain ! They lost to New Zealand , who joined Sri Lanka and Pakistan and India in the semifinals .On current form Sri Lanka should easily beat New Zealand .Sri Lanka thrashed the English Team by 10 wickets .My money is on India beating Pakistan on current form . India then has a better chance of overcoming a fine Sri Lankan team on home ground .Inshallah and Amen .
I am reproducing below an article of mine which was written in 2007 after the last World Cup held in West Indies when both India and Pakistan were sent home in the preliminaries before the knockout matches .
K.Gajendra Singh Delhi 28 March , 2011.
FOUNDATION FOR INDO-TURKIC STUDIES
Tel/Fax ; 0040213163021 Amb (Rtd) K Gajendra Singh
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www.tarafits.com 18 April, 2007.
India and the Cricket World Cup
Cocktail of Gladiators & Moolah with Racial Overtones
by K. Gajendra Singh Boloji.com , Chowk.com 18 April, 2007
"The last positive thing England did for cricket was invent it." Ian Chappell.
"My definition of a foreigner is someone who does not understand cricket." Anthony Couch.
"The people of India -- they are the ones whose attention, enthusiasm and love and support drive the great game, and business, of cricket in this country, and around the world." Greg Chappell.
Although in audience reach Cricket World Cup does not match football but in passions, racial overtones , money making and cheating it is like a heady sports cocktail, brewed since Greek Olympic games and Roman gladiator combats.
In the current 2007 World Cup, the stunning exit of India and Pakistan left passionate billion and half followers of the game in the subcontinent in a daze and disgust triggering Tsunami like disaster for the commercial operators nurturing and feeding on the game. It was as if Germany and Brazil were ousted by India and Pakistan in football World Cup preliminaries.
"Cup loses fizz as big teams fall " wrote Scyld Berry in Sunday Telegraph adding "Nobody is going to watch the advertisements designed for the hundreds of millions of Indian viewers aspiring to a mobile phone, a motorbike, a fizzy drink or a refrigerator."
Ever since cricket was transformed by Australian TV entrepreneur Kerry Packer from organized loafing by clad- in-white fools, wherein even five 6-day long Test matches many times produced no victors, into a day long pulsating combats by multi colored gladiators in former British colonies and a few other centers, this repetitive spectacle has morphed into a cash cow for marketers of white goods, consumer items, TV channels and advertising giants.
Including non-resident Indians from the poorest to the rich, India now contributes 70% of the game's revenue, the pie everyone wants a slice off.
Following the corporatisation of cricket in the era of consumerism , the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ,the apex organizing body netted annual revenues of Rs 500 crores.( $1 million= Rs 4.4 Crores ) Last year, it sold telecasting rights for Rs 2,750 crores! Air Sahara sponsorship rights for four years at a price tag of around 300 crores, Nike became Indian cricket's official kit sponsor for five years by spending a cool Rs 196.66 crores. The TV rights with Nimbus got Rs 2,714 crores. Indian Government Doordarshan channel made another Rs 160 crores.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) sold broadcasting rights for the current and the next World Cup for an even higher $1.1 billion (Rs 4,950 crores). Sony Entertainment Television sold advertising at Rs 5 lakhs for each 10-second spot, raking in an estimated Rs 350 crores to Rs 400 crores. But all these mega deals have almost been washed away in Caribbean waters. The sponsors are now wary of long term agreements. After all it is business, people are not watching cricket . Disgusted a council of 20 villages in the Indian state of Haryana banned watching cricket.
Dwarfing this is the money invested in betting , which is illegal in India. Called satta it takes place on the sly, made easier with internet and cell phones (which also helped nab match fixers and the corrupt players.) Estimates of betting in India vary from US$5 billion a year to as high as $40 billion. An India Pakistan match can exceed $250 million. For the World Cup, with 51 matches the estimates were up to $4 billion.
Now take India's star players. Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid make Rs 12 crores to 20 crores a year for endorsing products ranging from biscuits, shoes, cosmetics, cars to life insurance. Ganguly charges an annual fee of close to Rs 1.5 crore per endorsement. Even newcomers like Mahendra Singh Dhoni become multimillionaires overnight. But after the Caribbean debacle, for a match recently in Baroda, top Indian cricket stars were booed.
So you can imagine the losses all around. Instead of the 'scheduled' India- Pakistan encounter on 15 April, from south Asians, who did not cancel their reservations and turned up, Indians supported Ireland and Pakistanis Bangladesh. Ireland won.
West Indies' exit midway dampened even local interest. On its eight islands where the matches are being staged, the financial investments in infrastructure are being rendered in fructuous and could perhaps temporarily halt the game's march as a spectator sport to new centers, which the expected revenues would have funded. Bangladesh, the new boys on the block, who stunned fancied India and later even beat South Africa, bring exuberance and enthusiasm but little money in endorsements or to the games common kitty.
As Greg Chappell rightly commented it is the people of India who drive the game and the business in India and the world. If the Americans had learnt cricket before they threw out the British colonists, it would have become another ball game altogether. Yes, the Yanks do play, but a simpler and less sophisticated version of cricket and call it baseball.
Cricket fever affects even political life in India. Politicians are wary of cricket matches being played during election time. Attendance at election rallies simply dwindles. But the problem has been resolved by installing huge TV screens at venues to attract voters. Some years ago Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on a tour of India found little audience because of a cricket tournament. Advani's rath (a specially designed bus with state-of-the-art comforts and technology) was quickly fitted with TV screens to telecast the matches live. Viola ! In trooped the crowds.
The world controlling organization Imperial Cricket Club founded in 1909, morphed into International Cricket Conference in 1989. It now has 97 members; 10 full Members that play official 5 day long Test matches, 32 Associate Members, and 55 Affiliate Members. But the control is still manipulated by the white man (or his proxy). But India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh now provide half the top teams and should become the decider region.
Even before the second world war, as US economic muscle grew, the international financial centre shifted from London to Wall Street, New York. Washington with 25% contributions to UN income bullies it to toe its line. The HQ of ICC has already moved away from London to Sharjah in UAE towards the sub-continent.
The unspoken simmering tensions between the whites, the former rulers, and brown-blacks, the subjects, erupted into an almost open split a few years ago in South Africa after white umpires and arbiters unduly penalized Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan players, while white players were let off lightly for infringing the rules. India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have won the Cup once unlike the English, the New Zealanders and South Africans. West Indies twice and Australia thrice, the latter are the firm favorites for 2007.
A tragic element was added by the assassination of Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer, a white South African, soon after Pakistan's shock defeat by Ireland. Like other East West conflicts say in Iraq or Palestine , Western media hacks started coloring up the truth and accused Pakistan players by innuendos. Yes , there have been accidents and unsavory incidents. Umpires have been beaten up in the past sometimes, in the West Indies, when a local hero was given out. But an English eleven on a Pakistan tour, a few decades ago, took the cake. Unhappy with the Pakistani umpire's decisions, one evening it cornered him, smothered his head with a towel and bashed him up. Now only one of the umpires is local in bilateral games while neutrals stand for other games. The abrasive Australians while touring India with its media launch aggressive campaign against Indian umpires in the media. The gentle and timid Indians end up erring in their favor.
It was heartening that London's the Guardian, which is quite objective on Arab- Israel dispute, Iraq, and even Iran (not when British James Bonds intrude into Iranian waters), took a balanced approach to the Cup happenings. In "This innuendo about the Pakistan team is a disgrace ", Mike Marqese wrote on 26 March --that the reaction has more to do with stereotyping and hyperbole than the facts.
"It is a serious matter - as umpire Darrell Hair found out - to accuse a team, purely on the basis of supposition, of cheating to win a cricket match. It is an even more serious matter to accuse a team, or a player, of taking bribes to lose a match. But to accuse a player or a team of being involved in the death of their coach raises the stakes by several orders of magnitude." Hyperbole may be the bane of sports journalism but "The rush to judgment here is fuelled by that other bane of sports journalism, national stereotyping."
A quick verdict on Woolmer 's death would have taken away what ever attention remains from the Cup so it is as well that investigators are taking their own time.
BBC and MK
But trust Tony Blair's BBC, which gave only 2% time to the opposition viewpoint on the US-K led illegal war on Iraq with its objectivity when analyzed being the worst of the western channels i.e. CNN, ABC, DEF and others, to keep up the usual refrain.
In a piece titled" Is India's slip good for cricket? "on BBC website of 27 March, 2007, wrote one Mukul Kesvan (MK) [ Author of 'Men in White' - a book on cricket , what else] , that purging of Pakistan and India, the dysfunctional giants of South Asian cricket would act as a tonic to the Cup and make it a happier, less toxic tournament.
Continued MK "The arena-like excitement of ODIs was tailor-made for that great South Asian sport, chauvinism." "Defeat, especially at the hands of the old enemy, led to a suspension of cricketing relations (India stopped playing Pakistan in Sharjah after a sequence of defeats led to allegations of foul play) [The cheating etc is well established and the atmosphere generated only hate between Indian and Pakistani spectators –something West loves. But how Indian spectators clapped Pakistan's victory in Chennai and Pakistanis almost to a man stood up earlier cheering an Indian win, in hot spot Karachi, when the two resumed playing after many years in 2004.]
"The rise of the bookie and the phenomenon of match-fixing which nearly destroyed cricket's credibility as a competitive sport, was a by-product of the new South Asian audience for one-day cricket. – "The corruption that bookies have brought to the game has had foreign recruits like the late South African captain, Hansie Cronje, but it remains a sub-continental blight.
" And these bookies, these villains are South Asian - located in India and Pakistan for the most part, countries where the criminalization of betting has driven the betting 'industry' underground.--Cricket will buckle under the weight of the sullen, thin-skinned nationalism that Indian and Pakistani fans bring to the game and it can certainly do without the bookie-driven corruption that feeds off this perverse enthusiasm."
Of course MK 's book, advertised above will sell to even whites if written in a similar vein and BBC is delighted a brown man is trashing South Asians. He would even be invited to well paid seminars in the West . But MK is either being to BBC what Tony Blair is to George Bush or exposing his ignorance about the world of sports in which West dominates or tries to by hook and mostly by crook. Sports and arena combats remain vehicles of chauvinism and nationalism since the days of ancient Geek Olympics and Roman gladiator games.
On England's loss to New Zealand, commented Simon Hattenstone, "In September 2005 Andrew Flintoff was a national hero. England had won the Ashes and Freddie went on the lash for 32 hours. How we cheered when he told David Gower, the morning after the night before but not yet halfway through his epic bender, "To be honest with you, David, I'm struggling. I've not been to bed yet and the eyes behind these glasses tell a thousand stories."
"We celebrated with him, we laughed at the story that he urinated in the garden at No10, we marveled he was still upright as he walked off the bus, the word "twat" scrawled on his head.
"Eighteen months and one Ashes whitewash on, Flintoff is a national disgrace. After spending the night drinking following World Cup defeat by New Zealand, "borrowing" a pedalo (now known as a Fredalo) for a jape, capsizing and nearly drowning, he has been relieved of the vice-captaincy and outed by the management team as a serial drinker with a problem. Am I the only one confused? What are the rules - you can only drink when you're winning?"
After the match fixing scandals exploded, top Indian cricketers like Azharuddin , Ajay Jadeja and others were banned from playing, In 1994 Salim Malik was accused of attempted bribery by Shane Warne and Mark Waugh but they themselves accepted payment from bookies for providing information, an incident which was downplayed by Australian authorities. South Africans are wary of letting some of its stars investigated in India.
Does MK watch proletarian but immensely more popular football game. He has perhaps not heard of English football fans, the hooligans, any day much worse than the Indian fans .They acquired notoriety across the continent and gave nightmares on match evenings to European police till they were tackled on a war footing by combined EU forces. Teams and venues where fans indulged in hooliganism, were punished. The Turks in Istanbul were ready when fans of an English club came over to play, injuring and even killing some of them.
English footballer Beckham, past his prime, is still hero worshipped at home, even when he was benched by his Spanish Football Club, which bought this brand, shelling out tens of millions of Euros. Now the 'Bend like Beckham ' brand will play football, where else but in USA , the mother of all brand names, where the game is called soccer.
As for money, match fixing and corruption, the dictator- coaches (Compared to English coach Ferguson and others, poor Greg Chapell is but a lamb and Wright only a kid when dealing with the Indian matador cricketers .Or Woolmer was allegedly slapped by Shohaib Akhtar), not only football but most games like boxing, tennis, cycling, athletics et al are brimming over. But so much money is involved that no one dare expose the corrosive truth. A few revelations only indicate the tip of the tip of the iceberg.
Some controversy was added when Sunil Gavaskar rightly criticized the uncouth behavior of Australian cricketers who now are at the top in both the Test cricket and ODIs. West Indies ruled cricket for a decade black washing the Australians time and again but they remained gentlemen players. Unfortunately the Australians have reduced the game to fisher men brawls or miners quarrels. While Sunil's example of Australian cricketer David Hookes who was killed in a brawl outside a nightclub was unfortunate, for which Sunil, the gentleman, soon apologized but whole of Australia came down on him heavily.
Recently after the Australians had won and received the Champions Cup in Mumbai, India from BCCI President Sharad Pawar, a senior Minister in the Indian Government, they pushed him off for a photo op, in full public view, causing great consternation and anger in India .Would Australian footballers imitate their abrasive and foul mouthed cricket champions in bruising and abusive play in Istanbul if their level got that advanced.
But this kind of behavior is only to be expected from the Australians, including their politicians, diplomats and journalists. In fact the Australians glory in being boorish and uncivilized. Recently Prime Minister Howard criticized Obama ,an Afro-American Democratic presidential candidate, and injected racial overtones. An Australian newspaper commented that Howard would normally cross the road to insult a political opponent but this time he crossed a continent. He was properly dealt with by Obama which in cricket parlance would mean hit for a six.
It is said that English captain Sir Wally Hammond would avoid shaking the Australians by hand, with some persons implying because of his distaste for Australia being a former Penal colony.
To eliminate coarse and unbecoming behavior many sport associations have taken stringent measures, specially in Tennis . Swearing, shouting even hitting the ground with the racket, called racket abuse, is penalized. Such measures must be introduced so that the gentleman's game of cricket does not descend to a wrestling arena for exchanging abuses.
Racism
The Greek victory over Persians at Marathon in 490 BC, which the colonial and neo-liberal historians claim the first of the West over East, is now rubbed in as the Marathon race in Olympic games. Is it not a celebration of racism? What if an Iranian won it. Now a days athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya dominate it. How about naming some equestrian event as Manzikert Cup to celebrate Turkish horsemen victory over the Byzantine cavalry in 1071 near lake Van, which took the Turks right up to gates of Vienna?
There is an old cricket story about Sir Ranjit Sinhji (Ranji), a petty Indian Prince of Kathiawar, who invented the leg glance and played for England. After he had executed an elegant leg glance against arch enemy Australia, an English Lord remarked proudly-'one of our own Princes'. Ranji was out the next ball ."Dirty nigger", exploded His Lordship. The English are jolly good sportsmen when winning but not when losing. The national Indian cricket championship honors Ranji who some claim did not even deign to don Indian colors.
The football players from impoverished Africa, physically fitter and hungry for wealth and fame, now dominate many Clubs in Europe and national teams. Look at the French, the English and the Dutch teams color compositions. But racism, which has surfaced afresh in European society after the demise of secular and egalitarian communist and socialist block is becoming a cancer in Europe. Many teams have been warned after their supporters indulged in racist chants and actions. Of course racism is not chauvinism. As for south Asian chauvinism, what is Western nationalism but official racist chauvinism?
Doping of athletes
Doping or administration of drugs to enhance athletic or other performances is an ancient practice. Roman gladiators used stimulants such as strychnine to pump themselves up for a battle. Some skeletons when examined confirmed this. In modern times the word appeared in the early 1900s. Doping is done through gene therapy i.e. by inserting genes into a cell which instruct the body to produce large amounts of a hormone, protein, or other natural substance that enhance performance. With the hope that these doping drugs would not be detected.
There have been complaints of doping of cricketers. Drunkenness with allied activities among British cricketers are well documented and reported with glee and envy in English tabloids. Before the current cup two Pakistan fast bowlers Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar and Mohamad Asif were withdrawn at the last moment. They had flunked the dope tests but were then cleared. Australian leg spinner Shane Warne was banned only for a year, when his mother administered him performance enhancing drug (always blame the poor mother) and not two or three, otherwise how could he have established the record of highest number of wickets. Sri Lanka spinner Muralitharn, who is likely to overhaul it was harassed and no balled by Australian umpires and not others to make life more difficult for him.
There are numerous examples of doping in recent history from other sports, specially athletics. Sprinter Marion Jones of USA, who won five Olympic gold medals, allegedly used drugs. Once the testing methods improved and someone blew the whistle on dope makers, her performance slipped dramatically. And of many others. Boxer Jason Giambi of New York says he turned to steroids beginning in 2001. Ken Caminiti, once an 'Outstanding Player' insisted half the players in baseball shared his steroid weakness, he died at 41 of a cocaine overdose.
Of course Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who lowered the old 100-meter mark at the 1988 Olympics, was found using illicit testosterone. But Carl Lewis, his rival and supposedly Mr. Clean and a loud one for two decades, had reportedly failed drug tests before the '88 Olympics (the charges came only after his retirement).
And of course the ever popular Diego Maradona from the slums of Argentina - the Pele of the generation- was expelled from the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for too many drugs to count. Apart from American Tour de France star Lance Armstrong since 1999, Richard Virenque of France, Italy's Marco Pantani (dead) of a drug overdose last winter) and, most recently, Tyler Hamilton of the United States have all tested positive for steroids or blood-enhancing EPO.
Reminds one of many western politicians and media, with CIA chief claiming a 'slam dunk' proof of Iraq buying Uranium from Niger, weapons of mass destruction and Iraq's linkage with Al Qaeda, as the causes belli for attacking Iraq. All turned out to be lies and spins. USA remains a super power in manipulating world sports and inventing better masking of drugs than Canada, so Lewis gained over Johnson. Soviet Union and the East block nations did well in sports and games and were often accused by the Western media of doping. But after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, athletes and sportspersons from those nations are doing very well, with Russia producing an array of female star tennis players, some very attractive ones too. Impoverished US Blacks do well in athletics and sports (and music) because of better physique (and sense of rhythm) and also because these are the only fields left open to them.
The list of doping is long and endless. It is like a cat and mouse game, with big powers helping out their athletes and players. I am convinced that majority of sportsmen and women use drugs.
India's Loss to Bangladesh and the Third battle of Panipat
The loss to Bangladesh raised as much storm as the stunning defeat at Panipat in 1761 might have . If the team India was coached by Australian Greg Chappell then the fighting forces of Hindustan were trained by French artillery experts and were led by Maratha Chieftain Sadashiv Bhau, with Vitthal Vinchurkar and Damaji Gaikwad in toe .
The World Cup debacle took place under the leadership of Marathas again. BCCI is headed by Maratha chieftain Sharad Pawar with another Maratha Dilip Vengsarkar, the chief of selectors. Sachin Tendulkar, who once reminded the all time great Don Bradman of himself was an abysmal failure both against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka .
Tendulkar has averaged 12 against Australia in the last five matches, less than 25 in the last five matches against South Africa and 19 in the last five matches against Sri Lanka. He is tarnishing his own pristine record and image. No one now talks of him along with Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara or even Mohamad Yusuf of Pakistan.
Wrote New Zealand's Richard Hadlee, one of the greatest all rounders and selector; "Aching muscles, taking longer to get over injuries, lack of desire to train or practice, boredom when playing, lack of enjoyment, having achieved one's goals leaving nothing else to strive for and picking up a pay packet for the wrong reasons -- all these are sure indicators that it is time to call it quits."
Ian Chappell, Greg's, equally brilliant elder brother and cricket captain, but not beyond using underhand trick or bowling, also suggested that Tendulkar retire. Lara and Pakistan captain Inzzeman have retired from ODIs.
Like dissensions in Panipat, there were differences with the coach and among Indian players, with Bengali Saurav refusing to speed up scoring in team's interest. In Panipat, it was a battle lost by Marathas than won by Afghans. There were strategic blunders and internal bickering. The Panipat battle was won by young reserve Afghan troops of Ahmed Shah Abdali, as was the match by young enthusiastic Bangladesh lads.
But Indian players, like politicians, refuse to retire as there is so much money now, Ganguly being the example. And how the regionalism raises its head. When Ganguly was rightly outed from the team, the whole of Bengal batted for him, including politicians, even in the Parliament. If the politicians had a free hand they might even demand reservations based on caste quota.
Indian Cricketers
Now a days millionaire Indian cricketers behave like matadors, not realizing that they are more like gladiators and failure means death and financial oblivion. Indian cricketers rarely surprise me.
But I was surprised that they were beaten by Bangladesh even though they had not done too well in tours of West Indies and South Africa or in the Champions' Trophy .The team had not jelled. Some of the players were trying to get into form against Sri Lanka at home. Injured earlier, Yuvraj Singh did not have enough match practice and ran himself out against Sri Lanka. It was also a mistake to put the future of Indian innings and the team by trying to get Viru Shewag into form against Bangladesh, which had beaten not only India earlier but even humbled the mighty Australia. Sri Lanka were in good nick .This put pressure on Shewag and on the other opener, Robin Uthappa, who could not be sure of his place and feel settled.
Shewag might have scored the first ever and only Indian triple Test century, but he relies purely on body balance and timing. Wealth from endorsements and age slow one down. Coach John Wright used to say that Sehwag was fearless but family responsibilities bring on anxiety. One wrong slice over the slips, a four or even a six in the past could now cost him and family tens of millions of rupees in lost endorsements.
Frankly, Dravid is not a great captain, certainly not at par with Ganguly. It was considered a great sacrifice on Dravid's part when he opted to open in Pakistan, when Ganguly's position was in doubt. It appeared basically a team ploy to keep Saurav out of the eleven. If only Saurav had justified his place in the team. But he would make an excellent non-playing captain.
In many countries politicians happily become ordinary ministers after having been Prime Ministers, but not in caste ridden India. Saurav's return did cause some tensions. Sachin' elevation to Vice Captain was to keep him out if Dravid was disabled. When Saurav was penalized for 4 matches, he should have utilized the time to correct his flaws, which he had to do eventually. But as in Indian politics, a week is a long time.
In some ways Sachin is like Byon Borg of Tennis, an outstanding player but unable to handle personal matters and would face post retirement blues. On the cricket battlefield masses and sponsors want performance. Commitments and dedication alone won't do. There are thousands of young dedicated Indians waiting in the wings.
Some High tides in Indian cricket
In 1983 , I was posted at Bucharest and had gone out with my son Tinoo for lunch at the Japanese ambassador's villa on lakes Snagov. The other ambassadors were somewhat intrigued by my trying to get hold of a transistor, as there was no international crisis. Indian score of 183 depressed me. We came back home and before going for my siesta Tinoo wanted to listen to the scores. I said we would lose in any case, so why bother. He even said that there could be miracles but seeing my mood gave up . But I was woken up by the Pakistani Ambassador who congratulated me on the victory. I said why are you pulling my leg. Only when he insisted I tuned in and was absolutely delighted. In return in Amman in 1992, in spite of Pakistan 's indifferent form in the league matches, I had bet with the Ambassador for their winning the Cup and went over for celebrations with champagne.
After the 1983 World Cup triumph India won comfortably the champions Trophy in Australia. In January 1985 India was playing against Pakistan in Sharjah and before going to the airport to take a flight to Bucharest via Karachi I listened to the commentary in late Vijay Tripathi's room in PMO. It was an unflattering score of hundred something but there was hope. When the door of Indian Airlines opened at Karachi and I stepped out, from the ladders bottom below, my host Consul General G Parthasarathy said loudly, all out for 87.
The Indian team did surprise me during Australia's tour of India in 2003, especially in the turnaround test in Calcutta .With the cohesion and the momentum forged under Saurav, team India did very well in the tests series in Australia too, which I followed over the internet from Brussels. Saurav himself scored a brilliant century (nothing like that has followed since then) in the first Test when as usual India had almost collapsed. On the whole everyone rose to the occasion, specially in batting and did splendidly well. But for some doubtful umpiring decision to give a resounding farewell to Australian captain Steve Waugh we ought to have won. Saurav, with his strong personality transformed a regional Indian team into Saurav team. Still he was amiss in insisting on having Bengal mate Deepankar Dasgupta and mascot Parthiv Patel in the team.
The victorious matadors on return home, got married, made pots of money and basked in adulation. But the team was still hungry with new find Irfan Pathan and Balaji and carried on their momentum in the series in an overawed Pakistan. All that Pakistan coach Javed Miandad would do in ODIs, was to signal from the dressing room to the last Pakistan batsman to hit a six, which he once did in Sharjah. With their coffers full following the Indian visit, Pakistan could afford a foreign coach and did rather well except for the latest fiasco. It is from the money from Indian matches that Bangladesh could also afford a foreign coach.
When the team India returned home from Pakistan, the gladiators collected all the kudos, bachelors got married, put on weight and tried to live on their reputation. Under Chappell's coaching, the youngsters were enthused and the team did well but the old matadors would not be disciplined. The Zimbabwe visit resulted in a totally out of form Ganguly being rightly deprived of the captaincy. But it ignited Bengali nationalism in full. Zahir Khan went on a 'study tour 'of English counties and returned a better bowler. The team did well at home but in the last West Indies visit and since then the performance was uninspiring.
Money remains the motivation
With sustained economic growth and increasing wealth every one is coming over to India for a slice of the pie. Seeing religion like passion for cricket in India and sensing the despair over cricket defeat and potential for making hay by filling the void FIFA President Sepp Blatter on the first ever visit by a President said "We want to wake up the sleeping giant. In the 1960s, the national team was good, but India has probably lost its way." Western investors or the British on a weapons sale pitch always repeat this never failing mantra of a great power on a people hungry for greatness."
A few years ago, suddenly, the international fashion industry entered the bludgeoning Indian cosmetic market by selecting a few Indian beauties at international contests. As if Indian women suddenly became beautiful (One from Nigeria too, the largest and richest nation in Africa. It is another matter that the concept of beauty in Nigeria is for bosomy and bottomy ones). It was just an opportunity for fashion corporate interests to cash in.
India now has former Test cricketers from all over the world pouring into India at the drop of a hat, for well paid commentaries and writing columns, many ghost written by Indians. Just cashing on brand names. They have all come to love India, for its money. Mr Geoff Boycott, perhaps the most boring killjoy opening batsman, is often in India .To earn popularity he named Saurav, the Prince, but in his heydays would not even deign visiting India with MCC teams. Nowhere else were visiting cricketers treated better than in India even then, but for Mr Geoff Boycott, there was perhaps not enough moolah. To partake in the sudden popularity of MS Dhoni, even wily Commando Gen Musharraf dipped in by publicly admiring his long locks. But after his totally abysmal performance, public is now attacking his villa with a swimming pool et al.. As if Solomon has lost his locks.
A large number of young Indians, even from small towns, because of tremendous amount of money as rewards, are being attracted into cricket, with full support from their families, especially mothers. Thus spreading the net for selecting boys from larger numbers in a population of over one billion. The number of boys who have dedicated themselves to the hard task of fast bowlers is commendable and the results are there to see. At no time in the past was there such a glut of fast bowlers. In fact if one falters then twice that many youngsters are ready to fill the breach. But the problems are the immovable batsmen.
Indian diet and genes
In early 1990s in Ankara, I invited for lunch a young Indian Davis cup player, whose father was top world ranked player in another game and asked him why India did not do well in Tennis or other sports. He replied that perhaps there was something in the Western genes which made them superior physically. While waiting for some consular problem to be resolved, another Indian Davis cup player told me in Paris in 1970s why Vijay Amritraj, who was considered as good as Jimmy Connors and Byon Borg did not realize his potential. Because in spite of all the talent Amritraj was just not prepared to go through the grind of 10 hours practice day in and day out as most Westerners do.
It is said that Srinath, the best medium fast bowler after Kapil Dev was a vegetarian. When he asked for tips from a Pakistani veteran he was advised to first add chicken to his diet for strength and stamina if he wanted to be a fast bowler. Look at Indians' diet, the poor ones barely exist. Among the middle and rich classes the diet is not conducive to good health and stamina. Except for some 'outcasts' and tribals, and Rajputs, majority of the Indians have been vegetarians for millennia. Potatoes, chilies, tomatoes, were introduced by invaders. Protein rich Soya, healthy Sun flower oil are recent additions. Apart from wheat and rice, what did average Indian live on, useless protein less vegetables, lauki and tori and some beans and lentils for proteins, over centuries and centuries. The genetic results, physically dwarfed specimens are there for all to see. In games like Rugby we dare not even participate, not even our army teams, bastions of physical fitness.
The nouvo-riche with rich diets and not enough exercise are becoming prone to cardiac and other diseases. Before ample number of Indians can afford healthy food and acquire sporting habits , we must select people, who have lived on a meat diet of whatever kind and those living active hard lives. Kenyans from certain hilly areas are doing exceptionally well in middle and long distance runs .So are the Ethiopians. But we would have leaders of creamy layers thrusting their boys if coaching academies are established.
Some Observations
In Indian political tradition BCCI head Pawar announced 'drastic measures' to set things right , including committees. When things go wrong in a ministry or in district, in spite of the politicians being mostly responsible, the civil servants end up as scapegoats and are punished. The blame has been passed on to others by BCCI. Ajit Wadekar, under whose captaincy came first ever Indian cricket wins abroad in West Indies and England was right when he suggested that Pawar must resign.
But the myth of ministerial responsibility, if it were ever true, expired long ago. Indian sports authorities have been taken over by politicians (followed by policemen) and used for political and economic gains and have suffered. It is a sub-continental disease, politicians messing up sports, in Pakistan, it is the generals. For all his faults it was a businessman Dalmiya who by increasing cricket revenues attracted enormous talent for the game in India and strengthened BCCI's leverage against white dominated ICC.
Another major problem in India's culture and religion is stress on individuality. For example individual religious salvation unlike say in Islam, Buddhism or Sikh religion, where generally the emphasis is on community approach. Or in music where like in the West the orchestra never took roots. Another example is research papers produced by Indians. A survey of research articles some years ago showed joint authorship as follows: India ( 3.6%), UK (20.4%), USA (44%). Single authorship, India (65.50), USA (35.6%).Therefore, in team events, Indians do not do well. They might do quite well in individual games like Tennis or Badminton or individually in Cricket.
Speculative by nature Indians look for a miracle- a short-cut, hence the popularity of a chance game, like Cricket specially ODIs. Indian players become experts in drop shots in Tennis and Badminton or bowl deceptive googly. It is well established that if one works hard, 10-12 hours a day to build up stamina, strength, ability and mental resilience, after 8/10 years, one can reach World level in Tennis or Badminton but barring Krishnans and Amritraj brothers in Tennis and in Badminton, players and athletes of world standard rarely emerge from the Indian soil.
Krishnans and Padukone were masters of the touch-game i.e. drop shots and deception. Deception is sanctioned even in divine manifestation. Rama hiding behind a tree to kill Bali or lies about the setting Sun to kill Jaydrath or false death of Aswathama (horse) in Mahabharata.
One cannot blame the Indian climate entirely, as some tend to do, since the climate of Indonesia, Thailand is no less innervating than of India, but Indonesians, Thais and Malaysians keep on producing one world champion after another in the game of their choice, Badminton. They beat Indians in most other sports too like football. Look at our abysmal record. Poverty cannot be the sole reason either. Why cannot we produce world-cup footballers as do the slums of Brazil, Argentina, and other nations in Latin America.
What really focuses and still fascinates the Indian mind is the 1983 win. Faced by a hostile West Indies attack India were dismissed for 183. But it was an astonishing catch by skipper Kapil Dev who sprinted back 20 yards to latch onto the skier from the marauding blade of the great Viv Richards. It turned the game around and the famed West Indies batting machine inexplicably failed by 43 runs. Earlier India got a real scare when it was five wickets down for just 17 runs on board against lowly Zimbabwe. But an inspired Kapil innings of 175 saved the day. On the way Australia thrashed India by over 180 runs. Great believers in Astrology, the masses believe that miracles would and could occur again.
Greg Chappell "if you want to be like Australia, you can't run your cricket like Zimbabwe."
For being a good coach you need other qualifications than just being good in that sport. Generally when India or Pakistan appoint retired stars as coaches, they owe allegiance to a region or are beholden to those who helped them in their career. They also have their favorites among the current crop of players. Politicians pressurize them. Generally they are unable to enforce discipline. Only a stern man like Greg can. If Kapil were made the coach, the players would say Bhraji ( elder brother ), let us drink beer- sheer and enjoy Murga (chicken). We will do the fielding practice tomorrow. They might take Sunil Gavaskar to Srikhand party or Bengali delicacies at Eden Gardens.
Caste system has penetrated all walks of life including the game, in a modified way. Top batsmen and bowlers would not improve their fielding as if they are high caste Brahmins and Kshatryas would not do Shudra's (untouchables) work. Hindustan had no revolution and remains profession –born- into oriented. Even in time of perils, only the warrior classes were expected to fight the enemies .The Indian society did not evolve that all take all responsibilities.
In politics, in many countries, say Turkey, politicians who have been Prime Ministers agree to become ministers in changing coalitions. Not In India. Once a Brahmin, the highest in hierarchy, always a Brahmin. The inappropriate Indian electoral system from a small island has only strengthened the pernicious caste system which along with regional and state loyalties has acquired a stranglehold in running of sports, both in training and selection. As in other matters Muslims suffer from similar caste prejudices in Pakistan, made worse by so called Ashraffs vs the converts. Former captains in Pakistani teams create problems there, made worse by Generals, who never shed their uniforms.
In classic Indian hockey we had a fixed 1,2,3 and 5 system, which the Western put paid to when more of them took to the game. In football positions are exchangeable. This of course demands fitness and stamina. In Indian cricket all rounders have come up more by chance than a belief in tying everything. In school days the students would be classed as sportsmen or scholars. You could not excel in both. Sports need intelligence and resilience apart from stamina and skill at higher levels. Without brains you can go up only up to a point. For decades top policemen in Punjab recruited barely literate youngsters as Assistant Sub-inspectors, put them to playing hockey only. They did well for themselves and India too, till Europeans and Australia took to the game seriously and applied their all round training skills, making Indian tricolor fly at hockey meets now a days a rare thing.
Only Foreign coaches have insisted on physical fitness, improved fielding and firmness in dealing with gladiators past their prime. Tendulkar is an exception being treated like God. In Australia with his recent poor performance he would have been shown the door as was Ganguly. In 1950s and 60s opening batsman Pankaj Roy was Bengals' permanent representative in the Indian XI. After 5 poor scores he would score a fifty and continue for another series. Ganguly's return created tensions. The methods introduced by Chappell were making some inroads into insidious south Asian disease. A foreign coach with strong personality is a must to overcome the disease.
K Gajendra Singh, Indian ambassador (retired), served as ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan from August 1992 to April 1996. Prior to that, he served terms as ambassador to Jordan, Romania and Senegal. He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies. Copy right with the author. E-mail: Gajendrak@hotmail.com
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