I P L ------------> Platform of Creation or Platform of Destruction ?

                                           In India Cricket is almost considered to be a religion. Cricket has become an integral part of everyday life be it One Day International (ODI), Test Matches or even T20 Matches. Test Matches and ODIs have been there for a long time and the latest addition to it is T20. When the first World Cup for T20 took place, it stepped into the international arena in a bigger way. It is no that the concept was not there. It was very much present in the English County. This brought about a great change and slowly was born out of it a tournament in Indian Domestic Sphere popularly known as IPL.

                 Indian Premier League commonly known as IPL is the latest hot thing that is taking place in India every year during the months of April-May since 2008. It is a Twenty-twenty format. It has got itself enrolled in the list of festivals prevalent in India and it is called the Cricket Festival. The length of this tournament can have a parallel comparison with Durga Puja (5 continuous days) or even Ganesh Puja which continues for a number of days. It's not only the similarity about the kind of continuous time span but also the fact about building of new idols every year and the 'bisorjon' period after the festival is over.
                                   
                 IPL can be called the brainchild of the then IPL commissioner Lalit Modi. But the concept was taken from Indian Cricket league (ICL) which was labelled as a rebel league by BCCI and IPL was developed to crush it. But that doesn't take away any credit from Lalit Modi. He showed how  
' Desi ' talent can be bred in an International environment. Thus started the luxurious, glamorous, stunning, money wielding business called the IPL.
           
         
                We all know that every thing initially looks beautiful when the polish and shine is there. So it appeared to us that this is perhaps the best opportunity for the youngsters to showcase their talent while playing for their respective franchise and also to get in touch with International Players like Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Mahela Jayawardana etc. Indeed it became a great platform for them as we also got the chance to see the pool of players that our Country has in reserve. 
                1st season went by, 2nd season went by and then as the polish rubbed off the sleeping danger raised its head. From 3rd season we started to see something which we never dreamt of. Internationally renowned cricketers started to retire mostly from Test Cricket to focus more on T20, be it IPL or for their country. Another trend followed it up where players started to represent IPL sides rather than their own country.
               This trend is mostly seen now within the young generation. They are new to the game and one season of good cricket and they have started to think and dream big thing for themselves. It's not bad to dream but they seemed to have overlooked the limitation.

               IPL has given chance to several youngsters from India. We have seen the likes of Ajankya Rahane, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aoron, Virat Kohli, Ashok Dinda, Manij Tiwary, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin and many others. Many of them have got a chance to represent the national team and are doing well. Many others are not so regular and many are in the waiting. Each year new talent is coming up. In that regard IPL has given a great platform. Even for foreign players this has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Many have been included in their national side after their fiery batting and bowling in the IPL. Big example is David Hussey who has now become a regular in the Australian side.

                                        But as we all know that even during the Churning of the sea along with Nectar of Life came up Poison, so also along with the upcoming of talent, every year corrosion is taking place. Money is the root of all the problems. If you have less money then also it's a problem and if you have more then also it's a problem. The young generation is seeing huge money all of a sudden and it has been noticed that many are unwilling to play even the Ranji Trophies or other domestic tournaments these days as they are paid much less in the domestic circuit even if he is of a great caliber.
                                        There is passion inside them but it is slowly getting shrouded by the lust for money. It should, however, not be considered that everybody is like this. There are innocent players also but their number is very little. After playing one or 2 good matches comparison starts even in News Channel discussion sessions. IPL should not become everybody's necessity to go high. They should work hard and take part in this kind of tournaments to get experience, see how the renowned foreign players prepare themselves. The glamour of IPL has swayed away the young minds and if it is not stopped on time then disaster for Indian Cricket is not far away.

                                       IPL has made the cricketers think about their game more than before. In a T20 match, a bowler has to constantly think and modify his bowling line and length for every ball because the batsman is always on the lookout for balls to hit to the boundary. Similarly the batsman has to play the right shot for a particular ball and so his concentration level has to be at the best level possible. It has made a captain also think more regarding bowling change and field placement though that has only a 50% advantage in this format.
                                       Simultaneously it has destroyed the class in a batsman. Now the batsmen often tries to go for unimaginable shots and succeeds also. Class batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Mahela Jayawardana, Kumar Sangakara and others will not be formed any more. Today we can have more players like Sehwag, Dhoni and Afridi but nobody with the temperament to play Test Matches (not only playing but also sticking to the pitch for hours) if asked to. Shots like ' Uper Cut ', ' Dil Scoop ' etc have come into forefront rather than ' down the ground ', ' cover drive ' etc. Ball is more in the air than on the ground these days. Players have lost the concentration level to a great extent which is not at all good.
                                     Bowlers have improved no doubt but with IPL, since money earning has become easier, so many are not willing to sweat out on the field for an entire day in Ranji Trophy or for 10 overs in limited overs cricket---be it for the National team or for the Domestic Tournament. That has posted a very bad advertisement and has raised several issues regarding IPL.

                                     International Players like Lasith Malinga decided to play for an IPL franchise rather than representing his country and also retired from Test Cricket to focus more on the limited overs. Chris Gayle had a long dispute with his National Board over several things, one of which was IPL, and later returned to his Team after much discussion. There are other examples also. Kevin Peterson of England decided to retire from One Day Cricket and wanted to play only in Test Matches and T20 matches and tournaments including the IPL. he was totally banished by ECB from all formats. But nobody can be seen saying : "I want to retire from T20 Cricket and focus on the other two".
                                    IPL has brought with itself both the good and the bad elements. We have identified several negative factors and it's time to rectify them. Match-fixing scandals are also been reported which is a black-spot in the name of Cricket. On one hand it has built players, on the other hand it has destroyed players. It's full of entertainment no doubt and we all want it to stay, but we would like it to be just a medium of entertainment and just a stage for youngsters to show their potential. We can only wish that it doesn't get polluted any more with sky high dreams and unachievable ambitions.


LET US ALL ALLOW CRICKET TO LEAD HIS OWN LIFE 
                     IN HIS OWN PURE WAY
                                         
                                           

INDIA-------->A Country of the Third World

                                   In numerical the order is like this------ 1,2 and then 3. In sports also there are three people who gets an award each-----1st, 2nd and 3rd. It might appear a bit strange that I highlighted only 3 in both the lines and also included ' Third ' in the title. There is no harm in being 3rd or being 3. But that is at the personal level. What happens when a Country is labelled as Third? In Olympics or other sports it's okay. But if it is named as "Third World Country" then? 

           Before we discuss anything about India being a Third World Country we should discuss certain details which gave birth to this term itself. Let's go back in time for that. The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define the countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO(which along with its allies represented the First World ), or communism and the Soviet Union (which along with its allies represented the Second World ). This definition provided a way of broadly dividing the nations of Earth into three groups based on Social, Economic and Political divisions. 
                       But due to many of the Third World Countries being extremely poor, it suddenly became the custom to refer to under-developed countries as the Third World. Here in comes India. It is often said that these countries are slowly coming up but still not there. The term lost its original meaning and became something else and India started getting looked down upon.

                       Today after so many years of Independence, however, we are slowly earning respect from the outside world. We have almost a stable economy, great leaders to lead the country, beautiful cities, good military strength etc. People in cities enjoy a great life. There are schools and colleges with good faculty that give education of a high level, good corporate sectors which provide jobs to several people every year. We have shopping malls with latest fashion and trends, cinema halls with an International Atmosphere, restaurants which present the taste of the world on the plate etc. People can afford to have a lavish life, many can afford to have personal cars and personal drivers also. For amusement we have amusement parks and discos for the young generation.
                       Even in many villages these days there is electricity, proper water system to water the field, tractors and fertilizers for the crops to grow, schools etc. Government is trying to better their condition all the time. Seeing this, debaters can easily debate that it's high time that India should be removed of the tag of a Third World Country and freed from being looked upon as an under-developed nation. But these developments are just one side of the coin. The other side depicts something else.
                       Poverty in India is the biggest barrier to rise to the top level of Development. Poverty and poor condition has contributed directly to the illiteracy factor. Illiteracy has lead to blind faith and holding on to old customs which has no practical meaning and this directly and indirectly is affecting the progress. Modern facilities have reached many villages but there are still many villages in India where even basic needs are not met. There is dearth of water, food and life is terrible in those areas. Electricity is a dream for them. 

                       Effect of illiteracy is immense. Even after so many years of Independence, in villages women are burnt with suspect that they are being possessed by some evil-spirit. Child Marriage is very much prevalent in places outside the range of our eyes. Condition is remote places of India is still in the medieval ages. Cities tend to hide it's other face with the glamour and glitter but harsh truth is that condition of cities are also not upto the mark.
                      


           Mumbai, considered to be the Business and Entertainment Capital of India has the largest slum present in India. It's unimaginable but true. Not only Mumbai but also in other developed cities of India people can be seen begging on the streets. Poor children trying to sell candlesticks at the traffic signal is a tearful sight to watch. But what to do it's reality.
                      
          

                       

                      Child Labour just adds salt to this wound. Young children can be seen carrying luggage as a porter in railway stations, working in tea-stalls and though it has been banned in India still it can be seen in open daylight.
                      





                      The health facility is no better. We do have many hospitals and also some well-furnished and well-equipped ones, but not affordable always by the common men. People often cannot buy the basic medicine needed for them because of money. 
                      This is the real picture of India. It's reality lies in this. For this to be removed, poverty and illiteracy should be the first things to be taken care of. Then only we can march forward and claim our rightful position and Title. It's not that those countries which are part of the First and Second World are all better than us. If Third World means countries who are underdeveloped then there are many among the top 2 who are in a much more worse condition than India.

                       It cannot be said that we are not progressing. We are, but the pace is very slow. Now a days people have started to understand the value of education and so we can still see amidst all the poverty children trying to study in street lamps under the open sky. Government of India is doing for them they can though they can do much more. Campaigns are being held to promote the necessity of Education and literacy but still it is in its early days. NGOs and other organizations are coming up to help people but still more effort is needed. 
                       
                 
                    We are really a Country of the Third World. We are still underdeveloped because a small section of the society can't represent the entire nation. But we are progressing. It's neither near nor far when we can stand up straight, held our heads up and question the World about their status. But the fight is still there and the journey has just began. 



                ~~~~~~~~~~~J A I   H I N D~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old Age Homes----> Pillars of Hope & Sadness

                              In Hinduism, human life is believed to comprise four stages. These are called "Ashramas" and every man should go through each of these stages. It was divided into four categories. They are ---->

1. The First Ashrama - "Brahmacharya" or the Student Stage
2. The Second Ashrama - "Grihastha" or the Householder Stage
3. The Third Ashrama - "Vanaprastha" or the Hermit Stage
4. The Fourth Ashrama - "Sannyasa" or the Wandering Ascetic Stage

                            The above model was followed years back and in this modern age it has almost seized to exist. Well, we think it has but many in this society of ours think otherwise and prefer to implement it. The elderly people of our generation believe that the young generation now-a-days doesn't pay any respect to old traditions and customs. So I guess a section of the younger lot have decided to pay the bygone customs a visit. But they could have selected something better than what they have decided to implement, something else which could have helped the society to move forward but they fell in LOVE with something that is slowly poisoning our society and leading the minimum values of life to its destruction.
                           We all know what Student Stage and Householder Stage means. Let us get familiar with Hermit Stage and Wandering Ascetic Stage. In Hermit Stage a man used to leave the house and go to the forest with his wife and spend the life of a hermit while in Wandering Ascetic Stage he used to renounce the world altogether.
                           The 3rd Stage has now come to life once more, Forests have now turned to Old Age Homes and now aged / retired people go there not out of choice but out of compulsion. Is such a thing desirable?
                           We are forgetting the basic definition of modernization. The youth have started to believe that if they can remove the people belonging to the old way of thinking then only they can become part of the 1st World. What they are overlooking is that in that attempt they are destroying our ethics and values which bind our society together. They are forgetting that the people whom they are sending to the old age homes are their own. They are their parents who have looked after them even before they were born.
                           It's a shame to the society which is allowing such a thing to happen. Why should there be old age homes for people who have children to look after them? But we have mainly for them these days. It is really a sad thing for entire mankind. A child cannot look after his/her parents. The parents have never once complained about looking after them, they have never said anything while tending to their every need. But what do they get in return? "Leave us alone. We want peace in life" etc-----> nothing more, nothing less.

                          All the people are not like this. Definitely not. But compared to them the rest of the society holds a greater percentage. Old age homes are increasing now a days. Elderly, aged, weak people are seen there, they spend the last days of their life together like a family. They smile but they do that to hide the pain deep down withing them. Some suffer from trauma, sadness. This pain and sadness cannot be cured nor can it be seen from outside. Some feel that they are perhaps better of without their family as they would have got nothing better than criticism for being old. They prefer to go to Ashrams or similar places meant for them and prefer to sign a virtual bond with life.
                         Is this scenario desirable? Some leave their aged mother or father at an old age home and go off to some foreign country promising them that on returning he would take them back. But it never happens. Time passes on and these old men/women become history for them. These are true facts prevalent in the society. Neglect of Parents have become such an issue that Indian Government has passed "The maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens bill 2006", which makes it imperative for adult children to look after their parents.
                         These elderly people feel sad but even in these moments they try to find some moments of joy by talking to other people with whom they are staying, sharing their past life and cherishing good old memories. One memory leads to another and so on. They might have been deprived of the love of their family which they created but in Old Age Home they find a bigger family sharing the same pain and same joy. Old Age Homes also provide shelter to people who have nobody else to look after them. In that regard it's a great thing for these kind of people.

                         Old Age Homes thus stand as the Pillars of both Hope and Sadness. It symbolizes life as a whole and provides a shade. It is almost like GOD is giving shelter to the people. Each and every brick and corner of such houses stores emotions and feelings of people who have lived there and tells tales of many miseries. But one have to have the ear to hear them.

                        We should make sure that our parents don't have to face such a scenario. They have looked after us, cared for us. Looking after them shouldn't be considered as a duty or responsibility but as a honour that GOD has bestowed upon us. I hope in future this scenario changes, but only time will tell. We can only hope and pray.