That day of the year.

Another 26/11 has dawned. Kasab is still alive and the 26/11 probe will go on till Sun Tv broadcasts the 1 millionth episode of some serial. Kanimozhi will even get bail, but Kasab will not be hanged, nor will India's elite anti-terror units get what weapons they request for. And we will remember the martyrs who saved our haves staying in the Taj and the Oberoi, and the cops at CST who tried to save our have-nots and Tukaram Omble, who was killed trying to apprehend Kasab.

Mumbai will forever be in fear and Indian media will forever telecast the happenings of 26th November 2008. Petrol prices swell and so do our netas pockets, with no relief to the common man's burden. While prices of essential items in TN have been increased to an extent that Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia's Rs. 32/ day norm looks like a figure that he might have reached if he was planning for India during Shahenshah Akbar's time.

Kolaveri takes the nation by storm but the kolaveri that we actually need here is something that Sharad Pawar was given a taste of. When one politician gets just slapped there is a huge furore and such unity displayed, which sadly is missing when all our money goes waste in the form of parliament sessions - which never take place. Thousands of Indians are starving across the country, while all our MLAs and MPs eat 4 sumptuous meals a day.

When the voting public who voted people to power struggle to get into a bus and reach their shifts on time, our CMs and PM happily stop the traffic to reach their bathrooms to have a nice comfortable shit.


Yet another 26/11 dawns and the aam aadmi is still not sure of whether he will return home to die another day, while no good politicians who have done almost everything to ensure that they live happily till they die are given Z category security - and just because of one slap/slipper. An entire nation clamours for that kind of security from terrorism, corruption, weekly price rises and whatnots that have been imposed on the people. When will we get it?

Another 26/11 will dawn next year and who knows what we might be seeing then?

Talents gone waste...

I am writing this post just after Messers. Salman Butt, Mohd. Amir and Mohd. Asif have been found guilty of charges of spot fixing which was levelled against them. It is such a sad thing that cricketers have failed to learn from one man who brought the game into disrepute a few years ago. But that man had the guts to accept his guilt. That man was Hansie Cronje.

I had great respect for Hansie Cronje, and I still do respect him, just for the one reason that he stood up and accepted his crime. Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif had the guts, not to accept their crime, but to stand up and say that they did not do it. Not only that, they even traded shit about each other.

Everyone would remember Salman Butt's classic century against India in Kolkata a few years back. An innings that I can still watch just for those classy square drives which he played and the fantastic footwork that he displayed against the spinners, to steer Pakistan to victory and end undefeated.

It's such a pity that such talent goes wasted in their lust for money. I have always enjoyed watching good cricket, no matter who plays it. I would even confess that I am a fan of Wasim Akram and I have enjoyed watching Saeed Anwar bat (Yes. I did hate his monstrous 194 against India), and No that does not make me a fan of Pakistan cricket. It's just a few of their cricketers that I like.

During their prison terms, no doubt all three of them would, at some point of time, regret what they have done. However, regretting that is no punishment for bringing the game into disrepute. Hansie Cronje did not go to prison, I don't know why, but he was banned for life. One thing about Cronje was that he had the guts, I say again, the guts to accept to what he did - That itself showed that Cronje was remorseful of his crime. Something that these young cricketers failed to do. They chose to defend themselves of a crime, which they took part in and were blatantly guilty of.

Why is it that the lust for money made so many talented cricketers into such cheap low lives who would sell their career, the great game and even their countries? It is so sad to see such talents go waste...

The game can no longer take hits like this... All those who love cricket as much as I do, would love to see the game live beyond generations and I hope those professionals (who play the game and read this article) would care to make the game a cleaner one.