Fourth Estate – The Indian Perspective

Electronic & Visual Media have taken the Indian viewers by storm. There has been a spurt of Indian News Channels in the last half decade. As many as 25 Hindi/ English News Channels are on air as of today! Add to that the regional Private News channels (and I am not even counting the Doordarshan’s Regional News channels) and we are looking at 30-35 (if not more) news channels splashing news to us in their own unique style and setup.

Thanks to these channels I am always up-to-date with all the current events around me. Now I know “Who” Kissed “whom” at which party. I now know how some Rahul Mahajan took drugs. Even to the detail of how many glasses of champagne he had, which champagne he had and with which drink he had the fateful drug! The case was tried in media and judgment was delivered. It was an open and shut case as far as I was concerned. No more waiting for the verdict of highly paid Judges of High Court/ Supreme Court. I knew everything even before the police could decide on what case to put up for trial! Now that’s News! Going further, I now also know how the last rites of a political leader (Pramod Mahajan) were conducted – even to the detail of from where the woods (for the last rites) were brought! Some important International news (Indian “ishtyle”) that I was made to “know”: What does every foreign President/ Head of State eat when they are in India as a guest. I also came to know what they “liked” in the whole assemble of food prepared for them and how much did they eat while they were in the hotel. I now know the color of the rooms painted especially for the Head of States on visit to India. By the way, to the credit of these channels I am now also enlightened as to the type of food the recently caught cook of famous “Don” Dawood Ibrahim & Anees would cook regularly and which dish would the dons really like!! This news was served to me as an EXCLUSIVE Item! I mean nothing could be of more importance to me. After all National News channels were showing them as PRIME NEWS item and hence all the above and many more such important issues must be important to me!

I have now understood that for me it is not important to know how many people died in Iraq in everyday bombing campaign that terrorists carry out. I should not be bothered about the floods/ earthquake situation in Malaysia/ Indonesia. It definitely is not important for me to know about the problems in Dafur (Sudan), in Somalia or what is happening in most of the Africa/ South America, Europe, Russia, China or for that matter The US of A. Problems currently faced by the international community like that of Nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran are definitely not of concern to me. The least I should be bothered about is say, the Naxalite problem in India. What is more important to me? Well – I should be bothered about the medical status shown in hourly “Medical Bulletins” (whoever coined that term) of Pramod Mahajan. I should be shown this 24 hours a day and should be “rightfully” kept informed of every heartbeat that Mr. Mahajan took. After all, his demise would affect this nation much more than anything else happening around the world or even other calamities happening in our country. That the earthquake in Indonesia killed hundreds in the same period was hardly of significance to me. No Sir it was not! I should definitely bother about how Mica (the now famous Brother of Daler Mehendi and a Pop Singer of some note) kissed Rakhi Sawant (the “Item” Girl). After all how does it matter that there were hundreds killed in blasts (in Iraq) over a period of 2-3 days while Rakhi Sawant was accusing Mica of brutally kissing her. After all it is important for me to know what transpired between the lips of Mica and Rakhi. And lo-behold – it is much more important for me to know the type of goggles Amitabh Bachchan wears and indeed its actual cost. After all it affects nation’s psyche and my personal life. Yes Sir – it does. I indeed should not be worried about the flood situation getting worsened in Assam. Who cares if some people die in floods or indeed many people get displaced in that region? For us Amitabh’s Bunglow, his specs, his company, is of much more importance. So much so that it should be made the first and THE Breaking news of every hour! O! C’mon, people keep dying everywhere – you cannot keep reporting that – now can you? Huh! Amitabh’s specs were stated to be of 2.7 lacs – now that is absolutely important to know. That the Income Tax department dared to ask for his family’s IT Returns was criminal to say the least. I was rightfully informed about it as breaking news and I was justifiably ashamed of myself as an Indian, at the conduct of IT personnel and was outraged at the whole episode. I can tolerate people suffering elsewhere in the country – but for we Indians – to trouble Amitabh is like committing murder! It deserved special Analysis (end to end) and thanks to the News channels – I got the Full story. Now that is reporting at its best! Yes Sir – it is.

Look at the “Breaking News” or “Flash News” as some of these News Channels call them:

“Rakhi Sawant accuses Mica of forcibly Kissing her”

“Mica presented in court”

“Mica gets Bail. Rakhi devastated”

“Medical Bulletin of Pramod Mahajan to be held at 5:30 PM”

“Pramod Mahajan fighting for life – Medical Bulletin”

“Pramod Mahajan is taken to his home after declared dead”

“Rahul Mahajan remains calm and poised during the funeral”

“Star News Exclusive: Rahul Mahajan took Champagne with Drugs”

“Apollo to conduct Medical Bulletin at 5:00PM – Rahul Mahajan Case”

“Rahul Mahajan presented before Tis Hazari court”

“Rahul Mahajan has trouble sleeping in Tihar Jail – Inside sources”

“Cook of Anees Ibrahim in Aajtak Studio”

“Abu Salem cries at night in jail”

“Govinda denies links with Dawood – tape recording shows otherwise”

“Karishma talks to her husband for 10 minutes”

“Kareena decries media over MMS scandal”

“Randhir Kappor upset with the tiff between Karishma and Sanjay”

“A child beaten brutally by his caretaker. Parents file complaint”

“Amar Singh cries foul - Amitabh Bachchan vs Income Tax Department”

“BJP Leaders meet Rahul Mahajan”

“We don’t only bark, we can also bite: Sitaram Yechury”

“Bush to have Indian Food as Lunch”

“Blair gets Kababs packed to take with him to UK”

In fact the likes of Star News/ Aaj Tak/ Sahara/ India TV/ Total/ Headlines Today, take the cake in such matters. They will leave no stone unturned to dramatize any matter. You just have to hear them breaking a news to realize: “Did Rakhi Sawant provoke Mica?”; “Did Mica actually kiss Rakhi?”; “Why did Mica instruct his Bodyguards to beat Rakhi’s Brother?”; To know all these and much more on the story – watch our special program “Miss ka Kiss”; (or something of the sort). Or check out the dramatization of Rahul Mahajan’s case: “Did Rahul actually take drugs”; “Did Rahul give money to Sahil to buy Drugs”; “Did Sahil take drugs along with Rahul”; Was Vivek Maitra a drug addict”; checkout our special bulletin at 12:30 PM – “Rahul Drugged”. I remember we used to hear a program on All India Radio some years back in which our very own Ameen Sayani would be heard advertising about a new movie in much the same way. Sample this; “Did Akshay kill Vijay”; “Was Manisha a part of the whole Conspiracy”; “Was Vijay actually dead?”; To know the answers – watch the most entertaining suspense movie of the year – “Kaatil ki Kahani” (The Story of Murderer). I mean – though these are all names from my wild imaginations – but I hope you get my point here.

It is my firm belief and I know most of you have already reached the conclusion by now that these channels don’t “just” deliver news. They deliver sensationalism coated with dramatics buttressed by the histrionics of the anchors of the program. What’s more (and as mentioned earlier) – they deliver judgments even before a civil or a criminal court passes it’s ruling. They solve mysteries fast enough to put even Scotland Yard to shame! And if they are taken to task for infringement on the judicial matters – they talk of freedom of speech and expression enshrined in our constitution and create a hue and cry about freedom to Press and Media.

There is no such thing as an objective journalist. The best we can be is fair (Rod Scott, editor of the Launceston Examiner)

And all my life I thought “News” means an unadulterated version of what actually happened. News was not supposed to be an “analysis” or a “prediction” of any kind. I firmly believe (even today) that all the analysis and Predictions make a reported item biased – biased in the direction a journalist or a newsreader wants it to be. An analysis should cater to all the aspects of a given story – isn’t it? If one can do that – well – go ahead – do the analysis. But then how many times have we seen an analysis being fair? Take the following example: When Pramod Mahajan was killed – his brother was the villain of the script. Period. The journalists went out of their way to crucify him before any court could do it. Pravin Mahajan was the big time villain in this script. “Cut to” Rahul Mahajan’s Drug scandal; these same journalists wanted us to take Pravin Mahajan’s statement seriously when he said – “Rahul Mahajan was innocent and part of a big conspiracy!” They kept on reporting his statement throughout that day as justification for proving Rahul innocent. Pravin Mahajan was not exactly a Villain here – was he?

Don’t forget that each of the headlines/ breaking news/ flash news/ main news I have chosen to mention here are the ones that have all been reported for days together until some other sensational news takes over. A case in point; Does anyone hear about Rahul Mahajan now? I kind of miss him after hearing every heartbeat of his (courtesy our news channels!) for weeks till not so long ago. But he got bail, was released from police custody, gave a good press statement. Over. He became a stale item to report. He was hence dumped in favor of a kiss between two of the most irrelevant people one can think off (Rakhi and Mica)!

Anyways – if we were to believe these channels – there is no life beyond Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Kashmir, Bengal, Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh. The whole of India for them is limited to Central, western and Northern India. For them nothing happens in States like Tamil Nadu (which comes into news only when Karunanidhi is arrested or J Jayalalitha is harassed or when there is election in that state), Kerela, Andhra Pradesh (which again comes in news only when a farmer commits suicide there), Orissa, Northeastern states (like Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland), Himachal, Goa, Uttranchal or for that matter Karnataka (which again is always in news ONLY when there is Kaveri river water distribution issue – I mean ever since the “news maker” Mr. Veerappan was killed). How many times have we heard any news from these regions otherwise? Or should we just believe that there is nothing happening in those parts of our country? Will someone explain how are people of other states worried about a couple killed in Delhi or a girl raped in Delhi or for that matter dowry being taken in UP or Bihar? Excuse me for saying this – but these are local issues. Aren’t they? So why bombard the news (in most cases throughout the day) and its (by now familiar) analysis undertaken by the anchors of the news channels to all the people around the country? And if they have to report Rapes and Murders happening in Delhi/Northern regions – why don’t they report such cases from all over the country – or at least from all major cities? No wonder people feel that all the criminals, rapists & Dowry seekers reside in either Delhi, UP or Bihar. I am sure people do know that Andhra Pradesh beats all these states in Dowry Practices. Why not report that? Or does it not qualify for these reporters as News? Is it not known that Politicians of South or Northeast are equally corrupt? Why don’t they cover that as news? What about the criminal links of MLAs and MPs in Norhteast or Bengal or for that matter even Southern States. Why don’t they report that? And excuse me – sad that it is – heinous crimes like Rape happens and are reported in Police stations of every major city regularly. Then why subject Northern regions alone to such scrutiny. Isn’t it unfair and grossly unjustified reporting?

Someone very rightly said – “Selective reporting has always been harmful for the society – but true as it is – it shall remain so”. Period.

For devils sake – these are “National” News channels dammit. They are supposed to cover news from around the country (I don’t even mean international news – since most of the news channels are incompetent to handle international issues). Is there something wrong if I want them to do that? And again - why always report news of Murder, Extortion, Rape, Terrorism, Naxalism, underworld shootings and their ilk. News has to go beyond all that. To report all the ghastly things invariably leave a horrific impression in the minds of people – especially the youth. It is no surprise to see the current generation of Indians who feel their country is full of shit. An aspect handled particularly well in the Film “Rang De Basanti”. Thanks to the portrayal and, in most of the cases, exaggeration of a news item – today an ordinary citizen is forced to feel that there is no justice for honest people in this country. That everything can be bought (including justice); that all politicians are criminals; that all government employees work only when their palms are “greased”; that police officers in general can be bought; that there are more tax evaders than tax payers; that Indians by nature are looters who would skin you bare if you were not street smart. I can’t blame people for thinking what they do about the country as a whole. They are regularly being served all the horror stories of criminalization of society/ polity and the bureaucracy by these channels. There just isn’t any good “news” shown in these channels (except for occasional Indian Victory of our Cricket team). It’s as if “good” news is no news for them.

So what is it that an ideal News channel should do? I would rather have these news channels follow some guidelines & social protocols that border around respectability of a human being and which do not compromise the integrity of the news being reported. Report facts that are known. Be the first one to relay the news to keep your TRP ahead of others. Analysis of the news should be done as a separate segment with a clear disclaimer that views expressed in the program are the views of the channel and that it may not entirely be correct representation of the actual event. I would also like these news channels to divide the timings of the channel such that there are specific timings for news of a particular region. There should also be a segment for news from around the world. This will make the News channels more representative. And yes, one segment should be devoted to detective journalism too – as this seems to be doing more good than bad for the society. If need be – have a segment for quenching sensationalist thirst of viewers who want them.

And finally I would like these channels to know – an actor falls in love with an actress or a son of a politician is a drug edict or a couple is murdered in a city is not NEWS (not main news at least). News should cover stories that the whole country (or at least the majority of the viewers) is interested in and that it should not be limited only to the areas of coverage that an individual channel has. Sensationalism is a different form of reporting – keep a separate section if need be – just to spare the viewers from all the false rhetoric and drama surrounding such sensationalism. It may help increase the TRP of the channel – but it definitely ain’t no “Breaking news” to be splashed for days altogether. Remember – what sells need not always be News for the masses.

These channels should not forget that they are not in the business to MAKE news. They are here to report events that HAVE occurred – fairly, honorably and truthfully. And that for them should be the starting mantra in the editorial room. Failing which they should shut their shops and spare us.

Think about it.

Mantosh Singh..

28^th June 2006’

Success or Failure

Success or Failure! Everybody’s life can be divided into these two phases. Life today has no “in betweens”. Either you are successful in life or if you are not successful then you must be a failure. Gone are the days when people would be happy to lead a stable, normal life in/as a middle class family. Today we measure everything. And in a measurement, the parameters are set – either Black or White. Grey areas are simply overlooked or rather are non-entities. And as I say, either we are successful or else we must be failures. For most of us the choice is pretty clear – success is what matters and we will do everything possible to achieve that elusive “Success”.

Now, why are we so crazy for success? Why is it that people who are successful are always looked up to? Why is Failure such a stigma? After all every GOOD has an EVIL to support. There can be no Success without a failure – isn’t it? Those who have not faced failures will never enjoy the so-called Success. And once you taste that elusive Success – you inevitably remember the period of failure with a lot of pride. Even then - when you are not successful (read it as Failure) you end up being a mental wreck. In those periods of failure you try too hard to achieve your goal and since none of them work, you end up feeling both mentally and psychologically down. You not only ruin yourself – you also leave a wrong/sad impact on your family and friends. Your lack of confidence in your own self in these times of failure makes people around you nervous. You – by being a nervous wreck lose opportunities that come your way – simply because you are too pre-occupied by your self-indulgent trauma. These opportunities would/may have been the route towards that alluding goal of success and since you inevitably miss those or fear to grab those opportunities – you end up prolonging the so-called unsuccessful rein. The quote of William Shakespeare is quite relevant here – “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good that we oft may win, by fearing to attempt”. We tend to forget that it is we and only we who can bring ourselves back on track and hence we should be more on alert than succumb to the unreliable fate. And as Bernard Shaw says – “When I was young I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures, so I did ten times more work”. That is precisely the way to deal with this period of failure.

In any case – why do we fear failure? Success is meant to bring happiness. Agreed. But why be sad when you are not? All Good things follow the Evil ones. That is what we are taught and that is precisely what happens in almost all the cases. Yes, all the cases – except the ones in which the person is not ready to identify the opportunity. So, when we know that Good times shall come, why do we get scared of the bad times? Bad times (read again as the period of Failure) will not last long – not unless you really sleep through it. Not unless you are not willing to take your chances that are on offer. Not unless you build a wall of resistance around you which will stop the current of opportunities to come near you. The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious. And you have to be at your best to trap these possibilities

Friends, Times of failure are the ones to be treated with utmost care. These are the times when you should double up and be at your best. And as my Dad keeps telling me during my bad times – Bad times are the times when you should be happier – since you have a hope. You have a hope of achieving success and a hope of better times to come. So why fear? Though it is a bit difficult to be happy at such times. But he does have a point. Hope is the companion of power and the mother of success, for those of us who hope strongest have within us the gift of miracles. Again, Success is not the key to happiness. It is happiness that is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. In fact if you have ever happened to notice – it is the Good times or the successful period of one’s life that he/she is more scared. Scared of losing everything with that one wrong move that would destroy everything you have achieved. Ask any successful movie star or a rock star and you will know what I mean. They are scared of losing their popularity and success. And I contend that it is because they have not enjoyed their times of failure. They are scared of going back into the period of Failure. I find this simply amazing. I mean, look at it this way – We are scared for our present and our future in the period of Failure, and when we are successful, we still are scared to hell about doing something wrong which may bring back the same period of failure. Do we ever come out of this fear psychosis? Well I say in most of the cases – No.

Failures are as much a part of our lives as success. Behind every successful man there's a lot of unsuccessful years. You will, and dare I say you should, fail once in a while. The one who has not tasted failure cannot enjoy success. Unless you know how black color looks, how will you differentiate between Black and White? Unless you know what is darkness – how will you define Daylight? Unless you know Bad times or failure, how will you know the difference between Bad and Good times or, in this context – between a failure and a success?

I wish you could see the things in a different perspective for a change.

There is no point in getting scared or living in fear in any of these phases. As said earlier you never tend to come out of that Fear psychosis – neither in times of Failure nor in times of success. You have to decide for yourself whether you really want to live this life of subversion (?) – Subversion from your own in-built fear. Life is short dear friends. We make it look big by spending every moment of it in a kind of fear. Stop fearing. In fact I would say – Be a bit more careless about things around you. Why not? It will not hurt. It is fun to be careless at times. Life is not such a serious journey friends. We don’t have to make mountain of moles. Success or Failure – we are going to leave everything behind when we take that final bow from this life. So why live in fear?

All I say is – try to enjoy the period of Failure. Employ whatever method suits you. But just be your self. Remember – when getting whipped is inevitable – well as they say – Try and enjoy it. Sick saying (?) – Yes – but philosophically it’s the best way of looking at it. A period of Failure is just a passing phase. Keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final. So don’t bother too much? Failures are not to be scared of. Though they are not welcome, there is something in failure that has its own charm. Your true character comes through when you are in this phase. This is the phase in which you can try different things. Things that you would definitely not try in the Good times, in the fear of doing something wrong and losing the initiative. You can be adventurous and you can be enterprising or as my Dad says you (can) be happy – happy in the hope for the good times to come. Losing is not bad – provided we show some grace in losing. Remember we can win by losing provided we try to enjoy the period of such failures.

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is for you.

Think about it.

Mantosh Singh..

15th June 2006'

First Among Equal

Nostradamus is one of the most famous authors of prophecies, as we all know. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, which consists of one unrhymed and 941 rhymed quatrains, grouped into nine sets of 100 and one of 42, called "Centuries". Experts have tried to interpret the prophecies of Nostradamus some times successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully. That no one has been able to predict the future events in advance using prophecies of Nostradamus is another story altogether. Most of the prophecies have been found to mean an event that has already occurred. Nostradamus’s prophecies do predict emergence and rule of Napolean & Hitler. The people who have painstakingly tried to interpret the writings of Nostradamus also claim that he predicted “The Event” that has changed the world today – yes, the tragic “9/11”.

One such prophecy that most of the experts treat as logical is about the emergence of a leader of immense power and influence (in or after 2000 AD) who wears a “turban” and has a “beard” and who will be “a great King of Terror” – the “Antichrist”, who will create havoc on earth and who will be the ultimate “Prince”. Well – who knows who that man is? What I will try and prove to you today is that irrespective of whether Nostradamus was right or wrong – there cannot be an iota of doubt that there is one man who indeed is slowly becoming “The” leader of the world akin to an Emperor/King of Terror/Prince (albeit without a defined kingdom) – and he is Usama Bin Laden.

There is no denying the fact that Usama (Osama) Bin Laden seems to enjoy a huge following across national and international borders. Not many – other than The Pope can claim to such devotion towards himself in the world that we live in. George Bush, Tony Blair and the gang may keep chanting about the terrorist that Usama is – but they too are aware of the fact that he is slowly gaining in popularity amongst his Arab and Moslem brethrens. What they would never acknowledge officially is the fact that he has followers around the world who would be ready to lay their lives for him and would do it willingly. Something neither Bush, nor Tony nor any of the so-called leaders of other countries can boost of. They may claim loyalty of their own countrymen – but the allegiance stops there. They can force people/leaders of some other countries to follow them – but there are no guaranties of steady support. Whereas Usama is the light under which all the disgruntled people of a particular religion stand – and mind you – they stand united. That difference alone, makes Usama much more powerful than any other leader in this world. And don’t have any misgivings on the number of followers that he has – you would be surprised.

Are we getting carried away here? Hardly so. I have been reading and researching a lot on Usama for quite some time and I, through this article, propose to prove that he indeed is larger than life figure and does qualify to be called the “first among equal”. I shall try and put my perspective to the world order, as I see it. If, what I believe is indeed true – we sure are staring down a big dark barrel, which dare I say, is quoted with red-hot blood. I am sure – by the time I have finished this article – you would be asking yourself if the time has come for the world to brace itself to another bloody war. Let me also state that this war will not be fought between the “Axis of Evil” and the “Free world”. It will be a war between the leaders/people of the “so-called” Free World and the devout followers of Islam, led in majority by a man called Usama Bin Laden.

So then, let us get some history lessons first.

Who is Usama Bin Laden?

Born in Saudi Arabia in 1957 to a wealthy Yemeni father and a Syrian mother, he had a comfortable childhood. His father made his fortune from the construction business and had close ties with the Saudi royal family. Young Bin Laden had religious leanings right from his childhood.  At school and university, he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In 1977, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel. Many claim that this was the time when Usama bin Laden began his jihad. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, he went to Pakistan, where he met Afghan rebel leaders resisting the occupation. He returned to Saudi Arabia to collect money and supplies for the Afghan resistance, the Mujahideen. He made further trips to Pakistan and Afghanistan, delivering aid and arms, and eventually joining the fight against the Soviets. As a wealthy Saudi and a military commander, Bin Laden was respected for his organizational skills, his bravery and, above all, for his ability to survive. He stood out and acquired a huge following. Egyptians, Lebanese, Turks and others - numbering thousands - joined their Afghan Muslim brothers in the struggle against a Soviet ideology that spurned religion. Eventually, he built camps for Arab Mujahideen fighters inside Afghanistan. He gave the umbrella group for his camps a name: Al-Qaeda, Arabic for "The Base".

The Western Axis powers (especially United States) aided and helped Usama and Afghan leaders to defeat the Soviets. An ecstatic Usama looked for a huge welcome for himself and his Jihadi unit (which was then called “Arab Afghans”) in Saudi Arabia – his homeland. But none came. Usama then offered the Saudi King his band of Mujahideen fighters during the first Gulf War – to protect Saudi Arabia from any misadventure on the part of United States and Coalition forces. This was also rejected by the rulers – instead US was allowed to place their troops in Saudi Land to help attack Iraq. This infuriated Usama and he vowed to avenge the humiliation that he thought was brought upon Saudi Arabia by their rulers. He was later ousted from Saudi Arabia for his anti-government activities. He finally settled down to build upon his strength from Afghanistan where he became increasingly messianic and radical. He took up the task of increasing the number of Jihadis/ Mujahideens who were (till recently) trained and bred in Afganistan.

Violent struggle - Why?

As Martha Crenshaw has observed, “Terrorism can be considered a reasonable way of pursuing extreme interests in the political arena.” We can begin to examine the logic only if we understand its root, its teleology, if you will. To determine that root and identify the aim of the jihad we must first delve into its history and theology.

Since its very beginning Islam established that one of the foremost roles of the Muslim state was to carry out jihad (striving) against the unbelievers. In fact, Muslim tradition recounts how Muhammad sent letters to the kings of all foreign nations demanding their submission to the new religion and law. This early prerogative divides the world into two competing and mutually exclusive spheres. The first is the dar al-Islam (land of Islam). The corollary to this world is the dar-al-harb (land of war). The land of war is that part of the world that is not yet living under the justice of Islamic rule. It is, therefore, the duty of every Muslim to expand the former at the expense of the latter.

An additional interpretation, and one that ultimately gave rise to Al Qaeda, is found in the writings and thought of Mohamed ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Wahhab was a religious reformer from central Arabia in the early part of the eighteenth century. He deplored what he saw as the moral laxness of the faithful and their devotion to religious innovations not in keeping with the lives of the original followers of the Prophet. He labeled the prevailing reverence for Muslim saints and the mysticism of the Sufi orders as irreligious. Wahhab believed that the Islamic community had descended back into a condition of jahiliyya, the barbarism and idolatry that had typified Arabia before the coming of Mohammed. Wahhab vehemently condemned much of Muslim tradition at that moment as pagan accretions and therefore idolatrous. He advocated death for those who had slipped into and persevered in this unacceptable malaise. Wahhab eventually garnered the support of a local ruler, Mohamed ibn Sa’ud. Under their auspices the new virulent form of Islam ransacked the Arabian Peninsula, killing many Muslim pilgrims and destroying a host of sacred sites. Their alliance justified this war against fellow Muslims by liberally applying the label of jahiliyya to the unconvinced. Ottoman intervention foiled the Wahhabist alliance for some time, but by 1925 the Sa’ud family, along with their version of religious purity, had conquered what is now the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In general the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were not kind to the Islamic world. Their former majesty was crushed and most of them fell under the sway of some foreign power. Inchoate socialism and Arab nationalism tried to solve the problem, but both courses seemed always lackluster. The abject failure of the 1967 war against Israel highlighted the prostrate nature of the Arab world and spurred many to look for different solutions.

It was Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), an Egyptian, who revived the thought of Wahhab and offered a compelling diagnosis of the Islamic world’s problem. Qutb touted originalism. In his mind the power of the original Islamic state had been compromised because it has deviated from the path of true righteousness. God, in his displeasure, will not restore the glory of the Islamic empire until correct belief once again reigns as it did in the first century of Islam. He argued for the formation of a vanguard that would clear away the obstacles through violence. After that, correct preaching would reinvigorate the lost faithful. Qutb, like Wahhab, pronounced all societies on the world to be jahili. By doing so he established the legitimacy of jihad against all powers on the earth, to include the secular rulers of places like his homeland, Egypt. In essence, Qutb sought an Islamic society based on the model of the original umma (community or nation). To that end Qutb justified numerous means of coercion, not the least of which were violence and sedition. Qutb's message was indeed readily received. The call to a Salafi style Islam spread quickly and found resonance throughout the Muslim world. His disciples included many of the founders of Al Qaeda, including Ayman al-Zawahiri, Ali Amin Ali al-Rashidi and Subhi Muhammad Abu Sittah. Their vitriolic attitudes furthered Qutb’s cause, which gained immortal status after his execution by the Nasser (President of Egypt) government in 1966.

Fundamental to this new thought was the notion of the original Muslim state guided by a righteous ruler and devoted to the strict application of Islamic law, Sharia. Salam Faraj, one of Qutb’s most eloquent devotees, argued that the formation of a truly Islamic state was a duty for all Muslims. He, furthermore, argued that since war would be necessary for this end, war too was an obligation. But perhaps the most influential of all of Qutb’s disciplines was Ayman al-Zawahiri. Zawahiri would eventually join with Usama bin Laden in Al Qaeda, and in Zawahiri the Salafi movement found its most concrete spokesman.

This desire for a rebuilt caliphate is what separates and defines the Salafi jihad from other Islamic movements. The West often chooses to label Al Qaeda as an organization of hate, as if that hate were an end in and of itself. This is profoundly not the case. The Salafis bemoan the position of Islam and seek to redress this grievance, and in doing so have found themselves drawn into conflict with Western powers. As Zawahiri saw it there was a confluence of factors preventing the emergence of a renewed caliphate. Among these was the acquiescence of Muslim rulers to the narcotic “secular” culture and the semi-covert attempts by Western powers to prevent what should be the ascendance of the Islamic world. By viewing the Salafi objective in its proper light we can understand that Al Qaeda’s hatred of the West is actually ancillary to its primary objective. From this we may postulate that were there no ‘West,’ but still no caliphate, Al Qaeda would yet exist.

In short, the restoration of the caliphate is the source and origin of the Salafist jihad. Though individuals may pursue martyrdom, the collective goal is a material aim granted legitimacy by religious prerogative. Any discussion, which relegates the goal of Al Qaeda solely to the political sphere, will also not succeed. Al Qaeda, in keeping with Islamic tradition, recognizes no distinction between politics and religion. A religious mandate therefore translates immediately into a political goal. Any and all attempts to split the two constitute an inappropriate grafting of Western systems onto Islamic patterns of thought.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan gave an international flavor to the Salafi jihad. For the first time jihadis from different countries met and discussed their predicaments. This cross-polarization of ideas along with the apparent failure of targeting the ‘near enemy’ led the Salafi movement to readdress its strategy. In Afghanistan the Salafi movement coalesced around the figure of Usama bin Laden. Bin Laden had created the Mekhtab al-Khidemat (Service Bureau), an organization that aided foreign volunteers in the Afghan jihad. Possessed of substantial financial resources, bin Laden came to direct much of the wider movement and was instrumental in the formation of Al Qaeda. He, like Zawahiri, viewed the fight in Afghanistan as a transitory state, a stepping-stone for the larger jihad. Yet even at this point the jihad itself was directed primarily against the facile Muslim world or her periphery.

The withdrawal of Russian forces from Afghanistan robbed Al Qaeda, in a certain sense, of its raison d’etre. The infidel had departed and the Salafis were left again to agonize over the hurdles involved with tackling the ‘near enemy.’ Still the organization retained Afghanistan as a base and center of operations. The U.S. involvement in the 1991 Gulf War changed things. Men like Usama and Zawahiri came to see in U.S. policy a secret attempt to conquer Muslim lands. They furthermore came to attribute their failures against the ‘near enemy’ as a product of the support rendered to those governments by Western interlopers, particularly the U.S. To topple any apostate regimes became an exercise in futility so long as the U.S. was present to prop up flagging governments. By this strategic logic, the Salafi jihad abandoned the ‘near enemy’ in favor of targeting the ‘far enemy,’ i.e. the U.S. and its supporters.

Al Qaeda was quick to put their strategy to the test. The ignominious withdrawal of U.S. troops from Somalia in 1993 and the timid response to attacks like the first World Trade Center bombing seemed to validate the strategy. The 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi and in Dar es Salaam and the subsequent lack of response further vindicated the move to switch to the ‘far enemy.’ These efforts also earned bin Laden an international acclaim that cemented his control of the worldwide Salafi jihad. Believing firmly in the success of his new strategy bin Laden then planned his masterstroke. It would fall on New York City on September 11th, 2001. The invasion of Afghanistan left the organization wounded, but certainly not dead. The subsequent incursion of the U.S. into Iraq provided Al Qaeda with room for maneuver and, above all, opportunity. Soon after the defeat of the decrepit Iraqi military, the U.S. forces in Iraq found they faced a more sinister, nebulous opponent. Though certainly no fan of a secularist like Saddam Hussein, the Al Qaeda faithful flocked to Iraq to repel the infidel invader.

The “Warriors” of the movement

A study conducted by Dr. Marc Sageman on a sample of Salafi jihadis indicated that most members of the movement are middle or upper class young men with fairly impressive educations. Sageman, in fact, observed that over 60 percent had at least some amount of college education. This, of course, debunks the idea that terrorists are country rubes tricked into a life of murder by silver-tongued ideologues. Of importance is the knowledge that these men are not recidivist criminals nor are they brainwashed lunatics.

So how many Jihadi/Islamist groups there really are in this world? In my small research I have come across 100-plus known Jihadi and Islamist organizations around the world that perpetrate and/or are involved in terrorist type activities around the world. Phew - that is a huge number. Let me list out the names of a few here. Note that only the popular and known organizations are listed.

The Known Jihaid Groups:

Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, Abu Sayyaf, Abu Theeb, Aden-Abyan Islamic Army, Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Al-Qanoon, Ansar al-Islam, Armed Islamic Group, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Egyptian Islamic Jihad aka al jihad, Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Hizbul Mujahideen, Hofstad NetworkI, Islamic Army in Iraq, Islamic Movement of Central Asia, Islamic Movement of Kurdistan, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Islamic Resistance Movement (Iraq), Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh, Jaish Ansar al-Sunna, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Jemaah IslamiyahK, (Turkish) Kurdish-Hizbullah, Kurd HamasL, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Laskar Jihad, Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, Maktab al-Khadamat, Markaz Dawa-Wal-Irshad, Mohammad's Army, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, Muslim Brotherhood, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, People Against Gangsterism and Drugs, Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Students Islamic Movement of India, Takfir wal-Hijra, Takfiri, The Al-Quds brigades

The Known Islamist Groups:

Abu Sayyaf, Aden-Abyan Islamic Army, Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane, Al Barakaat, Al Ghurabaa, Al Wefaq, Al-Muhajiroun, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Bahrain Freedom Movement, Benevolence International Foundation, Hamas, Hezbolla, Hofstad Network, Hojjatieh, Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain, Islamic Jihad, Islamic Thinkers Society, Jemaah Islamiyah, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Markaz Dawa-Wal-Irshad, Metin Kaplan, Mohammad's Army, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Muntada al-Ansar, Nation of Islam, Students Islamic Movement of India, Takfiri Terrorists, Tanzeem-e-Islami, The Saviour Sect, Wäisi movement

Devil only knows how many more “unlisted/unofficial” groups are out there waiting to kill people.

Anyways, most of the groups listed above have known allegiance to Al-Qaeda – the parent group – led by our very own Usama. Most of the terrorist attacks we know of in Europe, Middle East, South East Asia, Russia, United States of America and a few in North-Africa and South America have been masterminded and executed by the recruits of one or more than one of the above listed organizations.

It is a matter of record that more than half a million Jihadis took training in the Al-Qaeda bases of Afghanistan. Lessons of Hatred against United States and Saudi regime and “Non-believers” in general, were preached and ingrained amongst the trainees. These highly trained militants/ jihadis have now dispersed around the world and have been spreading the message amongst the followers of Islam. They have been very successful and have increased their numbers manifolds. So much so that the Intelligence and Police forces of most of the European Countries, North America, The South East Asian Countries (like India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia etc), Russia, North African Countries are spending increasing number of hours in tracking and trapping the Terrorists, in addition to the prize catch - Usama. That is more than 2/3^rd of the world worrying about a phenomenon that is lead by Usama.

Conclusion

It is thanks to the groundwork done by Usama in the initial days in Afghanistan (from 1991) that today he is the undisputed Emir of all the Jihadi/ Mujahideen/ Terrorist organizations. How we refer to them is of no consequence. What matters is that – here is a man who commands undiluted, unwavering loyalty from hordes of men/women and children, so much so that they are ready to lay their life for the cause taken up by him. The attack on the World Trade Center, Bombings in London, In Madrid, In Istanbul, Yemen, Tunisia Djerba, Morocco, Egypt, Nairobi, Bali (Indonesia), Chechnya, Uzbekistan and many and many more in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq are just a few examples of the terror that Salafai Jihadis, led by Usama have spread around the globe. Destiny has placed Usama in a position to carry out the task of taking forward the Salafi movement. It so happens that he is increasingly being seen as the champion of the cause and hence has attained all the necessary importance being bestowed on him. He has managed to bring a whole gamut of Jihadi & Islamic outfits under one umbrella and has formed a lethal force of trans-oceanic aficionado who are ready to execute his orders without a second thought. And mind you – these people are dangerous – ruthless to say the least. They are ready for war and have been preparing for it for a long-long time now.

What makes it more dangerous this time is, that the “other” side is not bound by a common race, they don’t belong to a particular nation and neither are they some diverse group of people supporting a fanatic. These people are bound by one religion – Islam. History has proved time and again that religious conflicts have been cruel and nasty. During the Roman Era and afterwards – fight for religious supremacy have led to major bloodshed and killings. It is easier to break a loosely bound ideological group – but to break a group bound by religious beliefs is another story altogether. These Islamic Jihadis have been carrying out their attacks at will for quite sometime now – even though there are many more being apprehended around the world even as you read this article. Hard to believe those Maulvis who keep telling every one how Islam preaches peace in world and harmony amongst all religions. Frankly speaking I don’t remember the last time I heard a terrorist caught or killed who is not an Arab or a Muslim. Speaks volumes about the confusion there is amongst the very followers of Islam.

In any case – we all know that Usama enjoys a popular support amongst his Islamic Jihadis. His allusiveness coupled with his growing popularity amongst his brethrens is a matter of grave concern amongst the most powerful nations of the world. He is indeed fearsome. He is undisputedly the most wanted man in this world. He threatens the world when he wants to (via print and electronic media). In fact he decides the time he wants the world to listen to him – and we do listen when he speaks – don’t we? He challenges all the nations to nab him and irrespective of the efforts of international intelligence hounds chasing him – he communicates with his associates at his will. Only he knows what his future plans are for the world that he holds at ransom.

Not George Bush, not even Tony Blair and don’t even bother to consider Putin and Hu Jintao. There is only one man who truly is in a position to influence the course of the immediate future of this world. This man continues to enjoy the support of millions of multi-national battle-hardened group of warriors and also commands God-like loyalty from them. This man views war more as an obligation than a necessity. This man may well be deciding our fate at this very moment sitting in his safe abode. This Emperor-like, audacious, self-confessed Salafist Jihadi, Ladies and Gentlemen, is – Usama Bin Laden.

Today, he indeed is - First among Equal.

Love him or hate him – you better wake up to the reality – as you would be stupid to ignore him. And dare I say - we may choose to ignore him only at our own peril.

Think about it…

Mantosh Singh..

13^th April 2006’

Note: The purpose of this article is not to influence people to form an opinion for or against Islam or Usama. I write this to present to you the world as I see it today.

Ganguly Vs Others

Saurav Ganguly was dropped from the Test Match squad announced for 3^rd Test match between India and Sri Lanka. People, politicians, yesteryear players et al called it Outrageous, Criminal, unjustified, monstrous, devastating and so on. Selectors called it justified, a step towards future, a reward for “Consistent” Yuvraj Singh and vision for Indian Cricket looking 5-6 years ahead. Our lovable Greg Chappell called him a “liability” on the team, a player who lacks motivation, a player who adversely affects the morale of the team, a horrendous fielder and a below average test match bowler. There also has been a talk of Ganguly being out of form.

Strong views, in fact very-very strong views indeed.

Would like to present to you some hardcore figures. I would like to draw comparisons between batting averages of our middle order batsmen to prove a few points. So how long back do we need to go to look for someone’s consistent performance? Well – I went back to Oct 2002, which is almost 3 years back. I have tracked performance of our middle order batsmen from then on. We shall also look at their year-wise performance too. Let me state here that I have all the scorecards of all the matches that India has played from Oct 2002’. Let me know if someone disputes the figures. I shall dispatch a copy of the records to him/her. But then - lets get into the figures:

Oct 2002’-Dec2005’:

Player	Total Innings	Batting Average	Avg. As Captain
Saurav Ganguly	34	-	33.17
Rahul Dravid	47	56.27	20.58 (In 12 Inn.)
Sachin Tendulkar	41	45.56
VVS Laxman	44	39.27
Yuvraj Singh	14	29.71

Apr 2004’ – Dec 2005’

Player	Total Innings	Batting Average	Avg. As Captain
Saurav Ganguly	19	-	35.11
Rahul Dravid	26	55.15	22.9 (In 10 Inn.)
Sachin Tendulkar	21	48.38
VVS Laxman	25	29.36
Yuvraj Singh	12	32.58

In 2004’

Player	Total Innings	Batting Average	Avg. As Captain
Saurav Ganguly	8	-	49
Rahul Dravid	16	51.06	20.25 (In 7 Inn.)
Sachin Tendulkar	13	47.23
VVS Laxman	14	22.33
Yuvraj Singh	8	34.62

In 2005’

Player	Total Innings	Batting Average	Avg. As Captain
Saurav Ganguly	11	28.0 (In 3 Inn.)	24.9
Rahul Dravid	10	36.3	36.3 (in 3 Inn.)
Sachin Tendulkar	8	50.25
VVS Laxman	10	39.9
Yuvraj Singh	4	28.5

Let me draw some straightforward conclusions from the above figures.

ü       Ganguly’s batting average is 33.17 in the last 3 years.

Ø       Yes he is the last in the group of the four top batsmen of our team.

Ø       But is 33.17 a bad average considering that he has had to pull a “down and out” team (remember the time he took over the captaincy of the side). Others had to think only about their own batting, whereas Ganguly had to think about the strategies, the plans etc. Trust me, captaining a side and managing a team is a lot harder job than it seems. But if 33.17 is indeed bad – I am sure 39.27 (average score of VVS Laxman) cannot be very good. Or is it?

Ø       Note that in the same period – Rahul Dravid’s average as captain fell by more than half his overall average. His average as captain in the last 3 years (whenever he has had the opportunity) is a dismal 20.58 – whereas his overall average is 56.27! Let me ask you (and I will keep asking this all through this article) – Whom do we want? We want Dravid as a pure batsman who performs out of his skin to get us bigger scores or we want Dravid as captain? You decide.

ü       Ganguly’s average in last one-and-a-half years (since April 2004) is 35.11.

Ø       He scored at a much better average than VVS Laxman who has 29.36 as his batting average in the same period. Not a sign of a person OUT OF FORM as has always been suggested in the case of Saurav Ganguly. Now is it? If Ganguly has been out of form since April 2004 – I guess Laxman should have been thrown out of the team long back. Nay – all you “Ganguly Bashers” don’t want to see Laxman thrown out. Well neither do I. But to throw out Ganguly on his form is as criminal as throwing out Laxman in 2004. And remember the reasoning about the “age” factor that selectors keep putting forth? Well both are at the same age – In fact I guess Laxman is a bit older than Ganguly. Anyways that was only an “argument” on behalf of selectors while kicking Saurav out – so lets move on.

Ø       Kindly note: Rahul has an over all batting average of 55.15 in the same period (April 2004-Dec 2005’). But as captain? He has an average of 22.9! Well considering that he captained India in 5 matches as compared to Ganguly who captained in 10 matches – I guess Ganguly has performed much better than Dravid! Especially since Ganguly has a better average than Dravid as captain! Would I be wrong in presuming that? There is not much difference in the number of matches each has captained. Remember, I am only interpreting figures for all the knowledgeable people who talk about Ganguly being in BAD form in Test Matches for a LONG-LONG TIME! It also proves a point about how difficult it is to captain a side and when read in that pretext – Ganguly seems to have done very-very well. Hasn’t he?

ü       Let me take figures of our players in 2004 alone. Just to make my point. Ganguly scored at an average of a whopping 49.0 in 2004!

Ø       Well he certainly was out of form I must say! Huh! Don’t forget that we are STILL in 2005’. So it not all that long back!

Ø       He was only second to Rahul Dravid who had an average of 51.06. Dravid had an average of 20.25 as a captain in the same year. We still wanted him to be a captain or would prefer him to be a pure batsman? We surely know how to shoot our own foot! Well so be it.

ü       And then came the Pakistan series in 2005. Well, that is one series where Saurav after a long-long time did not do anything to write home about. We have to accept that. He has scored at an average of around 10 runs per innings in that series (Indians batted in total of 5 innings).

Ø       That we could not win that series (we drew the test match series) was largely due to the fact that our captain did not fire. But then it was a tough series against our archrivals and hence the expectation of all of us was phenomenal from our own team. No excuses though for Saurav’s dismal performance in that series. But then, is it good enough reason for him to be made a scapegoat? Let me give you another set of figures in that case:

v      Sachin Tendulkar made 194 in the first innings of the first test match that India played against Pakistan (in Pakistan itself in 2004). Look at his scores after that right through the Pakistan and then Australian & South African series (the last two series were played in India). He has scored 2, 8, 1, 8, 2, 5, 55, 3, 20 & 32. At a very encouraging average of 13.6! Not one – not two – he failed miserably in 3 series! But – he is a great batsman – isn’t he? And he is too great to be removed from team on the basis of things like FORM etc. Oh C’mon – give me a break.

v      Sachin finally came back to form with a double century (248 runs) against Bangladesh! Now that was a great innings without doubt. It proves one point “at least” – Form is temporary but class is permanent! Shouldn’t we apply this to Ganguly too? Anyways – Lets come back to the subject we are discussing.

ü       So Ganguly was out of form in Pakistan series. How did he choose to respond? He scored a century in the next series that was between India and Zimbabwe (played in Zimbabwe). What did we say – “Oh well – c’mon – it was against a side like Zimbabwe! Anybody can score a century against Zimbabwe!” Oh yeah? Then how come only Ganguly and Laxman scored centuries in that series? And how come Sachin’s Double Century against Bangladesh is considered to be return of form but Saurav’s century is considered a non-event? Remember all you Chappell’s admirers – this was the same innings before which Ganguly was asked to quit the team and allow Yuvraj Singh to play. Has it ever happened in Cricketing history that a touring team’s captain is ASKED to quit even before a series has started? And what had Mr. Chappell seen in Ganguly’s batting that he wanted Ganguly to quit? After all the selectors had decided to retain him even after his poor performance against Pakistan. What right did Chappell have to ask Ganguly to quit? Did he start thinking that he owned an exclusive right to take decisions on part of our country? I mean – Bullshit. And look at how Ganguly responded. He scored a century and proved more than one point to Mr. Chappell and all the other “G-Bash” team. His Century in Zimbabwe was worth triple hundred – considering that Mr. Chappell had started playing his own game to dethrone Ganguly by hook or by crook. Ganguly’s century made him think of another strategy to get him removed. He shot off an e-mail telling everyone that Ganguly was Physically & Mentally sick. He is a worthless fielder and a person who has an adverse affect on the team. He lacks motivation and conspires against players! All this and much worse. And hello! Mr. Chappell could tell and analyze all this within a matter of 3-4 days that Indian team was in Zimbabwe! Something John Wright could not understand in 4+ years. Something we Indians did not understand in the last 8+ years and something even the media did not get a hint of – considering they also find out which company’s toilet papers do our players use! What we all collectively did not understand – our new coach understood in a week’s time! Wow! Some human being, this Mr Chappell!

ü       But anyways – we were talking about cricketing scores here. Ganguly has scored runs from that Zimbabwe series onwards at an average of 40.9. Though his overall average in 2005 has been around 27.0 (largely due to one bad series against Pakistan). So what happens when India return after first series victory against any international side (outside the subcontinent) in the last 15+ years?

Ø       We drop Ganguly from One-day internationals.

Ø       The logic given – to start with – was:  Ganguly is unfit. When Ganguly declared himself fit. They said they did not want to change a winning side. When India lost to South Africa in a one day. They still did not pick up Ganguly – Logic put forth was – they are building a team for 2007 and wanted young players. As if – Ganguly was the oldest of the lot and that Dravid & Sachin were getting younger by the day!

Ø       So effectively – doors were shut on Ganguly as a one-day player. We may never see Ganguly perform in those blue overalls. It pains my heart, as it should yours. Here is a man who led us into such delightful victories over a long period of time and what he finally gets is a boot. Not even a chance to perform as a player if not a captain? Things could not have gone any crueler. Definitely no. But then we were in for a shock in a few days time.

ü       Ganguly had to be brought back into the test side since he had scored a century in the previous series (against Zimbabwe). They thought that Ganguly is in such poor state of mind that he will fail miserably and then they will get a chance to fire him. So they picked him – but did not make him a captain as our Chappell Unckile was much more comfortable with Dravid as captain. It is first time in the history of International cricket that a captain who has won an overseas series has been dropped! Never before has it happened in any of the topsides. But, c’mon we are Indians and we do strange things. Add this to that list! But they had picked Ganguly and were waiting for him to fail.

Ø       Nothing prepared them for what happened in the match. They got a mild shock in form of a 40 & 39 that Ganguly scored in both the innings of 2nd Test Match against Sri Lanka. He was also instrumental in stabilizing the innings both the times with fruitful partnerships.

Ø       But then our selectors are made of sterner self! Ain’t they? Mild shocks don’t even register on their skin. They worked as per plan – they threw out Ganguly anyways. And the reason was again the same old one – they want a player who can play for next 5-6 years and not the ones who can play for 2-4 years. Good Reasoning Mr. Kiran More! You did solve a great problem facing Indian Team! What would we do without you? Oh!

Ø       But then, they retained Kumble, Sachin, Dravid and Laxman! Congratulations – these players will play for next 5-6 years! What a relief! Wow! We are indeed so lucky! But hey – Ganguly cannot play even the 2-4 years that HE STILL CAN! Why – I asked? Well we have to play the Upcoming, Promising, “Consistent” & In-form batsman Yuvraj Singh at No. 6!!!!! Never mind, so be it. In that case – let me show you some more statistics – this time of our very own CONSISTENT young player whom our selectors have backed at the cost of a great player like Ganguly.

ü       Putting it straight – Yuvraj Singh has a career average of 29.71 in test Matches.

Ø       Since April 2004 he has scored at a rate of 32.58.

Ø       In 2004 alone he has had an average of 34.62

Ø       And in 2005 he has a batting average of 28.5! Very Promising! Is he the In-form batsman we wanted to replace Ganguly with? Is he “Consistent”? Well I don’t think I need to answer that. A young player with age on his side – still performs lower than Ganguly and gets preference over him? Smells really bad – doesn’t it?

Ø       Look at the averages of Tendulkar, Dravid & Ganguly when they started playing for India. They were consistently at an average of 42-45 and more. Well you decide if Yuvraj is in that cadre. Does he deserve to be in place of Ganguly? Is it even worth contemplating? You ask yourself. I can’t figure out – unless some one is hell bent on keeping Ganguly out irrespective of whether he performs or not. I could understand if someone with Tendulkar like ability had come in now and you could see greatness written all over him. You want such a player to be in the team and play him young. But just because a man has been performing averagely does not mean you will kick out a great player. Now does it? It is like saying that Shane Warne must make way for Stuart Macgill in Australia – just because Stuart Macgill takes wickets by the buckets whenever played. People also say that Steve Waugh had to make way for Ricky Ponting in the Australian Test Squad. But do not forget that Steve Waugh was on the wrong side of 36 years of age. And Ganguly is still around 32-33 yrs of age. Where is the comparison?

Ø       Either Yuvraj has some powerful backing or there is something that I cannot see in the figures that Selectors can see in dressing room!

How do you summarize all this madness? Well we cannot even think of finishing this saga without special mention of the role of Mr. Greg Chappell, Mr. Kiran More and not the least Mr. Rahul Dravid.  And I choose to address them directly. Excuse me – since I don’t see how else I would be able to put forth my feelings in words.

Mr. Chappell, when we gave you the responsibility of coaching this Indian Team – we thought you would work with us to give us joy. But contrary to everything that we had thought – you have been responsible for bringing in chaos in the Indian Team and this country as a whole. You have yourself spread insecurity amongst the best of the players and have brought down the morale of Indians in general. We wanted you to respect our heroes. You have done exactly the opposite. You started targeting Tendulkar even before you landed in India to take up the assignment. But to your own benefit – you soon realized that you tried to gulp down a fish of too large a size. Hence you targeted Saurav who has always been on the brink of controversy. You did get an able ally/stooge in form of our Chairman of Selectors and our current Skipper. But this is a land of fighters and though we do not display our aggression very often – I would caution you against pushing us too hard. You shall be burnt – trust me. We do not want you to lose your job. We know it earns you millions of bucks. Not that you have not got us victories. Indian team is playing well and we want it to do well. But not at the cost of you stampeding any of our heroes. If the rumors have to be believed – you are after Sehwag now. We treat any foreign personnel with respect Sir – but don’t push your luck too far. You shall be responsible if you are thrown out of this country quickly and swiftly without remorse. We have done that in Hockey and we can do that even in Cricket. Don’t chew more than you can digest Sir. Behave. And learn quickly to respect our heroes – because our patience is soon dying out.

Mr. Kiran More, you were one of our better wicket keepers in recent times to have served India. We have almost struggled to get a replacement for you ever since you were kicked out of the team. You were never great – as I am sure you will agree. Hence, you do not understand the meaning of how a great player is hurt when not treated in a proper manner. Perhaps you will never understand. We all saw the embarrassment on your face while announcing the Indian team for Pakistan (By the time I was writing this article – the Indian team for Pakistan series was announced). You were ashamed of the way people of this country made you eat & chew your ego to bring back Ganguly. Though your face also showed that you would stop at nothing to kick Ganguly out again – the moment he gives you a chance. Fair enough – we cannot expect more out of a gutless and a man without respect (like you) anyways. But remember – you are trying to back Mr. Greg Chappell who will probably go away in another 2 years. You may be out of selection panel in another year. By choosing to tow the lines of Mr. Chappell and to disrespect a proven hero of our times – you have taken a great risk. You have done what Australian Cricket team as a whole could not do for 4 years. You have managed to embarrass Ganguly in a way Australians wanted him to be. And what greater pleasure will they have than to see their own national Mr. Greg Chappell manipulating and succeeding in doing it! Remember, if you are thrown out of selection panel tomorrow – you shall be responsible. And stop saying that you have worries about future of Indian Cricket team and that you are building a team for future. You never were and never will be a futuristic man. One who does not know how to respect performers are indeed ignorant & naïve – and you are one of them. I do not remember a single good word you have said about Ganguly while dropping or picking him. Which clearly shows that you have no respect for him. That for a man who has served Indian Cricket for almost a decade! You are indeed cruel Sir. And you thought that we Indians would sit quietly while you go along your Mogambo-isque ways of treating people we admire. Well this country is not made of stooges like you. People rose & made you change your stance. You would have realized that whatever goodwill you had in this country has vanished. Remember – you are nothing in this country if you are not respected by your own contrymen. Even a Prime Minister cannot stay if he is disliked – you are not even worth considering Sir. I have a feeling – you will live with the fear of retribution all your life Mr. More. And trust me – the way you have bent down on your knees in front of a foreigner – not many will shed tears on your destined fate. You are indeed a shame on this country for which no amount of retribution would be enough.

My argument in favor on Ganguly cannot end without mention of the attitude of Rahul Dravid, our current skipper. We have always thought of him as a gentleman. Well he is trying to prove otherwise

Mr. Rahul Dravid, the biggest surprise in the whole skit has been your silence. Your attitude towards your own ex-captain smells rotten. Your act of treachery (can’t find another word really) is becoming a folklore story now. You were not ashamed of yourself when the spectators of Kolkatta booed you and your team. A gentleman like you should have been. It is not an honor to be booed by your own countrymen. Is it? Was it too difficult for you to see that Ganguly required support after he was dropped unjustly by selectors? After being a captain in so many matches earlier and after knowing how it affected your own performance – Was it too difficult for you to know that once Ganguly is relieved of his captaincy there is every chance that he will start performing at greater heights? Was it too much for you to at least take Ganguly into confidence when he was picked or especially when he was dropped? Was it too much for us to ask of you? Moreover, was it so difficult for you to go against Mr. Chappell’s dictum of not having Ganguly in the team? Are you scared of him? If yes, we would like to know why. Don’t we deserve an explanation? You were and are one of our great heroes – was it not possible for you to behave like one? Frankly speaking, you are behaving as if you always wanted captaincy and now that you have it – you want your immediate ex-captain to leave the team. How could you get so cruel suddenly? Or were you always like this? Is it too difficult for you to make Ganguly comfortable in the team? Are you actually taking revenge of some kind on Ganguly? Has it got anything to do with Ganguly insisting on you keeping wickets for a year or so? If that is the case – don’t you think “that” move was a blessing in disguise for the team and for your own self? Look at your batting averages when you were not the wicketkeeper of the team and compare it with the period when you indeed kept wickets for India. You will be surprised to know that you had better averages in the period that you kept wickets. You suddenly became aggressive. That was the time when the team was wondering if you were good enough for One-day cricket. Wasn’t it a masterstroke by Ganguly & the think tank to keep you in the side? Don’t you think that Ganguly always wanted you in the team, as you were a master performer? You have bought us joy by the commitment you have shown towards the cause of the team. I could understand Mr. Chappell treating our heroes with contempt – simply because he does not understand Indian culture. I could understand Mr. Kiran More being overawed by Mr. Chappell and neglecting the popular sentiment. In any case Kiran More is not even worth considering – he will be a goner in next few months if not sooner. But you – you are a hero yourself. So why did you stab Ganguly in the back? Why Sir – Why?

Friends, let us not forget that Ganguly has been one of our most successful and celebrated players. As I have said in one of my earlier articles – he is a hero to a lot many. Let us also not forget that he has the best batting average amongst all the long standing captains that we have had in Indian Cricket. We must understand that leading an Indian Cricket side is one of the toughest jobs in the world. This man has done it for many years. He has lived with the pains of losses that India has had to suffer in his stewardship. He has planned and executed for memorable victories in the last 5 years. He has been responsible for backing players whom he trusted – who finally have come good for India. He has to have a very acute and sensible mind on his shoulders to have done all the above. To call this man “mad”, “unfit”, “below standard” and “unprofessional” (as our Coach prefers to call him) is one of biggest farcical injustice that I can imagine. He has now got a chance to forget about the worries of the team, its plans, execution of the plans etc. He can now finally concentrate on his own game. He has started coming good if his two knocks are anything to go by. He should be supported, as millions of cricket fans have done around the country after he was sacked. Give him a series or two. He has scored 15000+ runs in international cricket – he cannot be bad. His form off late has also not been bad either. He should be given a fair chance of proving himself. And since we are on the subject, I must say I doubt if he is going to get fair number of chances. Look at the team management who will pick up eleven players to play in a match. The on-tour management consists of Mr. Greg Chappell, Mr. Raj Singh Dungarpur (a well known “Ganguly Basher” – and also the man who has been responsible for cutting short the careers of Mohinder Amarnath, Krish Srikanth, Dilip Vengsarkar etc), Rahul Dravid, Sehwag and one of the “biased” selectors. I think Ganguly will be asked to play in the first practice match. He will then be asked to play in the first Test Match and be dropped from then on (unless Ganguly scores a century in the first match). Or Yuvraj will continue to play in the first two test matches and Ganguly will be drafted in the last Test Match. If Ganguly scores – well there will always be another chance for them to kick him out. But if he fails – it is TATA time for him. In any case the bloodhounds are breathing down his neck to bite him till he is effectively dead! But hey! Life has strange ways of treating bad people and – my gut feeling is that this is a series, which will be remembered for heroics of Ganguly. But as I said above – provided he is given a fair chance.

C’mon Ganguly – do it for us. Do it for your fans. Do it for yourself. But first and foremost do it for these sick stinking gang of “Ganguly Bashers” namely Greg Chappell, Kiran More and Rahul Dravid. Nothing will please us more than to see you hitting boundaries galore in whatever chance you get. Every boundary that you hit will be a hard slap on the faces of these people and that indeed would be fit enough retribution for all the shame that they have put you through.

All the best Sir

Mantosh Singh..

26^th December 2005’