Revival of Indian hockey: Victory in Azlan Shah tournament

Sandeep Singh is the captain of Indian hockey team but till today he wasn't commonly recognised travelling in this country.

Though a cricket player who has represented India in just a single One Day International or T20 match gets stares & is mobbed everywhere.

But this might change at least for sometime from tomorrow as Sandeep's men have brought victory to India in its national game after a gap of 13 years, beating host Malaysia 3-1. The team won the Sultan Azlan Shah trophy by beating Malaysia in the finals [India defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the semi-final].

At last, the long drought has ended. And though it may seem wishful thinking to talk about the recovery of the lost glory of Indian hockey and its golden past, but this is certainly a major moment.

All of us have read the stories of the wizard Dhyan Chand, his brother Roop Singh and India's exploits in the Olympics in the past. Until 80s, we had a formidable side and hockey matches were still a crowd puller.

Millions kept transistors close to ears for 110 minutes during hockey tests. I still remember the days when India's Mohammed Shahid was termed as great a forward a Rick Charlesworth, Stephen Blotcher and Hasan Sardar.

Bhaskaran, Somayya, Carvalho and Mervyn Fernandez were no less heroes than cricketers in those times. Even until the days of Pargat Singh, hockey somehow retained its charm but repeated losses later on put off the fans who lost interest.

The decline in Doordarshan's reach in urban India was also a loss for the sport, as channels were not interested in showing hockey and news related to hocky.

In the good old days of DD, you had just one or two channels and sometime you had no option but to watch whatever they showed. Apart from Olympics, World Cup and the Champions Trophy, Azlan Shah remains an important tourney.

Even if it's height of optimism, I am loving this feeling that Indian hockey is back on track. Though there is no comparison with the popularity of cricket, hockey players seem all set to enjoy limelight for sometime.

The last few years were bad for Indian hockey. Anybody who loves hockey would like to forget the era when KPS Gill was president of Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). Hopefully the new dispensation will be different.

Everybody has seen the hardwork of players in the practice session and the coach Harendra Singh must get credit. With Asia Cup just a month from now (the IPL will also finish by then), hockey buffs are getting excited.

Photos: Indian team celebrate the win in Malaysia [Top left], a portrait of the legendary Dhyan Chand [left].

Whither West Bengal: Is Communist Citadel Crumbling?

West Bengal has been an impregnable Leftist fortress for over a quarter century but there is a feeling in this election that the Communists are losing ground in the State.

Though in earlier elections also, especially when Mamata Banerji formed her Mahajot, there were similar speculations. However, the difference is that even Communist leaders are feeling that there is a sense of disenchantment with the CPI (M) among section of voters.

For decades the rural populace strongly voted for the Communists. They had benefited from the land reforms and Jyoti Basu enjoyed an uninterrupted reign in the State for decades.

But the industrialisation efforts of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee received a jolt with the mishandling of situation in Nandigram. The farmers feared that land, their prized possession, would be taken over.

Besides, Muslims, who form 25% strong population in the state, are also unhappy, as they realise they haven't received adequate attention. The Bengali Muslim's share in government jobs remain abysmally low. [Photo: Congress candidate from Malda, Mausam Benazir Noor, the niece of late ABA Ghani Khan Chaudhary tries to beat the heat]

The findings of Sachar Commission were a wakeup call for Muslims. Despite repeated promises there was no development in areas dominated by Muslims and Urdu was not accorded the status of official languages in the districts where Urdu-speakers are predominant.

The fact that unlike other states, West Bengal (and Assam) have more Muslims in rural areas than urban agglomerations, can cause further trouble for Communists. The strong anti-incumbency after decades of rule can be damaging.

Star News' latest opinion poll

However, the Left can still tide over it. The latest Opinion Poll [Star TV-AC Nielson survey for Lok Sabha elections 2009] predict that Communists may just manage their hold in WB.

It gives 22 seats of CPI-M and its allies including Forward Bloc while Trinamool and Congress will together get 20 seats. The BJP remains a non-entity in the state. Also, CPI (M) will not be as major a party as it was in the Lok Sabha.

The poll says that after Congress (155) and BJP (147), the largest parties will be Samajwadi Party (28) and BSP (26). As a block, the Leftists--CPM, CPI, RSP and FB will get 35 seats from West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala.

Mamta may get benefited with the alliance. But the fact remains that shifting of Tata's Nano project hasn't gone well with the voters either. [The poll shows 202 seats for UPA, 191 for NDA, 102 for Third Front and 39 for Fourth Front (RJD-SP-LJP)]

This is going to be a setback for the Marxists. But it seems that they will manage to retain the state somehow. Is it because of the reason that the West Bengal doesn't want to go with the rest?

Bengali bhadraloke loves rejecting mainstream parties

Bengal has a strong identity. It had a renaissance unlike other states and gave the nation legendary reformist personalities like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Subhas Chanra Bose and Kazi Nazrul Islam.

And we are all too aware of the saying 'What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow'. The Bengali has a strong sense of culture and identity. The bhadraloke has refined tastes and loves to be a rebel.

It is this romance with the rebellion that perhaps prompt the West Bengal voter to remain different from the rest of the country by voting for a party that doesn't have much popularity in other parts of the nation, especially Delhi. After the Congress government had sternly dealt with radical youths during the Naxalbari movement.

Or it is the rejection of the mainstream parties that gives a sense of satisfaction to Bengal. Probably it is this tendency of the voter to rebuff the Congress and the BJP that may just help Communists survive another Parliamentary election.

Decades of Terror in Assam: ULFA turns 30

It was exactly thirty years ago that the United Liberation Front of Asom or Assam (ULFA) was founded with the aim to establish an independent sovereign state through armed 'struggle'. The foundation day was April 7, 1979.

[Photo: ULFA's flag in Tinsukia in Assam]

And to mark its raising day, it again struck--serial blasts across the state on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit (that was cancelled) causing the death of 10 persons and injuries to 70 others.

Wasn't it an open and audacious challenge to the government? But that's hardly surprising given the dreaded outfit's history. On its official homepage, the outfit claims itself to be a revolutionary political organisation that aims to liberate 78,529 sq km of land illegally under Indian occupation.

The masterminds of the recent blasts were Pradeep Kalita, Akash Thapa and Mukunda Rajbongshi, police said. The deaths and destruction in North East generally goes unnoticed compared to rest of the India.

In the last 30 years, nearly 8,000-10,000 persons have died in the region due to clashes between militants [or terrorists] who prefer themselves to be called as revolutionaries. The figure of deaths is perhaps second to only LTTE that is now nearing its end in Sri Lanka.

ULFA rebels believe that historically Assam was never part of India. Over the years, the organisation has carried out assassinations, killed security forces' personnel and policemen apart from accusations of killing Hindi speaking labourers of UP and Bihar.

Though ULFA completed 30 years of its existence, no news channel focused on doing a comprehensive story or report about 'Thirty years of Terrorism'. Over a quarter century has passed but it's either mentioned as separatist outfit or rarely as militant group in mainstream media. Is it because Assam is way off Delhi or because there is no Muslim cadre in ULFA?

Regarding comments and 'Terrorism':

Kindly comment after reading the post properly. My issue is that on one hand an objectionable term 'Islamic terrorism' is used everywhere, other terrorists are not even called terrorists. ULFA, BODO, Naga, LTTE, Naxalites and Abhinav Bharat are not even called Terrorist.

I don't want them to be termed as Hindu or Christian terrorist, but at least call them terrorist.

But they remain OUTLAWS, MAOISTS, REBELS or at the most EXTREMISIS and MILITANTS. That's the basic issue. Is it that only a group that has Muslim cadre qualifies for the definition of Terrorist? Crores of Muslims aren't fools, as they notice this prejudice every day.

Read related post on Terrorism: Naxalites kill 15 but it's not terror: Image of terrorist in media

Elections 2009: Muslim politicians' visits to temples, would you call it majority appeasement?

Indian general elections are a colourful affair. It's not just the Hindu leaders who pay obeisance at Islamic shrines, but there are lots of Muslim politicians also who are visiting the temples.

Just last week there was a furore in West Bengal when senior CPI (M) leader Mohammed Salim had visited a famous temple and sought blessings.

He had sipped the 'charan-amrit' [ceremonial sacred water off the idol] that had led to major controversy and hoardings were put up in Kolkata, against a Communist leader performing puja, consuming prasad and practising the politics of appeasement [ya, you read it right].

Far away in South India, a few voices were raised but no fatwa or protest. The recent incident involves a Congress leader and former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan. He is contesting on Congress ticket in a Madhya Pradesh constituency and visited a temple to seek blessings for his victory in the Lok Sabha polls.

So it's not just the Maulana Mulayams who are accused of wearing the skullcap and hosting iftaars or meeting Ulema to seek votes, Muslim politicians are not much behind.


There are many other leaders visiting the temples. The Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow* Nafisa Ali visited the Hanuman temple and started her campaign after puja. She is a new entrant to SP.

[Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Kishenchand Advani and other BJP leader wear skullcaps and throw such parties. They have also visited Dargahs lately. Specially the Ajmer dargah is favourite for most of them.]

Of course, most of them who otherwise love to have photographers around, often regret that their picture was taken at the particular moment.

With elections just 12 days from now, we will see more interesting news and mini-controversies propped up every day. Mostly it's the rival candidates or the dissidents in one's own camp who try to raise such controversies.

However, the electorate seem to have become mature enough to look through the reality and that's the reason that after a flutter for a day or two, such controversies dies a natural death because voters don't react as per the 'expectations'.

[*Lucknow is all set to witness an interesting battle between BJP' Lalji Tandon, BSP's Akhilesh Das and Nafisa Ali along with Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi. Ulema Council's Amaresh Mishra is also in the fray.]
Such photos of Varun when he visited Pilibhit in the past, now appear shocking. But that's what politics is all about, at least, in India.
BJP Baffled

It was interesting to see that when some Muslim politicians act as per BJPs expectations, the party leaders accuse them of 'not being secular'. Senior BJP leader and national executive member Tathagata Roy told Salim that he had himself witnessed the CPI (M) leader participating in the religious event and that's why he can't be secular. [Statesman March 25, 2009]

Photos: Congress candidate from Betul Aslam Sher Khan seen paying obeisance at a temple. The other photo shows Mulayam Singh Yadav who keeps getting flak for being pro-Muslim and for appeasing Muslims though he has never offered Namaz as per my knowledge.

Beard ban in school okay, not Taliban comment: Muslim schoolboy's case in Supreme Court

Muhammad Salim, 16, the son of a vegetable vendor, grew a beard and was expelled from the missionary school. His case reached the Supreme court where the judgment held that it was the right of a minority institute to frame its rules and allow or disallow student to sport a beard.

Yes, to enforce discipline, it seems correct to keep the beard out of school. I understand that for Sikhs it is a different issue. And though some Muslims feel strongly about the beard, it was never an issue before. If it was, it should have been raised forcefully and demanded as a right. However, there is something that is quite disturbing.

Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, who is widely respected for his verdicts, remarked that 'We don't want Talibans in this country..tomorrow a female student may say that she wants to wear a burqa...can we allow it?'. This has come as a surprise.

[A] Linking beard to Talibans was unwarranted. Do all Muslims who sport beard are Taliban! Rajya Sabha MP Mahmood Madani has said that we condemned Talibans, issued fatwa against them and have opposed them all the while. How come we get equated with Talibanisation. The Talibans are, after all, an American creation.

[B] Across the country, there are hundreds of schools [mostly in poorer neighbourhoods] where Muslims girls wearing burqa not just go to school but also enter the class wearing veil or hijab. It happens. It's not Europe where Muslims have reached just 30, 50 years back and for them a Muslim [or even a Sikh] is still an outsider, someone with a different culture. However, they try to be sensitive.

[C] In Britain where Muslims hardly number 3%, Muslim policewoman is allowed to work wearing a hijab. Is it thinkable in India? It is not. Are Muslims alien to this country even after a 1,000 years. I don't ask for hijab-wearing Muslim cops in India but I don't welcome the Taliban comment either.

[D] A lecture to student on concentrating more on his studies than beard, would have been more appropriate for the dignity of court. It would have been much gracious to dismiss the matter & let the school and boy sort it out. I am not interested in keeping a beard but may be it was important for the boy to keep the beard. Most of us try to be more sensitive to others and their faiths. Has the War on Terror turned us so paranoid that we are exceeding the Westerners.

Salim is the son of a vegetable vendor and the school Nirmala Convent located in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh is not a government-aided institution. Still, the judgment may have an effect on government-aided schools as well. Already an airforce personnel is fighting a similar case, which is pending with the Apex court.

[D-1] Consider an important thing from legal aspect that was not mentioned at many places. There was no clause to ban beard in this particular school until a few years back. Recently the new clause was introduced. The Church officials accept that the parents of Muslim students were not consulted when the ban was imposed and it was not discussed in Parents-Teachers Meeting.

[E] I dislike any display of religiosity. But I am at pains to see that every government function begins with Bhumi Pujan and there is a temple in almost every police station in this country. Every second or third cop violates the Service Rules by sporting a Tika [tilak] and even President Pratibha Patil performed a full-fledged puja along with a pundit when the Air Force One was inducted in Indian army and went on maiden flight.

[F] Amid chanting of Mantras, breaking of coconuts and a tilak ceremony, the desi Air Force One took to skies on its inaugural VVIP flight on Wednesday with President Pratibha Patil heading for Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, reports Times of India. Hindi papers have detailed reports and photographs.

[G] Meanwhile, coming back to the comments. If you live in a new and posh locality, you may rarely spot a veiled girl going to school and if ever you come across you might find it unusual though for the residents of locality in old clusters or walled cities would not find it different. So perception too counts. And lately 'the Muslim' has become 'the Other' and 'the Fanatic', thanks to the negative media portrayal and failure of Muslims to counter that.

Photos: Muhammad Salim, Muslim police officials at Scottland Yard in London [England].

UPDATE: Salim allowed to keep beard, SC terms school order 'ridiculous'

The bench of Justices--BN Agarwal and GS Singhvi, on September 11, 2009 ordered the Nirmala Convent School to give admission to the student, Salim, who had earlier been expelled. The bench termed the order of the school principal as 'ridiculous'.

Will you stop the Sikh student for a similar beard? The court asked the counsel whether in future a dark student would be barred from studying (as he is not fair) or a girl student wearing a earring. The Sironj school will now have to re-admit the student. Earlier, Justice Markandeya Katju had expressed regret for his 'controversial' comments in the earlier order which he had withdrawn.