Gully Cricket

In the present world when everything has developed,cricket too followed the trail. It has metamorphosed, adopted many new forms but 'gully cricket' always remains a hit amongst the youth. 

Even if cricket progressed to become a systematically organised game, still somewhere the real roots of the game lie in gully cricket. Almost all well established cricketers have visited these lanes in their life. History is witness to this fact that the real cricketers are born in the ‘gullies’.

Gully cricket is all about virtual wickets, rubber balls, light bats, flexible overs and limited space. But due to factors like urbanisation and infrastructure expansion, gully cricket, which was synonymous to small cities like Jammu has taken a back seat. 

The lovely rejuvenating game is slowly loosing its worth in the fast-paced world.

While talking to a few cricket enthusiast, I tried to find out the reasons behind the downward trend in the sport. Though people claim cricket as their passion, but blame time and pressure from work as the roadblocks. For students, there is immense pressure from parents and competition in the peer group. They have less time. Due to unavailability of space and save time and energy, they have switched to online gaming.A college student feels that parents non-supportive attitude is also a hindrance for youngsters to indulge in gully cricket. Parents usually brand it as waste of time.

Due to such factors, the followers of the game have commenced a downhill journey. According to me, gully cricket is also part of our heritage. We should balance it in our daily schedule.

Roadblocks in development of regional football

For an assignment I was supposed to cover the first semi-final match in the Inter-Collegiate Football Championship. Coincidentally this was my first-ever live football match. Honestly there weren't many expectations attached, probably due to my obsession for cricket.

Contrary to this, a renewed enthusiasm and energy could be felt in the air which amazed me. The close game successfully evoked my interest. My pre-conceived notion forced me to contemplate the reasons behind the bias by the large set of which I am only a small element.

Knowing that in Jammu, ‘bat’ is given utmost priority while other sports are considered inferio, I tried to find reasons behind such a bias. I interacted with the officials,players and their supporters. A group of players tried to narrate the real scenario. 

According to them, quality infrastructure in the city is missing. And the grounds at their disposal aren't maintained properly by the authorities. For the players there are no facilities of locker rooms, water tanks etc available on the grounds. Most of the time, due to religious functions and national holidays like Independence Day, these grounds are hired by the authorities concerned and the players are left disappointed.

The players complain about the lack of exposure. Not many tournaments are organised by the sports department. According to sources, last national match played was in 2012 between Mohun Began and J&K. The football players feel that the government as well as the authorities concerned should at least make an effort to upgrade the infrastructure, promote the game and further request the parents to encourage and support their children towards the game.

Power of self-belief

Our life is a adventurous ride full of great highs and deep lows. There are problems in everybody's life. the gravity of these depends on our perception. Sometimes our so called 'hurdles' are insignificant when there is comparison with other's problems. 

One cannot possess 'Godly' calm , composure and patience.But at least one can work towards achieving perseverance and composure. Positivism is the key.

Below are two excerpts handed over to me by my mentor and guide-in-life to motivate me and help me regain focus on my goals. 

Main aim: less negative thoughts, more positive energy

All power is within you.

You can do anything and anything and everything.

Believe in that.

Believe that you are strong.

Stand up and express the divinity within you.

Stand up, 

be bold, 

be strong.

Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders 

and know that you are he creator of 

you and your familys' destiny

A big NO to currency garlands!

In the Silver jubilee function of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2010,the then Chief Minister Mayawati had a one woman show . She was given a garland of 1000 rupee notes by her Ministers. Back then she faced a lot of criticism. Reserve Bank of India intervened and made it clear that notes shouldn't be used for making garlands. But to no avail.

Currency garlands aren't a recent phenomena in India. They have been used in almost all the societies though for different purpose. In marriage functions, close relative and other guests gift the groom garland of notes.For the decoration of pandals, notes are used. In social events, people use money garlands to honor others. In certain societies, the situation is so bad that instead of being a practice, this has become an important tradition.

The logic behind using money garlands is still alien to me.When you can gift the money in cash, why go through the pain of getting a note garland made??There have been repeated warnings by the banker's bank to stop this secondary use. This is due to the fact that when notes are used in garlands, it leads to their soiling and shortens their lifespan. This has direct negative impact on their 'clean note policy' according to which the RBI ensures quality currency notes in the market.

The sad part is even though RBI openly disapproves the practice, it cannot do anything about the offenders. There is no specific mention of provisions under Banking Regulation Act, 1949 or under RBI Act, 1934. It is required that people understand the gravity of the matter and as responsible citizens of the State discourage using currency notes as garlands both at societal and personal level. Its important that we give respect to the notes for they are the symbol of nations sovereignty.

When..

Those days when nothing seems correct.

When there is so much in your heart

that it unsuccessfully tries breaking the shackles.

When there is so much to say but words fail you.

When there is an eerie silence all around.

When everything is peculiar and nothing soothing.

When the grieving soul finds no console.

When there are no answers for the infinite mushrooming queries.

When you need that “one” cuddle.

When suddenly the past haunts you.

When there is nobody to blame, but yourself.

And all you have is the same empty room with the same old cushion which is witness to the past sobbing episodes.

The final goodbye

Wrote this incomplete poem when I was in school.

With tears in my eyes,

When the grieving heart is seeking an answer

An assurance somewhere that everything is going to be fine

With a belief that nothing is going to be the same anymore

I bid the final goodbye;

You might have held my hand when the future was bleak

Inspired me when the chips were down

Embraced me when the world went cold

But left me in the lurch when I relied on you

 And demolished my fantasy land....

Not so girly affair?

In my editing class, we churn out tabloids on a weekly basis. In the recent edition that was published by us, we covered some border stories. Being an ardent follower of sports especially cricket, I thought of grabbing the opportunity and offered to write the sports article. My request was followed by an unexpected response. Almost every eye in the room had a fishy smile on their face and questions in their eyes.

Why such an indifferent attitude? The answer lies in the infamous notion that girls and sports just don’t go well together. To me, this is disgusting. After all if one has the same passion and drive to cover the sport, why consider the sex of the individual. A usual counter argument to this is given that girls cannot cover sports because they have never played it. Seriously! That would imply that to be a crime reporter one has to commit a crime!!

In India the scenario presently is testament to the fact that the women aren't

encouraged to follow sports as a career beat. Time and again they are reminded that it is not something that they can afford to do. It’s well known that sports as a professional beat is challenging. It involves a lot of travelling, slogging and passion.  When women are ready to put in extra effort, it’s the men who hamper their prospects. As a result, the women journalists have to steer their way through the chauvinists.

Now that I have begun my journey as a journalist and sports writing is something that I cherish, I would make it a point to grab any opportunity that lands along my way. And since I am a girl who loves to write about sports, people will specifically be critical about my work. Certainly that would be a blessing in disguise. It would not only motivate me but also help in improving my skills for the better.

Trip down the lane...

Wrote this piece a long time ago when was contemplating about the changes in our very pattern of life. The change in meaning of relationships! Just compiling all the past work.

As i take a trip down the memory lane it dawns upon me that the shy, innocent yesterday's dady's girl today has become a grown up lady, who independently takes control of her life. Unlike yesterday now my decisions aren't selfish and self-centered. Somewhere in this eventful journey,i learnt the literal meaning of sacrifice. And its then when i realized that i have grown as a person who is concerned about others in her life and not just her own.

There are so many things that i have left behind and so many new things that i have adopted and there are so many realizations:

 1. Friends aren't forever: Even if we try our best all of them aren't here to stay throughout. We may have tagged them in 'Friends forever' pictures, scribbled the names together in the notebook and on the benches or with a twig on the ground but the real significance has been lost. We made them our family but as time passed we lost them even if we didn't want to. Looks like 24 hours is not enough!

2. The world has come closer but lets face it its still not close. Social neworking has become our life.We don't have the time to clear the miscommunications but we can update statuses.We don't approach the person to clear the air,we just vent out our frustration virtually.

 3. Friends enter and leave even if thats not what we actually want. Everybody moves on in their life. Nobody waits for anybody. And its then we realise the importance of our cousins and siblings.They are always there to take your back or to criticize us for the better. They aren't judgemental. Instead, they are the new 'Throughout- life- best- friends.'

 4.The idea of friendship has lost its meaning.One moment we are best friends with someone praising them all the time and the next moment when they leave we switch to the bitch mode.I fail to understand that why did you become friends in the first place when you cant accept the person and its habits.

5.And life isn't easy.Its not a cakewalk.Its rough.Perfect people don't exist.Relationships aren't ideal.We learn facts the hard way.We learn that even if we were crying the night before and our pillow and puffy eyes are a testament to that fact,we have to gather ourselves the next morning, put a smile on our face and move on.We have to get up to realise our dreams.We realise that all our dreams can't be fulfilled. We learn to make a distinction between goals and dreams.

 6. Throughout the childhood phase we were protected by our family.We were unaware of the word 'Crisis'.And then suddenly we have to face the world on our own.We are exposed without the 24*7 shield.

We always wanted to grow up .And now when we have we hate it.Its true growing up is a trap.It was much easier getting up in the morning, completing homework, punishments for being a talkative girl,decorating the boards,preparing for the assembly , sharing tiffin, playing stupid games,pleasing your friend whose birthday was approaching.It was better than facing the tough life all on our own.

Talk- the only solution?

Already troubled Indo-Pak relations hit rock bottom due to an increase in the ceasefire violations across the International Border. This had a direct impact on the composite dialogue between the two nations. Though formal communication at these times is put on halt, nonetheless informal dialogue is still on.

A noted supporter of the Indo-Pak dialogue remarks that instead of talking about one another, they should talk to each other. He goes on to say that dialogues should be ‘uninterrupted and uninterruptible’. Not only does he support informal dialogue, but also wants a continuous formal dialogue.

Opposing this school of thought, others say that talks between the two nations are essential. And these should not be done at the cost of the nation’s interest. If the dialogue process goes on despite increase in violations, it would send a wrong message across the Pakistan government.

In the past also, dialogue process hasn’t been able to solve the existing problems on both sides. It is necessary to protest against the Pakistan government as and when required so as to prevent such incidents in the near future and restoring faith among the Indian citizens. It should also be acknowledged that dialogue process has strategic importance for both the nations but not at the cost of ignoring the national interest.

Economic activity of Suchetgarh

Constant stretches of green farms. Gentle current of breeze swirling the standing rice crop on these farms awakening them from their intermittent nap. Chewing the cud, cows and buffaloes sluggishly ruminate. With scenes of kids playing in the mud, Suchetgarh, a small border village in R.S. Pura accords a warm welcome. The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture and dairy farming.

This area is part of what is known as the ‘Basmati bowl’ of the state. Basmati and Sharbati are the two varieties of the kharif crop that are cultivated here. Basmati has a better quality but due to the losses incurred, the farmers shifted to cultivation of Sharbati which involves less investment. The produce is generally sold out to the middlemen. Presently, the pre-decided price for Basmati is Rs.4000-4500 per quintal. Organic farming was initiated with the help of government authorities lately which are sold at the rate of Rs.28000-30000 per quintal. The dried leftover called ‘bhusa’ is also put on sale which is bought by the ‘Gujjar community’. In addition to rice, major crops like mustard , barseem and vegetables are also  grown.

Since rice is a seasonal crop, the villagers also practice dairy farming. Milk is sold to the brokers twice a day on a daily basis at the rate of Rs. 20-25 per kg. Some families in addition to milk, sell other milk products like paneer too. Besides agriculture, many educated youth have adopted teaching as a side business . According to ‘lambaddaar’ Haveli Ram, around 85 people of the village are employed with the defence forces.

People in this area face a lot of problems when there are tensions across the border. Due to firing, both agriculture as well as dairy farming is affected. According to the villagers, no compensation is provided by the government in case of loss of property.

Doordarshan: Carrying forward the legacy!

From the only channel in 1959 to 2013 when the TV industry has grown manifold and audience is flooded with numerous channels, television industry in India surely has come a long way. Despite the boom of private channels, if something has sustained over the years, it’s for sure the admiration and the respect that Doordarshan has in people’s heart. DD is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in India in terms of infrastructure. It has the world’s largest terrestrial network, covering 90.1 per cent of the population and 78.2 per cent of the area.

Initiated in 1969 as an experiment, a full-fledged broadcasting station of Doordarshan (DD) was set up in 1972 in Delhi on lines of being a Public Service television. Doordarshan has a three-tier programme service – national, regional and local. There are a total of 34 channels of which four are national. The aim is to inform, educate and entertain.

Besides, it provides meaningful entertainment programmes for both the urban as well as rural audience. It is also helping the government in spreading awareness about various welfare schemes of government.With the advent of cable television in India and multiple channels, the viewership of DD dipped gradually. Though there has been a serious competition in the market among TV channels, still DD never compromised on quality. It still focuses on content, maintains standard and doesn’t sensationalise unlike other private players.

Momentous progress has been noted in DD’s expedition. Not only has it improved its content, but also upgraded its technical infrastructure. In 1975, Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was launched under which ATS-6 satellite were available. Lately, digital terrestrial transmitters have been introduced. This has reduced the use of spectrum providing more capacity than analogue signal and still delivers a better picture. DTH (direct-to-home) services have been initiated. It has a better quality, since it involves satellite transmission and negates the technical glitch in the antenna broadcasting. Multiple cameras, split screens, graphics usage has taken over the orthodox static screen. There is extensive use of OB vans, which initially were used to cover major events. Complete digitisation of DD is underway.

Regarding content, DD has been able to maintain its set benchmark. It hasn’t given into glamour as other private channels. They do not believe in sensationalising the news. Since it’s a public broadcaster, it prudently filters the quality content from hogwash. No other private channel broadcasts classics and rural centric programmes like ‘Krishi Darshan’. 

DD has initiated the process of public interaction through its programmes with experts. It is worth noting that when the language of the news has lost its significance, DD has maintained its standard.With the advent of private channels, a steep decline in the viewership of DD is recorded. Reliable data on Doordarshan’s viewership is difficult to find, as the viewership recording authority, Television Audience Measurement, covers only satellite channels while Doordarshan’s network is largely terrestrial. There have been reports of loss of revenue as the commercial viability has taken a dip. Many experts have suggested handing over functional autonomy to Prasar Bharti. But DD is still considered by the government as its ‘propaganda wing’. Doordarshan has tried to revamp its image through Self Financing Channels, but it still has a long way to go. It’s imperative that DD focuses on building people’s trust by striking the right chord. This can be done with the help of generation of quality content and excellent first-rate marketing skills.

It is expected that DD maintains its standard and not indulge in the rat race of television rating points (TRPs). The motto of Satyam Shivam Sundaram should always encourage the DD to rise above the rest and cater to their social responsibility in order to have that special place in people’s heart!

From man to Mahadeva

Debutant novelist Amish Tripathi’s Shiva trilogy is an adventurous tale of an extra ordinary journey of a tribal chief whom the legend turns into a ‘Mahadev’.  Shiva leaves for Meluha as he doesn’t wish to be part of routine inter-tribe tussle. He is the saviour and a ‘hero’ for Meluhans according to their legend of ‘Neelkanth’ who has come to save them from the evil. The trilogy is an account of his journey in search of the real meaning of evil.

Strategically, the author has divided Shiva’s journey into 3 books- The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras. In the first book, he introduces Meluha which once a proud empire is facing severe perils .They are in search of the legendary hero who would save them. Shiva appears on the scene to be their hero since he has the distinctive blue throat and falls in love with Sati.

 The second book unravels the mystery behind the Nagas and Vasudevas. He hunts for the killer of his beloved friend. The description of numerous battles that are fought and the romantic relation that develops has been given. In the third book, Shiva manages to comprehend the real evil. The Neelkanth wages war against the fiercest of warriors leading the people away from the good, which has become the greatest enemy.

With a simple yet compelling narrative style, the author has been able to connect with the readers. He has contemporised the mythical story in an outstanding manner. The mythological characters have been personified which has made it easier to accept and relish the trilogy more. The characters of an independent and brave Sati, a hooded figure Naga,an intelligent scientist Brahaspati, main puppeteer Maharishi Bhrigu have been framed in a fine manner. The storyline is refreshing .It has drama, mystery, love, adventure and philosophy. Furious action jumps off on one side and soft romantic relation develops on the other. Such is the power of his narration that one finds it difficult to put down the book as it forces you to find out ‘what next’.

Along with an excellent description of the story, the author has been able to send meaningful message across.  Almost every passage holds an enigmatic message which not only unravels the secrets of the soul but also stirs our inner consciousness and initiates the thinking process.

Throughout the journey divided into three books, Amish Tripathi has been able to maintain consistency, good standard and his Midas touch. He has virtually forced us to ponder over the issue of the difference between good and  bad in this materialistic world. He has explained through his work, the difference our decisions make in our lives. Overall, it’s a pleasure to bask in the glory of the great warrior and be part of a magnificent expedition of a person who though initially doubts his ability finally goes on to become the ‘Mahadev’.