happy birthday soniaji

When a young man by the name of Rajiv Gandhi met a young woman named Sonia Maino, none could ever have imagined where the relationship would finally land up in. The two met in Cambridge during the sixties when Rajiv was studying at the famous British University. They were married in 1968 after three years of courtship that began in a Greek restaurant in the university town. Sonia was born on 9th December 1946 in Ovassanio near Turin and became a full-fledged Indian in 1983-84. After the assassination of Rajiv on 21/5/1991, she went into a life of recluse for nearly six years. All along she hated politics and was intent to remain as such. But, the senior members of the Congress party played upon her sentiments and prevailed upon her to change her decision. Finally, she entered the political scene in 1998 and was elected as leader of the Opposition in the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999.

In the course of her short political career, she had to face criticism from the opposition several times. But the grit and determination she has shown all along has earned for her respect even among her critics. Her renouncement of the post of Prime Minister is adequate proof that she never deviates from a decision – the entreaties of her fellow congressmen fell on deaf ears. By that one masterstroke, she silenced a number of voices and her stature automatically rose to a higher pedestal. Subsequently, with every passing day, she has matured politically. She has also mastered the major weakness of her inability to speak fluent Hindi.

Today, she is the President of the Indian National Congress party; she is the third woman and the eighth person of foreign origin to hold the post. The other two women were Annie Beasant and Nellie Sengupta. She is also the chairperson of the ruling UPA alliance. Moreover, she has been voted as one of the most powerful women of 2004 by Forbes magazine along with Condoleezza Rice and Wu-Yi.

She plans to spend her 59th birthday this year among the earthquake affected people of Kashmir. On the eve of her birthday, let us join in wishing her a long life and more honors. Read more on her life -

http://www.soniagandhi.org/php/showContent.php?linkid=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Gandhi

the women in blue

Yes, the Indian women’s cricket team has won the 4th ODI of the current series at Silchar on 7th December 2005 against the England team by 10 wickets – they now go into the 5th and final ODI on 9th December at Kolkata. The visiting team was able to compile only 50 runs in 30.4 overs, the Indians overhauled it in 14.5 overs without losing any wicket. J.Goswami captured 5 wickets for 16 runs with 3 maidens. In the previous match at Guwahati, the visiting team scored 215 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted 50 overs – J. Goswami went wicketless! The Indians made 216 runs for the loss of 2 wickets – M. Raj, the captain remained not out with 65.

http://www.ecb.co.uk/stats/fixtures/india-women-v-england-women-7-12-05,12745,FF.html

It was good to see the final result scrolling as a footer in the Aaj-Tak and NDTV news channels Mithali Raj, the captain, holds the record for the highest score for her unbeaten double century against England in 2002.
http://www.boloji.com/wfs2/wfs216.htm

The struggle of the women cricket team is one that has been going on since 1973 when the Indian Women's Cricket Association was formed. The team played their first Test match first Test match in 1976-77, when they drew with the West Indies in a six-match series. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_women's_cricket_team

Despite having produced some of the best players in the world, India is one of only 13 nations that have women's teams playing one-day international cricket, and one of only seven where women play test matches. Today, the Indian team is ranked number three, after Australia and England. http://www.boloji.com/wfs2/wfs216.htm

Diana Eduljee was the first captain of the women’s team – from 1978 till 1993. With 120 wickets to her name, she remains the highest wicket taker in the Indian camp. She got the Arjun award in 1983. Her compatriots Rajani Venugopal, Shanta Rangaswami, Shubhangi Kulkarni were all veterans of the game in India. In order to encourage members of the team of today to perform to their potential, the newly formed BCCI could consider extending suitable financial incentives to the Women in Blue. They also represent India on the World stage Like the Men in Blue. They certainly deserve better treatment; they should be given recognition and not neglect.

why ignore the women

The focus of the cricketing world is on the Indian cricket team battling it out with the Sri Lankans. Sachin is still trying for the elusive milestone and Ganguli dada is trying to prove that all is not lost. But, how many of us know that, at this very moment, there are International ODIs being played in India between the England and the Indian women’s cricket teams – out of the five matches scheduled, only two remain. The first one was on 28th November at Faridabad, followed by the ones at Lucknow and Guwahati. India won the Guwahati 50 over match by 8 wickets. Detailed scores are at -

http://www.ecb.co.uk/stats/fixtures/india-women-v-england-women-4-12-05,12741,FF.html


On the 7th December, they meet in Silchar and the last one is scheduled for Kolkata on 9th December. http://www.webbsoc.demon.co.uk/5ecb-3.htm

It is strange that in a cricket crazy country like ours, the women’s team is not even considered important enough for some space in the newspapers. Like the girl child in the family, the women’s cricket team is totally ignored. These charming women have the stamina to play their full quota of fifty overs, they also have the strength to hit fours and sixes. Unfortunately, these ODIs have only one sponsor Sahara and are supported by some public sector companies like ONGC, BSNL, NTPC and MTNL. One of the reasons could be that the Women’s cricket board lacks dynamic persons like Dalmiya who can convince those who matter that investments in the game can pay dividends in future. Live coverage of the game is given on DD-Sports. The captains of the teams could have been invited over by one of the TV channels over a cup of tea – that would have been a moral booster and made an impact on the masses. It would not be out of place to mention that the women deserve a more fair deal – especially when they reached the finals of the Women’s World Cup in South Africa in April this year. Read more on the subject in –

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/25/stories/2005112502480800.htm

I thank Gayathri (of indiatimes) who brought this disparity to my knowledge – if my little contribution can help the cause in any way, I would have done my duty. The England team returns home on the 11th of December – there is still time for that cup of tea!

remembering indira

Born on 19th November 1917, Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister for the first time in 1966 after Lal Bahadur Shastri expired under tragic circumstances in Tashkent. During her first tenure, she won the war with Pakistan in 1971 and was the guiding force behind the first ever nuclear explosion by India in the Pokhran desert in 1974. She also imposed a state of Emergency in the country and earned the wrath of politicians. She was Prime Minister of our country twice – first time in 1966 up to 1977 and again in 1980 to 1984. During her second term in office, the 9th Asian games were held in New Delhi in 1982. It was an achievement of no mean proportions, the Asian Games village and the fully air conditioned 25000 seating capacity Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium built by the Delhi Development Authority still stand testimony to the event. On this occasion, colored TV was introduced in the country to enable the Asian Games to be broadcast internationally. She launched ‘Operation Blue star’ in June 1984 to clear the holy Golden Temple complex in Amritsar from unwanted elements who had holed up there. She coined the famous slogan ‘garibi hatao – remove poverty’. Ultimately she fell prey to the bullets of assassins who were her own bodyguards. This led to unrest of no mean proportions and its tremors are felt even today.

Indira Gandhi shares her year of birth with John F Kennedy (19th May 1917), the 35th President of United States of America who also fell to bullets of an assassin.

Shakti sthal – is a monument built in her memory. The Annamalai Wild Life Sanctuary was renamed Indira Gandhi Wild Life Sanctuary as well as the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park – in Vishakhapatnam. The International airport at New Delhi has been re-christened the Indira Gandhi International airport and IGNOU, the Open University method of teaching also carries her name.

A few of her quotes:

Have a bias towards action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step straightaway.

My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there.

I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.

A nation’s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own, and not in what it can borrow from others.

Even if I died in the service of the nation, I would be proud of it. Every drop of my blood will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic.

People of India remember Indira Gandhi not only as the daughter of Pandit Nehru and a shrewd politician but also as the mother of Rajiv Gandhi who fell to terrorist designs and for the Emergency she declared. People recollect that during the bad spell of emergency, trains used to run on time and there was more accountability among the authorities.

Declaring Emergency is not new to this part of the world.

In 1974 severe floods caused widespread famine and property damages in Bangladesh. In the same year the government declared a State of Emergency after internal security was threatened by Islamic fundamentalist terrorists.

In Sri Lanka, a state of emergency was declared on the 13th August 2005 following the assassination of the Foreign Minister by snipers at his home in the capital, Colombo.

King Gyanendra of Nepal declared a state of emergency after the worst violence the country has seen since a Maoist revolt began six years ago.

Burma declared a 45-day state of emergency period for fear of mass unrest - the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a directive since the second week of this month declaring a state of emergency period in Burma and to tighten security measures. The emergency period has been declared for 45 days from 15 October to 30 November. It has been learned that the SPDC military government declared this 45-day state of emergency period because they were particularly worried that the current religious riots might turn into a mass public unrest.

peaceful co-existence

Ours is a peculiar country. We have faith in any number of faiths. One of them decries the dress worn by a player; the result is that she drops in international rankings due to preoccupation of ensuring that there is no exhibitionism. On the plus side, she thumbs her nose at her critics and features on the cover page of the Times!

http://sport.indiatimes.com/quickies/1249877.cms

Another faith says that restrictions will be imposed on participants to the forthcoming Garba celebrations. Rams and Shyam who are really Ram and Shyam can only participate and not those who have names like Rahim and Salim and don the garbs of Ram and Shyam in an effort to hide their true identities. Obviously, those who have formulated such dictates have observed that innumerable youngsters follow this route to gain entries into the holy world of youth who gyrate to hit tunes with the accompaniment of the dandiyas – the intention is to discourage them. That the festivities are to be wound up by ten o’ clock every night is a different matter. One of the more innovative organizers have plans to take the celebrations to the high seas – specially rigged out boats will leave the shores in the evening and participants can make merry without the interference of the Law. The rulings of the Honorable Court are applicable only to the land and not the water. Congratulations to whoever dreamt up this wonderful interpretation.

Other examples of peaceful co-existence abound – we find politicians with criminal antecedents share the stage with clean politicians. The logic is – you are not a criminal unless the court rules that you are. And, that ruling will never come because those who have to arrive at that decision are human beings, they have their weaknesses in the form of families. Hence, in order to save themselves, the proceedings drag on and on and never come to a conclusion. Hence, the Law will always look the other way even if a warrant is out for your arrest. It has happened in the past and will continue happening. Bollywood would have us believe that solutions exist, macho men barge into the strongholds of corrupt politicians and shoot them down. But, fantasies can never turn into realities.

We are an extremely tolerant Nation.

another interesting link –

amaar duniya

indian women detectives

Here is something on Indian women detectives. These news snippets will come as pleasant surprises to all those who normally associate detectives with men even though we worship Goddess Durga as the Goddess of strength and look upon to her to deliver us from Evil -

http://hindustantimes.com/news/181_...00600010004.htm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...how/1200301.cms

We have read a lot about detectives, mostly men. Examples abound in the form of Sherlock Holmes, Hercules Poirot, Ellery Queen and Perry Mason. Miss Marple was probably the odd person out. Agatha Christie showed tremendous courage when she created the character to prove that women possess more clarity in their analysis, can keep their cool better in crisis situations and can discharge the responsibilities of detection of crime with equal ease.
In the Indian context, there does not seem to be any writer who dared to swim against the tide and create women detectives. What prevented them from doing so is not recorded anywhere.

The opening up of the skies has brought forth women who engage in fighting crime in different parts of the world, especially in America. It stands to reason because, in those countries, women enjoy equal status with men even in scary jobs like tackling rowdism and gangsterism. They do not hesitate to use the rod and also bad mouth the criminals, unlike the women folk in our police forces. The only jobs entrusted to them are for bandobust duties or for escorting women criminals to and from the police station to court and back. Instances like Kiran Bedi are exceptions that go to prove the rule.

In such a background, it is really appreciated when it is revealed that women detectives do exist in India. When you face a problem, their fraternity is there to provide a helping hand and come up with a solution.

women power of india

Once again it has come upon us – the 8th day of March, designated as the World Women’s Day. One more occasion for celebrations of woman power freed of all bonds and inhibitions. What a man can do, a woman can do better.

We Indians have always bowed down before woman power – our Goddesses are proof enough, if proof is needed. Goddess Durga personifies strength and determination. When all the Gods put together failed to find out ways and means to conquer the evil forces, they prayed to her, they prostrated themselves before her and requested her to deliver them from the evil forces. That was probably the starting point ….

Centuries have passed by since then. Today we swear by science and technology. A look at the software scenario tells its own story; the boys go after the hardware leaving those delicate fingers to solve the puzzles of softwares that make the world tick! The choices are obvious. There are exceptions but, then, exception are supposed to prove the rules.

In the arena of fine arts, women rule – 76 years of age has not mellowed the golden voice of Lata Mangeshkar. Women past their prime can still be found to be making waves – Aparna Sen and Shabana Azmi are best examples. Yesterday, we saw them on the sets of Aparna’s latest movie 15 Park Avenue. The first frame and whatever little information one could gather about the story show promises.

Political heavyweights have their share of persons of the fair sex – when the situation demands, they can be even more tough and non wielding compared to their male counterparts. We had the likes of Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Srimavo Bandernaike, Benazir Bhutto and Sheikh Hasina. At present we have a large group of women leaders. Each of them has left her mark of authority in all her dealings.

On this all important day, may we pray for one more Durga like Goddess to emerge from the murky waters of Indian politics, trample all those evil forces, and take the country to a path of glory? Let us pray for her to tackle the modern day Asuras who wield cell phones, who sport large moustaches and gory beards, who consider all human beings to be nothing but living specimens of opportunity – to be discarded once the ballot has been cast.

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The Reader’s Nook