Vantage point




Saturday, June 01, 2002

W C J "Hansie" Cronje, one of cricket's most reverred and later disgraced figures died in a plane crash today. I am sure you all are as confused as I am about this piece of news. How am I supposed to react? Of course, I feel sad that he died. An early and gruesome death is always depressing. But how much will one's heart really rech out to him ? That is the way he will always be remembered as- disgraced. He could ahve gone on to live a life which may have redeemed his pride. Who knows? But now, it's not possible. His kids will be like Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar, with a metaphorical "Mera Baap Chor Hai" on their arm. His parents will always be the parents of "disgraced" cricketer Hansie Cronje. All i can say is- Rest In Peace.

Today Mush said "Even thinking of the nuclear option is a sin". What is this guy, schizophrenic or something ? In an interview a few days back he had said they would use nukes if need be, and now it's a sin? Is it god or is it Uncle Sam who leant on him?

Here's something I have been thinking about. A group of kids my friend Sharwari knows had gone to Arunachal Pradesh recently. There people talked to them saying stuff like "You Indians.." this and "You Indians..." that, as if they were from some other country. Sharwari was fuming about it and said how could they talk to her friends like that ? Don't they consider themselves Indian? I asked her just one question.

"What is the capital of Arunachal Pradesh?"

She couldn't answer. I wonder if you can. I could, simply for the reason that I had recently mugged up all the capitals for the GD/PIs, otherwise I wouldn't know it either. How many of us can locate Nagaland on the map ? How many know the CM of Meghalaya ? Face it, we don't know anything about the North-east simply because we don't care. We don't consider them Indian enough ? Or is it just that the media does'nt focus on them ? Tell me something. Have you never referred to a mongoloid-looking guy in your college or neighbourhood as "that chinko" ? Chinko means Chinese. They don't like China or want to be a part of it......yet. Here we are spending billions on Kashmir and then feel jubilant when 61% (huge eh?) Kashmiris polled wanted to stay with India. And what are we spending on the NE? Nothing. That is disgraceful. Today I have made up my mind to learn more about that part of the country. Are you with me?

Javagal Srinath retired from test cricket today to concentrate on ODI's, especially the World Cup next year. Forgive me for digging up the past, but did he not 'retire' from ODIs 2 years ago? And who can truly say he will make it to the ODI XI in the first place? The guy can't bat (or rather doesn't want to bat, he has 5 half-tons in tests but has recently developed an alergy to willow) and he can't bowl at death. I don't know if he is that good at opening he bowling either. All he'll do is dig it short once in the over. Srinath, think it over, probably you chose the wrong version to retire from.

Okay, now coming to something new I am starting. My "LIST OF FIVE".

LIST OF FIVE FAVOURITE GOVINDA MOVIES

1. Hatya ( copy of some Hollywood movie, George would know which, but a good copy)
2. Deewana Mastana
3. Dulhe Raja
4. Jodi No. 1
5. Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan (where he overshadowed Bachchan totally)