Vada Pav Gleanings

I confess: I am a massive admirer of Al Jazeera English. And I’ll tell you why.

I am sure you might have heard of this channel, if not seen it. And if you haven’t seen it – please make the effort of doing so. I take responsibility for your viewer pleasure/disgust.

Why I love Al Jazeera ? To put it simple – they typify the brand of journalism I believe in. Fearless, often natural and largely neutral, challenging the powers that be, mostly coming from a premise that is not considered mainstream, yet in it’s own way it is indeed mainstream – the so-called “third-world” narrative. I think in today’s day and age, where you have a host of West-centric networks, there needs to be a counter view, which in a way reflects the majority and by majority I mean not a bulk of Americans or British, but the majority – Africa, Eastern Europe, South Asia, South East Asia, Oceania (again, not Australia but countries like Papua New Guinea) and of course Latin America too. These are places, that hardly find a minute’s mention in these Western networks, but assume a greater significance in the larger international discourse. While your run of the mill CNNs and BBCs, were more preoccupied with their own domestic concerns, Al Jazeera actually bothered to track the Khmer Rouge trials – just as the ECCC was set up in Cambodia, and actually did an excellent job of it. Also, a former BBC-reporter himself i.e. Rageh Omar did a fine job of covering the Swat Operations in Pakistan, remember the documentary he produced on the specific battles in Bajaur, which was by far the first one to be aired. And then, the CNNs and the BBCs and the Channel 4s followed up. So in a way, as far as international reporting is concerned, Al Jazeera has quite in its own way raised the bar, and set it for the others to follow.

Around this time last year, actually a month from now on, the Gaza invasion by Israeli Defence Forces began. And thats when I first watched Al Jazeera with a great amount of interest, and perhaps haven’t looked back ever since. For the sort of coverage we saw during that War, Al Jazeera came up with it’s quintessential “other” view i.e. the Palestinian viewpoint, which to a degree was ignored by the Western media. For that matter, they were the only ones who actually covered the war, so much so that the Israelis had to blackout the channel for the brave job they were doing. And that’s when I thought, this channel had well and truly arrived. Yes, I think they were pretty much the alternative for a majority of the viewers, but the Gaza invasion coverage virtually got everyone hooked on to Al Jazeera and I think, that’s when they made the transition to being a mainstream channel i.e. everyone took notice of the powerful journalism that Al Jazeera practiced. Yes, Al Jazeera speaks for the victims, oppressed, terrorized etc, but hey, they have a voice too and if someone is speaking for them, it’s well worth giving them a good hearing to. Well, we quite need the Palestinian perspective on a range of issues, even a Nigerian one for that matter. It’s time we admire those who give them the platform to speak their stories too.

Equally, I think it is about time India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, took a conscious decision to air this channel and open up the sort of journalism that Al Jazeera have resorted to. What it has done as a channel, is developed a brand of journalism, that you may love or hate (depending on which side you’re speaking for), but one that you cannot ignore. About time the citizens of this country realize what international journalism truly is, by that I do not degrade the efforts of the BBC and the CNN, but also…present you with an alternative, that actually – reflects what you think and how you see the world.

Seems like today is a Celebrate Sachin day. I’ll do my bit too.

I wrote this piece on the very day India beat England in the Test match in Chennai not so long ago. It’s a piece that in a way compares two of the greatest sportspersons that I’ve ever witnessed – Sachin Tendulkar and Ryan Giggs – champions beyond doubt in their own respective fields. Just thought, it was a small tribute from someone who not just salutes their careers and glories, but also respects their individuality and qualities that are somewhere to be emulated.

Here’s the post in toto:

The Guardian’s Mike Selvey calls it Karma. I choose to call it destiny. India’s 6-wicket win over England in Chennai was inevitable, or to simply put it – was meant to be. At this juncture, let me also bring in the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea in May 2008. Just as John Terry was destined to miss his chance from the spot, another United great, who embodies everything the club stands for, Ryan Giggs, was meant to score the winner. Bring that scenario into what happened on Monday, the 15th of December where it was Sachin Tendulkar, whom the British junta refer to as the “Mumbai Man”, who took his team past the line in chasing 387. Perhaps those two examples put sport into perspective.

People may ask me why I choose to relate these two events, of different sport – simply because they stand for something significant. Manchester United, simply had to win the Champions League after having to put up with a disaster of their own, the one in Munich in 1958, where the club lost 8 players and 3 members of the staff. If that was tragedy enough, Mumbai and indeed, India had to bear something worse. Incommensurable in numbers, it was a blatant disregard for humanity, life and pretty much the law of the land when terrorists held the city on gunpoint. And where does the ten percent of the healing touch come from ? I guess, sport. It was a telling moment when Sir Bobby Charlton, a survivor of the Munich crash walked up on behalf of Manchester United, to collect the medal at Moscow as it was when Sachin Tendulkar, scored perhaps his most significant hundred and that leap of joy – did mean something for someone from the city, sitting through the chills of London.

Of course, as much as we continue to romanticize the Tendulkar innings, three others were played in the background while the soundtrack hit the higher notes. Virender Sehwag who, in consensus, gave India the chance to make their own destiny and shape up a special end to the contest. At his usual, cold-blooded and no-nonsense best, Sehwag is quite literally the best batsman in the world. And, on Sunday – that was the case. He nullified two of England’s potential fifth-day threats with absolute disregard for them and that played out perfectly, come Monday. If not for Sehwag, as Dhoni rightly pointed out, India would have been defending the game, something they’ve not known to be successful at. So, to bring in Manchester United again, this was something like the header Ronaldo scored to put them ahead in Moscow. An important moment, a massive platform as indeed a curtain-raiser for something special at the finale. Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh, recent graduates into Test cricket played two knocks which, given the occasion might just slip into the background, but were no less invaluable than the ones played by Tendulkar and Sehwag. In context, they played their part too.

Tendulkar’s innings on Day 5 was special in many regards. Andrew Flintoff was steaming in with the intensity last seen in the Ashes 2005 and Tendulkar’s initial moments were indeed human, with barely any feet movement and some loose plays and misses. But once the square drive came out of the Tendulkar shot factory and not to forget that intentional upper-cut off Anderson, everything suddenly seemed so normal. Indeed, the ghosts of the venue – almost 10 years ago would have popped up in his mind during the course of the innings, but he seemed determined to bury to tag of “the best hundred ever seen in a losing cause for India” and write a new chapter into his love-affair with the MAC Stadium in Chennai. There was a method to his batting, a hunger which has been in question time and again, and a determination to see the team through, if only losing to Pakistan by 12 runs in 1999 was reminder enough. And what a moment it was, when of all the shots in his repertoire, Tendulkar brought out the paddle, or as the Poms call it the “nurdle” to settle the issue – for him, Mumbai and India. A moment to savour. That’s when my mind pops back to Moscow, when Ryan Giggs, of all the people, in his 759th game for Manchester United, in the tightest of situations had the nerves to put it past the diving Petr Cech. That was the goal, like Tendulkar’s boundary, that mattered in the end.

And, for someone who passionately supports Manchester United week in and week out and occasionally chooses to back India in cricket, the very thought of destiny being a factor was to an extent scary. Chelsea did not deserve to lose the game at Moscow, nor did England in Chennai. But thats when there’s a 12th man in destiny. To put it simply, I quote our great manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, as he so rightly and effectively stated after the Moscow triumph, “We had a cause which was very important. People with causes are difficult to battle against and I think fate was playing its part.” Ferguson said. Fate and Tendulkar played their part in Chennai too.

And yes, as someone who’s been mesmerized and entertained by both these stalwarts, I can only sit here and hope both Sachin and Ryan Giggs give us a few years more of their talent. Like everyone is, I can’t imagine the day when both these players choose to hang their boots and move on from their respective sporting disciplines.

Was it a grand coincidence that two rather non-mainstream elements, who would have otherwise spent their time asking foreigners or in one case, North Indians to lay off, made prime-time news in countries continents apart on the same day (Oct 22) ? Yes, Raj Thackeray and Nick Griffin may have absolutely nothing in common, except that their respective parties – Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the British National Party (BNP) have quite signaled the gradual rise of the ultra-right wing as a small but reasonable political force, in a country where the populace might have fallen out with both the politics and the policies of the centrist (right/left) parties. This is where, what I choose to call, the Manoos politics, has made its presence felt, to the disconcert and concern of the masses, justifiably so. Read the rest of this entry »

Hello Hello,

What drives me into getting to blogging is that same old urge to write. It’s been kicking me ever since I landed in India from the UK, finished my thesis and was just idling around doing nothing – except reading research papers on various subjects. There was this desire to jot down those musings, about everything at large and everything I rant about on twitter – be it cricket, the Indian media, Mumbai (where I belong), and of course politics (something I love discussing, but something I haven’t ventured into writing about as yet). So, hopefully will put this platform to good use. I am also exploring some regular podcasts on cricket – if possible and let’s see how this goes ahead.

And most importantly, I am hoping to be regular – as my previous two blogs – The Cricket Journal and Venkat Unplugged! have suffered from lack of periodic writing and posting. Hope you enjoy the posts.

Regards,

Venkat