On India's 65th year of Independence

On this day 65 years ago, we unfurled our tricolour as an independent country. This freedom was won by the blood, sweat and tears of a million martyrs and countless other unknown faces. A new nation was born with the hope of upholding lofty ideals like democracy, secularism and socialism. Our tryst with destiny was meant to deliver us into a new age of enlightenment, social justice, prosperity and above all - freedom. So as we celebrate 65 years of our birth as a nation, perhaps it is time to pause and consider for a second - are we free - are we independent?

Perhaps it is a reflection of the times we live in when the mood of the nation swings wildly between concern and apathy, when words like corruption, inequality, discrimination, female foeticide, caste, violence and terror have become commonplace, where we talk of being the next great superpower but cannot ensure power to the people. What is this freedom we so dearly cherish? Are we truly free?

We gained freedom from the British, but are we free from our need for approval from the white man? We celebrate the father of the nation, but are we free to make a movie about him that criticises the man without fear of a backlash? Are women free to walk on the streets at night without the fear of being accosted, molested or raped? Are we free to practise our faith, celebrate our art and espouse our views without fear of censorship? Are girls free to walk into a pub without fear of being branded prostitutes by some medieval hockey-wielding cop? Do we have independence from inequality, caste and gender bias, bigotry, sycophancy, corruption and illiteracy?

The simple answer is an emphatic "NO".

We remember Manipur when Mary Kom wins a medal and forget about it the rest of the time when it is burning. We remember Assam when we have to garner a political vote bank but forget about it when illegal immigrants run riot. We desecrate the Amar Jawan Jyoti and forget the immense sacrifices made by the brave unknown soldier who gave his life defending our freedom, a freedom we take for granted. We evade taxes, exploit the oppressed, steal from the poor to give to the rich, hoard more money than we could ever use in a lifetime and turn away when we should be reaching out. We urinate on walls right under the "do not urinate" sign, spit at the "no spitting" sign, litter our neighbourhoods, run traffic lights and contemptuously ask the constable if he knows who our forefathers are. We kowtow to politicians, charlatans and goondas alike and wonder how the three came to be so synonymous. We are more willing to tear down those that try to make a difference rather than join hands and build a better future. And when faced with these harsh realities, our omnipotent response is the wonderfully succinct "chalta hai" in Hindi, closely followed by "sannu ki" in Punjabi or its semantic equivalent.

Thankfully, all is not lost. We still have plenty to be grateful for. We have taken immense strides as a nation, but it is still just the beginning. India as an idea may be from time immemorial, we may be 65 years old, but India as a nation is still young, and we all make mistakes in our youth.  In spite of all that is wrong with our society we still have beacons of hope that urge us towards selflessness, honesty and a willingness to be the change. From the depth of an all-pervading silence, voices still emerge and beckon us to listen to our conscience. The common man, the man on the street knows without a shadow of doubt that what he sees all around him everyday is not a deliverance of the promise made 65 years ago, and hopefully he is awakening from his self-imposed slumber, but as long as he chooses to remain silent behind a "sannu ki", change will be a distant dream, the freedom struggle a fleeting memory and the future a morass of shattered dreams and despair.

The majority demographic in the nation today is the youth and in spite of varying definitions of what age bracket that actually is, is it in them we must entrust our future? This may be a scary thought - when the very generation we wish to deliver us from our stupor are so disconnected from our reality. Can a generation reared on pop culture and social networking really make a difference? A generation where more people know who Salman Khan is but blink when asked who Maulana Abul Kalaam Azad was, a generation unconcerned by the widening chasm of the rural-urban divide, who protest by lighting candles at India Gate and circulate petitions on Facebook when a majority of the people they are protesting for cant read as they are uneducated, don't have access to computers as they have no money and even if they have a computer, cant turn it on as there is no power?

I suppose there are no easy answers to any of this. I certainly don't claim to have the solution. My only effort here is ask the questions and make you think for yourselves. Stop blindly following, instead question the world around you and carve your own path, create your own destiny, be the change you want. Greatness is not bestowed, it is earned, built brick by brick, step by step, one person at a time. Be that one person today and make a difference, so that when you salute your tricolour and say "Jai Hind", your voice resonates with a profound conviction and we awake into the nation of Rabindranath Tagore's dreams.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Jai Hind!

Sachin Tendulkar and the Bharat Ratna

So what else is left to say about Sachin Tendulkar? The man is a living legend, a colossus, arguably the greatest batsman ever to walk on to a cricket field and his records will in all probability never be surpassed. So when an entire nation demands that the country's highest civilian honour be conferred upon him, does the issue even merit a debate? Unfortunately, I think it does.

Established in 1954, the Bharat Ratna is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike a Knighthood, holders of the Bharat Ratna carry no special title nor any other honorifics, but they do have a place in the Indian order of precedence. (Thanks Wikipedia).

Historically the Bharat Ratna was awarded to public figures who had served the nation beyond the normal call of duty. Among the earliest receipients were luminaries like C. Rajagopalachari, C.V. Raman, S. Radhakrishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Lal Bahadur Shastri and V.V.Giri. Even Indira Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1971, probably less for her accomplishments and more for the successsful war against Pakistan which lead to the founding of Bangladesh. Her lineage may have had something to do with it as well, but in the larger picture she was a worthy receipient (at least in 1971, the emergency a few years later would always be a huge blot on an otherwise inspiring life).

On a few occassions, the award became a political tool, being awarded posthumously to M.G.Ramachandran, a film star and later Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, and Rajiv Gandhi, India's seventh Prime Minister, whose time in the countr's highest public office were marked by corruption, scandal and the almost total collapse of the economy. In my personal opinion, these two awardees are shining examples of political expediency, where the individual's merit has nothing to do with being conferred this award, thereby devaluing this highest honour. When one glances through the list of people who have actually been awarded the Bharat Ratna, of the 41 receipients to date the remainder have impeccable credentials and unimpeachable reasons for finding themselves on this exclusive list. For more details and a complete list of awardees, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Ratna

So back to Sachin Tendulkar. In a country of acute diversity, where language, food habits, fashion, caste and creed vary in varying degrees every few kilometers, in a land of 32 billion Gods and Godesses where we cannot agree on most things, in a country held together by only an idea of a nation, the one factor that unites us all is Sachin! From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Kutch to Kolkota, one man can bring the nation to a grinding halt as he faces up to a shiny cricket ball being hurled at him at 150 km/hr. In a sport that has been rocked by scandal and corruption in recent years, murky dealings and shady connections, Sachin has continued to shine bright as an example of integrity, honesty, hard work, dedication, humility, respect, discipline and all the other values that first helped popularise the gentleman's game in India.

When one goes over the list of Bharat Ratna awardees, Sachin's name fits in quite well. It doesn't seem out of place or forced, the man's accomplishments easily secure his place in history, this is merely a list. In my opinion, the Bharat Ratna aside, the man should be cryogenically frozen for all time, so his services can be called upon whenever needed, his DNA extracted and used to clone an army of Sachin's and we would have the greatest batting order in the history of the game. But seriously, in a country where cricket is the greatest passion, equaliser, breaker of barriers, why not just give it to the man? Because, in the end, it is just a sport. The Bharat Ratna is not a game for petty politics, a tool for expediency, a ruse for vote-bank politics, a favour handed out for brownie points. The highest civilian honour in a land of 1.2 billion people should count for something more than that. Has Sachin done enough to deserve it? Honestly, I cannot say. If success in a sport makes one worthy of the Bharat Ratna, then why not award it to Sunil Gavaskar or Kapil Dev? In their time, their accomplishments were equally inspiring and world-beating. Why not award it to Vishwanathan Anand? If it can be given to MGR, then why not to NTR? Both have an almost identical profile in terms of accomplishments, achievments and public adulation. Why was it awarded to Ambedkar, the father of our constitution almost 34 years after he passed? Why not a lot earlier? Did anyone deserve the award more than him? Or less than Rajiv Gandhi? If a last name is enough to gaurantee the Bharat Ratna, does Sachin even need it?

Sachin is no longer just a player. He is an icon, a living legend, an inspiration to countless millions and an ambassador of India. Praise him all you can, for he is praiseworthy, Fete him, crown him, honour him, felicitate him. And remember, in the end all he did was play a game. Exceedingly well for sure, but a game nonetheless. The greatest batsman ever? Without doubt! The Bharat Ratna? Maybe not just yet!!

RIP Ravi B

It is with great sadness that I note the passing of my friend Ravi Baswani. A hugely talented actor and director, Ravi was first and foremost a free spirit committed to the arts. He touched a number of lives, mostly youngsters struggling in Mumbai, trying to make sense of the journey their dreams were taking them on. Young and impish at heart, he was known to possess a caustic sense of humour and did not suffer fools easily, but once he accepted you in his warm embrace you were a part of his family for life.

He will always occupy a special place in the Indian Film Industry because of two movies - Chashme Buddoor and Jaane Bhi Do Yaroon. In the first he played one of three friends who fall for the same neighbourhood girl. This also marked his first appearance in a song on screen - a hillarious spoof on Aap Jaisa Koi from Qurbani. It was a 1983 black comedy however that will always remain the brightest feather in his collection. Jaane Bhi Do Yaroon became a huge cult film and remains till today one of the finest examples of comedy in Indian cinema. Who can forget such classic lines as "thoda khao, thoda phenko", or the scene when Ravi and Naseer, in get ups inspired by Mad Magazine's Spy vs Spy are having a conversation over the phone with one of the bad guys who is in the same room, and while skulking away they accidently bump into each other and interchange phones, then simply continue the conversation, and when they realise that the phones are switched, simply switch them back. It may have defied logic but it remains one of the funniest moments on-screen ever. This was just one example from a film filled with such gems, winning him numerous awards and accolades.

A man of many layers, he could be both extremely generous and unforgiving. Always dedicated to his family and friends, he never married, not wanting to compromise his freedom so he could pursue his art. Anyone who knew him would be familiar with his zeal for life and affectionate nature. A guest in his home could always expect the warmest hospitality and the familiar refrain of "ek to dushman ke yahaan peete hain". I still owe him Rs.1000, borrowed in 1995. I never even tried to repay it, always prefering to remain in his debt, and now I shall forever, the money immaterial (as he often told me), the love everlasting.

Nityanand will never be the same again. Standing in the balcony listening to Andrade's rants from across the street with Ravi's laughter ringing in my ears, walking Shishupal, playing chess with Chots and talking about Munni Begum and Peter Gabriel, discussing film into the wee hours and falling asleep where we sat, those times will stay with me forever.

It still seems so unreal, almost impossible to believe. We will miss you deeply my friend. Wherever you are, may you continue to entertain and make others laugh. We are the poorer without you. You are missed.

"Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaha"

So what is it about 31st December that makes us celebrate each year? Its just another day, another date. Sure it marks the end of a year and the start of a new one, but really - what is the big deal? Another year goes by, but was it really that different from the last one? In the words of Simon and Garfunkel - "After changes upon changes we are more or less the same". So perhaps you had a really big reason to celebrate - maybe you got married, or had a child, or got that dream job or that promised promotion finally materialised. Perhaps there was this ONE big event that happened this year and so you want to celebrate. But if you think about it, every year has at least one such event - which makes us want to celebrate, or in some cases thank God that the year has finally ended and welcome the new year.

Starting late evening we begin to congregate at homes, hotels, clubs and pubs across the land, The mood is merry, the mind is light, joy is in the air. We drink, we dance, we pray and we welcome the new year. Some of us make resolutions - this year I will quit smoking - this year I will lose weight - this year I will break 1000 coconuts if I get XYZ. Most of these resolutions rarely make it into February, but a few do last the distance. We then wait for the next 10 - 11 months to make the same resolutions again, as if the rest of the year is simply not worthy to make a fresh start.

So what is it about 31st December? Why do we need a specific date in a calendar to make a fresh start? Why do we need the midnight traffic jam to realise that Now is the best time of your life? Why does humanity collectively decide to have a blast only on this one date?

I guess it does have something to do with the numeric change in our time keeping. The end of the year, the end of a decade, the start of a new decade, the end of a millenia or the start of one is all about the numeric change in our time and date. Something about 09 becoming 10 makes us all go weak in the knees and want to party till the break of dawn. My theory is that it all boils down to hope. A new morning, a new day, a new year signify a fresh start and somehow mysteriously make us forget at least for sometime the ups and downs of our lives, renewing in us a spirit and vigour to face any challenges life may throw our way. This year was good and I hope next year is better. This year sucked and I hope next year is better. This year I put on weight and I hope next year I lose some. This year I met a girl and I hope next year I get married. This year I got divorced and I hope next year I meet someone else. This year I got laid off and I hope next year I get a better job. Its always the same four letter word - hope!

Hope does make the world go around. We even awarded the Nobel Peace prize solely based on hope. Without hope, we would constantly be reminded of the inequalities that surround us every where and every day. Hope may be rose tinted glasses, but it is something we all need in large doses. So here's looking forward to a great year for everyone. Love luck, health, joy and happiness for all. And while I am at it - no more war, no more poverty, peace and goodwill for all nations and races, a safe planet for our children, a green planet for our future, no more hatred, humanity united for the common good and no more hangovers. Sounds like a tall order, but one can always hope!