Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Travelling around Kolkata - Millennium Park
Been quite some time since my last post. I am sorry, but I have been really very, very busy with my office responsibilities. The pressure is on.
Last Sunday, Sayan shot this picture of Sourav at the Millennium Park, Kolkata. I liked it and decided to post it here.
Would appreciate your comments.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
THANK YOU
I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to all those who took time out from their daily schedules to peep into my blog. To be very honest, I haven't been very regular with my posts. Neither have I stuck to any one theme nor topic. I choose to put in whatever appeals to me at that moment. Whereas I would like to apologize for my inconsistent posting, I much appreciate the visits by all who chose to. THANK YOU!
I would be delighted if all of you who visit this blog, take some time out and scribble your comments, which will not only help shape the direction of this blog, but also provide an invaluable boost and inspire my postings.
Looking forward to a warm response.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Indian Cricket - The Selectors Suck
It’s official now. The BCCI Selectors of the Indian Cricket Team have all lost it. The panel which was dubbed “a bunch of jokers” in the yesteryears, have truly lived up to their name and reputation by axing Sourav Ganguly from the forthcoming one-day triangular series in Australia featuring Australia, India and Sri Lanka. To top it all they have still kept out Rahul Dravid who appeared to be all set, back in form and ready to take on the challenge in the lively pitches of Australia.
Not only is this decision to keep out the duo shocking, it is absolutely demoralizing for the millions of fans, who look up to these players for inspiration and motivation. Between the two of them they have the rich experience of over 600 ODIs. And both of them are in fine form now. In fact, just have a look at Sourav’s performance since his comeback. He has played 32 matches and scored 1240 runs at an average of 44+. Mr. Chairman of Selectors, who was the Man of the Series in the last completed series? Mr. Chairman of Selectors, who scored the second highest runs in the last calendar year in the world?
The disgusting Secretary of BCCI thinks Sourav isn’t fit for the team because of his running between the wickets and fielding. Mr. Secretary, if Sourav’s running between the wickets and fielding is poor, please show the fans and lovers of Cricket in India, another one poor runner and fielder who has amassed 11,221 runs in 308 matches at an average of over 40. Sourav has improved his running between the wickets and fielding with every passing year and is currently on a high in terms of form and motivation and this is the worst decision that could have been taken, and that is exactly what the Chairman of the “bunch of jokers” ordered.
And someone from the selection panel please explain to me why VVS Laxman doesn’t deserve to be in the ODI team? Laxman is probably one of the most successful batsmen against Australia. He could have easily replaced totally out of form and injured Yuvraj Singh. And why is Murali Kartik out? He is one of the most respected spinners in the Indian colours.
Horrible decision. This is not cricket.
Somehow, the double standards keep continuing. On one hand it is Ganguly’s alleged poor running and fielding and on the other hand, the BCCI wants a young team. Right, you have a young team. But a cardinal rule and probably the most logical rule in cricket selection is that you keep faith in your most experienced guys who are fit enough to see you through difficult tours against tough opposition. All experimentation is reserved for the minnows, where surprisingly the BCCI doesn’t ever seem to experiment.
Injustice has been meted out to the two greatest cricketers of India, and people all over the country would protest, I am sure. I would also like to let the advertisers know that this may harm your interests as interest in cricket may reach such an abyss that your earning will start taking big dives. Take note, one and all, and attempt to redress the situation at the earliest.
Not only is this decision to keep out the duo shocking, it is absolutely demoralizing for the millions of fans, who look up to these players for inspiration and motivation. Between the two of them they have the rich experience of over 600 ODIs. And both of them are in fine form now. In fact, just have a look at Sourav’s performance since his comeback. He has played 32 matches and scored 1240 runs at an average of 44+. Mr. Chairman of Selectors, who was the Man of the Series in the last completed series? Mr. Chairman of Selectors, who scored the second highest runs in the last calendar year in the world?
The disgusting Secretary of BCCI thinks Sourav isn’t fit for the team because of his running between the wickets and fielding. Mr. Secretary, if Sourav’s running between the wickets and fielding is poor, please show the fans and lovers of Cricket in India, another one poor runner and fielder who has amassed 11,221 runs in 308 matches at an average of over 40. Sourav has improved his running between the wickets and fielding with every passing year and is currently on a high in terms of form and motivation and this is the worst decision that could have been taken, and that is exactly what the Chairman of the “bunch of jokers” ordered.
And someone from the selection panel please explain to me why VVS Laxman doesn’t deserve to be in the ODI team? Laxman is probably one of the most successful batsmen against Australia. He could have easily replaced totally out of form and injured Yuvraj Singh. And why is Murali Kartik out? He is one of the most respected spinners in the Indian colours.
Horrible decision. This is not cricket.
Somehow, the double standards keep continuing. On one hand it is Ganguly’s alleged poor running and fielding and on the other hand, the BCCI wants a young team. Right, you have a young team. But a cardinal rule and probably the most logical rule in cricket selection is that you keep faith in your most experienced guys who are fit enough to see you through difficult tours against tough opposition. All experimentation is reserved for the minnows, where surprisingly the BCCI doesn’t ever seem to experiment.
Injustice has been meted out to the two greatest cricketers of India, and people all over the country would protest, I am sure. I would also like to let the advertisers know that this may harm your interests as interest in cricket may reach such an abyss that your earning will start taking big dives. Take note, one and all, and attempt to redress the situation at the earliest.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Hyderabad continued
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The Charminar.JPG)
Qutb Shahi Tombs.JPG)
Qutb Shahi Tombs.JPG)
Taramati Mosque, Golconda Fort
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Outb Shahi Tomb, Tomb of Md. Quli Qutb Shah.JPG)
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Monday, December 24, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Play me a game - CHESS
Some time back I was hit by an idea - to play the rest of the world in a game of chess. Quite a daunting challenge, but when taken lightly enough, it is fun. The forum I chose to host the game is Orkut – a social networking site. I have been interacting with my friends through this site and have also been a member of various communities but was disheartened by the lack of momentum in such groups. I am a member of a group on Chess which has more than 28000 members, yet the momentum is so very slow that it never seemed that anything was happening there.
And my love for the game saw me host a game of chess.
The rules are basic. I’m playing with White pieces while the Rest of the World is busy defending the Black King. The first move that is made for the Black pieces is the accepted move, and anyone (except me) can make that move. No takebacks allowed. And all players are requested to abstain from computer analysis. Once a move is made, others can continue to voice their moves/better moves, missed opportunities and provide analysis for the same. In short, others who missed out on making the move can continue to participate in the game to make it even more interesting.
The game has already started. Some moves have been made.
White: Ranjan
Black: Rest of the World
Site: Orkut
1. e4 e6 (Kunal)
2. d4 d5 (Kunal)
3. Nd2 a6 (Mohinder)
4. Ngf3 c5 (Ram)
5. e x d5
And the current position is shown in the picture below.
And my love for the game saw me host a game of chess.
The rules are basic. I’m playing with White pieces while the Rest of the World is busy defending the Black King. The first move that is made for the Black pieces is the accepted move, and anyone (except me) can make that move. No takebacks allowed. And all players are requested to abstain from computer analysis. Once a move is made, others can continue to voice their moves/better moves, missed opportunities and provide analysis for the same. In short, others who missed out on making the move can continue to participate in the game to make it even more interesting.
The game has already started. Some moves have been made.
White: Ranjan
Black: Rest of the World
Site: Orkut
1. e4 e6 (Kunal)
2. d4 d5 (Kunal)
3. Nd2 a6 (Mohinder)
4. Ngf3 c5 (Ram)
5. e x d5
And the current position is shown in the picture below.
The whole idea is fun. So join along and get your brains working. To join in the game, please visit
Orkut
Also I would like to know whether you would like a separate and totally committed blog for this game and for any subsequent games or may I continue here itself. Please let me know what you think.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
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Pictures from Hyderabad
Sunset on Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad
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Would love to know which one you like better......Friday, November 23, 2007
Terror Strikes Uttar Pradesh
Back from Hyderabad
I was planning to post a blog entry as soon as I got back from my trip to Hyderabad. I wanted to write about our journey and also prepare an itinerary for travelers and others interested in visiting the city.
However, the theme changed. The terror blasts in Uttar Pradesh changed the course, content and mood. It is yet another heinous and dastardly act of terrorism, through which nothing will be gained. Killing, injuring and maiming countless innocent people is no solution to any political or any religious end. When will people realize it?
The three blasts occurred around noon in and around court premises. The terrorist attack on the Parliament is still fresh in our minds. This time the attack is on the judiciary. If I may hazard a guess – who’s next? The President? There seems to be a system – a pattern in the attack. The terrorists are focusing on the three pillars of democracy in India. They have hurt two till date.
At this juncture, the security forces must tighten their defences in and around the Presidency. And a heavy hand must come down on all terrorists captured. They must all be taught the hard lesson that the unity, the sovereignty and the social and democratic mosaic of India cannot be perturbed.
I have always spoken against capital punishment, always sided against such punishment. Today, I feel that such capital punishment is a necessity for terrorists. Bring them to the court rooms they attacked, prosecute and hang them.
I was planning to post a blog entry as soon as I got back from my trip to Hyderabad. I wanted to write about our journey and also prepare an itinerary for travelers and others interested in visiting the city.
However, the theme changed. The terror blasts in Uttar Pradesh changed the course, content and mood. It is yet another heinous and dastardly act of terrorism, through which nothing will be gained. Killing, injuring and maiming countless innocent people is no solution to any political or any religious end. When will people realize it?
The three blasts occurred around noon in and around court premises. The terrorist attack on the Parliament is still fresh in our minds. This time the attack is on the judiciary. If I may hazard a guess – who’s next? The President? There seems to be a system – a pattern in the attack. The terrorists are focusing on the three pillars of democracy in India. They have hurt two till date.
At this juncture, the security forces must tighten their defences in and around the Presidency. And a heavy hand must come down on all terrorists captured. They must all be taught the hard lesson that the unity, the sovereignty and the social and democratic mosaic of India cannot be perturbed.
I have always spoken against capital punishment, always sided against such punishment. Today, I feel that such capital punishment is a necessity for terrorists. Bring them to the court rooms they attacked, prosecute and hang them.
Read more from Rediff
Monday, November 12, 2007
Bandhs and Fundamental Rights
The Bandh culture is back to haunt the city of Kolkata and the state of West Bengal. This time around almost all the Opposition Parties in the State Legislative Assembly have come together to bring West Bengal to a standstill. All of it in protest over the atrocities allegedly committed by the West Bengal government, their administrative wing and the State Government controlled police force, and most importantly the alleged waves of attack using human shields on the followers of BUPC(Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee).
Local newspapers have reported that CPM controlled cadres have used hostages – captured BUPC supporters, and left-supporting residents of Nandigram who were rendered homeless when BUPC started becoming a force to reckon with in the early part of 2007. Violence and lawlessness ruled and civilians were dropping like flies.
It needs a protest. The so-called intellectuals of Kolkata protested. Some of them were even detained at Lalbazar, the police Headquarters. More to reason, than to arrest, I am sure.
The Trinamul Congress Party which has openly been rallying for the BUPC and supporting the movement against CPM followers in Nandigram moved back. The charismatic leader of TMC, Mamata Banerjee even resigned as an MP in protest. But somehow, the parties could not stop calling a Bandh to paralyze the state.
All of it when the State was just recovering from the SUCI bandh on 30th October and the TMC bandh on the 31st in protest over the high handedness of the state administration in the Rizwanur Rehman case and Nandigram. This was followed by an extended weekend due to Diwali and Bhai Dwuj or Bhai Phonta celebrations from last Friday to Sunday.
Come Monday we find the Congress calling a 24 hour Bandh, the SUCI initially calling a 24 hour Bandh and then extending it to 48 hours, the BJP calling a 48 Bandh and the best one from TMC – INDEFINITE.
Of course, these days Bandhs are pretty successful. What with a government bus being set on fire at Moulali, Kolkata this morning and another one torched in Durgapur. Passengers are few, vehicular traffic is minimum, train services are hit and almost all major markets are closed. Is this shutdown on the part of the people in support of the protests at Nandigram?
Would you drive your car around the city when buses are being torched? Would you risk your child’s health and life by sending him/her to school today, when a stray fight or shrapnel could cause fatal harm? The people are staying in, neither in support of the Bandh nor in protest over Nandigram but because of fear of loss of life and property.
The politics of fear and the culture of Bandhs need to cease. A Supreme Court verdict has rendered all Bandh calls by political parties illegal and fines have already been imposed on some parties in other states. People have a right to carry on with their life normally. This is a fundamental right and depriving a citizen of this right is an outright violation of the Constitution of India and a major blow to human rights. The right agencies should take up the matter seriously, as also the political parties.
Whereas I totally agree that the culprits of Nandigram should be booked and brought to justice and my heart pains for the lives lost in the struggle there, whereas I want peace to dwell in Nandigram and all across the State, I don’t agree to the fact that Bandhs are the means to achieve such goals, and I protest this blatant violation of my right to get on with my work and daily life.
Local newspapers have reported that CPM controlled cadres have used hostages – captured BUPC supporters, and left-supporting residents of Nandigram who were rendered homeless when BUPC started becoming a force to reckon with in the early part of 2007. Violence and lawlessness ruled and civilians were dropping like flies.
It needs a protest. The so-called intellectuals of Kolkata protested. Some of them were even detained at Lalbazar, the police Headquarters. More to reason, than to arrest, I am sure.
The Trinamul Congress Party which has openly been rallying for the BUPC and supporting the movement against CPM followers in Nandigram moved back. The charismatic leader of TMC, Mamata Banerjee even resigned as an MP in protest. But somehow, the parties could not stop calling a Bandh to paralyze the state.
All of it when the State was just recovering from the SUCI bandh on 30th October and the TMC bandh on the 31st in protest over the high handedness of the state administration in the Rizwanur Rehman case and Nandigram. This was followed by an extended weekend due to Diwali and Bhai Dwuj or Bhai Phonta celebrations from last Friday to Sunday.
Come Monday we find the Congress calling a 24 hour Bandh, the SUCI initially calling a 24 hour Bandh and then extending it to 48 hours, the BJP calling a 48 Bandh and the best one from TMC – INDEFINITE.
Of course, these days Bandhs are pretty successful. What with a government bus being set on fire at Moulali, Kolkata this morning and another one torched in Durgapur. Passengers are few, vehicular traffic is minimum, train services are hit and almost all major markets are closed. Is this shutdown on the part of the people in support of the protests at Nandigram?
Would you drive your car around the city when buses are being torched? Would you risk your child’s health and life by sending him/her to school today, when a stray fight or shrapnel could cause fatal harm? The people are staying in, neither in support of the Bandh nor in protest over Nandigram but because of fear of loss of life and property.
The politics of fear and the culture of Bandhs need to cease. A Supreme Court verdict has rendered all Bandh calls by political parties illegal and fines have already been imposed on some parties in other states. People have a right to carry on with their life normally. This is a fundamental right and depriving a citizen of this right is an outright violation of the Constitution of India and a major blow to human rights. The right agencies should take up the matter seriously, as also the political parties.
Whereas I totally agree that the culprits of Nandigram should be booked and brought to justice and my heart pains for the lives lost in the struggle there, whereas I want peace to dwell in Nandigram and all across the State, I don’t agree to the fact that Bandhs are the means to achieve such goals, and I protest this blatant violation of my right to get on with my work and daily life.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
A Day at Shantiniketan, Bolpur
Thanks to Hemanta Sarkar who was kind enough to give me this trip, explaining the significance of each place.
I Love Chandeliers
Almost all Durga Puja pandals have one or more chandeliers, and when lit up - they look wonderful.
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