Tag: news channels

India win Cricket Word Cup 2011

India
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On 2/4/2011 India created history by being the first host country to win the Cricket World Cup. India began by defeating Bangladesh, a co-host, on 19/2/2011 and ended by defeating Sri Lanka, another co-host, on 2/4/2011.

No Indian scored a century in a knock-out game. Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene scored centuries against India in knock-out games. India batted second in matches against Australia and Sri Lanka and won. Australia were stopped from winning the title for the fourth consecutive time and Ricky Ponting was stopped from winning the title as captain for the third consecutive time. Before that Pakistan had defeated Australia in a group match and had put an end of Australia’s sequence of victories since 1999.

S. Sreesanth was in the first match and the last match. Virender Sehwag scored 175 against Bangladesh and 0 against Sri Lanka. India’s fielding improved during knock-out games.

India’s lone loss was against South Africa. Against England it was a tie. South Africa were defeated by New Zealand and England by Sri Lanka in quarter-finals. India did not have to play any team twice.

The tournament took place when India was buffeted with various scandals. Commonwealth Games scam, 2G spectrum scam and many other scams were making news. Wikileaks gave fresh life to cash for votes scam. As the tournament progressed TV news channels shifted the focus to crickets and scams took a backseat. Regular programmes were dumped for programmes on cricket. India’s performance in the World Cup banished bad news from news channels.

The victory created a new set of heroes in addition to 1983 heroes. There were not many news channels till 1999. From 2003 onwards every time during World Cup heroes of 1983 were approached by news channels to know what it was to win the World Cup. Captains of World Cup winning teams were in great demand. CNN-IBN got Alan Border and Imran Khan. Headlines Today got Kapil Dev, Clive Lloyd and Arjuna Ranatunga. Steve Waugh was not seen.

Sponsors wanted India to be in the quarter-final and the format was arranged such a way. India played the first match and the last match of the group stage. India’s first round exit in 2007 was the reason for bringing back quarter-finals. India reaching the final was a bonus for sponsors.

UDRS was introduced in the World Cup. India were not in favour of UDRS as it had unhappy memories of UDRS in Sri Lanka. After the Ian Bell controversy UDRS rules were modified and some decisions went in India’s favour. UDRS is effective in deciding catches but remains controversial regarding LBW decisions. Sometimes field umpire gives the correct decision regarding LBW and UDRS gives the wrong decision. UDRS regarding LBW is not automatic and the operator can manipulate it. Either UDRS for LBW should be scrapped or the decision should be given by third umpire as it is done when field umpires ask for his decision on close catches, run-out or stumping. It is wrong to humiliate the field umpire by asking him to reverse his decision. Sri Lanka and other countries that were in favour of UDRS may do a rethink as some UDRS decisions went against them.

It is wrong to give a free hit for a no ball. The batting team gets a run and the bowler has to bowl another ball and that is fair enough. Free hit is too much in favour of a batsman.

Demands for tickets for matches featuring India was great and there was lathi-charge in Bangalore, Nagpur and Mohali. Common people who wanted to buy tickets could not get tickets. MPs, MLAs, MLCs and corporators demanded and got free tickets.

Firecracker sellers had good business.

Kashmir Burning

India, Terrorism
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Three months back Kashmir was peaceful. There were not many reports in TV news channels about Kashmir. A minister told TV news channels to report good things that happen in Kashmir. After that Kashmir changed.

After three months of violence there was all-party meeting in Delhi on 15/9/2010. It decided to send an all-party delegation to Kashmir.

AFSPA is a contentious issue. Some want to dilute it. Army is against dilution. Army is called when state police and paramilitary forces fail to control the situation. There was talk of withdrawing AFSPA from four districts of J&K. Increased violence made it impossible.

NC wants autonomy for Jammu & Kashmir. BJP is opposed to autonomy. Congress has not taken any stand.

Some want legitimate aspirations of Kashmiris be addressed and unconditional talks. Some Kashmiris want independence. Is that a legitimate aspiration? It is India’s size that has deterred Western countries from meddling in Kashmir. We know what they did in Serbia and how Kosovo came about. In BBC’s hardtalk the anchor who questioned Serbia’s foreign minister was arrogant. She said big countries like USA, UK and France have recognised Kosovo and Serbia is in the company of countries like Iran and Azerbaijan. She did not mention Russia, China, India and Brazil which have not recognised Kosovo. Around two thirds of the countries have not recognised Kosovo. China is showing interest in Kashmir. It did not issue visa to a Lt. Gen. who serves in Kashmir. Some Kashmiris want Pakistan to be invited for talks. Kashmiri Pandits have been out of Kashmir for two decades. What about their legitimate aspirations? People of Ladakh and Jammu do not want to separate from India. Many people in Leh lost their houses in a flood. Sufficient attention is not paid to them.

There are leaders in Kashmir who are behind protests and violence. They tell Kashmiris to boycott schools and colleges while their children study outside the state, some in foreign countries. When protestors engage in stone pelting and arson security forces can not be mute spectators. Policemen who do not do their duty should be punished.

In the past many crimes in Kashmir have gone unpunished. It is time to start the process and punish the guilty.

Punishment has to be there for people who rigged 1987 elections.

People who abducted Rubia Sayeed need to be punished. Tavleen Singh has mentioned Yasin Malik as abductor. The role of a mediator was questionable.

People who abducted Doraiswamy need to be punished.

Those in the army and paramilitary forces who killed civilians and passed them off as terrorists need to be punished.

People who spread rumours and incite people to violence need to be punished.

When trouble makers know the long arm of the law will not fall short in catching them they will desist from criminal activities.

Burkha Ban

General, World
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“Burkha is not welcome in France.”

Nicolas Sarkozy’s statement in his speech to French Legislature in 2009 was a game changer in Europe. Till then criticising burkha was considered politically incorrect. Jack Straw had faced criticism for saying he was uncomfortable with talking to women whose faces he could not see.

After Sarkozy’s statement Switzerland banned construction of new minarets. Belgium banned burkha. Barcelona banned burkha.

Burkha ban is said to enforce liberty and equality. Many Muslim men force their wives to wear burkha and the ban gives Muslim women liberty not to wear. The ban enforces equality between men and women and between all women. Men who force their wives will have to pay more fine.

There were some discussions on news channels. Indian panellists, by coincidence or design, spoke against burkha ban. French panellists, including Muslim women, spoke in favour of burkha ban. Some talked of French values and want people in France to be French.

In France there is ban on religious symbols in schools. Sikh students who wanted to wear turbans were not allowed to enter schools.

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