Meet Graham, who dint know who was Sachin Tendulkar!

This 14th November will be a memorable day for me. Not because my children's school is functioning despite being children's day, or because it is Nehru's happy birth day, but, this day is the beginning of an End, yes end of an era called Sachin Tendulkar. He will be playing his 200th Test, one more record, and by this, i.e by 18th November (If the test lasts till then with WI's current form) the Master will bid adieu to test cricket.

For us, in Bangalore, the eve of 2nd test (13th Nov, today) was also memorable for so many reasons. The blind band from IDL held a huge canvas asking visitors to Lalbagh to sign a farewell message to Sachin, some ardent fans bursting crackers and lighting candles to steal the much wanted publicity with TV channels, a group of school children flying huge kite with the picture of Sachin to honour him. It was late in the evening that I had shock of my life. A student from Seattle, US of A, Graham Moyer-Stratton was introduced to me by a colleague of mine. Graham will be with us for next three months to learn the tricks and trade of journalism. Photojournalism included. So, I gave him a task of going through old files to have a feel on how and what kind of pictures DNA publishes. And, Graham was on to it. He also showed me his Fuji camera with 18mm lens with which he is going to click pictures, for now. 

I was on my way to Lalbagh, to cover Sachin's farewell signature campaign by the IDL blind band. I thought I would take Graham with me and make him click few pictures. I asked him to accompany me and told him that we are going cover an assignment related to Sachin Tendulkar. Graham nodded. "By the way, you know who Saching Tendulkar is?" I asked out of curiosity. Graham thought for few seconds and said he doesn't who Sachin was. "What... You don't know him" I asked him again and also asked him 'You know the game of cricket?" to which Graham replied "it is a game I know, but I don't  follow". SO, it's not Graham's fault in any way. But for us, the Indians, to whom cricketers are demigods, it was kind of a shocker. We can bare the police lathi to get a ticket, we can bare the torture of sitting in Sun for hours to watch our cricketers (even if they lose), why as a nation we have sacrificed all other games just to  get the dubious distinction of Cricket loving nation. But, how can we ever digest someone saying he doesn't know Sachin (pssst... Graham don't know much about Don Bradman also). So I took Graham to Lalbagh, he clicked fans of Sachin sign farewell messages on Canvass, and hopefully his first published picture will be of Sachin related picture. What better honour can we bestow the master with?  Where a person who dint knew Sachin till this minute is clicking the pictures of the great soul who with his magical touch had made the whole nation stop, skip the heart beat of his ardent fans and made the country and the cricketing world proud for years. Dearest Sachin, this I think is the best farewell gift from my side, of taking Graham with me to introduce who you are. Adios. 

   

Modi, a pre-paid commodity??

Modi, a pre paid commodity??

Sunday, a day when there are always a couple of early morning assignments in form of walkathon or cyclathon or similar happenings. Today was no different. I went to Lalbagh West Gate to cover a cyclathon to create awareness on Diabetes. But. There was a BJP makeshift counter too in the vicinity. I wondered what they are doing in a Diabetes awareness campaign. A closer look revealed that this was altogether a different campaign. A few public were seen eagerly buying tickets by paying 10/- that had Narendra Modi's picture larger than Atal Behari Vajpayee and also pleading 'Bharatha Gellisi', meaning make India win. Folks, this is not India-West Indies Sachin's last match cricket pass. This is the passes for Narendra Modi's public rally scheduled to take place in Bangalore on 17th November. 

A friend of mine, who I happened to meet during this photo shoot casually asked me "why one should pay to listen to a political speech?" I had replied that it is their wish, and the money goes to the party fund for election purposes. Again, friend had a question "If I buy a ticket, and I am not satisfied by Modi's speech, will they refund the amount?" this started a series of interesting Q&A between me and my friend. Initially I said if one doesn't like then why pay, you can as well follow the speech at home or office as all the news channels will beam the programme live. So, this friend said "that's the point. On TV or I pay is not the issue. Modi starts with Bharath Mata ki Jai, then he will go on to list failures of UPA, he will target a Prime Minister and tell us again that he is weak and useless as if we din't know all these years, he will target Rahul Gandhi and call him names, then to some extent Sonia Gandhi, and end with diatribe against Pakistan and praise Indian Army before ending the speech again by Bharath Mata Ki Jai". 

I told him probably that's what people want to listen and they are paying to see him take on Congress, and I also told him that he might improvise his speech targeting Siddaramaiah on ShaadiBhagya and Anti superstition bill to localise the issue a bit. But this friend o mine was not satisfied he said "fine. It's OK and also it is understandable that he has to bash up the opposition in order to seek votes. But, he is portraying himself as a prime ministerial candidate, and when he is going to say what are his plans to improve the present Indian crisis. The ticket claims make India win, right? So, just by bad mouthing Rahul or Nithish will India win? What are his plans for boosting economy, foreign relations, employment and hundreds of other problems that dogs the nation? As a common man, if I pay to listen to his speech, what I am getting from him. Why politicians make the elections a soap opera of slugfest and forget the nation altogether once elections are over? Why I should I pay to this person who belongs to a party that is eagerly trying to bring back a corrupt former BJP CM who was jailed? Does this future PM has any answers at all for these?" 

I frankly did not have answer to barrage of questions from my friend. But felt it was valid. Though he is not affiliated to any political party, the accountability for the 10/- that he is paying seemed reasonable. If all the citizens had this questioning capacity for the taxes that we pay, for the votes we cast and so many things we just ignore on daily basis (including me), probably this would have become a developed nation long time ago.