Its been a never-ending saga these days in the Indian newspapers, of peoples viewpoint on the Reservation policy. It’s been debated hugely everyday. I have seen shows on the television where the ‘intellectual’ beings portray how irresponsible and selfish has been the Indian Bureaucracy been while devising the policy. I specifically use the word ‘bureaucracy’ and not the word the ‘government’, as the proposal wasn’t objected by any of the political parties. That’s not about it, last weekend I was out with my friends to hangout where yet again the topic of reservations cropped up. All of us were discussing the topic so passionately with a can of coke as if it were to directly effect us, miles away. That’s not about it, my orkut communities have been flooded with discussions on how ‘stupid’, ‘k*****’, ‘irrational’ was the government to implement something of this sort.

Ok, to be honest. The reservation story does move me. Not only, but earlier too when the pics and videos of how the ‘rang de basanti’ phenomenon had spread the country with students objecting to the devised policy did it manage to move me. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t bother me nor affects. It doesn’t bother me because it’s just another ‘breaking news’ and the effervescence would dry out once IPL becomes a phenomenon or SRK signs another game show. It doesn’t affect me because I have never harbored dreams of joining either the IIT’s or IIM’s.

But then it is surely making me watch India from a better perspective. I am currently in one of the world best country (AAA-rating if not wrong), a country though which is just an island and a ‘dot’ on the world map is among the top developed nations. One thing which I have learned being here over past 3-4years: the ‘hard-way’ is that merit is of utmost importance. Be it at any levels: schools, universities, jobs and even politics to a certain extent. This has been one of the reasons for its success. No, its not that It does not have to face issues. The traditionally land of Chinese and Malays has become for everyone a ‘place of be’, which definitely attracts criticsm from locals but then it’s the way the governments steers the problems away and keeps the citizens happy. I even have heard where one time ‘not-so-local/of foreign race’ Bank employee is the Minister of finance today. It speaks tons of the government.

That‘s missing out in India at every level. Forget the ‘jacks’ we all try to get for our college/jobs, Just look out at our political frame. We had Jawaharlal Nehru as our first prime minister, then we had  Indira Gandhi legacy followed by Rajiv Gandhi and today we have Sonia Gandhi and probably in the future Rahul Gandhi. Why is it in India that we have a hierarchy of family ruling us, with due respect to all of them, isin’t leadership which is an innate gift, ‘born leaders’. Leadership is something which has to be fought for and shouldn’t come easy. Were/are all of them born leaders or were/are/would be on the post due to the names attached to them.

Ok let’s talk a little different. After the 2004 elections, all of us in the youth though we would have a healthy representation in the parliament. We had the the Milind Doera’s, Sachin Pilots from elite institutions getting a seat in the parliament. They were supposed to signify the growing youth power in India.  Can be same said today about them in 2008. How have they been fruitful to their constituencies, have they even dared to speak in the parliament? Did they even express their views over the reservation policy in the parliament or even the media? Even the most optimistic opinion would be Naah. Probably they hold too little or actually nil to qualify to speak in Indian Parliament.

I have probably reached a conclusion, however clinched it may sound. Youth surely does not hold any power on its own, do what it may. The bureaucracy wins the race. Yeah we may have become more outspoken, increased the number of times we visit a club, or even fall short of asking before we buy something new: but then at the macro-level we are of little importance. And many like me are probably too selfish to even care about it, but then I still do feel for my friend with 91% in his 12^th boards and 96 percentile in CAT’s lost out a seat to the OBC with 58% in 12^th boards and 40 percentile in CAT’s at IIT.

The Indian Hockey Federation could certainly learn a few things from its counterpart BCCI.

The past week has been a mixed bag for the Indian Sports fans. On one hand where we had the nilamis of world cricketers for the IPL, on the other we had Indian Hockey team denied a spot for the forthcoming Olympics.

These two sports have had their own unique journey over a period of time. IPL, Indian Premier League  (or Indian Puzzled League in my lingo..:P) the brain child of the world’s richest cricketing body, made a way into the cricketing foray with much fanfare. We had the Ambanis, Mallayas, Wadias etc. all competing for getting the best players for their respective franchises. The ambiance was truly hysterical, with huge amounts coming into the cricketing world (read cricketers), something never witnessed of this magnitude (on CNN-IBN..lol)

The aura of commercialization was truly visible throughout the event, though it didn’t really come as a surprise was millions like me who have witnessed the change in economics of the game over a period of last 6-7 years. The amount of money pumped into the sport has grown exponentially. From a time when cricketers were paid a modest amount of Rs. 5,000 per one ODI match played to today having players receive a fee of Rs. 1.6 lacs other then the yearly remuneration which a player gets based on the grade he is segregated upon.

This is in anti-thesis of the situation of Hockey. Hockey a one-time national game) of the country finds itself in a miserable position today after being ousted from even participating in Beijing 2008 Olympics. After a abysmal performance in Asia Cup, that lead to India being made to play the qualifiers and losing to Britain 2-0, was something the last Indian Hockey fan wanted.

A huge uproar was made in the media by the Hockey Federation when Indian Cricket Team was felicitated and awarded after their jubilant Twenty20 World Cup victory in South Africa as opposed to the brownies Indian Hockey Team got after winning the Nehru Cup. At that point of time, i did support the cause as the memories of watching Chak De were still fresh with me.

But then as it is said, “reel aur real life mein farak hota hai yaara”. No one would be there to give a salami to the setting sun. You certainly need to commercialise the sport over a period of time. In a nation where the publicity design decides IPO listing pricce (Reliance Power). You certainly need to commercialize the sport to make the sport and have sponsors lining for you.

 In cricket, you had constant changes from a weekend game, to 5-day test matches to the 60-50 over ODI to the recent Twenty20 format. The commercialization with cricket probably started with the Kerry Parker’s, and later evolved while hockey left behind.

It is for the Hockey Federation to take cue from Cricket and commercialise the sport in the country. Perhaps a way, Chak De movement paved way for the sport; however i did not see Hockey Federation progressing on the hype. With due respects to the players and their commitment, I surely feel though the will to do it and patriotic flavour though present, the economic support lacks and thus making them win silver as opposed to going for the gold (though not even rubber this time...lol). I last heard of Mumbai Hockey starting the league, however is no where in the print/air media.

The ICL and IPL have opened huge doors for aspiring cricketers, and where cricket can be seen as a career option. I very much liked when the BCCI and ICL fought it off, whose beneficiaries where modest young cricketers many of whom come from humble backgrounds yet are champions at heart. (While hockey fails to provide even a modest livelihood for players of international stature.

Thus of the two sons, one has taken the sport to new heights while the other has failed to perform. One is growing steadily and proving more seductive career option for the youth, the other is fighting a lost battle with economics. I see the Ishant Sharmas and the Piyush Chawlas and the Virat Kohlis on my television everyday yet, do not know any hockey players other then Dilip Tirkeys and Mamta Kharab :P. So until i know them, you can’t have Vijay Mallaya’s into the sport and not even...........(hmm...how much do we need to fall for little humor..:)