Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Tag

india

Browsing
DUB Speak

The iTunes Store Has Arrived

By

“Now you can shop at the world’s No.1 music store. Which means you can browse and buy songs, albums and films anytime you want.” This is the proclamation that the Apple website makes to inform us all that the iTunes store is now accessible in India. Thereafter the site just brags a little, typical Apple eh? The good, rather great news is that now we all can shop for music, movies etc. right from our desktops. But then again, this news is sweet symphony only to those of us who aren’t acquainted with torrent or steer clear of downloading illegal content, I’m trying very hard not to crack wise on this part of the audience.

Nevertheless this is monumental news, as there were a good amount of rumours that Apple was running for exit from India a few years back. We must also bear in mind that it took the company decades to bring the iTunes Store to India even though the company had made its appearance long back. In a conference call with investors and analysts on July 24, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he loved India but there was little business opportunity in the country to sell the company’s products. India had influenced Steve Jobs in many ways and still India stayed hungry and foolish for the iTunes store for a very long time.

Enough of the gripes and grumbles look at the bright side; we can download Dabangg 2, Talaash and other sound tracks side by side with Taylor Swift and Bob Marley songs! Angry Birds, AC/DC and A R Rahman all on the same portal, guys it is the Pandora’s Box of entertainment!

So Yellow Submarine, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Rolling in the Deep and Fevicol Se all under the same roof, is this a sign of the impending apocalypse?

Anugrah Gopinath

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Why Homosexuality in India is Still A Taboo

By

World renowned Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev claims to have a “cure” for the “disease” called “homosexuality”. He has discovered some asanas or body postures that can make the diseased person “normal” again.

It is sometimes hard for me to believe that I’m living in the 21st century. That, in the century that is characterized by technological advancements, globalization and liberal thinking, most people still prefer to reside in the stone age and refuse to come out of their shell, or den, in this case.

Homosexuality is said to be a condition of body and mind, wherein one is attracted to members of the same sex. It is as natural and normal as the transformation of a caterpillar to a fluttering butterfly. But the majority of narrow minds in the Indian Diaspora make it very difficult to establish homosexuality as an accepted form of existence. The problem lies in the Indian family ethos. Advertisements on AIDS and condoms on TV are hurriedly changed, met with awkward silences and glowering eyes of parents. Thus open talking about homosexuality of the child is unthinkable. The child finds it very hard to put forth his points, confide in his parents in such a discouraging atmosphere. In rare cases, when people muster up courage and openly declare their homosexuality, they are met with vivid expressions of horror, disbelief, in -acceptance, guilt and shame (in the same order). The fear of stigmatization is a constant reminder of the pitfalls that may follow. This is a major reason why most families choose not to support their children and force them into marriages and seek all sorts of “treatments”, not caring about wants of the child, thus pushing him/her into an abysm of despair.

Another problematic area is workplace. Homosexuals are more often than not ridiculed at, discriminated against, paid less compared to their counterparts and are never incorporated into the wider social group. Gay couples and marriages are laughed off as unnatural and they are subjected to worldly prejudices, escalating to discrimination. In fact, in many serials, Gay mannerisms are introduced to add the necessary spice and humor.

But, as they say, change is inevitable, and slowly but surely, people are changing their attitude towards this topic. Landmark legislation was the reading down of section 377 of the IPC that criminalized homosexual activities, and now the Indian legal system recognizes gay affiliations. Gay parades now feature annually Delhi Calendar. They have played and continued to play a major role in emancipation of the LGBT community and in spreading ethical awareness about the very same. Several organizations, like the NAZ FOUNDATION, have vehemently supported this cause and have subsequently made admirable efforts to improve the current, prevailing situation. And thus, comes back my realization, that I live in the 21st century and not the Stone Age.

A society is judged by the people who live in it. We all must broaden our horizons, break away from age old myths and embrace a more progressive and happier tomorrow.

Image credits: Firstpost 

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Aung San Suu Kyi felicitated at LSR

By

For someone who has had to endure as much as Burmese pro-Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for such an extended period of time, it is no less than fascinating that she still retains a youthful charm, made even more potent accompanied now by an ethereal aura. One would imagine that the unrelenting crackdown on their cause, the innumerable attempts at their life, the taxing period of house arrest and the pain of separation from their loved ones would be adequate to crush anyone’s spirit. But like a phoenix that rises from the ashes, she has risen again, with a renewed vigour towards the realization of her cause for democracy for her people. This was something that was visible to all this morning, at her alma mater, Lady Shri Ram College.

Suu, as she was lovingly called during her college days studying Political Science here, arrived at the college for an emotional ‘homecoming’ just past 9.30 am. Accompanied by Hon’ble Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor and several other dignatories including former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, she was greeted by current students of the college sporting traditional Burmese skirts or longyis, staff as well as her former teachers, as she made her way through a packed college auditorium up the stage for the commencement of her felicitation ceremony. After welcome addresses by the Principal, Dr. Meenakshi Gopinath, the Chairperson Mr. Arun Bharat Ram and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, the Nobel laureate renowned for her intransigent fight for democracy, was honoured by the distinguished panel.

Perhaps the most riveting of the moments was her stirring unrehearsed speech, in which she reached out to ‘her girls’, and all young people at large. She acknowledged the support she always received from the institution, even in times when she had little contact with the outside world and remarked, “… My faith in the oneness of human aspirations is justified.” She further touched upon the “emotional connection” she had with the people of India, and thanked them for their support through trying times. “I feel myself partly a citizen of India”, she said. Addressing young political aspirants, she warned against “unprincipled politics”, urging them to never compromise on their principles if they were to enter the political arena. She concluded by asking for continuing support in the last few steps that Burma had left towards democracy, effectively consolidating all the hearts she had already conquered.

 

Tanya Dua
[email protected] 

Keep Reading
By
Spo(r)tlight

India v/s England – A Preview

By

 

India’s 2011 tour of England was quite a chastening experience for Dhoni’s men. India failed to register even a single victory, losing the 4-match test series, the 5-match ODI series and the 1-match T-20 series 4-0, 3-0 and 1-0 respectively. It’s hardly surprising then that England’s tour of India is being billed as the ‘revenge’ series. The 3 month long tour includes 4 test matches, 2 T-20 matches and 5 ODI matches.

The series promises to be intense and the war of words has already commenced. India’s decision to not include regular spinners in the India A team for the warm up game with England did not please former English captain Michael Vaughan who took to Twitter to decry India’s ‘pathetic tactics’. He alleged that in order to keep the English batting line up from getting accustomed to spin,India deliberately avoided playing spinners. Sunil Gavaskar countered Vaughan’s diatribe stating that the composition  of India’s team is solely the prerogative of the Indian selectors and is none of Vaughan’s business.

Test Series

The 4-match test series commenced today,the 15th of November.

England

Kevin Pieterson returns to the English squad for the first time after his infamous row with ECB. Alastair Cook captains the English side. A lot will depend on Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, the primary spinning options for England. England’s batting order will be suspect against the Indian spinners given its relative inexperience. Kevin Pieterson is England’s most valuable player going into the series.

India

Tendulkar has struggled to find form recently which has led to plenty of debate on whether he should retire. If he fails to impress against England, it might well be time for the great man to retire. Another senior player, Zaheer Khan has flattered to deceive lately and India would be expecting an improved showing from him. Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh faces a fight to prove his fitness. Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha are expected to excel in spinner friendly conditions and could hold the key as far as India is concerned.

Series prediction: 3-0
India will prove too strong for the visitors. Spin will be the difference.

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

Top 5 Books Banned In India

By

The Indian government has always made pretentious claims about idealism and socialism, yet goes on banning books – a distortion of the freedom of expression – to claim their supremacy. About 20 books are officially banned in India currently, and imports of many others are denied by the customs department.

But are the bans really worth it? With greater permissiveness and social freedom, uncensored copies of the book are anyway floating freely on internet.

Indian writers and economists have said much harsher things. Yet, in all these years nobody has bothered to take them into consideration. Analysts from Reporters Without Borders rank India 131st in the world in terms in their Press Freedom Index, falling from 80th just 11 years earlier. Here are top 5 books that are censored in India.

 

1) The Satanic Verses

Amongst the oldest, yet youngest controversy as is evident from incidences of Jaipur literature festival. India was the first Country to ban the Book following the hostile response from the Muslims all over the Globe. He has been in a hiding for over a decade. Fatwa was imposed on Rushdie by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini for demeaning Islam. Rushdie had to live in hiding for nearly a decade.

2) The Great Soul

Joseph Lelyveld, the Pulitzer Prize winner and former executive editor of The New York Times penned a biography, “The Great Soul”, inspired by Gandhi’s life in India and South Africa. The reviews claimed that the book exposed Gandhi’s sexual life and bigoted views. Reacting to it, the book was called for a ban in Gujarat, Gandhi’s hometown has. But imposition of nationwide ban was abjured, citing Lelyveld’s clarification. Still book is not let inside India by customs department.

3) Nine Hours to Rama

Nine Hours to Rama written by historian Wolpert, a professor at University of California. This book is a fictional account of last day of Gandhiji’s lije and focuses on how Nathuram Godse planned Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. It got banned because it exposed the poor security provided to Gandhi, and hinted at possible incompetence and conspiracy.

4) Lady Chatterley’s Lover

“Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by D.H. Lawrence was considered as obscene because it was an account of a women’s illegitimate relationship with her Gardner. It has depiction of sex and politics gave rise to controversies and was unanimously banned in India and Britain (though Britain lifted up the ban). But the ban is not followed as it should be and you can find books in some stored. The court said that the court does not protect those who take delight in “sexual pleasures and erotic writings”.

5) The Polyester Prince

Australian journalist Hamish McDonald wrote this account of Ambani’s rise in 1998, which remained unavailable in India, partly because of concerns that Ambani would sue if the book got released. The books asserted that many of the rules and regulations were turned down to serve his purpose.  An updated version” Ambani and Sons”, was written down which is available in book stores.

 

 

 

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

iPhone 5- You Like it, But Should You Buy it?

By

Low and behold! The iphone 5 is finally here, a device that’s thinner, lighter, faster and taller than its predecessor.
“This is the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since the iPhone,” said Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller. But is it really worth a buy? Let’s find out.

Firstly here are some significant and interesting features worth noting:

  1. Taller, thinner, and a metal back

The iPhone 5 features a 4-inch display (i.e. it’s larger than the iPhone 4S) and an aluminum and glass body that weighs 112 g and is 7.6 mm thick, making it 20 percent lighter and 18 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S. Touch sensors are now built into the display itself, which makes it 30 percent thinner as a result and less prone to glare.

The phones will be two toned, coming in either black and slate or white and silver. Apple iPhone 4S was given a glass back which got cracked by accidental falls frequently. Fortunately Apple has learnt their lesson from iPhone 4S and has provided a metal back this time, which is sure to play in their favor as far as durability of the body is concerned.

You won’t have to scroll that much because the larger screen will allow a fifth row of icons .On the down side most of the applications you have will not utilize all the space on the screen and will show black borders on the top and bottom of the application. The fate of this extra space will be decided by the application developers, whether to provide the customers with a better application experience or exploit the space by advertisements.

     2.     LTE (Long Term Evolution) and carriers

The iPhone 5 will run on 4G LTE networks. That’s in addition to the current support for GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, and HSPA data networks. iPhone 5 has an inbuilt dynamic antenna which allows you to switch among these networks smoothly. The 4G connection will double the speed internet browsing and downloading content.

Taking in account the Indian disputes over 3G, it might take some time before the 4G internet service is started in India. In the absence of a suitable 4G connection the network will run on 3G connection and HSPA data network

      3.     A faster chip (A6 Chip)

The iPhone 5 is also powered by a faster A6 processor. According to Apple’s specialists, users will see Web pages load 2.1 times faster, and the Music app with songs will load 1.9 times faster. Combining both the 4G LTE and A6 chip the entire iPhone’s operating speed and internet speed is bound to impress many iphone4S users.

     4.     Battery life and Audio

Phone calls (the reason we bought phones for once upon a time) will be better and have three microphones and a noise-canceling earpiece, in addition to Apple’s new “wideband” audio that promises to deliver more natural sounding voice. Apple claims a longer batter backup with 8 hours of 3G talk time, 8 hours of 3G browsing, 8 hours of LTE browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of music playback, and 225 hours of standby time.

      5.      Camera

It comes with a spiffier camera, front and back facing cameras have each been upgraded (they’ll be 720p and 1080p, respectively) and users will be able to take much larger photos thanks to the new Panorama feature. There also a new image signaling mechanism within the A6 chip, which will bring spatial noise reduction and a “smart filter” that, produces better low-light performance and captures photos faster. Finally, there’s a built-in panorama mode that stitches shots together for one large 28-megapixel photo.

      6.     Lightning Power connector

The traditional 30-pin power connector has been replaced with much smaller one called Lightning is in. According to Apple, lightning is only 20 percent the size of the previous one. That means your iPod and iPad chargers won’t be charging your phone anymore. The various audio partners of apple which include BOSE will be coming up with new devices which will be compatible with the new connector.

Pricing for the different configurations is as follows: $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB. It will be launched in India at sometime in early November this year. Also, note that the price of the iPhone 5 16 GB is same as the price of iPhone 4S 16 GB .For those who were hoping to buy a buy an iPhone 4S should definitely wait for the launch of iPhone 5 in India .

The Verdict: Should you buy it ?

Yes, the iPhone5 is definitely worth buying but unfortunately without a decent 4G connection it will not be performing at its maximum potential. The new design will adversely affect the view of the old applications and upcoming applications which should be solved in a few months. But the increase in battery life and the A6 chip alone make this iPhone a must buy.

 

Pinakita Gupta & Arjun Khosla
[email protected] ; [email protected] 

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan

By

Historically, we are all aware of the partition of 1947, the splitting of India and Pakistan, a violent episode that led to the death of millions of people and the displacement of ten million people from their homes. Some of us may have even heard our grandparents talking about the tragic events of that summer.

What Khushwant Singh does in his book, Train to Pakistan, is that he narrates the incident with a story around a small, remote village on the border of India and Pakistan where Muslims and Sikhs resided together in peace for many years.  Relatively unaffected by the politic scenario of the country at the time, the villagers had only heard of the gruesome crimes committed on Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs by each other.

Mano Majra is a village were the villagers plan their day’s activities in accordance to the timing of the train that stops at the station nearby. As the reader plods through the novel, this train station turns out to play a crucial role in shaping the climax of the plot. The violence is unleashed early on with the death of the money lender, Lala Ram Lal at the hands of village goons. Shortly afterwards, the badmash  Juggut Singh and a social worker from Britain visiting the village, Iqbal are accused of the murder and rounded up by the police.  Juggut, or Juggu as he’s referred to, is infamous throughout the village but has been wrongly accused of the crime. Iqbal is a cynical and well educated babu sahib who often voices his thoughts about the flaws in the system and the mentality of the villagers.

While they are still in lock-up, an unscheduled train stops at Mano Majra, full of bodies of dead Sikhs. This train from Pakistan is the first gory event that stems from the Partition that the villagers witness themselves, having hitherto merely heard storied of murder, rape and abduction before. After this incident, mistrust, anger and sorrow divide the otherwise friendly villagers with the Muslims deciding it best to leave for Pakistan.  Tension mounts as the Sikhs plan to retaliate by killing off all Muslims in a train to Pakistan, which was also carrying the villagers they’d lived with for many years. Once released, both Iqbal and Juggu are presented with the same opportunity of saving many lives and preventing more bloodshed. Juggu makes for an unlikely hero at the end when he risks all to save the passengers on the train, including Nooran, the girl he loved.

Khushwant Singh narrates the incidents and creates the characters in excruciating detail, thus allowing the reader to visualise. He captures the transition of behaviour and attitude in the characters in a life like manner. The characters, Hukum Chand, the magistrate in particular, are often posed with moral dilemmas and conflicting thoughts. Rather than focusing on the political events, he looks at how they affected common people at the grass root level. He doesn’t condemn any side but rather holds all parties equally responsible for the Partition and the terror it created. Train to Pakistan is a book many have recommended but I had never actually gotten down to reading it. I regret having picked it up so late, for though it is fictional, this book catches human emotions of fear, anger and brutality in a simple yet chilling manner.

 

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Freedom, Really?

By

65 years of independence, 65 years since we shooed away the British. 65 years, since trains pulled up at railway stations, loaded with dead bodies. 65 years since everyone wanted to kill each other.

We, the youth of India, are a safe 60-something years away from all the violence, bloodshed and gore. But are we really free, in every sense of the word?

In a country where people wearing Armani sunglasses and holding Gucci bags look out of their BMW windows only to see beggars and slums, in a country where a law graduate’s throat was slit because she put up a fight against a rapist, in a country where brides are burnt in kitchen fires over dowry issues, in a country where honour killing is considered honourable, in a country where modernity is given the tag of promiscuity, in a country where politics is a mud-slinging arena, FREEDOM, in its truest form, cannot exist.

From the very beginning of the the day, to the very end- we find ourselves ensnared in various violations of the term freedom. From the haggling with the uncouth autowalas, to the formidable looking aunties pushing you out of the queue at the ticket counter; from the steady line of eyes peeping into the women’s compartment in the metro, to the judgement and competition between cousins; from the rude personal remarks your teacher makes at you before the whole class, to the back-stabbing between friends; from “customer care” services that put your call on hold for the next hour or so, to power cuts and unfair billing, we live each day only to discover it’s a man-eat-man world.

I refuse to believe that there is even a single teenager in this country, who at some point or the other, hasn’t considered “Lucknow wale chachaji aur delhi wali maamiji kya kahenge” before making a decision- be it about a piercing, a haircut, an outfit, or his/her career.

I refuse to believe there is a single teenager who has never felt a violation of his or her freedom of choice and expression.

DUTA (Delhi University Teacher’s Association) and DUSU (Delhi University Students Union) apparently did not get a say in the decision of semesterisation of undergraduate courses in Delhi University that was made a year back. And now, WE are the ones living it’s consequences (read: inflation of marks scam).

The great Indian illusion of independence and freedom shatters to reality every time a young girl is made to wear traditional clothes and forced to carry a tray of biscuits and chai into a drawing room full of prospective in-laws. It falls to pieces every time a rape survivor is blamed because her clothes were “provocative”. It breaks down even further every time parents tell their child not to play the guitar or play sports or paint or write, and practise chemical equations instead. It decays every time a mausiji or buaji wrinkles her nose at the idea of her nephew/niece pursuing a humanities course.

And what do the elderly have to say this?

“Bharat ke paas ek aisi cheez hai, jo videsh mein nahi milegi- hamaare sanskaar!”

“Ab aaj kal ke bacche raat mein pub jaayenge, toh ye sab toh hoga hi na!”

Girls being physically assaulted at a pub in Bangalore by the Sri Ram Sena activists, does not look like sanskaar to me. Couples deciding not to meet on Valentine’s Day for fear of being dragged to temples by the same Sena, does not look like sanskaar to me.

True, if sanskaar is to discriminate, violate, and suppress- then there is no country like India.

 

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

India at London Olympics 2012

By

A few days before the start of London Olympics 2012, a report by Goldman Sachs predicted that India would get 5 medals at the Olympics, three golds, a silver and a bronze. Our athletes did better on the overall tally, but fell short at converting into the shinier metals.

However, a lot has been gained from the Olympics this time around. And though this statement might sound repetitive, something we are told every 4 years, the results and the potential are highly tangible this time around.

Winning 6 medals (2 silvers and 4 bronze) might sound like a bit of a joke, especially since it means that India ranks 55th (at time of writing) in the medal tally! The correct perspective out here would however be to compare India against its own past – 1 medal on 13 occasions, 2 medals in 1900* and 1952, 3 medals in 2008. And now 6 medals is a record high.

First, we run through our shining stars! It all started off with Gagan Narang who won the bronze medal in the 10m Air-Rifle event. A bit disappointing from the qualification world record holder, especially since his qualification score is what cost him dear in the final round. Next, Subedar Vijay Kumar brought home an unexpected silver on the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol. He held no world championships or records as did most of the Indian shooting contingent, but he made light work of the nerves in the space where it mattered the most! Saina Nehwal, India’s blue-eyed wonder-woman became India’s next bronze medallist, ensuring that singles Badminton did not become an all-Chinese affair. She was seeded 5th for the event and did extremely well to beat some higher ranked players too! Mary Kom, the poster girl for the world’s women’s boxing association (literally!) showed a lot of grit. Mother of two, known for 2 world championships after coming out of retirement, punched her way through before she met a formidable, younger, local opponent in the semi-finals! An incredible effort indeed.

The first three medals were followed by a long hiatus, and then suddenly there were two! Less than 24 hours apart. Best buddies Yogeshwar Dutt and Sushil Kumar, wrestling together since childhood picked up a bronze and a silver in the 60kg and 66kg Freestyle events respectively. Sushil was always a medal hope, coming back from an Olympics bronze in 2008 and World Championship Gold in 2010. His apparent dehydration in the final cost him his gold medal, but nerves get to even the best of us. The real surprise however was the underdog Yogeshwar who fought three rounds in less than an hour and pulled off six amazing technical points in the bronze-medal round.

Other than the six, quite a few Indians left their mark in the Olympics, especially in the track and field events. Krishna Poonia (5th) and Vikas Gowda (8th) made the nation proud by qualifying for the finals in the women’s and men’s discus throw. No Indian has ever won a medal in field events and handfuls have even qualified! Tintu Luka, P.T.Usha’s protégé, made it to the semi-final of the 800m sprint where she ran her season’s best effort to finish 6th.

Fans back home were, however, left very disappointed by India’s performance in certain fields; not a single medal in Men’s Boxing (World Champion and Olympics bronze medallist Vijender), Hockey (an abysmal last place finish) or Archery (world no. 1, Deepika Kumari didn’t even qualify for the quarters!).

All in all, a fine performance by the Indian contingent. The increasing number of medals at the highest arena, shows the fruits of the labour put in by our athletes, the government and several private sector initiatives (think Sahara, Mittals). This shall, hopefully, encourage more Indians to take up sports, other than cricket, professionally. That is the only way to bring the best talent out in the open and aim for more medals in the future.

 

Arnav Das
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

The Unsung Heroes of India

By


Picture Source: Reuters

 

Four long years have passed since the last Olympic Games, and now they’re back with a bang. Set in London, this year promises to be filled with an expansive array of sports and powerful athletes from 204 nations across the world. With a spectacular three-hour opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle, complete with a James Bond style sequence of the queen jumping off a helicopter, there is no doubt left in anyone’s mind that International sports is going to get bigger and better as the years go by. That stands true even when it comes to the athletes across the globe. Their training, fitness, and supporting equipment seem to be managed with utmost care and precision, leading to their shining performances on an international platform, no matter how unique their sport.

Turning the page to Indian athletes, the pitiful condition of past award winners is heart wrenching. Santhi Soundarajan, who bestowed a proud India with a silver medal at the Doha Asian Games, had no idea that her dignity would be reduced to dust eight years later. Stripped off her laurels and now working at a brick kiln, her achievements faded into oblivion after failing a gender test. Pinki Pramanik, who won a gold medal for her country at the Asian Games in 2006 and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in the same year, now works as a ticket collector for the Indian Railways. Furthermore, her former housemate accused her of being a man and raping her. All that is left is a feeling of shock and disgrace when these events are contrasted to a similar situation in South Africa, where athlete Caster Semenya was also shamed for the same reason as Soundarajan. In this case, the ban on Semenya was revoked due to the overwhelming support given to her by her fellow citizens. Now she holds her head high, as she is the beaming flag bearer of South Africa at the Summer Olympics 2012, while our gifted athletes are suffering in abject poverty with their achievements gone to waste.

Athletes who fail the questionable gender tests are not the only ones suffering in India. Veterans such as the ‘Payyoli Express’, better known as P.T. Usha who has won almost 101 international awards and runs a school for athletes, now works for the Indian Railways and survives on a meagre pay. World cup Kabbadi coaches such as Majit Kaur fends for himself by begging on the streets as government organisations failed to honour him with the promise they had made of a permanent job after retirement. Usha Rani, who brought home a medal in Archery, was forced to sell her bow to provide food for her impoverished family. These heroes, along with many more gone unnoticed, who took the name of our country to soaring heights during their glory years, are now forced to fund their own way without any support or backup by the state, leaving such sports personnel in abysmal conditions.

When you flip to the other side of the spectrum, cricketing stars and elite athletes such as shooters and boxers are fortunate enough to be showered with a royal treatment. As much as they deserve it, when compared to the conditions of the poorer section of the society whose talented individuals are far removed from the fame, support and training they necessarily need, the public turns a blind eye on the fact that rural areas are actually a potential goldmine for sporting activities. Boxers such as Vijender Singh have been catapulted to celebrity status due to an astonishing gold at the last Olympics, making way for a cult of boxing aspirants ready to outshine him and make their country proud. However, the same cannot be said for the pre-mentioned forms of sport as no initiative is taken to extract the wealth from these athletes. Instead, they are left to prepare for their own accommodation and adjust to tattered equipment as they struggle to train for major sporting events.

Despite our country’s blissful ignorance to the plight of these sportsmen and women, they still keep the flag flying high as they push past their paralysing boundaries and break the thin thread that separates a win from a loss. With proper thought put into the upliftment of their condition and regulated training given to these rising heroes, they are sure to bring home innumerable trophies, another yardstick to measure the underlying talent hidden in every corner of India.

 

Keep Reading
By