Common Worst Games

In another 10 days, Common Worst Games or Common Wealth Games as they are known to all of us will start in दिलवालों की दिल्ली. But a million dollar question every sport lover is anxious to know is that will this game ever happen! The visiting delegates from other countries have already cited innumerable problems in association with the games.

India is not known to be a very clean country. Citing stray dogs, shit and urine on all places imaginable, paan stains on the walls etc. etc. is not a new matter for most of us. But seeing all this in the quarters that you are supposed to occupy as a guest is unacceptable. And that is what the team from Scotland found in their living quarters. The cleanliness freaks (अब क्या बोलें। हिँदूस्तान में सफाई। Unthinkable!) cleaned it themselves. One official (Lalit Bhanot) went on record to say, “It is not such a big issue which we should be ashamed of.. Westerners have different standards (of hygiene), we have different standards. Well Mr. Bhanot do you sleep with dogs shitting all around your place? I don’t and the rest of India doesn’t either!

Another problem is of traffic congestion. Well this cannot be removed. The last time Delhi organized Asian Games in 1982, they got a lot of flyovers. This time they are getting good roads. Yes, if you go there, you will find only potholes but think about the great future that lies ahead. So, keeping vision 2020 or say 2220 in mind, the roads have been dug. Sooner or later they will be filled. I am sure the organizing committee will take ample care of the tract of road, they have reserved for CWG vehicles. I can assure the honourable guests that they won’t face any hassle or bumps on their way to the stadiums. Yeah, the common public will be stranded and made to travel on longer and circuitous routes. But मेज़बान can do that much for his मेहमान! What say?

Another worry is the under preparedness of the various stadiums and the recurring mishaps on those which seem to inch completion. We Indians love opulence and grandiose in whatever we do. This mentality came with the people who are directly connected with the organizing committee. So, we started making grander and grander stadiums without even thinking who was going to shoulder the excess burden or what was going to happen to these grand venues after the games finishes. It’s going to be चार दिन की चाँदनी, फिर अंधेरी रात. But a country which is accustomed to do an opulent marriage without thinking about the consequences on its pockets didn’t care. This resulted in structures which were ill timed and mostly hastened to finish. This led to construction of collapsible bridge resulting in the injury of 17 people. Already leaks, drainage problems, turf problems and many other problems have occurred. I hope if the games start by some means, the roofs of all the stadiums stays intact for the whole period of the games. Touchwood!

Next trouble is Corruption, Red-tapes and the Dance of Bureaucracy. India is a country run by babus and peons. It was highly unsurprising when CWG was not spared from it either. These people have the habit of delaying things. They just don’t believe in completing projects in time. Forget about completing in advance. The files will go in a merry-go-round and rotate as much as it can. And when it completely loses its merriness, it will be executed. By then the rates would have risen astronomically and babus would with a last ditch effort encash the situation in the favour of their hidden deep pockets. They also win enough accolades for setting the ball rolling. By any chance, if the event becomes successful they would get an award or else a transfer to a sick department to make it sicker. It’s not that only these administrators are tainted. Lalit Modi and Jagmohan Dalmiya have been in news for all the wrong ways of making money. I’m not supporting their wrong-doings but at least the game of cricket is still alive and kicking like never before. All thanks to these two gentlemen. But our babus are hell bent to kill all other sports that have mistakenly being placed in their hands. Voila!

Last but not the least come the organizers i.e. Shri. Suresh Kalmadi, Shri. M. S. Gill, Smt. Sheila Dixit, Shri. Lalit Bhanot and a few others. These people are no doubt one of the best in the administrative business. They come with credentials which are astounding and incredible. But the way they have handled or rather mishandled the whole games is a pity. Not only they have failed but also misguided the taxpayer. They have completely duped us. No RTI will be able to clear the doubts that are going through our minds. I would request them to render a public apology for the mess they have created. Anyways these people are habituated to give unrelated idiotic statements on anything from Ayodhya to Godhra to Poverty to Unemployment to Power crisis to Rotting of food grains. But ये सब हमारे घर की बातें थी। अब सारी दुनिया हम पे किचड़ उछाल रही है| This was neither expected nor acceptable because of these overqualified personnel. Now they have to do बंगाल का काला जादू to get the games started. I hope whenever we dare to do such a gala event next time, we chose a team which is sports minded and not politics minded. Looking Forward!

During the CWG-Youth games in Pune 2 years ago Jigar stole everyone’s heart due to its simplicity. Hope Shera does the same even after his opulence has gone for a toss. Amen!

P.S. : Why can’t India get a young Sports minister. The last ministers have all been old or not related with sports. Sorry Sunil Dutt ji but sports were not your forte. Uma Bharti was another mismatch. But the incumbent is totally unsuccessful. He gives statements on matters which are unrelated to him. His statements are always awkwardly foolish and he is habituated to disrespect people. Gopichand and Sushil Kumar’s Coach being among the few at the receiving end. So, please get a young guy who has at least played Gilli-Danda!

First Salaried Lecture

1030 hrs, 31st August, 2010. This date and time will remain etched in my memory for the next few decades which I’ve on this earth. This is the time when I took my first salaried lecture. It’s not that I’ve not lectured before but never ever I had an audience of 40 odd students who were there just to listen me. And another aspect of this lecture is that it will be paid for by the college.

I had never thought that I would be teaching in a college let alone an engineering college. But there I was at the appointed hour all tied up in a new shirt and a pair of new shoes just for the occasion. It would be untrue if I say that I was not nervous. I was to the very core of my bones. And when the bus started delaying, my nervousness was shooting through the roof. I had kept rehearsing what will be my opening lines even in my dream. I had planned to rehearse once again before entering the class but the delay was making me uncomfortable. So, I rehearsed the whole thing in the bus itself (Of course in my mind. Otherwise, people would have thought me crazy)! At last I reached just 5 minutes before the scheduled time. Phew! Not a wise start to the very first day!

I had thought to start with Semiconductors as I was comfortable with it and had actually prepared well in advance. But a meeting with a senior faculty on Monday changed it all. He advised me to start with Electron Ballistics as it was more concise and clearly understandable. I luckily followed his advice and starting preparing for the lecture. I had just prepared two pages when my brother came with the internet dongle. I got engrossed in Facebook and forgot to prepare further. So, with that preparation, I went for the lecture.

I had planned to get acquainted with the students first and ease the nervousness on both sides. After asking their names, I couldn’t even remember a single name and I realized that this method won’t work. Instead I should straightway start my syllabus and in due course of time get acquainted with them. They are anyways stuck with me for the next whole session! So, I started with electron. But I found out that the students were much hesitant in coming forward with the answers. This is a problem with most students. Even if they know the answer, they wouldn’t reply in fear of what would the teacher say and mostly what would the other students think in case of a wrong answer. I remember my Astro classes when Dipankar Sir would not budge forward until he got the answer out of our throats. I tried that but to no avail. So, I started dropping hints about the answers. When they reached the answer, they realized that they knew that all through. I believe this habit has to be inculcated now. And that brought a smile everyone’s face i.e. including me. When Dipankar Sir used to give us that smile, I thought it used to be a sign of frustrated relief. But today I realized, it was a sign of satisfaction.

I was so engrossed in teaching that I actually overshot the allowed time of 45 minutes. It was not until the next lecturer came, I had no idea! But even when I was leaving, I wanted to teach more. The students I guess were relieved. Next lecture was 45 minutes later. The hara-kiri in my mind had subsided. I was assured that I was not at the wrong place. I can be a good lecturer. So, in the next lecture, I was more composed and confident. This lecture also ended with the dissatisfaction of not being able to teach more.

After lunch I had a practical class. But as was decided earlier, practicals were not to start until next week. So, I started chatting with the students. First I started with semiconductors but dropped the topic after half an hour. We chatted for another hour or so before we ran out of conversations. It would have been a crime to continue torturing them on their very first day and hence a holiday was declared. Thus, I ended the first day of my teaching.

I have to thank all my teachers right from School to PG, whose ways I was trying to emulate. I must also thank my tuition students Aniket, Akshita, Rushabh and not to forget Nauty. Without them it would have been difficult to understand the mentality of the students. I must also thank my friends whom I’ve pakaoed during my college days while explaining before the examinations. At last I must thank MIET for giving this rookie a chance to deliver his wares.

Hoping for a successful session of teaching.

Amen!!!