COMMONWEALTH GAMES: SPORTS GLORY OR GLORIFIED SHAME?

In sligthly less than a year’s time India would be hosting the 19th Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. After the 1982 Asian games, this would the biggest sporting event to be organized by India. But with the chief of commonwealth games fedaration (CGF), Mike Fennell, raising serious concerns about the preparations, the build up to the games looks very shaky




Just a year back, China stunned the world by hosting argubly the best ever Olympic Games. It was a grand spectacle that left the world staggered and truly proved China’s determination to emerge as the super power of this century. The Olympic Games is a much bigger event in magnitude compared to the Commonwealth Games. Rio de Janerio, Brazil won the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games setting another example as to how emerging countries are eyeing these major sports events to showcase their mite to the world. India will be only the 2nd Asian nation to host the Commonwealth Games. In what can be termed as a direct competition between the two emerging superpowers of the world, two of the biggest sporting events are happening within a span of two years. The world will watch closely the Delhi Commonwealth games to draw conclusions about India’s mite and capability to host major events.

But the problem is not about competing with China only. Olympic Games & Commonwealth Games are just not sporting events, but an opportunity for nations to showcase themselves to the world. Not to mention the amount of revenues that flow in the form of tourism & business.It also gives an opportunity to bolster the infrastructure of the host city which benefits millions of people living in the city.

The current state of infrastructure required for the games are not at all encouraging. 14 out of 19 stadiums are behind schedule, the airport enhancement program is lagging behind and so is the construction of bridges and roads that will connect the sports village to the various venues. It is expected that after the games are over, Delhi will have 47 fly overs & a full fledged metro service connecting almost the whole of Delhi. The biggest beneficiaries of this infratsructure would eventually be the common man.

But with Fennel settinp up a technical committee to monitor the work progress of the Commonwealth Games is nothing less then an insult for government of India. This clearly indicates the kind of confidence & faith the Commonwealth games federation has in the Olympic committee & the Sports ministry. When the Union Sports Minister MS Gill was quizzed by the media on this issue, surprisingly the Minister, who usually has an opinion (sometimes uncalled for) on everything related to Indian sports, zipped his mouth. If the sports minister of India cannot display confidence & assure that the preparation will be completed meticulously in time then, how can the federation have any faith in the organizing committee?

This is the same minister, who lambasted the greatest woman athlete of this country PT Usha, when she broke down due to the ill-treatment by the Sports Authority of India. This is the same minister, who refused to recognize Formula 1 racing as a sport. How does it matter that the viewership for this sport is one of the highest in the world and has been picking up constantly in India. The sports minister has hardly made any right noises from the time he has taken over.

However this is a golden opportunity for MS Gill to go down in history as a successful ‘Sports minister’ of India by ensuring that the Commonwealth Games are not only organized smoothly but in the best possible manner. Not only is the pride of India riding on the Commonwealth Games but also the future of Indian sports which has been one of the most underdeveloped area of this developing yet ambitious nation.

RICH MINISTERS, FAILED MINISTERIES

Open sky is not the limit…Minister of state of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel must be telling himself, but not because of Air India, which is fighting for survival at the moment, but refering to his own personal business. The richest minister of the union government of India is heading the sector which on the verge of a financial collpase.

Praful Patel also runs his Rs 500-crore CeeJay Group & owns one of India’s biggest bidi and tobacco-derivatives businesses. He is also referred as the ‘Bidi King’ in certain parts of Maharshtra. On one hand his business has grown at a tremendous rate, with his revenues increasing each year substantially, and on the other national carrier, Air India which is a public sector unit is struggling to survive. The national carrier has incurred loss of over Rs 7200 crores & accumulated a ‘massive’ Rs 15,000 crores as debt. The problem is that Air India was run comfortably if not profitabily over the past so many decades. The real problem started in the 90’s when a series of irrational steps were taken by the management. But the main trigger point for the speedy downfall was the merger of Air India with the government’s domestic carrier ‘Indian Airline’. Employees in the organization blame the merger as the main cause for the abysmal financial position of Air India.Other major carriers Jet Airways & Kingfisher are also under huge debt and fighting to stay afloat. Many from the industry blame the genuise ‘businessman’ cum minister Praful Patel for not helping the sector to come out of thi mess in any way.

Sharad Pawar the union agriculture minister might be having a tough time fighting the drought that has hit the country but when it come to his own business he has been laughing away to the bank. Though on paper his assets are worth 3.6 crores, but his family has business interest in agricultural land on prime highways which if converted to non agricultural land would fetch a premium of atleast 300%!!! His family also has huge stakes in various projects build around Mumbai & his party controls 70% of the sugar factories in western Maharshtra. According to an article in ‘Covert’ magazine there is a famous joke in Maharashtra about Pawar’s wealth, which people say is enough to run 5 delhis!!!...But yet the state of agriculture is in doldrums.One cannot blame the minister for the drought but what about the steps been taken to reduce the damage. Between 2004 & 2008, from the time Sharad Pawar has been the union agriculture minister, the average number of farmer suicides per year has been 17,513. Assuming that the number will remain the same for this year as well, even though it has been a drought this year, the total number of farmer suicides would be touching 90,000!!

These are just two examples from the current union cabinet of ministers who have been super sucessful businessmen but complete failures in lifting their sectors. The idea is not to target these 2 politicians, as there are many more such names…some of them making wealth illegally. Making personal wealth is not a sin for a politician as long as that is done legitimatly. But when successful businessmen fail to lift their respective sectors as ministers, then it really leaves a big question mark on his ability to deliver.

Sharad Pawar is also the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) president in waiting and has been the successful president of the cash rich Board Control Cricket of India (BCCI). Praful Patel is also on the verge of becoming the president of the All India Football Federation of India (AIFF).Both are known for their business & administration acumen.Then why is that these two ministers have completely failed in their respective sectors???? Aviation ministry was booming 3 years back and is now on the verge of a breakdown. Patel will be blamed for some of the policies and his inabilty to help the sector to fight the crisis. Many would argue that globally the aviation sector is struggling, but then what would one say about Air India, which was atleast able to some how sustain itself till 2 years back. The merger of Air India & Indian airlines (Patel’s brainchild) was implemented against the wishes of many has proved to be a blunder. Similarly, Pawar has failed to device any kind of methods & concrete startegies to help the farmers. It would be unrealistic to completely eradicate farmer suicides in 5 years which has been an ongoing agony for years, but in the last 5 years including the ones in which the rainfall was good, Pawar has failed to bring the number of suicides down. There has been no sign of any williingness to curb this ongoing deadly financial & social virus. In fact in 2006, in the Vidarbha region, which is in his own home state of Maharashtra, 4000 farmers committed suicide. Even if 10% of the revenues which the BCCI generated in the last 5years were invested in helping the farm sector, atleast a few thousand farmers could have been saved.

It would be unfair to generalise all businessmen cum politicians in the same bracket. The Sibals, Marans have atleast proved their agility in their respective sectors.But if changes for these important portfolios are not made soon then it won’t be surprising to see the current UPA government leaving a new legacy behind in the form of ‘Union (Failed ) Minister of successful businesses & sports bodies’.

WILL HE WALK THE TALK?

Last week Rahul Gandhi made a visit to Tamil Nadu in order to rejuvenate the ‘youth Congress’. Ever since the Congress led UPA has come back to power, Rahul Gandhi has constantly mentioned that he has two goals for the Congress party- 1) Build the Youth Congress & 2) Bring in democracy within the Congress..It may sound ironical that the Gandhi scion who himself is a product of ‘dynasty’ politics wants to alter the system on which his family legacy has been build in the last 62 years. But before Rahul Gandhi could even assimilate this idea, his first test has arrived.

The death of the charismatic YSR Reddy has come as a huge shock for the Congress party. And even before it could come to terms with reality, the Congress high command is already facing a huge dilemma. The call for making Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSR’s son) the next chief minister is getting louder in Andhra Pradesh. Under the interim arrangement, K Rosaiah has taken over the chief ministership till a decsion is taken by the Congress high command. Jagan Mohan Reddy is a 4 month old-first time MP, primarily known as YSR’s son. In the last 4 years he has converted his Rs 40 crore business into a massive Rs 5000 crore conglomerate. Being a chief minister’s son made his job easier as inflow of funds & getting projects was not a major hassle. This remains his only success story on the business front.

Similary the upcoming Maharshtra assembly elections is another classic example of dynastic politics.Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde wants a party ticket for his son in law while union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is eyeing the Latur assembly seat candidature for his son Amit Deshmukh. Amit is not the first one to join politics from this generation as Deskhmkh’s younger son Dilp Deskmukh is already a minister in the current Ashok Chavan cabinet. But it is President Pratibha Patel’s lobbying for son Raosaheb Shekhawat’s candidature from the Amravati seat which is creating the maximum buzz.

Politics is like family business in India. Even in the current Union cabinet there are a plethora of ministers who are an outcome of ‘dynasty politics. Jyothiaditya Scindhia, Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada are epitomes of dynastic politics .Congress is not the only party that follows dynasty politics but definitely is the creator of this system which now persists across party lines. Even for the party it is a safe bet to allot ticket to a politician’s child as victory is assured in most cases. Tall leaders enjoy idol worhship & popularity which makes entry for the generation next very easy.

With this kind of a political atmosphere in the country where electoral gain presides over stengthening long term grass root level politics, Rahul Gandhi has a huge task ahead of him. He faces his first litmus test when the Congress party decides on the Andhra Pradesh chief ministership. Though, Rahul has evaded his question till now by stating that he is not part of the decision making body, it is a well know fact that no decision is taken by Sonia Gandhi without Rahul’s consent. He has so far turned down a minister’s post in the Union cabinet in order to set an example. It is not going to be an easy task to deny tickets & political positions for family members of regional leaders who enjoy huge support in their respective regions.

In Andhra Pradesh also YSR supporters want their beloved leader’s son as the next chief minister at any cost.If the party high command decides to turn down their request, it could lead to a split within the state Congress. When Indira Gandhi was assasinated in 1984, the party workers forced Rajiv Gandhi who at that time was a political novice to take over the Prime Ministership. So if Rajiv can then why not Reddy? These are the questions that Rahul Gandhi will have to tackle bearing in mind the reality of today’s politics.

The Congress has suffered in the past when the likes of Sharad Pawar & PA Sangma revolted against the Gandhi family for running the party. And if regional satraps are denied politicaal opportunites for their families, there is a peril of losing ground in their strong holds where the party relies heavily on local leaders. Rahul Gandhi faces his biggest challenge of rewriting the rules of game, which if successful could change the face of Indian politics.

ADVANI- FALL OF THE GIANT

In the beginning of 1990’s when the Ram Mandir movement was at its peak, Advani symbolized ‘Hindutva’, which many thought would change the future course of this country. From being the poster boy of Hindutva to the controversial ‘home minister’ during the NDA regime to being the prime minister in the waiting, Advani has gone through plethora of highs & lows.

But unfortunately for Advani who once described himself as the prime minister in the waiting, that wait has ended on an eternal note. His 60 years political career is almost over on an all time low. The rising star of the BJP in the 90’s has been reduced to a leader minus authority of a directionless party. Advani build the BJP from the scratch to one of the biggest political party that is now struggling to keep afloat.



Over Shadowed by Vajpayee-The BJP from the time of its birth has relied completely on Vajpayee & Advani. Their personalities were quite contrasting from each other but they managed to build the party into a strong political entity. If Advani was the mass leader who created ripples by taking out the Rath yatra in 1990 that bolstered BJP’s electoral prospects, Vajpayee emerged as the liberal face of the right wing party and managed to lead a complex coalition for 6 years that helped BJP taste power for the first time. But there was a major difference between the 2 leaders…

Credibility Factor- What is it that made Vajpayee a more acceptable face even though Advani was considered a more natural leader due to his mass appeal? Vajpayee was a ‘consensus builder’ who had the charisma to not only unify his party but also various political outfits cutting across ideologies & regions. Even though BJP was a rightist, pro- hindutva party, it was Vajpayee’s credibility that brought various centrist & left inclined parties under the NDA government for 6 years. Advani was a respectful leader but not a credible one. And that is what went against him. It was his inconsistencies that led to his downfall rather then factionalism as many would believe.

The Ayodhya failure- During the ‘Ram Rath Yathra’ in the 1990's, Advani kept emphasizing that the Ram temple would be build only at the ‘exact site’ in Ayodhya and no where else. The Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 which he described as a tragic event but that did make him the darling of the hardliners. When the NDA did come to power, many within the BJP wanted him to be the PM to fulfill the Hindutva vision which he had campaigned for all this while. But he was not acceptable to other allies within the NDA due to his hardliner’s image. And when in power, he failed to push any of the promises he made which thrashed the aspirations of many hardliners. He lost their support from that time.

Controversial Administrator- His stint as the Home minister & Deputy PM were marked by controversies. He failed to act during the Gujarat riots when thousands were killed during the communal riots. The state was burning but Advani as the 'home minister' failed to control the situation. This did not go down well with his allies. The Kandahar hijacking was another question mark on his ability to deliver during crunch situations. His inability to act during tough time’s projected his image of a ’weak’ administrator who lacked the potential to lead this country.



The Jinnah Controversy- His Jinnah remarks were yet again another sign of inconsistency. A man who through out lived on the idea of ‘Akhand Bharat’ (Undivided India) suddenly called Jinnah, (the hate symbol for the BJP) a secular person is something that even the most liberal intellectuals couldn’t digest. He had to pay a price by stepping down from the post of BJP president. But this was a big gamble that Advani played in order to change his image among the masses. He knew in order to become PM he had to be a more liberal face like Vajpayee. That gamble failed with the 2009 election defeat. The biggest blow for him was the loss of RSS support, his backbone, which all this while projected him as the 'Mascot' of Hindutva

2009 Election Debacle- He gave his best during the 2009 elections. He raised the political temperature by hitting out directly on Manmohan Singh, who all this while discharged his duties silently. The idea of attacking Manmohan Singh on the personality issue rather than governance also went against him. In the personality clash, Dr Singh emerged as the winner thanks to Congress's thumping victory

The Rise of the Rebels- Advani’s decision to stick around for some more time made his position even more vulnerable. His decision to reward the likes of Jaitleys, Swarajs gave way for rebellion & indiscipline within the party. The rebels questioned his authority which had emaciated within the party.

The Jaswant Fiasco- The final nail in the coffin was the sacking of his old friend & loyalist, Jaswant Singh. Ironically Jaswant Singh was the only one to back him staunchly in 2005 for his Jinnah comments. In all fairness to Advani even if he wanted to defend Jaswant Singh, it was not possible because hardliners like Modi & Katiyar wanted some tough action. And Advani needed their support for survival at least till he makes a gracious exit.

Advani will no doubt be remembered as one of the strongest leaders who changed the face of Indian polity in the 1990's His political career was scripted by the RSS, which made him a hero. While Vajpayee made a gracious exit on his own terms, Advani had to be shown the door in a polite manner by the same RSS. Leaving a stable BJP behind would be the best way to say goodbye to his long & adventurous political career. He is known to be a fighter, but winning this final battle of his political career would be a task…

INTERESTING HISTORY OR BORING REALITY?

The other day I asked a bunch of college students – What is your view about Jinnah? Is it right on our part to blame him entirely for the partition?? The answers I got were - ‘That we really don’t know’…how does it matter now…But the most interesting answer out of all of them was ‘History is a boring subject and we all hated it in school’.

History is a funny subject. It not only gives an understanding about geographies but also creates social & political characters which ironically shape the future our polity. But the problem is that in more than one case, it is ultimately ‘one act’ which ‘makes’ or ‘breaks’ the image of historical characters. Little know Mangal Pandey became a hero after 1857 mutiny, Bhagat Singh became an icon of the freedom struggle after he was hanged by the British. ‘I Have a Dream’, the famous speech of Martin Luther King, Jnr, made his legacy immortal. Historians have always preferred to paint history in black & white. There are glorified heroes & evil ‘villains’ with no place for humans with grey shades. So if Mahatma Gandhi is the hero of independent India’s history, the one who steered us to freedom, history had to find a villain for this story as well!!! And that is Mohd Ali Jinnah, the man who is considered the mastermind for the partition.

History can never be accurate because selective facts are used by the author to supplement his/her interpretation of history. So if the history we studied in school considered ‘Jinnah’ the main culprit for the partition, our peers in Pakistan have been fed with history stating that Nehru- Gandhi were not concerned about Muslims and they would have suffered at the hands of the majority Hindus.

So let’s not get fooled by history which changes color from region to region. There is no harm in seeking the truth, but what is important is to realize that all protagonists of history were human beings. They also possessed grey shades & made mistakes at various stages. The partition was also a result of mistakes committed by leaders on both sides. Jinnah, Nehru, Patel were all humans and possessed grey shades. Their greatness cannot be undermined based on one incident. The fact still remains that all of them fought for the same cause and that was freedom. Had they all not stood together probably we (including Pakistan) would still be saying ‘hail the queen’. So the years of turmoil they all went through, including ‘Jinnah’ prior to independence cannot be discounted by India. Similarly Pakistan cannot discount Nehru’s role, who was instrumental in India’s freedom struggle

History is the best text to draw lessons & ensure not to commit mistakes in the future again. But alas, politicians still like digging the past to reap electoral benefits for power. They don’t understand nor do they want to understand history. It all depends as to which segment of the society are they catering to- Ambedkar for Dalits, Sarvarkar for RSS, Shivaji for Shiv Sena, etc.

So when Jaswant Singh not only tried to undo the ‘history’ of the BJP but the history of India, there was bound to be fireworks. Politicians normally enjoy most privileges but one of the few things that they are not entitled to do is to ‘retrace’ history because the ramifications are severe unless one is a LK Advani. It took Jaswant Singh’s one book to turn his political career upside down and create a havoc in the BJP. Seeking the truth is strictly prohibited for politicians because that can actually disturb the balance of our politics. Their history is determined by vote bank politics. But on the brighter side, as long as intellects including politicians like Jaswant Singh do remarkable scholarly work by exploring the possible realities hidden by many historians, the subject of history could become interesting for at least a few if not all in schools & colleges.

THE GREAT GAMBLER

Manmohan Singh loves to flirt with gambling. Look at his track record.

Gamble 1: In 1991 he was severly criticized for adopting the open market economic model. Many from his own party were against his decision to move from a socio economic model to a much more rightist capitalist driven economic model. It was then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s staunch backing for Dr Singh’s bold vision that helped him push those reforms. And rest is history as they say. Today India is the 2nd fastest growing economy in the world. And thanks to the booming economy, India’s reputation as a global power has bolstered.

Gamble 2: In 2005 he played his next big gamble by striking the nuclear deal with the US. This was strongly opposed by the Left & the BJP. Sonia Gandhi’s support this time & some smart political manovering helped the government survive the trust vote in July 2007 & also sealed the deal. Was the deal good? India has joined the elite nuclear club but the real answer will be known only after a decade or so if India is able to generate enough ‘power’ to meet the demand of a growing nation & still retain its foreign policy independence.

Gamble 3: This time he has played the biggest gamble of all. Peace with Pakistan is something which no leader has achived in the past 62 years.Post 26/11; the anti-Pakistan rhetoric is on its peak. But the PM’s meeting with Yosuf Raza Gilani (Pakistan PM) & his controvertial joint statement has put Dr Singh again in the spot.



Critics think that he has given the advantage to Pakistan by ‘delinking terror with the peace dialogue & including Balochistan’ in the statement.

The positives of this gamble:

1) Engaging Pakistan: Dr Singh knows that by taking a monolithic stand of not talking to Pakistan will not take them any where. Pakistan will stick to its stand of asking for more evidence against the likes of LeT & no action will be taken.By appreciating the concerns of Pakistan that encompasses talks on Kashmir & discussing India’s involvement in Balochistan, Dr Singh has made the right move. Engaging Pakistan is the only way to make some concrete progress

2) Two to Tango: It is foolish & impractical to assume that Pakistan will adhere to all conditions of India. For the dialogue to move forward both sides will have to be aprreciate each others concerns and above all act upon them. If India wants terrorists of 26/11 to be brought to justice then India will have to respond to Pakistan’s query of RAW’s involvement in Balochistan. Post the Sharm-el-Shaik meet between the two PMs the immediate results are interesting. For the 1st time since the attack Pakistan has accepted that Ajmal Kasab is indeed a Pakistani national and also arrested 26/11 mastermind Zakhiur Rehman Lakhvi.

3) Less reliance on USA: It is imperative for India to be in a position to push Pakistan to take some tough action. By taking a rigid stand India will have to rely completely on international pressure & especially on USA to pressurize Pakistan.USA’s main concern is Afghanistan not India-Pakistan.

Negatives of the Gamble

1) Gilani is no Musharraf: Trusting Gilani’s quest for peace is not the problem but his ability to deliver is the worrying factor. Army is the biggest player in the state of Pakistan. So even if Gilani wants genuine progress he would need the support of General Kiyani led Pakistan army. It was much more productive to do business with the enigmatic Musharraf who controlled both the army & the government .But for political parties to act themselves is virtually impossible in Pakistan. So will the army support Gilani to take this dialogue forward with an open mind is a big worry

2) Unstable Pakistan: The biggest risk for Dr Singh is the uncertainity attached with Pakistan. History is a testimony that the democractic structure of Pakistan has always remained vulnerable. 3 dictators have ruled the country. So even if some concessions are made by India they back fire if some rightist dictator comes to power in Pakistan.

3) Dismantling terror infrastructrue: Will Pakistan & the ISI eliminate fundamentalist group which were created by the ISI. Unfortunately the groups’ that were nurtured & used by the army during the proxy war against India have become monsters. Any move to dismantle them can cause major casualty to Pakistan itself. So does the state & army have the willingness to cut the giant tree which has deep roots?

Like his previous gambles, Dr Singh is again looking at the long term picture & wants to do business with Gilani. His intentions are very result oriented but the road to achieve that goal is going to be a huge task. Playing with fire is a great spectale but if not handled properly it can casue major injuries. So will the most apolitical PM of India crack the most complex political matrix??? Even the most seasoned gamblers will find it difficult to predict this one.

CRICKETERS V/S POLITICANS: THE POLITICS OF CRICKET

Board Cricket Control of India (BCCI) is the most potent, independent & influential sports body of India. Its influence is not restricted only to India, but across the cricket world. Therefore it’s comes as no surprise that today a plethora of politicians & cricketers are standing in the fray to be a part of this magnanimous cricket body. But their reasons are enitirely different.

Ironically, post independence there has been 21 BCCI presidents, but only 3 of them have played Ranji cricket. Till the 1980’s, politicians didn’t display much enthusiasm in cricket adminitration. Madhavrao Scindia was the only exception. It’s only in 2005 that political heavy weight, Sharad Pawar dived into the politics of cricket. Arun Jaitley (BJP) is one of the VP’s of BCCI, while Union Minister & former chief minister of Maharshtra Vilasrao Deshmukh (Congress) recently became the VP of the Maharashtra Cricket Association.

It’s only in the last decade or so that the politicans have suddenly started displaying enthusiasm in cricket administration. And why not, when there is an opportunity to control or partially control a body that earns more than 100 billion rupees a year & at the same time has the ability to influence the world of cricket in any fashion it wants. Sharad Pawar known for his shrewdness spotted this opportunity much before his other collegues. In the past 5 years he was much more effective & potent as the President of BCCI (Even after Shashank Manohar took over from him) compared to his stint as the Union Minister of Agriculture. And now every other politician wants to be associated with cricket administration. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Vilasrao Deskmukh, Arun Jaitley are just a few examples. There will be many more politicians jumping into the fray very soon. In an era of twenty 20 cricket they realize the potential of cricket as an enterprise. Power & money are two factors that are entising our politicians.

On the other hand our cricketers who have always remained apprehensive of running for the top administrative posts have also started eyeing those postions. But the reasons for them are very different. History is a testimony that post retirement irrespecive of the startdom & stature any crickter might have achieved it’s his connections with the top bosses that determines his future role in cricket. The best epitomes of this are Sunil Gavaskar & Kapil Dev. Both legends of Indian cricket played togther & enjoyed the almost same degree of success. But post retirement their stories were completely different compared to their playing days. Gavaskar has been a regular member on various committees set up by BCCI & ICC including the post of ‘chairman of the ICC cricket committee. His controvertial remarks which have rubbed other cricket nations the wrong way have not curbed the support he has enjoyed from the BCCI for all these years. On the other hand Kapil Dev never got the same kind of treatment from the BCCI post retirement.He did become the coach of the Indian cricket team in 1999 & also served as chairman of National Cricket Academy. In May 2007, Kapil joined the breakaway Indian Cricket League, which led to his removal from the NCA. But through out Kapil Dev has shared a turbulent relationship with the BCCI.

Sourav Ganguly & Mohammad Azharuddin also faced unfair treatment from the BCCI which sealed their cricket careers. Azhar was banned for life after the 3 member BCCI probe committee found him guilty of match fixing with out any concrete evidnece. Ganguly had to cut short his cricket career after been continously dropped from the squad, even after making one of the strongest comebacks in world cricket. Both cricket legends realized that the only way they can contribute meaningfully to Indian cricket is by taking the ‘political’ route.

Ganguly has made it public that he is interested in running for the post of CAB (Cricket association of Bengal) president. And if he does win, there is a chance for him to run for the post of BCCI president in 2013!!! It would be too naïve to start assuuming that Ganguly would become the BCCI president so easily, but it is a possibility if planned properly. On the other hand, Azhar who was lying low all these years after his life ban suddenly resurrected his cricket prospects by getting elected to the Lok Sabha. And look at the immediate ramifications; two members (Kamal Moraraka & KM Ramaprasad) of the BCCI probe committee that banned Azhar for life now want the life ban to be lifted. It won’t be long before the life ban is lifted given the political clout he now enjoys. And been a cricketer with the tag of a politician has made his position very strong. Probabaly the ban should have been lifted much before, but the only way to make it possible was to take the political route. Ganguly has Azhar as a prime example to plan his future.And he has already got on to the task. The battle between the politicians & cricketers is brewing. For the love of cricket, let’s hope that the cricketers win this one.