The clock may have ticked on to a new day, month and year for some of you and for some, it maybe just a short wait. A year when the world was famously averted from a speculated Armageddon, has or is about to end. But 2012 surely will be in the history books albeit a lot of pages for sure.
I really am confused to decide where to start from. So let's do this randomly...I call it the WYRWYW (What You Remember is What You Write) post.
Guessing the first topic must be easy, Sports.So, to begin with Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman's Test retirement and Sachin Tendulkar's retirement from ODIs - the biggest blow to Indian cricket in recent times. Answers to the 'Why' or 'How' are known to every one, so lets not get into that. India's 6 medals in the London Olympics which unfortunately is their best ever toll at the sporting extravaganza. But to end the year rather gloomily, the Indian Olympic Association was expelled by the International Olympic Committee, another sad example of a corruption ridden loss of pride. Indian Hockey team's performance in the Olympics, finishing last without managing a single brings the Hockey plight in the country a full cycle back. But there were brighter days as well, especially the story around Yuvraj Singh's comeback from Cancer- he indeed proved that YouWeCan. And of course the indomitable Vishwanathan Anand's 5th World title, wow! There were also the news of the sad demise of absolute legends - Lesley Claudius, probably the 2nd most talented Indian hockey player ever after the great Dhyan Chand. With 3 Olympic Golds and 1 Silver, his name is etched on the Guinness Book of World Records for winning the highest number of Olympic medals in field hockey. Sailen Manna, the only Asian footballer to be rated among the 10 best skippers of the world in its 1953 yearbook by the England Football Association (FA) also passed away this year.
From the world of Entertainment -Pandit Ravi Shankar, the Bharat Ratna and 3 time Grammy winner's death is a hard blow to music lovers world wide. He was India's truest ambassador of music and had single-handedly carried the torch for India's rich heritage of classical music to the west. Yash Chopra, directed movies 'Jab Tak he had Jaan'. His movies are immortal tales in the heritage of the Indian Film industry. His untimely submission of life to one of India's infamous diseases, Dengue had left the film fraternity in a profound state of deep shock and the lovers of his craft in a state of prolonged grief. Rajesh Khanna, India's first superstar lost his long battle with cancer at the age of 69, leaving behind a legacy of superhit movies which where adored, well almost worshiped during their times. But then there was an Aamir Khan as well with his brilliant Satyameva Jayate, trying to light a flame of the elusive self-consciousness within his fellow nationals. What a show!
From the public life, we lost Balasaheb Thackrey, the Indian incarnation of robin hood & the godfather put together, passed away earlier this year. His city of Mumbai and his state of Maharashtra poured out into the streets in millions to give him a befitting farewell. The losses of former PM Sri I. K. Gujral, former principal secretary and National Security Advisor - Brajesh Mishra, former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh has also lessened India's wealth of stalwarts immensely this year. We also lost Capt. Lakshmi Sahgal, the celebrated leader of the INA's Rani Jhansi regiment. Ironically she was the last woman standing from Netaji's famed combat squad to fight the British. We need more like her to fight the inner demons of our nation now.
But what else, what are those bites that we skipped. Like Indian student Anuj Bidve's murder, condemned personally by the British PM. Then there was the unfortunate death of Savita Halappanavar due to unrelaxed pregnancy laws in Ireland. Her passing away though did manage to bring in a positive change to all the women in Ireland and have given them an opportunity to spend a more relaxed period of gestation. Did you know that Nandan Nilekani did manage to steamroll the UIDs or the Aadhar cards to half of the Indian population already. Yes, 60 crore Indians now have an Aadhar card which is a game changer in terms of the prospects of social security for Indian nationals. India as a part of the BRICS nations pledged $10 billion to the struggling Eurozone nations, and we are still west-bound, are we? Oh! that maybe because of the historic fuel price rise of Rs. 7.50 on Petrol earlier this year. And obviously there were the innumerable number of Rapes and Molestations which have now become synonymous to our news bites in both print and electronic media.
And then as for me, I lost the giant of the man in my life who made me whatever little the man I am today. He left me with broader shoulders and a bigger heart to let him reside within me and take care of all his unfinished works. They said the world would end in 2012, half of it did for me. Now I need many more years to take care of the remaining half, which I will with his blessings. Stay well, Happy New Year every one.
I really am confused to decide where to start from. So let's do this randomly...I call it the WYRWYW (What You Remember is What You Write) post.
Guessing the first topic must be easy, Sports.So, to begin with Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman's Test retirement and Sachin Tendulkar's retirement from ODIs - the biggest blow to Indian cricket in recent times. Answers to the 'Why' or 'How' are known to every one, so lets not get into that. India's 6 medals in the London Olympics which unfortunately is their best ever toll at the sporting extravaganza. But to end the year rather gloomily, the Indian Olympic Association was expelled by the International Olympic Committee, another sad example of a corruption ridden loss of pride. Indian Hockey team's performance in the Olympics, finishing last without managing a single brings the Hockey plight in the country a full cycle back. But there were brighter days as well, especially the story around Yuvraj Singh's comeback from Cancer- he indeed proved that YouWeCan. And of course the indomitable Vishwanathan Anand's 5th World title, wow! There were also the news of the sad demise of absolute legends - Lesley Claudius, probably the 2nd most talented Indian hockey player ever after the great Dhyan Chand. With 3 Olympic Golds and 1 Silver, his name is etched on the Guinness Book of World Records for winning the highest number of Olympic medals in field hockey. Sailen Manna, the only Asian footballer to be rated among the 10 best skippers of the world in its 1953 yearbook by the England Football Association (FA) also passed away this year.
From the world of Entertainment -Pandit Ravi Shankar, the Bharat Ratna and 3 time Grammy winner's death is a hard blow to music lovers world wide. He was India's truest ambassador of music and had single-handedly carried the torch for India's rich heritage of classical music to the west. Yash Chopra, directed movies 'Jab Tak he had Jaan'. His movies are immortal tales in the heritage of the Indian Film industry. His untimely submission of life to one of India's infamous diseases, Dengue had left the film fraternity in a profound state of deep shock and the lovers of his craft in a state of prolonged grief. Rajesh Khanna, India's first superstar lost his long battle with cancer at the age of 69, leaving behind a legacy of superhit movies which where adored, well almost worshiped during their times. But then there was an Aamir Khan as well with his brilliant Satyameva Jayate, trying to light a flame of the elusive self-consciousness within his fellow nationals. What a show!
From the public life, we lost Balasaheb Thackrey, the Indian incarnation of robin hood & the godfather put together, passed away earlier this year. His city of Mumbai and his state of Maharashtra poured out into the streets in millions to give him a befitting farewell. The losses of former PM Sri I. K. Gujral, former principal secretary and National Security Advisor - Brajesh Mishra, former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh has also lessened India's wealth of stalwarts immensely this year. We also lost Capt. Lakshmi Sahgal, the celebrated leader of the INA's Rani Jhansi regiment. Ironically she was the last woman standing from Netaji's famed combat squad to fight the British. We need more like her to fight the inner demons of our nation now.
But what else, what are those bites that we skipped. Like Indian student Anuj Bidve's murder, condemned personally by the British PM. Then there was the unfortunate death of Savita Halappanavar due to unrelaxed pregnancy laws in Ireland. Her passing away though did manage to bring in a positive change to all the women in Ireland and have given them an opportunity to spend a more relaxed period of gestation. Did you know that Nandan Nilekani did manage to steamroll the UIDs or the Aadhar cards to half of the Indian population already. Yes, 60 crore Indians now have an Aadhar card which is a game changer in terms of the prospects of social security for Indian nationals. India as a part of the BRICS nations pledged $10 billion to the struggling Eurozone nations, and we are still west-bound, are we? Oh! that maybe because of the historic fuel price rise of Rs. 7.50 on Petrol earlier this year. And obviously there were the innumerable number of Rapes and Molestations which have now become synonymous to our news bites in both print and electronic media.
And then as for me, I lost the giant of the man in my life who made me whatever little the man I am today. He left me with broader shoulders and a bigger heart to let him reside within me and take care of all his unfinished works. They said the world would end in 2012, half of it did for me. Now I need many more years to take care of the remaining half, which I will with his blessings. Stay well, Happy New Year every one.
Happy New Year Sumit! Sorry to hear about your personal loss.
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