MY NAME IS MUMBAIKAR AND I AM CONFUSED!

There has been a lot happening in Mumbai over the last two weeks. There are stands being taken, opinions fired out and reactions garnered over the Shiv Sena, Shah Rukh Khan, MNIK, Media, IPL, Pakistan, Terrorism etc etc etc... However I have not been able to formulate my thoughts for the want of inconsistency of us all and the over eager forces of media whose vested interests every time seem just too glaringly obvious!
I am unable to gather the confidence to understand the difference between economics and emotions! I find myself lost between stakes as vital as money and safety as opposed to idealism and emotions!!!

I know one thing for sure that there is a lot of pent up frustration amongst all of us that is waiting to find an outlet. Some pass it out by taking a vacation or having a drink while some get angry and become aware overnight!! In both cases, after a while life returns to routine!!
I am sure there are ideals and values within all of us but I am also sure our plate is so full that we neither have the energy nor the patience to pursue our brief outbursts of social awareness. Thus, at the end of it all we end up looking foolish and exploited!
The spirit of Mumbai used to excite me until I realised it’s more like a soda bottle that’s shaken once in a while before opening up. The fizz promises a splurge but what follows is a meek trickle that dries out!
I hurt some of my friends when I did not support candle marches post 26/11 and I may seem cold to many whose souls are presently burning with a desire to make that all important difference! However I am very conscious of this being a Media age...a time where the tube dominates our mind and runs our lives. I have realised the need of the broadcaster to feed the channel and tabloids 24*7 with the fodder to fuel our fascination with destruction. I can sense the silence and noise that the government conveniently makes and i get scared when i see the fear amongst our governing bodies to be exposed in turn if they expose the big clouted law breakers!!!
I also understand the need of every individual to earn money, to pay the bills, the taxes, to resolve those fights at home, get over the break ups and loses, to go for the weekend dinner with family or celebrate that special day and also beat those traffic jams where we spend half our lives...there is too much to do and so little of time!!!
I am being cynical but I am definitely not yet rigid and thus there is hope! But to believe that, as a potential promise would be falling for the well marketed ‘Spirit of Mumbai’ concept that makes more economic sense than social!!
We don’t need a spirit that fizzles out or a fire that gets put out. We need a very consistent effort on a daily basis by each one of us in a very tiny yet determined manner...until then we must accept very blatantly that if nothing else- WE ARE A MUMBAIKAR AND WE ARE CONFUSED- and are thus being herded by those who can see through our directionless and restless minds!!

Where are the Pakistan Ministers and Sympathisers now??

Last week the Pakistani players spearheaded by Shahid Afridi went all out to condemn ‘India’ for not picking up Pakistani Players at the IPL 3 auction.

Singing the same tune with them were all Pakistani Ministers, Indian media and even our Honourable Home Minister.

Everyone lamented as to how unethical and shameful it was of the IPL 3 organisers to not pick up Pakistani players. No one seemed to understand the business and economic nature of that decision. No one bothered to even highlight that along with the Pakistani players even some Australian players were left out for precisely the same reasons!

I felt strongly about this incident because all sense and sensibility apart I strongly believe that Pakistan does not have the right and stature to point fingers at India’s ethics or its sensibilities. I mentioned last time too that I am not a Pakistan basher but by no means will I ever tolerate any Pakistani screaming ‘Shame on India’...and what irked me the most was the reason for which it was happening!

It was evident that Pakistan was finding an opportunity to throw verbal filth at India and grabbed it with all their limbs and instead of our media and authorities giving them the Royal snub, we were seen glamorising their insult with loads of airtime and print space!
A week later the world class Pakistani Player-Afridi- was caught on camera tampering the ball. He was biting the seam off the ball in order to make it difficult to play. He has been banned for two matches and his reasons- among many- for doing the same- as told by him were -
1) We were losing and hence I needed to do something!
2) Everyone does it, so what if I did too!
Where are all the above people now? How come no one is shaming this incident with the same intensity as the IPL 3 auction? How come the sympathisers of Indian cricket fans are not out condemning the incident?

This hypocrisy for convenience sake is precisely my point!