Dis-May
So the IPL is over and I can hear people collectively exhaling with relief. Mercifully, this time if you felt like it, you could choose to avoid this almost interminable exhibition of mediocrity. There was no Lalit Modi to rub in the idea, that what we are witnessing on our TV screens every evening is something historic and of national importance. He is of course now, according to basefull rumours, biding his time in Iceland. Meanwhile, the epidemic that he has spawned gets grotesteque each passing summer.
If your heart has stopped bleeding after seeing a once honourable game being disfigured beyond recognition, you can start scouting for culprits. It's we Indians, always lacking a sense of proportion. With ‘experts’ such as Atul Wasan, Arun Lal, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Nikhil Chopra, Navjot Singh Sidhu extolling wisdom, hammering out killer strategies, the IPL’s claim to a farce is complete.
Thank God, it’s over for this year. But I am dreading when in the next elections the BJP government will come in power and will herald the return of Lalit Modi. The IPL’s thrall over our junta – which this year was waning – will be on the upswing again.
This year the Bangalore marathon is on June 5 and I am participating. Earlier, Sunfeast was the official sponsor but this year it’s TCS. My zestful efforts to get others (who I know) to participate has been dismissed with disdain, disbelief and disinterest. Two examples would suffice.
Sonakshi my colleague at Hansa Research was devouring a watermelon when I first broached the subject. Upon hearing, she coughed, profusely, accurately and honestly and did not even bother to return an answer. Unstated but understood.
Second was my friend Rinku (pet name) who seemed interested at first. “OK,” he said, “I will come.” “But you have to register first,” I said. “You’ll have to pay Rs 600.” Silence. He was genuinely wondering why he should pay for running 10 kms. “They want me to sweat in the heat and also pay for it, not happening.” Well, from here on it was be hard for me to convince him, But I remain hopeful and perhaps would write an entire post on the joys of running. Meanwhile if you're interested you can check out the website http://www.runningandliving.com/
I try pep talk with people, sometimes wanting to make them feel bad that a person with all their limbs intact wouldn’t even consider running once. “Plus if you go there, you’d see and get inspired. Aunties wearing sarees and rubber chappals, on the wrong side of father time, little kids with fire in their bellies and determination in their eyes. People with handicaps. All are participating.” No avail.
What I realised is they have been hemmed in by the boundaries that mark their minds. As Dhoni said during the making of the shoot of the Pepsi Helicopter shot, “Boundary maidan mein nahi, yahan hai (pointing to his head).”
I have to thank Jayshree Venkatesan for my initiation into marathons. (After having run several marathons, she no longer considers 10K as a marathon, I have some time before I can cross that boundary in my head.) Lastly as Led Zeppelin sang:
“Cryin’ won’t help you, prayin’ won’t do you no good;
When the levee breaks, mama you gotta run”
Try it once. It’s perfectly doable and liberating as hell.
If your heart has stopped bleeding after seeing a once honourable game being disfigured beyond recognition, you can start scouting for culprits. It's we Indians, always lacking a sense of proportion. With ‘experts’ such as Atul Wasan, Arun Lal, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Nikhil Chopra, Navjot Singh Sidhu extolling wisdom, hammering out killer strategies, the IPL’s claim to a farce is complete.
Thank God, it’s over for this year. But I am dreading when in the next elections the BJP government will come in power and will herald the return of Lalit Modi. The IPL’s thrall over our junta – which this year was waning – will be on the upswing again.
This year the Bangalore marathon is on June 5 and I am participating. Earlier, Sunfeast was the official sponsor but this year it’s TCS. My zestful efforts to get others (who I know) to participate has been dismissed with disdain, disbelief and disinterest. Two examples would suffice.
Sonakshi my colleague at Hansa Research was devouring a watermelon when I first broached the subject. Upon hearing, she coughed, profusely, accurately and honestly and did not even bother to return an answer. Unstated but understood.
Second was my friend Rinku (pet name) who seemed interested at first. “OK,” he said, “I will come.” “But you have to register first,” I said. “You’ll have to pay Rs 600.” Silence. He was genuinely wondering why he should pay for running 10 kms. “They want me to sweat in the heat and also pay for it, not happening.” Well, from here on it was be hard for me to convince him, But I remain hopeful and perhaps would write an entire post on the joys of running. Meanwhile if you're interested you can check out the website http://www.runningandliving.com/
I try pep talk with people, sometimes wanting to make them feel bad that a person with all their limbs intact wouldn’t even consider running once. “Plus if you go there, you’d see and get inspired. Aunties wearing sarees and rubber chappals, on the wrong side of father time, little kids with fire in their bellies and determination in their eyes. People with handicaps. All are participating.” No avail.
What I realised is they have been hemmed in by the boundaries that mark their minds. As Dhoni said during the making of the shoot of the Pepsi Helicopter shot, “Boundary maidan mein nahi, yahan hai (pointing to his head).”
I have to thank Jayshree Venkatesan for my initiation into marathons. (After having run several marathons, she no longer considers 10K as a marathon, I have some time before I can cross that boundary in my head.) Lastly as Led Zeppelin sang:
“Cryin’ won’t help you, prayin’ won’t do you no good;
When the levee breaks, mama you gotta run”
Try it once. It’s perfectly doable and liberating as hell.
Comments
Post a Comment