Symonds - Harbhajan

All these happened in the second test match of the India tour of Australia 2007-2008. This match saw a lot of controversies. To give a prelude to these incidents, when the Aussies had come to India in 2007, some audience had cast racist remarks on Symonds. In this tour to Australia, Indians were already down 0-1. In the first innings, Symonds was so very lucky that he was not given out three times. The edges off his bat to the wicket-keeper gloves were declared as not out. Those did not become a big issue as Indians played well in their first innings with Sachin getting his 38th century.

The audience were really lucky to have witnessed yet another great innings of the master blaster who is still the little champion to Sunil Gavaskar. One of the audience charts stated, "Do all your sins when Sachin is batting; they will go unnoticed and forgiven as God himself is busy watching the Master." Indians had a lead of 69 runs. Aussies came and scored very fast and set a big target to be chased in the remaining overs of the final day. In the Australian second innings, Ponting's wicket was celebrated by Harbhajan in a really different way and it was really funny. Ganguly when asked on that, said jokingly, "Thank God he didn't run into the pavilion to celebrate the wicket."

Indians played the final innings of the test match. There were two major wrong decisions. Dravid and Ganguly who were playing really well, with a 50+ partnership, were adjudged out by the umpires Bucknor and Benson respectively. Rahul Dravid who was playing good shots was adjudged caught behind by Steve Bucknor off Symonds' bowling. Rahul Dravid had his bat completely behind his pad and the ball flipped the knee roll of the pad and went to the keeper. And Harsha Bhogle was made this comment - "If I am going to be born again, I wish to be Symonds as when I am batting I will not be given out even if I hit the ball and when I am bowling even if the batsman doesn't edge the ball I get wickets".

Then after sometime Ponting appealed for a catch, where he took the ball from the ground after catching it. Ganguly's story was even more pathetic. He edged a ball and Michael Clarke took the catch in the slips after it pitched on the ground. Ganguly was staying and Benson gave him out. Ganguly could do nothing but to walk away. He asked the umpire in shock, "Did he catch it?". The umpire instead on going for the third umpire asked Ponting before giving the decision.

All these things which were against India made no sense but Harbhajan calling Symonds a monkey became a big issue. Australians are the best in sledging. None can beat them. They use all sorts of derogatory remarks on the opponents and they complain for being called as a monkey. They have all the authorities in their hands. If Harbhajan is going to be banned for 3 tests for this remark, then almost all the Australians have to be banned for 30+ test matches for whatever they have remarked earlier on various fields. It is a shame on Ponting to have stated that they have not done anything against the spirit of the game.

This has gone really huge to the extent that the Australian External Affairs Minister has spoken to India that these things should not make things bad between the nations. May the 3 test match ban be removed off Harbhajan. Let the referee be warned by the ICC for being stupidly biased towards Australia. Let us play good cricket.

Reservation in India

Reservation policy introduced by Dr. Ambedkar and his committee is being exploited by the politicians to gather votes. These politicians who have already amassed a lot of riches, are still not contented because of their greed for the position. The time by when the reservation for the SC/ST have to be withdrawn is over, years back. The reservation mentioned was only for the SC/ST. The condition is made even worse by introduction of more reservation. Hereafter, it is not fair to extend the reservation to these communities. Many students who belong to communities enjoying reservation, have secured top ranks in various entrance examinations. These students have spoilt the chance of several students who have their only hope in open competition seats. If the government is following the reservation policy, it has to remember that it should terminate soon and it is not a permanent policy. If it does not terminate soon, India will no longer be a secular state.

Extension period cannot be longer the prescribed original term. This is what it is heading towards. If the prescribed term is 50 years, the time when all the 100% seats fall under Open competition will only be 2047!! Atleast they have to stop issuing community certificates by 2030.

Tamil Nadu, the state to which I belong to is the worst affected. Why such a reservation policy exists is unknown. Roughly,
Open Competition - 34%
BC - 31%
MBC - 21%
SC - 13%
ST - 1%

Out of the 34% open competition seats, hardly 10% are taken by the forward community students. See The Hindu tabulation of the 2005 medical admissions in Tamilnadu. This will scare all the forward community people and will really make them run out of this country. There will be a day when 0% of the seats are taken by the forward community students. This is not the day when they will be outperformed by the reservation people but it is the day when they will all hate India and flee out of India!!

http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/23/stories/2004082308900400.htm