BMS Hartal….

BMS who?

Yes, this would have been the reaction of a lot, when BMS called for an Hartal in Kerala. BMS is truly an alien organization for majority of Malayalees. If it was not, i wish, it was.

Leave alone BMS, their parent organization – BJP, has not managed to make an electoral break through in Kerala so far.

All of us know BJP. Thanks to their communal politics, their fervor to induce differences based on religion and of course the recent debacle in the latest parliamentary elections and the subsequent problems they faced as an organization.

I still believe BJP will struggle to make a mark in Kerala electorally in any near future but they seems to be having quite a different take on this. Today’s hartal called by BMS is a primer in terms of that ambition.

The political landscape of Kerala is a bit slimy off late. The ruling left coalition has been drawn in to innumerable controversies this time around. Some of them as a result of deft politics being played by the opposition and others which are genuine issues. In both cases, the left coalition has been exposed quite a few times.

Add to this, the open political “understanding” the left cut out during the last parliamentary elections with the controversial Maudani and the soap operasque affairs that is unfolding after Thadiyantavide Nazir, an alleged Malayali terrorist who was caught by police hiding in Bangladesh.

While Nazir’s capture is indeed a breakthrough in many of the small and big terror cases in the state and the neighboring ones, his confessionary statements are not doing any good to Maudani and his party. Maudani’s wife – Soofiya, who was arrested and then released on bail has been allegedly been mentioned in Nazir’s confessionary statements. Soofiya, it seems, conspired along with Nazir for burning a Tamil Nadu State transport corporation bus in Kochi.

While Soofiyas involvement in the case was quite evident right from the beginning, it took almost 7 years or so to arrest her. The goverment was reluctant to nab the 10th accused Soofiya. Based on Nazir’s statements and some what succumbing to media pressure, the home minister revealed that, to “refurbish” the image of the government,  Soofiya is being arrested and she was.

While Madauni’s approach to all this was the scariest and despicable. He kept on rambling that his was being ‘framed” by the government and there is high level conspiracy against him and his party. He did not stop there, his ugliest self was at its best when he claimed that “it was for the first time in India a purdah clad Muslim house wife is being arrested”.  Utter shite and a deliberate attempt to subvert the charge against his wife and instantly communalise it.

We always had a false sense of security and harmony, which we carried for a long long time. As a matter of fact, the state had been quite tolerant and sensible when it comes to inter-religious cohabitation and to an extent was largely secular in its nature.  While the situation has changed in the last 2 decades, we have been quite late in realizing this transition. For almost everyone that i know, it was rude shock when the news of Malayalees getting killed in Kashmir came out. This incident was followed by several investigations and revelations, which would aptly fit in the frames of a nightmare.

While the hindutva terror was contained by left, sometimes turning very ugly in terms of causality, the Muslim one seems to have slipped out of attention.(congress to an extent is against “hindutva”) .If people feels that the government is not taking appropriate measures to tackle the tentacles of terror, things will take an ugly turn. The communally precarious situation that it is, there are people who are waiting to capitalize this.

In comes BJP, of all the states in India, the BJP camp in Kerala is quite upbeat. They are relishing the arrests of Soofiya,Nazir and any Muslim who seems to have connections to this terror network as they find this as an opportunity to emphasize and establish themselves in Kerala. They are eager to prove their points, which they have been blathering in vain for quite a long time in kerala. (Mostly petulant ones.) They are hoping to mobilize that essential Hindu votes to make an electoral breakthrough.

Politically it may sound like a very naive proposition. The ramifications of such a thrust from BJP could lead to serious dents in our state’s secular framework.

For me, the BMS hartal was a trial and error  iteration performed by the BJP state unit. They wanted to know the response of people for a hartal called by BMS, which for many us is a nondescript organization.  Some acquaintances on Twitter even confirmed that they are hearing about the organization for the very first time. So to an extent, the ploy worked but with a cost.

The sentiments prevailing against hartal in Kerala is quite obvious even though there will be a few, who enjoy a good holiday, a good drink (In kerala context, i think it would be appropriate to say “drinks” than “a good drink”), some precious time with the family and so on. Add to that a number of “55″ KSRTC buses that were stoned, which is now being bleated all over the media.

People know BMS now.

Will that help BJP in anyway?

I think, they have a lot to do organizationally to break in to the fray. They are trying hard.

I hope, it never happens.

It should never happen.

oh..yes, by the way..i am one of those ‘pseudos”.

After the Villa match and before the Portsmouth one.

A few points that i am concerned with the whole media ga-ga about the Villa match.

While i completely agree that cesc was fabstatic during the cameo appearance of 28 mins, it is important to note that the team as a whole did put up a spirited display that evening.

It is completely tosh, if anyone is trying to tell me that Villa contained us in the first half. From what i saw, they did not contain us, but had difficulties in controlling us.

We played to our strengths, our midfield devoid of Cesc put up a decent show. Villas midfield was surely undone by our quality.

While i felt, we did not create enough chances in the first half because of Denilson’s more defensive minded play. It really restricted us from having a few more chances in the game.

Even then, in the first half we created the opportunities while our keeper Almunia was hardly tested in the first half.

ESPN pundit, Maasssa blathered that we were trying to play in to Villa’s tactics in the half time analysis. Probably he needed to take a look at our bench before he made that statement.

Cesc was introduced, and from then on i dont remember a single ball being played in to our half. We were just mounting pressure on them. It was quite crazy.

If someone is doing a case study about quality, you can really cite Fabregas’s cameo as an example. Such was the difference he made to a team, which was effective but failed to create enough chances till his introduction.

Villa simply doesn’t have the class or quality to match up with Arsenal. I did not see anything spectacular about the Villa team, who were receiving plaudits from all and sundry before th Emirates duel. They did have a good run, but yet again it was confirmed, in this edition of league, anyone can be exposed of  their frailties any where.

With chelsea dropping points, we really had to win this match and so did we. The important part will be continuing this run. The coming matches have to be approached with utmost sincerity and importance. Hope, the team would stand up to this moment.

All together it looks like a wonderful ending to 2009 footballistically.

Apart from Arsenal, the Indian press have gone ga ga about the year 2009 for Indian Football. While there has been some heart warming achievements in 2009, i am not getting carried away. There is quite a long way to go.

I have to say, there is a sense of optimism among the Indianfootball fans. The two full decades i have lived, i did not have such a feeling about Indianfootball, apart from what i am experiencing right now. Nice, aint it?

This looks to be the last blog post in 2009.

Welcoming 2010, by wishing one and everyone a “HAPPY NEW YEAR”

Kerala is simmering….

Kerala is simmering…. people are being caught and questioned for alleged terror links. Then there is PDP chairman Madani’s wife Soofiya Madhani who seemed to have received calls from Thadiyantavide Nazeer,  a terrorist who was nabbed by Bangladesh police and later on handed over to India, while he was hiding in Bangladesh.

His revelations are quite unbelievable for any sane Malayali but potentially those revelations could have bigger ramifications.  In terms of communal polarization, casting a particular religion in bad light and so on.

While the politicians have started washing their dirty linen in public hurling allegations at each other and some trying to extract the maximum out of the situation and so on. But there is still hope.

While i was browsing internet, i came across brilliant posts by sane muslims  and Hindus who are totally against the radical stance and the people who are supporting it.

All the posts are in Malayalam and they are very very well written.

http://vallikkunnu.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-post_13.html

http://chithrakarans.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-post_13.html

http://chaliyaarpuzha.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-post.html

India 1 – 0 Nepal, SAFF Cup.

The ESPN pundits Shabby Singh (heh!) and Massa wielded mic for this match which was shown live on ESPN yesterday. While Shabby is outright abominable when it comes to his opinions and of course his allegiance – Sp*rs supporter, i have never bothered to listen to Paul Masefield (massa!!), he is just another football pundit.

Yet again, i missed the first half of the match and India had already scored 1 goal. Or, it was an own goal sorts, which had been attributed to an Indian player. Jeevan Singh, i feel.

The second half was all about the half hearted attempts of the Nepali team to level the score, which  never happened.  They tried to string a lot of passes on the ground, which hardly caused any trouble for the Indian team. They hardly could muster their way up the  field. Occasionally they managed to create some chances but the Indian goal was well guarded by the young Indian goal keeper, Arindam.

Nepal was below average, with some players putting in decent performances. Anil Gurung, the Lajon FC striker could create some problems but was not clinical enough to score.  I concede that Anil is the only player i am aware of ,by name in the Nepal squad. There were few others also who had a decent second half.

While the Indian team’s approach to the game was quite good. They were comfortable in playing a high line, pushing the Nepali team in to their own half.  We were happy to hang on to the single goal lead, as the Nepali team never could create pressure situations in the Indian goal front.

While i am not still convinced by the Indian forward line consisting of Balwant and Sushil, i am quite impressed by the defensive performance yesterday.  The defense lived up to their size, they were dominating and the Nepali players found it difficult to deal with the situation.  There were occasional glitches, but all attempts were thwarted by some superb goal keeping by Arindam.  On the whole, i feel this Indian team is a good defensive unit.

Notable players who put in decent performances are Robert Lalthalma, who is a composed presence in the defensive line.  Rowilson Rodrigues, as his partners in the defense had a good match.  While in the second half the midfield did not put up a spirited offensive performance, they were influential in guarding the lead against Nepal.

While Balwant harried quite a lot before getting substituted, Sushil  put in a yet another scrappy, unconvincing display. I just dont like Sushil’s game and he has not proven me wrong in both these matches. Je je after coming in for Balwant had couple of chances which could have been buried, but his lack of experience showed. In coming days, he will be a terrific asset for our national team.  The other two substitutes Subodh Kumar and Sheikh Jewel Raja were average, i felt.

This was definitely a better performance than the earlier outing in SAFF cup against Afghanistan. We played better as a team and were committed to the cause.  It can only get better. Scoring is still a concern, with the established forwards not firing, we will have to wait and see what Sukhwinder is planning to end the drought of goals. So, to the semis of SAFF cup with an u-23 team. Not bad.

India – Afghanistan : SAFF CUP

India 1 – 0 Afghsnistan (Goal – Je Je)

I have a feeling that the number of premier league matches aired in India has been cut down by ESPN-STAR. Anyway i am not going to complain too much as i was treated with SAFF CUP on Star Sports today evening. A power outage means, i missed the first half of the India – Afghanistan match.

The indian senior coach Bob-Houghton had convinced the authorities that India should sent in a young team for SAFF cup this time around. So, a Sukhwinder managed, essentially u-23 players are representing India at Dhaka.

From what i listened to the commentators, i felt the first half was way poor from India. Good, i missed it. The second half was also not that promising in terms of standard and play making. The second half started with some good offensive play by the Indians but were occasionally treated to Afghani counter attacks.

Afghanistan managed to create a few chances, some were not taken well, while one was saved by the Indian goal keeper Arindam quite gracefully.

Coming to India’s display, it was quite patchy. The players are young, probably they are at such an awe that,  a responsibility of bringing back the SAFF cup is entitled on them.  Maldives are the defending champions.

I liked Robert Lalthalma’s over all game, i felt the  Churchill youngster had a good half.  The centre halves also had a decent game. While among the midfielders Manish stood out with some good tackles especially in the dying minutes of the match. Abranches on the right hand side had a good game.

I have never liked Sushil Kumar, the captian-striker, and he did nothing special in that 45 minutes, for me to change my perception about him. Where as the Pune FC striker Je Je who came on as substitute was a revelation for me. The stocky 18 year old did make the maximum out of the chance that was given to him by scoring the solitary goal of the match which earned us valuable 3 points. Some to keep an eye on, in the future for sure! Je Je! Yay!

There are few positives to take away from this match. Some players are looking good, a little bit of tweaking would provide results, i feel. The team will have to play more as a cohesive unit against teams like Nepal and Maldives. This is the first outing for our youngsters in the SAFF cup, they can  only improve upon their performances. So let us hope for the best.

Asian Football confederation withdrawing from Vision Kerala project

screwed up bosses and their power hunger!

clipped from sports.mathrubhumi.com എ.എഫ്.സി. നിര്‍ദേശിച്ച യോഗ്യതകളുള്ള ജനറല്‍ സെക്രട്ടറി, അദ്ദേഹത്തിനു കീഴില്‍ ടെക്‌നിക്കല്‍, അഡ്മിനിസ്‌ട്രേഷന്‍ ഓഫീസര്‍മാര്‍ എന്ന രീതിയിലാണ് കെ.എഫ്.എ.യുടെ ഘടന പുനഃസംഘടിപ്പിക്കേണ്ടിയിരുന്നത്. ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യുമ്പോള്‍ ഇപ്പോള്‍ തലപ്പത്തിരിക്കുന്നവര്‍ക്ക് അധികാരം നഷ്ടമാവുമെന്നതാണ് പുനഃസംഘടന നടപ്പാക്കാത്തതിനു കാരണം. ഹോം ആന്‍ഡ് എവേ രീതിയില്‍ സംസ്ഥാന ലീഗ് നടപ്പാക്കുന്നതില്‍ പരാജയപ്പെട്ട കെ.എഫ്.എ., എറണാകുളം ജില്ലാ ലീഗിനെ സംസ്ഥാന ലീഗായി ചിത്രീകരിച്ച് എ.എഫ്.സി.യെ തെറ്റിദ്ധരിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിച്ചതായും പരാതിയുണ്ട്.

The absence of Abou Diaby….

Tim Collings, of Goal.com UK has written an article about Carlos Vela, about whether he will be able to live up to the expectations of Arsene, that he is of Robbie Fowler mode.

Subsequently he talks about the jittery Sunderland match, the team had and elicit some of the issues that is niggling arsenal’ form now. I am not even sure, you could term the sunderland bungle a serious dent in form, as it was a defeat that came after a long streak of 14 games unbeaten.

One of the reasons that he mentions is the absence of Abou Diaby in the team. Diaby had a long run in the team this season and occasionally most Arsenal supporters have questioned his uselessness in the middle of the pitch. When we missed him for the last match, it was quite evident what was lacking in the middle of the pitch. For me, it was obvious – Abou Diaby. I am happy that, at least his absence made me realize, what contribution he makes to arsenal’s solidity while playing a 4-3-3.

And here, Tim Collings puts it in the right words…..

clipped from www.goal.com And, dare it be said, it is the continued absence of Abou Diaby, through injury, that has coincided with this slip in form. He may not be the eye-catching, perfectionist in a team of ball-jugglers, but his rangy style, long-legged tackling and covering and awkwardness in possession gives Arsenal a physical presence in midfield that was missed sorely last weekend. Like Alex Song, he does a lot of the team’s dirty work.

After the Sunderland Defeat….

After the Sunderland Defeat…. this is what i feel, i am in for a long haul.

clipped from aculturedleftfoot.wordpress.com   What a sad showing from some of our ’supporters’ after the first defeat in, oh, so long. What a pathetic life they must lead. Just imagine, losing a football match! Supporting a team like Arsenal, with it’s history and a Roll of Honour, the equal of any and superior to all but a very few, requires a bit of humility and intelligence. It is a privilege available only to a minority, Most fans must spend their lives dedicated to the Watfords and Exeters of this world with only the odd cup run or promotion campaign to relieve the humdrum dedication of their support. They shame you. No team wins every match. For that we should all be thankful. How boring the striving for success would otherwise be. Thick and thin, people, thick and thin. Compared to the vast majority we have had a lot more of the former than the latter. Those who do not appreciate that, and the team that we have, are just thick. We are The Arsenal.

Kerala Volleyball League (KVL)

Kerala Volleyball League (KVL) is here.

The advert is a decent one with pathetic  music. Inspite of all these, kudos goes to Volleyball association of kerala. At least they are striving to make something happen and that clearly is a different path, compared to their other counterparts.

Mamooty obviously adds to the glamor quotient.  Now, if he is what the game really lacked, then let him be there. I don’t really care.

I read about the format in which it is going to appear. 9 days, 16 matches and live telecast, that doesn’t sound bad at all.  It is happening in Kozhikode means, crowd is a sure bet for a match held under flood lights.  So the organizers don’t really have to bother about that.  Probably some more intense campaign through the FM Radios  that litter the air space with all kind of tosh at the moment in Kerala will help.

Anyway i am eagerly waiting for KVL to happen. There is a lot of potential to be tapped in sports other than cricket. If it is packaged well, i am sure it will happen. Fingers crossed!!

To cater to market demands, Indian international volleyballers like Kishore Kumar has changed their looks, which they think will attract more youngsters to this game.

He says ;  “We have to package ourselves better. Everybody is excited about the new league, suddenly all the players are charged up. And since actor Mammootty is the league’s brand ambassador, we will have big crowds since he has thousands of fans in Kozhikode and Malappuram.”

The game also has it fans!

interesting stats over there in bloomberg.com

Tom petty’s Mary Jane’s Last Dance playing.

its moving fast, a techni-color fast forward.

tiring and mundane is work.. as usual,it cant get any more worse.

reading a Tariq Ali book, Pirates of the Caribbean…had taken a break from reading this, when i caught up with a recent malayalam novel – Francis Itty Cora.  A novel with a refreshing format, it is a classic in its right, i feel.

oh… then today.. as usual through g-reader i stumbled upon..

“Prem Kumar’s demand for higher pay and better food at the cafeteria at the auto-parts factory where he works near New Delhi forced General Motors Co.Ford Motor Co. to shut three plants on the other side of the world. and Ford Motor Co. to shut three plants on the other side of the world.”

that more or less speaks for IndiaInc.

the article says, while there was a 9% increase in food prices , the overall wages rose only by 0.8 percent.

and that answers why human resource officials in 2 companies were mauled and killed by the workers.

and that also explains why 1.5 million workers were involved in 250 strikes in 2008 , all across the nation in the manufacturing front.

there are some comparisons with china, as the norm always is….. they had a 9.9 percent wage growth.. in 2008.

A willing workforce the Chinese are, aint they?  now it seems in orissa and Jharkand Chinese are the ones who are constructing steel factories… 10,000 and more are flocking to eat up all our jobs…

anyways enjoy the read…..

India Food Strike, Fatal Riots Hobble Push to Export Auto Parts

another interesting thing i came across is that, now French football is vying for that lucrative Indian market pie. After Bayern set up a farewell match for Oliver Khan in front of more than 1 lakh crowd at Kolkota and then Maradona’s visit to the city, it  looks like every country which has a decent league is interested in marketing their football in kolkota/India. It seems a Bangalore based firm is in talks with french football authorities about the possibility of  a collaboration and eventually a long term partnership.

Interesting names are being bandied around – Zidane and Aimé Jacquet. While Zidane could help the glamor side of football, it would be nice if Aimé Jacquet  could give some tips to our authorities about football development. He coached French football team to a world cup victory in 1998 and his influence on French football and his ideas which helped french football is best explained here by amy lawrence in guardian. anyway let me not jump the gun.