Why T20 cricket at all?

As I reach the fag end of my sixties, I feel compelled to write on cricket—the most lovable sport in almost every Indian family, cutting across generations, caste, creed, and religion. In fact, cricket itself is a religion in India. In the absence of electronic and digital media, cricket once reached us through radio, newspapers,…

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India@79 – Freedom, My Barefoot!

We believed in that word when we fought the British—because they were doing everything to deny it to us. Let’s not get into the politics of how we finally won it; that history belongs to the scoundrels who argue over the last crumbs of credit. For once, let’s talk about us—the people. Let’s stand before…

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Bow your head, come what may

Recently, while addressing media people, the firebrand Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chaudhary said, “sar kategi lekin nahin jhukegi”. For that matter, she and everyone in the world have no choice but to bow or bend their head before an individual, and mind you, not once but rather several times before they kick the bucket. Yes,…

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Safety is Our Duty – Part 2

Pasamylaram Chemical Explosion: Lessons Still Unlearnt Nearly eight years ago, I had the opportunity to visit a multinational chemical manufacturing facility. What struck me most was the seamless integration of technology—complete computerisation, live dashboards, and automated safety protocols that left nothing to chance. The plant operated non-stop, 24/7, 365 days a year, yet its track…

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Safety Is Our Duty – Part I

The Pasamylaram Chemical Plant Explosion A tragedy unfolded on the outskirts of Hyderabad near Patancheru, in Pasamylaram, where an explosion ripped through a chemical factory manufacturing pharmaceutical intermediates. So far, 47 lives have been lost, with many more battling for survival in hospitals. Adding to the horror, several of the plant’s 147 employees are reportedly…

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Language and Slanguage

Recently, Trump used the ‘f’ word without giving any pretension of tongue slip while being asked about the Israel-Iran conflict before boarding his aircraft. Using slang is not at all news these days, where it is uttered at the drop of a hat, thanks to the evolution of language to slanguage, courtesy of social media….

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