It’s all about cricket

The year 2011 has begun on a turbulent note with the first two months witnessing revolution in West Asia. The first phase of the struggle for freedom and democracy is already over in the land of the Pharaohs. The Supreme Council of the armed forces has been handed over the power to govern Egypt by former President Hosni Mubarak. The council, now in charge of Egypt’s peaceful transition, must act in a positive manner and announce elections within the next six months.

We often speak of change but when change arrives we struggle to understand how it impacts our day-to-day life. Look at the speed with which the first two months of 2011 have flashed by and observe the multiple challenges presented to those in power. Absolute regimes in West Asia falter despite the presence of tanks, guns and tear gas shells. Conventional wisdom and methods is are not going to work because the new and young demographic pattern we have been speaking of is already making its presence felt.
Global food inflation is running at 30 per cent, unemployment levels are high and the younger generation has its own ideas, solutions. It does not suffer from the servile attitudes of the past and future electoral ballots will reflect this.
The turmoil in West Asia and North Africa is escalating by the hour and while the intensity of the violence varies from one country to another, the winds of change are gaining momentum. In Yemen, in fact, the situation is already getting out of control. In Bahrain, the royal family is under siege with men, women with children out on the streets alongside armoured tanks, tear gas and rubber bullets. There are reports of increased violence from several cities in Libya. Will similar scenes be beamed from the streets of Algiers, Jordon, Morocco, even Saudi Arabia and the Gulf? Five million Indians live in this region and we cannot afford to be passive. We need to have a plan in case there is trouble.
Watching events unfold in West Asia made me reminisce about how we as a nation struggled and succeeded in our transition from colonial rule to a democratic, secular society. We were blessed with remarkable leaders who had the vision to think of the generations ahead and create enduring “temples” of modern India. Since Independence, we have seen the power of the ballot and the wisdom of the masses again and again — first the Emergency, then the humbling of the Congress in 1977 elections, and soon after the Congress Party being returned to power in 1980. I am not talking of just winning and losing, but of the democratic thought process that is intrinsic to our system and our sense of fair play.
The churning process that started with Tunisia and Egypt is not going to stop there. The United States and the Western world, along with the Bric nations, must make their intentions clear by announcing full support for these nations. Delivering sermons and speeches on the establishment of democratic institutions is not enough. In this time of transition, Egypt needs aid for educational and medical institutes, technology companies and joint ventures for employment generation, and not just money to buy combat aircraft, tanks, gas canisters and mob-control equipment.
We have seen the superpower rivalry at play in the area and this will continue. But in this age of information technology, few things can remain secret. I sincerely hope that the next lot of WikiLeaks disclosures on the 2,000 VVIP accounts become public. This by itself will demolish many regimes based on exploitation of public funds.

THERE HAS been much discussion about what the Prime Minister said and what he chose to leave out during his media interaction. His statements received a mixed response but the immediate outcome — cancellation of the Indian Space Research Organisation-Devas deal — was good. It would, of course, make much more sense to people if those who had planned and executed this deal were also punished.
Political timing is vital for credibility and this is one field where the United Progressive Alliance government is running consistently behind.
Action is taken only after there is intense pressure from the media or intervention of the judiciary. The reality of corruption cannot be explained away by smart legal arguments or by a loyal media which has political and business interests to secure. We must remember that the voting public is always two steps ahead of the politicians.
But this is not the season of politics in India. Cricket fever has gripped the country. It was a good start to the World Cup that India won the two warm-up matches against Australia and New Zealand. Soon after the World Cup, the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League will follow. Thus we can look forward to non-stop entertainment for the next few months.
There is little doubt that the current Indian cricket team is perhaps the strongest team India has ever had. Openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag should provide an explosive start in the matches of the tournament. While cricket experts are welcome to share their thoughts and opinions, I do not agree that this is the last World Cup for Tendulkar. I remember an innings where he was not-out on 200 runs. I was surprised to see that there was no sign of fatigue and his fitness level was that of a 21-year-old. It is too early to speculate on the outcome of the matches but India definitely has an edge over others. Sri Lanka and South Africa are also serious contenders, and the England team is capable of springing a surprise.

Arun Nehru is a former Union minister