August 15, 1947 – Independence Day - Is it sixty plus or minus years of development for the Indian Society?

I have often wondered about the significance of Independence Day that we Indians celebrate on August 15. The National Flag is hoisted and there is sense of pride that is pervasive across India amongst every Indian (that is what we like to believe). Yes, it is a matter of pride to achieve freedom after 200 years from a foreign power! Perhaps it was a day of graduation for Indians; from second class citizens to just plain citizens of India. The ruling government at the centre was for the people, of the people, and by the people. Democracy was to be the foundation of free India. India was to be a progressive nation characterized by equality of status for every Indian. My question to the reader is, “As an individual, do we feel equal?”

The incidents of recent past have made me ruminate and question the very essence of Independence that we Indians take for granted. Be it the incident of Raj Thakrey pandering to the difference of race and sect, or be it the questionable decision in favor of reservation for the OBC at various educational institutes. All this has been happening with the acquiescence of the common man (or woman) and unfortunately as Indians, we have become impervious to such incidents. We will seethe in anger but will remain reticent. If at all, there will be a smattering of protest that will eventually die down due to the lack of leadership. Such a tepid response to issues of National significance will have an insidious and long lasting effect! It is this fatalist attitude that has contributed towards fermenting many issues that will have virulent repercussions in times to come.

No incident has captured the attention of whole of India as the issue of reservation of 27% seats for the OBC. The opponents to the system (including me) have called it “Death of merit” and the proponents of the system have called it “Fair and just”. At this point I will not delve into the merits of the system as it should be a totally different article that should be presented after proper research. However, my question is whether such decisions are creating a divide in the society? My personal observation is that it will have an adverse impact on the concept that is the foundation of India; Unity in diversity. The smattering of egregious incidents (as a reaction to reservation) that the media has not reported in National interest is the presage that we should take a note of. The resentment amongst those who lost out (General Category) and the cracks in our society is real and palpable. The presage should be clear enough for the politicians to abstain from promulgating the proposal of reservations for SC/ST/OBC in the professional world. Not only will it be a social disaster, but also an economic disaster. In 60+ years of independence, successive governments have failed to create the much required infrastructure in the education sector and now the UPA has sought to atone for that inaction by adopting short cut methods that are to the detriment of one section of the society. Rest assured the next government at the centre will indulge in one-upmanship and implement reservation in jobs.

The incident involving Raj Thakrey highlights that our politicians have taken a few lessons from history. They seem to have adopted the strategy popularized by the British; Divide and Rule. The concept that Maharashtrians are ethnic Mumbaikars and North Indians and Biharis are the dregs of their society seems to be a perfect strategy to promulgate a struggling political party. However, the proponents should remember that the Divide and Rule strategy adopted by the British created a Pakistan. The need of the hour was strong condemnation of Raj Thakrey and his goons by the central government and the Supreme Court. In some of the Middle Eastern countries, prosecution by handing out a death sentence would not have been far fetched. Sadly, in India, far from prosecution, Mr. Thakrey seems to be basking in glory and walking around with his head held high for what he seems to have achieved; market his party. Does he care about the virulent repercussions of his statements in the short and the long run? I don’t think so! Will at least the Mumbaikars (so called ethnic Mumbaikars and others) condemn the acts in the best possible way by uniting and voting out Mr. Thakrey and his likes? I surely hope so! That will perhaps reflect backbone (or the lack of it) of the Indian society.

A look back at the British rule and we will find that despite all the fallacies, they attempted to take the Indian society forward. Their efforts in abolishing the Sati system and child marriage, support of education for girls, implementing railway system, etc would be some of the examples. Juxtapose that with the recent reservations based on caste, lack of progress in the education sector, ruling by a court in favor of Sati system, etc, and the contrast will be clear; Indian society is in a rewind mode.

To conclude, let us introspect and honestly answer a question, “Has the Indian Society progressed from what it was as of August 15, 1947?” In my opinion, our rulers have pressed the rewind button. I just hope that someone will find the remote and press the STOP button and maybe even press the fast forward button!

Jai Hind!

Do we know the Shoaib Akhtars of the world?

Yes, I know the Shoiab Akhtars of the world! Perhaps, at some point all of us have know them, worked with them, and tolerated their eccentricities. They are perhaps the most consummate professionals and perceived as an indispensable asset for an organization. At the same time they are also known to be a true curmudgeon and are vituperative towards the subordinates and colleagues alike. However, the management will overlook all the negative attributes just because they are perceived as a star performer who is supposed to take the organization forward towards the achievement of its goals. My question to the reader is whether an organization is justified in pampering the Shoaib Akhtars of the world or should it repudiate such characters?

In my opinion (based on my limited experience), such so called ‘Star Performers’ are known to have a deleterious effect on an organization. Let me elaborate my opinion by defining a paradigmatic Shoiab Akhtar that we encounter in our professional life. In a sales organization, a Shoaib Akhtar would consistently achieve/surpass his targets. He would crack all the big ticket accounts, make the maximum incentive, and demand the highest increment. He will negotiate the best discount for his customers, do away with maintaining the sales process, and always be late for work. Also, he will keep the HR on its toes as a result of his never ending demands of recognition; monetary and otherwise. On a lighter note, in all probability, his system password will be ‘iamthebest’.

So why would the Shoaib Akhtars of the professional world have a deleterious effect on an organization and its stakeholders? After all, they are star performers and maybe it is justified that are valued accordingly. At this point I will pose a question to you (the reader); in your professional experience, would you say that a Shoib Akhtar takes an organization forward towards the achievement of its goals? After all that is what an organization expects! Let me pose a few more questions that may strike a chord with you (the reader).

Q-1: How does a Shoaib Akhtar react to success?
A-1: In all probability, he belittles his subordinates and colleagues alike

Q-2: How does a Shoaib Akhtar react to an occasional failure?
A-2: In all probability, he blames others (his boss, subordinates, x-colleagues, unreasonable clients, etc) and everything else (the economy, the product/service, etc) rather than introspect.

Q-3: What does a Shoaib Akhtar do in case of a burnout?
A-3: In all probability he pollutes the office environment with his tantrums. He pulls down every upcoming star performer whom he would view as a threat, and badmouths the very top management and the HR organization that was desperate to appease him.

Q-4: What does a Shoaib Akhtar do when all avenues of blaming others are exhausted and he moves on to the next organization which considers itself ‘lucky’ to have hired a star performer?
A-4: He moves on with his baggage of frustrations and again badmouths his x-organization, x-boss, x-colleagues, amongst others.

To conclude, I will take a stand that it is prudent to let go of a star performer, no matter how brightly he shines. I was impressed by the PCB as it realized that Shoaib Akhtar is doing more harm than good to the team. He was not taking the Pakistani Cricket Team forward. The Shoaib Akhtars of the world are continually insolent and the world of cricket and indeed the professional world alike are better off without such characters!

My cousin MBA!

“My son has already done his MBA” said my aunt with a sense of pride that was evident from the glow on her face. My aunt felt that she had ample reasons to be vocal about her son’s achievement. The son in question has always been an average student (just about), was never known for any academic achievement, and yet has successfully completed his MBA at a very young age of 23 years from a ‘Top 20 B-School’. As a MBA from a similar background, the statement resonated with me for all the wrong reasons. My aunt did not seek my imprimatur but I felt her statement reflected parochial biases. I wanted to forewarn my aunt about the possible upcoming challenges for her son, but at that point it was not prudent to burst her bubble and risk her opprobrium.

So why was I reticent? No, it was not because I doubted my cousin’s ability! Neither did I wish to be irreverent towards my aunt’s family. However, one must be aware of my background to be privy to my thought process.

My professional qualification is a MBA (PGDBA) from a top notch business school of India. As far as my academics is concerned, I was always an average student (unlike my cousin, I always bordered on above average). However, a striking similarity was that just like me; my cousin is also an MBA from a family of Doctors and Engineers. Even with the best of intentions, his family will not be able to guide their son towards the right professional path. In my opinion, it is sacrosanct for a professional to be aware of and well prepared for the challenges of his/her profession. Perhaps it would have been prudent for my cousin to match his area of interest and skill sets with the subjects that he chose for post graduation. (Believe you me; he would have been an excellent fashion designer)

In the Indian system, every parent would want their son (in some cases even daughters) to join the professional ranks at the earliest possible. The obvious choice for my cousin would have been to become a doctor or an engineer. However, as he was never an erudite, MBA was the next best option. It was perhaps the safest bet as an aspiring MBA would have a plethora of options. (Just like it was for me, the IIM B-Schools were never an option) The rule of economics that perfect competition will inevitably churn out quality products and services at a price dictated by the buyer should probably augur well for his ambitions. Unfortunately, the surfeit of Business Schools does not guarantee quality professional training! In fact quality does not even figure in the priority list of most of these colleges.

The most galling aspect of these Business Schools is the number of unemployable professionals that they churn out. If UGC and AICTE were to recognize these institutes on the basis of the quality of output, more than 3/4th of them should have been de-recognized. However, similar to the manner in which questionable credit ratings of some of the financial instruments contributed to a crisis across the global markets, the questionable recognitions has adversely affected the most important resource of India; its manpower. My cousin joined a B-School that figured amongst the questionable 3/4th majority after vacillating for a long time. It was also with my acquiescence!

As my cousin continued to balk at the prospect of making a career choice that his parents wished for him, I had more reasons to be concerned. At this point, I will elaborate my concerns with an excerpt from the interview of Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan (Cofounder and CEO, Infosys Technologies) published in Harvard Business Review (South Asia – March 2008). In his interview he highlighted the vagaries of the Indian system that almost ruined his career. The term ‘Indian System’ refers to the Indian middle class that is full of parochial biases and the Indian education system that is characterized by its inflexibility. Mr. Gopalakrishnan’s parents were the paradigmatic Indian parents who could envision their son either as a doctor or as an engineer. They discouraged him from joining a subject of his choice and the result was that he landed up in a professional field that was not linear to his aspirations. His parents were keen to see him join the professional ranks (as a doctor) at the earliest possible and his love of science (not biology) was not linear to their aspirations. Just like other children belonging to the India middle class, he too sacrificed his aspirations and pursued his parent’s dreams. The result could have been catastrophic as not only he failed to secure a seat to fulfill his parent’s dream, but also in the process lost two valuable years. Also, what added to his woes was the Indian education system that makes it very difficult to change subjects midstream. He finally started an undergrad course in Physics and if it were not for an inspirational Physics professor, his career would have drifted away to obscurity.

In my opinion, today Mr. Gopalakrishnan is the much admired leader because the universe conspired to script his success story. (In a lay man’s term, “He got lucky!”) He did not have the conviction to follow his dreams and maybe even believed that his parents knew what was best for him. Maybe he lacked the maturity and the experience to decide his career path. After all a man/woman becomes an eligible bachelor at the age of 21/18, but has to make a career choice at the age of 18. Both decisions have a long lasting impact on our life and I often wonder why a man/woman needs to take a call on his/her career path at such an early age, especially when the average age at which both the sexes prefer to get married is increasing steadily. Do we not encounter n number of personalities in our social life? Yes we do, and it helps us to make better choices in life! In the same vein, should it not be sacrosanct that professionals gather some work experience before they make a long lasting career choice? At this point I would like to pose a few more questions to the readers:

Q-1: How many B-Schools in India insist on work experience?
A-1: Very few

Q-2: What is the motive of the above?
A-2: To increase the universe of choice! (There is tough competition for the aspiring MBA’s money amongst the surfeit of Business Schools)

Q-3: Are the fresh graduates capable of understanding the nuances of MBA curriculum?
A-3: For the majority; NO!

Q-4: Will the MBA course provide a positive ROI?
A-4: Yes & No. Yes in the long run as far as the monetary aspect is concerned. No in the long run as far as self-actualization is concerned.

Note: There are many exceptions to the above. If the reader is one of them, maybe he/she should stop and think if they are an exception or the rule.

My concerns for my cousin are all of the above. Maybe he will find inspiration in the same way as Mr. Gopalakrishnan did. Maybe he will be an exception. Maybe this article will be food for thought for him and others in a similar situation.

Till that time, the gregarious me will dither but still say, “My Cousin is an MBA”

Movie Review - Blood On My Hands (Director: Anandana Kapur, Surabhi Saral, and Manak Matiyani)

The movie was about how girls approaching puberty learn about their bodies. It talks about a woman’s menstrual cycle, a marker of her fertility, that renders her untouchable and subject to multiple taboos and regulations.

The popular movie was screened once again on 10th March, 2008 at Habitat World (India Habitat Centre) on the occasion of Woman’s Day.

My Opinion about the Movie: An excellent movie and an eye opener.

My opinion about the issues discussed by the short film

Firstly, as marketing professional and as someone who has followed the series advertisement of sanitary napkin (catches the eye) I was shocked to know that despite all the changes in the shape and sizes of the sanitary napkins, the product has hardly undergone any qualitative changes. The improved versions are not only expensive, but also scarcely available In India. It is the worst example of Product Driven Marketing in India. What about the popular jargon, “The customer is a King”? Maybe the Marketing Heads of the sanitary napkin manufacturers got quite literal and assumed that since ‘The King’ (a man) does not complain, all must be well. Maybe somebody needs to point out that in this case the consumer is a Queen! (A Woman)

Juxtapose the above with an issue that men face in their daily life. Yes, I am talking about shaving and how much of an onerous task it would have been but for the technological improvements. (e.g.: the Gillette series of razors) One might argue that basic necessities (undergarments) for women have seen similar advancement in style and design. My opinion is that the improvement has been spurred by the need of a man’s pleasure rather than a woman’s need. This same logic would also apply to the cosmetic range for women.

Therefore I strongly believe that if women become less of a fatalist consumer, they will help themselves in more ways than one.

Secondly, it is the woman who would demand the packet of sanitary napkin to be covered by a translucent paper as she feels embarrassed. My question is that what will happen if a man notices the packet? Will he cringe? Maybe he will. Will he object? Yes, maybe initially he will object. But is it not natural? Do we (men and women alike) not fear or take time to accept the unknown? In my opinion, men will gradually become comfortable with it. If not, why should it matter?

Finally, the movie also briefly mentioned an egregious incident from India. It referred to an incident where five government-run mental institutions sought hysterectomy for 330 mentally retarded girls and women (In 1994, hysterectomies were performed on 17 girls at a Shirur home). The government justified its backing of the hysterectomies as it felt that inmates would not have been able to maintain hygiene as they were uncooperative with the care-givers. Irrespective of the IQ levels of the mentally challenged women, this was a gross violation of human rights. Imagine the public outcry if a similar proposal is made to castrate men who are mentally challenged. It would simply never pass!

P.S: I did not share my opinion on the core issue of how women’s menstrual cycle, a marker of her fertility, that renders her untouchable and subject to multiple taboos and regulations. However, I have experienced situations where women are not allowed inside a temple without bathing as they are considered ‘ashudh’, whereas men are allowed even without a bath. That is something that women should find hard to swallow. If women can be Goddess in Hinduism, I am sure we should be broad minded enough not to follow these man-made infantile restrictions.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 21st, 2008 (I migrated from blog.co.in)

Do women feel equal?

Okay, now that I have grabbed your attention, let me state my position; Women are equal to men in many aspects of daily life. Hold on! You ask why ‘many’ and not ‘every aspect of life’? Thought so! Let me present ‘my opinion’ succinctly. Women are equal to men in many aspects (not all) because in some aspects they (women) are better. It is just a question of whether the reader views a glass as ‘half full’ or ‘half empty’.

Phew! Now that I have stated my position, let me forewarn the readers that this article is entirely based on my opinion and I have taken the stand after ruminating about it for a long time. The limitations of this article will be the fact that as a male writer, neither will I be able to empathize with women and nor am I privy to their thought process. However, in my opinion, fatalism is the root cause of many issues that women face in their daily life. To add to that, women themselves have contributed to their sufferings because of their non-confrontational attitude that has allowed issues to ferment over ages. Finally, this non-confrontational attitude is a direct off-shoot of the Stockholm syndrome.

Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response that is oftend discussed in reference to a situation in which an abducted hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage-taker, regardless of the virulent reprucussions. The hostage-takers are the men who have in the past and unfortunately still continue to impose themselves and their stand on what is right or wrong on the women (the hostages). Although there has been a veritable rise in the number of hostages that have been freed, women continue to dither in claiming their rights. This segues nicely to my next point.

What stops a woman from claiming their rightful status of equality? It has been a man’s world for ages and it has been a repressive regime as far as the women are concerned. Therefore, if women have wrongly assumed that “The Man’s World” would suddenly become quiescent, they are grossly mistaken. Men will always balk when faced with the prospect of granting equal status to women. But why do women need a man’s imprimatur on the basis for equality of status? It is perhaps that women are still adapting to the new found status of equality. Just like a tigress (chose not to give the example of a bird as I feel that would have enervated a woman’s status) that is raised in captive struggles initially, maybe women are going through a similar phase. Unfortunately, typical to Stockholm syndrome, many women continue to remain loyal to their abuser (the man) even when the world has opened up to them.

In India, no one demeans the status of women than Ms. Ekta Kapoor does. (Purely my opinion) Her serials would depict the paradigmatic image of a woman as a ‘Home Maker’ or a ‘Home Breaker’. While the former augurs well for the image of a woman, the latter suggests that a man hardly ever is a ‘Home Breaker’. There would be more vamps than villains. Then there is the surfeit of advertisements of Fairness creams and the like for women that promulgate all the wrong messages. Swarthy (dark skinned) complexion has been portrayed as a disadvantage for women in their professional and social life. The paradigmatic woman of today is someone who rubs shoulder with the men (also in the sun) professionally, manages all the household chores, and still manages to look pretty (mostly with fair complexion). Surely in a man’s world, it is the man who promulgates all these wrong messages with impunity! Or should women share the blame? I leave the judgment up to the reader as I will not be able to substantiate a stand with facts.

One can quote many examples from daily life about women suffering from Stockholm syndrome. For example, between the husband and wife, it is the wife who is always be expected to compromise her ambitions. I may still find that acceptable as in any society (Indian/Western) the status of the family is more often than not determined by the status of the man. It would be egregious for a man to be in a position where he has to be a ‘Stay at home’ father, even if such a situation was temporary. However, what I find extremely galling is a scenario where women seek comfort in this system and even demean other women who attempt to achieve their professional goals. How dare a woman expect to have the freedom of choice? This is the hostage-taker’s (a man) restriction echoed by the hostage (a woman).

Even today women are bound by the strictest norms of society. A woman must remain within the social boundaries, failing which they must go through an ‘Agni Pariksha’. The term (Agni Pariksha) is associated with Sita, daughter of the Earth and wife of Lord Rama. As is well known, Lord Rama banished his pregnant wife (Sita) to the forests on the banks of the Ganga, based on the suspicions of his subjects about Sita’s purity. (This is after she was rescued from Ravana who had kidnapped her) The most refreshingly modern aspect of the Hindu Mythology is that in a situation where she was to finally re-unite with her husband (Lord Rama), she chose rather to return to her mother (the Earth) than go back to her husband. Unfortunately this defiant gesture failed to percolate the right message through as Indian men are quick to say, “How dare she cross the Lakshmanrekha!” She was deemed punishable by fate for overstepping the authority of the men. Today, despite women’s liberation and existing laws that support equality, women continue to observe this line of control. Why cant today’s women who are no longer hostages to the men, have the courage and the conviction to follow their heart?

To conclude I will say that women need to break the mental barriers and get over the Stockholm syndrome. Women need to believe that they are equal as by doing so, they will command and not demand equality.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 21st, 2008 (I migrated from blog.co.in)

Media at War!

English Professor to a Sardarji: And what is your name?
Sardarji to the Professor: Ranjit Singh
English Professor to a Sardarji: Which Country?
Sardarji to the Professor: Punjab!

The above is an excerpt from the hit show (Mind your Language) of early 1990s that got imbibed in my memory for all the wrong reasons. I assumed Punjab is a country and as a teenager with limited exposure to the outside world (unlike the teenagers of today) I may have been excused for the infantile assumption. After all the concept of the show was to depict the comic situations that arises when a motley bunch of student from diverse backgrounds attempt to learn a foreign language.

It was after I watched recent re-run of the episode that I realized the egregious abuse of freedom by the foreign media that pandered to the difference of race and sect. In a lay man’s terms, I did not find it funny! However, it is not a one off incident that can be ignored. Despite the growing economic and political importance of India, some of the leading news channels continue to focus on the squalid sites of our country. It is perhaps consistent with their image of India as a Nation of lackeys that was once ruled by the British. This kind of positioning for India by the foreign media has been going on with the acquiescence of Indians all over the world.

One might say that true journalism knows no boundaries and a journalist is essentially neutral. This is one concept that will require some hard selling to convince Indians who followed the recently concluded Cricket series in Australia. The difference in the reporting of Indian and Australian media and the methods employed that bordered on tabloid journalism would have thrown the theory of journalists as ‘neutral’ out of the window. The Australian media worked hand in hand with their cricketers to target certain Indian players who were viewed as a threat and had gotten under their skin. Luckily the young Indian cricketers were impervious to the criticisms by the Australian media and came back as victors. A loss for India would have been a victory for the Australian media. The Indian media supported the Indian cricketers throughout the series and effectively ensured that BCCI could not ignore National interest and had to stand by its players. In effect, the Indian media helped to level the playing field.

A strong nation needs a strong media as much as it needs the Army, Navy, and the Air Force as not every battle can be won by force. The pen (or keyboard in today’s context) is mightier than the sword and it has never been more relevant than as witnessed during the cold war. The US has won the Cold War and is able to assert itself not only because of its might, but also because of the reach of its media that imposes the ‘America Way’ across diverse cultures. A journalist faces as many challenges as a soldier does when at war. The name that immediately comes to mind is that of Daniel Pearl (American Journalist) who was kidnapped and brutally murdered. It was also reported that Pearl may have been killed because he uncovered a nexus between ISI (Pakistani Inter Service Intelligence) and Al Qaeda. Since then there have been many more Pearls fighting the war for Media in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kargill, amongst many others.

Reporting has become increasingly onerous and ideally the journalists work should be free of parochial biases. Yes, on occasions the media crosses the line and obfuscates the facts for various reasons. The media can be forgiven for that as it is always at war and as they say, “All is fair in love and war”. As long as the war is for a just cause and in the National interest.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 (I migrated from blog.co.in)

Chak De India - Chucked out of Olympics Hockey

The euphoria of an Indian win in Women’s World Cup Final of Hockey had not even died down when India has been brought back to earth with a major jolt! While the former maybe ‘Reel Life’ as orchestrated in the hit movie ‘Chak De India’, the latter is the bitter truth of ‘Real Life’.

Yes, India has been chucked out of the Olympic sport that is its National Game. It is for the first time in eight decades (since 1928) that India has failed to qualify for the Olympics in hockey. My attempt is not to make a snide remark on a moribund sport in India, but is to delve into the possible reasons for this heartbreaking failure by asking a few questions that is on the mind of every Indian.

Are we sentimental about the past and not abreast with the future that has already happened? India has won 8 Gold, 2 Bronze, and 1 Silver in Olympics hockey since 1928. As much as it is an impressive record, the fact remains that we have won nothing in the last 27 years. So what has changed in the sport that has contributed to this debacle? The answer is that just about everything has changed.

Long passes, emphasis on penalty corner conversion, fitness levels required of every player, no off side rule, and the pitch itself on which the game is played has changed. India is still living in the past and still believes in dribbling and other skills atypical of the traditional method of playing the sport. Yes, Indians should capitalize on the Asian style of Hockey and burnish their skills to have an advantage over their Non – Asian opponents, but to ignore the change that has happened and to not master the European style has been a major blunder.

It is one thing not predicting a change; it is completely another thing not to adapt to it. We must stop living in the past, live in the present, and be proactive in predicting the future.
Is IHF operating as a professional body?

NO, IHF has failed to operate as a professional body and a business entity driven by market forces. Business Organizations that are driven by market forces slough off the unproductive and the unsuccessful to stay competitive. However, IHF has operated like a typical government organization and therefore economics and common sense has been viewed as constrain. The IHF has been headed by the same regime for nearly 15 years now under the leadership of K P S Gill. Unfortunately the Olympic debacle is not going to effect a change in the paradigm.

Is IHF a corrupt body?

The IHF has purported to have put a process in place that will take time to produce the desired results. As I am not privy to the functioning of IHF, I will not be in a position to make a definite comment on the level of corruption prevalent at IHF.

However, if certain questionable decisions were to be the basis for an answer, then I still fail to understand how six members of the 1998 Asian Games winning side was sacked by K P S Gill. If the grapevine is to be believed, Gill also interferes in every aspect of the sport; be it administration, team selection, and marketing. Gill is also believed to have drained Federation resources on FIH and AHF elections. In case of any unsuccessful endeavor, IHF has been irreverent of players, coach, and support staff and sacked them with impunity as they are well aware that The Ministry of Sports and youth affairs who funds IHF will never question them. Also, the tirade of how K P S Gill has eviscerated the sport of all its glory has been a common aspect amongst all sports pundits.

The IHF, despite all its failures has not seen any change at the Top Management level and this is indicative of the fact that all is not fair at IHF. Therefore, I can only conclude that corruption is as prevalent at IHF as in any other government organization.

Are youngsters encouraged to play the sport? One look at the state of the past Olympic heroes of hockey in India and more recently the way Dhanraj Pillay was dealt with by the IHF, does not augur well for the image of the sport. One may argue that similar treatment has been meted out to some of the most respected players in Cricket (e.g.: Sourav Ganuly & Rahul Dravid) and yet the game continues to flourish. However, one must also note the significant difference in the monetary incentives between the two sports. In the last Asian games where Hockey figures as a prominent sport, each Indian player got approximately INR 1000 for every goal scored by them. Contrast that with the riches of the Indian cricketers and the hockey players will seem to be in a state of penury.

Unfortunately Hockey has ended up as a means for the aspiring players (from poor background) to land high paying jobs.

Are the Indian Hockey Players slothful? Hockey is perhaps closest to soccer in terms of the skills and professionalism required to be successful. Most definitely one will not see an Inzamam ul Haq (the not so athletic cricketer from Pakistan) playing hockey at any level of the sport. This essentially means that modern hockey requires high level of fitness, professionalism, and a scientific approach.

The Indian team is more often than not on the back foot because of its slow starts that allows their opponents to have their noses ahead very early in the game. If not that, then unfailingly it will throw away its advantage towards the end of the game because the players do not have the fitness levels required to sustain the energy levels. The criminal offence in Hockey of missing penalty corners is resultant of the primitive methods adopted to coach the players. Despite the fact that the Indian players are highly skilled, they are unable to play unencumbered by the internal politics of the management. Imagine doing the rope trick in a circus without the safety net.
The Olympic debacle will mark watershed for our National Game. The question is whether the sport will bounce back as Indian Cricket did after the World Cup debacle last year or will we be writing an obituary for the sport in the upcoming World Cup? What a shame that will be!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 (I migrated from blog.co.in)