American Elections and Begaani Shaadi

 A little more than a week to go for the US Presidential elections. If polls are to be believed, Joe Biden is all set to become the President. But a week is a long time in politics and more than a week is still longer. 

Last time in 2016, I didn't vote for  President, as I liked neither Trump nor Hillary as the choice was between a Crazy vs Crook. (However I like Hillary's husband Bill as I believe he was a good President). This time I had no second thoughts when I cast my vote using mail in ballot, as the choice is between a Crazy and Crook vs Democracy. (though I believe Trump will narrow carry my state of Georgia, a Republican stronghold unless a pleasant surprise awaits me).

Yet I am bit nervous as the ghost of 2016 still hunts me when Trump beat Hillary beating all expectations with a surprise win. This time he could have easily replicated his victory from last time, probably even bettering last Presidential election. But the COVID-19 put a spanner on wheels of his reelection campaign.

Love him or hate him, one must admit Trump is an effective communicator whose short, targeted sales pitch works for him - at least with his base who still cling to him. His approach is to blitzkrieg his opponents, branding them as man of low energy (Jeb Bush) and Little Marco (his opponent Marco Rubio in 2016 Primaries whom he ridiculed for his short height and beyond). It worked splendidly for him, as he went on to destroy his opponents one after another in the election year 2016.

But Coronavirus is not Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or Joe Biden who can be branded as Low energy COVID, Little COVID. The little, rather microscopic COVID has proved a far more resilient opponent as US COVID-19 count is inching towards 9 millon and still counting. He can't brand it as Sleepy COVID, as he brands Biden as Sleepy Joe, as virus  has put 224,000 Americans into sleep permanently. COVID-19 is not debating with him on the stage. If he loses it's not Joe Biden or Democrats who defeated him, it will be Coronavirus, stupid.

The American elections are closely watched and followed in rest of the world, including my motherland India. It's another thing to follow the American Elections, but this time I am surprised it has taken a partisan turn in India. Some of my close friends back home tried to pursue me to vote for Trump. I have an open mind, so gave them a patience hearing before politely declining to do so, as I have my own mind.

Yet some of them became openly antagonistic to me, a few even turning belligerent for me not voting for Trump. Their simple logic - I am not a patriot if I don't vote for Trump. Wish patriotism and foreign policy were as simple as that. Patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel and I am not a scoundrel. One

doesn't have to be a Modi-Trump duo supporter to prove one's patriotism. 62% of Indians didn't vote for BJP and more Americans voted against Trump in 2016 Elections (he lost the popular vote to Hillary and got elected due to the Electoral college system). I strongly believe those Indians as well Americans are patriots.

Secondly, some tried to cajole me to vote for Trump with their misplaced belief that he is more pro-Indian than Biden. Dear Trump supporers - No American President is pro India, or anti India. They are pro-American. It includes your truly, Trump too. Trump may speak critically about Pakistan now (what Trump speaks need not be taken seriously anyway), but if needed he can mollycoddle Pakistan. George Bush, immediately pampered Pakistan on the aftermath of 9/11. Bush was a fellow Republican. Trump has'nt declared Pakistan a terrorist state and still the official position of United States on Kashmir is it's still a disputed territory.

Sorry, my Trump fans back home. There is absolutely no harm in following American politics, or any nation's politics for that matter. But it's not imperative to get overtly partisan. One doesn't need to be the famous ABDULLAH in BEGAANI SHAADI MEIN ABDULLAH DIWANA (No need to dance in someone else's marriage party). This about this. During an General Election in India will you like somebody from Nigeria soliciting your vote for the Congress Party because Rahul Gandhi is perceived being close to Nigeria ? I don't think so.

The Art of Killing Gullis- Bluff master

 Childhood memories die hard, so also our imagination from childhood days. The legendary English Poet William Wordsworth once say - "Child is the father of man". During our young days we imagined and fantasized a lot in different hues and the those given a shape could make dreams come true. Sometimes creative imaginations can lead to innovations.

I spent a good part of my childhood and youth in the government quarters in BJB Flats in Bhubaneswar. Every afternoon we played gully cricket and gathered near a culvert to solve all the problems of the world. It was called GULLI KHATTI (Light hearted nonsense gossips) culture in the city, where boys would cluster around culverts (cemented structures on the cross roads of drains, originally meant for drainage of storm water, later clogged and ending up being youth activity centers). 

There was this guy in our neighborhood who used to be a champion in "Killing Gullis" (telling make believe stories) whose imagination was way ahead of the time. He once told us in the summer of 1984 about his elder brother - "AMA (our) so and so BHAI (Bhai) whistles once to start his bike and twice to stop it. Apparently he imagined keyless, remote operation using audio signal in an age when use of remote control for operating vehicles was strictly fantasy. We heard it patiently, challenging ourselves from erupting into laughter.

But his GULLIs went way too far when he boasted about the "thief catching trap" his brother invented. One night his genius brother fitted the trap to his bike and slept peacefully. Next morning he found someone who came to steal the motorcycle stuck to it like a fly stuck on the glue, or a mouse stuck inside a mousetrap. His benevolent, broad hearted brother let the thief go, but not before punishing him to do 100 sit ups by holding both his ears cross handed and then extracting a solemn promise from the burglar to steal again.

It didn't stop there. He had enrolled himself in NCC (National Cadet Corps) which was also alluded to as National Singada Kangali (National Samosa Salivaters) - for many joined NCC for free "SINGADA" provided after a rigorous session of parades. But because of his excellent march pasts and high decibel utterances of "SAABDHAAN" (Attention), "BISHRAM" (Relax), ( "Left, Right, Left... Left, Right, Left..", his instructor decided to take him to next step - to teach him flying using a single engine plane.

He boasted of flying past the top of the Lingaraj temple, the tallest object within several miles of radius of our locality. As his time pass, he touched the flag atop the temple every time he passed by. (There was no apartment buildings in city of Bhubaneswar those days to challenge the height of Lord Siva's abode). He promised us that one day he will land his aircraft in the middle of cricket field, but our dream of seeing him doing that never came true.

We couldn't but admire his confidence as an impromptu "Gulli Killer". He had this uncanny ability to coin one story after another and narrate them to us. Now that we his imagination on remote starting vehicles come true, one day we will see a "thief trap" to catch car thieves - vindicating his imagination.

The era of dull draws

 Over the years Test matches have seen more results and far less draws. Many of those even don't go into the 5th day. Not to mention, a good number of draws are due to weather related interruption rather than huge amount of runs scored.

Some of the dull draws which I still remember, is India playing Pakistan in Jaipur test of 1987 - the test match is remembered as the venue for Cricket diplomacy initiated by General Zia Ul Haq, the military dictator of Pakistan. The match ended in a draw, with Ravi Sastri taking more than an hour to move from 99 to 100. India lost that 5 match series 0-1, with the rest 4 tests in that series ending in draw.

This was not such an isolated series. Most of the test matches held in India since late 1970s ended in draws. The first and foremost is the 6 match series in 1978 at home against a 2nd string West Indian side (most of the tourist's stalwarts were playing for the Kerry Packers), ended in India winning the series 1-0, the rest 5 of them ending in draws. Following season in 1978-79,  both the 6 test match series in held in India against Australia and Pakistan ended with India winning 2-0, with rest of the tests ending in tame draws. Only 2 out of 6 matches ended with results. Now a days it will be a miracle if 2 tests in a 6 test series end in a draw - unless hampered by rain.

The 1981-82 six test India tour by England ended in the host country winning the series 1-0. I remember an English batsman Chis Tavare, who will go to sleep on the wicket, stonewalling the bowlers. In the Madras test I remember both Tavare and Gooch opned the innings. Tavare was still batting in his 20s when Gooch finished his century.

India at home then was mostly led by Sunil Gavaskar, who seemed more interested in accumulating statistics and preferred defensive cricket to eke out narrow wins while letting most tests run into action less, result less matches, ultimately at the cost of spectators who were robbed off value for their money.

The home test series in India against the visiting Pakistan in 1983 ended in an all test draw. Only the indomitable West Indies, a force to reckon with those days scored a 3 test win in a 6 test series they played in India in 83-84. The English tour of India in 1984-85 was slightly better - in the sense that the 5 test match series ended with England winning 2-1. It was for the first time, after almost a decade more tests were decisive than ended in a draw in a series played in India. (Only exception were the rookies Sri Lanka who got the test playing nation status in 1982 and lost the one match test series to India the same year).

Interestingly, it was the same visiting English team which won the 5 test match series 3-1 back in 1976-77, partly due to the Indian skipper Bisen Bedi who preferred to have sporting wickets rather and was less interested in statistics oriented dull draws.

Dull draws were not just a monopoly of tests played inside India. Pakistan had its fair share too. But they always got fired up against India at home, winning their home series against their eastern neighbors by 2-0 in a 3 test series (1978) and 3-0 in a 6 test series (1982-83).

Test matches played in Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies had their share of draws, though a whole lot compared to India. It can be attributed to bouncy tracks in Australia and West Indies, and swinging, green turfs of England and New Zealand. South Africa did not enter the Test playing scene until 1992, where far lesser number of matches ended in a draw.

So what can be attributed to the gradual decline in the number of test match draws ? Fast and foremost reason is the change in the batting style after the advent of limited over cricket, 50 over series followed by 20 overs T20 games. Batsmen are more committed to front foot and lack patience for a long stint at the wicket. The motto now is, hit out or get out, which has spilled over to the test matches.

Second reason is the improvement in quality of wickets in India. They are no more dusty, brown tracks of 1970s and 80s. The outfields are far greener, the fielders don't hesitate to dive to field better, resulting in more catches and run outs which contributes to end of the innings sooner than it used to be before. Not to mention - it has made test cricket more attractive and no one is shedding a tear or miss those good ole days of dull draws.

Preview of the first debate between Trump and Biden

 The first of the 3 Presidential debates between the incumbent Donald Trump and his challenger Joe Biden is less than 24 hours away. Though it's the Labor day holiday in the first week of September when Americans usually start paying closer attention to their Presidential politics, it is after the first Presidential debates sets the tone of the campaign before it goes into full swing. 

Now with little more than 5 weeks to go before the election on November 3, the first Presidential debate stands at an important crossroad of this election. In many states, including the crucial swing state of Florida, early voting starts as early as 3 weeks before the election. In that context, the campaign interspersed with 3 Presidential debates starting on 29th September in Cleveland, Ohio has its significance.

Why these Presidential debates are so important ? Because for the first time, the two competitors aspiring for the highest office of the United States will be debating Mano-O-Mano, away from teleprompters, when the eyes of entire America will be fixed on them.

Here is the history of US Presidential debates in nutshell, since the first one between JFK and Richard Nixon in the year 1960. It was the first televised debate when for the first time Americans saw a grumpy Richard Nixon with his 5 O'clock shadow (unshaven beard) showing up versus a young, handsome John Kennedy who went on to win the elections. Kennedy's narrow win was attributed to his debate performance.

There was no Presidential debates held until 1976, when Gerald Ford the incumbent who replaced the Watergate tainted Nixon was pitched against his challenger Jimmy Carter. Ford didn't look serious and made a series of gaffes, notably saying Poland was not part of NATO. This was an inexcusable mistake by a sitting President at the height of Cold War.

In 1980, Carter's popularity plummeted due to a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis. During their debate at the time of the closing statement the great communicator delivered this master stroke - "When you go to vote next Tuesday, ask yourself are you better off now than 4 years before ? If so, you have your choice, he winked turning his head towards Carter. Else here is the choice you have, he told nodding for himself. Reagan didn't directly tell the voters to choose him, rather gave them an option. Carter could never recover from this punch line as this debate was too close to the Election and Reagan won by a landslide.

In 1984 Ronald Reagan at the age of 74 years was running for his second term. During his famous debate with his much younger opponent Walter Mondale was asked a question by the panel "You are rumored to fall asleep during meetings, are you not too old to run for the office of President of US?"  Reagan, the master communicator artfully dodged the question by responding "I am not going to use the youth and inexperience of my opponent for political purposes".

In 1988 debate Michael Dukakis was bluntly asked if he will pardon his wife's rapist. Dukakis answered yes and his explanation was tinged with liberal views. Politics is a matter of perception and he was perceived as too insensitive, unemotional person and way too liberal. His goose was cooked after the debate.

In the 1992 debate with his young, charismatic opponent Bill Clinton, the elder Bush presiding over an economy in recession, looked aloof. As Clinton connected to the audience by expressing how he feels the pains of the middle class, being one of them, President Bush was caught looking at his watches. Clinton ended up with a comfortable win that November.

1996 was the time of booming elections and Bob Dole was no match for the Charismatic Bill Clinton.

In 2000, Al Gore was seen as talking with long explanation interspersed with sighs, where Dubya Bush was seen as a Washington outsider with whom you can have a beer. The later won in the narrowest of margin in US victory.

In 2004, John Kerry did outstanding performance during his debate with Bush, tied 49-49 on opinion polls after that, until Bin Laden video released days before the election ensured Bush's reelection.

In 2008 McCain who was running for a 3rd Bush term was no match to the charismatic Obama. Poor McCain carried George Bush's legacy of a botched up Iraq War and an economy in a free fall a few days before the election.

In 2012, Romney did very well during the first bedate with Obama, taking a narrow lead over the sitting President following his debate performance. Obama came back strongly during the 2nd and 3rd bedate, clinching the deal.

In 2016 debate Trump was seen as a straight shooter who being an Washington outsider was got the benefit of doubt from the audience. Hillary Clinton looked stoic, lacking emotional connection. The debates may not have hurt Hillary, but didn't help her either as Trump went to win the White House in spite of losing the popular vote.

Given Trump's penchant for raising controversies, the debates are going to attract a lot of attention and could decide the outcome of the next election where voters are split right in the middle in a highly divided nation. It has to be seen if these debates are going to sway the tiny slice of the undecided voters one way or the other. So game on folks...

COVID Diary II -6 months of Pandemic

 On 18th of this month completed 6 months of working from home which coincided with 6 month anniversary of this Pandemic starting to spread in the United States and many other countries in the world. Never in my wildest of dreams I thought of working from home for more than 6 months. But now here I am, still working from home and won't be surprised if I complete one year doing the same.

It was this time in March earlier this year when the Pandemic was its nascent stage. Stopping the spread of a virus is akin to keeping a secret. If you know a  secret and don't want it to spread, just don't tell it to anybody. When you are telling it to some one, the probability of keeping it secret gets reduced by 50%. If that person tells to another person it get reduced to 25% and so on.

If some one tells me a secret, there are chances I may not disclose it to others. But if I am told with the tag "don't tell to any one else", it will raise my curiosity and I will make sure I tell it to somebody. It's basically human nature, the usual disclaimers apply.

One fine afternoon a classmate in REC told the secret about him having an affair with a girl in his neighborhood (a big deal those days when having a girlfriend or boyfriend was considered a taboo). He disclosed it to a few boys at a corner room on the back row of the hostel, trusting the listeners. In less than 30 minutes no sooner he was on his way to the dining table downstairs to grab his afternoon snacks, he was mobbed by others asking him details about his affairs.

On the dining table as he was about to grab his bite, when someone confronted him "TU BAHUT KHUS NASEEB HAI YAAR, TERA KOI GIRL FRIEND HAI" - you are fortunate to have a girlfriend. Feeling irritated he got up and wanted to go to the Backpost - a cluster of snack shops and kiosks where students gather during the evening hours. It was a few blocks of walk from the hostel, so he headed there thinking that he will finally be safe from inquisitive folks. He had taken barely a few steps, some one asked him - "Can you let us show any of your love letters" ? The poor guy turned and went back to the safety of his room. REC (NIT) hostel is a dangerous place to share a secret, especially related to love affairs.

Coming back to COVID, 6 months down the road the cat is already out of bag. Like a gossip or rumor, diligent imposition of social distancing or quarantine could have stopped it. Now it has passed that stage,already spreading its tentacles and not likely to stop anytime soon. 

Once 80% of folks in a hostel or a neighborhood had already heard about it, the story gets its herd immunity as people start to lose their interest in the rumor or gossip and move on to something else. Similarly, this Corona virus will continue until a vaccine is released for the commoners or the community gets a herd immunity at the cost of numerous deaths. Till then, tighen your belts and bear it folks. Like a secret, the Coronavirus has already gone out of the bag.

In memory of Ashwini Palai

 We studied together in DM School Bhubaneswar, followed by two more years in BJB College. He was a plump, fair complexioned, short stature boy who was living at a stone's throw distance from our school. A gem of a guy, loved equally by his friends and teachers. For his characteristic, nonchalant walk we fondly used to tease him as GUNTHUNI HATHI (Roly poly elephant). He would never get angry, will return our compliments with his cherubic smile. He is my friend, Ashwini Palai.

A typical tendency of folks who tease is to go after those who easily get irritated and fall into their trap. But our friend Ashwini, a soft spoken boy was as cool as iceberg, frustrating all by never taking their bait. The caring nature in him always cautioned us when we used to get naughty beyond acceptable limits. Nevertheless, he was a very balanced and mature guy beyond his age.

After doing my +2, I moved out of Bhubaneswar to study Engineering. Ashwini continued there, doing his graduation from OUAT. Like two logs floating on a ocean, colliding with each other before getting separated forever, we lost contact for a long time to come, until the advent of Social media united us gain. 

We reestablished our relationship. I got his contact number from a common friend in the year 2011. He was working for LIC (Life insurance corporation) and was posted in Bihar. I called him couple of times and he didn't picked up the phone. Never someone to loose hope I thought of trying one more time. This time he picked up the phone. He couldn't recall me for couple of minutes. 

I told names of common friends and thought it will give him a hint. Finally he could figure it out - "Oh you are that boy who used to be good in Math". Finally, the dots connected. He profusely apologized for not able to take my call, as in Bihar it isn't prudent to answer calls from unknown numbers. I replied - "No offense taken. This is perfectly understandable". Soon we got connected on Facebook and Whatsapp.

After couple of years he got transferred to Odisha. We continued to stay in touch. From my interactions with him I could guess he had taken a different path in life. He was into spiritualism and I loved my spirits. But it was never a bottleneck in our friendship.

The man suffered a tons of loss. In 2015 he lost his wife to cancer. Today he lost his life after getting admitted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar. When I got this news something snapped inside me.  I feel extremely sorry for his young daughter who has been orphaned in the space of 5 years - an insurmountable tragedy at such a tender age. Stay happy in heaven my friend where you belong.

Two months from US 2020 Elections

 With two months to before for America's 🇺🇸 Presidential Elections, campaigning is slowly starting to pick up. I am certain of one outcome, i.e., Biden is going to win the popular vote. But it may not be enough for him to win the White House. In US Electoral College based system, one can only become the President by winning the majority of the Electoral college votes. That is the tricky part, as one can still become the President by losing the popular vote but winning the Electoral college. In the last election Trump defeated Hillary by winning the crucial swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania though the later got three million more popular votes.

Like Trump, Richard Nixon, the American President who resigned in 1974 facing impeachment lied a lot, did fraud by abusing the power of his office and had dictatorial tendency - hence was not acceptable at that time, even in his own Republican party. But Trump indulges in all the above more than Nixon, yet he is acceptable to almost 40% of Americans. USA is looking more like a first world Bihar, where crooks are pretty much acceptable in Electoral politics.

Trumpism is still going to thrive even if Trump ends up losing his reelection. That's dangerous for America in the long term. Trump's followers, like their Right Wing counterparts across the word don't possess an open mind. They can't be persuaded with logic and reasoning. Only thing they understand is defeat and more defeats. That's the only way to contain them, though not necessarily eliminate their biased minds.

In this context, Trump's defeat is a MUST. Hopefully sanity prevails with that thin slice of independent voters in the Divided States of America who tilt the Elections one way or other. Two months down the road Trump should be shown the door, lest America is doomed.