End of an era..

1. God retires..

Hardly there would be anyone in India who was born in 1980's and haven't heard about Sachin Tendulkar. The name itself speaks for the class and temperament of a man (also known as GOD in India), who single-handedly could change the mood of millions with the swing of his bat. His ton used to be post-talk of the town for the entire week. Schools, grocery stores, colleges, Govt offices, private corporations; none could ignore the charisma of that man.

I remember vividly my childhood days, when Sachin was yet to become what he was destined for. He was just another member in cricket squad, some commentators yet giving me some undue attention for his younger age. It took him 96 one-day matches to prove his worth, after scoring his first ton. As he played more and more matches, his stature started building in the minds of cricket fans. Every parent wanted to name their child after the great Sachin, every child wanted to become Sachin Tendulkar, or atleast wanted to fulfill their dreams by atleast acting so. May it be school matches or in colony, every opener never considered him less than Sachin. At that age, we never thought that a day would come when we won't be able to see our star in action anymore. We just wanted him to play and play and play forever till eternity. As soon as he used to come out to bat, there were prayers on everyone's mind and a heart wishing him the very best all over again. Although not even a single person would want him to get out, but this game broke the heart of many fans time and again. The time Sachin used to get out, tv sets were instantly switched off and everyone cursing the fortunate bowler who would have never forgotten the moment when he claimed that priceless wicket of Sachin. A feelings of disgust took over the whole country.

Irrespective of your age, gender and profession, he was on everyone's mind. I still remember vividly turning off my television as soon as he got out, and this trend continued for over a decade. Now since he has retired, I wonder for whom will I love this game again as I have loved it for all these years..

Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their lives.

2. India awakening..

The girl sacrificed her life to awaken this nation from her long slumber. The decision to shift her to Singapore came after she suffered a cardiac arrhythmia at Safdarjung hospital. Armed forces asked Govt to shift her to Pune, as AFMS has the best team of doctors currently available in whole Asia. AFMC also agreed to do the full Intestinal transplant at their centre. But Govt knew it very well that they won't be able to handle the situation in India, in case she dies. Fortis team suggested that private hospitals are much better equipped than Singapore one. But neither was she shifted to AFMC Pune, nor to any other super-specialty centre. Hence she was shifted to Singapore solely based on political interests. Safdarjung team (all govt employees) announced that she'll be treated under the supervision of Naresh Trehan (Padam Shri and Padam Bhushan) at Singapore. None of these experts would openly go against the regime. Private hospitals who could've handled it didn't want to risk image hit in case she dies. The girl finally succumbed to her injuries, landing a tight slap on the face of this shameless nation, who calls herself rich in culture and human values.

The protests which took place in the aftermath of this horrible crime give me a hope that India is no-more unaffected to what happens to our neighbors. We are not going to tolerate it anymore, But we still need to take a rational approach for bringing the change in society. In my opinion, neither laws nor strict punishments can deter such criminals from committing these acts. The charity must begin from home. It must start from the moment a baby is born. We need to teach them to respect everyone as humans. Nothing else could have summed up the feelings of entire nation better than these poetic lines:

With the passage of time, the candles shall burn out and lose their flame...
The flowers offered with devotion, shall in the absence of water, get dry and weathered out...
The voices of protest both vocal and silent, shall lose their strength...
But the 'fearless' ( nirbhayata) fire that has been ignited, shall rekindle the flames in our hearts...
The waterless dry and weathered flowers, shall be brought to life drenched by the tears in our eyes...
With a burning throat the soul of 'Damini' and 'Amaanat', shall be voiced in the entire universe...
That I am the mother, sister and daughter of my Bharat...
Respect and dignity are my birthright possessions...
Bharat the country is my Mother...
Forget about me, become at least the recognised worthy face of your Mother..!!”