WHO WON THE INDIA-PAK CONTEST, TODAY?








Pic.: Indu Varier

Well, India won the first World-cup contest against Pakistan, today... and, won it handsomely. There were several high-points during the contest. The solid batting power of Kohli, Dhawan and Raina, the sensible bowling by Yadav, Ashwin and others, the inspired fielding and, above all, fine captaincy by Dhoni…

Yes, these were the visible and obvious high-points. Everybody has duly acknowledged them. But, to me, there was a high-point even before the first ball was delivered today in Adelaide. I do not know if many had noticed it, leave alone acknowledge it…

It was the customary line-up of the two teams for their National anthems. Lined up in front of the players were pretty little-children, most probably from the host nation, Australia… The first to be played was Pakistan’s national anthem. The moment the first note was heard, I saw all the children standing before the Pakistani players took off their caps as a solemn mark of respect… Even though it was not their national anthem and even though they didn't understand a word of it. And, as the camera moved over the Pak players one after one, I was surprised: more than half of them did not do what the little children had done!

I am not writing about it to make an issue out of it. Fortunately, all the Indian players had taken off their caps when Jana-Gana was played. I am not trying to tell through this, that Indians – including myself – showed more respect to their national anthem than the Pakistanis showed to theirs. Certainly, there is much more to respect for one’s national anthem than taking off one’s cap or standing up erect. What I want to drive home, here, is, that the best time to instill values – including respect for our national anthems – is when we are little children…

Today, in the midst of this ‘high-point’, I was left a lot humbled by those little children… I had never been so inspired, before, to show respect to others’ national anthems... I was never been so alive, before, to such ‘little’ values… yes, as I was, today!

So, I stand up and take off my cap, one more time… this time around, for those lovely Australian children!


GERALD D’CUNHA


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...