The Human Gecko               

                                                                                                                            20.04.2017                                              

                                                                                                           

                                                        Chitradurgada Kallina Kote

Dangerously difficult stunts such as pushing his fingertips into imperceptible crevices and holes in rocks for support and balancing his body at  impossible angles with  the wall have earned him the sobriquet ‘Spiderman’. He accomplishes all this without  basic equipment,  climbing gear or formal Training.He just trusts his hardened fingertips and toes.

Jyoti Raj  a.k.a  Kothi(Monkey) Raj has exhibited his skills at various places: he has climbed the precipitous drop of over 800 Ft at Jog Falls without safety Harness or Support rope ! He has demonstrated his unique talent at   Mangalore and Coondapur, Climbed the Clock Tower at Moorusavira Mutt,Hubli. He has appeared in an episode of “Superhumans”, a tele-series on Discovery Science which focuses on people with extraordinary abilities.

Fame attracted  some film Producers to bring Raj in front of the camera. But, the film never saw the glare of the  arc lights.He gently evades questions  about his ‘Filmy’ exploits and Official support to his cause.  Raj is lucky.One can never forget the case of Rajesh, a Tribal boy who was literally picked from the woods and exposed to the glare of the outside world . Unable to adjust and bear the  shock he  jumped off the third floor of a building he died  instantly.

The weird happenings in Jyoti Raj’s life goes beyond climbing.”In my childhood I experienced  a persistent dream in which I saw myself climbing the stone walls of an imposing fort. The dream stopped the day I reached Chitradurga”.

He ran away from home in Theni,Tamilnadu when he was still a child.Somehow he landed at Bagalkot,Karnataka and eked out a living doing odd jobs,working in a sweetmeat shop and later as a construction worker. For no particular reason he travelled to Chitradurga. Penniless and desparate, lonliness took its toll and he contemplated committing suicide.

One day Jyoti Raj hauled himself up a vertical 100 Ft. high stone wall at Chitradurga Fort and was about to jump to his death. Suddenly,the desperate boy noticed a crowd  at the base of the wall were applauding.Stunned and confused he soon realized that the tourists were applauding what they thought was a performance.Fighting back tears Raj managed to wave to the unexpected audience. Since then he has been climbing the historical walls of Chitradurga’s fort to entertain thousands of tourists.

 Raj has reconnected with his family in Theni. He visits them frequently.But,he cannot ever imagine leaving his beloved “Chitradurgada Kallina Kote”,or stop climbing its granite walls. He proudly signs off “ I work as a construction labourer and earn about Rs.400/- a day. But I spend  Saturdays and Sundays at the Fort to entertain Visitors and train a dozen kids who aspire to become rock Climbers.

                                                                        With his ‘Children’

I notice a group of kids,obviously the Trainees hopping up and down the granite steps.Introducing them to me he exclaims ”I have 20 children”.It is evident that all of them come from less fortunate families. He calls over one of the boys and asks him to shake hands with me. The boy I am told, finished first in a National Rock Climbing Competition at Bangalore last year.

Asked about his future plans,the simple man says that he would like to see at least one of his wards win a medal in the 2020 Olympics seeks the support from public towards the cause. His ultimate aim “Gellu illave Gellisu” ( Win or train a winner).

·                                                             With Jyoti Raj  a.k.a  Kothi Raj                                 

 Preparing to leave ,I coerce him to accept a small sum as token of appreciation.. He spontaneously responds by informing that he will utilize this for the benefit of his “Children”

 For himself,he would like to continue climbing the rocky walls of Chitradurga Fort  only to satisfy his soul.

As a parting gift he gives a demonstration of his incredible talent.  Taking a deep breath he places his hands on the wall and in seconds he is on top . His palms and toes seem to act as suction cups, just like that of a Gecko. If ever there was a Human Gecko!!

                                                                                                                           Human Gecko

On top 

Cricketainment

To                                                                                                                      20.02.03

The Editor                                                                                                                              

"Star of Mysore"

Mysore

For kind favour of publishing in your esteemed Readers columns

Sir,

Cricket Glorious Cricket ! or that is what it used to be.

Today the noble game stands vertically divided into two varieties: one that is played by Connoisseurs out of genuine love of the game and  unlimited thrill  it provides, without expecting anything in return and whose deeds go unsung. The other,increasingly beginning to resemble a circus where the protagonists are totally in the clutches of a plethora of Corporate marketting whiz kids,who do everything in their capacity to out wit each other in projecting the cricketer as a cult hero.

Earning an India cap is a passport to wealth and fame.Very few who make it to the top are able to find time for domestic cricket at Inter state level.When they are not engaged in playing  international cricket they are fulfilling their commitments to promoting products and services  of their bosses, in the visual electronic media. This brings fame,wealth and clout

The chasm between club/domestic Inter-state cricket and the International circuit is so wide that an Indian International cricketer finds it extremely difficult to mentally adjust

and fit into the rigmarole of domestic tournaments.

While a few countries like Australia,England & South Africa have succeeded in enhancing  the attraction of domestic Circuit,the gap still remains to be bridged in India.

This has contributed vastly to the depletion in levels of competition and diminished player accountability .As such  a place in the Indian team is taken for granted leading to complacence.

Whether the Indian International cricketer has been ambushed by corporate giants or they have voluntarily succumbed to the glitter and fame attached with the status is very difficult to comprehend .The ever increasing urge of Organizers to promote and expand has directly affected the game. Promoters vie with each other by introducing various gimmicks in the name of innovation. On their part,the Board of control simply turns the other way since   corporate support brings riches to the Board. Such is the power that the Indian cricket Board chief is able to lock horns with World's supreme Governing body ,the ICC .

The hype before the commencement of the current World cup tournament touched new heights.The team was projected as world beaters and wonder struck fans believing the media blitz  waited with bated breath and high expectations. The Corporate magnates and cricketers made fortunes.No thoughts were spared  to the possible havoc that over publicity and  hype  could cause.

The sordid nature of the back lash in the face of feeble showing against the Dutch and the sound thrashing received at the hands of Australia is a direct result of the mindless media hype & the cricket crazy Indian fan being taken for granted.

Even though cricket is known to be a game of glorious uncertainties, the Indian cricketer by over advertising   has put himself in a position where he is left with no other option than be accountable or face the collective wrath of a billion people.

 Fans are  more knowledgeable now and can easily distinguish defeat from indifferent display.

The name of the game today is fitness, speed and agility.  If at all our team is winning a few matches it is not because of the above mentioned qualities. Poor performance by opponents  on any given day is a major contributory factor.What our team needs to do urgently is to focus solely on the game. To do that the players will have to exhibit tremendous   courage,will-power & guts.  Recognizing the fact that any number of Indians who are playing the game  at domestic level are as good as themselves and can replace them adequately with a bit of luck will also help. No less than a string of emphatic victories will satisfy the crazed followers.

Meanwhile , the average TV viewing fans would render yeoman service to the   the game if they begin to evaluate the relative strength of our national team in an impassioned manner  rather than be carried away by the "Vishwaroopa" like image created by a section of the electronic media. 

Time and again it has been proved that Cricket has the uncanny ability of  making a fool of  a vain virtuoso. Cricket aficionados sincerely pray that such a situation does not   present itself during this world cup to shatter the Indian dream.

Spin Academy

TO

The Editor                                                                                                       2.06.03                                                                                   

Mysore Mail

Mysore

                                    For Kind favour of publishing in your Readers' Column

Sir,

The Indian Spin Bowlers Call  for a ban on Limited overs Matches at the Junior level at a BCCI sponsored meet(New Indian Express Dt.31.05.03) has not come a day too soon.

It will be interesting to know the reaction of the Board Authorities to this suggestion. After all BCCI, the richest Cricket Governing Body earns its millions from One day matches at the International level.

The collective decision of the Practitioners of the Art of Spin Bowling to start a Spin Academy is laudable. However all their efforts will come to naught if the current rage of instant cricket is not reigned in.

The game has undergone such a huge transformation that the paying public expect nothing other than the sight of hapless bowlers being pummeled around  the ground. The Governing bodies have added to the Bowlers misery by introducing various stipulations which have drawn the  teeth of Bowlers . Further TV and the electronic media have hyped the game to such an extent that a new breed of Cricket followers have emerged.. The traditional virtues   of the game fails to  thrill them.

Adding to the Woes of the bowler is the  vastly improved quality of batsman's equipment particularly Bats.The sight of a mishit from a batsman landing  on the stadium roof is not uncommon these days.The Good old Staid game of Cricket  has been hacked beyond recognition.

In such a situation, nurturing young spin Bowlers at the proposed Spin Academy will be like rearing goats which will eventually be thrown into a Tiger's den

Meanwhile, the knowledgeble follower of the game is left squirming,and one has to do with reminiscing the raw ferocity  of a Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith,Ray Lindwall,Frank  Tyson and the magic of Subash Gupte,Richie Benaud,Lance Gibbs, and our own Spin Quartet of EAS Prasanna,Venkatraghavan, Bedi & Chandrashekar.

The noble game of Cricket is not what it used to be : Tranquil but Competitive, Intense yet graceful.

It  is worthwhile  recollecting a letter  Lord Harris wrote about cricket in "The Times" , London dated 2.2.1931:

"----------- You do well to  love it, for it is more free from  anything sordid,anything dishonourable,than any game in the world. To play it keenly,honourably,generously,self-sacrificingly,is a moral lesson in itself and the classroom is God's air,and sunshine.Foster  it,my brothers so that  it may attract all who can find time to play it ;  protect it from anything that would sully it,so that  it may be in favour with all men -----------"

Determined effort can reverse the trend. This would mean loss of revenue,stiff opposition from money generating agencies who have used the mass appeal of Cricket  to achieve commercial ends. Will the Authorities brave the odds and do it? Only time will tell.

Karnataka State Cricket Association  has made its move by abolishing the "Slam-Bang" limited over format  in the state league matches as an experiment This is sure to provide some leeway to bowlers, particularly the spinners who can now experiment freely

Meanwhile  connoisseurs will wait with bated breath in anticipation of the re-emergence of  the subtle art of spin bowling replete with its nuances of flight,turn and variations

C'maan Indiyaaa!

                             First published in “Mysore Mail” on 16^th Feb.2003 when the World Cup fever &; media blitz  were  at its peak

TO

The Editor                                                                                                                 16.02.03

The Mysore Mail

Mysore

                                             

For kind favour of publishing in your esteemed "Readers" Columns"

Dear Sir,

An Indian cricket Fan's passion  for the game is Unparalleled. He can praise a mediocre performance and hype it  to an extent that the concerned players are at once elevated to demi God Status.  Come a bad performance(or a string of it) and the team is lambasted no end by all and sundry The speed at which adulation changes to scorn and vice versa is unbelievable.

In the wake of  an unconvincing win over Holland  and thrashing received at the hands of the Aussies,the swords will no doubt be drawn and daggers out . Being an Archetypal Indian cricket aficionado , one is immediately drawn towards  joining the fray and be amongst the early ones to cast the first  stone and hence the following lines:

 Connoisseurs shocked by the performance of our Indian team expect the BCCI to explore all avenues including the unconventional  to set things right at  the earliest.

For starters the services of Sehwag's mother should be requisitioned possibly sponsored by 'Amul','Nandini", 'Aawin' and others to travel forthwith to SA to cook and serve the delicious "Veeru ka pasand" kheer to the likes of Waqar,Akram, Streak,Hussain &co and entice them into serving juicy half volleys to the Sachin Clone and his captain !

The comely wife of Sanjay Bangar should  address the players of other sides and deliver an eulogy  on the humane virtues of our  Indian players and their simplicity  as she so well did on TV about here beloved Hubby .

'Punjab da puttar' Bhajju's Sister shall be requested to watch television with a wardrobe of clothes she wore when teams other than India were being mauled placed behind her.

Meanwhile Keeper by fate  The wall "jammy" Dravid and his beloved captain Saurav "God of the off side", topless performer par excellence can fine tune their running between wickets by stealing crates of soft drink from under the very nose of a sleeping lion or other African wildlife !

The feared Turbanator shall immediately improve his  batting skills  by teeing off cricket balls onto the heads of Africa's Wildlife . Suitable permission from RSPCA can be procured by BCCI ,

One day (or is it one match) wonder Kaif shall be encouraged to join forces with Saif  the worthy offspring of former India Captain, the Nawab of Pataudi and convince opponents to play for India just as they succeeded  with fans, by offering wafer chips and other goodies.

For once, Sachin "Bhagwan" Tendulkar  buried in a mountain of pepsi cans can ponder "Mujhe kya ho gaya hai" in addition to wonering "Main kaun hoon?", " Main kahan hoon?"

With the future of Indian cricket in mind, a dozen or so promising young cricketers shall be chosen by the selection Committee and shall travel to South Africa at the earliest to undergo lessons in game plan & strategy . They shall undergo training to stand behind automatic soft drink vending machines,cut off power at the proper instant and watch players of world repute writhe in pain after injuring themselves in the leg,knee etc; !

When last heard,Mandira Bedi was reported to have  nonchalantly jumped barefoot  through glass panes of the studio, leaving all the experts tearing away at their hair. Back home somebody needs to remind  Shahrukh Khan that the only thing  left to be painted blue is  the ubiquitous post box

Amidst all these radical actions, a billion ardent Indian TV viewers can sing the highly emotional and patriotic " C'mon India, kar leye Duniya Mutthi mein" with a slightly more appropriate lyric and soulful tune " C'maaaan Indiyaaaa  kyon phenk liya mitti aankh mein".

MATATA India , VIVA World Cup, Mera Bharath Mahaan ! ! !

  

Contradiction, indignation, Dejection , acceptance

 Contradiction, indignation,  Dejection ,  acceptance

                                                                                                             15.11.2014                                                                                    

Car ownership passes through several stages, similar to those of  ill-fated marriages. First comes  lust for the car’s beautiful form, its “gleaming  and elegant  surfaces” and “earnestness to perform”. Lust gradually  gives way to emotions of nurturing love, trust, amiable reliance, and finally - when that thrilling new-car ecstasy is long gone and mechanical failures begin , heartache follows.

However, there is a  fifth stage: obsession. It’s a feeling that one  knows better than  admit.  

It started with my first car, a pre-used  Olive Green Ambassador Mark II  with flashy metal trims and  gaudy  imitation  leather interior, and it continues 35  years and three  cars later with my favorite,iconic  enchanter- the Chocolate  Brown Mark III.

Suddenly the mechanic popped the question? Blank , Stunned & furious,  several thoughts and emotions throb through the mind. Should I part  with it now ? Why? In time  this could be a collector’s item ! Already  heads turn as I drive. Is that Admiration? Or  Scorn?  

But,would anyone buy it later ?  Who would pay  for an ancient rattle trap  with more quirks and unquenchable  thirst for insanely expensive fuel and oil? With HM deciding to stop production,the longest running model like all  living beings also has only recently called it a day, finally. A Dinasaur that managed to defy evolution is now extinct.It has now become history. Nostalgia is all that remains. 

A dozen  phone calls streamed  in before 8.00 am the following day . Those  people who think they want to buy, I told myself, but wait until they find out that it’s harder to parallel park than an 18-wheeler truck.and one could join a generation of Indians who grew up with one leg shorter  than the other. But the one who handed me cash about 2 minutes  after the inspection—would surely change his mind after he negotiates  the pot holed  roads of the City on his way home. I was sure he would notice the steering wheel  on the Amby  was loose, the  brake pedal was creaking and groaning  . Driving the hulk is  like maneuvering  a battle tank down a narrow lane  Even after  cash is handed to me  I was sure he would change his mind. The phone would ring even as  I got home, and the man would sheepishly say that he’d made a mistake, and would I please come and take the car back, return the money, and let bygones be bygones?

Oh ! Why did I Part with  the car I loved ? Hindustan Ambassador-still a status symbol when I bought it  years ago. For many years, a preferred car by the Army and  Government, official car of  President and Prime Minister, Central & State Ministers and top Officials and the elite .Who can forget that a White Ambassador with Revolving Lights on its top symbolized Power and commanded  right of way.How on earth  could  this  cash-waving  chap  appreciate such a fine piece ? Why didn’t he call? He’s an idiot ! the mechanic is  a fool ! I’m stupid !  God, I wish I’d  have never taken my car to the garage.

Hmm!! Maybe, I perfectly did the right thing. The  man is surely enjoying the car-a house on wheels, riding out on the  weekends with his family, widows  down, fresh air  gushing  through the cabin. My  Amby-III  was a special car, all the more reason to pass it along to someone else who could experience its  glamour  and special character. After all, when it comes to a classic car, or any prized possession, we are not really its permanent owners but temporary custodians. My affection for my  Amby-III  is / was immense. I will miss the comforting presence of the  dark apparition parked in front of our porch – sun,wind or rain. Am I dwelling too deep in anthropomorpology ? Goodbye old faithful, goodbye friend.