India's most popular godman Sri Sathya Sai Baba is no more!

Being born in the early 1920's, the meteoric rise of India's most revered godman, Sri Sathya Sai Baba began. He was born in the city of Puttuparthy in Andhra Pradesh. As years went by, he immersed himself in spirituality. He went on to declare himself to be the reincarnation of Shirdi's Sai Baba.

This declaration caught the imagination of many spiritual followers in India and abroad. They began flocking to his abode for seeking his blessings. His face reflected the aura which had a magnetic effect on his followers. What soared his popularity even more was his act of pulling out precious metals out of thin air. The elite class comprising affluent business tycoons, actors, politicians from India and overseas began loosening their purses for donating generously to his charitable trust.

It will baffle you after reading that his Sathya Sai Baba Charitable Foundation is an empire worth mind boggling 40000 crore plus. I believe, it's a clear indication of his soaring popularity not just in India but abroad as well.

More than the mass hysteria surrounding him, he will always be remembered for his philanthropic work which aided helpless and hapless people.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that he had a legion of fan following which any top movie star or cricketer would envy. Some of India's most influential people including some top politicians, sportsmen and actors along with millions of commoners who looked up to him for seeking relief from pain and worries in their respective lives. Some came to him for cure for their ailing kins, while some came to him for finding peace of mind.

He offered solace to anyone and everyone who came to his Ashram. It was reported that he was ailing for past few weeks. When he was admitted to the hospital, he was put on ventilator as he had problem while breathing. And his vital parameters had stopped functioning as result he stopped responding to medications.

He took his last breath on the morning of 23rd April, 2011. When hospital declared his passing away, whole country was engulfed in the grief of his demise. Everyone whose life was touched by this graceful and calm personified Sri Sathya Sai Baba, were moved by this irreverisble loss.

Who's who flocked to his ashram in Puttuparthy to get a last glimpse of their spiritual guru. The elite list was led by India's favourite son of the soil, Sachin R. Tendulkar who was a self-confessed devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Sai Baba was a pillar of strength and hope to millions.

He was definitely the hercules amongst all godmen whose personality was defined by his simplicity, grace, benevolence and unmistakable aura which he exuded. At a time when all other pretending godmen were marred in one controversy or the other, Sathya Sai Baba stood tall with his spotless conduct in the public domain.

It seems that we have witnessed the end of an era of spiritual gurus in India's spiritual history.

I would like to offer my heartfelt condolence to Sri Sathya Sai Baba's burgeoning list of devotees. His generous contributions in the field of education by building Sri Sathya Sai University is well known. May his soul rest in peace. And let his work continue to inspire and illuminate this world devoid of benevolent deed in this modern age.

Anna Brigade a phenomenon or just another passing fad??

Just when World Cup reached a crescendo, another World Cup was being played out on streets by general public of India. It was for a social cause of eradicating corruption which is clearly eating the roots of our great democracy in the similar way white ants eat the timber.

And one man rose to the occasion with his selfless service to the nation for over three decades and more. He is the poster boy of India's fight against corruption and he answers to the name of Anna Hajare. Believe me, he is a 72 year old octogenarian with a tenacity of a bull shark.

Across India, he is known for his squeaky clean image and someone who is a self-confessed Gandhian. He believes in fasting as a way of protesting against unjust and unethical practices. And he is not alone! He enjoys the support of every common man yearning for a change in the system for better. For us, the 'Aam' Janta, he is our voice.

Just over a week ago, he declared war on corruption as a whole which includes corrupt government ministers and bureacrats whose nexus has already caused enough damage to the reputation of our great democracy. Anna Hajare is a crusader who believes in letting his action do the talking. His social work is well documented and well-known across India.

Anna Hajare decided to fast unto death unless and until 'Lokpal Bill' is passed in the parliament. This bill aims at punishing the culprits and in turn effectively help in curbing it in the longer run. It was really heartening to see the sea of people turn out in unison for supporting his social initiative.

People prayed for his success. In fact, they joined him along with a forthright anti-corruption crusader, Arvind Kejriwal. Support poured in for him from all quarters - be it from film fraternity to sports fraternity to corporates. Most importantly, commoners participated in large numbers which made it a huge success.

However, in the wake of this mass awakening, few even had temerity to doubt Anna Hajare's character. Some even went on to label his way of protest as 'Blackmailing'. Such remarks are juvenile and proves that these people are against the larger interest of the R.K. Laxman's 'Common Man'. Such anti-socials are certain misfits in our society.

My only concern is that we as commoners have won the battle and not war! I sincerely hope that the uprising against corruption plaguing our great democracy doesnot wane. It's imperative for every like-minded Indian against corruption to stay united till we actually uproot it from its deeply entrenched root. Mind you, it's easier said than done.

I'd like to cite a brilliant example of mutiny of a certain Mangal Pandey that led to an uprising against the mighty British Empire which ultimately led to its downfall. This time around, our enemy is within. And it's a dangerous evil if I may say so. We need to stick together to tackle it effectively.

I would like to conclude with that often heard adage 'United we stand and divided we fall'. Jai Hind.

Scribe for Life - Let the words flow \m/: IPL turned 4 in 2011!

Scribe for Life - Let the words flow \m/: IPL turned 4 in 2011!: "Ever since the inception of a revolutionary concept called I.P.L. which loosely translates to Indian Premier League. Its essence permits In..."

IPL turned 4 in 2011!

Ever since the inception of a revolutionary concept called I.P.L. which loosely translates to Indian Premier League. Its essence permits International cricketers of repute to represent local Indian franchisees which creates a perfect mix. It's a perfect platform for those who aspire to represent India to show their mettle. Truly, IPL has come a long way ever since its inaugural first season.

To be honest, the format of IPL took the cricketing world by storm! It actually succeeded in throwing up promising talent for not just India but all cricket playing nations. Being the latest baby of cricket, T-20 cricket has been taken to the next level. It's a highly entertaining and at the same time, it provides an ideal platform for advertisers to showcase their brands in this cricket savvy nation.

2011 marks the 4th birthday of IPL. It has turned out to be bigger and better than the previous year. This year, the viewership is expected to hit the sky since Team India has become World Champions barely a couple of weeks back. The euphoria is understandably palpable. Another reason being the introduction of latest inductees in the IPL - Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

Apart from that, this year's auction meant that there are sweeping changes in the dynamics of the team from the previous years. For instance, a glaring example of Delhi Daredevils has seen a sea of change. As their skipper, Virender Sehwag, is the only constant in their team. It meant 10 new faces will feature in their side. Similarly, Kings 11 Punjab will be without their iconic player, Yuvraj Singh who was a revelation in the recently concluded world cup. He will be definitely missed by Preity Zinta's franchisee.

It will be difficult for viewers to adjust to the new faces as the very same faces were a part of opposition just a year back. Loyalties of those players who were bought at the auction has shifted. The newcomers Pune Warrior looks strong on paper and the way they have played their first 2 matches. And the same goes for Kochi Tuskers Kerala who defeated one of the hot favourites, Mumbai Indians at their own den yesterday! It has created tremendous interest in these two franchisees already.

This is just a start. And 20-20 is not for a faint hearted. So IPL juggernaut is ready to roll in 2011!

As always, I will always be Mumbai Indians loyalist for two reasons - one being that I am a born Mumbaikar and other one is no rocket science either. Mumbai Indians is being led by the God of Batting, Sachin R. Tendulkar himself! It's a sheer privilege to have been able to watch the Living Legend of world cricket in action for the past 21 years. He is simply phenomenal. His hundred was simply sublime although it came in a losing cause. My gut feel says that this IPL year belongs to the Master! May it turned out that way in the end.

Team India has rewritten history with their 2nd World Cup win!

Before the World Cup began, India were billed as one of the favourites. There were few cricketing who felt that India didn't have what it takes to become World Champions. He argued by saying that India's bowling was like a struggling juggler with only Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh to bank on.

In the initial stages, India didn't give an impression that on the eve of the grand finale, they would emerge triumphant. But they almost miraculously survived the scare after their lone loss to South Africa followed by their unexpected tie after amassing runs in excess of 330. Once again India's over dependence on Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh once again got exposed.

This time, it was different from the previous teams that participated in the World Cups. One reason being their over dependence on the dimunitive genius of Sachin R. Tendulkar. India came into this premier one day tournament with a tag of best batting line-up in the world. They lived up to their billing perfectly.

So what or rather who was the catalyst that unified the team which boasts of an illustrious batting legend of Sachin R. Tendulkar, explosive Virender Sehwag, tenacious Gautam Gambhir, wily Zaheer Khan, feisty Harbhajan Singh in that line-up. But to me, the real difference was the return of the rejuvenated Yuvraj Singh as an all-rounder! He batted with gumption and showed glimpses of explosive batting that has made him the darling of the masses.

He did not just shine with the bat but he shined as a bowler as well. He ended up with bucketful of wickets. Everybody in the team, coach and support staff knew that this is the last time that they will see the Master Sachin R. Tendulkar in the action. To bring all the players together like brothers in arms, they wanted to win this World Cup for him as a tribute to the greatest batsman this criketing world has ever seen. In the end, that worked wonderfully well for this determined Indian team.

This time around, India had the best skipper in Mahendra Singh Dhoni aka M.S.D. who led from the front. In India, captaincy is a crown laden with thorns. And how amazingly he galvanised the team as one in partnership with an affable, ice cool coach in Gary Kirsten. After having led India to their inaugural T-20 World Championship in 2007 along with leading Team India to the numero uno spot in the Test arena.

Truly, it was the beginning of a fairy tale journey to the top of the pecking order in the criketing world. This Indian team unlike their predecessor raised their game when it mattered the most. Every Indian in India and abroad began day dreaming from the Quarter Final stage onwards. They faced a formidable yet a familiar foe in Australia, the reigning World Champions even though they are on decline. Team India went past one hurdle on the brilliance of Sachin R. Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and everyone else chipped in with their invaluable contribution.

Next up was the mother of all matches between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan. Media went into overdrive by labelling it as war on the cricketing field. This match generated tremendous interest among the general public. This match certainly lived up to its billing. India chose to bat and Virender Sehwag went ballistic against Pakistan's premier fast bowler Umar Gul by hammering him for four fours in an over. Their fielding was magnanimous to say the least as they dropped 4 catches of Sachin R. Tendulkar! As the old cricketing adage goes 'Catches wins Matches'.

Master scored a scratchy but useful 80 odd to maintain their stranglehold on Pakistan with 5 wins out of 5.

With semi-final done away with, India took on one of the favourites in Sri-Lanka. Media made a hash out of this final as well. It was champion off-spinner, Muttiah Muralidaran's swan song just as it was the last world cup match for Sachin. Media exploited it fully.

Final had that controversial twist with Sri-Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara called the toss and amid the boisterous Mumbai crowd, he deceived everybody with his call. Even match officials and on field umpires could not hear Kumar's call clearly. He chose to bat and put up a formidable total of 270 odd. And given the grandeur of the occasion, it was a fighting total thanks to Mahela Jayawardene's classic century!

India's innings got off to a worst possible start with slinga Malinga scalped 2 huge wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin R. Tendulkar. The boisterous crowd went dead silent and understandably so. India's super strong batting line-up was put to test. This time around, they rose to the challenge like they often did in the recent past. India's young turks, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli were involved in a crucial 4th wicket partnership. It not only steadied the ship, but gave self confidence to the Indians with their steadiness. The former scored a macth turning 91 runs before he got out.

Then skipper Dhoni walked in with more than pne hundred fifty runs to go for a famous win. He walked with a stride that exuded confidence. Dhoni ended up playing a match winning and World Cup winning knock under pressure. He scored the winning run with his trademark swagger six. With Yuvraj yet again played with great maturity was at the other end when Dhoni's mavericks rewrote the history by eclipsing Australia's stranglehold on the World Cup. 'Cometh the hour, cometh the man'. Dhoni proved it with his best innings of his career.

It was destined to be Sachin's world cup after all. He played magnificently throughout. When he was given the lap of honour, the crowd went ballistic with chants of India and Sachin.

India are world champions! It's time to rejoice! The macth had a dream ending with Sachin adding the elusive World Cup to his list of many glittering achievements in his career spanning more than two decades and still going stronger than ever!