Kula Deivam and the Act of Returning

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Kunnathur, rebuilt — familiar, and not. When I was growing up, I spent most summers with my grandparents and extended family. My maternal side was based in Pudukkottai, my paternal side in Gobichettipalayam—Gobi, for short—in Tamil Nadu. Like most families, ours has since scattered, pulled toward larger cities and better livelihoods. The structure is new. The pull is old. Back then, our visits were unremarkable in the best way. We stayed home. Visitors came and went through the day. When we were in Gobi, there was one outing we never missed: a visit to our kula deivam at Kunnathur, about twenty-five kilometers away. We would pile into a van or a bus, pack food, and set out like an informal family pilgrimage—grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, all together. My paati would make sweet pongal and offer it to Goddess Angala Parameswari, an avatar of Parvati. There were no restaurant...

BCCI selection committee a big joke!


Anything in the world makes logical sense but for the selection committee of the Indian cricket team. Kiran More guffaws and grins as if he is going to talk something wise for the first time in his life and almost invariably answers the media with a clownish, indecipherable and a worthless comment with absolutely no sense of maturity. Sourav Ganguly is dropped from the squad for the third test at Ahmedabad against the Sri Lankans and More attributes it to developing a squad for the future. Ok! Everything sounds fine! What does the selection committe do after a week? The BCCI president Sharad Pawar meets every Tom, Dick and Harry to set things right and finally Lo and Behold, Sourav Ganguly finds his place in the elite squad to Pakistan. Now how does More defend himself : We need stability in the middle order! Oh my God! Can it get worse? What a remark! The richest sporting body in the world selects a team to an all-important tour of Pakistan based on the whims and fancies of a few irresponsible individuals. How does the goalkeeper Parthiv Patel fit in the scheme of things? How the hell can he find a place in the squad? He is the player because of whom we lost a chance to win the Sydney test match against the Australians and an overseas series win against the Aussies for the first time. Maybe he really motivates the bowlers. Obviously, the bowlers toil for 14-15 wickets in a match instead of the normal 10 thanks to Parthiv's genius behind the stumps. He would have made a great goalkeeper and his misfit in the team was easily noticeable, but obviously he is from Gujarat, and More too!! But, fortunately More didn't make a statement : Parthiv is in the team since he is from Gujarat!

Comments

  1. thts true man....the selection really sucked in the inclusionof parthiv...thst frustrating and wud be even more if he continues dropping catches in pak......

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  2. hey dude, give the little Patel a chance. Dont insult him by calling him a goalkeeper! (unintentional eh?) He is, in the opinion of many sports writers, a much improved keeper. His batting prowess was never in doubt anyways. Of course one has to question how Kaarthick goes from being a first choice keeper to third choice one in a matter of a few months without playing a single international match.

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  3. Yup, thats so true. Ganguly makes India so sick! SICK-o!!

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