ROMEO AND SANIA

AAHELI BAGCHI

Ambassadors are people who lie abroad for the good of their country, said George Bernard Shaw. Shoaib Malik did indeed lie abroad, but for whose good – for the good of his fellow-countrymen? Tiger Woods and Shoaib Malik are known for the games they play and the voyeurism they are adept at. Tiger Woods troubles started after his marriage but Shoaib Malik’s started even before his second marriage. All problems are women-made, seen from a male chauvinistic perspective. And man-made seen in the right perspective.
The pertinent question that comes to every Indian mind is, will this cross-border love douse the fire of cross-border terrorism and quench communal hatred. United India was divided by the politicians for their spoil, as the elder generations would tell you that communal tension was unheard of in India till the 1940s. Then came the subterranean creatures called politicians, who stoked communal passions and partitioned India, accompanied by the bloodiest carnage in history.
If this era of terrorism leads to the unification of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – even in a loosely-held federation – history could be rewritten as we have learned its lessons. For one, the real power in Pakistan is in the hands of the generals, and presidents and prime ministers are only part of the puppet show. The creation and maintenance of tension between the two countries is the solid rock upon which the bureaucracy of the Pakistani army rests; and this tension is salubrious to the generals’ health. The mullahs and terror gurus are an integral part of the apparatchik of the generals. Across the border, we have our own Taliban of a non-Islamic brand.
Sania-Shoaib honeymoon, if it promotes the unity of hearts across the border, is a symbolic victory of cross-border love, a love of fellow human beings which is the goal of all religions.

MARRIAGE MADE IN HYDERABAD

PAYAL GWALANI

Happy marriages are made in heaven while trigger-happy marriages are made in Hyderabad. From Pre-historic civilization to post-modern times, humans married for different reasons. For example, the Eskimo married to beat the polar chill for which a bunch not just one is preferred. The tribal perennially short of working hands married solely to procreate a private army and prospered because of it. In the global village that we live today, couples seek career bliss more than nuptial bliss. So Steffi Graf dumped her ex-fiancé to marry Andre Agassi, and Sania her childhood playmate to wed a cricketer. Or to look from a male perspective, Shoaib dropped Ayisha to tie knots with a winning tennis player.
Before the French Revolution, kings married to make peace. Since a kingdom had many neighbouring kingdoms, the King had to wed more than once. Since a king’s prestige is measured by the strength of his harem, he had to happily marry many more times than biologically needed. The 20th century saw the emancipation of woman, and the immediate result was the trend got reversed – women began to choose and men get chosen. In the new-found freedom, women eyed fame or surname to be precise. Gandhi and Nehru come with a price tag, while die-hards prefer Modi or Godbole. Fortune of course is the second preference of the emancipated women: Ambanis, Tatas, Birlas, Bajaj, or Premji, to court. In vogue now is the marriage of convenience – a Mumbai working girl prefers a Mumbai boy – rising above caste, culture and religion. With the nightmarish reality of transfers from one city to another, the marriage of convenience soon turns into a marriage of inconvenience.
To end on a futuristic note, don’t be surprised if Sania-Shoaib children play cricket for Pakistan, tennis for India and golf for Dubai – their fatherland, motherland and homeland respectively.

PARVATHY GOPALAKRISHNAN
Successful cross- border love stories transform into sagas. They are etched on to people’s memories for eternity. When love transcends the most riotous borders to blossom and flourish, it becomes a miracle in itself. With undeterred courage and unconditional love, these stories can come out of fiction even in the terror infested world. Helping cement cross border ties, these love stories will be a boon to wed two cultures mindsets and two nationalities.

SUNANDA PODUWAL
I am completely in favour of the perceived messy union. I am happy for both of them and maybe, they would set a towering example of how initiatives like Aman Ki Asha need not be made fun of, for their sheer optimism. And regarding Sania representing Pakistan in tennis, I will be more than glad that the baton of incessant obsession with Sania’s nose ring, her wardrobe and her love handles is handed over to Pakistan’s paparazzi. Spare me the madness!

NETRI BHATT
The twists and turns in the love story of Sania Mirza and her Pakistani beau Shoaib Malik has the potential of developing into a diplomatic row, considering the volatile relations between the two countries. It is not justified to comatose the respective governments into the feud.
A certain section of the Indian media is vehemently projecting Sania and Shoaib’s supposed marriage as the new horizon of peace and amity between the two neighbors. But cross border terrorism which has been pulverizing the prospects of harmony over the past many years cannot be mitigated by mere symbolisms like Sania-Shoaib marriage.


VIVEK RAI
The proposed Sania –Shoaib marriage means different things to different people. A wild goose chase for the media! It’s Sania’s decision. All rights reserved with herself related to her marriage!
But, in domain of international relations, such episodes are only cosmetic engagements. Both states have wide discrepancies on various fronts. A cross-border tie won't simpilify the diplomatic tangle.

SHIPRA
Let's not expect that this marriage could improve our relations with Pakistan. Ofcourse, it will create a positive environment, atleast in the psyche of the people, but the lives of nations are far more complicated than the lives of the people.
Let Sania and Shoaib enjoy the lives of their own. Marriage is a personal choice. It's not a political issue. I don't understand what is anyone's problem.


KULDEEP SAXENA
Love transends boundaries. And boundaries defy (cross-border) love.Fortunate to be a citizen of a country where marrying a person groomed on enemy's field is never discouraged by its government!

RESERVATIONS ON RESERVATIONS

DIPIKA RATHI
In Olympics and Oscars, there’s no reservation! Just imagine a guy who came 39th in the marathon walks away with the gold medal because he is from Buffalo City. Or a girl in bikini laughs her way to Oscars because she is from Saudi.
I am a woman and proud to be so. I would like to command respect for what I am and what I would accomplish. I loathe to be on crutches or lifted to a pedestal because of my gender.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that reservation for women in Parliament would usher in a revolution. It would sweep the discredited male politicians into the dustbin of history where they truly belong. Asking for quotas is no bakhshish but their due denied to them for over 60 long years. The manometer of any civilization in history is the place of women in society; where women were held in high esteem, the society has known peace and prosperity.



ASHIRBAD RAHA
It goes without saying that in a socio-cultural milieu such as in India, where women are crisis managers at home, the Bill would pave the way an equitable development of society. It gives the Indian polity a chance to be fair and equitable because without fairness and equity to women we cannot expect the same in its political system. Women will give a human face to government and moderate taxation of the people.



SANDEEP SHRIVASTWA
Women transcending from the bread-maker to policy-maker, from holding rolling-pins to holding the destiny of the nation would help fine-tune our national policies and governance. Women’s reservation is set to alter the socio-political landscape of India. Ignoring one-half of our population could be a disaster for our democracy.


TAUSIF ALAM
Women in saddle will make a difference to governance because health care and development will get their due place. At panchayats women are doing a great job. In Madurai district of Tamilnadu, a brave woman was elected as panchayat president on the promise of bringing portable water to her village. The day she kept her promise, the water mafia shot her dead. Her name was Parvathy, and her heroism ought to be recorded in the annals of modern history. No one ever thought of honouring her with a bravery award, let alone Bharat Ratna. This in a country where even a rapist cop like Rathore gets breavery awards.


PRIYANKA KUMARI
The pertinent question is how much empowerment will the Bill bring to women. It might promote women participation which is not the same as empowerment. The character of Indian politics being manipulative, the bill may be reduced to a charade. The Bill will certainly widen the gap between high society women and the rest of women in India.



SNEHA SALONI
The 33% representation would lead to gender equality in parliament. The fear that deserving candidates would be dropped in favour of women some of whom may be a pale shadow of their husbands is slightly far-fetched. Is the Bill a social equiliser or a vote bank gimmick depends on its implementation?



NEHA JAIN
I am against the reservation Bill per se. It may be the most consequential act of lawmaking since Independence. The “quota within a quota” only partly and unhelpfully flags this issue.






PURBA DAS
I don’t think the Bill has any social relevance. It’s unlikely to impact our political system in any positive way. Caliber and not gender should be the criteria for running a country.






VANI MANOCHA
Widely criticized as a fallacy, the Bill will boost the morale of women – who have the capability but not the opportunity to prove themselves. The Bill is going to add fuel to the fire, yet it is hailed as a significant step for mankind in the art of governance.





SHAILY BHUSRI
This is the world’s largest mobilisation of women in public life. The experience of women's reservation in panchayats has been encouraging. Let a million women come forward – some to lead and others to follow. Onward brave Indian women!