சுப்பிரமணிய பாரதி

Maha Kavi Subramaniya Bharathiyar (மகாகவி சுப்பிரமணிய பாரதி) in a short span of 39 years, contributed tremendously to the political emancipation of India, social reformation of the community and literary rejuvenation of Thamizh.

Born in a middle class Brahmin family in ettayapuram . (எட்டையபுரம்) in Thirunelveli district, Subramania Bharathiyar worked for some time as a court poet of the local elite (ஜமீந்தார்). His given name was Chinnasami Subramaniya iyer (சின்னசாமி சுப்பிரமணிய ஐயர்) and the nickname was ettayapuram Subbiah. The title of BhArathi (பாரதி) , Goddess of Learning, was conferred upon him in 1893 in recognition of his poetic talents. Following his father's death, he moved to Kasi to stay with his aunt. He returned to Madras in 1904 and joined the staff of the Thamizh magazine, SwedEsa Mitthiran (சுதேசமித்திரன்). His contacts with V.O.Chithambaram Pillai (வ.உ.சி), a famous nationalist, kindled his natural patriotic fervour. From this point on, he got involved in active politics and had the opportunity to meet great political and social leaders of the time (Tilak, Aurobindo GhOsh, Lajpat ROy).

When there was a curb for the publication of some of his nationalistic and patriotic songs, he was placed under surveillance by the government. To avoid arrest by the British, he moved to Pondicherry (புதுச்சேரி) which was under the French colonial rule. His exile in Pondicherry proved to be the period of his prolific writings. Ultimately he got arrested and put in jail. Despite his literary genius, he lived in extreme poverty and met with a tragic death in 1922.

Like many other geniuses and martyrs of the world he was lonely in his death with only a handful of people at his funeral. At present, he is regarded as one of the most outstanding Thamizh poets, (மகாகவி), a person worthy of emulation not only by people within India but also by others for his courage and convictions, religious equanimity, social consciousness and, more relevantly, literary skills.

BhArathiyAr's literary works include nationalistic poems, prayer songs, philosophical poems, didactic songs and minor poems related to social issues. His didactic poems are Murasu (முரசு), Puthiya AtthichUdi (புதிய ஆத்திசூடி) and PAppA PAttu (பாப்பாப்பாடல்கள்). He was the originator of the short and crisp style of poems (புதுக்கவிதை) which has now become very popular.

He studied Bhagavad Gita and rewrote the essentials in simple Thamizh using a prose-poetry format (வசனக்கவிதை). In addition he has written several novels in the prose style (ஐடவல்லவன், ஜெயலட்சுமி, நவநீதம், விஜயபாஸகரன் அல்லது ஒரு குற்றத்துக்கு ஒன்பது குற்றம் & ஷண்பகவிஜயம்). Instead of following the traditional literary style blindly, BhArathiyAr recognized that the folk type of poems written by Thayumanavar, Ramalinga Adigal and Gopalakrishna Bharathiar were appropriate to convey the messages he desired. His experience as the editor and critic in SwedEsa mitthiran (சுதேசமித்திரன்) gave him the communicative skills to appeal to people.

Literary Policy of Bharathiyar

Looking at his literary works in retrospect Bharathiyar did appear to have had the vision of a prophet, the religious equanimity of a saint, the dreams of a patriot and the noble aspirations of a social reformer. Most of his predictions regarding his country and community and all his warnings regarding the malaise afflicting his society have materialized already. Others are gradually manifesting themselves overtly in recent years. He loved Thamizh and India with a passion and was proud of his cultural heritage. At the same time he was fully cognizant of the social repercussions of caste differences and how superstitions and blind faith in the old traditions have lead to stagnation.

More important is the fact that he had the courage and tenacity to stand up before a ruthless imperial power and was prepared to face all the personal consequences. The only weapon he had at his disposal to achieve his cherished goal was not wealth or physical ability but only his literary skill. Experience in other parts of the world has shown that the pen is mightier than the sword. Recognizing this, BhArathiyAr did exploit his literary capacity and communication skills to exhort people to become masters of their own destiny and expel the foreign rulers out of their soil. However he did not hesitate to point out the social evils which were gradually corroding the fabrics of the society.

Upto this point in the history of Thamizh literature, the language was used for moral, religious, philosophical or spiritual purposes, for praising the patrons for their gifts, and for sheer literary pleasure. All references to social problems were either secondary or indirect. Now for the first time, a Thamizh poet has taken it upon himself to use the language to free his people from the clutches of a foreign power and open the eyes of the people to the bad elements which were weakening their society. Thus he set in motion not only a new and diffferent literary style which is aptly described as the Thamizh renaissance but also used the medium of the language to crusade against the suppression and oppression of the weaker sections of the society, the poor, the untouchables and women.

The short, crisp but simple style of his poems, his easy flowing prose-poetry formats with a specific social theme and his ability to set up folk type music understandable by everyone made a tremendous impact on people. One can therefore appreciate the differences in the literary policy of SubramNiya BhArathi and that of other Thamizh scholars of the distant past.

Salient Features of SubramaNiya Bharathiyar's Works

The name Subramanya Bharathi is almost synonymous with nationalism and partriotism in the Indian context. In the following poem he says "we are proud of 'our' Himalayas, 'our' river Ganges and 'our' upanishads; there is no equal for our country."

மன்னு மிமய மலையெங்கள் மலையே
மாநில மீதிது போற்பிறி திலையே
இன்னறு நீர்கங்கை யாறெங்களாறே
இங்கிதன் மாண்பிற் கெதிரெது வேறே
பன்னரு முபநிட நூலெங்கள் நூலே
பார்மிசை யேதொரு நூலிது போல
பொன்னொளிர் பாரத நாடெங்கள் நாடே
பொற்றுவ மி·தை யெமக்கிலை யீடே.

Bharathiyar is not merely content to be proud of his country. He continues to outline his visions of a free India, not some wild dream of a poet living in his own imaginary world but the aspirations and hopes of a true patriot who has specific ideas of how different regions of the country can live happily, share the resources for their mutual benefits. His dreams are outlined in the following poem:

பாரத தேச மென்று பெயர்சொல்லுவார் - மிடிப்
பயங் கொல்லுவார் துயர்ப்பகை வெல்லுவார்.

கங்கை நதிப்புறத்துக் கோதுமைப் பண்டம்
காவிரி வெற்றிலைக்கு மாறு கொள்ளுவோம்
சிங்க மராட்டியர் தங் கவிதை கொண்டு
சேரத்துத் தந்தங்கள் பரிசளிப்போம்.

ஆயுதம் செய்வோம் நல்ல காகிதம் செய்வோம்
ஆலைகள் வைப்போம் கல்விச் சாலைகள் வைப்போம்
ஓயுதல் செய்யோம் தலை சாயுதல் செய்யோம்
உண்மைகள் சொல்வோம் பல வண்மைகள் செய்வோம்.

சாதி இரண்டொழிய வேறிலை யென்றே
தமிழ் மகள் சொல்லிய சொல் அமிழ்த மென்போம்
நீதி நெறியினின்று பிறர்க் குதவும்
நேர்மையர் மேலவர் கீழவர் மற்றோர்.

It is to be noted that he was a true patriot devoid of parochial tendencies. The last stanza represents the focus of his social reformation efforts. Bharathiyar sincerely believed, as did Ouvaiyar (ஒளவையார்) a few centuries earlier, that the root cause of all our social problems was the caste difference. He reiterated that there were only two castes; people who are righteous and helpful to others are superior while the rest are inferior.

Bharathiyar is unparalled in proclaiming loud and clear the uniqueness and richness of the Thamizh language to the whole world. The following poem describes his tremendous linguistic pride:

யாமறிந்த மொழிகளிலே தமிழ்மொழிபோல்
இனிதாவ தெங்குங் காணோம்
பாமரராய், விலங்குகளாய், உலகனைத்தும்
இகழ்ச்சிசொலப் பான்மை கெட்டு
நாமமது தமிழரெனக் கொண்டிங்கு
வாழ்ந்திடுதல் நன்றோ? சொல்லீர்
தேமதுரத் தமிழோசை உலகமெலாம்
பரவும் வகை செய்தல் வேண்டும.
யாமறிந்த புலவரிலே கம்பனைப்போல்,
வாள்ளுவர்போல், இளங்கோவைப் போல்
பூமிதனில் யாங்கணுமே பிறந்ததில்லை
உண்மை, வெறும் புகழ்ச்சி யில்லை
ஊமையராய்ச் செவிடர்களாய்க் குருடர்களாய்
வாழ்கின்§ம், ஒருசொற் கேளீர்
சேமமுற வேண்டுமெனில் தெருவெல்லாம்
தமிழ் முழக்கம் செழிக்கச் செய்வீர்.

பிறநாட்டு நல்லறிஞர் சாத்திரங்கள்
தமிழ் மொழியிற் பெயர்த்தல் வேண்டும்
இறவாத புகழுடைய புதுநூல்கள்
தமிழ்மொழியில் இயற்றல்வேண்டும்
மறைவாக நமக்குள்ளே பழங்கதைகள்
சொல்லுவதிலோர் மகிமை யில்லை
திறமான புலமையெனில் வெளிநாட்டோர்
அதை வணக்கஞ் செய்தல் வேண்டும்.

The last few lines carry an important messsage to his and future generations emphasizing their responsibility to the growth of Thamizh. First he believed that there was no use of circulating our old ideas among us for ever and new concepts had to emerge. Secondly all the important works in foreign languages should be translated into Thamizh. Finally he has laid down his own criterion for the assessment of our linguistic efforts. He will be happy only if others studied our works and expressed their appreciation.

Bharathiyar's love and pride also extended to the Thamizh country. After all if one is not proud of one's own heritage, who will?

செந்தமிழ் நாடெனும் போதினிலே - இன்பத்
தேன் வந்து பாயுது காதினிலே - எங்கள்
தந்¨தையார் நாடென்ற பேச்சினிலே - ஒரு
சக்தி பிறக்குது முச்சினிலே (செந்தமிழ்)

வேதம் நிறைந்த தமிழ் நாடு - உயர்
வீரம் செறிந்த தமிழ் நாடு - நல்ல
காதல் புரியும் அரம்பையர் போலிளங்
கன்னியர் சூழ்ந்த தமிழ் நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)

கல்வி சிறந்த தமிழ்நாடு - புகழ்க்
கம்பன் பிறந்த தமிழ் நாடு - நல்ல
பல்வித மாயின சாத்திரத்தின் மணம்
பாரெங்கும் வீசுந் தமிழ் நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)

வள்ளுவன் தன்னை உல கினுக்கே தந்து
வான்புகழ் கொண்ட தமிழ் நாடு - நெஞ்சை
அள்ளும் சிலப்பதி காரமென் றோர்மணி
யாரம் படைத்த தமிழ் நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)

In devotional songs it is customary that poets pray that they be blessed with health, wealth and prosperity. The spiritually more oriented may pray that they want to be one with the Supreme Being with an eternal bliss. Even here Bharathiyar deviates from the standard and invites all his country men to do their humble mite to improve their lot. The following poem is addressed to Saraswathi, the Goddess of Learning:

வெள்ளைத் தாமரைப் பூ வி லிருப்பாள்
வீணை செய்யு மொலியி லிருப்பாள்.....
வீடுதோறுங் கலையின் விளக்கம்
வீதிதோறு மிரண்டொரு பள்ளி
நாடு முற்றிலு முள்ளன வூ ர்கள்
நகர்க ளெங்கும் பலபல பள்ளி
தேடு கல்வியி லாததொ ருரைத்
தீயினுக் கிரையாக மடுத்தல்
கேடு தீர்க்கு மமுதெமெ னன்னை
கேண்மை கொள்ள வழியிவை கண்டீர் (வெள்ளைத்)
நிதி மிகுத்தவர் பொற்குவை தாரீர்
நிதி குறைந்தவர் காசுகள் தாரீர
அதுவு மற்றவர் வாய்ச்சொ லருளீர்
ஆண்மையாள ருழைப்பினை நல்கீர்
மதுரத் தேமொழி மாதர்க ளெல்லாம்
வாணி பூசைக் குரியன பேசீர்
எதுவு நல்கியிங் கெவ்வகை யானும்
இப்பெருந் தொழில் நாட்டுதும் வாரீர்.

The importance of education cannot be emphasized any better than in the above lines. Bharathiyar goes to the extent of saying that, in the new India, all villages without school should be destroyed by fire ! The second poem is a humble appeal to all who can help, in whatever way they can help, with big donations or small pennies or at least with just a few encouraging words, to finish the job we have undertaken for the sake of education.

Bharathiyar's religious equanimity is well illustrated by the following two poems, one pertaining to Christianity and the other to Islam. More than telling something about the poet, it is deeply touching and indeed reassuring that it is possible to live in peaceful coexistence if one sets the mind to the concept.

ஈசன் வந்து சிலுவையில் மாண்டான்
எழுந் துயிர்த்தனன் நாள் ஒரு முன்றில்
நேச மா மரியா மக்தலேநா
நேரில் யிந்தச் செய்தியைக் கண்டாள்
தேசத்தீர், இதன் உட்பொருள் கேளீர்,
தேவர் வந்து நமக்குட் புகுந்தே
நாச மின்றி நமை நித்தங் காப்பார்
நம் அகந்தையை நாம் கொன்று விட்டால்.

அல்லா, அல்லா, அல்லா
பல்லாயிரம் பல்லாயிரங் கோடி யண்டங்கள்
எல்லாத் திசையினு மோர் எல்லை யில்லா வெளிவானிலே
நில்லாது சுழன்டே நியமஞ் செய்தருள் நாயகன்
சொல்லாலு மனத்தாலுந் தொட ரொணாத பெருஞ்சோதி (அல்லா)
ஏழைகட்குஞ் செல்வர்கட்கும் இரங்கி யருளும் ஓர் பிதா
கோழைகட்கும் வீரருக்குங் குறை தவிர்த்திடும் ஓர் குரு
ஊழியூ ழி அமரரா யிவ் வுலகின் மீதி லின்புற்றே
வாழ்குவீர் பயத்தை நீக்கி வாழ்த்துவீர் அவன் பெயர் (அல்லா)

It is surprising and indeed shameful that in a country where women were worshipped as the all powerful Sakthi (சக்தி), they were relegated to a lower status in social life. Bharathiyar was one of the earliest champions of women's cause in the Thamizh region. Thanks to his outbursts, there had been a social awakening on this issue, though much is yet to be done. In the following poem, Bharathiyar employs the folk dance, kummi (கும்மி) and speaks out clearly the problems as he saw them:

ஏட்டையும் பெண்கள் தொடுவது தீமையென்
றெண்ணி யிருந்தவர் மாய்ந்து விட்டார்
வீட்டுக்குள்ளே பெண்ணைப் பூட்டி வைப்போ மென்ற
விந்தை மனிதர் தலை கவிழ்ந்தார் (கும்மியடி)
மாட்டை யடித்து வசக்கித் தொழுவினில்
மாட்டும் வழக்கத்தைக் கொண்டு வந்தே
வீட்டினி லெம்மிடங் காட்ட வந்தாரதை
வெட்டி விட்டோ மென்று கும்மியடி கும்மியடி
பட்டங்க ளாள்வதுஞ் சட்டங்கள் செய்வதும்
பாரினிற் பெண்கள் நடத்த வந்தோம்
எட்டு மறிவினி லாணுக்கிங்கே பெண்
இளைப் பில்லை காணென்று கும்மியடி (கும்மியடி)
காத லொருவனைக் கைப்பிடித்தே யவன்
காரியம் யாவினுங் கைகொடுத்து
மாதர றங்கள் பழமையைக் காட்டிலும்
மாட்சி பெறச்செய்து வாழ்வமடி (கும்மியடி)

Recognizing that the best way to introduce social changes was to plant the seeds of reforms in the minds of children who have not yet been corrupted by traditions and superstitions, Following the footsteps of Ouvaiyar, (ஓளவையார்) Bharathiyar reiterated moral and ethical principles in a simple format appealing to young minds.

In Puthiya Atthichudi (புதிய ஆத்திசூடி), for example, the invocation song stresses the equanimity of all religions. He specifically refers to various religious groups without any connotation of theological correctness or relative superiority of one religion over the other and most of all without any proselytizing motive. If this becomes the basis of different religious faiths, it would help minimize the religious tension prevailing in the world today.

புதிய ஆத்திசூடி
காப்பு
ஆத்தி சூடி யிளம்பிறை யணிந்து
மோனத் திருக்கு முழுவெண் மேனியான்
கருநிறங் கொண்டு பாற்கடல் மிசைக் கிடப்போன்,
மகமது நபிக்கு மறையருள் புரிந்தோன்,
ஏசுவின் தந்தை யெனப்பல மதத்தினர்
உருவகத் தாலே யுணர்ந்துண ராது
பலவகை யாகப் பரவிடும் பரம்பொருள்
ஒன்றே , அதனியல் ஒளியுறு மறிவாம்,
அதனிலை கண்டார் அல்லலை யகற்றினார்,
அதனருள் வாழ்த்தி யமரவாழ் வெய்துவோம்.

நூல்

அச்சந் தவிர்
ஆண்மை தவறேல்
இளைத்த லிகழ்ச்சி
ஈகை திறன்
உடலினை யுறுதிசெய்
ஊண்மிக விரும்பு
எண்ணுவ துயர்வு
ஏறுபோல் நட
ஐம்பொறி யாட்சிகொள்
ஒற்றுமை வலிமையாம்
ஓய்த லொழி
ஓளடதங் குறை கற்ற தொழுகு
கால மழியேல்
கிளைபல தாங்கேல்
கீழோர்க் கஞ்சேல்
குன்றென நிமிர்ந்துநில்
கூடித் தொழில்செய்
கெடுப்பது சோர்வு
கேட்டிலுந் துணிந்துநில்
கைத்தொழில் போற்று
கொடுமையை யெதிர்த்துநில்
கோல்கைக்கொண்டுவாழ்
கவ்வியதை விடேல்

A poem aimed directly at children telling them what to do and what not to do is called (பாப்பாப் பாட்டு). A few stanzas of this poem are given below to highlight the kind of messages given:

ஓடி விளையாடு பாப்பா - நீ
ஓய்ந்திருக்க லாகாது பாப்பா
கூடி விளையாடு பாப்பா - ஒரு
குழந்தையை வையாதே பாப்பா.
பொய் சொல்லக் கூடாது பாப்பா - என்றும்
புறஞ் சொல்ல லாகாது பாப்பா
தெய்வ நமக்குத் துணை பாப்பா - ஒரு
தீங்குவர மாட்டாது பாப்பா.
தமிழ்த் திரு நாடு தன்னைப் பெற்ற
தாயென்று கும்பிடடி பாப்பா
அமிழ்தி லினியதடி பாப்பா - எங்கள்
ஆன்§ர்கள் தேசமடி பாப்பா.
சாதிக ளில்லையடி பாப்பா - குலத்
தாழ்ச்சி யுயர்ச்சி சொல்லல் பாவம்
நீதி, உயர்ந்த மதி, கல்வி - அன்பு
நிறைய உடையவர்கள் மேலோர்.

One of the attributes of social reformers in all parts of the world is their comprehension of the weaknesses in their society and their courage in pointing out the problems.. In the following poem, Bharathiyar expresses his frustrations at some of the deploring qualities of his country men which are responsible for their remaining as slaves despite all their resources and glorious past. These lamentations have been set to a very popular style of folk music, Nondic cinthu.(நொண்டிச்சிந்து)

நெஞ்சு பொறுக்குதில்லையே - இந்த
நிலைகெட்ட மனிதரை நினைந்துவிட்டால்
கொஞ்சமோ பிரிவினைகள் - ஒரு
கோடியென் றாலது பெரிதாமோ ?

அஞ்சுதலைப் பாம்பென்பான் - அப்பன்
ஆறுதலை யென்றுமகன் சொல்லிவிட்டால்
நெஞ்சு பிரிந்து விடுவார் - பின்பு
நெடுநா ளிருவரும் பகைத்திருப்பார் (நெஞ்சு)சாத்திரங்க ளொன்றும் காணார் - பொய்ச்

சாத்திரப் பேய்கள்சொலும் வார்த்தைநம்பியே
கோத்திரமொன் யிருந்தாலும் - ஒரு
கொள்கையிற் பிரிந்தவனைக் குலைத்திகழ்வார்
தோத்திரங்கள் சொல்லியவர்தாம் - தமைச்
சூதுசெயு நீசர்களைப் பணிந்திடுவார் - ஆனால்
ஆத்திரங் கொண்டே யிவன் சைவன் - இவன்
அரிபக்த னென்றுபெருஞ் சண்டையிடுவார் (நெஞ்சு) எண்ணிலா நோயுடையார் - இவர்

எழுந்து நடப்பதற்கும் வலிமையிலார்
கண்ணிலாக் குழந்தைகள்போல் - பிறர்
காட்டிய வழியிற் சென்று மாட்டிக் கொள்வார்
நண்ணிய பெருங்கலைகள் - பத்து
நாலாயிரங் கோடி நயந்து நின்ற
புண்ணிய நாட்டினிலே - இவர்
பொறியற்ற விலங்குகள் போல வாழ்வார் (நெஞ்சு)

In addition to the new style of poems (புதுக்கவிதைகள்)Bharathiyar also introduced a new format of prose narrative, the novel (நாவல்) in which he used fictional characters to portray the real life trials and tribulations of ordinary families and specific minority groups in the society who have been tormented by a variety of prejudices and exploitations based on tradition, superstition and above all greed. The novel as well as the short story concept which ensued later, have since become very powerful tools for exposing the difficulties of people without being victimized. Authors like Jeyakanthan (ஜெயகாந்தன்), Ramamirtham (ராமாமிர்தம்) Pudumaip pitthan (புதுமைப்பித்தன்), Sivasankari (சிவசங்கரி) have exploited this technique successfully in recent years.

Conclusion

It is more than 75 years since this great poet died. History has showed us that a few of his dreams have been fulfilled thanks to the sacrifices of leaders like MahAtmA GAndhi and others. The achievement of political freedom from an almost insurmountable imperial power without blood shed is not a small task. Since independence, the advances made in various fields, especially science, technology and agriculture have been the envy of even the super powers who are now evincing great interest in trading with India. But some of Bharathi's worst fears on social issues have come out true as well.

We have learnt that mere rules, laws and regulations are not adequate by themselves to overcome the social turmoils caused by religious intolerance and by exploitation under the name of caste, sex, greed, and political expediency. Under the guidance of BhArathiyAr and others, Thamizh literature has served as a tool to mobilize our energy to achieve political freedom; whether the same medium will be used for achieving social equity is yet to be seen.

The Sachin I know - Harsha Bhogle

Sachin Tendulkar may have inspired others to write poetry but he batted in robust prose. Not for him the tenderness and fragility of the poet, the excitement of a leaf fluttering in a gentle breeze. No. Tendulkar is about a plantation standing up to the typhoon, the skyscraper that stands tall, the cannon that booms. Solid. Robust. Focused. The last word is the key. He loves the game deeply but without the eccentricities of the romantic. There is a match to be won at all times.

But Tendulkar too was a sapling once. And his brother Ajit sheltered him from the gale, kept him focused. Sachin looked after his cricket, Ajit looked after Sachin. Twenty-two years ago, I was asked by Sportsworld to do an article on this extraordinary schoolboy. It wasn't Sachin I had to speak to, it was Ajit. When the time for the interview came, at Ramakant Achrekar's net in Shivaji Park, Ajit was there with a cyclostyled copy of Sachin's scores. And Achrekar admonished me for spoiling his child, for fear that Sachin would get distracted.

The interview was done. Sachin was neither overwhelmed nor garrulous; indeed he was so limited with his words that you had to hold on to every one of them. It was sent to Sportsworld in Calcutta by courier (or was it just put into a normal post box?) and then came a request for two photographs. Again it was Ajit who produced them. When I got the cheque, I noticed they had paid me an extra 100 rupees for the photographs. They weren't mine but Sportsworld had a policy of paying for them and so I wrote out a cheque to Ajit for Rs 100. It was acknowledged and accepted gratefully. We lived in different times then!

It was also my first realisation that young men in the public eye needed to be sheltered so they could focus on playing cricket; that they needed an elder brother, or an equivalent, to put a gentle hand on the shoulder and, occasionally, lay one the back side. A lot of other young men today see Tendulkar's runs, eye his wealth, but their brattishness comes in the way of noticing his work ethic. For Tendulkar's life is not the story of extraordinary ability but of an extraordinary work ethic.

Twelve years later, on a cold evening in Bristol, preparing for a World Cup game against Kenya the next day, I saw him in dark glasses, fiddling around with his kit. Aimlessly, like he was searching for something to do. At most times he would be bounding around with energy, bowling off 18 yards, taking catches, shouting thoughts to other batsmen.

I approached him hesitantly, I couldn't see his eyes because they were shrouded by these huge dark glasses, probably the only time they were used to cover rather than to adorn, for he had just lost his father. I asked him if he would talk to us about coming back to play. He nodded his head and only briefly took the glasses off. His eyes were red and swollen; you could see he had been crying copiously. For the interview he put them on, and once the camera had stopped rolling, admitted he didn't want to return, that his mind was all over the place, that he felt anchorless. It was the only time he didn't want to play for India but he had been forced back by his family, aware that only cricket could help him overcome his grief. When he got a hundred the next day and looked heavenwards, some other eyes were moist. Even in his grief there was resolve, for he wanted that century. It might only have been Kenya but he was battling himself, not the bowlers.

It has been fantastic having a ringside view of this journey, watching a cricketer, and a person, grow. But one thing hasn't changed. He still approaches every game like a child would a bar of chocolate, feeling happy and fortunate

Four years later he agreed to do an interview for a series of programmes I was then doing. Our producer thought we would make it special, and to our surprise and joy, Amitabh Bachchan agreed to introduce the programme. In the first break Sachin whispered, "That was a beautiful surprise." Little did he know there was more to come.

Sometime earlier he had told me he was a big fan of Mark Knopfler and we thought it would be great if we could get the great Dire Straits man to talk to us.

"I'm recording all night but immediately after that, before I fall asleep," Knopfler said, and somehow we persuaded Sachin to do the programme in the afternoon rather than in the morning. And when the moment came, we patched the line on and when I said, "Hello Mark," Sachin looked puzzled. A minute later his eyes lit up when he realised which Mark we had on the line. And then he was like a child, tongue-tied, fidgety, excited - much like most people are when they first meet Tendulkar. Even the stars can get starry-eyed!

And there have been moments of surprising candour. When asked, as batsmen tend to be, which bowlers had troubled him the most, he smiled an almost embarrassed smile and said, "You won't believe this." When probed, he said, "Pedro Collins and Hansie Cronje."

"In fact," he said, "I once told my partner 'Will you please take Hansie for me? I don't mind playing Allan Donald'"

Tendulkar's batting has been much chronicled over the years. Indeed, I believe he has been the most analysed cricketer in the history of the game. Yet he has found the urge, and indeed the solutions, to play on for 20 years. Now that is a landmark to be celebrated, not the many inconsequential others that we exploit for our own need. It has been fantastic having a ringside view of this journey, watching a cricketer, and a person, grow. But one thing hasn't changed. He still approaches every game like a child would a bar of chocolate, feeling happy and fortunate.

The Sportsworld article from 1988

Is Sachin Tendulkar the greatest schoolboy cricketer ever?

All of Bombay's maidans are a stage. Where every cricketer has a role to play. And his seems to be the blockbuster. Ever since he unveiled Act One early last year, audiences have been waiting, a little too eagerly at times, to watch the next scene. Sachin Tendulkar is only, so far, acting in a high-school production. Yet critics have gone to town. And rave reviews have not stopped coming in.

I guess it can only happen in Bombay. That a schoolboy cricketer sometimes becomes the talk of the town. Why, at the end of every day's play in the final of Bombay's Harris Shield (for Under 17s) everybody wanted to know how many he had made. For he does bat three days sometimes! And for all the publicity he has received, Sachin Tendulkar is really still a kid. He only completed 15 on 24 April. And is very shy. Opening out only after you have coaxed him for some time. As his coach Mr Achrekar says, "Aata thoda bolaila laglai" [He's started talking a bit now]. And it's then that you realise that his voice has not yet cracked.

His record is awesome. He has scored far more runs than all of us scored looking dreamily out of the window in a boring Social Studies class when we were his age.

For a prodigy, he started late. When he was nine years old. And it was only in 1984-85 that he scored his first school-level fifty. But 1985-86 was a little better. He scored his first Harris Shield hundred and played for Bombay in the Vijay Merchant (Under-15) tournament. And 1986-87 was when he blossomed. Still only 13, he led his school, Shardashram Vidyamandir, to victory in the Giles Shield (for Under-15s). He scored three centuries - 158*, 156 and 197 - and then in the Harris Shield scored 276, 123 and 150. In all, he scored nine hundreds, including two double hundreds, a total of 2336 runs.

By now everyone had begun to sit up and take notice. The beginning of the 1987-88 season saw Sachin at the Ranji nets. Once again the top players were away playing Tests and perhaps the Bombay selectors felt it wouldn't be a bad idea to give Sachin first-hand experience of a higher category of cricket. He was named in the 14 for the first couple of games, and manager Sandeep Patil kept sending him out whenever possible - for a glass of water or a change of gloves. All along Sachin probably knew that he was still at best a curiosity, and that while Bombay was giving him every blooding opportunity, he had to prove himself on the maidans.

And that is exactly what he did. Season 1987-88 was a purple patch that never ended. Playing in the Vijay Merchant tournament he scored 130 and 107 and then at the Inter-Zonal stage he made 117 against the champions, East Zone. Then in the Vijay Hazare tournament (for Under-17s) he scored 175 for West Zone against champions East Zone.

Then came the avalanche. A 178* in the Giles Shield and a sequence in the Harris Shield of 21*, 125, 207*, 329* and 346*! A small matter of 1028 runs in five innings! And in the course of that innings of 329* he set the much talked-about record of 664 for the third wicket with Vinod Kambli, who, it is not always realised, scored 348*. Perhaps the most fascinating of them all was the innings of 346*. Coming immediately, as it did, in the shadow of the world record, a lot of people were curious to see him bat. Sachin ended the first day on 122, batted through the second to finish with 286, and when the innings closed around lunch on the third day, he was 346*. And then came back to bowl the first ball. In April's Bombay summer.

"People don't realise that he is just 15. They keep calling him for some felicitation or the other. The other day he was asked to inaugurate a children's library. This is ridiculous. These things are bound to go to his head. He will start thinking he has achieved everything." Tendulkar's coach, Ramakant Achrekar

But when did this story begin? Like all children, Tendulkar took to playing "galli" cricket. His brother Ajit was a good player and persuaded Mr Achrekar, probably Bombay's most famous coach, to look at him. Achrekar recalls, "When he first came to my net four-five years ago, he looked just like any other boy and I didn't take him seriously. Then one day I saw him bat in an adjacent net. He was trying to hit every ball but I noted that he was middling all of them. Some time later he got a fifty and a friend of mine, who was umpiring that game, came and told me that this boy would play for India. I laughed at him and said that there were so many boys like him in my net. But he insisted. 'Mark my words, he will play for India.' My friend is dead now but I'm waiting to see if his prophecy comes true.'

Tendulkar is taking first steps towards getting there. He discovered that his house, being in Bandra, would not allow him to be at Shivaji Park whenever he wanted. He now spends most of his time at his uncle's house, just off this nursery of Bombay cricket. When he is not actually playing, that is.

Quite often, he is playing all day; important because it has helped him build the stamina to play long innings. "I don't get tired," he says, referring to them. "If you practise every day, you get used to it."

And what about that world-record innings? "I could bat very freely then because my partner Vinod Kambli was batting so well that I knew that even if I failed, he would get enough runs for the side."

Isn't there a lot of pressure on him now? Everyone assumes he will get a big score? "Only in the beginning. Till I get set. Once I get set, I don't think of anything."

Wasn't he thrilled at being invited to the Ranji nets? "Definitely. After playing there I got a lot of confidence."

Everything in Tendulkar's life has so far revolved around cricket. Including his choice of school. A few years back he shifted to Shardashram Vidyamandir, only so that he could come under the eye of Achrekar. "It helped me tremendously because 'sir's' guidance is so good," he says.

Strangely his parents were never very keen about cricket. His brother Ajit says, "They were not very interested in the game, though they gave him all the encouragement. You see, in our colony all parents were training their children to be engineers and doctors. And they would say, "Gallit khelun cricketer hoto kai?" [You don't become a cricketer by playing in the alleys]. I am so happy he is doing well because now people think he is doing something."

The question that arises then, given all the publicity is: Just how good is Sachin Tendulkar?

"For his age, unbelievable," says Sharad Kotnis, Bombay's veteran cricket watcher. "He is definitely comparable to Ashok Mankad, who had a similar run many years ago. But remember Ashok had cricket running in his family and his father often came to see him play. I think Tendulkar's strongest point is that he is willing to work very hard."

Luckily for Sachin, there is a calming influence over him, just so he doesn't get carried away by this acclaim. His coach Achrekar knows exactly what he is talking about. "He is not perfect yet. Far from it. In fact, I would say he is not even halfway there. He still has a lot of faults, particularly while driving through the on, which is an indicator of a class batsman. He still has a long way to go, but what I like about him is his ability to work hard. I don't think we should get carried away by his scores. After all, one has to take into account the nature of the wicket and the quality of the bowlers. By his standards the quality of the bowling he faced was not good enough.

"His real test will come this year when he plays in the 'A' Division of the Kanga League. [Sachin will play for the Cricket Club of India, which for him has waived the stipulation that children under 18 are not allowed inside the Club House!] He should get 70s and 80s there and not just 20s and 30s; particularly towards the end of the season, when the wickets get better."

Achrekar, in fact, is quite upset about the publicity Sachin is getting. "People don't realise that he is just 15. They keep calling him for some felicitation or the other. The other day he was asked to inaugurate a children's library. This is ridiculous. These things are bound to go to his head. He will start thinking he has achieved everything. I hope all this stops so he can concentrate and work hard."

Yet both Achrekar and Kotnis agree on when they think Sachin will become a Ranji regular. "I think he should be playing the Ranji Trophy next year. I think it is unfair to compare him to the [Lalchand] Rajputs and [Alan] Sippys yet, but I think he should play next year," feels Kotnis. And Achrekar adds, "Inspite of what I said about him, if he maintains this kind of progress, he should play the Ranji next year."

Clearly the curtain call is still a long way off for Sachin Tendulkar. He has a lot of things going for him. Most importantly he is in Bombay, where the sheer atmosphere can propel him ahead. In how many cities would a 15-year-old be presented a Gunn and Moore by the Indian captain? And in which other city would the world's highest run-getter write to a 15-year-old asking him not to get disheartened at not getting the Best Junior Cricketer award?

Sunil Gavaskar wrote to Tendulkar to tell him that several years earlier another youngster too had not got the award and that he didn't do too badly in Test cricket. For him the letter from his hero is a prized possession. Another great moment was a meeting with him where "… he told me that I should forget the past every time I go to bat. I should always remember that I have to score runs each time."

He is in the right company. And the right environment. The next few years will show whether he has it in him the mental toughness to overcome the over-exposure. If it does not go to his head, surely there is a great future beckoning. This is really just the beginning and I will be watching this little star with avid interest for the next three years.

If he is still charting blockbusters, I'd love to do another review then.

Gandhi items sell for $1.8 million

An Indian tycoon bought Mahatma Gandhi's iconic round glasses and other belongings Thursday for 1.8 million dollars at an auction that proceeded despite the current owner's call to cancel the sale.

Tony Bedi, bidding on behalf of flamboyant billionaire Vijay Mallya, said the purchase meant that the revered independence leader's glasses, sandals, pocket watch, plate and bowl would now return to India.

"Basically he was bidding for the country," the white turbaned Bedi said after the dramatic auction at Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York.

India had bitterly opposed the auction from the start, insisting that Gandhi's belongings were part of the country's national heritage.

Indian businessmen packed the auction room, joining frenzied bidding to ensure that the memorabilia did not go to another country.

Cheers and clapping broke out when the hammer came down.

But Mallya's patriotic gesture raised complex legal questions and it was unclear when, or even if the items could be sent to India.

Minutes before the auction, the man who says he is the current owner, California-based collector James Otis, had declared he wanted the sale cancelled and the belongings returned to him.

"In the last few hours, I have decided, in the light of the controversy, not to sell Gandhi's personal items," Otis told a scrum of reporters outside the auction house.

"I have formally requested that Antiquorum remove the items from today's auction and return them to me. My deepest hope is that Antiquorum will respect my request."

According to Otis's lawyer, Antiquorum "as of this moment... no longer has the right to sell the items owned by James Otis." He threatened to file a police complaint if the auction went ahead.

Antiquorum would not comment on Otis's move, or even confirm that Otis was the owner.

But the auction house declared a two-week delay in delivering the goods to the auction's highest bidder to give time for legal questions to be addressed.

Bedi acknowledged the delicate situation, saying: "Obviously there are some restrictions at the moment pending resolution whether this auction was legal."

If the sale goes through, though, Mallya "will take the items to India," Bedi said.

Antiquorum chairman Robert Maron told reporters that he had always hoped the collection would be repatriated. "We're very happy to say that the Mahatma Gandhi memorabilia is returning to India," he said. "It's planned it will be on public display."

Whatever Antiquorum's motivations, the auction proved a stunning competition.

The initial estimate had been between 20,000 and 30,000 dollars for the five items. Within seconds, bids topped half a million dollars, climbing rapidly.

Tension and anticipation grew as the bids rose slowly towards the final 1.8 million dollars -- almost all the bids from people present in the room, rather than anonymously by telephone or Internet, as is common at big-ticket auctions.

Bedi said that he was bidding on the instructions of Mallya, who spoke to him by telephone.

Asked if the meagre possessions of a man who rejected material wealth were really worth 1.8 million dollars, Bedi laughed: "I think they're worth six (million dollars)."

Michael Wood - Historian and BBC Presenter

Michael David Wood (born 23 July 1948 in Moston, Manchester) is an English historian and broadcaster. He has presented numerous television documentary series.

Wood was educated at Manchester Grammar School and at Oriel College, Oxford. His special interest was Anglo-Saxon history. In the 1970s Wood worked for the BBC in Manchester. He was first a reporter, then an assistant producer on current affairs programmes, before returning to his love of history with his 1981 series In Search of the Dark Ages for BBC2. This explored the lives of leaders of the period, including Athelstan, King Arthur, and Eric Bloodaxe.

Wood quickly became popular with many viewers for his blond good looks (he was humorously dubbed "the thinking woman's crumpet" by British newspapers[citation needed]), his deep voice, and his habit of wearing tight jeans and a sheepskin jacket. However, his ability to present history in striking and memorable ways has drawn a diverse audience. He has more than 60 documentary films to his name.[citation needed] Many of his recent documentaries are based on India including the latest The Story of India (2007).

Wood's work is also well known in the United States, where it receives much airplay on PBS and on various cable television networks. The series Legacy (1992) is one of his more frequently broadcast documentaries on U.S. television.

In 2006, Wood joined the British School of Archaeology in Iraq campaign, aiming to train and encourage new Iraqi archaeologists, and has lectured on the subject.[1]

His partner for several years in the late 1970s and early 1980s was journalist and broadcaster Pattie Coldwell. He currently lives in North London with his wife, television producer Rebecca Ysabel Dobbs, and two daughters, Minakshi and Jyoti.

Television series
1. Great Railway Journeys (1980)
2. In Search of the Dark Ages (1981)
3. Great Little Railways (episode 3) (1983)
4. In Search of the Trojan War (1985)
5. Domesday: A Search for the Roots of England (1988)
6. Art of the Western World (1989)
7. Legacy: A Search for the Origins of Civilization (1992)
8. In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (1997)
9. Conquistadors (2000)
10.In Search of Shakespeare (2003)
11.In Search of Myths and Heroes (2005)
12.The Story of India (2007)

Documentaries
1. Saddam's Killing Fields (1993)
2. Hitler's Search for the Holy Grail (1999)
3. Gilbert White: Nature Man (2006)
4. Christina: A Medieval Life (2008)

Bibliography
1. In Search of the Dark Ages (1981)
2. In Search of the Trojan War (1985)
3. Domesday: A Search for the Roots of England (1988)
4. Legacy: A Search for the Origins of Civilization (1992)
5. The Smile of Murugan: A South Indian Journey (1995)
6. In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (1997)
7. In Search of England: Journeys Into the English Past (1999)
8. Conquistadors (2000)
9. Shakespeare (2003)
10.In Search of Myths and Heroes (2005)
11.India: An Epic Journey Across the Subcontinent (2007)

A journey called India - By Michael Wood

British historian and broadcaster Michael Wood’s “The Story of India” made its debut on American TV recently. India’s long pluralistic history has relevance today in a world coming to terms with a host of human and cultural issues, says Wood. Excerpts from a conversation…

Michael Wood’s six-part TV series “The Story of India” shows the 10,000-year history of the Indian subcontinent in six episodes. First aired by the BBC in August 2007, it was part of a BBC series marking 60 years of Indian independence. The series was broadcast in the United States by PBS early this year. An ambitious project like this, a life-changing experience, needs at least 100 hours of air time, says Michael Wood.


What attracted you to India?

On British and American TV, you see ancient Rome, Greece, even Egypt, but never India — even though India has a fifth of the world’s population and plays a great part in world history. We thought PBS might do this but they said, “India does not figure on the radar here.” Then, five years ago, they simply emailed, “India?” The moment had come; our first Indian shoot coincided with President Bush’s visit. The response to the series in the States — a million and a half hits on the website in the first two weeks — confirms that interest.

So PBS funded the series?

PBS commissioned it and put in the initial money, then BBC paid a portion of the costs and got a long-lasting programme for a big audience without a huge outlay. The impetus came from America, PBS were great supporters of this project.

How long did it take you to make the series?

Originally, it took 20 months filming and editing, a short time for a series like this — we were pressured by BBC’s deadlines. It aired in England in 2007. Then, in 2008, we reedited it for America, adding satellite maps, changing some passages, cutting others. Ayodhya, for instance, had been so rushed, I recut it to layer its past and present.

What was the reaction in Britain?

Fantastic! Very good ratings, big audiences and great critical reaction: they liked the sweep of the series, loved the camera work and the combination of big ideas with intimate down-to-earth events like having fun at Holi. The response of British-Indians — important to me because I was making a film about someone else’s culture — was reassuringly positive.

Was it hard to select six hours from 10,000 years of material?

It was a nightmare. To do justice to Indian history, you need 100 hours — 10 would’ve been the minimum required. I wanted to film Baluchistan’s pre-Harappan settlements, I’d planned to do Shivaji and more on the Partition. The freedom movement is an electrifying story, Nehru and Gandhi among the greatest figures in modern history. The last 100 years of Indian history helps us understand today’s clashes with Islam. The BBC did not want the modern story which they have covered but Americans would have benefited from it.

How did you research India’s vast history?

I’ve been interested in India for many years. I have a library of books collected over a lifetime, I read the Rig Veda controversies for pleasure, I’d been a dozen times to Benares. All that goes into the research which exists on many levels. You can get expertise from scholars but I wanted real voices of ordinary Indians. I’d phone people and ask for help. Everyone helped because they take pride in their culture. In Mathura, the Krishna Leela play was rained off when we were to shoot, so we returned later. It was 47 degrees — so ferociously hot that our bare feet burned on the temple floor — but they did the play again for us.

Britain’s colonial perspective long dominated Indian history books; now, the BJP is rewriting history. How did you steer clear of such false extremes?

It was difficult for a white middle-class Brit of my generation who comes with baggage. The pressure of filmmaking is intense, so when you stand back, you think, I should have done this or that…but history does not always go in a straight line. I wish I’d covered the Marathas and Shivaji to balance the emphasis on the Mughals which came out of colonial writing. But the cultural battles of Akbar and Dara Shikoh have relevance today. What Barack Obama says about relations between Islam and the West will be interesting, but what Akbar said about Islam could only have come out of India’s pluralism. The Mughals’ heroic attempts to reconcile great human issues has a lesson for today.

How is reporting history on TV different from writing a book?

It’s a different process, television simplifies, it’s a medium for showing, not for argument. The difficulty is to tell stories in a simplified way, to select stories that have resonance for the whole historical process. In a book, you can qualify your remarks, spend pages talking about the Aryans, discuss the pros and cons. Television audiences want to be taken on a journey, not down academic pathways. The challenge is to balance credibility and accuracy with entertainment. That’s why I film contemporary culture and try to relate it to the past. The audience’s imagination connects today’s people to their past. The people of Kerala or Tamil Nadu, for example, are too educated to wallow in the past, their past coexists with daily life. Tamil Nadu is the world’s last surviving classical civilisation.

What do you mean by “classical civilisation”?

One that’s 2,000 years old like ancient Greece or Rome. Tamil is the last living classical Indian language. The first surviving work in Tamil, a 300 B.C book on linguistics, refers to an already existing culture. Tamil is older than any modern European language. I wanted to remind Western-centric audiences, who implicitly assume the superiority of Western modes of thought, that Tamil is one of 23 official Indian languages, with a literature comparable to any in the West. It makes viewers sit up and question their assumptions.


What was your most amazing or memorable Indian discovery?

I had many incredible experiences over the years…in 1987, we took our kids to the Kumbh Mela and stayed with Tamil friends in a tent with 24 million people around. Then, Ram Leela at Ramnagar, Holi in Mathura, sailing on the Arabian Sea... I was knocked out by Patna, a fascinating imperial capital for centuries, I love Benares, I adore Peshawar…such an old city. The biggest surprise was Ayodhya, a historical place with its old, mixed Hindu-Muslim culture which still survives despite what happened there, it was haunting.

What did you come away with finally?

This wasn’t just a job, it was a great life experience. The best was the people of India — helping wherever we went. Obviously, there are drawbacks to traditional culture — injustices of the caste system, untouchability, what happens to women so often. But I felt things changing. It’s been only 60 years since the British left India — in a terrible state.

It’s not for us to criticise India for being unable to modify its age-old legacy. The beauty, complexity, richness and pluralism of traditional India in all its myriad forms are unique. Global culture is taking root everywhere now, I came away feeling that India’s the only place that has incorporated the modern without rejecting the old. That makes it a rich experience to be there. Change is coming fast, and inevitably. There’s poignancy in that. But I have no doubt that India will continue to incorporate its past into the present

Medicine's greatest loss yet!!!

Nagesh is no more!!!!


The spontaneous comedian who sent viewers into peals of laughter with his superb timing and body language, for the last few decades is no more!!! If Laughter is medicine, then the new generation would be deprived of one of the all time best drugs... Sure, there can never be any replacement to this wonder drug called Nagesh!!! Any new drug that would hit the market in future can only be considered mediocre when compared to the Nagesh drug that soothened the hearts and mind people for the past 50 years...


The real name of this comdey genius is Gundu Rao born to Kannada Brahmin Family in 1933. He acted in over 1000 films made in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannad