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Journalism of Courage
Fnally, when all others failed, it required Navjot Singh Sidhu to turn to political analysis. For Sidhu, the transformation from cricket commentator to political pundit was easy. 8216;8216;I may know less politics and even less cricket, but who can stop me from talking? You know empty vessels make the most sound. But look at Vajpayee. He is playing blind man8217;s bluff.8217;8217;
8216;8216;What does that mean?8217;8217; I asked.
8216;8216;But Musharraf is a Mohajir, not a Punjabi,8217;8217; I pointed out. 8216;8216;Either way Musharraf is our enemy and right now the choicest Punjabi abuses would have set him right. I wish Kapil paaji or Madan pra were our foreign minister. They knew how to hit the enemy where it hurts. Grain by grain, the hen fills its belly. Feather by feather, the goose is plucked.8221; 8216;8216;Don8217;t get personal about Vajpayee being overweight,8217;8217; I argued.
8216;8216;No. I am talking about the way he is beating around Bush in New York and about how Musharraf is scoring points. You can8217;t shake hands with blood on your hands but8230; Bush called Musharraf a special ally in New York, made him a special guest at a dinner and even kissed him on both cheeks.
8216;8216;That8217;s for appearances,8217;8217; I argued, 8216;8216;Vajpayee has repeated that not even once did Bush say talk to Pakistan, something he used to do all the time.8217;8217;
8216;8216;Yes, the reason is that Bush knows which ball to hit and which to leave alone. Bush knows the pitch. It is smooth, like a gazelle. Musharraf is known for his googlies, but Vajpayee should learn from Ganguly. Saurav is a tiger but Vajpayee is a toothless one. The NDA is not like one team. Modi gets a pat from Advani, Vajpayee condemns Gujarat. Tell me, why blame anyone who calls them a bunch of jokers?8221;
8216;8216;But Dravid,8217;8217; I said, sounding just as well informed, 8216;8216;is Mr Consistent. Why can8217;t we make Advani, the Dravid of the NDA Government, the prime minister?8217;8217;
8216;8216;He should put his money where his mouth is,8217;8217; argued Sidhu, 8216;8216;Look at where Bush8217;s mouth is. His money is in Afghanistan thanks to oil, but his mouth is in Iraq. The US President is yet to find Osama but he wants to attack Iraq. You know, like in a one-day match, not only do you need balls but you also need to be in a mad rush, convinced that you will win even if you have actually lost.8217;8217;
8216;8216;But Bush8217;s Ground Zero anniversary celebrations were a stunning success,8217;8217; I argued. 8216;8216;That8217;s the point, but does anyone realise that in India, thanks to Rajdhani derailments, Kashmir violence, floods and earthquakes we have Ground Zeros every week but we do nothing about observing it,8217;8217; came the Sidhu clincher.
8216;8216;You mean these calamities could bring the nation together like the US did for Ground Zero?8217;8217; I asked, trying not to sound naive. 8216;8216;My father always told me, for every zero, there is a hero8230;8221;
