#WPL
The occasion is historic and no one is leaving any stone unturned to get people to tune in and turn up. This is no less than the BCCI announcement of equal pay for men and women cricketers. WPL will in fact grow the following for the game and grow the game among women, leading to parity on following that will justify the parity on pay. A step forward in invoking equity, to achieve equality. Let’s celebrate this by making time to watch a few matches. Fewer teams and a shorter tournament than the IPL make this actually more interesting. WPL is going to be worth the long wait. And some of the promotional extensions like RCB’s Hustle are quite interesting and useful.
#Kailasa
Applications are now invited for free e-citizenship to the United States of Kailasa. Its ‘Permanent Ambassador’ and other representatives made their presence felt at two UN events in Geneva, reveal reports and the “country’s” founder Nithyananda’s social media posts. There is no point in fighting this insanely ridiculous yet brilliant orchestration of the virtual and the real, to create a nation in the minds of people of a faith. Just enjoy the show while it lasts.
#NorthEastElections
Okay, it was just three states in the North East, so the # can be said to be misleading. Let’s preempt that and move on. Elections are a good time for news channels. They were good for viewers too, until recently. There is news (election results) on the basis of which discussions happen and agendas are driven – rather than discussions built around agendas themselves. Going by what we saw on the day of the union budget and the coverage of these elections, one feels there is scope for a channel or two to stand out amid the noise. If winners do not behave like losers, things could be better for viewers.
#WuhanLab
The lab leak theory on Covid19’s origins apparently is not just a theory. Donald Trump’s supporters are thumping their chests on Twitter and saying, ‘He told you so’. Truth or not, I’m waiting for a movie to be made on the subject – will be a work of fiction of course, with no resemblance to individuals, diseases and countries intended. Will certainly be a gripping watch, whether or not one bases it on the lab leak theory. The ‘kahani main twist’ coming from Russian military intelligence on the virus being developed in Ukraine labs, is priceless.
#MahsaAmini
It is telling that among 12 of TIME Magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ is Iranian journalist based in the United States, Masih Alinejad. She was exiled in 2009 but as the magazine’s headline says: ‘Masih Alinejad won’t be silenced’. As the regime in Iran is accused of poisoning hundreds of schoolgirls across scores of schools with gas, she is amplifying their plight across the world. Other journalists are seeing this as an attempt to intimidate girls who joined the demonstrations and silence them. Something’s got to give.
(The author observes Tweets @Goks140)
