0.6 The final

April 02, 2011 (Saturday) : The final

Two nations held their breaths. The morning newspaper started the day with an article “A Legend Bats For Ultimate Glory On Home Ground”. Anticipation is tantalizingly high in the run up to the big ICC world cup final which is now reduced to an all Asian affair between India and Sri Lanka. In the following hours, moods of the two nations are expected to swing as the fortunes of two teams will change on every delivery and every hit.

There was a piece of stark fact published yesterday, however, which had the potential to wreck up the bonhomie and feel good factor in the coming decade. India’s population count stands at 1210 million, almost adding one Brazil in the last decade. When one visits Delhi or Mumbai, then the impact of population is all too visible. One, however, always wonders whether there are enough resources to support the economic empowerment of so many Indians. On an average, there are about 370 people per square kilometer.

Thankfully, the pace of population growth has slowed down in comparison to the previous decade. The magnitude of absolute number is, however, mind boggling. Will the prevailing economic model be adequate to handle this mammoth population, when socio-political ambitions of Indians will be fueled by new mediums of information exchange like Facebook, Twitter and like? Does our political class have a blue print to cope up with this gigantic task? The sheer mathematics attached to the figure of 1210 million people will drive prices of commodities like crude, coal and copper reaching the crescendo of unimaginable levels. Even if half of Indian families had the semblance of human existence, then what will be the crude price? If you add 1300 million of China, then the impact on economy based on growth model will be simply unsustainable.

Meanwhile, the ICC final cricket match has commenced but the start by Sri Lanka who elected to bat first is subdued from the yardstick of expectations created. The final is, however, a nerve game and proceedings are expected to be cautious and subdued. The two nations have actually come to a standstill. There is hardly any traffic on the roads in two countries.

Cricket is the only unifying factor in Indian life. Indians tend to generally differ strongly (also irrationally) with fellow Indians on all other issues, but hardly on cricket. On this subject, there is an understanding - notwithstanding the difference of language, cast and creed. Sachin Tendulakar, the legendary batsman, is also an iconic Indian in this context. Much against the might of local politicians, he had mustered the courage to emphasize that he is first an Indian before being a Marathi. It was indeed a bold statement in the backdrop of usual sectarian and divisive provocations by the regional politicians.

One can also experience the sheer joy of driving on Cricketing days in places like Delhi and Mumbai. On any other day including Sunday, however, the width of all these roads miraculously shrinks by half and driving becomes a curse in life. This changed environment also provides opportunity to see certain facets of life here, which are not clearly seen on busy days. At the Pusa Road Cross Section in Central Delhi, one can spot innocent toddlers running around aimlessly at the turf of the roundabout. However, when counted, there may be as many as 10 homeless toddlers under the sun in that small space. Probably, it explains the number of 1210 million and the population density of 36000 per kilometer reported in some part of the city. Population count can indeed be deceptive.