"Hamara Bajaj"

Try asking an average Indian about the origins of a Scooter. Though the correct answer would be Western Europe most Indians would reply Saying "Bajaj". That is how synonymous "Bajaj" become with the term motor Scooters. For generations, people referred to scooters as Bajaj. At its peak they were the symbol of ultimate acquisition. People would wait 6 months to an year for a Bajaj scooter, sometimes paying twice the market price to jump the queue. More often than not, prospective In-laws would ask the bride's family for a "Bajaj" in dowry. Many a girls would have fallen to the charms of the Oh-so-handsome guy who rode the Bajaj. They provided the perfect means of transportation for an average family, 2 adults and 3 minors. Men cared more about their Bajaj scooters than they care about their shiny cars. Learning how to ride them granted boys passage into manhood, and of course the title of the random errand guy around the house.


Some of the credit for Bajaj becoming such a symbol should certainly go to Lintas (Lowe - Lintas) now. A sort of a Benchmark campaign it symbolized the new face of India. "Hamara Bajaj" - the term encompassed a huge target audience . Whether the consumer or not it did lead to a very strong association with India. "Hamara Bharat" for once took a back seat for the whole country was overwhelmed by "Hamara Bajaj". Hamara Bajaj was a symbol of an India that was emerging of people that were traditional and yet modern, of a social idea called India that which was un parallel. If John Abraham is the poster boy for bikes, Amol Palekar on his way to the ration shop was the abiding scooter role model.


Bajaj with help of its landmark product helped capture the complex reality of the existence of India. If we try making the Indian Middle class into a product chances are it would be as the Bajaj Scooter. t had space to squeeze in a full family, a place to carry vegetables, a dickey to store sundry needs of the family- in short, it seemed safe because it catered to the all those stable, worldly things that made a man a "responsible" person. In days Hero Honda was coming out with "Fill it and Shut it Bikes" the scooter with its all covered up blandness , smaller wheel size and zero masculine ambitions carried around an so called "Air of Safety" . It had to be kicked incessantly, aggressive at first gradually pleadingly, it had to be tilted in the middle of the road for allowing the fuel to start flowing, the spark plug needed more cleaning than a Lee En field Rifle. But then for the middle class, living such frugal lives that even buying a fridge occasioned family summits , buying a scooter was the realization of a fantasy and "Bajaj" allowed "Middle India" to live this fantasy. Though being Restrained, repressed it meant mobility. It made shopping, getting to work, dropping children off at school and visiting relatives possible. Moreover, its price was, with some tightening of belts, just about within their reach.


With the advent of India's economic boom in the mid-1990s, the lifestyle of the middle class changed beyond recognition. With money to spend for the first time in decades, the old austerity went, replaced by a culture of consumerism and instant gratification. Scooters began to look like relics of a bygone era of deprivation. Bajaj was one of the casualties of the new prosperity though not for long as the success of the Pulsar has been good if not comparable to the heights of the Chetak. But then for most of the Indian middle class who did use the scooter celebrated the functionality of motorized mobility. At a time when we coped with scarcity with heartbreaking dignity, the Bajaj scooter was our imperfect solution. With the Bajaj scooter gone, we have lost a vital part of our connection with our sense of our own middle class-ness. It is not just Hamara Bajaj that is gone, but a reference point to our idealized way of life that is no more.

Sehwag - Version 2.0

Over the years since Sehwag has been playing cricket and the onces I have spent lapping it up the best way to enjoy Sehwag's brilliance is not to expect anything from him at all. But then that is the beauty of Sehwag's brilliance that we expect him to score of every opportunity. We expect him to be that “Rampaging Marauder” every time he walks out to bat. According to Dhoni Sehwag has got the “license to thrill”. Leave behind the 20/20 or the ODI formats, Sehwags strike rate in tests is above 70, he averages 53 in all tests played till date and right now he is by far the most “prolific BIG match player” in cricket right now (his scores are a proof to that). What is far more outstanding is none of his big hundreds are against any minnows. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa his appetite for runs comes mostly against the big teams.

He has dismantled Ntini, Pollock and Kallis on Debut, slammed a certain Ajanta Mendis to submission (currently dropped due to lack of form), a few years back he belted 2 hundred in the “Grassy Banks” in New Zealand where our esteemed BIG FOUR could not even manage 4 altogether. His form went away in the mid of 2007 and thus subsequently dropped but then he came back against the Australians in Australia He grappled at first looking more like a “Delhi Halwai” but the runs came. He missed, got beat, hit but still managed some good scores. And then suddenly like having a enhanced “Quad Core” processor out came Sehwag Version 2.0. The appetite for runs were as big as ever but along with it came a calm head. Its hard for him to shed his “Marauding Pirate” image but this new one wasn't like the image of a “Mocambo Khush Hua” types, this image was more of the slick, uber cool “Jonney Depp” ones.

Purists will argue about the fact of his greatness. He smiles when he misses a ball, laughs when he mis hits and is completely unconcerned whether he gets out on 0 or 293. Where is the anguish of a missed opportunity slipped by ? Rather once out he seems to eager to get back to the dressing room as if there are “Jalebis” beckoning. Where is that “Thrall or even Whiff” of so called “Greatness” ?

But then Sehwag doesn't walk out the the pitch in chase of greatness. His idea of playing cricket is plain and simple. The “Game Dekho, Balla Ghoomao” strategy might be mind boggling to others but then Sehwag choose to succeed in his own terms rather follow any coaching manual. He chooses to to be a dominator and tries to induce a fear factor in the mind of the bowlers. Only he can make Shoiab Akhtar reduced to bowling gentle medium pace, last week Murali came down from world class to club class in no time. Another fact about Sehwag is that he is a game changer. England learn t harsh lessons last year and Sri Lanka in the recently concluded series. Sehwag could have easily scored a decent hundred and remained not out but then this is not what you expect from a man who hits his first 3 deliveries of a new tour for sixes. Of course there would be failures and his way of domination might result in throwing his wicket away, but then that is Sehwag and there is no better reason or rationale behind it. Responsibility and Sehwag seldom go hand in hand but then with such a game changer amidst the team why burden him with “Responsibility”.

Any of Sehwag's innings are always characterized by the words “destructive”, “explosive” etc. but then what we miss to see and express is that Sehwag is a true genius. The Nawab of Najafgarh is probably the best batsman in the world today. Sorry Grame Smith you may disagree with a certain AB to showcase but then AB does not even come close to Sehwag in mind of the the audacious shot making concerned and leave alone the fact of being a game changer. The only player right now who could get near to Sehwag on comparison is Kevin Pieterson but then he needs to keep his mind on cricket rather than concentrating dancing with his model wife. Yes there has been shades of Flintoffs brilliance in the summer of 2005 sadly his knee gave away (Briton needs to shed its chubby image), Ponting has been brilliant all summer, winter even spring but still I place Sehwag above all for the sheer audacity of his stroke play. He might not be a languid Sachin or a flowing Laxman, he might not be as consistent as Ponting nor would he have the grit or determination of Dravid. But then the above names are virtual gods in the field, their technique immaculate their back lift perfect concentration not wavering even once. Sehwag on the other hand would walk down to the pitch as if taking a stroll in Najafgarh, he would play his shots as if swatting flies. Sehwag makes batting look SIMPLE. He dismantles bowling attacks with the ease of ordering pizza. 30 minutes is all it takes, for the pizza to arrive or for Sehwag to finish off a match. More over the millions of fans who cry out his name can symbolize themselves to being more Sehwag than Sachin or Ponting. Ridiculous it might seem but Sehwags way of playing cricket is much like the “Gully Cricket” played in the sub continent. There is no need of footwork a decent hand eye co ordination would do, with 5 overs to play for hit is all one can do and bowlers who are they, they are there so that we can belt the ball. What Sehwag has in abundance is the gift of perfect hand eye co ordination not to mention a very still head too. But what is even more surprising is the power he generates. Creaming the ball is not meant for Sehwag he bludgeons it. The message is clear, Balls are meant to be put in the STANDS.

In Flow or not Sehwag does not allow one to expect it. He just plays audacious shots, very often ludicrous ones too, but at the heart of them you will find a unique quality: felicity and there lies his greatness. Sachin wont miss a delivery and then try reverse sweeping the next one beside the keeper, Sehwag just might. And then suddenly against the run of play he might just get out meekly at a half volley or a full toss. A few days back at the verge of history he popped a catch back to Murali and just walked away. A lesser person would have played it safe but then that was Sehwag, “Aaj Nahin to Phir Kabhi”.

If Sehwag Version 1.0 was brilliant, Sehwag Version 2 has been simply mesmeric. But then this is only possible as his team supports him in his way of going about with his style of batting. Asking Sehwag to cut down on taking risks and be more responsible is like having James Bond drink Haywards 5000 instead of Dom Perigion 53 and making him drive a Fiat Padmini rather an Aston Martin.

So for the sake of the millions who flock the grounds and cram in front of 14 inch TV sets to get a glimpse of one more audacious shot let Sehwag play the way he knows the best, his team knows and understands this let us give him the space too. Let him wander off unconcerned if he gets out at 0 or misses an opportunity to book his name in history, he is best paying this way and deserves all the right to do so.