Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Free laptops for Indian students) that appeared in Newsband

Free laptops for Indian students?High school students will be given free laptops? If this happens it will give a boost to our education system. This will end or narrow the divide between urban and rural areas as well as social groups. E-learning would also expand, improving the overall quality of education. This is the era of globalization and hence such innovative ideas need to be implemented if India has to be on par with the most developed countries in the world.
AIADMK of Tamil Nadu achieved assembly poll success by promising laptops for all students. Remember it was Tamil Nadu which had come with the midday meal scheme which later replicated in the rest of the country.
There are critics who say that there are many schools which run without blackboards, toilets, electricity and even adequate number of teachers. Education is the property of privileged, they say. They question as to how can laptops be provided to all students when there are major problems like those mentioned above left to be tackled?
But if we have to progress rapidly such innovative schemes need to be implemented urgently. Such schemes will buoy the learning skills of vast numbers of youngsters and augment their employability. Governments across India should not find it a problem to spend huge sums on laptops since it is already spending extremely huge amount on social welfare schemes. Laptops will upgrade students' skills. Also a fast-globalizing nation like India should place technology-aided education at the core of its developmental strategies.
Many political parties in UP and Punjab have promised free laptops for 11th and 12th standard students if they win the elections. But can they keep their promise, considering the high costs involved. If they succeed in keeping the promise, it will radically change the country's educational scenario.
Distributing laptops, which can contribute to efficient accessing of information and knowledge, is no doubt a good thing. But some experts say that providing of laptops to the students can considerably lower their levels of reading, writing and math skills. They question as to where large numbers of students are struggling to do basic math and constructing properly worded sentences, what use are laptops? Another question they ask is after a lot of money is spent on providing laptops to students, who will maintain those laptops, and who will provide appropriate educational software? The next question they ask is whether villages have electricity and the internet to power laptops?
It is true that introduction of such technology is possible only when there is a robust educational base. So it would be wise on the part of government if it first provided all the schools the minimum infrastructures like blackboards, toilets and enough teachers before doling out free laptops.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Internal purity is also important) that appeared in Newsband

Internal purity is also importantIt is not enough just to protect ourselves from infections and diseases. We indulge in good eating and clean living habits to prevent ourselves from catching diseases. We take care of our external cleanliness - but what about our inner cleanliness? Is it not out duty to keep our heart, mind and soul clean too?
We pick up so may negative vibrations from the external world that threatens to create negativities within us. They can make our minds and hearts impure. Hence it's our duty to create an immune system by which our sacred mind doesn't get polluted. The only way to achieve this goal is by overcoming jealousy, doubt and unnecessary desires.
We harbour within us both good and bad memories. We should not only blame others for our misfortunes but also give credit to them if they have helped us achieve some success. Also we must not always blame others for our misfortunes because there is possibility of we being personally responsible for our own misfortunes.
Sometimes ignorant people irk us. At such times we should display patience and not get upset. At the same time we must keep our minds open to accept the knowledge passed on by wise people. This way we can create positivity in both our minds and hearts.
We must prevent our children from absorbing negative vibrations since it is these negative elements that make them use abusive words and resort to violence. If these children are ignored at the early stage then their negativity can spread to the whole world when they grow up. This is how terrorism is born.
Hence the young ones must try their best to drop off all their negative traits one by one right from young age itself so that they grow up to become absolutely normal beings.
Thus it is not enough just to remove physical impurities. Getting rid of mental and emotional impurities is also a must. Only this can make us Divine.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Recent civil movements can influence next poll) that appeared in Newsband

Recent civil movements can influence next pollThose who question the role of civil society in India's battle against corruption should recall the words of US Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, one of the great reformers. "In a democracy," Justice Frankfurter said, "the highest office is the office of the citizen."
The government is elected to govern. If it does not, it will be voted out after five years. In the interim, it is the job of citizens, at whose behest the government discharges its constitutional obligations. Civil society globally has catalyzed great change. In the United States, Martin Luther King fought for and won civil rights for African-Americans. That was civil society at its best. In Egypt, civil society ended the 32-year, one-party dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. Civil society is leading change in Tunisia.
Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev would not have drawn nationwide support had the UPA government done the job it was elected to do. Corruption does not only corrode the foundations of our democracy but it gives birth to several other ills. A big part of taxpayers' funds meant for anti-poverty programmes do not reach the poor. A government deeply steeped in corrupt practices has little incentive to legislate a strong instutionalised anti-corruption body like the Lokpal.
The question that is commonly asked is should the prime minister come within the purview of the Lokpal? Yes: the prime minister as head of the government must welcome institutional scrutiny - as, for instance, US presidents routinely do - not evade it. Secondly, should the higher judiciary (high court and Supreme Court judges) fall within the purview of the Lokpal? No! In this case what needs to be done is forming of a judicial commission which would hear public complaints against senior judges.
There are moments in a government's life when the tide turns. That moment has arrived for this government. If you recall, the Emergency in 1975 had led to the end of 30 years of uninterrupted Congress governments; In 1987 when Swedish Radio first unveiled the The Bofors scam in 1987 it led to Rajiv Gandhi's 404-MP majority in the Lok Sabha getting reduced to less than 200. And, finally, in 1992 the Babri Masjid issue led to BJP-led NDA forming a government at the Centre. Baba Ramdev's constituency has rural farmers and OBCs, not all of them natural BJP supporters. Baba Ramdev is a Yadav himself. His movement will surely influence the 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and the next Lok Sabha poll. It could cost the Congress what it most fears losing: the power
Most politicians regard being in government not as an obligation to serve the citizen but to serve themselves. That is the saddest thing.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Are journalists safe in our country?) that appeared in Newsband

Are journalists safe in our country?A day after veteran investigative journalist Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead by killers on motorcycle in Mumbai, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday asked the Mumbai police to urgently complete the investigations into the murder.
Dey, who wrote under the byline 'J Dey', was Editor (Special Investigations) with the Mumbai and was shot in broad daylight at Powai on Saturday.
There has been much noise and fury about press freedom. 'We want a free press,' you hear the journalists cry, and surely that is an entirely reasonable request of any administration, in any civilized country. But what is meant by a free press? A journalist is expected to share the responsibility for establishing a civil and secure society. It does not give the journalists the right to be above the law and have the freedom to publish absolutely anything they want.
Press freedom carries with it an awesome responsibility, the responsibility to build a better society, not break it apart, to improve our knowledge, not fill the web and airwaves with lies and extremist nonsense. It is a responsibility that should be self imposed and self-regulated irrespective of any other legal requirements and treated as a great treasure to be protected and fought for.
Real news is an unembellished factual reporting of events, no more and no less. An opinion piece is based on the factual reporting of events overlaid with a hopefully erudite analysis of the implications of this news. It is often told from a particular view-point, but a properly edited opinion piece flags to the reader the particular bias of the writer, so you can intelligently distinguish fact from opinion.
Good journalism and reporting should be a quest to find out the facts by speaking to as many sources as possible, from all sides and angles of a story while also getting the news as quickly as possible to the public. Dey was a good journalist. He was diligent and responsible in his work, fair and balanced in his approach. He would do his job properly and professionally. Then why was he killed? His death gives rise to the question whether we really have the right environment for an entirely free press?

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Thanks to Anna and Baba) that appeared in Newsband

Thanks to Anna and Baba
Many wealthy persons in India have stashed away their money abroad to avoid taxes. That's the reason why Baba Ramdev had staged a protest. The central issue raised by the Baba was black money overseas. But the way he was evicted has given birth to new issue and that is why one has no right to protest in a democracy?
Money generated by income that has either not been taxed or through criminal means is called black money. It is become a habit for many wealthy people in India to siphon their money abroad and they hardly suffer from any sense of guilt. These people with foreign account say that taxes like income tax, wealth tax, building tax etc are unrealistically high. They could be right. An Economist has pointed out: "Necessary taxation is not theft. But there are margins at which taxation becomes difficult to distinguish from theft."
The best thing for the government to do is to charge lower taxes and allow people to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Now those who have sent out money only to carry out their legitimate business should not be confused with criminals who have siphoned out money. It is the latter that the government needs to target the corrupt politician, the bribe-seeking bureaucrat, the drugs dealer, etc.
But Indian laws are much more relaxed now. More people are paying taxes and smuggling of goods has fallen to negligible levels. This being the case, there is no reason for even businessmen to evade tax and siphon out their money to overseas tax havens.
However, no one likes to pay taxes. So with an easier tax regime there must be stronger enforcement. In the US, for instance, few take the risk of dodging taxes because the penalty is prohibitively high. The strongest enforcement should be directed against of course the criminal elements, and also against corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. This is because unless the hidden cost in the economy resulting from the need to pay bribes - is removed, it would be extremely difficult to root out black money.
Thus the battle against black money is a noble one. India should reach international pacts with countries like Switzerland, Mauritius Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man to keep a close tab on money being illegally routed there. And at home there should be proper financial intelligence to minimize tax evasion. There must also be a more effective anti-corruption law and a Lokpal that has teeth.
Both Anna and Baba have done a great job. Thanks to them!

Dinesh Kamath's Editrotials ('Strengthen Indian democracy' and other editorials) that appeared in Newsband

Strengthen Indian democracy
Hazare told the government: "We are the maliks, you are the sevaks."
Minister, of course, is Latin for servant. Sensing that the nation was increasingly outraged over corruption and nepotism, Rahul Gandhi told an election rally: "I am your naukar; you are my malik." It could have been Anna Hazare speaking.
Lokpal Bill is a powerful bill. First it provides power. A tough, independent Lokpal body will be a law unto itself - a super-cop or extra-constitutional prime minister's office. Removal - by the Supreme Court - of any Lokpal member, including the Lokpal himself, on specific charges of wrongdoing, is already part of the draft Jan Lokpal Bill. Second is the size. The proposed Lokpal has 11 members. Third is the mode of selection.. The Jan Lokpal draft Bill suggests "advertisements" to invite recommendations from the public of candidates of "unimpeachable integrity", followed by public feedback, vetting, videotaped interviews and so on. The process of selection must be as transparent and broad-based as possible. Fourth is the provision of police status. The draft Bill gives the Lokpal the power to issue search warrants. A better way forward would be to depute officers of the anti-corruption investigation department of the CBI to work under the Lokpal's direct control.
Lokpal can be the architecture of political reforms to improve governance. We need to make the CBI autonomous of the executive. Also there should be wide-ranging police reforms. The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill will also come up in the monsoon session of Parliament. For citizens, once the Bill is passed, justice will be swifter and fairer. Electoral reforms would then be the next milestone. A candidate facing criminal prosecution in a trial court should be barred from standing for election. This will filter out a majority of rogue candidates. We need to clean up our Parliament, our assemblies and other elected chambers. The modified Jan Lokpal Bill is one instrument to do that. An autonomous CBI is another. A strong, transparent judiciary is a third. A vigilant media and engaged civil society is a fourth. Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Right to Education (RTE) Act and now the Right to Food (RTF) Act and the Right to Recall are the other needs.
The right to recall an elected politician before his term ends should be made a fundamental democratic right.
Thus the Right to Recall along with the RTI, RTE and RTF are what is needed to strengthen Indian democracy. The Lokpal is the beginning of real change.

What's wrong with euthanasia?
What's wrong with passive euthanasia which means terminating the lives of the incurably ill who are no longer conscious or capable of acting on their own?
There was one case. A female was stricken by an irreversible and fatal disease that attacks the auto-immune system and for which there is no known cure. The diagnosis had been made too late to try alternative therapies which might have deferred the inevitable. The patient went into a coma and was taken to a hospital.
The moment she was admitted into the hospital, the patient, in effect, ceased to be a human individual with human attachments of family and loved ones and became instead the property of a team of medical specialists. No longer conscious of where she was or what was happening to her, she was put into an intensive care unit which no one could enter except those who were treating her. She could be seen through a glass pane, attached to mechanical devices which took over from her the business of existence: the breathing of the lungs, the beating of the heart, the circulation of blood, the intake of nutrition. She became a machine, linked to other machines.
Regular as clockwork the attendant team of specialists would look in on the patient. Literally look in. Open the door, look at her from the doorway, make a note on clipboards they were carrying and go away. It was a large team and day by day it seemed to get larger. They were a team of doctors who consisted of dietician, dermatologist etc.
Each time these specialists would look in on her, the visit would be put on the bill which was daily growing bigger.
The family was reasonably well off. But how long could they afford to keep the patient in the hospital? One month? Two? A year? There were other expenses to meet. Doesn't the patient in such a case deserve to undergo mercy killing or euthanasia?
Parliament should legislate on the ethics of euthanasia. A human being should not be allowed to exist like a vegetable. That's not ethical!

The state of our Parliament today
Following a Supreme Court ruling, the Election Commission has required since 2002 that all candidates contesting election to either House of Parliament or state legislature file an affidavit open for examination by the voters. The affidavit must furnish full information on the candidate's educational qualifications, assets, liabilities, past convictions or acquittals in criminal cases and any pending charges stemming from offences punishable with imprisonment for two or more years. The information so generated offers an unusual peek into the qualifications of those governing us.
Here are some fascinating facts about our leaders. Lok Sabha members enjoy a remarkably high level of intellectual accomplishment. Out of 543 members, 260 have post-graduate, higher or technical degrees. An additional 157 have undergraduate degrees. Thus, four in five members now have an undergraduate or higher degree.
To the credit of Indian democracy, education is not a barrier to entering politics. There were as many as 134 candidates with no formal education whatsoever who contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election. Though none won the election, five managed to score enough votes to be among the top four candidates in their respective constituencies. Furthermore, the current Lok Sabha does include 15 members with formal education not exceeding 5th grade.
Members of the current Lok Sabha are a wealthy lot. They are either multi millionaires or crorepatis. Those with minimal wealth do participate in elections in large numbers even though their success rate is low. Two out of every five candidates in the 2009 election had wealth below Rs 5 lakh. Of these, 14 won the election.
The shocking news is the presence of a large number of members with criminal cases pending against them in the parliament. The proportion of those with one or more criminal cases registered against them is 14% among candidates but 30% among the elected members. Thus, the victory rate is higher among the accused than among "clean" candidates. Detailed data show a steadily rising trend of victory rate as we move from groups of candidates with no accusations to those with a larger and larger number of cases registered against them.
The question is should uneducated, undereducated and criminal ones be allowed to be the members of such a sacred institution called Parliament?


We don't want criminals in our parliament
In our parliament, we have a large number of members with criminal cases pending against them. The proportion of those with one or more criminal cases registered against them is 14% among candidates but 30% among the elected members. Thus, the victory rate is higher among the accused than among "clean" candidates. Detailed data show a steadily rising trend of victory rate as we move from groups of candidates with no accusations to those with a larger and larger number of cases registered against them.
Why did so many candidates with serious criminal cases pending against them win the election? Probably in the constituencies they contested, all major candidates had such cases pending against them, thus, leaving the voters little choice. But there were cases where candidates with serious charges faced candidates with no charges whatsoever against them and yet they won.
The candidates facing serious criminal cases also happen to be wealthy. They can buy both social status and a ticket from a major party. In addition, these candidates have connections right till top.
If such candidates are given entry in the parliament they are bound to adopt policies that will prove to be detrimental to the national interest.
There is clear need for the media and NGOs to keep a close watch on such members of parliament lest they might do something that is against national interest. Candidates and members with serious criminal charges create a serious dilemma. Since they have committed crimes they must be barred from contesting elections. Even those who have charges of serious crimes made against them and whose cases are pending in the court should be barred from contesting elections.
As India moves towards global power status, it must undertake judicial, legal and electoral reforms that would resolve this key dilemma and pave the way for the emergence of a parliament with integrity that would command the respect of people at home and make us proud abroad.

Dinesh Kamath's editorial (Gandhian methods work in many places) that appeared in Newsband

Gandhian methods work in many placesWith almost the entire Arab world in turmoil and various non-Arab tyrants watching events in the Middle East warily, thoughtful people everywhere are trying to formulate answers to such questions. The debate is no longer so much between those who want violence and those who advocate a non-violent path. It revolves today around the idea of non-violent civil disobedience, its efficacy as a revolutionary tactic and whether it should have an expiry date. Inevitably, M K Gandhi's ideas figure prominently in the discussion.
The young revolutionaries of Egypt and Tunisia organised a tactically brilliant movement against a despot by using Twitter, Facebook and texting via mobile phones. They drew inspiration from many sources, including the tactics of Serbian youth who had mobilised against tyranny a decade ago by using the internet and the cell phone. Some reportedly drew ideas from an obscure, 83-year-old American academician, Gene Sharp, who has studied Gandhi closely and listed 198 methods of non-violence in his book, The Politics of Nonviolent Action.
It worked for them. But does non-violent civil disobedience work every time? Clearly not. It worked for Gandhi and the Indian nationalist movement even as it took decades to achieve its goal. It didn't work in Hungary in 1956, in Czechoslovakia in 1968, and in Tiananmen Square in 1989, where the authorities employed armed force to stifle the cry for democracy.
It worked in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s when, starting with Poland. Dictatorship after dictatorship collapsed after that
In short, there's no simple formula for revolutionary success through non-violent civil disobedience. What works in one society may not in another. But today it's increasingly apparent that non-violent resistance has acquired critical mass.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Happy New Year) that appeared in Newsband

Happy New Year
You should definitely look backward. But at the same time you should look forward too. You should look behind to get to know about both your success and failures. The past success will definitely boost your spirit. But failures should not depress you. You should learn from your failures. You should convert your past failures into future victories. To be mature is to dwell on the positive aspects of our lives and then dealing with the negative aspects in an effective manner.
To remain ever fresh we should choose the good, avoid what is evil and distance ourselves from what is not helpful. When we overcome difficulties and trials we automatically develop a kind of spiritual strength. Those who learn to live with a positive attitude and convert their weaknesses into strengths always remain fresh and young at hearts.
We mature with passage of time. We become less and less harsh as we grow up. That's the sign of maturity. As we grow older, we become more content and satisfied with what we have done so far. We become ready to take on other tasks and responsibilities. Wisdom and understanding comes with age. As we grow up we grow intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. We develop a discerning mind and spirit.
Some people find that prayers create a kind of life-giving force. Such people should not hesitate to pray everyday since prayers give them a feeling that they are face to face with the Divine.
We should transform and transcend our diminishments, frailties, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. We should not indulge in self-condemnation. Also we should not let guilt trips and regrets pull us down. Indulge in these negative exercises only if they help you become a more positive person. Otherwise, avoid them. There are occasions when we are positive in the sense that we are kind and helpful, considerate and empathetic. At other times we tend to be quite withdrawn and self-centred. Remember your positive moments and live them once again. Try to not let your negative moments repeat.
We are like the earth itself. The earth has crags, nooks and crannies, uneven turfs and barriers. But earth also has life-giving waters and springs, foliage and greenery. Man tries to develop the positive aspects of the earth and get rid of negative aspect for his own well-being. So concentrate on making the positive in yourself too to multiply and try to diminish the negative within you.
Every situation and circumstance in our life calls for an appropriate response. If we have a will, even struggles and hardships can be transformed into instruments of peace and success.
The end of a year is a good time to look back as well as prepare to look ahead, and resolve to transform past negativities to future positive opportunity that would make life more meaningful and cheerful rather than full of guilt, regrets and resentments. A new beginning brings with it freshness as it brings with it fresh hope and the promise of bright days ahead.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Rise of middle-class) that appeared in Newsband

Editorial
Rise of middle-class
There has been a considerable growth of global wealth and well-being over the past 200 years. In 1810, the nations of the world had low income and low life expectancy. Then came the industrial revolution and the nations of the West surged upward and to the right as they got richer and healthier. By 1948, it was a race, with the United States out front and the other nations of the world stretched in a long tail behind.
Over the last few decades, the social structure of the world has changed. The Asian and Latin American countries have begun to catch up. With the exception of the African nations, living standards in the world have started to rise. Now most of the countries are quite prosperous, thanks to the incredible reductions in global poverty and improvements in health.
The Unites States is the only major nation today and it calls the shot. The US is indeed defining itself not by its rank, but by its values. That's a good sign for the world as a whole. It is American policies that have resulted in the rise of a gigantic global middle class. In 2000, the World Bank classified 430 million people as middle class. By 2030, there will be about 1.5 billion. In India alone, the ranks of the middle class will swell from 50 million to 583 million.
To be middle class is to have money to spend on only necessities. It also involves a shift in values. Middle-class parents have fewer kids but spend more time and money cultivating each one. They often adopt the middle-class values like emphasizing industry, prudence, ambition, neatness, order, moderation and continual self-improvement. They teach their children to lead different lives from their own, and unleash a relentless spirit of improvement and openness that alters every ancient institution.
Over the next few decades, a lot of people are going to get rich selling education, self-help and mobility tools to the surging global middle-class. The United States will have to continue playing a distinct role in the world. In fact, American culture was built on the notion of middle-class dignity. That's the reason why the US attracts those students, immigrants and entrepreneurs who belong to middle class.
India too, like America, should celebrate and define middle-class values. We will have to do a better job of nurturing our own middle class. We have to cater to every nook and cranny of the middle-class lifestyle. We should learn from the rise of America as the most super nation. We should realize that it was not capitalism but middle-class values that gave birth to modern America. This is a middle-class century, thanks to America!

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Live - don't just exist) that appeared in Newsband

Editorial
Live - don't just exist
The same nature made human beings and animals. There are some things common in both human beings and animals. But there are great differences too between the two. One major difference is that human beings have a well-developed mind. No animal has so developed a mind. With the help of this mind, human beings are able to go inside themselves, discover their potentials and their capacities. It is the developed mind that enables a human being to organize his or her life.
Primitive man lived in the jungle, ate fruits and nuts, like animal. But the moment he became aware of his developed mind he realized how different and how lucky he was from all other animals. The man who was living in the jungle started changing and with this awareness he reached the level where we are now.
There are some people who use their minds to just maintain themselves. Life is to live, not just to maintain. We have not come into this world just to exist. We are supposed to live life fully. Schools and colleges only teach us how to maintain ourselves. But we have to learn the art of living all by ourselves. There is no school which teaches how to smile, how to organize our emotions, how to work with our minds. We are supposed to explore on our own that side of life which our education institutions didn't make us aware about.
Real living is loving and searching for peace and harmony. When you just exist, there is no love, peace, harmony, joy or bliss. There is only struggle. We are always worried about losing. When we decide to live, we become wise. Every problem has a solution. The solutions of inner problems also lie inside. All we need to do is show patience while trying to discover the solutions to our problems.
Ask yourself whether you want to live a better life or not, whether you want to know more about yourself or not, whether you want to derive full enjoyment out of this life or not. If your answer is 'Yes' then you automatically start living. Don't live a life with ignorance. Live with awareness, with knowledge. Only then can you derive the full benefit out of this human life which you are lucky to get from nature. In other words, live - don't just exist.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (East or West - Sachin is the best) that appeared in Newsband

Editorial
East or West - Sachin is the best
Immediately after Sachin scored his 50th Test century, the cricket pundits asked the question whether Sachin was the greatest or was he only second best to the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. But a true lover of cricket should disapprove of this comparison simply because such a comparison has little basis and it cannot or should not be encouraged for it does a disservice to both these legends.
Comparing Sachin and Donald Bradman is like comparing Pele and Maradona in Football, Fischer and Spassky in Chess, Messi and Ronaldo in Football, Sampras and Agassi in Lawn Tennis, Muhamad Ali and Joe Frazier in Boxing and so on. It is also like comparing Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, Kamal Hassan and Rajinikant, Hema Malini and Rekha in Indian Films. These debates add to the aura of the star, increase their brand value and encourage literature that accords these icons immortality. There cannot be conclusive answer as to who is the greatest. These comparisons are just fodder for a fan's fantasy.
The day when Sachin scored his 50th test century can be compared with the day when the 100-metre race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics turned out to be the race of the century because it pitted two of the best of all times, Lewis and Johnson. This race had captured world attention and millions, with no connection with these two men, tuned on to watch them in action.
Sachin has actually played over 1300 days of international cricket, a statistic which can make any contemporary sportsman develop inferiority complex. Sachin also boasts of having scored 32.000 international runs and 96 international centuries and taken 100 plus catches. Also he has been in the limelight continuously for 21 years. Sachin has achieved something which the cricket world has never before seen and will not perhaps see again in the next few decades.
When India had played at Lord's in 2007, hundreds of MCC members had turned up to watch Sachin score a century. They wanted Sachin to get his name up on the Lord's honour board, something which even Sir Donald Bradman wouldn't have experienced in his career. Sachin cannot be compared with anyone since he has performed an impossible feat. Sachin has given his fans incredible joy with feats of incredible brilliance. He is the only cricketer who gets a standing ovation every time he steps out to bat on an Australian field. That proves that Sachin is the best, whether in East or West!