Cricket enzarzar excuse for India and Pakistan

New Delhi, Jan 30. - Demonstrations, protests against players of bilateral visits and suspensions are the faces of the latest controversy between India and Pakistan, following a boycott of the Indian Cricket League (IPL) against Pakistani players.
Cricket, undisputed "beautiful game" in South Asia, has served in the past to mend fences and to reduce bilateral tensions in both countries, which have atomic weapons and have fought several wars since independence from Britain in 1947.
But 't creek diplomacy "was torpedoed last week during the auction of players for the popular IPL, when none of the Pakistani criqueteros-proven quality, was selected by the Indian clubs.
"In any civil society should be a dialogue, and play cricket as part of the dialogue with Pakistan is important," the agency praised India IANS former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran during a visit to India.
The head of the IPL, Lalit Modi, was quick to deny any "conspiracy" and later the organization hinted that clubs do not bid up because they feared not have the players, because of bad relations between India and Pakistan.
But his explanation did not seem to convince dozens of Pakistanis protested in the streets of Lahore (east) and burned dolls with the figure of the now non grata commissioner, who is considered the real responsibility for what happened.
And, far from contributing as at present in the warming of bilateral relations, the boycott has crossed borders and has been sporting a new scuffle on the governments of Pakistan-pissed off by the "lack of respect" - and India.
"India or any other country that does not respect to Pakistan will be treated by us in the same way," said hot the interior minister, Rehman Malik, several Pakistani channels after learning the outcome of the auction league.
"If there is a desire to improve Indo-Pak friendship, we must pay respect to the Pakistani athletes," he added.
From India appeared Foreign Minister, SM Krishna, who said that the country granted visas to 17 players Pakistanis and said his government had "nothing to do with the IPL or the selection of players."
"I do not know why the IPL teams have done so. Cricket lovers are angry. It could have been avoided, "interjected the channel Timesnow Indian Minister of Interior, P. Chidambaram.
The new cricket controversy has hampered the prospects of a bilateral dialogue, and very weak after the terrorist attack in Mumbai in November 2008, attributed by India insurgent groups operating from Pakistan.
Following the auction of cricket, Pakistan has canceled the planned visit to India because of a parliamentary delegation, said the president of Pakistan Parliament, Fahmida Mirza, players were victims of a "planned conspiracy".
And the last possible-and odd-victim side of the controversy has been the book fair in New Delhi, which starts today in India's capital but without the presence of the National Book Foundation of Pakistan, which was picked up at the last minute.
On the boycott of cricket have spoken prominent writers and activists such as Pakistan Asma Jahangir, and, of course, Bollywood actors, the other great magnet for the masses of the subcontinent.
They have shown mildly in favor of the boycott Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta, actresses co-owners of two teams in the league, but has criticized another actor, Shah Rukh Khan, who incidentally has earned a boycott of the fundamentalist Hindus Shiv Sena training.
On one occasion and at the height of cricket diplomacy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, told the national parliament that nothing approaching both people of the subcontinent as his "love for cricket and Bollywood."
But New Delhi and Islamabad have been forced to split hairs these days not to break his curious dialogue channel on the tracks and let things, as stated by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, "are back along with the time. "

The "cheer-girls" hit the guardians of Indian morality

New Delhi, April 28, 2008. - The curves and sensual dances of the "cheer-leaders" of the new cricket league have caused social unrest in India, where conservatives are threatening to bring them to justice for his "vulgar" wiggles and have already achieved change their clothing.
"I do not understand the need to 'cheer-girls' parties in the (league) IPL. I'm not against new concepts, but are not prepared to calcutíes 'cheer-girls,' "said Subhas Chakraborty, Minister of Sports in the Bengal region of India, home of the" Knight Riders "in Calcutta.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought the arrival of a new phenomenon in India, with eight franchise teams have been inspired by American sports leagues not only to choose names and logos, but also to incorporate the spectacle of cheerleaders, came specifically from the United States.
His performances in skimpy clothes and sensual moves on the lawn of the stadiums have raised passions of various kinds both spectators and the "referees" of Indian morality, always alert to any threat to the traditions.
"So far the cricket was played in the field. But now, things are changing with the arrival of these girls who want to seduce the crowd. Cricket has lost its sanctity, "he said in an indignant publisher Bal Thackeray, who heads the hardline Shiv Sena party.
Although India's national sport is hockey, actually any country athlete competes in popularity and revenue with the stars of cricket, which until now focused its stake in the national teams and the rivalry with Pakistan.
Now, politicians and the radical communist or Thackeray Chakraborty agree that cricket is "degenerate" because do not know if viewers watch the game come to Delhi, Bombay or the movements of the cheerleaders.
"They are very pretty. To be honest, we are ardent fans of cricket. But today we saw not a single ball, "he said about these two followers of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, quoted by Indian media, coming out of a game.
Much of the press and commentators have been mobilized in support of the cheerleaders, saying they do their job and that does not really show much more meat than the dancing stars of popular Indian cinema, Bollywood.
"In the past decade, the movements in the dances of Indian films have immunized young people before any 'shock'. The sensual allure of actresses far exceeds what they can do the cheerleaders, "maintains the commentator Mayank Chhaya.
The 'cheer-leaders "are a notch in the battle that the most conservative Indians are against any hint of public sexuality, as already noted the actor Richard Gere, who, after achuchar in public Bollywood's colleague, was taken to the courts.
The "guardians" of morality have protested naked pictures militate against co-education, applauded the censorship of kissing and sex scenes in the small and big screen and now focus their anger on the cheerleading Yankees.
This new controversy has come to the domains of the Mumbai Police, which was positioned clear that, although not prohibit the parties would control the movements of the girls with a closed circuit television to monitor that there was "obscene."
For now, however, the Government has not issued any order prohibiting the show, so these seats continue to raise their Indian fans in the league, currently led by Chennai Super Kings.
"We can not prevent girls from entering the stadium are not criminals," said Sports Minister Bengali.
But as he elucidates the new moral crusade, the threat of police action seems to have had an effect on the time machine on the "Indianization" of the show.
"The Indianization means less skin (exposed)," explains the analyst Chhaya.
Under the watchful eyes of police officers, cheerleaders of Bombay have had to replace their plunging necklines on some T-shirts and blue lycra pants, and changed their sensual choreography for aerobic exercises.
To the disappointment of many Indian followers, girls cricket and now also become clogged and do not encourage themselves: now have at your side with "cheer-leaders" male.

Football reigns in Calcutta bites of lobster and shad

New Delhi, February 26, 2007. - The city of Calcutta has one of the oldest rivalries in Asia and rough, pitting supporters of Mohun Bagan football club, known as "lobster", with East Bengal (" shad "), with a smaller budget but passion so intense as in Europe and Americ a.
While in India cricket is the most popular sport and hockey is considered the national sport, football holds his scepter in the coastal areas of Kerala and Goa (west) and the region of Bengal (East), whose capital, Calcutta, are remeasured morning the two clubs.
"Cricket is the sport in India. But football is enthusiastic young people, especially those from the lower classes, that after every match is thrown into the streets to celebrate the triumphs of his team, "said Efe Gayatri Bhattacharyya sociology professor at the University of Calcutta.
In New Delhi, the organization Youth Football Association of India (IYSA, acronym in English), carries out projects to promote the sport among the smallest of the nation's capital, with attention also to those with fewer resources, through a street league.
"In our Little League play some 550 children over a period of seven months. And among them, there are about 60 to those who provide transport and equipment. We play every Sunday, "he told Efe IYSA secretary, Arup Das.
However, there is a world between the laudable efforts of NGOs such as the IYSA to promote the sport and passion of football unleashes masses in Calcutta around rojigualda colors of East Bengal, and green and purple of Mohun Bagan, which will meet again on Tuesday.
With deep marks of British colonization, India Calcutta is the city that feels more football, and many still listed as a national landmark building Mohun Bagan's victory against Yorkshire Regiment, a 2-1 in 1911 that considered the end of the primacy of English in the country (football, that is).
In the city, the fervent supporters of Mohun, founded in 1889, is proud that in Bengal had a Football League before there Barcelona or Real Madrid, but have little to celebrate if we analyze the clashes with the opposing team, the East Bengal Club.
The latter squad, knowing that statistics are favorable, includes on its website a comparison with the victories and defeats in clashes with rivals Mohun Bagan, which obviously kept quiet about it.
However, the Mohun Bagan, considered the oldest club in Asia, it boasts a track record longer than the East Bengal and counting in its ranks with "Ronaldinho" Indian, Baichung Bhutia, who leads the classification of the scorers against the eternal rival.
Each time there is a derby as the morning, some 120,000 spectators crammed calcutí of Saltlake Stadium in hopes that his team scores more goals than the opponent, to fill after massive street celebrations and celebrate a great feast of fish and seafood at home.
"Both teams have their own idiosyncrasies and gastronomy. The Mohun Bagan is identified with the lobster, and East Bengal with hilsa shad, a tropical fish. When Mohun wins, the fans go to the fishmonger to buy lobster. And if you win East Bengal, shad runs, "says Bhattacharyyia.
In the city, the more cautious and have bought their ration days before the match, because in Calcutta everyone knows, when Mohun Bagan faces the East Bengal, fish prices rise.