PM invites allies to dinner amid Third Front chatter, Rahul is abroad

New Delhi:  One of the big challenges for the Congress in the new budget session that has begun today will be keeping its flock together - a flock that has increasingly appeared headed in different political directions. Mamata Banerjee, in particular, has been reported to be straying towards enemy lines. She has also often accused the Congress of taking allies like her for granted, and of not consulting them before announcing big-ticket policy changes.

The Prime Minister will host a dinner tomorrow night to build unity and perhaps more importantly, morale. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is likely to attend. Her son, Rahul, who accepted the responsibility for the Congress' horror story in the UP elections has travelled abroad. It is expected to be an al fresco affair at 7 Race Course Road, catered to by the ITDC, which runs Delhi's five-star Ashoka Hotel.

Since the Congress' whipping in the elections in Punjab and UP, the speculation about a Third Front that would include Ms Banerjee has reached fever pitch. Parties like Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Naveen Patnaik's BJD have reportedly begun coveting Ms Banerjee's political support as leaders have begun contemplating the possibility of early general elections. Today, however, Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar and high on the most-wanted list for a Third Front said he does not believe mid-term polls will take place.

Ms Banerjee was invited by the Akalis to the swearing-in of their government in Punjab. She was also asked to attend Akhilesh Yadav's swearing-in as chief minister of UP. After initially indicating that she would go to both ceremonies, her party said that because the Assembly session in West Bwngal begins this week. Ms Banerjee will remain in Kolkata but will send representatives to Lucknow and Chandigarh. Her changed itinerary followed a warning from the Congress which spelled out its displeasure. Allies are expected not to cross the "Lakshman Rekha," said the Congress.

If Ms Banerjee and her 19 MPs decide to exit the UPA - she has repeatedly said that's not on her agenda - the Congress could look for more support to Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose 22 MPs have often bailed out the government by voting with the Congress on key matters.  But his total sweep of UP has gifted Mr Yadav and his young son, Akhilesh, much cachet and leverage.  Akhilesh said today that talk of a Third Front is "a good thing."

The Congress also has to contend with partners like the DMK who have vowed to reject any policy or legislation that violates federalism or the authority of state governments. 

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Rahul Dravid's superstitions and his moment of anger

New Delhi: Rahul Dravid's wife, Vijeeta, always kept a low-profile and played the role of his support system to perfection, but when he chose to call it a day, she revealed how cricket shaped up his life.

In her tribute column for ESPNcricinfo, Vijeeta said: "I am his wife, not a fan, and the reason I am writing this is to give you an insight into the role cricket has played in his life, and to take that in for myself at the end of his 16-year international career."

"Just after we got married, I remember him saying to me that he hoped to play for 'the next three or four years', and that he would need me there to support him in that time. Now that he has retired, I think: 'Not bad. We've done far better than the three or four years we thought about in May 2003'," she said.

Vijeeta also wrote at length about how Rahul prepared for his match. "Cricket has been the centre of Rahul's world and his approach to every season and series has been consistent in all the time we have been married. Methodical, thoughtful and very, very organised. When I travelled with him for the first time, in Australia in 2003-04, I began to notice how he would prepare for games - the importance of routines, and his obsession with shadow practice at odd hours of day or night. I found that weird. Once, I actually thought he was sleepwalking," she wrote.

Vijeeta revealed that on match days, Rahul wanted his space and his silence. He didn't like being rushed, not for the bus, not to the crease.

She also disclosed the superstitious side of Rahul. "Like all players, Rahul has his superstitions. He doesn't try a new bat out for a series, and puts his right thigh pad on first. Last year before the Lord's Test, he made sure to sit in the same space Tillakaratne Dilshan had occupied in the visitors' dressing room when he scored nearly a double-hundred earlier in the season. Rahul scored his first hundred at Lord's in that game," she revealed.

No cricket fan as ever seen Monk-like Dravid lose his cool, but Vijeeta said that though only dropped catches upset him, he once got angry because the team lost badly. "Only once, I remember, he returned from a Test and said, 'I got a bit angry today. I lost my temper. Shouldn't have done that.' He wouldn't say more. Many months later, Viru (Sehwag) told me that he'd actually thrown a chair after a defeat to England in Mumbai. He'd thrown the chair, Viru said, not because the team had lost but because they had lost very badly."

She said cricket has made Dravid a person that he is. "Cricket has made Rahul who he is, and I can say that he was able to get the absolute maximum out of his abilities as an international cricketer."

"What next for him? I know he likes his routine and he's in a good zone when he is in his routine, so we will have to create one at home for him. Getting the groceries could be part of that. A cup of tea in the morning for his wife would be a lovely bonus, I would think, particularly now that he doesn't have to take off for the gym or for training at the KSCA at the crack of dawn," she said.

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Wherever Rahul Gandhi goes, Congress loses: Sukhbir Singh Badal

Chandigarh:  For the first time in the last forty years, Punjab gave a second consecutive term to a party in power. Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal will take oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab for a fifth time on March 14. Today, his son Sukhbir Singh Badal taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi said he will encourage the Congress General Secretary to campaign more.
"Wherever Rahul Gandhi goes, Congress loses...we will encourage him to campaign more," said the SAD president.
The Congress, in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul had turned the revival of his party into his personal mission, could only add six seats to its earlier total of 22. The added insult comes from Rae Bareli and Amethi - the constituencies of Mr Gandhi and his mother - where the Congress took just two of the 10 assembly seats at stake. Priyanka Gandhi had campaigned extensively in this area and had promised her mother publicly that she would deliver all 10 seats.
Not just UP, Punjab was a disaster for the Congress too. The Congress, which had hoped that the anti-incumbency habit in the state would push it into government, was, however, left with just 46 out of 117 seats. The Congress candidate for chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, had predicted his party would defeat the Akalis. He won his seat, but his son, Raninder Singh, lost his constituency.
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Full Text: Rahul Dravid's retirement speech

Bangalore: Here is the complete speech made by Rahul Dravid who announced his retirement from Tests and first-class cricket.
I would like to announce my retirement from international and domestic first-class cricket. It has been 16 years since I first played a Test match for India, and I feel it's time for me to move on. Once I was like every other boy in India, with a dream of playing for my country. Yet I could never have imagined a journey so long and so fulfilling. I have had a wonderful time, but now it is time for a new generation of young players to make their own history and take the Indian cricket team even further. (Also see: 'A totally selfless cricketer'; former players hail Rahul Dravid | Time for youngsters to make new history: Rahul Dravid)
No dream is ever chased alone. As I look back, as one does at such a time, I have many people to thank for supporting me, teaching me and believing in me.
My junior coaches in Bangalore and at various junior national camps inculcated in me a powerful love of the game which has always stayed with me.
My coaches at the international level have added to my craft and helped shape my personality. They pushed me and challenged me to keep getting better. The physios and trainers worked hard to keep me fit -- not an easy job -- and allowed me to play late into my 30s.
The selectors who rarely receive any credit in India had, on occasions, more confidence in me than I had in myself and I am grateful for that. The various captains I played under offered me guidance and inspired me.
The media has been kind to me, and I have respect for their craft.
The KSCA and BCCI have provided me a platform and the facilities to play the game.
But most of all, I have to thank the teams I played with. I know what I am going to miss the most is being part of a unit. The joy of bonding together and striving to achieve a goal is what made cricket special for me. I was lucky in my early years to play for a Karnataka team which was trying to forge itself into a strong side and they were years of fun and learning.
In the Indian team, I was fortunate to be part of a wonderful era when India played some of its finest cricket at home and abroad. Many of my teammates have become legends, not just in India but in the wider cricketing world. I admired them, learnt from them and I leave the game with wonderful memories and strong friendships. It is a great gift to have.
A career in sport is almost impossible to manage without the support, guidance, and reassurance of family and friends. During tough times -- and there have been many -- they are the ones we go to. I found strength and encouragement from my parents (Sharad and Pushpa ) and brother (Vijay) and they created around me a positive environment which was essential to my success.
My wife, Vijeeta, has been a remarkable partner in my journey. She has made sacrifices in her own career and has almost been a single parent bringing up our children alone as I travelled abroad to play. Whenever challenges appeared, she was always there, as sounding board, as ally and as guide. Being away from my family became harder and harder through the years and I look forward now to spending time at home and doing the simple things, like just taking my sons (Samit and Anvay) to school.
Finally, I would like to thank the Indian cricket fan, both here and across the world. The game is lucky to have you and I have been lucky to play before you. To represent India, and thus to represent you, has been a privilege and one which I have always taken seriously. My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity, and it was about upholding the spirit of the game. I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride.
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What Indian youngsters learnt from Rahul Dravid

During Rahul Dravid's retirement announcement, one of the main questions asked was about filling the void in India's middle order with a worthy replacement. Dravid, stopping short of identifying his successors, replied, "I think there is a huge group of players that can be better than Rahul Dravid." However, MS Dhoni cautioned that it would be unadvisable for them to strictly focus on emulating Dravid, as it could put them under tremendous pressure and hence impede their growth. ESPNcricinfo asked four young Indian batsmen, on the fringes, what they've learnt from Dravid
Cheteshwar Pujara

I was 20 or 21. He was playing for Karnataka against Saurashtra in Rajkot. He is one of my idols. I just wanted to ask him that if I wanted to play at the international level, what should I do and how can I improve myself.
He was very happy to talk to me. He was very friendly. He told me he had heard a lot about me scoring in domestic cricket and he was really impressed with that. When you hear from a big player, that he has heard a bit about you, it is very nice. After that, he gave me a few tips about succeeding at the top level.
If it is similar to your game, it is easier to communicate and even he can understand my mentality, what I am thinking and how I can improve. Because he has gone through this stage many years back, he can understand a youngster's psychology.
(One thing you would take from Dravid's game) I would say his positive attitude towards the game. A bowler has to work really hard to get his wicket. That quality I admire a lot because even I don't like to get out.
In the Durban Test, I played a pull shot and got out. He saw that and when I asked him what went wrong, he told me to play my normal game. He had seen me play in the Ranji Trophy and said that normally you don't play those kinds of shots. "It is not your strength. You should play to your strength. The ball was skidding off the wicket and the bounce was so high you can't control the shot."
Ajinkya Rahane
He showed us how important your wicket is and to value it always. Another thing about him is how humble he always is on and off the field. That quality really stands out. I had made 165 and 98 in the 2008-09 Duleep Trophy final in Chennai against South Zone. He [Dravid] was part of that side. I wanted to go and ask him about my batting but was feeling hesitant about approaching such a big player. Instead, he himself came up to me and told me that I was doing well and needed to continue playing the way I had been playing.
He also told me that I belonged to the international level and would play for India soon. He asked me to develop more confidence in my batting which is so important at the highest level. To have my idol, who I had grown up watching, reposing so much faith in me was a huge thing. I have had the privilege of sharing two dressing rooms with him - India and Rajasthan Royals.
Abhinav Mukund
He is a very, very meticulous man. He is very careful about all the cricketing gear in his kit bag. It is all in order. It is never out of place. I saw it when I started playing alongside Dravid. He was just next to me and you could see all the pairs of gloves arranged neatly in one row. You could see the bats in one corner. You would never see things out of place. He is a man of order, I think. He is known for his professionalism and his ethics so it comes alongside his character.
There was one game where the ball flicked his shoelaces and he got out in England. You could notice the next day that he had changed his shoelaces and tucked them in deep. When you say that the man leaves nothing to chance, that is the biggest example of that.
He has definitely been very approachable. He is known to be a very quiet man but once you approach him, once you start talking to him, he keeps talking to you.
[One thing you would take from Dravid's game] Temperament. Ability to fight it out in the middle. Ability to prove to himself and to others that he can do it and he can do it outside the country. I think the biggest example would have been the tours of West Indies and England where he got four hundreds in seven Tests. The ability to prove people wrong again and again.

Rohit Sharma
I've learnt quite a lot from him. The first thing is putting a price on your wicket. Secondly, no matter what condition and situation you are batting in, never give up. Just be there, feel the heat, feel the pressure. That is when your true character shows. He showed us that. That is the biggest thing I learnt from him.
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Rahul Bose to direct again!

By Hindustan Times

Mumbai, March. 6 -- Eleven years after his directorial debut, Everybody Says I'm Fine (2001), Rahul Bose gears up to go behind the camera again. After a decade of trying to raise funds, he's finally found a producer in Mahesh Bhupathi and Lara Dutta's Big Daddy Productions, with Anurag Kashyap jumping on board as co-producer. The film is an adaptation of Mohsin Hamid's novel Moth Smoke (2001) that was New York Times' 'Notable Book of the Year'.

"I read it 10 years ago and have lived with it for eight years," says Rahul, admitting the first draft was written six years ago and since then has been rewritten 15 times. "Preparations have been in-depth and the insecurity that every firsttime director goes through will be considerably less this time. Even our Indian technicians are more settled today, and with the producers being on the same page, I feel happy and safe with my international arthouse movie."

The film flags off on November 1, and Rahul plans to complete the shoot by the year-end, on location in Patiala, Delhi and Mumbai. "It'll be ready by March. We'll miss Berlin, but we should be able to showcase it at Cannes," he says, and is planning to tour with it to all the major festivals, including Sundance, Venice and Toronto.

Mira Nair's Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), based on Mohsin's other cult novel, should be out by then as well. Rahul, who was recently honoured with an award for National Integration by the Maharana of Mewar Foundation, earlier bagged by the Dalai Lama, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Shashi Tharoor and Teesta Setalvad, agrees that 2012 will be a memorable year.

"I started it with the Equations sports auction that raised over R1 crore for my charity, went on to bag an award at a time when there was an exaggerated sense of division between castes, religions and geographical communities, and should be finished with Moth Smoke by the year end," he says.

Prod him on his choice of Moth Smoke, and he says he was drawn by the madness, passion, sadness and subterranean eroticism running through the novel about a fatal and all-consuming love. So will he act in it? He laughs, "I want to, but the director doesn't want to cast me even though I've told him I'd be available for the casting couch."

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