It was ‘Balle Balle’ from Australia to Amritsar. Our very own obnoxious little weed & his captain’s monkeys have demolished the Australian wild dogs and their sledging empire in the game of cricket. That was indeed a historic moment and cricket crazy people like us across the globe would surely remember it for a long… long… time.

Now let me take you to the future in my time machine. Let’s go to 2020, which is not far away.

Beep…beep… We are finally there!

Another young Indian cricketer is being targeted this time and history is repeating itself. Rohan Gavaskar and Aryan Shah Rukh Khan is in a commentary box and reminding the TV viewers that in the year 2008 one of the young Indian cricketers was called little obnoxious weed in the CWB Series and how he went about taking his revenge on the monkey and weed eating donkey and barking wild dogs of the opposition team!

Cut to one of those thousands of Indian TV News channel, which is showing a special program on cricket and playing some latest ‘Cheque De!’ song in the background and interviewing mothers of all cricketers, their kit handlers and even pitch curators. The questions are being asked about their sons’ performances on the field. Let’s look at one such interview…

“Good evening, Dudes!” My name is Pravin Kumar, but you can call me PK! What a victory it was! Mind Blowing! As you can see I am surrounded by fans of young Pajji and I have with me his sister, brother, chacha, chachi, taya, tayee, mama, mami, padosi, tinku, rinku, pinku and finally last but not the least his mother! Phew! Let’s ask her how she feels about this victory.

“Mam, millions of people are watching you on your news channel. Please tell us – how are you feeling on this victory?”

“I am really feeling great. I knew whatever the Australians were doing it to my son, my son was going to give it back to them with interest. I was sure that Pajji will get rid of crymonds and hay-donke”

“Okay, okay – now please tell our viewers that how did you prepare Pajji to become cricketer. I was told by one of his friends that he was very interested in hokey and not in cricket!”

“Yes, yes! Let me tell you the real story. Actually, you know what! When I was young, I was good looking and was working hard to become a news reporter or somehow show my face on to your Television news channel. I tried various things but unfortunately my bad luck never allowed me to come on TV. And then, one fine day I was watching your channel while cooking ‘mooli ka parantha’ for Pajji ke Dad, I saw mothers of all cricketers being interviewed by reporters like you. That day onwards, in order to fulfill my long cherished wish of coming on TV screen, maine maar maar ke maine mere obnoxious little weed Pajji to hockey se cricket khilwaya! And see today my dream has come true. He is also going to be auctioned for IPL, isse jyada mere liye khushi ka mauka kya hoga?!”

“Look, Charkha we got a great insight from Pajji’s Maa! This is PK signing off from your channel. Charkha – over to you!”

“BREAKING NEWS!”

“YOUR CHANNEL WAS INSTRUMENTAL BEHIND PAJJI BECOMING A CRICKETER”

“PAJJI’S MOTHER ADMITS THAT YOUR CHANNEL MOTIVATED HER TO BEAT PAJJI AND CONVERT HIM TO CRICKET FROM HOKEY”

“YOUR CHANNEL PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN INDIA’S VICTORY”

C’mon guys! Future is not going to be any different than it is today. What were you hoping that ‘your news channel’ is going to talk about the real issues you face as a normal human being? When the real Indian tigers are being killed in our jungles they are talking about our cricketing tigers, who roar only once in a while? High hopes! The whole behavior of media, especially the news channels is so naïve that, one can not decide whether to cry or laugh. In the frenzy of such news, they don’t talk about real issues and real heroes who are braving the snow-clad Himalayan mountain range at Indo-china-pak borders!

What is the future of media?

I would like my readers to give me answers.

Give me an answer, whether we will see some sensible journalism in future or continue to see Bollywood style news shows?

Give me an answer, whether we will see a fair and unbiased reporting or even after spending precious time and money talking personally to a journalist, going to see the same press release which you gave out to him/her with few references to competition in the next day’s newspaper?

Give me an answer, whether ‘Tatvas’ and ‘Fatwas’ will not rob us of the ‘PRatva’ we have as of today under the disguise of not so ‘private treaties’!

Hain koi jawab tumhare paas?

Lekin bhai…Mere pass Maa hain!!

PS: Can we have a niche channel focusing only on mothers of cricketers?

What an Idea!! Dr. Roy? Mr. Bahl? Mr. Jain? - wanna fund? I have a solid business plan and few upcoming mothers too.