Dugout and Primaries

1

I love cricket. I like to waste time by watching cricket, even though the results many not be in line with what I want or like. Indian cricket fans know that. Team India will lose when we expect them to win; the team will win when we expect them to lose. Just like the lives of millions in this "developing" country and also the "Next Big Thing" in the world, we are used to frustration.

Usually, the teams had the dressing room where the team, next batsmen, coach, and the 12th man used to sit and watch the game. But, somehow T20 heralded the arrival of a new term to cricket: Dugout.

On checking at M-W.com, Dugout is "either of two low shelters on either side of and facing a baseball diamond that contain the players' benches." The key thing is "baseball". Yeah, baseball.

With T20, cricket is or resembles baseball. Because, here, in T20, what matters is over the top ecstasy. Whether the batsmen can hit the maximum number of balls out of the ground. So, just like weekends in the US, we have a game that resembles baseball. It is called T20 cricket. Naturally, baseball jargon has to be imported into cricket.

So, the bench in cricket became dugout. There is a pleasure in saying that word. Dugout.

By sensitizing us with Dugout, we are happy. We have become modern.

2

Yesterday, the election commission of India announced elections for the 16th Lok Sabha. On nine separate days starting from April 7, 814 crore people are expected to vote. The Members of Parliament that get elected will decide upon a Prime Minister who will lead a cabinet of ministers.

We just elect our Members of Legislative Assemblies at the state level, and the Members of Parliament for the centre. The voters are the same here.

We simply don't have Primaries as in the US. In India, most of the political parties do not hold an election to select candidates to run for public office. Parties discuss and announce their candidates. There is no provision in the Constitution for Primaries.

But for the media, there are Primaries in India. That is, after years of research and observation, the media in India has concluded that the absence of Primaries is the real problem with Indian democracy. Primaries is the panacea for corruption, nepotism, cronyism, criminals as lawmakers, and other stuff so characteristic of developing world democracies.

So, let us enjoy the invasion of "Primaries" into Indian media lexicon.