JULY EDITION
T20 WORLD CUP
It was June 2013, more than a decade ago, when the visuals of Ashwin bowling that infamous last over in Cardiff, during the rain-affected Champions Trophy final, were celebrated. It was a young Indian side that made a bold statement, marking the beginning of a golden era. Since then, India has been one of the most consistent teams, always making it to the final stages of ICC tournaments but falling just short of victory. The 2015, 2019, and 2023 ODI World Cups; the 2014, 2016, 2021, and 2022 T20 World Cups; the 2017 Champions Trophy; and the two World Test Championship finals have all told the same story: so close yet so far.
The 2023 World Cup shattered the hearts of millions of Indians. Unbeaten throughout the tournament, India lost only in the final, leaving fans speechless. Everything that could possibly go wrong happened on that fateful day. But six months later, under the same captain and coach, the Indian team made history by winning its fourth ICC trophy. The brand of cricket India has been playing is remarkable, sticking to their game plan and template till the end.
This World Cup is special for many reasons. Each player has endured so much in the past few months and came back with a bang. Rishab Pant returned from a life-threatening accident, Virat Kohli went from a rough patch to be the man of the final, and Hardik Pandya, who faced vindication and hate during the IPL, bowled the last over in the final and played a crucial role in India’s victory. If I ever meet Jasprit Bumrah, I would shake his hand to see if he is human; he is just too good and is by far the greatest fast bowler from India to grace the sport. Each player on this team has a story of struggle, and today they are world champions, ending the trophy drought in Indian cricket. This is a relief for a fan like me after countless heartbreaks.
It would not be fair if I didn’t mention the leader of the pack, Rohit Sharma. He has been tactically brilliant and has led by example, playing selfless cricket and creating an atmosphere where fans feel included. He deserved it, and his celebration showed how much it meant to him. Another important figure on the field is Rahul Dravid, the man from our city, Bengaluru. Life has come full circle for him, from being humiliated in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean to winning one in the same country as a coach. Surprisingly, Dravid never won a World Cup as a player, but he won it as a coach in his last game. Good things happen to great people. As a coach, he has won the U19 World Cup and the T20 World Cup, taking Indian cricket to greater glory.
This World Cup feels personal. Every time I come across videos on social media, I tear up. This World Cup marks the end of an era, with stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja calling it a day. I couldn’t thank them enough for being my childhood heroes and inspiring a generation of cricketers. Now that the jinx is broken, let’s hope and pray India goes on a spree of winning big tournaments.
Unity in Extravagance
A typical Indian wedding conjures up images of vibrant colours, outrageously loud music and joyous dancing, doesn’t it? The ladies are adorned in beautiful jewellery and dressed in their best, most colourful sarees, while the men are in suits and sherwanis. The festivities, usually spanning a week, include intricate ceremonies that beautifully showcase the cultural heritage of the families.
For the last few months, Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has been grabbing the spotlight in India with his son’s grandiose wedding celebrations having the entire nation captivated. Ever since the pre-wedding parties, which kicked off in March, the Ambani family has been the talk of the town and a conversation starter everywhere.
This lavish wedding had multiple perceptions. Some admired the extravagance as a sign of success and India’s capacity to organize such a large-scale celebration; others applauded it as a demonstration of the country’s growing economic state. Some saw it as an unnecessary display of wealth in a country where poverty remains a significant issue, highlighting the disparities between the wealthy and the impoverished and raising concerns about the social obligations of the rich in addressing poverty. From a cultural perspective, many people valued the preservation of the deep roots of Indian culture and tradition, the extensive media coverage enabled the world to see and learn more about Indian customs.
Ultimately, we must remember that this extravagant wedding created jobs for a large number of people, supporting the expansion of the Indian hospitality industry and encouraging others to take on similar high-profile events. This wedding also featured numerous Indian designers and artisanal firms, serving as a source of inspiration for aspiring designers. The presence of A-list celebrities and people recognized as the global elite hinted at the expansion of the Indian market. On a lighter note, who doesn’t enjoy some glitz and glamour? The Ambani wedding not only celebrated a union but also highlighted India’s rich cultural legacy and the limitless potential that lies ahead.
The Legal Renaissance: India’s Journey from IPC to BNS
Avnu 420 (He’s a 420) – a Kannada slang used to describe a person who acts dubiously, referring to section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Similarly, “The government has imposed section 144” was commonly used during bandhs, riots, etc., when the union and state governments, to maintain law and order, prohibit the assembly of five or more people at a place. I used the word “was” because, on the 1st of July, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act were declared null and void, in simple terms, they were scrapped.
The colonial-era laws inherited by Independent India were made to be punitive in nature—that is, being very punishment-oriented rather than solving the crime itself. These colonial laws did not address the systemic causes that pushed people to commit crimes. Legal voices across the spectrum agree that legal reforms are needed in the Indian legal system, which we inherited from the British. The country is going through a wave of decoloniality, and this is a step towards that. Society is changing rapidly, and so is the nature of crimes and criminals, so criminal laws need to be updated to keep pace with changing trends. Criminal laws are very important as they direct the moral arc of a nation.
On the 1st of July, the IPC was replaced with the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Act that defines what a crime is and the punishment for it. It is pertinent to note that there are punishments such as social service for petty offenses. The CrPC has been replaced with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which establishes the framework within which various functionaries operate to uphold justice. Keeping up with the times, there is a provision for filing an e-FIR (First Information Report) and alternatives to arrest, such as a security bond (appearing before the magistrate every week). The Indian Evidence Act has been replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which defines what evidence is admissible in a court of law. It is important to note that this law classifies electronic devices as documents, making them admissible in court.
This blog by no means intends to cover all the changes in the Indian legal system, as they are vast. Instead, it aims to keep the common citizen informed of the changes happening around them. This blog merely serves to motivate citizens to research and discuss more and be socially aware of the changes taking place.
