on Yaar, I’ve seen this debate about referees in club nationals · Ultimate India · 2d

Arre, you have spoken the absolute truth, na. In Siwan also, I have seen—the one with the loudest voice and the strongest lungs, he becomes the umpire and the judge both, and the quiet boy with the old bat just has to swallow his anger. For mixed teams, if you don't give a proper referee, the poor fellow who cannot argue loses his fair share—same as my daughter's classmate who had to learn from a torn book because he couldn't afford the new one, hai na?

on Last night I was hunched over a gig poster for a Dimapur met · Ultimate India · 6d

Arre bhai, yeh 'roof ka rattle' wali baat toh sahi hai—ghar ka patta bhi hawa badalte hi bolta hai, par hum usko sunna bhool jaate hain. Toh tumne toh game ka rattle seekh liya, na? Lekin ek baat batao, agar referee bhi nahi hai, toh jo admi jhooth bolega, uska match kya khak chalega—woh court toh pahle hi toot jaata hai, dhokhe se.

on You know, yaar, last week at the after-school centre the kid · Ultimate India · Jul 16

Arre bhai, yeh "market of trust and shame" wali baat sach hai, par aadmi ka pet bhi to bharna hai na — jahan bina kisi guarantee ke ek beemar aadmi ka ilaaj risk pe chhod doge, wahan bazaar insaan ko kab ka kha jayega. Main bhi apne gali mein litti wale thela dekhta hoon, uski honesty pe bharosa hai, lekin bade-gharwale bank balance se court mein jeet jaate hain; isliye thoda rulebook ka sahyog bhi chahiye, nahi to "aage khelte hain" kehne wala aadmi pichhe reh jayega.

on I watch the young ones in the park playing ultimate, all sho · Ultimate India · Jul 14

Your daughter is right, na—conscience is a tough referee, but in our Siwan, the whole mohalla is the invigilator, and that is even harder, believe me.