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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst...

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst into laughter as Meloni jokingly referred to the "Melody" toffee while showcasing the gift. The hashtag "Melodi", a blend of Modi and Meloni's names, was coined by the Italian prime minister during the COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media following the warm interactions between the two leaders at global events. Modi, who arrived in Rome on Tuesday, is on the final leg of his five-nation tour to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from May 15-20. Modi’s gift not only floored the social media, but also earned gushing gratitude from the manufacturer of the sweet candy, Parle Products, in Vile Parle, Mumbai. “Thank You. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for taking Parle Melody to the global stage. A proud moment for all of us at Parle Products to see an Indian favourite being shared across borders,” said a social media post from @ParleFamily, a 97-year-old company. Parle Products describes Melody: “Parle Melody brings to you an irresistible layer of caramel on the outside & a delightful chocolate filling inside. Open & pop it in your mouth & relish the unique experience. It won't be too long before you start asking yourself the age-old question "Melody Itni Chocolaty Kyun Hai?”.” Cong Attacks Modi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders also attacked Modi saying he continues his PR even when the economy is suffering. However, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of "hating India" and refusing to tolerate the "global respect" the country has garnered under Modi's leadership. Gandhi, who is on a visit to his constituency Raebareli and Amethi, said on X, "This isn't leadership, it's a gimmick." At a time farmers, labourers, traders and others in the country are all in tears, the prime minister is laughing and making reels while BJP folks are clapping along, the former Congress president said in his post in Hindi. "An economic storm is raging over our heads, and our prime minister is busy handing out candies in Italy!" he said. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Modi over issues of "rising" prices, unemployment, paper leaks, "dampening" investment and "sinking" Rupee, saying the prime minister continues his PR even as the economy is suffering. Shares turn sweet but the company was mistaken Shares of Parle Industries Ltd saw frenzied buying on Wednesday, surging five per cent to hit the upper circuit limit after Meloni posted the video. Investors wasted no time and flocked to the counter to buy the stock. Shares of the firm jumped to Rs 5.25 - the highest trading permissible limit for the day - on the BSE. On volume terms, 8.57 lakh shares of the firm were traded on the BSE during the day. But, there is a catch! Investors mistook Parle Industries for the maker of Melody toffees. Parle Products, the FMCG major, is the manufacturer of Melody toffees and is not listed on the stock exchanges. Parle Industries Ltd is a diversified commercial services provider, engaged in the business of infrastructure & real estate, and paper, waste paper and allied products. The history of swadeshi toffee is entwined with the country’s Independence and the company, House of Parle was founded in 1928 by Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan, a tailor from Pardi near Valsad, then part of the Bombay Province. As the country was flooded with imported sweets and confectionery, he decided to give it a ‘desi’ touch and flavour, and with a band of 12 workers, he launched the Parle products from a musty old warehouse near Vile Parle east station, when large parts areas of Vile Parle west were still marshes dotted with a few old bungalows and chawls. Later, he visited Germany to master the art of confectionery and returned with machinery worth Rs 60,000 to churn out simple sweets, toffees and locally flavoured Indian confections at affordable prices – willy-nilly challenging the imported British offerings. It was in 1983 that the chocolate Melody toffee. -WITH PTI

Cash Cricket

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

The IPL mega auction, once a mechanism for building teams, has evolved into an unapologetic display of cricket’s commercialization. Recently, the gavel fell in Jeddah with a record-shattering bid for Rishabh Pant, sold to Lucknow Super Giants for Rs. 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in the league’s history. Pant’s price tag eclipsed the earlier record set moments before when Punjab Kings shelled out Rs. 26.75 crore for Shreyas Iyer. The spectacle reeked not of cricketing merit but of a bidding frenzy where franchises flexed their financial muscles in pursuit of stardom.


The sums are staggering. On the first day alone, franchises spent Rs. 467.95 crore to buy 72 players, making millionaires of many in mere minutes. Auctions have always been a highlight of the IPL, but their evolution from modest beginnings to today’s theatrical extravaganza reflects a profound shift in cricket’s priorities.


While the IPL’s defenders tout its global appeal and revenue-generating prowess, the league’s relentless commercialization has cast a long shadow over cricket’s purist format—Test cricket. Test matches now seem like an afterthought to many players brought up in the T20 era. Young cricketers, seduced by the financial windfall of IPL contracts, are increasingly prioritizing the shorter format, often at the expense of mastering the techniques that are the bedrock of Test cricket. Batsmen struggle to build long innings, bowlers are optimized for death overs rather than endurance, and fielding techniques are tailored for acrobatic catches rather than consistent precision.


The rise of cricket mercenaries—players who hop between leagues for the highest bidder—has further eroded the sport’s traditional ethos. Consider the careers of players like Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, who excelled as globe-trotting T20 stars but left only fleeting legacies in Tests. Even promising talents from cricketing powerhouses such as India, Australia and England now risk being pigeonholed as T20 specialists.


Historically, cricket’s icons were defined by their exploits in the longest format. Test cricket-built legends, honing skills that translated into true greatness. Today’s players often find themselves at the mercy of IPL schedules, sacrificing preparatory time for bilateral Test series or domestic tournaments. Even fitness regimens are adapted for the high-octane demands of T20 cricket.


Some argue that the IPL has democratized cricket, enabling players from small towns to share dressing rooms with international stars. While this is true, the league’s structure perpetuates a mercenary mindset. The very auction that enriches players also ensures their loyalty is to franchises, not cricket boards or national teams. The IPL’s triumph is cricket’s tragedy. By reducing the sport to a glittering spectacle of cash and celebrity, it has turned cricketers into commodities. While the IPL may have enriched careers, it has impoverished cricket’s soul.

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