By Siddhant Vora
We have to ensure that our pictures are spun into the web of national life, that they sculpt and reflect the real India. But how have the people of India entertained themselves, or rather entertained the world? The India which was meant to be a culmination of secularism and hence its derived cultures served on one platter seems a distant bourgeois concept. One which was expected to present the world with a constructive entertaining and illuminating display now has been shammed to be a mere joke.
1983 was the year when Indias victory in the cricket world cup coincided with the spread of satellite television and while much of the intrinsic attention drawn to the sport was nationalistic, even the world regarded India as an achiever. But glory fades soon and everything we have been proud of bounces back haunting us for we cannot refrain from being the sentimentally driven country we are. Shrewd diplomacy and crafty negotiations have crept into the sport of once demigods portraying our incompetent humiliation as entertainment to the world. 67 Kashmiri students from a university in Uttar Pradesh were sent back to their home for celebrating the recent win of Pakistan over India. It has been reported that they cheered for the homeland they think they belong to and jeered the nation they derive their education from. Kashmir is a state whose identity is globally shroud in imbroglio and is hence officially maintained by more than one deserving nation.
The issue we deal with here is not whether Indias sovereignty has been insulted or not! Our matter of contention is that a skilled industry with the prime purpose of providing the people an archaic loosening, pride and healthy competition is being marred. Culture and sports have been motivated to knit communities, not consume them. An outfit our respected leaders, like V.Shantaram had dreamt of is now being reduced to banal mockery.
This is not the first case of such foolhardy. When India defeated Pakistan in the world cup of 2003, there were celebrations all around. People in Bangalore were seen bursting crackers, whooping in joy, shouting out slogans of bharat mata ki jay. This could have been a good thing as it helped present India as one family having the same hopes, beliefs and indulgence. But the same was not the case in Ahmedabad where communal heat strived as many Hindus were driven by violent rage against a few Indians from a minority class who were accused of having cheered upon every Indian wicket fall. The imagery of this cesspool continues with its curious involvement in politics, especially before elections. When Mr.Atal Behari Vajpayee announced to be proud of the talent displayed by Kaif during the Pakistan tour and that Uttar Pradesh was elated to find a son in him, anon other parties and critics jumped at this being a political propaganda to drowse the Hindu chauvinistic attitude his party has developed. Now it may have been a well sought strategy, nonetheless, it could have been accepted as a humble attempt to acquiesce the extraordinary importance of this effective entertainment sports realm.
In a nutshell, we as Indians have too easily and light-heartedly approved the mark of communism as a part and parcel of our lives and inherently related everything around us to it. Sending the students back is not a solution. Instilling in them the spirit of oneness is a solution. Not letting a game disfigure our force is a necessary measure.
Siddhant Vora is an engineering student at MIT,Manipal pursuing the diverse field of Mechatronics. Being passionate about writing, seeking awareness and debates, it seems absurd to see the reluctance of few towards policy, law, economics and politics only because it does not concern their education domain. You may not be concerned, but these shall always concern you.