Down With The Men In Blue - II

Down With The Men In Blue - II

Rajan replies (19/02/2003):

10 QUESTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE OF INDIA

I read with much consternation, dismay and disgust - but hardly withoutmuch surprise - the reprehensible conduct of our countrymen followingIndia's abject surrender to the Australians in the World Cup tie atCenturion, South Africa. Burning effigies, throwing black paint on Mohd Kaif's house andshouting slogans against the Indian captain. All across India, within aspace of just two matches, we have behaved like a banana republic, anover-sensitive, highly reactionary country with a false sense ofsuperiority.

This has become trademark Indian behaviour - petulant, peevish and puerile senselessness. I am so glad the Aussie tie did not happen in anyof the Indian grounds; imagine the mayhem and madness that wouldaccompany an Indian catastrophe? Who will forget our patheticdemonstrations of our love forcricket, at the famed Eden Gardens on the dark night of the semi-finalsagainst Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup? Or the infantile response recently when the West Indies surprised us in the ODIs in India?

Quite simply, we have become a country without inspirational idols, andare therefore desperately seeking refuge in the cricketing heroes. Inthe field of entertainment, politics, fashion, music, social affairs andthe like, we have not discovered that magic touch, those magneticpersonalities thatmake us want to see more of them. Those we believe in. Those we trust.Cricket and sports has that unique combination of high profile celebritysuper-achievers and a deluge of patriotic sentiment. It is anintoxicating cocktail. No wonder we behave like a puppy with two tails when India wins. And then we cry like kindergarten kids whose candy accidentally fell offwhen India loses. Come now, Sir, let's grow up. All this talk about the'natural reaction' is humdrum and hollow at best. I pose 10 questions to all of us, and will respectfully publish your answers, whether you agree with me or otherwise:

1) Do you really believe that Sourav Ganguly & Co are happy that theyare losing?

2) Do you sometimes have a lean trot at your work or at your club levelgame or in your personal life, which lasts longer than you would like itto? And this despite your trying your best to overcome it?

3) If at the end of two matches, one which India has won, and one whichit has lost to Australia (who are incidentally favorites to win theWorld Cup, and perhaps one of the greatest teams ever in the modern day cricketing world) if we are to lose heart so early and easily, aren't wethe biggest "losers " of all ourselves? Who are we to blame our cricketers fordeveloping a 'loser' mind-set?

4) Do you give India 0% chance of winning the World Cup after the defeat against Australia? If you have even an iota of faith in your team,should you be whining, cursing and complaining all the time?

5) Why do you grudge your players their product endorsements, andcommercial rights to earn their living? Unlike the majority of us whohave a regular secure long-term occupations, they have a limited span ofcareer (often cut short by injury - look at Jonty Rhodes, or form,selection politics,others, a la Shane Warne) to make their life earnings. And everyone does not become a TV commentator or a columnist. Would you give up your right to earn a legitimate income when you are being offered the same on asilver platter? Is being rich and successful a crime?

6) Hasn't the same Indian team, with a similar team composition, done usproud right until the disastrous tour of New Zealand? Everyone scoffedand sniggered at the West Indies sometime back and look how happeningthey suddenly look? Don't we have the maturity to understand thevolatilities andslumps and plateaus that can happen to both form and performance at anygiven time? Is losing a cardinal sin? How about discussing the amazingskills of the Aussies and the sunny spirit of the Dutch?

7) Do we appreciate the way the South African public is handling theirdisappointment so far, hosts and favorites, and yet facing the prospectof not making it to the Super Six? It's easy to say that they haveplayed good cricket but a loss is still a loss. By the way, the Indiansunder MohdAzharuddin were playing outstanding cricket too (in fact, they had justearlier played a phenomenal game to beat Pakistan in Bangalore) but wewere so unforgiving when they lost to the Sri Lankans, and that too inthe semi-finals? So where do we draw the line between sanity and senility?

8) Are you aware of the fact that the Brazilian team was not even likelyto qualify for the World Cup in soccer, but eventually ended up winningit last year? In the last cricket World Cup, Australia came back fromthe abysmal dumps to win seven matches in a row to win the title whenthe were facingthe prospect of an early elimination? Remember the Pakistan victory in1992? Or at best, our own in 1983? Do you then concur that a difficultbeginning often prepares you for tougher matches at a later stage?9) When you are going through a bad patch, what encourages and motivatesyou? Someone who humiliates you further, rubs salt into your wounds,castigates you incessantly, and reminds you of the consequences of yourfailure? Or someone who tells you to move on, and inspires you tobelieve in yourabilities, and to treat every failure as a stepping-stone to furthersuccess? And that finally it is a sport - a game - and a gentleman's game at that - even today. What do you think is the Indian teamexpecting from us when they are perceptibly struggling?

10) Should the team bounce back and put up a great show, will those ofus who have accused them of self-profiteering, deliberate intent tolose, and all sorts of uncharitable remarks, seek to compensate them forthe same? Will the same people go to Mohd Kaif's house and paint itwhite again? Will westart doing a victory procession after every match to express oursolidarity for the team? Or will we suddenly become the next biggestturn coats in town, and say, "They are playing better because of thepressures they knew we were giving them" ???

Ladies and gentlemen, the Indian cricket team needs us now. Our support.Our encouragement. Our motivation.
ps : As for boycotting the products endorsed by our cricketers.. i fully support ankur(only for the colas)... lets try having a refreshing glass of chilled water for a change.