The Great Indian Cricket Tamasha

I was not a big fan of sports. However since  returning to India I have  developed an interest in cricket.Where possible I  watch the matches whenever  the Indian team is playing. Like all arm chair specialists I do not hesitate to give my opinion on the incompetence of a fielder or a batter, even though I haven't the foggiest of what is a leg bye or a mid off or the difference between a googly ( a Google derivative perhaps ?) or a doosra. Whenever the Indian team collapses during batting as it did recently ( although it eventually won the match) I express my doubt as to whether the match has been fixed ?

Having watched these matches for almost five years I have noticed the following :

- In the past cricket in India was a middle and upper class sport played in the elitist schools, but now with its popularity it is now a common man's sport with the players coming from a broad spectrum of backgrounds all across India.

- How the country unites ( no issues of  religion,  language,  regionalism - with the exception of the Shiv Sena occasionally playing the spoilsport) behind team India with Indian flags on shirts, faces, bodies leaving no doubt that it is a united India regardless of where the match is played.Bollywood movies  are perhaps the only other unifying events. Perhaps one should start a party consisting of only Bollywood actors and cricket players. In the South of course the movie players have been very successful in transitioning from movies to politics.

- The ascendance of the  Indian  team to the top rung of the cricket teams in the world. This is partly driven by the financial clout of the Board of Cricket Control of India ( BCCI) which was also responsible for the cricket league in India called the Indian Premier League which perhaps should be relaunched as a reality show  following the drama surrounding it over the last year and the rumored cash generated.

- The rise of the sports celebrity - particularly the cricket players who are now on par with the film stars and
  get large amounts for product endorsements, are seen at openings of new stores, walking the fashion ramp
  and of course on the society pages of the news papers.

- Of course in India you cannot have a good thing going without the politicians being involved, whether it is on the governing board or  at the various matches commanding the best seats.
....................................................................................................
 In yesterdays World Cup  semi-final between India and Pakistan, it was interesting to note the difference in style between the two captains . India's Dhoni was captain cool displaying no emotion during the pre-match or post match interviews or during the match itself. No signs of worry when things were not  going the Indian way or showing any feel good emotions when things started to fall in place for his team. Pakistan's Afridi on the other hand wore his heart of his sleeve on all occasions. During the match you could see him encouraging, advising, and occasionally reprimanding his team players when they did not perform. As it became evident that Pakistan was about to loose, you could see him trying to hold back his tears. Post match he was gracious towards his team and his opponents.
....................................................................................................
Generally I am not into adulation of sports persons or movie stars or any such persons. However I do make a exception for Sachin Tendulkar. If there is one person who stands out in terms of total commitment,team player, and all around decent person, I do not think there is any other sportsman who comes close to Sachin.
A few years ago when he was going through a bad patch I used to express my frustration and felt that it was time for him to make a exit. He had achieved most sports men would have hoped to achieve in a lifetime.I was wrong.

With his dedication he has come back stronger and better. He is the rock on which the Indian team stabilizes . Time and time again, when the rock stars of cricket, the Sehwags and the Yuvrajs let their egos take the better of their performance and let the team down, Tendulkar never lets that happen. In the semi-finals against Pakistan, you could see from his face that it was requiring quite a lot of effort on his part to make the singles but he hung in there. His modesty and humility is well known. Unlike  the old film star , who is way past his prime and who endorses anything from cement to hair oil , there are certain products which Tendulkar will not endorse based on his principles. You do not see him giving his opinion on political or economic events. He keeps a low profile when he is not playing. To misquote the words  of a  Mughal Emperor on Kashmir, I feel that if there is a all around  Indian  super star Sachin is it, Sachin is it, Sachin is it.
....................................................................................................
Finally as I said that you cannot keep politicians away from sports, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yet again took the opportunity of the semi-final to invite his Pakistani counterpart for a bit of cricket diplomacy. In this case perhaps the Urdu couplet which he had used as rebuttal to Sushma Swaraj ( the opposition leader)  in Parliament,  would be equally appropriate in his desire to put India and Pakistan on the path to peace, in spite of the various snubs and rejections he has received in the past .

“Maana ki teri deed keqaabil nahi hoon main; tu mera shouq to dekh, mera intezaar to dekh "

(I understand that I am not worthy of  your gaze; but have a look at my keenness, have a look at my anticipation for you).

Hopefully his attempt will be rewarded this time.

The New Royalty

Last year I finished reading a couple of interesting books.The first was about the Mughal rulers of India by Abraham Eraly  and  the second  about  the last Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh by Patwant Singh.The book about the  Mughals  described in detail how Babur having lost his tiny territory in Central Asia, drifted  and eventually established the Mughal dynasty in India.Similarly the book about Maharaja Ranjit Singh described how he united the  twelve Sikh Misls ( clans) and established the Sikh Kingdom which at its height stretched from Afghanistan to Delhi. Both these empires were built with frequent battles,assassinations, constant betraying of allies or masters for personal benefit, bribing enemies or trusted lieutenants, and undoing by incompetent off springs.The hundreds of kingdoms in India ceased to exist upon Independence. They further lost their rights and privileges guaranteed to them under the Constitution  when they dared to politically  challenge Mrs.Indira Gandhi.  

However the royalists at heart in India  need not fear.There is a new generation of royalty .Looking at the present political scene in India, it appears that nothing has changed, expect the rulers are no longer called Maharajas but for all practical purposes are very similar.The are now called Ministers, Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly .The new royals   include the Gandhi's  at the apex of the political royals and worthy of a  36 gun salute , the Abdullahs,the Badals, the Pilots, the Scindia's ( a double royal )  and so on. They did not win their right to rule by brawn , but by vote or by inheritance. The royals  to retain their kingdom had to fight off invaders or align themselves with the stronger rulers and pay them annual tributes.  In today's world anybody who aspires to be part of the new royalty has to align him/her self with the more established parties and also be prepared to  pay  tributes  but in the form of funds for fighting elections or other purposes. Since they can no longer levy taxes directly on the citizens, they do so indirectly through corruption. At the end of the day the citizen pays one way or the other.

When the Royals traveled, roads were cleared and there was security escorts in front and back . In today's world its even worse .It would be a loss of face for even the most  minor politician  if he did not have some sub-machine gun toting guards  and escort cars with the red flashing beacon.Instead of the number of guns salute which determined your ranking among the rulers, in the political royalty  your place in the  hierarchy is determined by the different level of security category  assigned  by the government.

The royals really knew how to throw a bash to celebrate a coronation or a wedding or when they celebrated a festival. The politicians are no less. Recently newspapers were full of articles about a Delhi politician who is rumored to have spent almost Rupees One hundred crores ( or about Dollars Twenty million ) and was apparently given a helicopter worth Rupees Thirty five crores ( Dollars Seven point seven million). But then
he is supposed to be independently wealthy because he has large land holdings which has appreciated considerably over the last decade and a half. Receptions for almost five to ten thousand guests are not unusual.

As in the past whenever it appeared that their  grip on the reigns of power began to look shaky, support was bought  by carving out the equivalent of principalities , but in this case ministries are allocated  to the smaller party  or defectors who provide support. These are selected ministries which  can generate enough revenues, but steps are also taken to  ensure that tribute is shared proportionately.

The political royals are also above the law in most cases with very few instances of them actually having to serve a prison sentence regardless of their crime. In the minor principalities ( provinces) actually having a criminal charge or a having served a prison sentence is actually a badge of honor.

Serving the political royalty as in the case of the royalty are their administrators, the Indian Administrative Services . Like the prime ministers of the larger states , a few  of these administrators have grown wealthy beyond their means by exploiting their positions.

Whenever the royals overspent on baubles and toys and  ran into a spot of trouble, they went to the money lenders or hocked their family jewels or future income. Nowadays the political royals go their business houses and once elected repay the favor by providing preferential treatment. 

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture, so let me end with the time honored  toast, The Maharaja is dead, long live the Maharaja!!