Author: Vivek Gumaste
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: February 2, 2010
URL: http://news.rediff.com/column/2010/feb/02/why-pakistan-can-never-be-a-great-neighbour.htm
The polemics emanating from the IPL affront
to Pakistani cricketers again brings to the fore the confused morass that
is the Indian psyche; a jumble of misplaced morality and mawkish sentimentalism
that revels in sadomasochistic self doubt and translates into a gibberish
that has no functional value.
The net result is a floundering nation unsure
of how to confront the inimical forces that confront it. In simple terms,
a country that is unable to make strong decisions and stick by it.
Rajasthan Royals' co-owner Shilpa Shetty unusually
forthright response to the brouhaha that followed the non-selection of the
Pakistani players was a breath of fresh air. She bluntly remarked: "People
have to be a little more sensitive, a bit more mature. Let's not be hypocrites
and let's not turn a blind eye to the already volatile situation. you must
look at it pragmatically and see that we have had these people who are constantly
threatening.
"It's not something we hold against the
Pakistani players. We completely understand the situation but as franchise
owners are we willing to take that risk? If something happens to the Pakistani
players, the onus lies on us and who is going to take responsibility for a
situation like that? When we said 'availability', we wanted complete assurance
that those players would be available in the country and that we were going
to be able to provide security for them."
At the outset the near unanimity of action
of the IPL was praiseworthy. It was grounded in reality, made good business
sense, accounted for security concerns and above all resonated with the national
sentiment prevalent in the nation post 26/11.
Although the IPL refuted the charge of a premeditated
conspiracy there was no denying the undercurrent of patriotic fervour. It
was strong decision but subtle and hurt the enemy where it hurt most. And
for once India revealed a depth to its character, an ability to stand up for
itself, a new found confidence that clearly said: 'Don't toy with us'. But
alas the satisfaction was short lived.
Soon notes of dissent surfaced with our honorable
home minister and a Bollywood icon mouthing a namby-pamby view that was in
line with India's perpetual guilt complex.
There was no need to be apologetic about the
IPL stance. Yet there was Shah Rukh Khan decrying the decision not with a
logical counterpoint but by singing paeans to Pakistan and invoking personal
ties. He remorsefully exclaimed:" It (Pakistan) is a great neighbour
to have. We are great neighbours, They are good neighbours. Let us love each
other.
Let me be honest. My family is from Pakistan, my father was born there and
his family is from there,"
Two glaring inconsistencies stand out in this
remark. One, if Pakistan is really a great neighbour then I am Albert Einstein.
Without mincing words let me say that Pakistan is a deadbeat nation that is
nothing more than a drag on India's progress. The less we have to do with
this nation the better.
The second objection concerns the merging
of private and public domains. I have no issue with Shah Rukh Khan's personal
empathy for Pakistan borne out of familial affiliations even if it cuts across
hostile boundaries. But can a national icon cite family ties to influence
the professional decisions of an India based organisation or to sway public
opinion?
The home minister's response too was unnecessarily
defensive with an uncalled for dose of self reproach. He dubbed the non-inclusion
of Pakistani cricketers as a 'disservice to cricket and contended that 'these
players were coming as individuals, it was not a Pakistan team.'
Another misperception that stems from a lack
of pragmatic thinking. A perusal of the following excerpt (Saba Naqvi. It's
Not Cricket. Outlook, January 25) reveals that these Pakistani players are
not isolated individuals but members of a larger hate India club that is Pakistan.
'Consider this conversation that took place
in a TV show titled 'A morning with Farah' on ATV, a Pakistan channel. Sohail
Tanvir, who helped the Rajasthan Royals win and got the highest number of
wickets in the first IPL is being interviewed by another journalist while
the glamorous hostess, Farah, looks on. Consider Tanvir's remark: 'Hinduon
ki zahaniyat hi aisi hai (the Hindu nature is like that only)' the implication
being that the Hindus have deliberately deceived and humiliated Pakistanis.
The journalist responds with a remark about Indians being baniyas and says:
'bagal me chhuri/ muuh me Ram Ram' (they are ready to plunge a knife behind
your back though they will keep saying Ram Ram). The gentleman with this shocking
view of Indians in general and Hindus in particular then goes on about how
India is tricking Pakistan out of hosting the World Cup next year.'
This vitriolic outpouring is shocking but
what makes it even more despicable is the prime time prominence given to such
Hindu/Indophobic venom. In comparison, it is hard to find such rabid talk
from even the far right of the India's political spectrum and certainly not
on national television. It is this stark difference between the two nations
that needs to sink into the fuzzy minds of our peaceniks.
We, in India are quick to vilify those who
propose a hard line approach to Pakistan that includes severing cricket ties
by branding them as radical and uncivilised. We cannot mix cricket with politics
is the oft quoted mantra. But what is so sacred about this dichotomy? Is it
a directive derived from logic or common sense or an abstract feel good notion
with no utility value? And has continued cricketing ties mitigated Pakistan's
terror shenanigans?
I would like to look at in another way. This
is not about cricket and politics but cricket and humanity. I am passionate
about cricket and love the game. But that is the point. Cricket is merely
a game and must take second place to humane concepts.
Is it not barbaric that we choose to continue
playing cricket with a people whose compatriots routinely massacre our innocent
civilians? I find it uncouth when we walk over the dead bodies of the carnage
of 26/11 and extend a 'loving' hand to Pakistan and Pakistanis? This suggests
that we care little for the lives of our citizens and more for our image and
entertainment.
This train of terror cannot go on. We must
draw the line somewhere and it is here and now even if it means no cricket.
