Barring the past 3-4 months of full-flow 2014 Lok Sabha Poll preparation, if you read any news about India and Indian Goverment, it was negative. Murder, Scam, Rape, and so on.
Whenever the people of India unite, it is against one of these negatives. And then the aggression dies down. And then it reappears aimed at another negative.
It is hard to find India united for a positive reason. Yet, there are those moments when this country erupts with positivity, assertiveness, enthusiasm and unity. Those moments when Sachin is at work. When he is scoring. When he is silently uniting the masses against the usual negative undercurrents.
I am not going to justify why I am a fan of Sachin's batting, or his sportsmanship. However I am writing today to give a tribute to his ability to arouse India's hidden energy. This energy is potent - it is dangerous. It has the ability to change the country overnight. And in a country stricken by so many problems, it is astonishing to find the existence of such energy.
Sachin is probably the only force in India that has become powerful without seeking power. He has the blessings of almost every power other than him. And he can influence every power other than him. I wonder what makes him so powerful. Is it just his sport, or his persona, his humility? Or is it the lack of any other hero in this pride-starved country? Or a combination of all these?
Along with energy, Sachin also stimulates belief. Belief that runs will keep coming out of that bat. That those hands can do nothing wrong. That the man will be there for each of us to depend on, for our entertainment, pride and self-belief.
I am sure Sachin will command most of this power and mass appeal even after his retirement from the game that he has changed forever. But will there be another hero who rises in his place in the coming years? I do not care if this hero is a cricketer or a sportsman for that matter. All I know is that India needs a legacy of such heroes. I personally do.
Whenever the people of India unite, it is against one of these negatives. And then the aggression dies down. And then it reappears aimed at another negative.
It is hard to find India united for a positive reason. Yet, there are those moments when this country erupts with positivity, assertiveness, enthusiasm and unity. Those moments when Sachin is at work. When he is scoring. When he is silently uniting the masses against the usual negative undercurrents.
I am not going to justify why I am a fan of Sachin's batting, or his sportsmanship. However I am writing today to give a tribute to his ability to arouse India's hidden energy. This energy is potent - it is dangerous. It has the ability to change the country overnight. And in a country stricken by so many problems, it is astonishing to find the existence of such energy.
Sachin is probably the only force in India that has become powerful without seeking power. He has the blessings of almost every power other than him. And he can influence every power other than him. I wonder what makes him so powerful. Is it just his sport, or his persona, his humility? Or is it the lack of any other hero in this pride-starved country? Or a combination of all these?
Along with energy, Sachin also stimulates belief. Belief that runs will keep coming out of that bat. That those hands can do nothing wrong. That the man will be there for each of us to depend on, for our entertainment, pride and self-belief.
I am sure Sachin will command most of this power and mass appeal even after his retirement from the game that he has changed forever. But will there be another hero who rises in his place in the coming years? I do not care if this hero is a cricketer or a sportsman for that matter. All I know is that India needs a legacy of such heroes. I personally do.
Well expressed.
ReplyDelete"Belief that runs will keep coming out of that bat. That those hands can do nothing wrong. That the man will be there for each of us to depend on, for our entertainment, pride and self-belief."
Loved these lines. Keep going. :)
I remember the years during Azhar's captaincy….when I used to switch off the television when he got out.... as if he is the only person between defeat and victory.. celebrate and cry with him…struggle in our own lives as he used to on 22 yards..show how to win matches, build partnerships, hear criticism, do something unconventional….most of all keep believing in oneself.. heroes would really be an understatement for a man who taught a generation how to live amidst darkness and create light for people we love! nice blog!
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