Where would we be without our Members of Parliament? It’s only recently that the citizenry discovered the power of showcasing public outrage. But our MPs have been at it for decades, long before candles were utilised for vigils, paper and felt-tipped pens used for posters and placards, and text-messaging on mobiles became a rallying cry against injustice. So it was nice to see some MPs on Thursday demand the sacking of Indian cricket coach Greg Chappell, an explanation from BCCI chief Sharad Pawar for the inglorious defeat of the national team in Durban on Wednesday and a disaster management programme to return Indian cricket to its halycon days.
On paper, our parliamentarians may not have the qualifications to pontificate on the remedies required to cure Indian cricket. But their writ runs farther, wider and higher than just in matters political. Deputy leader of the BJP in the Lok Sabha VK Malhotra crystallised the mood of the nation when he stated that “people feel hurt after they watch how badly the Indian team has done”. Quite logically, he wants Mr Pawar to let Parliament know what steps are being taken to “save the team from an unbroken series of defeats”. And just to underline that this parliamentary anguish runs across party lines, CPI(M) leader in the Lok Sabha Basudev Acharya stated clearly that “a coach is expected to get results... If that is not possible, then it is better to get another coach”. Samajwadi Party MP Mohan Singh announced that he was so “ashamed” by India’s performance against South Africa that he switched off his television set. In other words, Mr Singh, unlike what has been nastily said about politicians in general and parliamentarians in particular, is, indeed, like the rest of us. His party colleague Amar Singh agreed that it was time Greg Chappell was shown the door.
All of these worthies are absolutely right about the state of the Indian cricket team. They may also be correct about the problem stemming from an ineffectual coach. But what is touching is that our parliamentarians are not only obsessed about providing development and good governance, or working out ways of removing poverty, or creating an atmosphere where law and order overrides petty politics, and vote-bank, caste and communal politics are steamrollered by principles of equality. They also care about saving cricket. Only if our cricketers would learn something from them and demand correctives in our pathetic display of democratic politics and ask for the heads of the politicians (parliamentarians included) who have made people “feel so hurt” after watching the leaders who supposedly bat for them every day.
{{/usCountry}}All of these worthies are absolutely right about the state of the Indian cricket team. They may also be correct about the problem stemming from an ineffectual coach. But what is touching is that our parliamentarians are not only obsessed about providing development and good governance, or working out ways of removing poverty, or creating an atmosphere where law and order overrides petty politics, and vote-bank, caste and communal politics are steamrollered by principles of equality. They also care about saving cricket. Only if our cricketers would learn something from them and demand correctives in our pathetic display of democratic politics and ask for the heads of the politicians (parliamentarians included) who have made people “feel so hurt” after watching the leaders who supposedly bat for them every day.
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