Do you know Sunil Gavaskar? If yes, you must know Rahul Dravid as well. These two are the successful captains of the Indian team in the past and currently the widely accepted gentlemen of the gentlemen’s game – cricket. I am a great fan of Rahul Dravid; I admire & respect Sunil Gavaskar as a cricketer and a person. Years ago, when IPL was under great scrutiny, the judiciary system of our country believed in him to take the command from the front. And what to speak about Rahul? He has been one of the best players to play cricket ever! Not only Indians, he has fans all over the world. However, recent remarks by Dravid & Gavaskar have forced me to believe that they are ‘loyal’ as a player only; they don’t have the strength to come in public and admit that this pompous show IPL is getting harder to the farmers.
After the Bombay High court judgment, rather a great verdict from the Indian judiciary system, we have heard different reactions. Will you believe that Mr. Gavaskar has made the same baseless ‘pottable’ and ‘non-pottable’ argument? Sir, what are you talking? Further, in his statement, Gavaskar seemed to prove his great regards for the game and also for the ‘owners’ of the game. It’d be better if I quote his exact words:
“Franchises and BCCI, I believe, also offered to make a donation to the chief minister’s relief fund. Those were significant and good gestures.”
Mr. Gavaskar, suppose you are thirsty. I know you are thirsty and I pity your condition. With great concern, I donated a fund of Rs 10,000 in the prime minister relief fund. I did not stop only there, by the way. I took a bucket of ‘non-pottable’ water and poured it on my bike to clean it. You are seeing all this in front of me. How will you feel?
Exactly! When you people offer to make donations to those thirsty people in Latur, the same way they must feel. You cannot understand it. Sir, the game of cricket is not greater than the lives of those who run our lives. You must come out of your crickety cocoon and see the world on the basis of bitter realities. And who knows, maybe in that Latur, the world of cricket might find next great ‘don’ of cricket?
Now turning the mics to Rahul Dravid, here is what he said to a tv channel:
“How can a drought be as important as cricket? If not having IPL will solve the problem, then we should stop playing cricket.”
Mr. Dravid, that is why we are shifting only ‘some matches’ of IPL, not stopping cricket in any way. And your suggestion is very important. For the sake of human values, yes, stop playing cricket until the situation in Latur gets better. Why at all we need the vain show of those swinging bodies and ‘pre-fixed’ competition when our farmers are dying without a glass of water? Have you ever thought of making a small donation from your income? Has any cricketer come ahead and accept with guts that yes, yes I will donate all my income to the poor villagers? Look inside, you will find out the truth yourself.
To all those defending a ‘sport’ against the ‘life’, this is the time we need to consider our priorities once again. Not only cricket, this mission must blossom beyond the limits. Ban the water supply to any kind of luxury. There cannot be two Indias in a single nation. Sports is entertainment, not our necessity. When people don’t have water to drink, no one should think of entertainment! So, if for now, we are able to save ‘several’ million litres of water, IT’S WORTHY ENOUGH!
(Please don’t expect from me a purely journalistic approach. I will be personal, and very personal on such issues.)
