Harsha Bhogle writes in The Indian Express that the real danger of the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore is that the inherent innocence of “the game we love” could become hostage to spoilsports; the game being played in heavily fortified garrisons, the viewing pleasure limited to what the camera captures and commentator says:
“Ultimately though, cricket is only a tiny part of the reality of our existence. Like the movies, if more strongly, it can allow us to escape into our little cocoon for a few hours. But thereafter we must emerge and place it in the context of our times. This is a time of extraordinary hatred and violence, of tearing apart rather than stitching together; of grown-up men fighting like neighbourhood kids but with weapons that can maim and kill. The sad reality in our part of the world is that we have far too many people to police and far too few that don’t need policing.”
Read the full article: The game we love
Tags: Churumuri, Harsha Bhogle, Sans Serif, The Indian Express
4 March 2009 at 1:42 pm
Although Harsha Bhogle’s well written article spells a gradual decline of the pleasure in viewing a game of cricket; I think what will save the day for Indian cricket is the ‘inherent insensitivity’ of the billion-strong Indian populace’s attitude towards Indian life. Literally thousands die every year in India from floods, famine, suicides, bomb blasts, train accidents, bus accidents.
Somewhere one feels most of such lives could be saved if our administration was somewhat more civilised and responsible towards value of the Indian human life. Better roads, tracks, irrigation, flood-control, contract farming, crop insurance, alert security, modern security are some of the measures that, if properly implemented, would save such lives. But then they seldom happen and people continue to die while life for the rest goes on . Even terrorism has nearly got a “Chalta Hai” attitude in India.
Hence Cricket like everything else will surely go on with all its fanfare atleast in India , hundreds of gun-strikes not withstanding. The middle class & the media will insist on calling this phenomenon the “resilience of the Indian way of life” and even hum a ‘Jai Ho’.
4 March 2009 at 4:03 pm
Really, is cricket the casualty? I don’t think so. This attack was a part of some foreign policy move. I think ISI or Islamic terrorists will be the last group to attack a cricket team. Now that Sri Lanka is unhappy, it will depend more on India for arms and other assistance. It won’t trust Pakistan. Cricket is just an eye-wash. The real thing is played out by spooks.
4 March 2009 at 5:27 pm
“…if our administration was somewhat more civilised and responsible towards value of the Indian human life..”
In a democratic setup, you – me & rest of us – have a moral obligation & a fundamental duty to oversee the administration. Current state is just a reflection of the populace’s morality.
Remember GB Shaw and his quote on democracy?
4 March 2009 at 6:37 pm
What does one do with this article? It’s so wasteful.
Harsha speaks of problems but no possible solutions. He can think of none, even to suggest other than more “policing”.
Much like Liberals everywhere else, he refuses to face up to reality and how people like him have contributed to this mess.
“The sad reality in our part of the world is that we have far too many people to police and far too few that don’t need policing.”
How can this man speak of “grown ups” fighting like “children” and having more to police than less, without any sense of the real around him?
What does this “our part of the world” mean? Will there now be no distinction between offense and defense? Between wanton and motivated killers and those who wish to live their lives?
I can already see (nothing really new here) Liberals furiously working at erasing all such distinction. I suppose it’s Ok to sup with “loving” Muslims, if not in Pakistan then in safer climes this man speaks about!
And how does this worthy miss the biggest irony of all…The Muammar Gaddafi stadium.
Pakistan should have been in quarantine long ago. Without access to pleasures of life that it’s killers would deprive Kafirs.
It’s tragic that Liberal politicians (In India and abroad) will wait for the Taliban to do its work before coming to this very solution.
4 March 2009 at 6:42 pm
“The sad reality in our part of the world is that we have far too many people to police and far too few that don’t need policing”
Malthus must be happy that there is now hard evidence for his theories.
4 March 2009 at 8:55 pm
Cricket is UnIslamic in a way. Among the 13 fielders and two umpires in the field, at any time, there is a chance of at least one of them puts their back to Mecca, which is a highly sacrilegious gesture. Probably that is why taliban may have taken up cudgels against cricket!!