Democracy or Hypocrisy?

In a couple of days, India's finest sportsperson till date and its only undisputed World Champion will add another feather to his already well-celebrated hat and it won't occupy anything but a passing mention in the remotest corner of the print media.

Viswanathan Anand has done more to Indian chess than Sachin Tendulkar has done to Indian cricket. For a sport that had been the pastime of the intellectual elite in India, chess has gone from being a no-hoper to India's most realistic medal prospect at the Olympics whenever it does get included.

India were already World Champions before Sachin started playing competitive school cricket.

Vishy has been the epitome of anti-Indianism when it comes to sport. Consistency, big-match temperament and an unique humility that has never caught the eye of the millions who lined up Mumbai a couple of days back or the State Governments and the Private Sector whose actions bore greater resemblance to a bidding house than institutions responsible for social development.

One can't grudge the plaudits that have come the T-20 team's way. Sreesanth might have been compelled to go back to his dancing roots had he dropped that catch after an insipid bowling performance. With such stakes and pressure, the rewards have to be commensurate. But rewarding individuals in a team sport? Australia didn't reward Warne even after 700 test wickets. It is quite sad that this idol worship takes place just in India and Pakistan and it is reflected in the fact that neither team has never ever had a truly outstanding year in international cricket. How can there be camaraderie in the team when certain individuals are being openly favoured?

This game of one-upmanship between the State Governments in favour of individuals was anything but in the spirit of democracy. My esteem for Narendra Modi grew when he refused to reward the Pathan brothers, but our cursed democratic fabric allowed the Congress to attach ridiculous communal undertones that forced Mr. Modi to budge. It is a democracy where failed international cricketers become pundits and pour vitriol at the cricketers thus incensing the non-intellectual masses whose memory is shorter than the 'Gobbits'. Koneru Humpy, Sania Nehwal and the shooters take loans to fund their foreign travels and the babudom sees no travesty in this. Even the Marxists don't talk of an egalitarian society and the rights of the 'underprivileged' when it comes to cricketers.

The future of all this? Expect friction to grow between Yuvraj and Dhoni and see India plunge back to its mediocre depths (Read 1-6 against Australia) interspersed by individual brilliance. Sportspersons of the 'OBC ' (others but cricket) category are likely to go on more hunger strikes and we will be celebrating the democracy in all this since our society allows such individuals to have a platform to ask for other rights.

Meanwhile, far off in Madrid, Spain, a mild-mannered champion would be taking off his glasses and telling Aruna Anand, "What a hypocritic country!".