Tuesday, April 5, 2011

WHITE, BLACK OR BLUE



Sports, I was told builds character. Politics perhaps does the opposite. From obscurity to hero worship is a journey desired by both; the Men in Blue and the Men in White. Yet in matters of trust and credibility, both lie on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Ideally, the nation should back the Men in White. Why? Well because they are handpicked by us. They are our leaders. That’s why. 

No wonder then that Men in White are seen lounging in air- conditioned enclosures, schmoozing with the Men in Black, striking business deals while ostensibly admiring the Men in Blue. Perhaps a clearance for 50 hotels, perhaps a tax waiver, or maybe a seat in Rajya Sabha is not a bad deal at all. Khel khel mein…..!

So while cricket field is the Mecca where national pride is honored, Parliament has become a haunted house where national pride is trampled. When the Men in White are not scamming the nation, bickering in Parliament, or poking their noses in cricket, they indulge in the cacophony of, ‘you-did-this’ and a counter attack of, ‘so-what-you-also-did-the-same’ on television. The real issue disappears in thin air, only to return back at the time of trading charges.

There was a time when industrialists and businessmen - the Men in Black jumped in the private sector to chart their own destinies. Today they are in their own chartered flights in bed with the Men in White. Who is the seducer and who the seducee? The nexus is evident when people like Batcha and Balwa, small time entrepreneurs become millionaires overnight. It is evident when Men in Black turn up at CBI headquarters for questioning.Yet it is clear that all three, White, Black and Blue yield great power.So when you have the best of all three what do you become?....The King of Good Times.



Perhaps I am being cynical but my fear is that White and Black have blended together so well that the resultant Grey is bound to taint the Blue. Not only cricket but all other sports as well. We know what Kalmadi did to CWG and Lalit to IPL. No one knows who the real owners of IPL Kochi are and what they do!

With loads of unaccounted money pouring in the game, the politician-businessmen nexus holds an agonizingly delicious promise of endangering sport. The fact that fans who hero-worship the men in Blue were lathi-charged in Bangalore and tickets black marketed for lakhs, is an ominous sign. Corporate India flashed its glitzy wings when corporate jets created a dearth of parking space for the jets in Chandigarh.Cricket is a game for masses unlike tennis. Money is an aphrodisiac for the sport but anyone who has had an overdose of an aphrodisiac will tell you about its side-effects.


The Men in Blue have it all – fame, love, adulation and money. Willow power did what years of wheeling dealing and hobnobbing with the Men in Black couldn’t do for the Men in White. So what if politicians and businessmen are unable to rouse passions of pride, they can always jump in a sports stadium and become parasites. And then both can bleed the game to death with the help of a benevolent BCCI comprising of Men in White.

Rightfully, then that Men in Blue are revered and applauded. We don’t grudge them their millions. Only as long as they play with a spirit of honesty by crushing the Yellows and Greens, they will remain symbols of national pride.

After the euphoria of jumping with joy, let us tread cautiously. Let us tip-toe on potential minefields laid by money and pawar…oops sorry power.

42 comments:

  1. Please delete my previous comment--
    Hi Alka,
    It is indeed depressing to hear what is going on in our country these days. I had my experience of corruption in college days where to celebrate our college days, some people(students) took a part of money that was supposed to make the college day better.
    Still then I could count some of the people who worked tirelessly to make it a success. There are many people still around but to get those people heard is a gigantic task.
    If only Indian public can understand that all hoopla is unjustified and cricket is just a game we will never get our true freedom. All these things are getting mixed up and generating dangerous cocktail but would anyone listen and open their eyes.
    I doubt. We are a nation not poised for any greatness, unfortunately.

    Great writing.
    Ashvini

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  2. Interesting and nicely written!
    I think only women in blue, women in white, women in black, and women in other colors can solve the problems of our country....just kidding :-)

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  3. gr8 post...very well written...
    and things would not change as long as our mass get proper educated...

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  5. well said .. the men in black and white have bevome men in GREy and the worst thing is we have chose those in White and inspite of know how or what they do .. we still managed to somehow choose them again and again ..

    Men in blue well they have made us all proud and for a change at that moment the whole country was united ... Wish more happens for the country to unite and do wonderful things ...

    Loved the way you said everything ..


    Bikram's

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  6. Yeah this is what I wrote in my review of the world cup '11. One can hardly digest the fact that the same person who in an interview says I work for at least 16 hours a day on a regular basis is seen enjoying a game of cricket.

    Read my post @ http://rachitlifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/04/world-cup-11-weakest-review.html

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  7. A very well written post ma'am and colourful too, but you missed all the other colours of the spectrum.

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  8. Well written you have expressed the power of various colors in our nation.As you said men in blue almost have the highest authority in our nation and are worth all the attention.

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  9. Well Football too has got money...but it's not the business men pouring it in. I have nt heard of any provate company buying a box in FIFA WC and flaunting all the film stars there. India has fully taken over cricket and sadly vulgarised it

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  10. That was a timely warning to both the men in blue and the cricket crazy fans -- to keep the wolf of corruption at bay.

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  11. Timely and awesome. Well written.

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  12. Trust me, it is one of better posts that I have read in a long time. My congratulations and my best wishes.
    I am saving this one in my FAVORITES.

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  13. @Ashwini....Hope that if the agitation by Anna Hazare is successful it will bring some fresh changes .

    @Giribala...Unfortunately women are also a part of the same system. Nita Ambani brought her gang of friends and politicians in her private jet The Global Express.

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  14. @SUB....I am hopeful of some change if the Lokpal bill is passed with modifications.

    @Bikram...Thanks.


    @Rachit...yup, I read that one, very well written.

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  15. @Prateek...You are right...I had included the Men in Khaki also but the post became too long.It is a very wide subject.


    @Raji...Thanks. :)

    @Jon...Football has money but politicians have not tainted it as yet...Businessmen maybe.

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  16. @Zephyr....That was the idea...somehow you always get the essence of my posts...as if you are mind reading.

    @A...Thanks.

    @Harish...Thank you for reading.

    @BKC...It means a lot. Appreciate your time. Thank you indeed.

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  17. Kudos to you lady for writing such a scathing post - loved it.
    Men in white should be kept out of sports. We don't need a Gill, Pawar, Kalmadi messing with our National pride!

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  18. @Purbs...Thanks dear. You have summed it up beautifully..we dont wants politicians to mess in sports.

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  19. well written
    hope they will not be used by politicians for the political gains.

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  20. wonderfully colourful post!

    the slimy whites have discoloured all! so unfortunate..

    loved your workmanship!

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  21. very well written post...
    thoroughly enjoyed the read.

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  22. Hi Alka ..one award waiting for u at my blog..:))

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  23. @SM...Thanks.

    @magic eye...thank u indeed.


    @Irfanuddin...thanks.


    @Raji...Wow...some reward after the hard work.Thanks.

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. Hi Alka....its a post that gives us lots of food for thought. Yes, cricket is getting infiltrated with elements that may not do it much good. Men in blue indeed rule over other men.

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  26. The greys are the new black and white now. Too many important boundaries have blurred.

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  27. Men in Black, Men in White, Men in Blue... how does it matter? They are all selling our souls for their insatiable lust for money. What right do they have to do that? Who is to blame?

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  28. I sincerely hope that the men in blue stay blue and do not cling to white or black even for a courtesy call. Its not worth it, after having a life of blue and game, its not game enough to go the 'wearing white and digging black' way.

    Cheers,
    Blasphemous Aesthete

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  29. @Rachna...The infiltration is my worry.

    @Anil..very well said. True.

    @Umashankar...The Blues have more integrity than the others who wish to milk sport for their personal gains. Sport needs money by the way of sponsorships and coaches and facilities. But its raining crores and wheeling dealing is bound to happen. Politicians should be kept away from sports.

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  30. @Anshul...If the Blue gets tainted as in our neighboring country then all the glory will disappear. People will immediately pull them down from the high pedestals.The Blues face the biggest threat from the Whites.

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  31. Nice post once again.

    This time.. the 'blues' rule. White / Black / Grey can hv some rest.

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  32. And somehow , IPL doesnt seem much interestin this time around. Modigate may be? Or the world cup hangover.

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  33. Excellent post, thought provoking and true.

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  34. @Mayank... Thanks...Both I guess.


    @Rachna..:)

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  35. Hi Alka...thanks for the follow. I have added myself to your list of followers. Its great to connect with other Indian Bloggers and writers. I teach Creative Writing in College (to degree students).

    I have also heard about Vijay Nair's Creative Writing Classes. A friend wanted to join, she asked me to find out about it. How long is it?

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  36. Well, we can hope that cricket remains clean.

    Thankfully, it's not played in Sharjah anymore - under the watchful eyes of Dawood Ibrahim.

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  37. @Rachna...Its a two month long course with classes on week ends.

    @Vyankatesh....Welcome here. Very valid point. That surely is a welcome change.

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  38. Hi…. You have been Tagged in ‘Meme’....click here

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  39. Hmmm.. Rightly said. The blending of blacks and white is hovering the nation with grey clouds. The blues too won't stay unaffected.. The commercialization of games is ruining the sports spirit and the players.. Some issues come in light and some stay in darkness underneath those layers of green tickets of white-black men.

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  40. very very well written Alka.

    Men in white should defintely stay out of sports

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  41. Alka,

    Very methodical dissection of what goes on. After farming or educational institutes now sports is the latest way to turn black into white. Let us hope that it does not rob the sports of honest playing.

    Take care

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