The Whole Country Is So Euphoric and Euphoria Is Always Ephemeral
By Sumit Paul, New Age
Islam
6 July 2024
"Cricket and
Religion Have Destroyed India. Since Cricket Is a Religion in India, This
Third-World Country Is Completely Under the Sickening Spell of an Extended
Religion."
-Sir V S Naipaul in
1995
Players
of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team with the championship trophy
acknowledge fans during their open bus victory parade, in Mumbai on Thursday
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At least 11
persons were rushed to hospitals for sustaining minor injuries or feeling dizzy
after a massive crowd gathered along the route of the victory parade of the
T-20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team in South Bombay.
Just a
couple of days ago, 120-odd people died in a stampede at Hathras in UP. Yet,
the very next day, a sea of ever-swelling crowd again gathered to welcome the
Indian cricket team for winning the World Cup in a 'Carnival' cricket which is
not even an apology for real cricket.
Do you
consider T-20 to be genuine cricket? It seems, the people of this country have
nothing better to do.
Naipaul
aptly said that religion and cricket destroyed the country. Since cricket is an
extended religion to a majority of indolent lotus eaters in this country, we're
all immersed in it. Crowd is always a sure recipe for disasters. Despite that,
lakhs of people gathered to sing paeans to the overhyped cricketers.
People had
no civic sense that they blocked the roads, causing inconvenience to daily
commuters. It's our national, rather subcontinental character. We praise and
pan in the same breath.
When Ajit
Wadekar's team returned to India after defeating England and West Indies in
1971, the entire Bombay was present at the airport to welcome the team. The
same people humiliated Wadekar and the Indian team in 1974 when it returned
home after an abysmal performance in the biting cold of England. By the way,
that forgettable tour included the infamous “Summer of 42” second Test match at
Lord's, where India was bowled out for just 42 runs on 24th June in their
second innings.
The whole
country is so euphoric and euphoria, as you all know, is always ephemeral. We
don't learn anything from our mistakes and keep on repeating the same
(mistakes). Religious feelings and experiences also provide a sense of euphoria
but unfortunately, it's a long-time euphoria. It's indeed a matter of pity that
we need some kind of euphoria to survive.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit
Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam.
He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/country-euphoric-euphoria-ephemeral/d/132642
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