Third record of Cricket hero

Sachin Tendulkar this year made three records at once. Became the first player to make 17000 runs in test cricket, playing continuously 20 years entered into the 21^st year and the third record was made just by chance. What happened was, at this event Sachin won everyone’s heart by telling “I am a Maharshtrian, I am proud of that but I am Indian first.” And also that “Mumbai city belongs to everyone.” But the third record did not make up just by winning hearts. Record was made when shiv sena’s bal thackrey wrote in his marathi daily ‘samna’ that “By saying those things sachin angered marathi people.” Thackrey had objection over two points. On saying himself Indian first rather than being maharashtrian, and over saying Mumbai belongs to everyone. Media hyped this analysis on large scale. What else could it be, bal thackrey was condemned from all over and sachin was poured with flowers of praise and that is how sachin got the position of “national hero”. This debate is still continued in media – But was this matter that important that there needed to be such vigorous debate and this strongly reacted upon ? Some one would be made hero and someone villain ? Emotions be provoked and this issue be declared as patriotism and anti national ?

This issue is not that worthwhile

No, this issue is not that worth. This debate is useless. This question itself is vague and funny that “first you are maharashtrian or Indian” It is the simple thing that individual holds both the identities at the same time. Sachin was born in Maharashtra and India at once. There is no conflict between these two identities. The problem raises when some one insists that first he is a maharashtrian and at any cost would work for the benefit of maharashtra then this mentality might also be created in other state people. Factually this happened too. In this country first time who ever said this, its impact was over entire country. Today between states and regions whatever border, culture and language clash exists, that is as a result of the same question. It is also the fact as this conflict reached till the lowest level. Every state got many many regions, every region consists of many districts, every district has many many jurisdictions, towns and sub divisions. Every jurisdiction has many villages, and every village people think theirs is the best village. For the sake of it there is nothing wrong in it, but this love if turn into discrimination then it creates problems. “What first” question is like a child being asked as tell whose son you are first , your mother’s or your father’s ? If he replies that I am son of both at once, then insisting on him that you have to tell whose son first you are.

This silliness is age-old

Actually this is the fabrication of silly minds and is the same question which is every now and then have been asked to muslims of India that “ tell you are muslim first or Indian first?”. Some evil minds even today raise this question. And the funny thing is that so called secular circles and “pro minority” people talk fuzz in reply to this stupidity in defending muslims and also few muslim scholars and politicians by irresponsibly uttering their say in “first” and “next” useless debate, make the position of muslims difficult. Whereas questions of this type are worth of being rejected dislikeably. Those who do not have any program for the betterment, success and salvation of humans, or whose own lives are free of any constructive concept of life, only those think of these stupid things and media makes them shine. Be the question of “you are first maharashtrian or Indian first” or be it “Indian first or muslim first”, is not just only vague and meaningless but also evil. This is the game of the fabricators of words. There should be legal action against those who raise these questions. It is government’s job to restrain media in this regard.

25/11/09 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Ibrahim Shaikh