CRICKET-The Staple Diet of Indians!

Vijay K. Saluja

Senior Fellow
Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi
www.issin.org

One of the Regional Chapter of a Corporate Chamber took a big challenge of holding its annual session on Wednesday, the 30th March,2011, the day when India was to play semi-final of the World Cup against Pakistan at Mohali near Chandigarh.

I happened to be also one of the Invitee. The session was to last till lunch & was formatted into two sub sessions.

The Invite also had a foot-note `considering the cricket match on that date adequate arrangement of plasma screens to telecast the match related news, have been made at the lunch area, for the participants in the session!

Perhaps that was a luscious & sweet carrot which I chewed & was at the venue-a five star hotel. It was extremely heartening to be a part of the gathering which was almost in full attendance [ packed hall etc] , despite the match in that afternoon about which there has been mega- hypes in the media-both print & visual!

That day`s dailies carried columns of cricket-experts of all denominations. During my drive to the hotel, the radio in the car filled me with comments/ details/ views of every possible kind about the match, the cricketers, the politicians, the bollywood stars who would come, the Pakistani-fans , Mohali- pitch, the state of occupancy of hotels in Chanigarh & around etc etc..

One of the Session of our event was about `The Role of Youth in Building India`. The panellists of the session were brilliant youth & corporate icons. They deliberated at great length about the youth of our country, their mind sets, ambitions, awareness, dyanism & desire to make a difference. It was felt, with them-about 500 millions as was informed by one of the panelists, the country would no doubt have great future, provided proper education & skill sets were adequately provided, too.

When asked by one of the participants ` that was not the country, its populace esp youth were going over-board with the Cricket & was not it necessary to strike a balance as the country had other priorities-poverty, non-inclusivity, unemployment, poor state of cities, corruption-control, health measures for all, etc etc. it was felt by the panelists & august house that only media had gone over board, but otherwise there was balance!

At lunch, the participants eyes were rivetted at the plasma screens where all minor details about the match were being telecast.

Almost.everyone was extremely busy giving expert comments & views about cricket & about the chances of India, winning the match.

The nation remained riveted to the TV sets till the last ball bowled around 9.30PM. The India won!

There were fire crackers all around our neighbourhood, the city & the country! I was wondering at the virtual victory & tried to gloat over it!?

If the media & the country had shown even fifty percent interest & passion as they were showing for cricket, & deployed energy & resources in other development sectors India could/ would have lesser poverty, more inclusivity, better infrastructure, more organized cities & rural areas etc etc

Happiness will become constant companion of all Indians!?

But only, when somebody-Planning Commission, corporate sector or the Government will outline the strategy for channelising the energy & resources of India & thereafter implement the same, in a time bound manner.