‘Pioneer-Dilli Billi’- 21st.February.2010

Sharukh Khan, the mega star, thought he was articulating the correct cause when he lamented over the non inclusion of Pakistani players in the latest edition of the IPL cricket Tamasha. It is always nice for famous people to make the right noise over right issues so that their constituency remains intact worldwide. There was also nothing wrong with what he said. A lot of Indians too felt that Paki players would spice up the IPL and for Fashion hostesses, involvement of Pak stars would mean gainful employment for a while. Even Chidambaram expressed regret over no one bidding for Pakistani Players.
Sharukh, however, is also an astute businessman and owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. Why did he not bid for Pak players, nevertheless? He can simply fly in these players, even for moral support. Even now he can bid for some players if he wishes. After all the government of India made it clear that, it is not involved in such International auctions and rightly so. The response from Pakistan was hysterical. India bashing reached a new high and was laughable to speak the least. If only Pak establishment realized that in a growing robust economy of ours, the state is not interested in controlling everything. Only Pakistan can do that with disastrous results.
The truth is that owners of the various teams in the IPL are shrewd businessmen and women, backed by cricket experts, who want to earn money and rightly so. Preity Zinta, the brave woman who has once testified against the dreaded mafia in Mumbai in court, clearly said that economics was the prime reason behind selection, along with availability. Can any one find fault with the selection so far? Sharukh should also know that mercurial Afridis and Shoaibs may make you win one or two matches but can also make you lose quite a few, with their unpredictable behaviour. Hence many bid for new players on the block, say from West Indies, who are solid and devoid of any antics or attitude.
Notwithstanding the merits of Sharukh’s arguments, the riposte by the Shiv Sena was expectedly as hysterical as the Pakistanis. Sharukh’s statement hardly meant anything more than a wish, but Shiv Sena transformed it into a defining statement on Indo Pak relations. A dormant sena still smarting under the defeat in the last assembly elections comes alive on any banal theme relating to Pakistan, Biharis or muslims. Sure enough lumpens got into the act and threats were held out against Sharukh’s latest release in the theatres.
Sadly, everyone kept quiet. Even the actor’s friends! After all who wants to mess around with the street lords in any city of our country and face the consequences, when the state itself abdicates its responsibility? It was pathetic to see Maharashtra’s politicians and officers groping for answers when asked to respond to Sena’s hooliganism. It took a Rahul Gandhi to call the Sena’s bluff. Rahul confined them to the barracks as it were. Later the Union Home Minister had to remind Chief Minister of Maharashtra of his role as the custodian of law and order. Fearing that inaction may prove costly this time, the state government put its act together to deployed police at the theatres where Sharukh’s film was released.
In the end, no Paki player still made it. Shiv Sena , in the ultimate analysis, only gave tremendous publicity to the actor’s film for which Sharukh must thank the Thackereys. Lastly, there are still brave ones around. Like Preity Zinta who testified against the mafia, it was only Salman who spoke for Sharukh. Didn’t Edmund Burke speak something about good men keeping quiet?