1 crore of Understanding to the Indian team!

I love cricket and drive my throat to ‘soredom’ as I watch India win and I sulk and abuse when India looses.

I was at Wadala when the match on Monday began, atleast couple of hours away from my home in Borivali. It was 5.20 when I left for home, the toss had happebed and India was going to Bat. I ran to Dadar station, took a Borivali fast, ran from Borivali station to my home which is atleast a kilometer and half away…I finally reached with 6 overs left of the Indian batting!

I jumped like ‘Flubber’ when India won and am still glowing with their success…but what’s with the money???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is money the only way of showing one’s appreciation? Lakhs…crores…millions of dollars…cars…without all this wont we be able to tell the boys that they did a good job and we are proud of them?

Is this how materialistic we have become? If I cannot pay anything to the men in blue does that mean that their victory is of less importance to me?

Its all not the case wherein we have taken all the concerned areas and now have enough surplus money to splurge. We are a huge country with lots of people and almost everyone at a certain age wants to be a cricketer. There are academies that can be opened, Fitness regimens and diet plans that can do good to the current crop of players. I’m sorry to be a blooper but we are not the world’s best team despite of winning the world cup.

And more so-
I’m sure the players would like and benefit more if we show a little understanding rather than this money distribution spree. Can we be patient with them if they loose two matches on the trot against Australia? Will the media control itself from coming up with swashbuckling slogans like- “Sher bane Billi”. “The fall of the Titans” or “Dhul gayee Dhoni ke Sena” aur worst…Faida liya hamare pyaar ka!! The players have not asked for what they are being given. They are just happy to win but they are certainly not happy with the pressure that comes along with this enforced love…this suffocating affection!

One could count the number of times Dhoni smiled throughout Wednesday and I’m sure somewhere in the back of his mind was lingering this feeling that this love might over night turn into mad hate frenzy!

So I, as a fan or fanatic of the game give the Indian team 1 crore worth of understanding. I’ll be patient with your loses provided you promise that you’ll give your 100% and nothing less.

Because you know what guys…after all…it’s a game…a sport!!!

I had this interesting discussion with a friend today…it started when he commented- "That Alister guy got just 3 years of imprisonment yaar…just 3 years!!"

"That’s good enough", I said and this is what followed-

Sidd (friend)- "What?! He should be given much more! He killed 7 people!"
Me- "He did not kill them Sidd, they got killed…there is a difference here."
Sidd- "What difference? They are no more! They died…their loved ones are suffering."
Me- "Yes, but how does Alister spending, say 10 years in prison get the dead back? Does causing harm to Alister give peace to the family of those who died? Say even if it does…is that right? Tit for tat, is it?"
Sidd- "Its not about Tit for Tat, its about punishing him for the wrong he did…(interrupted by me)."
Me- "Punish him to harm him or change him for the good?"
Sidd- (trying to find the right words)
Me- "Why do we or should we punish the people who have done a mistake? What is the purpose behind punishments? Is it to cause harm to that person or should it be to teach him a lesson in a way that he will be truly sorry and will not repeat the mistake? …Isn’t that the right way to go about it?"

From then on the debate was mine, for I believed in what I was saying. Firstly, there is a difference between a deliberate act and a mistake. And when you are reacting to the mistake in order to correct it, you first got to know what the mistake was.
In the case of Alister Parriera the mistake was not killing people. It was driving under the influence of alcohol. Had he not been under the influence of the liquid he would not have gone ahead and killed 7 people, by choice. And that brings us to the justification of the jail term.
Jail is not a magic remedy home where you put someone and all is taken care off. In most cases a jail term is where the problem begins! Jail is for those people who are a threat to civil society. It is primarily for people who should not be allowed to roam around unchained amongst people for their mere presence is dangerous to others. Are Alister or for that matter Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt such people?
I’m not saying that such people should be set free without punishment, Not At All but let the punishment be constructive. Let it change them and make a positive difference to the society at large.
Let Alister after his jail term or otherwise be subject to some contribution to the drinking and driving problem. Make him responsible for keeping check of such events for a certain period of time in a certain way in a certain area. Same goes for Salman Khan or Sanjay Dutt and so many others who are just offenders to begin with but after a jail term they are criminals!

I have no association with Alister, Salman or Sanjay but i've a definite objection to the manner in which certain of problems are tackled, for in such cases its not the mistake that makes a as much a negative difference as much as the remedy.

Its hence important for us to remember in all spheres of live the objective behind any punishment and then the result of it on the subject and the problem…unless of course the idea is just to cause damage to an individual because he caused damage to someone! And that by no means is right…although it is definitely simple and immediate.