Too many important topics here but would just stick to a couple. “What does it take to fall so low, and does it hurt, at least a little bit, when you hit bottom?” This is a question that haunts every day and you’re right we will perhaps never know. I always wondered on these lines though. Perhaps it doesn’t hurt some (Nehwals of the World) because they don’t realize that they are descending to or hit the bottom. For some others (with no courage to speak up), it may not be inducements but uncertainty around the consequences of speaking up probably keeps them silent.
On women safety? Today, the diagnosis of the top man of the country is that a lack of fear among male perpetrators is the reason for the violence. What treatment can we expect if this is the diagnosis?
Yeah, I heard that. The entire speech was WTF, but this stood out even more. Lack of fear? It is under this dispensation that the Bilkis Bano rapists and murderers were paroled. That Brij Bhushan continues to roam free, flaunting his clout. This is the same man who campaigned for Prajwal Revanna -- and has not said a word on that man's serial depradations till date. So yeah, sure, "lack of fear" -- he could have added "a feeling of impunity".
Great post. As for fallen heroes, I am wondering if there is a fundamental error one is making in assuming that an accomplished sportsperson demonstrating incredible grit and strength in the chosen domain of sport translates automatically to having either a strong moral character (in terms of standing up to power) or having the spirit to fight challenges outside the court.
A cynical perspective to take here is to view all the struggles over the sporting career as part of a single-minded pursuit for excellence in a narrow area. There is a degree of control over the training process and the feedback from winning keeps it going. This does not imply that the same strength or even anything comparable would be summoned in a completely different battlefield where the skills required are very different together with lack of control over the narrative or ability to influence.
Also, there is an ambition driving new heights in sporting glory, but the moment one enters the political sphere, the ambitions are often not aligned with doing the right thing so to speak. And the kind of character that is needed for that is something that we have no reason to assume these individuals possess.
Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong about all this.
That said, it is one thing to remain silent or not come out openly in support of a fellow athlete being unfairly demonized but it is much more disappointing when they are actively contributing to maligning or undermining the credibility.
This is an essay you should develop -- it makes points that are well worth making. Please do, and if you don't find an outlet, ping me, I'll be happy to publish as a guest post.
Idols have feet of clay. Rightly written, Nehwal joins the long list of Indians who have lost their spine and are now Modified. All celebrity sports people (including Tendulkar, Dhoni, Virushka's, etc) have been disappointing, as have been the bollywood big wigs. Fear of loosing business and the nurturing embrace has affected all. So much affecting us, yet we remain mute.
I can't conceive of a government strong enough to torpedo a Tendulkar, a Virat, a Dhoni -- there would be a nationwide upheaval if someone tried. But the alternative, that they actually bought the Modi Kool Aid, is even worse to contemplate.
That said, the slight silver lining is that despite the odds, there are increasingly compelling voices speaking up -- in media and elsewhere. It will take time, but I suspect the ship is slowly righting itself.
So sad and shameful. Even worse, we as a people have ceased to be shocked or even affected by what is happening all around us. It is as if we have developed calluses around our hearts.
Are we turning into some detached, emotion-less voids with dark pits for eyes and solid ice for a heart that ust won't melt? Or reading these kind of moral depradations daily inures us to any kind of emotion? Or maybe we have all grown up to misanthropes? Or misanthropes of Indian society? Don't know, don't want to know. Tonight is for silent tears.
I know I will lose my marbles soon. And am traveling. Is it even safe for me, a single woman to travel, to work, to fall ill, to go to the police station to complain, to stay in a hostel, to drink latte at a cafe? Now every "normal" thing has to be thought through and thought and rethought. This is my country. And what freedoms have I achieved in 77 years of independence? Independence? Woe be us!
Media stories saying the Government is not doing enough in terms of sports funding, to people of the likes of Prakash Padukone, Viren Rasquinha saying funding has improved leaves one confused. Wrestling shows the Government in poor light, but the Badminton results points otherwise.
Is the best option to believe that the truth lies somewhere in between. The sports journalist in you may have the answer.
As with so much else, there are multiple sides to "truth". Here, both those statements tat you made happen to be true.
There is money on the table, also facilities. In that sense, Prakash is right. The problem is lopsided grant of both.
In my post, if you notice, I wrote of an athlete that is desperately trying to raise money to go for a World Championship, no less, for which she qualified -- so, where is the money? (Earlier, for the qualifying tournament also, she had run into money issues, and I remember several of us came together then and helped).
Against that, PV Sindhu, to take one example, got to take a 11-person entourage with her to Paris, on the country's dime. Eleven people, to support one athlete who demanded that she needed that much support. So there's the money. (Not to beat down on Sindhu, I used her as an example only because that is the sort of thing Prakash is talking about).
The piece that is missing is, "star power". If you are somebody, if you are a legit star (plus, if you happen to be in the government's good books), there is money and to spare. Therefore, Sindhu gets it, because she is a star. (It helps that she also does her share of cut-paste propaganda). Ashwini is accomplished, but in our world she is no star, so she gets nothing. Sejal, who I wrote about, is unknown -- so she has to go around with a begging bowl.
That is the reality of Indian sport. And, PS, Ashwini is perfectly correct: The government did sleight of hand, and showed 1.5 crore against her name (and the same amount against the names of others) when the truth is, that is the entire sum expended on ALL athletes who took part in the pre-Olympic camp.
Much like our select Corporate favourites who get everything.
One point though. If you look at the medals tally in this Olympic or even earlier ones, many a poorer country has thrown up talent that have won Gold medals.Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan is a more recent example. He never has the kind of facilities Neeraj has, though that will change now.
And one more thing - Much like in the case of the Indian Soldier, you say even anything remotely critical of sportspeople, you are hauled over the coals on social media.
Congratulations for bringing out truths which should hurt every citizen but don't because the combination of politics with religion is converting us into a sub-human society!
Too many important topics here but would just stick to a couple. “What does it take to fall so low, and does it hurt, at least a little bit, when you hit bottom?” This is a question that haunts every day and you’re right we will perhaps never know. I always wondered on these lines though. Perhaps it doesn’t hurt some (Nehwals of the World) because they don’t realize that they are descending to or hit the bottom. For some others (with no courage to speak up), it may not be inducements but uncertainty around the consequences of speaking up probably keeps them silent.
On women safety? Today, the diagnosis of the top man of the country is that a lack of fear among male perpetrators is the reason for the violence. What treatment can we expect if this is the diagnosis?
Yeah, I heard that. The entire speech was WTF, but this stood out even more. Lack of fear? It is under this dispensation that the Bilkis Bano rapists and murderers were paroled. That Brij Bhushan continues to roam free, flaunting his clout. This is the same man who campaigned for Prajwal Revanna -- and has not said a word on that man's serial depradations till date. So yeah, sure, "lack of fear" -- he could have added "a feeling of impunity".
Great post. As for fallen heroes, I am wondering if there is a fundamental error one is making in assuming that an accomplished sportsperson demonstrating incredible grit and strength in the chosen domain of sport translates automatically to having either a strong moral character (in terms of standing up to power) or having the spirit to fight challenges outside the court.
A cynical perspective to take here is to view all the struggles over the sporting career as part of a single-minded pursuit for excellence in a narrow area. There is a degree of control over the training process and the feedback from winning keeps it going. This does not imply that the same strength or even anything comparable would be summoned in a completely different battlefield where the skills required are very different together with lack of control over the narrative or ability to influence.
Also, there is an ambition driving new heights in sporting glory, but the moment one enters the political sphere, the ambitions are often not aligned with doing the right thing so to speak. And the kind of character that is needed for that is something that we have no reason to assume these individuals possess.
Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong about all this.
That said, it is one thing to remain silent or not come out openly in support of a fellow athlete being unfairly demonized but it is much more disappointing when they are actively contributing to maligning or undermining the credibility.
This is an essay you should develop -- it makes points that are well worth making. Please do, and if you don't find an outlet, ping me, I'll be happy to publish as a guest post.
Thanks for the encouragement. I'll consider what you are suggesting.
Idols have feet of clay. Rightly written, Nehwal joins the long list of Indians who have lost their spine and are now Modified. All celebrity sports people (including Tendulkar, Dhoni, Virushka's, etc) have been disappointing, as have been the bollywood big wigs. Fear of loosing business and the nurturing embrace has affected all. So much affecting us, yet we remain mute.
I can't conceive of a government strong enough to torpedo a Tendulkar, a Virat, a Dhoni -- there would be a nationwide upheaval if someone tried. But the alternative, that they actually bought the Modi Kool Aid, is even worse to contemplate.
That said, the slight silver lining is that despite the odds, there are increasingly compelling voices speaking up -- in media and elsewhere. It will take time, but I suspect the ship is slowly righting itself.
So sad and shameful. Even worse, we as a people have ceased to be shocked or even affected by what is happening all around us. It is as if we have developed calluses around our hearts.
Not "as if". We have.
Are we turning into some detached, emotion-less voids with dark pits for eyes and solid ice for a heart that ust won't melt? Or reading these kind of moral depradations daily inures us to any kind of emotion? Or maybe we have all grown up to misanthropes? Or misanthropes of Indian society? Don't know, don't want to know. Tonight is for silent tears.
Not "turning".
Have turned.
Yesterday a cardiac specialist for arrested for raping two women who were undergoing treatment for cardiac problems.
I know I will lose my marbles soon. And am traveling. Is it even safe for me, a single woman to travel, to work, to fall ill, to go to the police station to complain, to stay in a hostel, to drink latte at a cafe? Now every "normal" thing has to be thought through and thought and rethought. This is my country. And what freedoms have I achieved in 77 years of independence? Independence? Woe be us!
Media stories saying the Government is not doing enough in terms of sports funding, to people of the likes of Prakash Padukone, Viren Rasquinha saying funding has improved leaves one confused. Wrestling shows the Government in poor light, but the Badminton results points otherwise.
Is the best option to believe that the truth lies somewhere in between. The sports journalist in you may have the answer.
As with so much else, there are multiple sides to "truth". Here, both those statements tat you made happen to be true.
There is money on the table, also facilities. In that sense, Prakash is right. The problem is lopsided grant of both.
In my post, if you notice, I wrote of an athlete that is desperately trying to raise money to go for a World Championship, no less, for which she qualified -- so, where is the money? (Earlier, for the qualifying tournament also, she had run into money issues, and I remember several of us came together then and helped).
Against that, PV Sindhu, to take one example, got to take a 11-person entourage with her to Paris, on the country's dime. Eleven people, to support one athlete who demanded that she needed that much support. So there's the money. (Not to beat down on Sindhu, I used her as an example only because that is the sort of thing Prakash is talking about).
The piece that is missing is, "star power". If you are somebody, if you are a legit star (plus, if you happen to be in the government's good books), there is money and to spare. Therefore, Sindhu gets it, because she is a star. (It helps that she also does her share of cut-paste propaganda). Ashwini is accomplished, but in our world she is no star, so she gets nothing. Sejal, who I wrote about, is unknown -- so she has to go around with a begging bowl.
That is the reality of Indian sport. And, PS, Ashwini is perfectly correct: The government did sleight of hand, and showed 1.5 crore against her name (and the same amount against the names of others) when the truth is, that is the entire sum expended on ALL athletes who took part in the pre-Olympic camp.
Much like our select Corporate favourites who get everything.
One point though. If you look at the medals tally in this Olympic or even earlier ones, many a poorer country has thrown up talent that have won Gold medals.Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan is a more recent example. He never has the kind of facilities Neeraj has, though that will change now.
And one more thing - Much like in the case of the Indian Soldier, you say even anything remotely critical of sportspeople, you are hauled over the coals on social media.
Your take on the above.
Congratulations for bringing out truths which should hurt every citizen but don't because the combination of politics with religion is converting us into a sub-human society!
I honestly wish there was no need to do this, that we lived in a better ordered society :-(