Fanning trouble

The ugly face of unruly mob fury has once again brought disrepute to India. What happened in Cuttack on Monday was not an isolated case. And quite certainly it will not be the last. Ironically, Cuttack joins the famed Eden Gardens in the Hall of Shame.

In a way, the crowd reaction after the Men in Blue hit a new low was considerably less scornful than the manner the vociferous crowds went berserk in the City of Joy on at least two infamous occasions.

The crowd, unable to digest a semifinal exit from the 1996 World Cup, went on the rampage that saw the island-nation getting a verdict in their favour.

The mayhem during the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match was a glorified demonstration of the public anger and frustration when India faced an imminent defeat.

There is a systematic pattern to the three incidents – volatile condemnations stem when India faces ignominy in the backyard.However, it is too wrong to call for a ban on Barabati Stadium.

The way people in the know-of-things, Sunil Gavaskar for instance, are demanding a two-year international moratorium on the stadium is amateurishly unwarranted but also exposes the double standards of these ‘gentlemen.’

It is a bit too exaggerated a reaction that the BCCI has sought a report from Orissa Cricket Association on the crowd trouble. Why should the obscure Barabati be singled out for such a punishment when Eden Gardens has been witness to more large-scale violence, including burning of a section of the stands?

Why is that none of the honourable men called for a ban on India’s most profound cricket stadium? Answers for these will elude the best of brains.

Taken as a larger picture, such incidents are pretty common in world football. The beautiful game is often a victim of racism and hooliganism that has seen many a battle getting abandoned and rioters being jailed.

It is practically impossible to have a code of conduct for fans. Moreover, when the players take pride in making a mockery of established norms, ethics and codes, why will the fans, who pay money to watch matches,

restrain their natural tendencies? In the given circumstances, one should appreciate the maturity that has been shown by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His reaction was typical of Captain Cool-more practically pragmatic and not meant to please the galleries.

In his own nonchalant manner, Dhoni has set a gentlemanly example, which the likes of Gavaskar (who is apparently trying to please Shashank Manohar and for obvious reasons) should take cue before airing their views.

The Orissa Cricket Association is right when it maintains that Gavaskar was not the authority to decide on international engagements and fixtures.

By stating that the crowd behaviour was a reflection of India's poor cricket and one should not read too much into it, Dhoni has demonstrated that he is a cut above the retired cricketers and administrators.

Lest one forgets, cricketers fight on the field and policy makers come to blows in Parliament and Legislatures.

Editor: Prof K Nageshwar