Tags:
Journalism of Courage
India is not a banana republic,even if bodies as august and decidedly Indian as the Board of Control for Cricket in India go out of their way to demonstrate so to the world at large. Suffice it to say that Badminton Englands advice to its players about security in India at the moment,or the lack thereof,was an over-reaction. It was premature and hasty,which,ironically and against its claims,was not based on an accurate consideration of ground realities. But as a result of the advice,the English players took their own decisions to stay away,depriving the ongoing Indian Open championship in Hyderabad of the English contingent. To get the simplest fact out of the way first,the fate of the Indian Premier League has had little to do with security per se. The IPL being offshored this year is more a matter of politics interfering with cricket and of the personal egos of Indias cricket bosses,not without a gaffe on the part of the government.
But the sad truth is that what began with a domestic Twenty20 cricket league has already spilled over,with ripple effects in other spheres. The issue is not the IPL itself being shifted. The issue is one of perceptions,and how unflattering perceptions abroad and at home can damage Brand India. If today India is seen to be unsafe for sport,tomorrow ordinary tourists will stop coming altogether,and the day after investors could follow suit. This is untenable not only because India cannot afford such collateral damage,but also because this perception is at variance with the ground situation. Now,it is up to the government to clear up the mess clear up which it must,because the IPL spats feared consequences are already visible.
