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Is Sourav Ganguly, a significant part of Bengal’s history? Undoubtedly yes, and to my mind his retirement from sport shall create a big void.
While India’s strength is its multicultural existence, unmatched in the world, I do believe history of each and every province of India is unique in their own way. Having said that, what made India unique was – the entire country’s history is made by the respective regions contributing to make the nation. One may argue about the regional parochialism but one cannot ignore the strength of India which despite its diversity (which few understand) have always remained the way it is. It is not an easy thing for a nation that does not adhere to a single culture / custom but thus far I guess India has been very successful.
Surprisingly, the unification has been seen majorly in politics, sports and also to many criticisms in Indian films. However, post-independence, India always lacked a true leader whom people could idologise, who made the country proud, who represented India, as it should be. People’s disillusionment with politics because of corrupt politicians made cricket the unlikeliest arena where Indians started looking for heroes. Whatever may be the reason, but I cannot ignore the significance of Indian cricket plays in unifying the nation. If you call us unfortunate for that, let it be but then if a sport and its players can manage to handle the expectations of so many people and occasionally give them a reason to celebrate, I commend them. It does not matter always from where happiness comes as long as it comes, especially in a country where it is such a distant dream for many. Sourav Ganguly has long been part of this happiness providing group and a significant part to that.
People loved him and people also indulged in the fashion of hating him but whosoever says Sourav was not a courageous Indian despite his limitation, to my mind he is lying.
In Delhi, I have largely seen hatred towards Sourav and surprisingly most of those accusations were racists in terms of hatred towards him being a Bengali and I had to fight them. At times I wondered why does inept individuals make such racist comments, but then I thought a huge blackened part of Indian history is indulgence in regional racism – a fight that has been at its ugliest in recent times.
I do feel there is a reason for that too. Partly it is economic but to a large extent it is emotional. Regions in India jostle between themselves to “gift” the one hero from their region. Since, there are few at the national level anyway they even take recourse to reality television show to exhibit their regionalism. In this scarcity thus it is evident that childish arguments driven largely by envy follows.
Bengal as a state of India were not immune to that either. On one hand, Bengalis have never really coped with their status of becoming an insignificant state in economics and arts over time where their history showed their one time prominence, on the other hand falling from grace created a schizophrenic feeling among Bengalis that it is not them who created this state for themselves but this was a result of some conspiracy.
Personally, I do feel the people of Bengal are entirely responsible for the state of affairs in Bengal but in India before we attribute the entire responsibility of a problem on people, we must remember a large number of people in India have never really got the opportunity to realize their potential. Their poverty became a tool of many progressive politicians, theoretical research studies, Nobel prizes, literatures, discussions and somewhat deliberately they remained where they were for many generations. However, they were part of Bengal too – who are much more aware than people of other regions of their heritages and struggles.
This perhaps justifies Sourav’s importance in Bengal’s history where the educated urban privileged lots as well as the uneducated deprived lots were united in their knowledge of their virtually lost heritage of gifting the nation leaders. Sourav became a cause, a hope and a true leader.
Without taking away credit from Sourav’s successes, it is actually sad whenever I put myself on the shoes of Bengal. Bengal is like a mother who has seen so many of her son to succeed in every sphere and suddenly there is none. The impoverished nature, huge brain drain because of lack of opportunities did not help either. Thankfully, there was Sourav who captured her imagination, representing the state and the nation admirably.
Bengal’s fall from grace is a story in itself and whenever I see people inside India ridiculing us, I feel pained. I feel inside like the old Bengali proverb, which says, when an elephant is caught in a mud-pit when frogs dare to kick it.
Thankfully, Sourav gave reasons to rejoice and that is why Bengalis became so possessive about him. He was courageous because he accomplished being a leader when other great colleague of his refused to do so time and again, he succeeded despite his limitations and more importantly he fought back always.
Sourav’s toughness to fight back against adversities if translated into every youth of Bengal, I somehow feel the state shall have immense hope for the future. I know many people shall give his being a rich man’s son but then the humiliation he must faced in the periods between 1991-1996 and later during 2005-2007 cannot be replenished by monetary comfort alone.
Beyond just a cricketer, Sourav to me represented a Bengali whom I admired. He had his held high, he had aura and he excelled in leadership. Of course, he had his inherited limitations but even with them he excelled and that is why he is so special. Cricket became a tool for his success but it is his attitude that after a long time exemplified being a Bengali.
Most Bengali’s within their hearts want to see more of Sourav from among them in every sphere of lives, not just cricket. It is just that, many of them hardly accept the fact. There general fascination with a variety subjects and the ghost of history at times acts as cobwebs on their wishes, but I do wish Sourav’s legacy gets reflected into to-day’s youth. Our generation of Bengali Indians has not seen many whom we can admire, we are lucky to see one at least.
Let’s have our chin up and don’t make him just another chapter in sports.
Sourav Ganguly would be part of Indian cricket history but for Bengal he is part of its social history.
He, through his career (quite unintentionally) has reminded the state how it can still excel in any fields if it regains its confidence. He displayed immense leadership skills in a country which has such a scarcity of leaders who can capture people’s imagination thorough their act. I do think it is a significant contribution on his part.
I wish the youth understands the deeper meaning of the Sourav psyche that lies dormant in all of its people. If we don’t then we need to wait perhaps much longer to have another hero whom we shower our love.
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