There cannot be a more befitting post after the last post of mine and the oh-so surreal match on 2nd April 2011 (please inscribe this date on whichever accessible thing you can lay your hands on – it will form a part of the inheritance you are going to bequeath on your next generation!!! And I am very serious about it). I cannot recall any instance during the course of 25 years of my life when India was united in celebrations with all the zest & fervor and rejoiced as a NATION. More than anything else it was the collective fulfillment of a dream which we all dreamt for the past 28 years. Cricket is indeed a religion in India which surpasses every possible divide that have been created by people skillfully taking advantage of the lacunae in the political and constitutional system.
How difficult is it to have one dream, one vision across 1.21 billion people? I reckon it is next to impossible. What makes cricket so endearing that everybody comes together as one unit to celebrate in the glory of 11 men? Though this has been tackled in the previous post, in this post I want to draw attention to the necessity of one vision, one aspiration that can build a cohesive bond amongst all the people. The reality is that at the basic level we all share similar dreams. The way these can be manipulated by the people in power is what makes this power game tick. If we all realize that it is the collectivism which can lead to a greater fulfillment in life, don’t you think this world would be a better place to live? If we can celebrate and acknowledge the hardwork of a team on a national level for cricket why do we shy away from doing the same at a smaller level? Why can’t we give due to someone who deserves it and feel genuinely happy about him? That pat on the back goes a long way in changing someone’s life. Just for once, shed all your inhibitions and genuinely appreciate someone, celebrate in their achievements and you will get so much happiness out of it. As they say, “As you sow so shall you reap”, and we all can immensely benefit from this process.
Cricket, even if treated as religion, should not merely be treated on its face value. This is where we all falter. Why do we always miss the larger picture? Deeper understanding of the concepts leads to the true form of religion. This takes effort and we should not just gravitate towards an easier route. Praise each other fully and derive contentment from sharing happiness. It is truly worth the effort.
