As M S Dhoni smashed that ball out of the park for a six to lift the world cup for India ; he set up unarguably the biggest mass celebrations on earth. It became a very special weekend. Indians partied like they have never before in living memory. Not only in India but in every corner of the world ; where ever they live they erupted with joy and pride. Everyone was united in mind and spirit at least on that historical day. In my North American city Indian fans blocked a major road when hundreds of cars with Indian flags fluttering on top took out an impromptu procession. Sports shops simply ran out of Indian flags to sell. People forced the vendors to reorder instantly and waited for hours till they got a flag. Price be damned. Frenzied fans were shouting and screaming at the top of their lungs all night and most arrived at work next day with hoarse voices and red eyes. They danced to bhangra beats on the roads and inside malls and strip plaza's. People called up even long lost friends and relations to share this good news! India of course made all news channels for all the right reasons and even non cricketing world now knows that India has won The world cup!
I got my share of congratulatory calls from unexpected quarters too. And I was invited to a party that evening as well. It was not planned as a world cup celebration but hey the host happened to be a sophisticated cricket fan from Bangladesh; so there!! On top of this another guest originally from Pakistan started distributing sweets to congratulate and stir Indians in the gathering and before you know we were having our own league matches . From game statistics, comparative strengths of individual players, team strategies to cricket politics; all kinds of arguments kept flying around. Nobody was willing to give an inch. Food and drinks were forgotten till our better halves started bowling verbal short pitch deliveries. They as virtually unplayable as you all know. Pakistani group being masters of the conspiracy theory was keen to show that this win is hollow since some invisible force had "fixed" the result before hand. Specially the semi final in Mohali. Indian side was firm that the cup is theirs because they are simply the "best" ;period! The final verdict by general agreement was that India played well and deserved this huge win. Dissent duly noted.
Anything that impacts one hundred and twenty one million people is going to be huge indeed. So what does it all mean to the pavement bangle seller who sold me a little trinket for my daughter the other week? Her only complaint was that she has to pay Rs. 200 everyday to police and even after fleecing me ( she admitted she is outrageously overcharging) she is barely making ends meet. What kind of cup can we win for her? She gets out everyday to the swinging yorker of deep seated corruption that does not allow her to build her innings at all. Can we win the world cup of honesty and ethical behavior for her? What does it mean for that teen boy who is eking out a living by selling music CD's on the street corner, instead of going to school? He has no hopes of making the India A team. How can we win the world cup of education for him so he can better his lot? When are we going to mount a campaign to win a world cup of life for those farm laborers who are forced to commit suicide fifty kilometers from state capitals? How can we win the world cup of justice and equitable distribution for our dispossessed ; forced to become Maoist by an unjust system. We have tamed Brett lee's bouncers but where are we going to find a coach that teaches us to negotiate the rising delivery of food prices?
The world cup win is a testament to a young , dynamic and resourceful India. India that in a commentators word "does not know defeat". Celebrate this new found strength ; enjoy the fruits of your victory today but remember there are many many other more important world cups out there . We must win them all. If we want them they are ours. If you partied this last Saturday with friends and in your neighborhoods ; just imagine what kind of magnificently super party it would be if all 121 million Indians are happy enough to party together. It will definitely be biggest party ever on earth!
I will raise a toast to the day; because I truly believe we can do it !
Congratulations India!
I will raise a toast to the day; because I truly believe we can do it !
Congratulations India!
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