Hitler had infamously said, “Guns before butter”. His war machine took priority over the common man’s needs. This brazenness is echoed in the phrase “Runs before water”! This is what the IPL czars seem to be saying in their unquenched thirst for more moolah.
The Supreme Court, and earlier the Bombay High Court, have taken a contrarian view; that basic needs like water take precedence over the glitz and glamour of the IPL; that pretends to be a sport. Rather unsporting of the IPL.
Since my hometown Kanpur was one of the oldest test cricket centres, my family has had a long association with the big guns of yesteryear cricket. My late uncle Stanley was closely associated with the U.P. Cricket Association. Being a fine orator, it was his privilege to introduce the test players to the Governor of U.P., who would always come down at the start of the match. Uncle also saw to the hospitality for the foreign teams. Even our family malishwala, Ram Swaroop, was commandeered for them. Stanley also had a warm friendship with Vizzy (the Maharaja of Vizzianagram) then the ace commentator. That was long before the advent of the Harsha Bhogles, Ravi Shastris and mini-skirted presenters.
There is another family connect. My sister Irene’s classmate, Marshniel, married Sunil Gavaskar. Perhaps the romance blossomed at a dinner at our home, where the Nawab of Pataudi, the then Indian captain, was also present. Back then those in white flannels played a “gentleman’s game”, that too in the cooler winter months. The IPL is more a slam, wham, thank you mam, kind of thing. Add a few golden strands to the players’ uniforms and they would be indistinguishable from the band bajawallahs of our big fat barats. Years ago Gavaskar had said that Hindi movies were made by asses, for the masses. What of the IPL? A modern opium for the masses and cattle classes, herded into fenced enclosures? If we can’t give them food and water, give them runs!
At the time of writing there is talk of hosting two IPL matches here in Kanpur in May, one of the hottest months. Eventhough Kanpur is located along the banks of the Ganga there is an acute water crisis this year. Hand pumps and bore wells have run dry because of depleting ground water levels. Citizens are queuing up for hours for a few drops of contaminated municipal water supply, while the Municipal Commissioner has gone on a long foreign junket! For fear of water riots the district administration has imposed Sec 144 of the CrPC on the city, and Sec 133 CrPC against water wastage. Service stations have been banned from washing vehicles.
Yet, Rajiv Shukla, the IPL Commissioner, who incidentally hails from Kanpur, is desperate to have these matches. He brazenly stated that the millions of litres of water being expended daily for preparing the Green Park stadium is from their private bore well. He is blind to the reality that even that underground water is depriving others of drinking water. Several citizens’ groups have protested against the IPL at Kanpur in the given adverse circumstances. This writer had also submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate, who said that the State Govt would take a final decision. It remains to be seen if the Govt of U.P. opts for rain over water. Which team will win, the masses or the asses?
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