The Whole Country Is So Euphoric and Euphoria Is Always Ephemeral

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 6 July 2024 "Cricket and Religion Have Destroyed India. Since Cricket Is a Religion in India, This Third-World Country Is Completely Under the Sickening Spell of an Extended Religion." -Sir V S Naipaul in 1995 Players of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team with the championship trophy acknowledge fans during their open bus victory parade, in Mumbai on Thursday -------- At least 11 persons were rushed to hospitals for sustaining minor injuries or feeling dizzy after a massive crowd gathered along the route of the victory parade of the T-20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team in South Bombay. Just a couple of days ago, 120-odd people died in a stampede at Hathras in UP. Yet, the very next day, a sea of ever-swelling crowd again gathered to welcome the Indian cricket team for winning the World Cup in a 'Carnival' cricket which is not even an apology for real cricket. Do you consider T-20 to be genuine cricket? It seems, the people of this country have nothing better to do. Naipaul aptly said that religion and cricket destroyed the country. Since cricket is an extended religion to a majority of indolent lotus eaters in this country, we're all immersed in it. Crowd is always a sure recipe for disasters. Despite that, lakhs of people gathered to sing paeans to the overhyped cricketers. People had no civic sense that they blocked the roads, causing inconvenience to daily commuters. It's our national, rather subcontinental character. We praise and pan in the same breath. When Ajit Wadekar's team returned to India after defeating England and West Indies in 1971, the entire Bombay was present at the airport to welcome the team. The same people humiliated Wadekar and the Indian team in 1974 when it returned home after an abysmal performance in the biting cold of England. By the way, that forgettable tour included the infamous “Summer of 42” second Test match at Lord's, where India was bowled out for just 42 runs on 24th June in their second innings. The whole country is so euphoric and euphoria, as you all know, is always ephemeral. We don't learn anything from our mistakes and keep on repeating the same (mistakes). Religious feelings and experiences also provide a sense of euphoria but unfortunately, it's a long-time euphoria. It's indeed a matter of pity that we need some kind of euphoria to survive. ------- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/country-euphoric-euphoria-ephemeral/d/132642 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism