UNFAIR DRUBBING OF A SIKH PLAYER FOR A DROPPED CATCH

CALLING HIM A KHALISTANI IS WORST KIND OF BIGOTRY

I am deeply anguished and pained to know that some individuals abused Arshdeep Singh, a budding Cricketer after the India-Pakistan Cricket Match. The young left-arm seamer has been facing the wrath ever since he dropped Pakistan batter Asif Ali in the 18th over of India’s match against Pakistan on Sunday. The trolling went up several notches as Pakistan went on to beat India in that match despite Arshdeep brilliant last over.

While the entire cricket fraternity took strong exception to the deplorable behaviour meted out to Arshdeep Singh on social media, there are still some out there, calling themselves Indian cricket fans, who continue to target the young pacer for his miss. Arshdeep had to endure heavy trolling for his dropped catch on social media, but he also found support from every quarter following the Pakistan game. Even skipper Rohit Sharma backed the left-arm pacer and talked about him at length during the post-match briefing after the Sri Lanka game praising him for his mental fortitude and confidence.

The trolling went up to the extent of Arshdeep Singh being called a Khalistani. It’s bigotry at its worst and speaks about the mindset of certain elements who neither have respect for their fellow Indian nor possess any sportsman spirit. Sports need to be treated purely as a sport and nothing more or less, whether it is between two neighbouring nations or any other countries.

A Catch was also missed by Kohli in the same match, but no one is talking about it. Doesn’t it show obstinate or unreasonable attachment to a belief, opinion, or faction; in particular, prejudice against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group or perhaps belonging to Sikh community. Are the Sikhs not loyal to their motherland! History abounds with incidents showing their loyalty, valour and sacrifices for the motherland.

 It makes one believe that Sikhs have to constantly go on proving their loyalty to their country which standard perhaps doesn’t apply to others irrespective of their misdeeds.

We all have to be sober enough and to internalise that it is only a sports event and not a battle between two neighbouring countries. It will be for the good of one and all if a sports event remains at that instead of turning the cricket field into a battlefield. Such people who try to create hysteria about it are not doing any good either to the sport or their country. Such elements are making the people turn away from watching sports events which may create unnecessary controversies totally unrelated to the game. What we witness after an India-Pakistan Cricket Match is that the people of the country losing the game go into depression and keep on mourning the loss. This is more so in the case of Pakistan and in comparison, the people in India, though feeling disturbed still maintain their balance and don’t go overboard.  If a game of Cricket between the two countries is to be taken to such a level of emotionalism, it would be better not to organize such ties as it will only increase the bitterness between the people of these two countries.

I truly hope that they will be sane and refrain from acting in such an irrational manner!