The Indo-Pak match is really bringing out the fact that our nation (i know little to comment on the other other side of the border) is extremely happy to deeply involve itself into things that matter little.
Anything, for that matter that allows us to forget that there are urgent things this nation needs to address. That we may be stuffing our pockets and doing a bit better even as our lives are more and more meaningless. That we have allowed our realities to be defined by soap operas, mundane family obligations and well paying but hardly engaging jobs.
With so little left to wholesomely identify with, obviously India battling in Mohali is the perfect rescue. The bharat bandh, advertised for the upcoming IPL (for some more mass hypnosis) is almost real in Delhi today.
But then we can't be satisfied with just that! We need to feel good about ourselves... and what better way than finding someone you can hate?
In the marketplace of a middle, lower middle class colony (i hope i have the classes right!) in South Delhi today, I saw that some people had put up a pandal with a big TV screen to show the match. A young sikh man, maybe in his 30s along with a couple of other men (non-sikh) were swaying huge Indian flags on the roadside. Each time India would hit a 4, 6 etc, who knows maybe even take a single they would take run around the roundabout in the market waving their flags, while some hired drummers would beat drums. Several auto drivers had abandoned their work (which comes to most of them easily) and had joined the audience of about 50 odd people. At intervals one would hear chants of Pakistan hai hai!
The more we display such brainless hatred, the more it reflects the fact that our own cultures, systems and values have gaping holes and that people are less and less willing to question themselves.
Swearing by the historic tolerance of our nation is of little meaning, if the pride that comes with it, makes us hate all others who's culture is not 'as exalted as ours'.
While most people are enjoying the match today, even as they jokingly deride the hype and political gimmicks that are going on along with it, many of them are secretly fighting notional identity battles inside their hearts. While we are busy winning small battles here, we may find out, too late, that meanwhile we have lost the main front.
