The death of the voice of reason makes me guilty. Despite such a beautiful and logical name, he had to die unnecessarily! Yes, I am talking about that reddish brown 5 year old mare. The girl horse died to the maddened glee of our grotesque fun. The horse was expected to live at least another 20 years according to the normal life expectancy. But we did not let the Voice of Reason live. Not given, to our class’ ruthless, unbridled glee.
The word monster killed the human in us at the end of the World Cup cricket match at Eden last Sunday. November 5 is Virat Kohli’s birthday. He gave us a ‘return gift’ by hundred that evening and we caused the death of a horse as the night wore on. After the last wicket of the Proteas in the Nandankanan cricket match between India and South Africa, the off-field verbal ‘riot’ started.
As a result of which the horse of the mounted police died of heart disease. Two mounted policemen are also undergoing treatment at a private hospital in South Kolkata after being injured in the accident. One of them is in critical condition. Two spectators were also injured. Calcutta police vet Surjit Bose was close to the horses outside the Eden during the game. He also performed an autopsy on the dead horse that night.
In Surjeet’s words, ‘There were six mounted police on Palashi Gate Road. As soon as the game was over, the horses started running away in fright at the loud noises and flashes of light.’ He said that three horses hit the spectators and policemen and jumped on top of several cars and motorbikes. He lamented, ‘I tried a lot to save the most injured horse. It died at 10:40 p.m.’
We have no regrets, no regrets. There are some complaints. And there is pressure to assign blame. It is alleged that the CAB authorities cracked Deda’s slogans outside Eden without police permission to hold the successful World Cup that day. However, some animal lovers and environmentalists have come forward with the role of the police along with the CAB. Their clear words, ‘If the CAB is guilty of illegally blasting blasphemy outside Eden, the police are doubly guilty. Why didn’t the police stop the wording in front of their eyes?’
On the other hand some of the former CAB chiefs are blaming the present ones. As former CAB treasurer now Calcutta Municipal Councilor Vishwaroop De claims, ‘When I was in CAB, silent bets were cracked in Eden games. All the rules were broken on Sunday night.’
But these are all about pointing fingers at someone. It is not a matter of introspection or self-examination. Now the question is, are we having any slippage? A friend of mine and former cricketer, shared his experience at Nandankanan Stadium on that day of cricket on social media. The point is, ‘I have been going to the field since childhood. It is nothing new, but the experience yesterday was novel.’
Their tickets were in C block. The number of Bengalis in the entire block is negligible. No number comes as a percentage. According to him, ‘those who sat as my co-viewers, were not so much interested in playing as they were in dancing and showing their faces to the camera. Discussion among themselves– who has procured the ticket at what price.’ And then the footnote, ‘Of course the demand is raised during the game— ‘Kohli ko bowling do’. It is their collective commitment that took the form of a slogan. We are a handful of sports lovers, who have tried to play serious cricket, are shocked.’
Readers don’t end here, there’s more. My friend says, ‘I was surprised and angry to see them flaunting a huge flag. ‘Indian Army’ is written on that tricolor huge flag. That is ‘Team India”s counter statement. Flags were waved along with shouts — ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Ganapati Bappa Morea’. However, there was no ‘Jai Sriram’ sound. All the while they almost forced the audience sitting next to them to match their eccentric, un-cricket behaviour.’ Like my friend who went to this field, I also asked, who are they?
Where do they originate? What is their source? How did they get a bunch of tickets? The class that went to the field and danced, does it have anything to do with sports? Does this Gutkhakhor audience know at all, which is square leg, which is mid-off or galley? The more I think about it, the more possibilities come to mind. All told here will not be a politically correct stand. Let’s raise one question for now, were the Bengali children reluctant to go to the field?
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Playing in Kolkata, have Bengali cricket fans decreased in Bengal? I think there is an organized conspiracy to deprive the Bengali cricket fans of these neo-fascists by handing over bunches of tickets. In fact, when the game was no longer a game, it was transformed into a ‘beosa’, since then it has been an entertainment for the non-Bengali bigots. With this now lobje, jiska paash rupeya hai, uska paash ma hai. That’s entertainment. Better cheers girl than cricketer.
But it must be admitted that when a five-day cricket tournament was held at the Eden Gardens in the mild winter sun, it was still entertainment to a class of spectators. Some used to eat oranges, some used to weave wool and watch the four deaths of Jayasima. But still, Cricket is a gentleman’s game. They would not do anything dangerous to harm others.
Mountain police horse dies in Eden at the sound of a bet
Today except for Diwali tomorrow, it is easy to imagine what monster these lumpens are waiting for. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said, not only in the Delhi-NCR region, but across the country, ban on buying, selling and cracking of baji during the Diwali season will remain in place. But who listens to whom! On the one hand, the level of noise increased from 90 to 125 decibels with the indirect support of the government. On the other hand, a matbar of the Ocher camp put a touch of religion into it. There is anti-Hindu attitude in the prohibition of speech! Where this is the attitude of the leaders of voting politics, the voice of reason must die. Our culture and love of cricket are dying together.
(Completely personal to the author in opinion published This essay. ‘This time it’s digital. in any way of responsibility does not carry.)
Tags: Mounted police horse voice reason died due firecracker noise india south africa match eden
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