The Indian team is playing some of its best cricket in the World Cup. Four wins out of four, and the manner in which Rohit Sharma’s team has gone about the job so far has been most heartening. They have been near-flawless, and it is no accident that India are eyeing the top rung of the ladder.
Just as we feel a sense of delight watching the team, we feel a serious sense of shame seeing a section of the fans and the way they have conducted themselves in the stadiums. India are hosts of the World Cup, and fans from around the world are our guests. And yet, the cops refused to allow Pakistan fans to celebrate their team in Bengaluru. Going a step further in abominable behaviour, a section of fans harassed and heckled Tiger Shoaib, Bangladeshi super fan, and even damaged his tiger in the process. The video of that ugly incident in Pune has gone viral on social media.
These fans are as much ambassadors of the sport as the players. They are as much representatives of what we stand for in India as Rohit, Virat Kohli and the boys. And they are making a joke of themselves, and shaming us all by doing so.
If it was racism in Sydney, it was such behaviour in Pune. Both are comparable and atrocious. Such toxicity has no place inside stadiums, and there has to be some action taken with immediate effect.
Also, they should remember that India hasn’t won a global trophy in the last 10 years. The team have started well, but the tournament isn’t won or lost yet. So where is all this jingoism coming from? In all this, there is one loser and that’s Indian cricket. By abusing fans from other countries, we are only showcasing the ugly reality of Indian cricketing fandom. The truth cannot be hidden however much these toxic fans want it to be.
It is time to act. Stop this once and for all. Peddling hate is not the new India we want to see, and it has nothing to do with the idea of India. We cannot tolerate this as a society. This is a cricket match that we’re talking of, and there will almost always be a winner and a loser. As hosts, we need to do better. Anyone who thinks such behaviour is acceptable is either delusional or not fit for civilised society.
Secondly, and this is a truly dangerous trend, these people have started to believe that they are entitled to say anything. And get away with doing so. It is as if dishing out abuse on home soil is their birthright. While this is outrageous and vulgar at one level, it is alarming on another. It betrays deep anxiety and anger, which is then unleashed even without any sort of provocation. We have already let this fester far too long, and the fan behaviour in Bengaluru and Pune is a reflection of slipping standards.
With India playing New Zealand in Dharamshala, there will also be another match that will be played in the stands. While the players will do their best to win on the field, it is as important for the fans in Himachal to step up and redeem us all as a country.