Close your eyes, and ask yourself what’s one thing you would want to change in 2025? Almost everyone would have the same answer – we need to bring peace to our world. Be it the multiple terror attacks across the world, the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, we need a better, more sane and peaceful world. After what happened last night in Pahalgam, it is clear that growing intolerance is a disease, and has to be dealt with as such.
We at RevSportz aren’t the army to go and fight terror in Kashmir. We are sports journalists. But that’s doesn’t mean we aren’t part of the larger story. One of our regular viewers, Bitan Adhikary, was shot dead yesterday. It could have been any one of us there. That’s how close it is, and that’s the reality.
That’s why we need to use sport to make ourselves heard. Protest against the dastardly act. Stand in solidarity.
Much like the Indian cricket team’s act of wearing camouflage army caps to show solidarity with the martyrs of the Pulwama terror attack, the sports field has always been used to make larger political statements. Tommy Smith and John Carlos standing on the podium in Mexico City in 1968, performing the black power salute, is one of the most powerful images ever. It was also the strongest political indictment of racism using the Olympic platform.
I got a message last night from Anushmita Bhattacharjee, a regular viewer of ours, and she had written “Sir you remember Bitan Adhikary?”
For a second it did not ring a bell. Thereafter she wrote saying he was a regular watcher of your shows, especially ABC with Mirchi Agni and… pic.twitter.com/M8WhVzwFMH
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) April 23, 2025
Inviting Mohammed Ali to light the Olympic flame at the Atlanta Games in 1996 is yet another example. The political significance of the act was not lost on anyone. A frail Ali with trembling hands lighting the flame was an inspirational sight for those who watched. It was deemed an apology for years of torture and was the sort of recognition that Ali had craved.
Even under colonial rule in 1936, the Indian hockey team refused to salute Adolf Hitler at the Olympics opening ceremony in Berlin, creating a massive stir. While there is no evidence to show any direct linkage between Indian nationalism and the athletes’ decision to not salute Hitler, the fact remains that it was a political act, breathtaking in its audacity and in direct opposition to most other contingents at the Games, including the British.
We at RevSportz condemn the cowardly terror attack that has taken so many innocent lives in Kashmir. It has hit us especially hard because one of the victims was a regular viewer for so many of our shows. Our hearts go out to his family and to all those that lost their loved ones. Each of our shows for the remainder of this week will be dedicated to the victims of this dastardly attack, and henceforth, the RevSportz Male Athlete of the Year will be awarded the Bitan Adhikary Trophy as a mark of respect, subject to the consent of the family.
Finally, in our opinion, the IPL, India’s biggest and best sports brand and a symbol of soft power, must be used to stand in protest. Wear black arm bands, and have a minute’s silence before every match this week. Stand in solidarity and be heard. Tell the world it is not all normal. Terror has to be dealt with. The nation stands in solidarity and in anger. While the show must go on, it is as important to make ourselves heard, for that’s what makes sport what it is – a true reflection of society.
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