This guy is caught in a betting scandal and goes on to become an MP. Black money literally overflows from Gavaskar Gymkhana locker. And he is reawarded with a Padma Bhushan and given the keys to Bombay. Our Lalu's and Pawars have a healthy (crooked) band of followers waiting to seize the reins !
Like millions of Indians, I am a fan of Mohammad Azharuddin, as I am of Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar. And like millions, I am shocked by the revelations of the complicity of Azharuddin and others in the match-fixing controversy.
Today, our heroes of the cricketing world stand before us as men who betrayed us. And if among these fallen heroes there is one person for whom the maximum opprobrium is reserved, then surely it must be for Azharuddin.
Mohammad Azharuddin More than anyone else, Azharuddin as a captain symbolised communal harmony and Muslim aspirations.
In the years that saw India's worst communal carnage since Partition -- the year when the Babri Masjid was destroyed and communal violence in India (and Bombay in particular) claimed thousands, when gangsters carried out blasts in Bombay killing hundreds of innocents, when Hindus and Muslims looked at each other with suspicion and even hatred, the Indian cricket team was led by a Muslim.
And there was the hope and feeling that Azhar at the helm provided the much-needed balm for India's communal divide.
Re: An old rediff article on the fallen-icon
by Moderate Voice on Feb 17, 2011 03:45 AM
Azhar's captaincy was clouded with controversy and on numerous occasions, there were rumours and attempts of replacing him. Yet, on every occasion but one, he staved off all challenges. Proving that even during India's worst communal years, captaincy was decided by many factors and cricketing politics, but not by a person's religion.
When Azhar played for India, he represented India. It was a time when many Hindus held the view that every time India played Pakistan, the Muslims cheered for Pakistan and celebrated India's defeat. It was a time when Hindus saw Muslims as being responsible for the Bombay blasts, for the communal divide, as a backward community of men with four wives and easy divorce laws, of a community that was anti-India and agents of Pakistan…
It was during these worst of times that Azhar stood out as the beacon of hope. And showed that Muslims too could (and did) give their best for India.
So much so, that even Bal Thackeray once proclaimed that the Shiv Sena was "not against patriotic Muslims like Azharuddin" but only against non-patriotic Muslims (presumably like Dawood Ibrahim).
Alas, Azharuddin has betrayed both India and his Muslim brethren. But while India will recover soon, as she always has from the misdeeds of her people, Indian Muslims will take much, much longer. Their wound is deeper.
In one stroke, Azhar has strengthened the stereotype among many Hindus that "Muslims cannot be trusted
Re: Re: An old rediff article on the fallen-icon
by Moderate Voice on Feb 17, 2011 03:46 AM
that even at the highest level, their loyalty is not to India. Today, those Hindus who have spewed hate against Muslims will smirk: "See what Azhar did" and "If even Azhar cannot be trusted, can anyone else?"
Azhar may believe that he is being picked while other culprits let off simply because he is a Muslim. But it is precisely for that very reason (that he does represent the Muslims even as he represents India), he should have been even more careful, even more circumspect, and much more honest.
There is little point in Azhar saying that he is only one among many accused (the rest, incidentally, being Hindus). For the tragic fact is that in these communal times, a Muslim culprit is seen as a Muslim, while a Hindu culprit is seen as an individual.
Re: Re: An old rediff article on the fallen-icon
by james bond on Feb 20, 2011 12:43 PM
what man fist u learn abt ur religion afterwards comment on other religion ok in hindu religion u can marry how much do u want there is no limitation. talking about divorce first u study after dat u comment. after babri masjid demolition hindus murdered thousands of muslims
he still is lying about what he said after charged with match fixing. God gave him the middle finger by not allowing to play his 100th test. I used to big fan and after cheating I just hate him, nothing else.
Re: Azhar has no shame, at all.
by james bond on Feb 20, 2011 12:45 PM
r u a god r judge ur giving judgement on him wht abt monoj prabhakar and ajay sharma ajay jadeja
