The Perilous Side of 'Sachin For Bharat Ratna' Campaign

Uddhav Thackeray falling on the same line as Ashok Chavan, can not more than merely be a political opportunism. And when the duo speaks for Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar, the opportunism touches abysmal frivolity.

Several campaigns are running concurrent to make Tendulkar’s case for country’s highest honour. Tendulkar too, unlike others, has achieved several milestones, and deserves to be feted.

But does that mean he deserves Bharatratna, especially when there are other equally deserving people standing by?

Well I don’t really know the answer, except for the fact that such honour should not just reduced to be a result of campaign.

The perilous side of such campaign is, they run on populism; be it for or against. Indians among others are masters of campaigning. In polls, we fall pray to populist announcement. Elsewhere, pink-chaddi like movement easily carries us away.

Politicians, as a convenience, often give up to populist pressures. The danger then is that precedence set out from such pressures dictate the decision.

So when cricket being most likeable game grabs maximum attention, its obvious that Sachin becomes the most adorable. This makes his case even stronger from populist point. Likewise, other deserving becomes least favorite because the field they represent do not represent the wishes of entire country.


P.S. wikipedia entry suggest that populism defined either as an ideology (more rarely and uncommonly), a political philosophy or a type of discourse, is a type of political-social thought which juxtaposes "the people" against "the elites", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style deployed by members of political or social movements. It is defined by the Cambridge dictionary as "political ideas and activities that are intended to represent ordinary people's needs and wishes"
(So friends, opposing Sachin’s case juxtaposes me with elites :) ).