Cut from the same cloth

Ramesh Venkat

I've been bothered deeply, like many fans of Indian cricket, by the ongoing betting and match-fixing scandal. I have, perhaps, a slightly different take on these current events. As Indian cricket goes through one of its worst crises, may be a broader sociological perspective of the current events is necessary. While I have training in social psychology, I am not a sociologist. See this as one man's point of view, not an expert opinion. I have also been away from the daily reality of Indian life for many years. So mine may be a distant view.

Indian cricket fans are hugely disappointed and hurt that some of their heroes may be turncoats. Many find it difficult to believe that someone who brought so much glory to the nation by leading the team to World Cup victory and becoming the highest wicket taker in Test cricket (a record that since has been broken) or someone who has played the most one-day matches and has currently scored the highest number of runs in one-day cricket, could in fact betray the nation. The disappointment is compounded by the fact that the man who brought the World Cup home is no ordinary cricketer; to many he's a legend, larger than life. When legends fall, they fall big, don't they?

If, what are allegations now, become truths, that shouldn't be entirely surprising. I don't say this because I have seen convincing proof, beyond doubt, that these cricketers are corrupt. Nor do I say this because I know of some tendency in their past that would make "guilty" the obvious verdict. I say this for entirely different reasons.

Psyche of the fans

In a country where sporting heroes come few and far between, heroes are literally worshipped. It's a culture that likes to enshrine its heroes. Even when he was alive, MGR, the late Tamilnadu chief minister, had a temple built in his honour. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was followed by self-immolations by some of their followers. Not too long ago, an 18-year old female fan of Tendulkar ended her life because she had heard that Sachin's career might be over because of a persistent back problem. She wrote before taking her life, "I love you Sachin, I love you Sachin. I was really sad on going through reports that you would never be able to play, and hence, I am taking this extreme step.''

Such is the devotion of fans to their heroes. No wonder the fans take it very hard, when their heroes fall from grace. It is hard to unravel the psyche of someone who places their hero above their own life. Maybe, some of these are cases with suicidal tendencies, with questionable psychological balance. Or maybe it is devotion of the truest kind. Whatever the explanation, they do, in an extreme fashion, exemplify the hero-worshipping culture we see in India. Even the Australian cricketers talked about it during their last visit to India.

For a team that doesn't give them too many reasons to rejoice it is mind-boggling (and should be humbling to the players) that fans show such immense devotion. Will the fans forgive them if they are truly guilty? Will the fallen heroes ever be able to redeem themselves in the eyes of their fans? Will history remember these cricketers for their on-field exploits or their off-field lapses in judgment? Only time will tell.

Even as the nation makes economic progress on many fronts as it begins to unlock the innate intelligence and ingenuity of its citizens, life in India is still difficult for the vast majority who live below the middle class. For them, movies and cricket offer two cheap routes to escape the harsh realities of their daily lives. There are not many politicians or others in government rooting for them. Maybe they derive pleasure when they see the star on the screen fight injustice the way they can't or when they see an Indian cricketer bring honour to the nation. Call it vicarious living. May be it is only natural that they transform their heroes to gods.

The troublesome dichotomy

In the case of the cricketers, maybe fans are disappointed for having placed ordinary mortals in a high pedestal, perhaps one that they did not deserve. These days when role models are in short supply, even sportsmen and women with a limited resume are expected to be role models, whether they like it or not. I was surprised when I read that Kapil Dev and his life was first part of mandatory reading for high school students in two states. I was astounded to find out later that the two state governments that made this reading choice, are now removing Kapil Dev from the reading list because of the recent IT raids and his possible involvement in betting or match-fixing. He is no longer considered to be a role model to youngsters.

My first reaction was one of sympathy for Kapil Dev. This has nothing to do with my belief in his innocence or guilt. I just feel he's been tried, judged, declared guilty and punished - all in the media and before he had the chance to defend himself in public or in a court of law. We will know soon if he is really guilty or not. The school board decision on Kapil Dev also speaks volume of the hypocrisy that pervades the Indian political system. Do these same school boards teach their students about a certain Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi (of Bofors fame)? Does the Pune school board mention a certain A. R. Antulay (of the cement scandal fame) anywhere in their history syllabus? It is high time we held our public officials and public figures to higher standards than we usually do. But let there be some consistency in the application of such expectations.

It's not just the lack of consistency and the assumption of guilt (until proven innocent) that bothers me. If Kapil Dev were indeed guilty, wouldn't the school boards have served the students better by teaching them that Kapil Dev was a national hero, but he was also an imperfect human being, like most of us. If he were indeed guilty, aren't there important lessons to be learned from his fall from grace? Fallen heroes can teach us more about life than flawless one.

It is comforting to see everything in life as black or white, in discrete categories. Unfortunately, in life there is more ambiguity than that. Human beings are more complex, they don't easily fit into either extreme. They come in many different shades in between. Has there ever been a hero, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who was flawless? Real heroism to me is overcoming one's flaws and failures. The Indian history is full of such flawed characters.

It is fascinating to see how Americans view their Presidents, including John F. Kennedy. He's regarded as a great president for the optimism he infused in the younger generation, the challenge he issued to nation that led to America landing a man on the moon first, the morally correct positions he took on civil rights and his tough stance in defense of America against Soviet aggression. He is also shown to be a weak man because he betrayed his marital vows and may even have had links with the mafia. Talk about a dichotomy. Clinton too presents the same ambivalence.

Social psychologists have shown that human beings like to categorize things and people. It brings order to our world. We like to see people as heroes or zeroes, good or bad. When things are not black and white, and we have to deal with shades of gray, it can be uncomfortable for a lot of people. Attitude research in psychology shows that when we have a very positive opinion about someone and they engage in an act inconsistent with our beliefs about them that causes dissonance. It is not easy to reconcile this cognitive conflict.

After the dust settles on this match-fixing scandal, I will still remember and cherish Kapil Dev's performance on the cricket field. I will recognize his human failings (if he's proven guilty), but I will not change my feelings towards his cricketing skills or contribution to Indian cricket. I will still remember the incredible 175 against Zimbabwe that inspired a team with modest talents to bring home the Cup. He again showed courage under adversity, when he scored a scintillating century while battling a fever.

I will recall how he fought a lone battle against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, when he took a record 9-83. Lack of support from the other end allowed Holding to score 58 and put West Indies on course for a victory. I still have etched in my memory a flicked six to square leg in response to a perfect good length ball from Michael Holding in Chepauk in 1983. There has never been a more naturally talented cricketer. Those who have seen him in action will know what I am talking about.

When people in responsible positions talk of erasing all the cricket records of guilty players, it shows a singular inability on their part to deal with and reconcile the dichotomy of human life. I suppose it would be a convenient solution if we can erase a fallen hero from our memories and pretend that he never existed. It's a lot harder to reconcile the good with the bad, and accept someone with their failings.

Interestingly, the former Cincinnati Reds baseball player Pete Rose, caught in a betting scandal, has been kept out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, even though he owns several Major League Baseball records including most career hits, most career games and most career singles. He has not been stripped of his records. He merely has to live his life in shame because he will never be in the Hall of Fame. Can there be a more cruel punishment for someone universally recognized as one of the all-time greats?

Can we cut our heroes from a different cloth?

Corruption in India is a given thing. On my last trip to India, as we were driving through some bumpy roads in Bangalore, I asked my relative who was driving the car, why the citizens don't do something about it (like express their collective ire to the municipality or the state government)? His reply was, "Are you kidding? Everyone in the system benefits from having bad roads. The contractor gets to build the road every year, rather than once in three years, the government officials (who issue and oversee the contract) get their share of the loot, and the subcontractors who provide the materials make their share by overcharging for substandard materials."

His point was that people have grown to accepting corruption as a way of life. Maybe the average man and woman are too busy dealing with their daily lives that they don't have the time or luxury to reflect on such matters. The young and the idealistic may think we have to change the system, but most are perfectly willing to live within the system and work around the system. Wherever I turned, I saw apathy.

It is interesting to note that some ministers have made statements suggesting they will prosecute the cricketers with great zeal. I don't have a problem with the guilty being punished or having the book thrown at them. But then, why is it that no politician of significance has ever paid full penalty for all their accumulation of undisclosed wealth that is "disproportionate to their known sources of income"?

Even the ones who are temporarily banished always make a triumphant comeback. I view with skepticism and cynicism the jail sentences given to Jayalalitha and her cohorts. I'm not sure if it is impartial Indian justice at play or merely political vendetta? In the strange world of Tamilnadu politics, don't be surprised if a wave of public sympathy returns her to power shortly and suddenly the courts declare her innocent. And don't be surprised if she turns the tables on her political opponents. In the same part of the country, two chief ministers are talking about the rehabilitation of Veerappan, who is likely the worst serial killer and sociopath in Indian history. One has even suggested he may follow the footsteps of Phoolan Devi, with a future in politics. Is anyone investigating this massive corruption that still allows this murderer to roam free? Where is the public outrage?

It is possible that some in government may want to turn the cricketers, if they are guilty, into political trophies by showing that no one is above the law. Never mind the fact that that law is often selectively applied. When Ms. Jaya Jaitely alleged that an IT official asked for a Rs. 50,000 bribe, an IT official was anonymously quoted (here in Rediff) as having belittled this claim by saying, "This is the kind of money one would pay to even a peon to know a file number," meaning the price of calling off an IT raid is much higher! I rest my case. I read with amusement a statement from the sports minister saying that "tainted" players should not represent the country. Why is it then only tainted politicians run the government? A tainted hero is hung out to dry (even though his guilt is yet to be proven), while a mass murderer gets a chance at rehabilitation by becoming a politician supporting Tamil causes.

Let's not be naďve and hold our breaths for this government to prosecute the guilty. If I were a betting man (that's not politically correct now, is it?), I'd say the guilty would not be punished. This will definitely be true for those who are well connected with the present regime or those who can use some of their illegal wealth and buy their way out of trouble.

In a country where corruption is pervasive from the lowly peons of the IT department to the highest levels of government, the cricket heroes can't be cut from a different cloth. When integrity in all walks of public life is a scarce commodity, our cricketers too will fall prey to the temptations. Cricket and cricketers represent a microcosm of the rest of the society. So don't be too shocked if cricketers falter. If there is integrity and national pride in the society, our cricketers too will mirror those values.

I don't condone corruption. I don't condone those who have broken the law. I don't condone those who may have betrayed their nation. Let the guilty get the punishment they deserve. It's the hypocrisy of the government and the politicians, who continue to benefit from institutionalized corruption that gets under my skin.

Enough of this cynicism. True to my nature, let me leave you with an optimistic thought. Scarred as it might be in the short term, I am sure the game of cricket is bigger than any one individual. It will survive. It will someday be a gentlemen's game again. A next generation, still innocent and untainted by the scandals, will soon take over.

In the meanwhile…. let's play cricket, not politics, and definitely not politics with cricket.

Mail Ramesh Venkat