Sachin Tendulkar became famous not because he was from Maharashtra alone but mainly because he represented the pride of India. Like Sunil Gavaskar, he became the first Indian batsman to smash all the cricketing records which will take years for anyone to break it. He came out, recently, against cocooning the Marathi pride, saying that Mumbai is in India and it is for all Indians. He said he was proud to be a Marathi and Indian. He is Indian first and Indian last and what’s wrong in saying that. Mumbai is not the exclusive property of Marathi manoos as claimed by Bal Thackery. Every Indian has a right to live in any part of the country without any restrictions.
Shiv Sena is down and out in the politics of Mumbai mainly because of the emergence of Raj Thackery and his MNS, from now on it would be a herculean task for Uday and his father Bal Thackery to regain the lost prestige and hold of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra Theater of politics. By going after Sachin for his remarks on Mumbai, Shiv Sena is doing more harm to its image than good by belittling the great and revered son of Maharashtra. It is nothing but a diversionary tactics for it got a flak for the attack on media recently.
Sachin Tendulkar is revered and loved by one and all among the 1.5 billion Indians besides his own following in the cricketing world. In the meantime, unmindful of the criticism and the diatribe unleashed by Shiv Sena, Sachin is going strong smashing all records. He has plenty of crickets left in him and when he leaves the field one day, he would be leaving a legacy hard to emulate at least for another fifty years. It’s not because of the records he has created but for the attitude and character he has developed and stayed on in an unassailable position for 20 years that would put every cricketer on notice. Perhaps no other cricketer in the world would sustain for so long without losing his touch in the game as Sachin Tendulkar did. We are proud of him
There was no justification of any kind for Bal Thackery to insult the son of Maharashtra who made Maharashtra proud. It is true one must love his state. But when the question of India comes, every one joins as one nation. That is what exactly Sachin had said about Mumbai. To say that Sachin was not greater than Maharastra and belittling all his cricketing achievement is nothing but smacks of jealousy. Bal Thackery asked Sachin to keep off politics and concentrate on cricket forogetting talking his mind is not politics. As an Indian, Sachin has every right to speak up his mind using his right to freedom of speech. No one has any right including Bal Thackery to condemn Sachin for his expression of true Indian spirit.
In the end, Shiv Sena and his men should stop criticising Sachin as this would dampen his spirit and distract his attention. If Sachin has accumulated wealth around 200 cr it’s only because of his iconic standing in the cricketing world. Why should anyone have any grievance against his wealth. It is time for all right thinking people to condemn such attacks on our great hero Sachin Tendulkar. Jai Hind.
