Among India’s Greatest? by Rohit Mahajan

Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar: arguments for and against 

  
In Nagpur last week, in the last over during the desperate defeat to South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar ran in from the third man, swooped on the ball and hit the wicket with a direct throw. His fielding bared the spirit of Tendulkar. It’s made of iron and passion, forged by qualities increasingly  old-fashioned—discipline and respect for the game. A month before his 38th birthday, Tendulkar was quicker on the field than most teammates, diving around and throwing with a strong, unerring arm. He’d also made a dazzling century earlier in the day, taking the number of centuries he has hit in international cricket to 99—48 in One-day Internationals and 51 in Tests.

As he nears the astounding mark of 100, it’s an irony that the man who stands for every desirable value—perseverance, commitment to one’s job, grace under pressure, humility despite being lionised—isn’t eligible for the highest civilian award of the land, the Bharat Ratna. “He’s not taken one step wrong,” film-maker Shyam Benegal told Outlook. “He is disciplined, clean and embodies all the values that we tell youngsters they should inculcate.”

You are likely to wonder why Outlook has decided to spark off the ‘Bharat Ratna for Tendulkar’ campaign months before such awards are announced. Well, the reason is that the Indian state needs time to change the guidelines which state that the Bharat Ratna can be given only “for exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of Public Service of the highest order”. Sport is excluded. And therefore, Tendulkar too. Athletics legend Milkha Singh told Outlook, “Sportspersons should get the Bharat Ratna before politicians, for the former unite people and make them proud.”

Politicians have had a strong grip on the Bharat Ratna—they constitute 24 of the 41 winners, six of them prime ministers. Perhaps it’s time to bring sports into the ambit of the Bharat Ratna. And though it can be argued that hitting a cricket ball has no intrinsic value, Tendulkar, in a way, has done great service to India, giving the greatest joy to the greatest number. “The divide between what’s high and popular in art or culture isn’t valid anymore,” says social commentator Santosh Desai. “Why is sport acceptable for Padma Vibhushan but not for Bharat Ratna? This is the kind of thinking you had in the 1950s, when the Keskar regime (B.V. Keskar, minister for information and broadcasting) didn’t allow Hindi films songs on All India Radio.”
But change has been afoot. In 1992, 38 years after the first award, someone from the world of arts bagged it—Satyajit Ray. In 1988, actor-politician M.G. Ramachandran was awarded, but was cited for “public affairs”. In the 1990s, when 17 of the 41 awards were given away, the arts gained, with Bharat Ratnas announced for M.S. Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar. Curiously, in the 2000s, only arts have been rewarded, through Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bismillah Khan and Bhimsen Joshi.

Shashi Tharoor, politician and cricket-lover, says Tendulkar should be awarded the Bharat Ratna the moment he retires. “It’s India’s highest possible honour and is reserved for those who climb the pinnacle of achievement in their fields—whether politics (Jawaharlal Nehru) or economics (Amartya Sen),” Tharoor told Outlook. “Tendulkar’s accomplishments are of the very highest order and to quibble about whether cricket is an ‘art’ or a ‘science’ is as pointless as debating if Sen’s economics qualifies under the original terms of the award. Giving the Bharat Ratna is simply India’s way of saying, ‘We can’t imagine anyone better in your chosen field. Thank you for the joy and pride you have given us all’.”

Among the reasons cited to not give Tendulkar the award is his relative youth. Says former Indian captain M.A.K. Pataudi, “Most sportspersons retire in their youth. Their contribution to society subsequent to their sporting careers has to be evaluated. This applies to Tendulkar too.” His daughter, actress Soha Ali Khan, agrees, “They should wait until he retires and then evaluate. Only then he may be given it.”

It’s said the award is given late in people’s lives so that the character of recipients can be judged. Says historian Ramachandra Guha, “My wife, who is profoundly indifferent to cricket, thinks Sachin Tendulkar should get the Bharat Ratna because of the pure pleasure he has given millions of fans. Sportswriter Suresh Menon thinks that Vishy Anand deserves the Bharat Ratna as much as Sachin because chess, unlike cricket, is a properly world sport. I agree with both Menon and my wife, with this caveat—the award shouldn’t be given to either while they are active players, in fact it should be delayed till 10 or 15 years after their retirement, when we have a better chance to assess their careers, and equally importantly, their characters.”

It’s ridiculous to think Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries will diminish  in value in an assessment 15 years hence. And character, well, is a controversial area to stray into. With what certitude can we say that Indira Gandhi, a  recipient, possessed a strong moral character? Nor has the Bharat Ratna always been accorded to luminaries late in their lives. Take Amartya Sen, who obviously had a long career still ahead of him when he was decorated in 1999. Perhaps the state was spurred by a bigger award, the Nobel Prize, being given to him in 1998.

But there remains a question mark over whether service through sport is any service at all. Says Michael Ferreira, former world billiards champion, “I don’t think it should be given to sportspersons. Even Lata Mangeshkar and Bhimsen Joshi should not have been awarded. This award should be for a person who’s galvanised millions of people to do something.” Social theorist Ashis Nandy cites three reasons why the award should not be bestowed on Tendulkar or his ilk: “First, it will only endorse the capacity of the Indian state, the politicians and the bureaucrats, to judge sportspersons when they have already shown that they cannot judge even public service, arts, humanities and science. Second, it will further politicise Indian sports and turn the sportspersons towards greater sycophancy and kowtowing. And third, it will legitimise state awards in a society that has already used the awards to hierarchise scholars, writers, journalists, artists and performers.” Nandy feels all state honours should be abolished. “Neither the Indian state nor the Indian middle class—nor for that matter the Indian media—knows how to handle them.”

Yet, awards won’t go away, for they are grounded in populism. For Tendulkar to be the Bharat Ratna—which he already is, says Lata Mangeshkar—sport or cricket, part of the consciousness of a very large number of Indians, must enter the consciousness of the awards committee too. It’s happened with the arts over the last 20 years, perhaps it’ll happen with sport too.

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Footnote: The calls for bestowing Sachin Tendulkar with the ''Bharat Ratna'' may have got louder after India''s World Cup triumph but giving the country''s highest civillian honour to the batting icon would require tweaking of the criteria that has been laid down for the coveted award. The ''Bharat Ratna'' was started in 1954 and has so far been given to 41 eminent personalities, none of whom are sports-persons, the reason being the criteria for the coveted honour.

Constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap says given the current rules "Tendulkar does not qualify for the honour and giving the award to him would require a change in the rules." According to the criteria at present, the award is given for exceptional contribution in the fields of art, literature, science and social service. The criteria does not have any mention of sports. Kashyap says the government has to decide whether it wants to include sports in the criteria for the award. The Sports Ministry will have to present such a proposal for cabinet approval.

"Once the cabinet gives its approval, the Home Ministry can bestow this honour on not just Sachin Tendulkar but any other athlete," he said. Indian cricket team''s prominent players such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag have all asked for the honour to be bestowed on Tendulkar after the side''s World Cup win.

From Boy To Saint By Rohit Mahajan

13th Nov 2009: Sachin Tendulkar, man in black, seemed like lamb to slaughter on Friday afternoon.


Tendulkar first played for India 20 years ago - on November 15, 1989. Big round figures, preferably divisible by 5, make all of deliriously happy, and Tendulkar is happy, and he knows he'll make a lot of people happy by simply chatting with them.

That's the reason that the media interaction that was supposed to be cozy to intimate has turned chaotic and noisy; Tendulkar didn't have the heart to turn away mediapersons who simply dropped in when they heard that the big man was going to chat. "He said he just cannot turn people away, certainly not today," says an anxious Sangeeta Kuriakos, managing the event for World Sports Group.

Tendulkar wore black - black jeans, black shirt, shiny black shoes which more informed viewers thought were Italian. He wore a black belt with a big, flashy silver buckle that sported what seemed to look like a skull.

The media, as always and like everyone, wants a piece of him, and Tendulkar knows it's part of the deal. He went through the inquisition with immeasurable, saint-like patience. He was asked the same questions ten times by different reporters, and by different TV crews. We grew to feel sorry for him. He spoke for hours, and, it seemed, with eagerness - it seemed that he didn't want to cause anyone to be disappointed that he wasn't candid or excited in the "exclusive" chat with his or her news organisation. It seemed he was trying to ensure that everyone went away happy, trying to ensure that everyone got something exclusive, even if it was just a tiny bit of information, emotion or even gesture.

Some of us sat through many of the interviews. I heard Tendulkar talk about his first Test innings about 10 times. "I felt was totally out of place," the master said exclusively, 10 times to 10 reporters separately.

Another 10 times, with passion drawn from I don't know where, Tendulkar said: "I got some great advice, you know. The general feeling was that I was playing too many shots."

"I was told that I had to work hard, hang in, for the first 15 minutes, and things would change," Tendulkar said with a twinkle in his eye each time.

Coffee was brought in, tea was brought in, water was brought in. Tendulkar looked at his watch, looked at the harried looking journalists who were in for a word or two from the bosses for not getting an exclusive. Maybe he knew what folks might feel after waiting for hours going away without him telling them his story exclusively. Tendulkar stood up, stretched his legs, walked about the small hall, and then he sat down, saying: "All right, let's do it."

He tried and managed to make everyone he talked with feel special. (To illustrate that everyone has a special ability, he told me, "I can't write like you"; though I wouldn't be surprised if he could write well too if he wanted and tried.)

So, what was the turning point in his career?

As I wearily walked out of the room, feeling sorry for the great little man, I heard him say with warmth and even thrill: "My innings of 58 or 59 odd in the second Test. I'd decided that I was not going to go off the park. I was going to fight it out..."

And so the story went, and so the master went on as the evening went.

Sachin Tendulkar: 20 Years of Undiminished Aura

New Delhi | Nov 15, 2009

Sachin Tendulkar today completed 20 years in international cricket and became the first Indian and the 16th in the history of the game to have a career spanning more than two decades.

Tendulkar, who made his debut as a 16-year-old against Pakistan way back in November 15, 1989, will reach the milestone of 20 years and one day in international cricket when he comes out to play against Sri Lanka in the first Test of the three-match series in Ahmedabad tomorrow.

In his Test career spanning 19 years 143 days till date, Tendulkar has represented India in a record 159 Tests.

He also played a record 436 50-over matches in his 19 years and 325 days one-day career, thus becoming only the second player after Pakistan's Javed Miandad to have the longest ODI career.

The Indian batting maestro is also the only active cricketer to feature in the longest Tests career list and at 36 years of age he is still going strong.

In his two decades long career, Tendulkar had written many records which catapulted him to the honour of being the milestone man.

Even though he holds the record of being the highest run-getter and century maker in both the Tests and ODIs, he is everlasting hunger for runs knows no boundary.

A perfectionist by nature, Tendulkar has till date amassed a staggering 12,773 runs from 159 Tests at a robust average of 54.58 with a mindboggling 42 centuries and 53 half centuries.

His record in ODIs are too unmatchable. The Mumbaikar recently achieved another milestone when he became the only batsman in the history of the game to break into 17,000 run mark.

With a mammoth 17,173 runs from 436 ODIs, Tendulkar is in the threshold of another feat as he is just nine centuries short of touching the magical figure of 100 tons.

Tendulkar is also just 54 runs short of becoming the only batsman in the world to score a whopping 30,000 run in international cricket -- combining both Tests and ODIs.

Tendulkar's special talent was evident right from his school days after he notched up an unbeaten 664-run stand with buddy Vinod Kambli in the Lord Harris Shield Inter-School Game in 1988.

The diminutive right-hander's colossal batting exploits have completely overshadowed his utility as a part-time bowler who has 44 Test wickets and 154 scalps in ODIs.

If there was any grey area in Tendulkar's canvas, it has been his captaincy and despite having two jabs at it, he preferred to shrugg it off his shoulders to concentrate on his batting, which only blossomed once he shunned the leadership duty.

But despite his success and worldwide fame, Tendulkar remained a firmly grounded man. Just like a true champion, he never allowed fame and adulation to get on to his head and effect his batting.

Till today he continues to be a keen learner of the game and spends hours in the net to finetune his batting crafts, although there is hardly anything left for the champion batsman to master.

Sachin Tendulkar By Prakash Padukone

Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar come to my mind as contenders for the greatest sportsmen of independent India. It's a difficult task to compare the three, but, finally, Sachin beats the other two. Because he is the best batsman in the world, and is good in both one-dayers and Tests.

What do I like about Sachin? His humility despite the tremendous popularity he enjoys. Then there is his ability to steer clear of any kind of controversies.

More than his batting technique, I am a fan of Tendulkar's mental attributes—he's tough on the field, and so very calm off it. He has handled his career very well and has never allowed all the centuries he's scored, or the records he has helped rewrite, to distract him from the game. His single-minded devotion to the game is indeed unparalleled, and it is even more important in a country like India where most of our sportsmen tend to rest on their personal glories and goals. One is reminded of so many names who've never reaped their full potential because success spoiled them. Sachin belongs to a different league. He still loves his game, and his hunger for runs remains unsatiated. Not because it promises more popularity, but because he wants his team to win.

I remember meeting him briefly a couple of times during some cricket matches, and in a social gathering in Mumbai once. He came across as a very simple person, a sportsman who's focused on the game. He is a born cricketer and has a sound technique. It is a pleasure to watch him play. I have been watching cricket from my childhood and will say without hesitation that he is one of the most graceful cricketers.

The BCCI's strenuous schedule has taken its toll on Sachin's game. Unless the board strikes a balance between the number of Tests and one-day matches played in one single season, our Little Master will not be able to do justice to his immense talent. He must be given a choice to rest in matches, specially those played against weaker teams like Kenya or Bangladesh, so that he's match-fit for teams like Australia or South Africa. He should be allowed to pace his schedule in such a way that he peaks for the World Cup next year.

In my opinion, Sachin should not be burdened with captaincy in the World Cup because the pressures on the field will have a negative effect on his game. This is not the time to experiment on him. I think he should carry on, irrespective of records that fall on the wayside. People will realise his contribution to Indian cricket only after he retires. There may be too many critics now, giving their verdict on some odd matches, but his contribution to cricket will be realised after, say, 20 years.

(Prakash Padukone, the first Indian to win the All England championship, presently heads a badminton academy in Bangalore)