IPL or Tone Deaf PL??

C: Hey how have you been?

H : I am good, considering all that’s happening in India

C: Do you mean governments’ (largely union government) lack of preparedness to deal with 2nd wave(tsunami)?

H: Don’t be mean in these trying times. There is no point in blaming the government. Tell me why do you want to talk to me in these horrid times, to make fun of me?

C: No, I want to talk about something else

H: Spit it out

C: How come your beloved cricketers be so tone deaf & participate in IPL, in the very city where people are dying in loads?

H: Why not? At least IPL entertains us and takes our mind away from the omnipresent disaster

C: Won’t you be entertained if they replay the matches from the last 10 years of IPL? I know lot of your fellow country mates wouldn’t mind watching the old matches

H: Weren’t you one of them?

C: Yeah, I used to be. Don’t make me the focus of the discussion, answer me

H: Yeah, we could have watched. But nothing matches the raw surprises of a live match, isn’t it?

C: It might be in normal times. But in these times? Do you really think it was a good idea?

H: I don’t fully agree with it, but I cannot complain either

C: Did you know in every stadium there are 3 fully equipped ambulances sitting idle during the entire duration of the match?

H: Really, I didn’t know that

C: Think about the number of patients who could be ferried in these Ambulances. Not getting bed after reaching hospital is a different issue, but still wouldn’t these ambulances be better used serving really needed ones and not on players, who will get best treatment no matter what.

H: I am sure this is not the only complaint you have against IPL. Tell me what others you have?

C: Your cricket body (BCCI) is one of the richest private sports clubs in the world. If they want they can give considerable amount to help people out, the very people who made the club what it is now.

H: Then why do we have a government? Shouldn’t government be held responsible?

C: Indeed, I am not letting the government off the hook. Still if rich private entities step up , can’t this situation be dealt with soon? I read this article, which said if we tax just 1.5% on Super Rich Indians, we could vaccinate large chunk of population for free

H: It could be, but I find it surprising that not one Indian player stepped up to donate until an Aussie player donated.

C: See, Indian players (most of them) are living in a bubble of their own. They don’t step in to help people who made them Super stars. Other countries’ /sports’ players have helped people. Even Indian soccer teams & players captain have stepped up to support people ,

H: I read recently some players have stepped in.

C: Indeed, that’s after getting lot of flak for their tone deafness.

H: Stepping away from IPL, did you see some startups are helping out with acquiring Oxygen?

C: Yes Indeed, that’s a good thing. But I would like the media to report these good Samaritan acts little differently

H: How do you want?

C: Media should prefix such stories by saying, “because of massive failure of government machines, citizens are stepping out to help people”. Then report these stories.

H: Who is going to care & what it would achieve?

C: So people will not be enamored by the grand gesture of these individuals/NGOs alone, but they will also be reminded of the elected governments’ failure

H: Lol!

C: Why you are loling me?

H: You sometime sound so cynical and you have embraced absurdity as your philosophy. Yet you do have some hopes, don’t you?

C: Maybe. But my absurdist views till hold true. Just that I want people to be at least aware of the absurd happenings in their absurd existence

H: God! I shouldn’t have said anything..

C: LOL!!!!!, by the way can I tell something bizarre?

H: go ahead

C: Did you know, even in these trying times the construction work for new parliament is ongoing & that the new house for Prime Minister would be ready by Dec ’22?

H: Unbelievable!!

Must Read: Sharda Ugra in Quint,