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I write this from Marine Drive in Mumbai, a stone's throw from the Wankhede Stadium, on what looks like the last day of Sachin Tendulkar's last Test match, and even though the air is rife with Tendulkar hysteria, I promise this is not going to be laced with the hyperbole, drivel and toxic levels of flattery that we have been witness to the last couple of weeks.
I am not a cricket fan. In fact, having lived in Mumbai not too far from where Tendulkar used to reside, it seems almost blasphemous to admit that not only have I never attended a Test match in which he played, but I also turned down a pass to watch him play in his last match yesterday. The person who offered to give me the pass thought it might be a journalistically valuable experience to witness and then record the event for posterity. I thought about it and said I'd prefer it if it went to a real cricket fan who would do more justice to it.
The thing is, I do not need to be present in the stadium to experience the Tendulkar hysteria. Through the media, through the traffic jams and through conversations with ordinary people, I can feel the adoration and respect the man commands.
And even though I do not share this sentiment, what I can do is try and take from it some lessons. And the first one is that for me Tendulkar's success is a moral victory. Because in a country known for graft and nepotism and a chalta hai attitude, Tendulkar's story proves that hard work, sheer talent, passion and commitment do triumph and can win the day.
For too long we have been witness to the fact that mediocrity, craftiness, self-promotion, nepotism and unfair means have propelled people to positions of wealth and power.
Tendulkar's success and the place he has in India's heart overturn all those horror stories.
Two other people embody these values: Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth. As in Tendulkar's case, both have reached the pinnacle of success in their careers, not because they have manipulated their way to the top, not through backdoor machinations or underhand manoeuvres, not by who they know or which political party or power base they have allegiance to, but by the sheer force of their talent. What they do in the stadium or on the field is their only currency and their single calling card. Their stories say: do what you do with integrity, passion, and commitment and the chances are that you will find success.
Of course it might not be the mega profit or prosperity of a Tendulkar, a Bachchan or a Rajinikanth, but at least it will not be at the cost of compromising your integrity, your sense of self worth and your values.
In a climate where people have become famous for being famous, where caste and class afford you unequal advantages, where mediocrity or dishonesty can often be camouflaged by craftiness and cunning, the lives of these three men and others like them serve as an important counter to the disillusionment that people feel. The disillusionment in what appears to be a value-less society, where good is seldom seen as triumphing over mediocrity and evil.
So, though I might not share the Tendulkar-worship of millions of people and I do not have any embarrassment in saying that I turned down an offer to watch his last match, I still rejoice in what his story has taught us: perseverance, passion and talent will never go unrewarded.
And thank God for that!
Malavika Sangghvi is a Mumbai-based writer malavikasangghvi@hotmail.com
