cricket and compulsory national identity

Like so many South Asians, I have always known that the sense of joy I feel at seeing someone crack a cricket ball off into the distance is entirely wrapped up in the politics of my past, present and future.

The current furore about alleged 'ball tampering' by the Pakistani cricket team brought home to me yet again that cricket has been irrecoverably stolen by the false pretensions of national identity. Of course, for so many of us, this is hardly news. We grew up in a subcontinental political world where the blood thirsty fantasies of our insecure politicians were regularly translated into the heat and dust of the cricket pitch. But this time it is England that has re-triangulated that dynamic: the dying imperialist power stokes seething passions by one, quick, racist allegation. And yet again, the national authorities of the postcolonial countries - in this case, India - fall over themselves to discredit any hope for postcolonial solidarity. This despite the real and growing support amongst Indians on-the-ground for Pakistan, and repeated statements of disgust at the racist actions of the umpire.

I took this photograph from behind the Taj in January of 2006. I think the barbed wires framing that symbol of a pre-national cultural ecumeme, displaced upon the shadowy figures of young boys playing cricket on the rapidly drying banks of the once vibrant river Jamna speaks volumes to the present state of Hindutva, forced national identity, subcontinental cultures trapped behind national pretensions, and the ever lasting sound of 'aaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!'




With love and kisses to all homoFOBs everywhere,
Shefali.