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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same...

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same narrative unfolded on a cricket field, the reaction would have been dramatically different. In cricket, even defeat often becomes a story of heroism. A hard-fought loss by the Indian team can dominate television debates, fill newspaper columns and trend across social media for days. A player who narrowly misses a milestone is still hailed for his fighting spirit. The nation rallies around its cricketers not only in victory but also in defeat. The narrative quickly shifts from the result to the effort -- the resilience shown, the fight put up, the promise of future triumph. This emotional investment is one of the reasons cricket enjoys unparalleled popularity in India. It has built a culture where players become household names and their performances, good or bad, become part of the national conversation. Badminton Fights Contrast that with what happens in sports like badminton. Reaching the final of the All England Championships is a monumental achievement. The tournament is widely considered badminton’s equivalent of Wimbledon in prestige and tradition. Only the very best players manage to reach its final stages, and doing it twice speaks volumes about Lakshya Sen’s ability and consistency. Yet the reaction in India remained largely subdued. There were congratulatory posts, some headlines acknowledging the effort and brief discussions among badminton enthusiasts. But the level of national engagement never quite matched the magnitude of the achievement. In a cricketing context, reaching such a stage would have triggered days of celebration and analysis. In badminton, it often becomes just another sports update. Long Wait India’s wait for an All England champion continues. The last Indian to win the title was Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Before him, Prakash Padukone had scripted history in 1980. These victories remain among the most significant milestones in Indian badminton. And yet, unlike cricketing triumphs that are frequently revisited and celebrated, such achievements rarely stay in the mainstream sporting conversation for long. Lakshya Sen’s journey to the final should ideally have been viewed as a continuation of that legacy, a reminder that India still possesses the talent to challenge the world’s best in badminton. Instead, it risks fading quickly from public memory. Visibility Gap The difference ultimately comes down to visibility and cultural investment. Cricket in India is not merely a sport; it is an ecosystem built over decades through media attention, sponsorship, and mass emotional attachment. Individual sports, on the other hand, often rely on momentary bursts of recognition, usually during Olympic years or when a medal is won. But consistent performers like Lakshya Sen rarely receive the sustained spotlight that their achievements deserve. This disparity can also influence the next generation. Young athletes are naturally drawn to sports where success brings recognition, financial stability and national fame. When one sport monopolises the spotlight, others struggle to build similar appeal. Beyond Result Lakshya Sen may have finished runner-up again, but his performance at the All England Championship is a reminder that India continues to produce world-class athletes in disciplines beyond cricket. The real issue is not that cricket receives immense attention -- it deserves the admiration it gets. The concern is that athletes from other sports often do not receive comparable appreciation for achievements that are equally significant in their own arenas. If India aspires to become a truly global sporting nation, its applause must grow broader. Sporting pride cannot remain confined to one field. Because somewhere on a badminton court, an athlete like Lakshya Sen is fighting just as hard for the country’s colours as any cricketer on a packed stadium pitch. The only difference is how loudly the nation chooses to cheer.

Campus Coercion

Jamia Millia Islamia, one of Delhi’s most storied universities, finds itself at the heart of yet another firestorm. Accusations by the NGO ‘Call For Justice’ allege that a cabal within the university has systematically targeted Hindu students, faculty and staff, coercing them to convert to Islam under threats that range from academic sabotage to sexual violence. The charges are severe, disturbing, and, if true, point to an environment steeped in discrimination and intimidation.


The investigation, spearheaded by a committee including a former Delhi HC judge and a former Delhi Police Commissioner among others, uncovered testimonies that paint a bleak picture. Hindu students reported being forced to recite the Kalma (the Islamic oath of allegiance) and faced the threat of academic penalties for refusal. More horrifying still are claims of acid attack threats and the use of sexual harassment as a weapon to break resistance. The report also suggests that preferential admissions were leveraged to manipulate vulnerable groups, particularly SC/ST Hindu students, as part of a broader scheme of religious coercion.


The allegations reach beyond students; Hindu and Christian faculty and non-teaching staff claim they have been denied promotions and overworked as punitive measures for their faith. According to a member of the fact-finding team, over 50 individuals have come forward, with 27 statements already recorded. Yet, despite this outcry, Jamia’s administration remains conspicuously silent, failing to assuage growing fears or pledge transparency. The spectre of ‘love jihad’ emerges in the findings, suggesting that romantic relationships have been exploited as a conduit for conversion. Coupled with accusations of social ostracism and targeted harassment, these revelations demand more than perfunctory probes.


The silence of so-called ‘progressive’ media in this context is striking. When allegations arise involving discrimination against Hindus, their response is notably muted. This selective outrage raises questions about the objectivity of their advocacy and the underlying biases that inform their coverage. Such double standards erode public trust in the media and obscure the pursuit of balanced truth.


No stranger to controversy, Jamia Millia Islamia was a significant site during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in 2019, which escalated into clashes between students and law enforcement. Instead of actually fostering any intellectual debate, the varsity, like its peer, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has been accused of fostering radical elements and fostering discord. More recently, Diwali celebrations in Jamia were disrupted and marked by chants of ‘Palestine Zindabad.’


Universities should be arenas of open discourse and safe spaces for all ideologies, not grounds for sectarian power plays. The stakes are high. For India’s democracy to thrive, its institutions, especially its universities, must embody inclusivity and fairness. The nation’s future demands it.

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