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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.

Is Jarange’s Agitation Causing Caste Division?

Updated: Oct 21, 2024


Is Jarange’s Agitation Causing Caste Division?

In progressive Maharashtra, with its legacy of Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj, and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who fought against caste discrimination, a new challenge to the state’s stability has emerged. Manoj Jarange’s Maratha reservation movement is fostering divisions in the Hindu community along caste lines. This situation has been worsened by social media posts, reels, and graphics that fuel caste-based sentiments igniting communal unrest across Maharashtra.

In certain Marathwada districts, there have been social boycotts, village bans, and other divisive experiments due to Jarange’s uncompromising stance. Districts such as Jalna, Beed, and Dharashiv are experiencing considerable unrest, with the OBC community living in fear. This situation debates the legitimacy of village bans on OBCs, the demand for Muslim reservations from OBC quotas, and the subsequent embrace of Muslims, all under the guise of the Maratha reservation movement.

Multiple Hindu nationalist organisations across Maharashtra desire reservations for the needy within the Maratha community. Even Sambhaji Bhide visited the hunger strike site at Antarwali Sarati in support. However, the recent events and statements made by Manoj Jarange create doubts about whether this fight is genuinely for reservation or if it is a ploy to destabilise Maharashtra and secure votes for a particular political party.

Jarange’s rhetorics are often riddled with crude language directed at BJP leaders, while the real opponents of the Maratha reservation go unscathed. Leaders like Sharad Pawar, who explicitly stated that he doesn’t support Maratha reservations from the OBC quota, and other MVA leaders who warned the government not to touch OBC reservations, are indirectly advocating against Marathas getting OBC reservations. However, Jarange reserves his vile language towards Chhagan Bhujbal and Prasad Lad, while sparing Pawar and MVA leaders. This double standard is being quietly discussed by the common man in Maharashtra.

Additionally, Jarange’s advocacy for Muslim reservations from the OBC quota, despite such reservations being prohibited on religious grounds in India. He seems intent on appealing to the Muslim community, as gathered by significant Muslim participation during his rallies. This raises concerns that this movement might be politically motivated, aiming to forge an unnatural Maratha-Muslim alliance for electoral gains.By sowing discord between OBCs and Marathas and rallying Muslim support, Jarange appears to be inciting a conflict within the Hindu community. This is particularly concerning in the context of past tensions, such as Love Jihad incidents and riots during Shiv Jayanti processions. The involvement of Muslims in the Maratha reservation movement appears increasingly problematic and politically motivated.

Finally, aligning with those who opposed the renaming of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in honor of Sambhaji Maharaj, who was brutally tortured by Aurangzeb, further complicates the narrative. The efforts to create an unnatural Maratha-Muslim alliance under the guise of the reservation movement must be scrutinised.


(The writer is a resident of Akola. Views personal)

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