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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.

Unceasing Religious Crackdown

Updated: Dec 2, 2024

Religious Crackdown

Bangladesh’s financial authorities have directed banks and financial institutions to freeze the accounts of 17 individuals associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), including its former member Chinmoy Krishna Das, for a period of 30 days. The directive was issued by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).


In addition to freezing the accounts, the BFIU has requested banks to provide comprehensive account-related information, including updated transaction records for businesses owned by these individuals.


Das, who previously served as ISKCON’s spokesperson in Bangladesh, was arrested at Dhaka earlier this week. His arrest is connected to a sedition case filed against him and others following an incident during an October 25 rally in Chattogram, where a saffron flag was allegedly raised above the Bangladeshi national flag, sparking controversy.


In response to Bangladeshi media reports suggesting otherwise, ISKCON denied distancing itself from Das, reaffirming its support for his rights and advocacy for the protection of Hindus and their places of worship.


Meanwhile, a separate official ISKCON Bangladesh statement refuted accusations linking the organization to violent protests that erupted following Das’s arrest, which led to the death of a lawyer. ISKCON Bangladesh’s General Secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari condemned the baseless accusations, labelling them as part of a malicious campaign designed to discredit the organization and incite social unrest.


The controversy surrounding Das’s arrest stems from allegations that he reportedly disrespected the national flag during a rally in Chittagong that was organized to protest the continued persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.


The Hindu community in Bangladesh has been faced violent persecution and systemic discrimination for decades, with historical roots dating back to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.


The 1971 genocide, part of Pakistan’s military campaign to suppress Bengali nationalism, led to the deaths of an estimated 3 million people, mainly targeting Hindus and other minorities. The Pakistani forces, supported by the Razakars militia, engaged in ethnic cleansing, including mass killings, rapes, and the displacement of millions. The atrocities, which began with ‘Operation Searchlight’ on March 25, 1971, forced 10 million people to flee to India. Estimates suggest up to 400,000 Bengali women were raped, many of them Hindu, with some declared ‘war booty’ by Pakistani imams.


The violent repression of the Hindu minority has continued through the decades. In 2021, the Hindu community in Bangladesh faced new waves of violence. A fabricated blasphemy accusation regarding Durga Puja festivities led to attacks on over 80 Hindu temples and widespread property destruction. Hindu women faced sexual violence, and many families were displaced from their homes. The state’s response was inadequate, allowing Islamist mobs to act with impunity.


In recent years, the situation has worsened further. As protests over a controversial quota system escalated this year, opposition forces like Jamaat-e-Islami—an Islamist group with a history of persecuting minorities—have targeted Hindus, compiling lists of Hindu businesses and homes for destruction. With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government ousted, the minority community faces increased vulnerability. The ongoing cycle of violence reflects an enduring crisis, as Hindus in Bangladesh continue to endure persecution with little recourse for justice.


This history of violence and displacement paints a bleak picture for the future of Bangladesh’s Hindu population, as the community grapples with the loss of homes, the destruction of temples and the ongoing threat of violence under the caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

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