Sachin - Beyond the cricket pitch

It's indeed true, isn't it!!

Since the time Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement, every single discussion, be it in an office or in public transport or at a street corner has people talking about him. Everyone recalls their favorite Sachin innings and a few lucky ones recall how and when they met and clicked a picture with him.

Very rarely has anybody commanded such attention from not just a billion Indians but people around the globe.

What makes Sachin what he is today?

A precocious little boy, all of 16, burst onto the national scene when when the Mandal Commission had the entire country divided. 

Insurgency in Kashmir, trouble in Punjab and India's failed initiative in the Sri Lankan crisis only added onto the troubles. Frequent problems and riots relating to religion and caste were the order of the day.

Incidents like the Babri Masjid demolition only sparked further divide between religions

The economy was going nowhere and the country had to suffer the ignominy of pledging it's gold with the Bank of England to ward off a serious payment crisis. 

Opening up of the economy to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) had all worker union up in arms against foreign brands entering the country.

The politicians were hell bent on dividing and ruling, the businessmen were serving their own needs and Bollywood, the other religion in the country, wasn't coming up with any quality.

Around the time when all of these incidents were wrecking the nation, this little boy, with his exploits was unknowingly bringing the country together.

Everyone watched cricket together, whenever he batted, be it Hindus and Muslims or Brahmins and the Dalits or the workers and management. Everybody cheered for this boy and whenever he scored a century, the celebrations involved people of every religion, caste and all walks of life.

A writer then insisted that we don't need no politicans, no dictators or rulers. We need more and more Sachin Tendulkars who can unite all religions, all castes and dissolve the boundaries between North, South, East or the West.

Through his sheer ability, this young boy managed to bridge the yawning gap in a nation that was threatened by a social divide and political instability. He gave the much needed consolation to a country which was hurtling towards self destruction.

Around the time he started the lonely eyes of our self destructing country didn't know where to turn to. 

He gave his countrymen the hope that other leaders couldn't provide. He gave his countrymen the much needed confidence that we could succeed even when everything's falling around us.

He proved to his countrymen that we can stand against opposition that is more stronger than us. He showed his countrymen that you need not have strong body but strong will power.

As someone remarked, when Sachin walked out to bat, it was not just him but a billion oppressed and angry Indians walked out with him to bat. Each run, each boundary, each sixer was our way to give it back. Take the fight to the opposition, tell them that we'll get hit no more. 

Thanks to the advent of satellite television, not just the city folks but even followers from the hinterland got introduced and inducted to the Tendulkar style of batting. And the fact that India was playing more and more cricket also made Sachin, a cricketing icon and the face of a new and resurgent India.

Today, as the 'Great One' hangs his boots, the country is no more disoriented, the social divide is much lesser than before, we have more confidence in our abilities and finally the game is in the able hands of a generation that will make sure that this decade belongs to India.