Well, have you ever tried telling a Bengali that the Pani Puri shouldn't have potato fillings but instead have chickpeas - if you haven't, then I would suggest that you dont try this - cause this will ensure a reaction that is better not measured or tested! When I think of how we have reacted to Shoaib Akhtar and his recent autobiography, I keep going back to my previous example about Pani Puris and Bengalis'.
So Shoaib thinks Tendulkar and Dravid are not matchwinners - and that Tendulkar actually feared him at one point of time in his career. Well his point and he has all the right to stick to it. Its for us to believe it or not. But no - any insult on Sachin and Dravid has to be taken as a crime larger than mining scam or the 2G( but then again according to one Mr.Sibbal there was no loss for the 2G spectrum allocation)! So we have all his book launches being cancelled, motor mouth Rajeev Shukla demanding an apology, Hanna Azzare has threatened to go on a fast, Poonam Pandey has offered to offload her clothes to bring up the morale of the two individuals! Still awaiting Rahul Gandhi to pass a comment........., and the Prime Minister is to comment once he has consulted Sonia. Give the guy a break - he is just trying to add some spice and ensure that his book is bought in India- he had to cancel all book launches in Pakistan as he feared a drone attack to take out possibly take him out!! he does have a right to earn his retirement money, doesn't he?
But I think what this really shows is that we don"t take criticism well or objectively but rather take it personally. An individual is entitled to his views - regardless of whether if it is agreement with the majority. But yet again we show our underlying thread of non tolerance. A mature society should, I believe, should have reacted differently and just given it a shrug, and walked on. So we may call ourselves educated, but till we can learn to include everyone's point, however ridiculous or radical that it may be, we cant call ourselves a democratic, tolerant society.
