Communalism
Riots in a stadium in Patna, India after a 'friendly' Twenty20 cricket match.
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/india-cricket-riot_photo_634612.htm |
Communalism is a strong affiliation to one's ethnic group at the cost of one's affiliation to society. Cricket may be one of the factors contributing to communalism.
This is especially true in the case of India. In India, the tensions between Hindus and Muslims have always been high. However, these tensions are exacerbated when there is a cricket match between India and Pakistan. India’s partition and the creation of Pakistan is a provoking subject for citizens of both countries even after 65 years. There is still a section of the Indian population that believes that Muslims do not consider themselves to be Indian. Thus, they believe that during a cricket match, Indian Muslims support the Pakistani team. During a World Cup match between India and Pakistan in 2003, Indian Muslims had to actively take efforts to celebrate India’s victory over Pakistan to prove their support for the Indian team. The game of cricket has been blamed for this, and the unusually high value placed on it has also been questioned. After all, is it worth it to question the patriotism of your fellow countrymen-and-women for a game that is not even yours to begin with? |