THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:“Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football,” French Philosopher Albert Camus once said. It is hence no wonder why senior Communist Pannian Raveendran, the unmistaken soccer-lover in Kerala’s political scape, chose to go by Camus in his new book on soccer.
While frenzied football fans in Kerala wait with bated breath, senior CPI leader Pannian Raveendran has come out with his third work on football. ‘Lokam Kattu Niracha Oru Panthinte Koode’ (The globe moving along with an air-filled ball) is a rough narration of World Cup football matches so far.
Of course, coming from a politician like Pannian, the work is much more than just mere narration. In his earnest effort to connect with soccer lovers, the author has also brought in glimpses of history and legends from across the globe - like the unique Japan temple where football is the idol - and Sochu, the Chinese version of football.
Communism and football apparently complement each other across the globe. There seems to exist an unwritten code connecting the two. In India, curiously football is celebrated mostly in states where Communism has made its presence felt. Drawing a parallel between soccer and revolution is how Pannian takes the reader forward.
He recalls with pride what Karl Marx observed about football occupying the prime position among sporting games in the world. Soccer is much more than a game - It is the only resort of a poor man, the only outlet that a worker can look forward to. It erases the discrimination between the Black and the White, Marx had opined.
Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro was another well-known soccer lover among the Communists. In the first chapter itself, Pannian has described in detail about how Castro stood by Argentinian legend Diego Maradona in his time of crisis.
“In football, it is nearly impossible to predict which side will be favoured with a win or which way the mesmerising touch of a foot will lead the ball. It is one rare game where 22 players fight it out in an open battlefield,” says the author.
Delving into the depths of the sport right from its beginning, the book explores how the game began, developed into a world cup over the years and occupied an undeniable position among other sports anywhere in the globe, be in Europe, China or Latin America. Though an avid fan, the writer does not try to conceal the blemishes in the soccer world or moments that put a black mark on the game like the ever-painful memory of Colombian Andre Escobar.
In another chapter, you come across a desperate Indian in the midst of a Soccer World Cup. Why the three billion nation failed to make it big in football despite its occasional glimpses in Olympics, is also discussed in detail.
It is the sixth book from Pannian Raveendran, currently CPI Central Control Commission Chairman. He has penned books on renaissance, history and films and has also brought out a book on noted poet ONV Kurup. Pannian, who used to write under the pen name PR Kakkad in his early life is a known football lover and has tried his hand at football commentary at All India Radio.With the World Cup entering its pre-quarters, Pannian’s book would undoubtedly be a delightful addition to soccer lovers in this part of the world.