Rahul P Soman was sad. He had just taken a really tough online quiz on Sachin Tendulkar and gotten a score of 7 out of 15. As an ardent fan of the Little Master for as long as he can remember, this appalled Rahul. But how can one possibly know all about the life and career of a cricketer who played for his nation for 24 whole years?
As Tendulkar hung up his boots at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium on Saturday, Rahul, an engineer from Doddanekkundi, was just one of the many Bangaloreans who felt that an era had just ended.
“Sachin is a man who clearly carried the tri-colour not only on his shoulder but also in his heart,” says Rahul. But he believes that, if he keeps his favouritism aside, a sportsman did not perhaps deserve the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. “But no Indian can think of Sachin objectively, without letting their feelings interfere. That is how much he has influenced so many of us right from our childhood.”
Not everyone is big on the award though. “It all just happened too quickly for me to process. I'm not the biggest fan of such awards as they often leave one baffled with regards to eligibility, criteria, etc. Mainly, I'm just annoyed that this award buzz has slightly spoiled what was a really poignant moment between Sachin and his fans,” says Anuj Vignesh, a sports enthusiast from Indira Nagar.
His adulation for Sachin is clear when he adds, “Years from now, English teachers will be deconstructing Sachin's ‘My life between 22 yards for 24 years’ and happy students will spend their nights memorising that wonderful speech instead of pretending to care about why or what Caesar meant by ‘Et Tu, Brutus’.”
Varun Ram Iyer, a resident of Basavanagudi who works at multinational conglomerate 3M, feels there is a case to be made that Tendulkar’s farewell was too drawn out. But on the Bharat Ratna, he says: “One only needs to step back and pause to understand the comprehensiveness of the creative and cricketing context that Sachin has provided in pacifying people and leading the nation to the altar of excellence. In a matter of evoking national pride and reaffirming faith, he is a deserving recipient of the honour.”
Cinthya A, a resident of Indira Nagar, is not a cricket fan but feels the award was perfectly timed to coincide with his final match. As Venu Anand, a business analyst from Whitefield, puts it: “It is like Bheeshmacharya's Samadhi. The wait seemed forever and finally when it happened, you couldn't ask for better timing."
Sriram Sharma, a resident of Kasturi Nagar who works at Lenovo, feels Tendulkar is too young to be bestowed with the country’s highest civilian honour, but adds, “If it is to be given to a sportsman, Sachin is the right choice without doubt.”
Elvis Joseph, former athlete from the city, believes cricket has set the platform for the development of sports in the country. “Whether you are a tennis player, a footballer or a cricketer, Sachin has been a huge inspiration. I just hope this honour is also extended to others who are in the same league but play in sports which don’t have the kind of exposure as cricket does, like boxing champion Mary Kom.”
Phool Singh Bhati, a businessman from Sultanpet, says, “This is a big day for Indian sports. Tendulkar deserved the award as a man who united the country like nobody else on so many occasions. He made the country chant in one voice…. Sachinnn Sachinnn….. Indiaa Indiaaa….”
Perhaps Vidya R, an engineer from Murugeshpalya, puts it best when she says, “I feel a little child in me died yesterday. I know there will always be a few who say Sachin didn’t deserve the award but the truth is, it was not awarded to Sachin for his records. It was because of his impact on people and his ability to inspire the whole nation.”