THE SUN SHINES IN LUNAR BEAMS

THE SUN SHINES IN LUNAR BEAMS

We yet again miss gold. But congratulations, Ravi Kumar Dahiya! You have done your parents proud, your nation proud and yourself proud, too. Your silver in silvery lunar beams will shine in the hearts of true lovers of sports but, soon, very soon, after the hullabaloo of the hour centring you is over and the television channels and media houses have had their measure of you and their share of milk squeezed from the commercial udder of the commoner, you will be forgotten like your predecessor, K.D.Jadhav, who won bronze in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 and was later forgotten to die in penury. 

Enjoy the hour, my champion, today, for it is the only day reserved for you. Tomorrow it will be Virat Kohli's again. Ours is a sporting nation after all. It gives equal importance to all sports. Our government is extremely caring, our media houses most impartial in reporting events, our film stars the most sacrificing souls we give birth to and our cricketers the most ascetic souls who keep clear of cinematic nonsense entirely during their playing careers.

Son, you have come a long way and you have a long way to go yet. Do not believe in media hype, do not give in to the frivolities of your countrymen but do belong to the commoner who cries in exultation at your success. Do not feel overjoyed at the Prime Minister's tweet or buoyed by the Sports Minister's posing with you. Their's are the ephemeral associations of the hour, communications of convenience and, yes, the commercial culture of seeking to satiate shallow self-interest. Be not taken in by these but go back to your farmer father who feeds the nation and fed you with fruits and milk each day, carrying the tiffin miles to your training centre, your akhaaraa.

God bless you, my son, Ravi Kumar! You are indeed, the son of the sun, and shine in stellar splendour, though you, like the beautiful moon, reflect solar glory across the vast stretch of common consciousness of your countrymen today. Glory unto you and glory, twice, thrice as much glory unto your father and mother! May your coaches be blessed and your simple village folk who so endearingly love you! May you yet win many more laurels for our motherland!

Written by Sugata Bose