Anatomy of a disaster: The reason Messi’s tour turned messy in Kolkata

 I WRITE THIS PIECE a day after the Kolkata disaster. The anger is still palpable and the city is upset with what happened. Having seen Hyderabad, anger will give way to disappointment. But then there is a larger question here—India’s worship culture. Why do we worship individuals and turn them into gods? That’s when we lose perspective and self-respect.

In India, it is either god or dog. There is nothing in between. Take the case of Virat Kohli. Why did he actually leave India? That’s because he wanted some privacy like anyone else. He wanted to take his children out for walks and have a normal life. It just isn’t possible in India. Virat Kohli, wherever he goes in India, will be treated like god. You don’t want to be god, you want to be human.

I have been reading accounts of men and women who have spent ₹80,000-1 lakh to catch a glimpse of Messi. If you are rich and have a lot of money, I totally understand you doing it. Instead of buying yet another luxury suit, you spend the money on the GOAT tour. But what about someone whose income is say  ₹40,000-50,000. Why would he spend twice his monthly income to watch a spectacle? Does he not think about the next medical emergency at home?

Again, it brings me to the worship culture. For some, Messi is god. And to see god, you’d do anything. If that means you lose your senses, so be it. Sample this from a young journalist colleague some weeks back. “Boria, will you be hosting the Messi programme? If yes, just get me a glimpse of the man and all I will do is dive into his feet. My life is made,” he said.

I am not faulting him for saying this. Who am I to do any kind of moral judgement. But if you try and understand this sentiment, you know what I am referring to. The person in question could have said try and get me an interview with Messi for it will mean much to me. Rather, he wanted to dive into Messi’s feet and fulfil a wish. It is this worship culture that we have to guard against. We get blinded in our love or affection. We act irresponsibly and without any kind of self-respect.

There were fans in the Salt Lake stadium who don’t earn more than ₹20,000 a month. Yet, they had bought tickets worth ₹14,000. For someone who has done so and not got his money’s worth, anger is a very logical conclusion. Breaking down the stadium was the expected reaction as you had given it your all and yet had to return without your Messi memory.

The truth is we are a society of extremes in India. And unless we change, things like this will keep happening. A gullible society will always fall for gimmicks and allow things to pass. And if things go wrong, the reaction will be violent and extreme. That there had to be a police picket outside Satadru Dutta’s (the organiser of the Messi event) Rishra home is yet another example. What has his wife or mother done to deserve this? Let the law take its course and let him have to deal with things. To attack his house and his family is disgusting and yet it keeps happening in India.

More than anything, the Messi disaster is a lesson for each one of us. We must introspect and understand where we need to change and why. Each time you pass Lake Town in Kolkata and see that 70-foot statue (of Messi), you will be reminded of this disaster and also the reasons behind it. Hope we learn fast.