A God’s Slow Descent to Earth

Why Sharad Pawar’s repeated use of his name should get Sachin Tendulkar’s guard up

For reasons not too hard to comprehend, Nationalist Congress Party head Sharad Pawar’s name has been associated with Sachin Tendulkar three times over the last few weeks. In the first instance, it was reported that Tendulkar’s only demand as a farewell gift from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) was a portrait of himself and that Pawar, who was recently elected—unopposed—president of the MCA, would decide on the artist. Then Pawar announced that a club belonging to the association in the suburb of Kandivali would be renamed ‘Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana’. And finally, to a petition filed in court by BJP leader Gopinath Munde—against not being allowed to contest for MCA president because he wasn’t a Mumbai resident—Pawar’s counter-affidavit, as reported by The Indian Express, said that any interim order might affect Tendulkar’s 200th Test match and ‘will be prejudicial to the interest of MCA and even to the interest of the nation.’

In the matter of the portrait, unless you are an artist who harboured hopes of getting the commission, it really makes no difference who Pawar recommends. You can’t exactly float a tender for a portrait. But in the other two cases, Tendulkar should squirm a little. The Aam Aadmi Party says that the MCA club that will boast the cricketer’s name is founded on a scam, and there seems to be prima facie merit in that charge. It is coming up on land owned by the municipality that was turned over to the MCA for a cricket academy and then gradually became a recreational club with a restaurant and bar. From a space for the public, it has now magically become the preserve of a few, with the barrier of high membership fees to keep out the poor. Tendulkar has nothing to do with the alleged corruption, but he will be in the peculiar position of being perpetually linked to it. Who wants to be immortalised with a scam? We really don’t know what Pawar feels for Tendulkar, but usually this is something you do to enemies.

Using Tendulkar’s name in court to protect Pawar’s election is worse. The MCA has a long history of internal politics and for politicians like Pawar or Munde this is just another day in the muck. But this is the first time that Tendulkar is so openly being made a pawn to such petty intrigues. He should be a little alarmed by it. Even until a year ago, no cricket administrator or body would have thought of dragging his name into an internal dispute. But with his approaching retirement, he is no longer immune. This is the signal that Tendulkar’s days as a god are over—he will soon be just one man in a country of one billion schemers. Others have walked this cruel path before. Like that other god, Amitabh Bachchan, who became bankrupt and human, leading to Amar Singh and gang swooping in to co-opt him.

The lesson Tendulkar has to learn is that as long he was on the cricket field, he didn’t have to flaunt his integrity. In the post-retirement world outside, he has to affirm it. He has to come out in the open either to say that the Aam Aadmi Party is wrong and that the club is clean, or say that he does not want his name associated with a place with a question hanging over it. But if he is going to remain silent, as he has done throughout his cricketing career, then people like Pawar are going to continue making use of him. And this is now, when he is not even retired. Imagine a few years down the line. How many will be circling around to leech and profit off him then?

The other option is to follow the path of superstars turned successful politicians like MG Ramachandran, NT Rama Rao or Imran Khan—dive into the cesspit and try to conquer it. It would be good to be wrong but somehow Tendulkar, who failed as captain, does not seem like he has the thick skin or cold blood for it.

cricketSachin TendulkarSharad Pawar