Beneath the veils
“I wouldn’t pose in biknis for that matter” quipped in the gregarious Sania Mirza when Shekhar Gupta asked her “How did your family accept your dressing?”
I was watching Walk the Talk in NDTV past saturday night when this little conversation flapped the prejudice factor. Whatever prompted the question, I wonder why does a person belonging to a conservative background always gets to answer about their backgrounds. It’s more sensible to see a sportsperson in the light of the achievements she has made, rather than embarrass her on what her conservative family thinks of her ‘fooling’ around. And Sania Mirza is just that. A Sportswoman! Nothing more!
Sania shot up to fame because of her tennis. And it must be the tennis that gets the blow-up poster on the center-spread and not the moon in the mosque her dad prays at. Her tennis, not her religion, should make the headlines. It’s not vital how her community views her limelight, but what she, an individual, has gained as an exceptional corsage of talent. What is vital, is how the country lofts this proud young achiever and not what a somber preacher down the gully bemoans her exposing thighs on the tennis court. When do we learn to see things as they are, rather than veiling the fog of a filthy prejudice.
I remember the day I was watching a press conference, when Irfan Pathan was questioned what he thinks of the Gujarat riots. “It’s a sad thing”. Irfan sure has learned to keep it short with the press. And another enthusiastic journalist asking him if he ever has any time for his daily rituals.
Just wonder when was the last time Virender Sehwag was asked if he ever went to a Temple, or Harbhajan Singh going to Gurudwara, or Leander Paes going to the Church for that matter.
Why mortify sport with religion?
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I was watching Walk the Talk in NDTV past saturday night when this little conversation flapped the prejudice factor. Whatever prompted the question, I wonder why does a person belonging to a conservative background always gets to answer about their backgrounds. It’s more sensible to see a sportsperson in the light of the achievements she has made, rather than embarrass her on what her conservative family thinks of her ‘fooling’ around. And Sania Mirza is just that. A Sportswoman! Nothing more!
Sania shot up to fame because of her tennis. And it must be the tennis that gets the blow-up poster on the center-spread and not the moon in the mosque her dad prays at. Her tennis, not her religion, should make the headlines. It’s not vital how her community views her limelight, but what she, an individual, has gained as an exceptional corsage of talent. What is vital, is how the country lofts this proud young achiever and not what a somber preacher down the gully bemoans her exposing thighs on the tennis court. When do we learn to see things as they are, rather than veiling the fog of a filthy prejudice.
I remember the day I was watching a press conference, when Irfan Pathan was questioned what he thinks of the Gujarat riots. “It’s a sad thing”. Irfan sure has learned to keep it short with the press. And another enthusiastic journalist asking him if he ever has any time for his daily rituals.
Just wonder when was the last time Virender Sehwag was asked if he ever went to a Temple, or Harbhajan Singh going to Gurudwara, or Leander Paes going to the Church for that matter.
Why mortify sport with religion?