Indian Cricket Team Wearing Military Caps Is A Dangerous Sign

[newb3e]

M.S. Dhoni may be an honourary Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army, but he is widely respected as a level headed and practical person. I doubt if he was instrumental in advocating the use of camo caps for the match. I know this was probably his last ODI at his home town, however, I still find it hard to believe that it was his idea. Mr. Gavaskar should not have distributed the caps, if what I have read is true. If the Indian team had wished to make a point and honour the memory of the slain BSF Jawans, a black arm band and a minute of silence at the arena would have proved to be adequate. Why does this smell of yet another publicity stunt? On the other hand, questioning everything that happens in the country is becoming a habit for Indians lately. Is it a lack of self - belief or a latent disgust felt by the long suffering intelligent population (of miniscule proportions), silently borne, for the government's hollow bravado and jingoism? If ever a Latin phrase was apt, it is here and now - O Tempora, O Mores!

they need some drama to satisfy 1 billion morons! black arm band wont have worked bollywood has made your kind stupid!

 

[Pakistani Aircraft]

But why Pakistan is worried???...We are wearing our soldiers...if you want, no one will stop you to do it...

Pakistan is worried because ordinary Indians are falling under the influence of Hindu Extremism which will force Pakistan to totally atomise the Indian nation.

 

[Chhatrapati]

So the cap is necessary to announce it just like the typical need to show sha?

What kind of argument is that?
You said they could've donated funds, I said they did.

Policemen by wearing military caps? I didnt see them wearing Sari or bhindi to support women for women's day...or do they not?

It's entirely up to our discretion to wear Bindi on women's day. People wore AIDS sign on world AIDS day, from what you say, should they inject themselves with AIDS virus to show support? I didn't wanna ask that question, but what's up with this fallacy you keep bringing up?

Laugh worthy!

But I guess you dont see it....you only see something as subtle as a black band but not something show sha like a cap?!

LOL! Subtle? So you're judging based on how you see, a cap is subtle too depending upon the viewer. Otoh I didn't make that argument about black band, probably someone did. And you see the black band is clearly noticeable. As seen here.

 

[Dubious]

Well, It can be explained as a religious act. We Indians worship our soldiers.

New come back?
Try again!

 

[Kaniska]

Pakistan is worried because ordinary Indians are falling under the influence of Hindu Extremism which will force Pakistan to totally atomise the Indian nation.

You have a luxury and freedom to express your opinion as it is a forum from Pakistan...Certain questions are not answered by Indian posters because the answers to those questions are better to be not mentioned here..

 

[Dubious]

You said they could've donated funds, I said they did.

Yes, I didnt talk abt the funds...my q has still been the same abt the cap!

It's entirely up to our discretion to wear Bindi on women's day. People wore AIDS sign on world AIDS day, from what you say, should they inject themselves with AIDS virus to show support? I didn't wanna ask that question, but what's up with this fallacy you keep bringing up?

I never said they should inject themselves [Now THAT is a prefect example of fallacy]...That is like seeing a pigeon and going it is ISI spy...I can understand how you people jump to BS conclusions!

On AIDS day - celebrated around the world [indian army isnt celebrated even] they wore a band...indians could have worn a band....

LOL! Subtle? So you're judging based on how you see, a cap is subtle too depending upon the viewer. Otoh I didn't make that argument about black band, probably someone did. And you see the black band is clearly noticeable. As seen here.

Sure it is noticeable...but can you read what is on it or will it distract anyone?

 

[Sekhon Rafiqui]

they need some drama to satisfy 1 billion morons! black arm band wont have worked bollywood has made your kind stupid!

Do I come across as a moron or stupid? Please be a little civil in your comments on my posts.

 

[rott]

While Virat Kohli proudly announced that the team was wearing the caps to signal support for Indian soldiers, never before has the team worn jingoistic symbols so overtly.

By Binoo

When the Indian cricket team took to the field for its third ODI against Australia in Ranchi on Friday, they wore military caps as a sign of solidarity with the 40 troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) killed in Kashmir’s Pulwama last month. This is dangerous terrain for the national cricket team to tread, whether knowingly or not.

Firstly, it was not necessary to wear camouflage caps to publicise the cricketers’ acts of charity, as the players contributing a day’s salary to the family of the dead soldiers could have just made an announcement to that effect. Charity does not necessitate the display of outward military jingoism, as signified by donning a military cap. Never before has the Indian cricket team worn such jingoism on their heads, notwithstanding the patriotism they wear on their sleeves. Also, even though the team has contributed to other causes and players like Sachin Tendulkar and others have made private contributions or adopted villages, such acts of charity were not made under the cover of creeping militarism or ultra-nationalism, like it has been done now.

No team in the history of modern cricket has worn military camouflage caps or symbols during an international match to make a statement.

There can be little doubt that the team has been nudged towards this display of jingoism by the prevailing anti-Pakistan sentiment, as well as the heated political scenario due to the approaching elections. No team in the history of modern cricket has worn military camouflage caps or symbols during an international match to make a statement.

Captain Virat Kohli proudly announced after the toss that the team was wearing the caps to signal support for Indian soldiers. Reuters has reported that the idea to sport the caps came from former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is an honorary lieutenant colonel with the Indian Army. Mind you, Kohli is so superstitious about the cap that, like some other players before him, he normally sports the same dirty Test cap that he wore on his debut. But wearing the military cap seems to have come quite easily to him. Also, the team hasn’t so far thought about giving their hard-earned money for education or some such collective causes.

An act like this cannot fail to have a fallout. In an act of nationalistic fervour, the BCCI has decided to try and keep Pakistan out of the World Cup, even without any prodding from the government. In case it fails, and Pakistan wears its own military caps during the World Cup, will the Indian team walk of the tournament? In such a case, can Pakistan be accused of conducting a provocative act, since India showed the way? Also, ICC rules do not permit wearing of caps other than national caps.

Nationalism and sport are closely linked for sure—that is why jerseys often sport national colours and medal winners wrap themselves in national flags. Indian nationalism, too, has been closely aligned with sport for a long time. Ronojoy Sen has written in his book Nation At Play: A History Of Sport In India that Motilal Nehru once took a team of wrestlers to Europe. Teams often observe silence over national tragedies or wear black bands, in keeping with accepted practise. Not so military caps, which symbolise aggression. To cap it all, Sunil Gavaskar was seen distributing the caps to commentators including a thoroughly embarrassed Matthew Hayden who was not obliged to wear it at all.

In fact, Indian sport has a glorious history of standing against such jingoism and militarism. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, India was among the handful of teams that refused to do the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute . That was also the time of heightened nationalism, though of a different sort.

“There is no evidence in contemporary sources to show any direct linkages between the Congress and the athletes’ decision to not salute Hitler in Berlin. But the fact remains that it was a political act breathtaking in its audacity, in direct opposition to most other contingents at the Games, including the British,” write Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta in their monumental Olympics: The India Story. Ironically enough, Majumdar was among the first to tweet congratulatory messages to the BCCI for making the team wear military caps, showing how even writers and journalists are getting wrapped up in the militaristic fervour taking over political and national debates.

Even discounting for such snippets from history, the military-cap wearing is only symbolic of the larger narrative taking over politics. It would have been ideal for the team to wear a symbol supporting women on Women’s Day. But who is to remember the state of women in India when the atmosphere is rippling with jingoism? How can the BCCI perform a symbolic act for women when its CEO himself has been accused (and pardoned by BCCI) of sexual abuse? The only gesture it made was to have BCCI administrator Diana Edulji (who opposed the reappointment of the CEO) at the toss.

BCCI has opened up the cricket field for overt political statements at a time when both elections and the World Cup are around the corner. Majumdar himself once quoted a journalist to point to the danger of bringing together “previously separated realms”, while talking about the role of the TV serial Ramayan in creating a “setting for a Hindutva revival” . With this act, the BCCI has brought together the separate realms of militarism and cricket. For this, Indian cricket and sport will pay a heavy price in the near future.

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry...828652e4b0ed0a0012b54b?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage

This Indian jingoism needs to be curbed.

 

[Sekhon Rafiqui]

THEY did donate the match fee for the match they played wearing the cap.


It is nothing but a positive gesture, to show respect to fallen policemen by wearing Camo type - cap (with Indian cricket team logo and Nike sign). There is no issue of mannerism or arrogance.

Now if those caps were auctioned with the player's signatures and the money raised was donated to the slain soldier's families, that would be nice.

 

[Chhatrapati]

Yes, I didnt talk abt the funds...my q has still been the same abt the cap!

They wore a camo cap with Indian team and Nike logo. If it was military, then there will be some sort of ensignia, there is none.

I never said they should inject themselves [Now THAT is a prefect example of fallacy].

haha nope, I just towed your line of talking, to show how you are making this out to be.


It's entirely upto us to decide how we should show respect. We can wear a black band or wear a camo cap. We didn't put a message on it, like Save Kashmir, Save ghasa etc... We're just paying homage to our fallen heroes and you can't tell us how we should do that.

On AIDS day - celebrated around the world [indian army isnt celebrated even] they wore a band...indians could have worn a band....

Like I said, it's entirely upto us on how we should pay homage. Why not dedicate AIDS day by giving a penny for AIDS research by everyone in the world? Or, wear a long scarf etc... It's entirely up to the organizers to decide.

And Indian army (and police) is celebrated in India. They are the one's who probably guarding the match too. So, what's so wrong about we doing that? We didn't put any message on display like shave ghaza.

What more pathetic is, your foreign ministry taking an interest in this. Now you're politicizing the event not us.

PS : "Celebrating" AIDS day is not the exact word.

 

[B.K.N]

There is nothing wrong in wearing military caps they can wear whatever they want

 

[Chhatrapati]

Now if those caps were auctioned with the player's signatures and the money raised was donated to the slain soldier's families, that would be nice.

That again is entirely up to them right? We could do a lot of such things, but it shouldn't be coerced. (Even by fans)

 

[hassamun]

In the past, ace England cricket stalwart Moeen Ali was banned from wearing a 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine' wristband back in 2014.

Although England had cleared the display of Ali's wristbands, ICC issued the following statement:

"The ICC equipment and clothing regulations do not permit the display of messages that relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes during an international match. Moeen Ali was told by the match referee that while he is free to express his views on such causes away from the cricket field, he is not permitted to wear the wristbands on the field of play and warned not to wear the bands again during an international match.”

 

[Tshering22]

paying tribute is not wrong but breaking rules is.
Moin Ali did the same for palestinians and was banned.

The camouflage cap also has India's cricket logo. So technically it is not breaking any rule.

Remember, there are special matches where cricket teams wear pink to raise awareness about breast cancer and other social issues pertaining to women as well.

As long as the logos are appropriate and the required permissions are taken, there is no problem at all.

Moin Ali is not from either Gaza or West Bank. He was banned because he was neither representing his home country Pakistan nor the two territories mentioned above.

The entire Indian cricket team is representative of India in that particular game and they weren't representing any third country's political internal matters. This was a homage to our own soldiers by our own people. Why would BCCI prohibit it?

ECB on the other hand is not Pakistan and definitely not Gazan or West Banker. It is English. And Moin Ali was representing England in that match. So he broke the rule and got banned. Simple.

Also, there is a proper protocol to obtain permission when an entire team decides to do something.

/ poor guys were sitting in a bus and that bus blasted in pieces .
brave hearts ?do you go inside their hearts

Do you really think that was their first ever deployment? CRPF takes risky missions across the country in both internal law and order and state security issues.

The deployment in J&K is just one of the many postings that officers and jawans of CRPF get. There are dozens of risky engagements they undertake where their lives are at stake on a daily basis. Hence the term bravehearts.

 

[hassamun]

The camouflage cap also has India's cricket logo. So technically it is not breaking any rule.

Remember, there are special matches where cricket teams wear pink to raise awareness about breast cancer and other social issues pertaining to women as well.

As long as the logos are appropriate and the required permissions are taken, there is no problem at all.

Moin Ali is not from either Gaza or West Bank. He was banned because he was neither representing his home country Pakistan nor the two territories mentioned above.

The entire Indian cricket team is representative of India in that particular game and they weren't representing any third country's political internal matters. This was a homage to our own soldiers by our own people. Why would BCCI prohibit it?

ECB on the other hand is not Pakistan and definitely not Gazan or West Banker. It is English. And Moin Ali was representing England in that match. So he broke the rule and got banned. Simple.

Also, there is a proper protocol to obtain permission when an entire team decides to do something.

I don't think prior approval was taken by BCCI...