“Rahul Dravid was right when he declared that day,” a fan replied to batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar. “I loved you more than Dhoni, but today you have lost a fan and thousands from Punjab and Haryana,” was one other. A torrent of comparable tweets — accusing Tendulkar of getting taken a pro-government stance within the farm payments challenge — have been made in reply to the Master Blaster’s tweet on the farmers’ protest earlier this week.
The flak was unprecedented for Tendulkar, a cricketing icon who has all the time chosen to steer clear of any political controversy.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum have been the likes of Rohit Sharma, whose tweet on the identical challenge departed from the script in leaving out the hashtag ‘India against Propaganda’ and never alluding to ‘internal affairs’ and ‘external forces’; and Sandeep Sharma whose tackle the phrase “internal affairs” was objectionable sufficient for it to be later deleted.
India’s sovereignty can’t be compromised. External forces could be spectators however not contributors.Indians know India and will resolve for India. Let’s stay united as a nation.#IndiaCollectively #IndiaIn opposition toPropaganda
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 3, 2021
Seldom has India’s cricket fraternity been at such odds within the public eye. This social media struggle was being fought towards personalities with multi-million followers — music icon Rihanna, teen local weather campaigner Greta Thunberg, media persona and former grownup movie star Mia Khalifa and the like.
All the large cannons wanted to be introduced out. Thus, Sachin Tendulkar.
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One of the primary replies that got here in was a picture of Tendulkar and Gary Kirsten, the South African coach, being carried round in a victory lap after the 2011 World Cup triumph, the phrases ‘external forces’ being highlighted together with the picture.
This by guesswho is sensible! pic.twitter.com/CHdPDpuluc
— Thejaswi Udupa (@udupendra) February 4, 2021
“What a heartbreak, especially when the god had to tweet on political pressure. So farmers sitting in bitter cold for two months are not Indians?” was one other reply.
The heartbreak was evident. Especially as a result of Tendulkar, like many of the cricket fraternity, had not spoken concerning the farmers’ protests earlier than this week, even because the loss of life toll from the agitation has been steadily rising prior to now couple of months.
When I used to be a child, I by no means noticed a puppet present. It took me 35 years to see one 😊 pic.twitter.com/AMCGIZMfGN
— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) February 4, 2021
That Tendulkar’s tweet got here hours after the Ministry of External Affairs’ strongly worded assertion retorting to “international personalities” like Rihanna — was additionally a motive for the sense of betrayal that some followers felt.
Cricketers from Punjab, like Mandeep Singh, who had himself visited the Singhu protest website, had been talking concerning the matter for the previous few months, but it surely wanted a tweet from Rihanna for Tendulkar to answer the state of affairs.
