Thursday, September 13, 2012

SACHIN TENDULKAR
Is he moving away from his projected image?

For almost a year now, people around the globe are making serious comments about his retirement plans. And is he planning or not? One may say that as a proven player for over 2 decades, no one can comment. It is only for him to decide. However I opine that when an individual is in a  field of public interest and requires public support to sustain, he cannot decline to respond to the public.

Sachin may think that it is his own business and he does not have to reason out or justify to any one. He has his right to his opinion. At the same time as I mentioned earlier, the public including his hard core fans are waiting to know his thoughts on this matter. Not because they want him to retire or not to retire, but are concerned about his popularity and the respect he commands. 

Recently Imran Khan also commented on this subject and quoted Sunil Gavaskar's decision at some point in time to retire. But my question revolves around Sachin's response to the question of retirement. His response was this as published in March, 2012: The day he feels "a little less passion" when walking out to bat for India, "I will give up the Game", the master batsman said, adding, "critics didn't need to tell me to do so.". 

The response clearly means that it is not my performance, but my feelings that matter. Am I wrong in thinking that the humble Sachin, is turning somewhat less humble. To put it mildly and with utmost respect for a great achiever. 

That aside, something interesting in his personal life too. He occupied his new close to 40 crore bungalow in Bandra last year. He was found occupying the house without obtaining the required OC from the Mumbai Corporation. Later on he had to pay a fine for the same. An RTI activist Anil Galgali filed an application to know whether the full fine amount was paid or was there any special favors given. Sachin used one of the legal clauses to prevent the Mumbai Corporation from revealing the information. 

Please read the following on this subject:

RTI Act's Section 11(1) requires the public information officer to give notice to a person whose confidential records are requested to be made public. Section 8 says that such information can be denied "if it relates to personal information, the disclosure of which has no relationship with any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of privacy of the individual".

However, a senior official attached to the chief information commissioner (CIC)'s office was surprised with the BMC's reason for denying the information. "A fine collected from a citizen is public money and an individual can seek information on this under the RTI Act," he said.

My only contention is that now Sachin Tendulkar being a Rajya Sabha member too, has to really grow and live up to the extraordinary expectations of We Indians from an extraordinary achiever. 





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1 comment:

Raji said...

Great one RS...It is really time he hears public opinion and retires before it is too late and he has to suffer at the hands of our selectors