As soon as I think of passion, the only event that comes to my mind is the ICC World cup 2011. We are a country that follows cricket like a religion and have a cricketer who is God. People from every part of India spent the Saturday glued to their TV sets, at home or at a pub, and a lucky few witnessed this historic moment in the stadium itself. The city of Mumbai came to a standstill, no cars on the road, all shops closed, employees refusing to work. And this was just the beginning.
A billion hearts around the world skipped a beat when ‘The Sachin Tendulkar’ was dismissed and hopes dipped to a defying low. Positivity in the atmosphere was just as gripping as the tension on every face. Chants of India winning could be heard every 3 minutes all across the country. You dint need to look at your friend sitting next to you to understand the gravity of the situation, you could feel it in your gut. And that one 6 by the skipper of the team had the entire nation jumping in joy.
People were screaming and dancing their hearts out. There was no stopping anyone that night. A billion souls said thank you in their own way, by jumping on the sofas, hugging random strangers, driving around the city with flags in their hands and friends on the car roof, shouting at the top of their lungs or just a silent tear. This moment was epic.
I don’t know if this will ever happen again but I sure hope it does. As it got people from different walks of life together, cheering for the same cause and praying for the same result. We are a country driven by emotions and our very own leaders often taken advantage of this fact. Communal riots and terrorist attacks have become a common occurrence but to see the nation come together with such unity and enthusiasm to support a group of 11 men sure takes your breath away.
I hope to see a generation where people are driven by this very passion, not only for a game but also for each other. A place where people are willing to help each other not only for monetary gain but also for personal satisfaction and happiness. Where people introduce themselves as Indians and where every Indian is proud of the country and its culture. Just the way we are proud today of Team INDIA and the fact that we are better than anyone out there. I hope to see a day where every Indian would say for every field they represent, “Jeet gaya bhai jeet gaya, INDIA jeet gaya.”
