When India defeated South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday to clinch the T20 World Cup title, the losing team congratulated Rohit Sharma and his team.
South African captain Aiden Markram said it was still a proud moment for them and they can get a lot out of the game.
That is the spirit of sport and sportsmanship. But politics is not like sports and sportsmanship is rarely noticed, especially nowadays.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are over and the results are also known. The new government at the Center is already formed, the new MPs have taken oath and Parliament is also in session. Everything was done according to the established and detailed manual of our democracy.
The people have given a little more to the opposition, to Congress in particular, this time, but not enough to govern. The mandate was clear, that he decided to continue with Narendra Modi as continuity prime minister.
Unlike cricket, in politics the game is only for power. The opposition, however, has decided to stay put, but is eager to destabilize and take the chair.
The Congress-led opposition has been attacking Prime Minister Modi and the new government, saying the verdict was a "personal, political and moral defeat" for him and he should "understand" it.
In a newspaper article, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi even claimed that "there is not the slightest evidence that she accepted the election result or understood the verdict."
If cricket had been like politics, Markram probably would not have accepted the seven-run defeat. But the fun is in accepting defeat and the South African captain won hearts.
Moving from the cricket field to Parliament, the scenes from the inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha do not look encouraging. Dissent is always healthy as long as it is accompanied by a concrete alternative.
Does the opposition have concrete plans to solve the problems for which it attacks the government?
The country has enough problems and people want quick solutions. The opposition would certainly increase its influence if it circumvented the ruling party with concrete solutions.
Mocking someone's victory is not a healthy tendency and certainly does not happen at the best parliamentary conventions.
A win is a win and winner takes all. Rohit Sharma's team achieved this by snatching victory from the jaws of death. Just when it looked like the team was certain to lose, something unexpected happened in the last four overs of the final match. South Africa crumbled and India won a dream victory.
However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the dream race was not for the INDIA block. He did not give the opposition alliance enough numbers to govern. The Congress, after years of decline, saw its vote share rise from 19.5 per cent in 2019 to 21.2 per cent this time, giving it a boost and new hope.
The BJP also failed in its dream of winning more than 400 seats. Its vote share fell marginally from 37.3 percent in 2019 to 36.6 percent in 2024.
But he got enough numbers and along with the NDA he managed to continue at the Centre.
The opposition has asked the prime minister to "understand the verdict" and this also requires similar introspection.
No matter what the opposition says, Prime Minister Modi is in charge and the NDA is in a good position for now. Hence, confidence in the mandate for the third term is quite evident. But you can't ignore the challenges, whether within the alliance or in governance. He has his hands full.
The government began its new term with several problems that emerged within a fortnight of its formation, such as irregularities in the NEET exams, terrorist incidents in J&K, a train accident, etc.
While political parties are busy in a fight to outdo each other, Team India is moving towards another tournament. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from the T20I format after winning the World Cup and have created space for new talent to fill.
If politicians could emulate the spirit of sportsmanship, Parliament would be the perfect place to debate, something that people have been longing for for several decades.
South African captain Aiden Markram said it was still a proud moment for them and they can get a lot out of the game.
That is the spirit of sport and sportsmanship. But politics is not like sports and sportsmanship is rarely noticed, especially nowadays.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are over and the results are also known. The new government at the Center is already formed, the new MPs have taken oath and Parliament is also in session. Everything was done according to the established and detailed manual of our democracy.
The people have given a little more to the opposition, to Congress in particular, this time, but not enough to govern. The mandate was clear, that he decided to continue with Narendra Modi as continuity prime minister.
Unlike cricket, in politics the game is only for power. The opposition, however, has decided to stay put, but is eager to destabilize and take the chair.
The Congress-led opposition has been attacking Prime Minister Modi and the new government, saying the verdict was a "personal, political and moral defeat" for him and he should "understand" it.
In a newspaper article, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi even claimed that "there is not the slightest evidence that she accepted the election result or understood the verdict."
If cricket had been like politics, Markram probably would not have accepted the seven-run defeat. But the fun is in accepting defeat and the South African captain won hearts.
Moving from the cricket field to Parliament, the scenes from the inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha do not look encouraging. Dissent is always healthy as long as it is accompanied by a concrete alternative.
Does the opposition have concrete plans to solve the problems for which it attacks the government?
The country has enough problems and people want quick solutions. The opposition would certainly increase its influence if it circumvented the ruling party with concrete solutions.
Mocking someone's victory is not a healthy tendency and certainly does not happen at the best parliamentary conventions.
A win is a win and winner takes all. Rohit Sharma's team achieved this by snatching victory from the jaws of death. Just when it looked like the team was certain to lose, something unexpected happened in the last four overs of the final match. South Africa crumbled and India won a dream victory.
However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the dream race was not for the INDIA block. He did not give the opposition alliance enough numbers to govern. The Congress, after years of decline, saw its vote share rise from 19.5 per cent in 2019 to 21.2 per cent this time, giving it a boost and new hope.
The BJP also failed in its dream of winning more than 400 seats. Its vote share fell marginally from 37.3 percent in 2019 to 36.6 percent in 2024.
But he got enough numbers and along with the NDA he managed to continue at the Centre.
The opposition has asked the prime minister to "understand the verdict" and this also requires similar introspection.
No matter what the opposition says, Prime Minister Modi is in charge and the NDA is in a good position for now. Hence, confidence in the mandate for the third term is quite evident. But you can't ignore the challenges, whether within the alliance or in governance. He has his hands full.
The government began its new term with several problems that emerged within a fortnight of its formation, such as irregularities in the NEET exams, terrorist incidents in J&K, a train accident, etc.
While political parties are busy in a fight to outdo each other, Team India is moving towards another tournament. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from the T20I format after winning the World Cup and have created space for new talent to fill.
If politicians could emulate the spirit of sportsmanship, Parliament would be the perfect place to debate, something that people have been longing for for several decades.
