No Sir Sachin please, we are Indians

HONOUR AMONG EQUALS: Bharat Ratna or knighthood, experts say the honour is a reciprocity between equals.

        

Other stories in the section:

Man hit by car in Noida, left to die on road

Lal Mohan was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

• Hike in parking charges may add to commuting woes

Featured Blog

Abhishek Patni

MAULANA MULAYAM AND PERILS OF NUCLEAR DEAL

Featured Slideshows

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is on his first visit to India, has promised many Indo-British tie-ups but the one recommendation that has generated the maximum interest is that Sachin Tendulkar be considered for traditional British honours like the knighthood.

Comparing Tendulkar to the legendary Sir Don Bradman, Brown on Monday made a “strong case” for bestowing knighthood on the master blaster.

Noting that cricket is one of the great things that bind the Commonwealth together, he said there was a time when top cricketers from the countries in the grouping would be recognised by the British people through its honoured system.

However, many feel that Tendulkar does not need this honour. Is this a matter of pride for the Indians or merely a colonial hangover? That was the topic of debate on CNN-IBN show Face the Nation.

On the panel of experts to debate the issue were senior journalist Swapan Dasgupta, historian Ramachandra Guha and author and former BBC correspondent Sam Miller.

Indian English – an accident of history

Guha began the debate by saying that Britain has got over its imperial hangover, however some Indians still suffer from a colonial hangover.

Agreeing with the historian, Dasgupta said, “Yes, there is a greater nostalgia for the colonial experience in India than there is in Britain. They have repudiated their past so completely that they have reinvented themselves.”

Towing a similar strain of thought, Miller too said that India has by and large gotten over its colonial hangover. “This is true especially when I compare the nation to when I first came to India 15-20 years ago,” he said.

So, will it make a difference if Tendulkar becomes Sir Sachin?

To which Guha said, “Well Mark Tully is Sir Mark Tully and we even gave him a Padma Shri in recognition of his services to literature and journalism in this country. So it’s a relationship of reciprocity between equals. Sarvepalli Radhakrishna was both a Bharat Ratna and a member of the Order of Merit. So, it’s absolutely fine. Two friendly nations recognising the greatness of the other.”

However, Dasgupta said a lot of people feel that Tendulkar won’t be able to call himself Sir Sachin. “I think it’s more to do with the special status that comes with the title rather than any other honour. It’s the prefix which is unique. Whether Indians agree with it or not, in the heart of hearts all Indians love to have it.”