Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - What a man!!
For millions of men like me who are in their late twenties, Sachin is the Supreme Human... We grew up as he grew in stature. He is everything we want to be. He is also many things we can only long to be. He is someone we grew up viewing, exasperating, idolising. He has made us laugh, he has made us weep. He kindled the purest of pure emotions in us.
He gave us pride. He gave us success. He defied paradigms. He questioned norms. He innovated intelligently. He blazed a trail. He gave us belief. He never let go. He was the first symbol of the New India that believes that impossible is just another word in the dictionary.
This post is a dedication to Sachin Tendulkar for completing 20 years in international cricket.
20 years! 20 long years of relentless pursuit of perfection, of dedication and commitment, of honesty and modesty, of determination and achievement, of pure joy and belonging. 20 years of not giving up on dreams and not giving in to obstacles. 20 years of pride and glory. All these and more maketh Sachin the man.
Even people who hate cricket cannot hate this cricketer. Cross your heart and tell me, would you really complain if your son becomes an honest, straight forward, dedicated, fun loving, decent, determined, God-fearing, family-loving, friendly, modest and humble Super-Hero like Sachin.
That’s why he is not just revered as a Hero, but is also treasured as another son to many parents, another friend to many men. He is one in our family, every family in India. And he realises this and the responsibilities of such expectations and belonging. Hence he has lived an exemplary life so far. His poise can only be described as preternatural.
I am a very proud man. But I feel no shame in admitting that I can never be like him.
He is Bharat Ratna in every sense of the word. And if the honour is not conferred upon him sooner rather than later, then it would not deserve him. Why has no sportsperson ever been deemed fit enough to be even considered for the award. What have people like M.G.R, Indira , Rajiv Gandhi, Satyajit Ray and Lata Mangeshkar achieved that people like Vish Anand and Tendulkar have not? Why has the award of late become the prerogative of only musicians? If a polygamous NRI Sitar player can be considered a Bharat Ratna, then why not OUR Sachin?
Tendulkar is a messiah who is showing us through his life that the so called old world, non-glamorous qualities like honesty, dedication, due diligence, hard work, etc can give you success. He is also showing us how to keep one's head held high and feet on the ground. He is showing us how to respect the fact that however significant we may be there is someone more significant above.
His work is about perfection and his life is a lesson.
Sachin Tendulkar, we are indeed privileged to live in your era!
