Kolkata, a city known far and wide for its sports lovers who have a record of going berserk when things do not live up to its expectations saw access taking precedence. when Lionel Messi briefly and chaotically appeared at Yuba Bharati stadium in Salt Lake recently. It was indeed a revealing moment of how not to showcase global icons.
There have been several arrests after the show ended in pandemonium. These include
the principal organiser Shatadru Dutta and some of the fans who had coughed up tidy sums
to have more than a glimpse of Messi.
The anger of the crowd is understandable. Many of them were denied even a fleeting peek of the star footballer who has been dubbed Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T).
The anger of the crowd at Salt Lake stadium deserves to be understood and not dismissed. After all, Kolkata is no casual football city.
The “beautiful game” as Pele described football has played it’s part in the freedom movement at a match in the city in1911. It was in this city where eleven barefooted Bengalis defeated burly Englidhmen of an army regiment to lift the IFA trophy for the first time by an Indian side.
Naturally the relationship between the city and football goes beyond marketting campaigns or fan zones. That is why the crowd whose mindset has been shaped by generations of club loyalty and packed derby days felt misled.
Having paid through their noses to get a sight of Messi the least the crowds expected a short exhibition of his skills with the football. Even a raised arms welcome from the man who has captured the imagination of football lovers all over the world would have satisfied the sports lovers.
A clear view of the football icon was obstructed by barricades of power. The message the crowd was conveyed stated that the event was meant for optics and not fans.
The. crowd’s expectation collapsed. Frustration followed swiftly and in some cases devastatingly.
Unruly crowd behaviour is not unheard of in Kolkata if the 1967 India -West Indies test match at Eden Gardens and football derby in 1980 are anything to go by. Administrative ineptitude is certainly a crucial factor in these episodes of shame then and now.
Yet Messi had little to do with the latest fiasco. Like all global stars he operates within a strict security and commercial framework. It was squarely a failure of the management and the state government cannot wash off its share of blame.
,The chief minister, Mamata Banerjee’s apology and the enquiry started thereafter are necessary steps. But the tendency to envelop international celebrities with political visibility and VIP access lies at the heart of the matter.
In the process the people who give these moments a meaning were sidelined. Kolkata’s image has been
dented.
It all started when the ceremony of unveiling a giant statue of Messi shifted to a virtual format for security reasons. Yet the crowd was directed to a physical venue.
Transparency was absent. Expectation rose and when it was not met chaos descended in the void.
Global icons will come to Kolkata again. Let those be joyous occasions.
All efforts should be made not to .make such future programmes hyped-up events. The star is not to be ring-fenced with the high and mighty read ministers and celebrities.
.Their welcome is not to be obscured with lomp. The powered that be have to keep in mind for whom the event is truly for.
