Over the past week, Tamil Nadu has been witnessing massive
protests over the Centre's alleged failure to form the Cauvery Management
Board. On Thursday, thousands of workers from opposition parties storm Kamaraj
Salai, which faces Chennai's Marina Beach to make their annoyance with the
AIADMK and the BJP clear.
But just minutes away from the agitation, at the MA
Chidambaram stadium preparations have been underway in full rock for the first equal
of the Chennai Super Kings on home ground. With even practice sessions of the
team witness a full house, the ticket prices have been notched up to a minimum
of Rs 1300 for the upcoming games. While the suspended team will come back to
the IPL with its first match adjacent to the Mumbai Indians on Saturday, CSK’s
first home game will be against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 10.
But just days ahead of this exceedingly anticipated event,
opposition parties and farmer groups in Tami Nadu have united to demand that
all IPL matches in Chennai be cancelled.
The clarion call against the group had so far emerged from
smaller political parties such as Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, Tamizhaga
Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), Viduthalai Thamizh Puligal Katchi, Thamizhar Vidiyal
Katchi and Social Democratic Party of India.
But on Friday, DMK working President MK Stalin and Amma
Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran sanctioned the idea of boycotting
the IPL as well.
Talking to the media, after the all-party meeting, Stalin
diplomatically said, "As far as we are concerned, we are not saying it
shouldn't happen. Those who are conduct it should realise the feelings of the
people."
TTV Dhinakaran, meanwhile, did not hash words. In a tweet
addressing the people of Tamil Nadu, he said, "Till the voice of farmers
in the formation of the Cauvery Management Board gets stronger, I ask fans to
boycott IPL matches."
TVK too had to be had a similar narrative. Its leader
Panruti T Velmurugan said, “In order to condemn the Centre which shows no
regard for the livelihood and the identity of the Tamils, we request that IPL
should not take situate here – at a time when Tamilians are bursting with
anger. If the BCCI conducts the IPL here, and the Tamil Nadu government and the
Tamil Nadu police support it, then all those who eat the food produced by
farmers will buy tickets and go inside the stadium and protest in a democratic
way. Tamil Nadu government, BCCI and the IPL management be supposed to not push
us to that level. If all our notifications on this matter are ignored, we are
ready to come to the streets (to protest).”
Organisers, however, claim that cricket has once again
become a punching bag in a political fight.
"What does IPL have to do with the Cauvery issue?"
asks IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla. "We also feel like the Cauvery dispute to
be sorted out but why damage IPL for that? This is not a government event, it
is conducted by the BCCI. It can't become a punching bag each time a problem
arises," he adds.
When TNM contacted planter association over this proposed
boycott, they expressed their support and questioned the need for celebration after
the 'state is in mourning'.
"This boycott is being call for in order to make it
clear to the Centre that Tamil Nadu is in mourning," says PK
Deivasigamani, TN Farmers Association.
But how is the Centre in anyway connected to the Indian
Premier confederation which is conducted by the BCCI?
"We agree that it is not coupled but this is more of a
symbolic gesture to show that Tamil Nadu is focussed on the Cauvery issue and
has no time for entertainment," says the farmer leader. "When farmers
are suffering without water, how can populace want to go watch these
matches?" he asks.
And what if the match, which have already been scheduled are
conducted?
"We will go there and create problems. What will they
do if 500 people run into the ground? There will definitely be uproar," he
warns.
Political analyst RK Radhakrishnan says it is only natural
for political parties to stipulate that the state not allow the competition to
be conducted.
"In 2009, the IPL was shift out of India due to
security concerns as it clashed with the general election. The same argument
holds now, as protests are erupting everyday over the Cauvery issue. Deployment
of police will be a matter of concern," says the analyst. "While it
may seem like parties are attempting to politicise the matter, the reality is
that the state is not in the bad temper for this kind of celebration when
farmers are going to put up with this summer," he adds.
But can the matches be stopped now?
"No, the planning is done and not to a great extent can
be done now. That is unless, there is some incidence of violence," he
explains.
Political tensions in India often spill on to its cricket
pitches. This was witnessed when matches between Sri Lanka and India or
Pakistan and India were cancelled. Radhakrishnan, on the other hand, denies
that this demand falls under the same bracket.
An example that do fall within the same arena is from
Maharashtra in 2016. Following a water crisis in Latur, protests from the populace
of the state led to some match being shifted out from Maharashtra.
