Indian journalists, so used to insult Muslims the way they like because no one bothers to question them and Indian media re too glad pay sumptuous amount to any one who volunteer to slam Islam and insult Muslims, have lost their own balance in determining if they are criticizing Indian Muslims or Muslims from other countries. Now South Africa is playing in India against India and the first match has begun in Chennai on 26 March. In the first innings of the first test match South Africans have batted extremely well, and despite all tricky and indirect efforts, they have made a whopping 540 runs. this has seriously affected the psyche of Indian cricket watchers who thin India is the best team in the world and other countries only trying to damage its position and prestige.
The top scorer of the South African innings-I is Hashim Amla. He is pious soft-spoken cricketer who let his bat speak for him. Hashim Amla hit a fluent 159 as South Africa stayed on course towards a mammoth first innings total on Day 2 of the second Test against India at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Thursday. Amla coasted to his 150 in 248 balls. The right-hander hit 20 boundaries in his 262-ball knock before being run-out, as South Africa went to the tea break on 501 for 6.
One of the Indian commentators , unable to digest South African score and doubly annoyed with the fact a Muslim has score the top number of runs and has hit a magnificent century for his country, has used very dirty language in describing his beard. World should protest against such nefarious writings insulting Muslims who make a name for himself and Islam that has created such gems to shine on behalf of his country and religion. The small-mindedness of this Indian "cricket-lover" could be discerned in the expression used in his write-up: : Hashim Amla, looking as if some hornets had built their hive under his chin, turned out be the bee in India's bonnet as he made use of the lifeless pitch and a listless bowling.
The so-called "democratic and secular" India, as expected, started blaming Chennai wicket, now that umpires cannot be blamed as there is one Indian is present among them. Indian strategists first owed to restrict the rampant South Africans to 375 in their first innings, but they could not, the South African have crossed 500. Now they argue: "Chennai wicket is always like this, good for batsmen in the first two days." First of all, India having lost the toss to the visitors, psychologically collapsed from top order down wards right at the very beginning, signaling bad signs of days ahead. Then the South Africans began scoring well, dismantling the hopes in the minds of the Indian spectators and players alike, apart from confusing the strategists further. India cannot accept the fact that other countries also play well, equally well and even better. India suffers from this superiority complex and there is no medicine for that.
One does not know when and how the Indian media and their promoters would shed their notorious anti-Islamic mind-set and try to become good citizens to be emulated by others, including the unfortunate Muslims. Can Indian government and its constitution do anything service useful to nation in this direction? Media should be so molded first to cater for the needs of national integration of all Indian nations by viewing Muslims are equal citizens practicing their own religion and values.
DR.ABDUL RUFF Colachal