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| Cricketer S. Sreesanth |
How fast do turn the wheels of
fortune? Cricketer S Sreesanth, who occupied a hallowed place in pace bowling
only a week ago has now fallen in the gutter out which there seems to be little
hope for an easy way out. In this case, however, it is Sreesanth himself who has
chosen the fast lane to the dustbin of history. Not content with the match-fee
which itself is many times more than the annual incomes of most of us, he chose
to connive with the underworld dons who operate a parallel world in which
gambling is elevated to the status of a high art. No wonder young cricketers
fall victims to the allure of money and women offered aplenty to those who are
willing to forego integrity.
India is a nation made notorious
for its multiplicity of frivolous rules and laws which seem to control and
administer all aspects of human lives. There are several regulations enacted
without the slightest concern of ever implementing them. Then there are moral
laws put forward by a government which purports to control the personal lives
of its citizens. Betting in sports is a legal activity in most civilized
countries, but not so in India. Chicken-headed bureaucrats and politicians have
found it to be unethical! Don’t ever ask them what is ethics, please!
Consequently, this activity is neatly taken over by the underworld and makes
billions out of it. Since the industry is not regulated in a healthy way,
nothing holds the hands of the gangsters who seek instant favours with players
in the form of spot-fixing.
Why do we delay legalization of
betting in sports? What harm can it possibly do? People with surplus cash –
which means most of the middle class, though they may not admit to it – would
happily indulge in some legal gambling, which is effectively regulated and
taxed. In deed, this may prove to be a legitimate way of declaring one’s
unaccounted money for which there is no way at present. If you are holding a
lot of black money, you can declare that it was made in betting, pay income tax
for it and have a peaceful sleep. The country stands to gain a lot of money in
taxes for the gains from genuine betting too. So, come politicians, let’s make
it legal. At least, it is not so immoral as prostitution which enjoys a
quasi-legal status in most of the Indian cities.
So, let that be the lesson we
learn from the sad demise of poor Sreesanth’s career.
