It is just a day away and Sourav Ganguly is going to play his Last Test Match for his country. In India, it is just natural for the celebrities to step into the world of politics as they retire from their core career. Though Sourav himself brushes aside any such possibility, his unmistakable support for Bengal chief minister and the stance of his government definitely gives an inkling of his political orientation. But Sourav insists that rather than joining active politics, he would like to promote Bengal when he stops playing cricket.
As a cricketer, Sourav never shied away from showing his passion for cricket. But the fact is, he becomes passionately involved with everything close to his heart. And the well being of Bengal is just one of them. When Bengal was shaking with Nano controversy, Sourav dared to give a piece of his mind to the world by appealing that Nano project continues in Bengal. But Dada makes it clear that it should not be viewed as a political stance. It is just the concern for his home state and its future. In his concern for the state, he is no different from an ordinary father who doesn’t want his child to leave home in search of jobs in a foreign land.
The world of International Cricket is awestruck when Sourav is at work. And Sourav himself is a blind fan of Bengal’s chief minister---who once got off from his convoy in the middle of the road to greet this cricket maestro. Sourav makes it clear that he is ready to do anything for ‘Buddhababu’ and the cause of Bengal. “I am a phone call away” Sourav says in his admiration for the Bengal chief minister.
He rules out any possibility of contesting as a CPM supported independent candidate in the next Loksabha election, he even says that he is ignorant about the specific qualifications required of a Rajyasabha member, so no question of accepting a nomination for a Rajyasabha seat, but he does not altogether rules out a role in politics in remote future. But he makes it clear that when he stops donning the Indian jersey after this upcoming Cricket Test, he is definitely going to devote his time for acting as a brand ambassador for Bengal to promote the state. An education project is on the card too. A responsible dad after all, he doesn’t want to see the days when his daughter grows up, and fails to land with a job even after receiving a good education.
Special thanks to The Telegraph, Calcutta.
