The Hardik Pandya backlash - where's the line?

As soon as it was announced that Hardik Pandya's first assignment as Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper will be the trip to Ahmedabad to face his former team Gujarat Titans (GT), many had anticipated the hostile reception that the all-rounder eventually got.

It all began right from the toss where Hardik was greeted with boos from the same crowd who hailed him when he took the Titans to the IPL 2022 title. His fortress for the past two years had suddenly become his cauldron of fire, unapologetic and ready to feast on any mistake.

Hardik Pandya did come close to his moment of redemption when for a few minutes, the reverberating boos were silenced. A flat-batted six over long off followed by a boundary that was caressed through the covers brought Hardik into a situation he would have dreamed of after being booed all evening.

The still where Hardik looked on with full determination but almost no facial emotions were enough to send shivers down the spine of the opposition. However, the hopes of a fairytale finish were dashed when the MI captain hit a short delivery straight into the hands of long on.

The look of 'what could have been' was visible on Hardik Pandya's face as he made his long walk back to the pavilion. However, the scenes when Hardik entered the tunnel towards the dressing room and the slurs he heard make one wonder 'Where's the line? After what point should this have to stop?'

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Most aren't even aware of the real meaning of derogatory words used for Hardik Pandya

Speaking to the host broadcaster after the game, Hardik Pandya opened up on the atmosphere of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and how he enjoyed it when he played for the Titans. He seemed to take a few short pauses while explaining what he felt about the crowd and how they witnessed a good game despite his team losing.

The short pauses might have been an indication of Hardik being very careful with what he wanted to say. While cricketers these days have enough training to not show their negative emotions on the field, one ought to feel that maybe a similar dose of awareness is what many fans need in terms of their chants.

Coming back to the incident where Hardik Pandya walked into the tunnel, he was surrounded by chants of 'Chhapri', a derogative and casteist connotation. The word was a term used for the people of a particular caste who were made to mend the temporary roofs, also known as 'Chhappars'.

Unfortunately, as time has passed, the same word has been used as a slang for those who seem to have a bullish personality and who aren't bothered about what people would feel when they express themselves.

It wasn't limited just to the stadium as the word was trending on social media as well, with fans of both teams having their reasons to have a go at Hardik Pandya. On getting to know the real meaning of the word, some fans may understand that they are perhaps crossing the line and that's the main motive of this article.

However, many fans may even double down and claim that their idea was never to pass a derogatory comment. They could easily play the victim card and claim that it was just a sense of frustration from a hurt loyal fan.

The MI fan would say it is the hurt that has been caused due to the way Rohit Sharma was removed from captaincy, while the GT fans would say it is the reaction to their former captain, who left their franchise and left them high and dry.

However, neither of the narratives should be used as a justification for passing casteist comments and remarks on someone's appearance. There's a desperate need for fans to be educated about what's understandable and what's completely unacceptable.

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Where's exactly the hate coming from?

Another narrative that has come across is that 'Hardik Pandya exactly knew what he was signing in for when he joined Mumbai Indians.' Even the most optimistic and practical MI fan, who tried to understand the rationale behind Mumbai opting for the transition from Rohit to Hardik, must have had a mixed bag of emotions during the pre-season press conference.

As journalists intended to ask questions to Hardik and coach Mark Boucher about the reasoning behind the captaincy change and whether there was a captaincy clause in the contract, they were promptly stopped by the presenter. While this added further fuel to the aforementioned narrative, it cannot be used as a justification for the hate Hardik is receiving.

The hateful trends on social media seem to be generated from accounts looking for engagement, especially those who have been putting edits of Hardik asking Rohit to go to different fielding positions. There have also been viral clips of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik, and Rohit discussing something, but some pages probably have been giving a different context to what it actually would have been.

The videos of fans in the metro using derogatory slurs for Hardik Pandya on their way back from the game have also gone viral. This is another example of the hate that has spiralled out of control.

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With cricket being such an emotionally driven sport in India, the basic nature of dissent from fans is understandable. It is understandable if MI fans feel that a bonafide legend of their franchise has not been given the farewell he deserved. They have the right to keep questioning the owners and the management for not giving enough clarity on the transition.

However, does it warrant the hate that Hardik Pandya has been getting? Some may even say his comments last year on MI buying star players to win have backfired on him. But that doesn't change the fact that there's always a way to show dissent.

Franchise cricket has brought the fan culture in cricket pretty close to what it is in club football, with crowds booing the players even if he/she is of the same nationality as them. However, while booing is a part of the sport, the line gets crossed with the use of harmful slurs.

In just over two months, the same Hardik Pandya would don another shade of blue, and many who have been peddling hate will want him to get India over the line. It's about time their inner conscience shows them the mirror and give a reality check of what's right and what's not. Irrespective of which side of the fence they are on - GT or MI or even a neutral for that matter - there is simply no room for casteist abuse.