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There are two features in particular that are associated with the persona of Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja - his energetic fielding, and his sword-swishing celebration with the bat.
The celebration in fact has become synonymous with Jadeja's style of batting. And when the swishing of the bat is on display, thousands of fans stand up and join in the revelry.
But when Ravindra Jadeja puts up those marvelous knocks which elicit the swish, does his 'Rajput caste' play on the minds of the fans? No, because caste plays no role during a cricket match.
Earlier this week, on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanthi, Jadeja put up a post on social media of him doing some actual sword-play, with a real sword. Was that reason enough for a section of Twitterati to criticize the post, and that too on caste-based lines? Did he really commit such a cardinal sin by using the hashtag #RajputBoy?
Ravindra Jadeja's One celebration, one Twitter post, thousands of angry 'fans'
For those who are scratching your heads and wondering what all this drama is about, we've got you covered.
On 12 April, two days before the lockdown period in India was originally scheduled to come to a close, Jadeja posted a video of his famous sword swish - with the Baahubali song playing in the background.
The video was appreciated by big cricketing names like David Warner, Nasser Hussain and his Saurashtra teammate Jaydev Unadkar among others. But there were some brickbats in store too, as several Indians went at Jadeja's throat and tried to put his act to shame.
For a few specific fans, the timing of this video was an issue. They believed the act did not come out as a celebration, but instead as a way to 'boast' about his Rajput origins. They claimed that he was 'bringing up his caste' when there was no need to.
Here are some of the tweets that lambasted the cricketer for his post:
But why wasn't the issue of him 'bringing up his caste' making the headlines when he did the bat swish after scoring an important half-century against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup? Do we criticize our heroes only when it is convenient to do so?
Strike 1 against angry fans.
Ravindra Jadeja might sometimes go overboard, but it is criminal to 'assume' his intentions
The ones who are sharpening their knives against Jadeja might also bring Virat Kohli's comments into the equation. Kohli is the Indian captain and his word is treated with utmost respect in the country, so the things he says tend to stick in the memory.
Back in 2014, Kohli appeared on the Kapil Sharma TV show and spoke about how Jadeja 'boasts' about his life back at home.
However, this wasn't a shot at his boasting of the 'Rajput' caste. Kohli only spoke about how Jadeja weaved tales of buildings coming closer and shifting positions with every passing day, which were obviously 'castle in the air' stories.
In addition, pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar appeared on the Breakfast with Champions show in 2018 where he shed light on how Jadeja is a fantastic prankster and a 'pro-liar'.
[Bhuvi's claim can be seen in the video below from 13:33 to 14:40]
Anyone with an objective bent of mind will tell you that lying and boasting about caste are two different things altogether. From these interviews it is pretty clear that Kohli and Bhuvneshwar were referring to Jadeja's ability to twist stories, and weren't talking about his caste at all.
Moreover, 'Rajput' is as much a mark of cultural heritage as it is about caste. Indians love extolling their culture and traditions; you often see Bengalis talking about their artistic heritage, Punjabis about their culinary richness, and Maharashtrians about their Shivaji-inspired ideals.
So what's wrong if Jadeja does so too? Are we so obsessed with being PC that we are going to crucify anyone who talks about their culture?
Strike 2 against angry fans.
Divided by castes, united by 'India, India!'
To be perfectly frank, Jadeja is a lot more than just his celebrations or his Rajput boasts. He is a cricketer par excellence, and his value to the Indian team cannot be denied.
Sure, Jadeja's individual contributions may not have single-handedly taken Indian cricket to the top of the rankings. But he has managed to make telling contributions in all departments, and done his bit for the larger cause.
In his own way, Jadeja has brought together millions of fans who cheer for him at the ground, both while wearing blue and while donning the yellow jersey of the Chennai Super Kings.
When you stand with the 14 other members of the Indian team who come from different backgrounds, creeds and religions, the issue of 'caste' or 'culture' takes a backseat. Thousands of passionate fans join Jadeja in reciting the national anthem before every match, even if they don't know what caste he belongs to.
There's no separating a Rajput, a Hindu, a Sikh or anyone else on the cricket field. It's one chant - 'India, India'.
Strike 3 against angry fans. You're OUT.
The bottom line is that the harmless video of Ravindra Jadeja trying to impress his fans with his famous sword-play was blown way out of proportion.
Every person is entitled to their opinion. But to drag a respected Indian cricketer into the muddled waters of casteism, all because he used the hashtag #RajputBoy, smacks of the worst kind of nit-picking there can be.
Hopefully, when Jadeja next turns out on the field, his detractors will realize that he's only out there trying to play some cricket and showcase his skill. Everything else is secondary - including his caste, his culture, or whatever you want to call his Rajput origins.
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