Well, I guess I (as well as other members) have a right to feel aggrieved if some members of the forum (and by extension, a larger mass of people) are targetted without any rhyme or reason, and if certain racial/nationalist slurs continue to be bandied about in the name of banter. As i have said umpteen times before, I have no objection to criticism but now I feel that mine is a lone voice in the wilderness. At the risk of sounding professorial, I only hope that good sense prevails... But the saga has not stopped because of this...nor will it stop...it can only be delayed....the reason for the delay is my sheer laziness....to compensate for it, one more post tonight
Meaning the discussions that took place in the Fight Club yesterday and how I felt that some of it (even in banter) was not acceptable...don't worry, people for whom it is meant will have no problems in following what I was trying to say
‘Of course. We are not thinking of anyone other than Sukhen
Kar. But Nirmalya and his group want Hemanta Ganguly. Someone who has got no
coaching degree or diploma will coach a club like Sarathi!’ Abhay Kundu exclaimed.
Samiran
remembered that Subodh Dhara had also used the same logic to oppose Ajay
Talukder’s appointment as Jatri’s
coach. The same mentality prevailed at the two clubs. Such devotion towards degree
degree-diploma, such earnestness for modern football, yet they could not help
running the club without incurring debts to the tune of lakhs of rupees.
‘Should
someone who fails in the Higher Secondary examination get a chance to study at
Oxford University? If he does, one has to realize that he has got this
opportunity through backing, illegally. I have no allergy to Hemanta. But we
have to think about the interest of Sarathi
also. You had not set eyes on the Maidan when he used to play for Jatri. He had then scored two goals
against Sarathi in a match. I still
remember the obscene gestures he made at our member gallery even after these
fifteen-sixteen years. People know him as a Jatri
player, Sarathi’s members would never
accept him.’
‘Members
want trophies. If the coach can get them trophies, no one would bother about
whose son or grandson he was,’ Samiran said, suppressing his irritation.
It was
the turn of Pulakeshbabu now to take
to the field. Speaking in hushed tones, as if he was leaking some highly
classified information, he said, ‘When Hemanta won the Santosh trophy as Bengal
coach in Madras, it was through dishonest means. The present AIFF secretary
Padmanavan is from Madras. He has already said that Bengal has to pay for this.
If we make Hemanta Sarathi’s coach, do you think Padmanavan would be too
pleased with us?’
‘Will
he give no-objection to Karnail, Albu and Vinu’s clearance?’ Abhay Kundu added.
Bata
Biswas returned to the room. The other two looked at him with questioning eyes.
Glancing briefly at Samiran, he said, ‘ No, nothing much. He has some problem
in staying there…wants to come to Kolkata. Oh yes, Samiran, I know what Ghunu
has offered you, I know the amount of money, but Sarathi won’t be able to give you so much money.’ Taking out the
letter from the bank and keeping it in his hand, he said, ‘We will give you
twenty thousand more than last time.’
‘That
means a full one and a half lakhs,’ Abhay Kundu echoed his master.
Samiran
was then staring at the floor. All that was running through his mind was the
phone from Chandannagar. It was Vinu John who had called. Subodh Dhara was not
one to talk nonsense. He was the one who had kept Vinu there at his friend’s
house.
‘When
do you have to return to the camp?’ Bata Biswas asked him.
Comments
But the saga has not stopped because of this...nor will it stop...it can only be delayed....the reason for the delay is my sheer laziness....to compensate for it, one more post tonight
‘Of course. We are not thinking of anyone other than Sukhen Kar. But Nirmalya and his group want Hemanta Ganguly. Someone who has got no coaching degree or diploma will coach a club like Sarathi!’ Abhay Kundu exclaimed.
Samiran remembered that Subodh Dhara had also used the same logic to oppose Ajay Talukder’s appointment as Jatri’s coach. The same mentality prevailed at the two clubs. Such devotion towards degree degree-diploma, such earnestness for modern football, yet they could not help running the club without incurring debts to the tune of lakhs of rupees.
‘Should someone who fails in the Higher Secondary examination get a chance to study at Oxford University? If he does, one has to realize that he has got this opportunity through backing, illegally. I have no allergy to Hemanta. But we have to think about the interest of Sarathi also. You had not set eyes on the Maidan when he used to play for Jatri. He had then scored two goals against Sarathi in a match. I still remember the obscene gestures he made at our member gallery even after these fifteen-sixteen years. People know him as a Jatri player, Sarathi’s members would never accept him.’
‘Members want trophies. If the coach can get them trophies, no one would bother about whose son or grandson he was,’ Samiran said, suppressing his irritation.
It was the turn of Pulakeshbabu now to take to the field. Speaking in hushed tones, as if he was leaking some highly classified information, he said, ‘When Hemanta won the Santosh trophy as Bengal coach in Madras, it was through dishonest means. The present AIFF secretary Padmanavan is from Madras. He has already said that Bengal has to pay for this. If we make Hemanta Sarathi’s coach, do you think Padmanavan would be too pleased with us?’
‘Will he give no-objection to Karnail, Albu and Vinu’s clearance?’ Abhay Kundu added.
Bata Biswas returned to the room. The other two looked at him with questioning eyes. Glancing briefly at Samiran, he said, ‘ No, nothing much. He has some problem in staying there…wants to come to Kolkata. Oh yes, Samiran, I know what Ghunu has offered you, I know the amount of money, but Sarathi won’t be able to give you so much money.’ Taking out the letter from the bank and keeping it in his hand, he said, ‘We will give you twenty thousand more than last time.’
‘That means a full one and a half lakhs,’ Abhay Kundu echoed his master.
Samiran was then staring at the floor. All that was running through his mind was the phone from Chandannagar. It was Vinu John who had called. Subodh Dhara was not one to talk nonsense. He was the one who had kept Vinu there at his friend’s house.
‘When do you have to return to the camp?’ Bata Biswas asked him.
‘I have to return to Kozhikode by the 22nd.’