Cricket cannot override national interests

Cricket cannot override national interests
Home Minister P Chidambaram is right in saying that polls are more important than IPL and that the organisers, as patriotic Indians, should take the right call.

India, being a strong democratic and secular country with a population of more than 120 crore, needs to give first priority to the parliamentary election which is the nation’s “lifeline”. Holding the T20 tournament during the election period is likely to cause immeasurable problems for the country particularly when our neighbouring country Pakistan is in a serious crisis and the extremists there are bent upon indulging in terrorist activities. We cannot take the happenings in our neighbouring countries lightly. We have to be extra cautious in terms of security measures being adopted.

Cricket, a game, however popular it may be, cannot be compared to the vital election, which determines our national unity, integrity and sovereignty.