Lankan reactions to IPL ban: Rotten eggs, cynicism and anger

The decision to not allow Sri Lankan players to participate in IPL matches played in Chennai has led to a huge debate in India, with some saying that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is justified in demanding that no Sri Lankans will be tolerated in Tamil Nadu, while many others have slammed her stance. Eight of the nine IPL teams are fielding Sri Lankan players, including (ironically) the Chennai Super Kings - with thirteen Lankans participating in the tournament. ( For a full list click here ) In Sri Lanka, the decision has been met with anger and indignation, with many prominent personalities and newspapers asking the Lankan players to pull out of the tournament in the interest of national dignity. Former national captain Arjuna Ranatunga slammed the Sri Lanka Cricket board for allowing the cricketers to participate, saying that doing so only served to validate allegations of human rights abuses leveled at the country, and his view has been echoed by many other prominent personalities and media organisations. [caption id=“attachment_682708” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Malinga will not be able to play in Chennai. AFP[/caption] An editorial in Lankan national newspaper The Daily Mirror, read as follows: “Our cricketers must, as correctly suggested by Arjuna Ranatunga MP [with whose politics I do not agree], boycott the IPL which appears determined to treat our cricketers as second class players. Such a boycott will doubtless cause a tremendous financial loss to such cricketers. However, they must always bear in mind the fact that it was our country that gave them the opportunity of gaining such financial rewards, that they are already being very highly remunerated by our country, but for which and the opportunities given by which, they, or most of them would have been eking out a living in some small and insignificant jobs” Veteran Sinhala cricket commentator Palitha Perera was quoted in the Sinhala national daily Silumina as saying that the Sri Lankan cricket board should write to the BCCI and pull out Lankan players from the tournament, adding that such a move would be a blessing in disguise for cricket in the country. And extremist group Bodu Bala Sena which has been at the forefront of growing anti-Muslim sentiment in Sri Lanka has warned the Sri Lankan players that if they betrayed the nation that loved them so much for mere financial gain, they would be pelted with rotten eggs at the Katunayaka international airport. Ironically the threats were made by a member of the Buddhist clergy. (For those of you who understand Sinhala the video is here) Reactions on the ground have been less extreme, but there has definitely been a sense of hurt and anger, with many asking how this obvious political posturing will help the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils. “Frankly I don’t think not playing in IPL in Chennai will affect anyone else but the SL players pockets and team strategy of the IPL teams. Most of our players have decided to play the rest of IPL (except Chennai) so it really doesn’t say much. Most importantly, if Jayalalithaa is in fact doing this to exert pressure on the GoSL, it won’t and hasn’t proved to be very effective, thus defeating the point in my opinion. All it’ll do is make things tougher for the Tamils in SL. The IC and Diaspora groups really need to take a closer look at their strategies and align them to Tamil aspirations in Sri Lanka,” said Marisa de Silva, who works as a journalist in Colombo. Aftab Aziz, a Sri Lankan national who works in Singapore is of the opinion that that politics and sports should not be mixed. “I don’t think Chennai saying Sri Lankans are not welcome because their safety cannot be guaranteed is any different to Pakistan saying cricketers are not welcome because their safety cannot be guaranteed. It’s worse in the case of India because their issue is not created by terrorism, but state sponsored hooliganism. Politics should not have an impact on sport. This is enshrined in the spirit of the Olympics. Don’t see why cricket needs to be any different,” he said. This view was echoed by Shalindri Perera, a Sri Lankan tour executive. “I don’t agree that cricket players should suffer because of an issue between two governments. India says that Sri Lanka had gross human rights violations.. are they afraid that their people cannot control themselves from doing the same?,” she asked.