The very modestly clad Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil surprised everyone recently when she commented that purdah (veil) system began in India during Mughal rule to “save women from Mughal invaders”. She has not yet tendered any clarification for her factually and politically incorrect comments even as historians were quick to point out that women were covering themselves much before the advent of Islam. The veil has become a hot celebrity of sorts amongst issues and anyone ready to flirt with it commands instant headlines. Be as it may let us now take a break and come to cricket.
Experts say that the best batsmen are those who play fast bowling well. Notable examples being Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. Gavaskar’s batting record against West Indies fast bowling is legendary and the 15000 ODI runs and 35 centuries strong Tendulkar is still very fast bowlers’ worst nightmare. Both the Maharashtrian little Masters hail from Mumbai and captained their teams apart from opening the innings. They have a lot of similarities. But what about their differences? Statistics apart, the one difference that I wish to highlight is their headgear. Gavaskar never ever wore a helmet. Tendulkar does. Does that make Gavaskar a better batsman? Not necessarily. So why does Tendulkar wear a helmet? Is he not confident of playing the likes of Lee and McGrath? The whole issue is that of perception. Tendulkar feels safe in a helmet. He is comfortable, tension-free and can concentrate on playing his natural game. Gavaskar was confident without a helmet and stroked the ball all ends of the ground to the detriment of fast bowlers.
Now come to the hijabis (Muslim women who cover up and dress modestly). There are some who apart from the outer garment also do niqab or cover the face. There are some who do hijab but not niqab. It is true that some Muslim scholars say that the niqab (covering of the face) is not compulsory. It is also undeniable that those who do not observe niqab derive their proof of practice from the Qur’an and Sunnah. The proponents of the niqab argue besides asserting through divine text that the face being the index of one’s personality, it is highly recommended to protect it from evil glances. It acts like a shield against unwanted attention. The non-niqabi (one who does not cover her face) Muslimah is comfortable without it and is confident of not carrying it on. It’s all about perception and comfort-zone. The idea is to be modest and follow the commandments of divine text just as it is imperative to score with or without helmet.
Gavaskar and Tendulkar are both world-class.
Both are World Class
The very modestly clad Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil surprised everyone recently when she commented that purdah (veil) system began in India during Mughal rule to “save women from Mughal invaders”.
