“This is history” blared one major TV channel. Little wonder that thousands upon thousands thronged for the function to celebrate the team’s return in a stadium and later in a public parade through the streets of Mumbai. Little wonder that even after BCCI President Sharad Pawar pledged over 3 million US dollars as reward for the cricket players, chief ministers of various states vied with each other to pledge monetary rewards for the victorious cricketers. Little wonder that Sonia Gandhi invited the cricket team to meet her. Honouring the boys is honouring the nation. This makes the nation happy. This should make Sharad Pawar happy.
However, just one day earlier, on September 25th, there was a public meeting in Ambala, Haryana. Those who addressed the meeting included Om Prakash Chautala, Prakash Singh Badal, Mulayam Singh, Chandrababu Naidu, Madan Lal Khurana and peasant leader Mahindra Singh Tikait. Farooq Abdullah who arrived for the meeting could not reach the venue in time for him to catch an international flight later. So he left midway to the venue.