This is a Guest post by our sports correspondent, SAJAN VENNIYOOR: In an unprecedented gesture, the state of Kerala has apologized for what it calls “the darkest chapter in our history”, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
In the face of overwhelming criticism that it did nothing to prevent Sreesanth, the state’s Chief Minister and Governor, in a joint statement, apologized formally for the crime against those bits of humanity that watch cricket, and admitted collective responsibility for Sreesanth. “It is time for us to acknowledge that Kerala civil servants, sports administrators and other Malayalis took part in Sreesanth.”
Kerala State’s mea culpa was echoed by several organizations that played marginal but significant roles in the systematic mass manipulation of millions of innocents now known as Sreesanth. In a three page apology to Sreesanth victims, the President of the Kothamangalam Cricket Club wrote, “We are not to blame for what our former bowlers do, but as long as there are millions who have lived through this dreadful hour, we have a responsibility to ask forgiveness and try to relieve the terrible pain they are in”.
Sreesanth survivor S Kartar Singh, who dropped 800 quid on the Mohali game, welcomed Kerala’s admission of guilt, but said it was “too little, too late,” and demanded reparations.
In a poignant moment in Mohali, MoS for Human Resource Development, Shashi Tharoor spontaneously dropped to his knees in a profound act of apology and repentance. Later, when Tharoor described the moment, he tweeted that felt he had to do something to express the particularity of the dark hour. “On the abyss of Kerala history and carrying the burden of the millions who were diddled, I did what people do when tweets fail them.”
Sreesanth played for Kochi Tuskers in 2011, when Tharoor’s partner Sunanda Pushkar had Rs.70 crores worth of sweat equity riding on the IPL franchise. “I am asking for forgiveness for what Kerala has done, for myself and my generation, for the sake of our children and grandchildren,” said Tharoor.
In a conciliatory gesture to the rest of India, the Kerala Cricket Association offered to set up a spot-fixing memorial either at Wankhede Stadium or at Mohali, ‘lest we forget’.
Members of Sreesanth’s extended family, as well as friends variously named Jiju and Biju, however condemned Kerala’s admission of guilt for Sreesanth. “This is a conspiracy,” said Sreesanth’s brother-in-law, M Balakrishnan, adding that there were extenuating circumstances – Sreesanth is from Kothamangalam – and that while they did not dispute the actuality of Sreesanth, they were concerned with its historical interpretation.
Mr. Balakrishnan also pointed out that, except for the disputed second over of the KXIP match, Sreesanth conceded only a reasonable – for Sreesanth – number of runs during other matches featuring Rajasthan Royals. (Delhi Police later clarified that during some of those economical overs, the batsmen were suspected of “doing a Manish Tewari”, underworld slang for waving one’s bat about passionately while missing easy lobs and fatally damaging the chances of one’s own team).
The state of Kerala does not recognize mitigating circumstances in the case of S Sreesanth. In a strongly worded communiqué, the state condemned Sreesanth Denial as “an affront to the civilized world” and said that it proposed to take legal action against Sreesanth deniers and, furthermore, to ban all S.S. literature.
Social commentator and author of ‘Dalits & Cricket’, Sanand Raj dismissed Sreesanth as an expression of the inner contradictions of the subaltern Brahman forced to bear the burden of regional identity. ‘Sreesanth is merely an expression of Ambedkarite remorse and guilt forcing upper-caste Malayalis to participate in cricket. We are at a post-federalist post-liberalization phase where the dalit/anti-statist mood panders to misplaced regional aspirations. Sreesanth is collateral damage.”
KAFILA - COLLECTIVE EXPLORATIONS SINCE 2006 
This is terrible logic. Why should people of Kerala or Kerala State should express sorry for an individual’s crime, that too has to be proved. Next time all Christians will be asked to be sorry for Sreesanth as he happened to be born into a Christian family. Should we ask all Hindu Brahmins to apologize for Ravan’s acts? Unfortunately, those who are responsible for turning cricket into gamblers’ paradise, luring our young to corrupt life and womanizing are being spared. Nobody is asking them to pay for crime of turning cricket into a business of minting money.
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all of a sudden all media debates on spot fixing in the cabinet is forgotten and forgiven. now the life and death matter for the nation is betting in cricket matches. good old romans said ” give the masses food and circus”. today since there is no food for all, let us “give circus and cricket to the masses”. cheers to the brains of the planners.
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Kerala CM and Governor apologize for what? Sreesanth is not a public figure or an elected representative. Even he is not an employee who the state treasury pays.
Dear Minister and Governor, Most of the Central Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers, Govt employees and other public figures who are taking salary from state exchequer and took oath to protect the nation and serve without corruption are looting and raping our nation. You have to apologize on behalf of such goons and criminals. Why you are apologizing for the crimes of a normal Keralite?
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i hope Shashi Tharoor will fall alsoto the ground and roll on all the streets of New Delhi to atone for the fundamental damage he has done to its premier university by cheerleading the .FYUP . However, even such angapradashanam, like his previous body contortions in the Sreesanth case will be of little avail. And what is at stake here fellow countrymen from god’s own state..is much much more than IPL cricket! Lakhs of young Indians are going to bear the burden of opportunism, misgovernance and violation of the very spirit of procedure.
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Brilliant take….what a pity the usual suspects are usually suspicious…
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I hope people writing the comments realise that the article is meant to be a joke.
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His behavior is typical of most men in kerala. Lavish lifestyle but without a character.
Hope we keralites learn something out of this. And there are more serious issues related to men in kerala. This is only so typical, except the spot fixing!
So please, no apologies on my part. Only a malayalee would come up with this!
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Clearly Sajan’s sense of humour (and ours) is not shared by many who have expressed much indignation on behalf of Kerala, Malayalis, men, Indians and humans in general. We have not passed most such comments because they are just too exhausting to read (although it was funny at first).
Please dont waste your precious time fulminating over this post. If a chuckle escapes you, that’s one small victory for the forces of good; if you find yourself enraged, do direct that rage at one of the millions of things worth getting enraged about in the world today.
Imagine a Smiley Face HERE.
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Ms. Nivedita Menon. my comment was directed not at Sajan Post. I took it very lightly giving it the desired appreciation as a satire. But Comment by merlyn, all malayali men are characterless, is stupid and an unncessessary and unworthy generalisation or please tell me what she meant by this: “His behavior is typical of most men in kerala. Lavish lifestyle but without a character”.( my english comprehension is very poor).
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Looks like your comprehension of english and sattire is very poor. I agree with Nivedita and merlyn , we mallu men have a long way to go. :)
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It is hilarious to see some of the comments! how can one miss the brilliant black humor in this piece..may be that is the problem of our time! God save god’s own Kerala!
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I would like to congratulate Sajan for his brilliant write-up.Obaid Niazi.
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what an amazing article…it cant get more tongue in cheek than this…very typically and cynically mallu…thankfully among our few remaining redeeming qualities
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I have no great interest in cricket, but even I was taken aback by headlines like the Times of India’s, “Kerala media disowns fallen icon Sreesanth” (18 May) and over-the-top utterances like this one from the General Secretary, Kerala Cricket Association: “He has discredited Kerala and his fans. We have lost face before the nation,” (Tehelka, 17 May), not to mention other instances of breast-beating and tunic-renting in Kerala over this idol with feet of clay (and brains to match).
One agrees with Merlyn that there are far too many men in Kerala like the unlamented Sreesanth, but I do sympathize with Abdul Salam’s view that not all Malayali men are ‘characterless’. There were good people even in Sodom & Gomorrah.
Years ago, I had the misfortune of watching a truly hideous Hindi movie called ‘Sone pe Suhaaga’ in the company of several Europeans. As foolish as it was to be mortified by the antics of Bollywood, I was deeply embarrassed for myself and for my fellow Indians in the audience who, stout fellows, were tossing peanuts at the screen. But somewhere between the desire to sink through the floor and the closing titles, I had a revelation: we are not personally responsible for everything dreadful that happens in India. Not even Anil Kapoor.
Not even Sreesanth.
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Ha..Ha.. another good comment and your closing statement. Its testament to our self perpetuating mediocrity.
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