Karnataka   

News travels slowly from the mainland

KASBA BENGRE: The news of Abhinav Bindra’s Olympic gold medal flashed across the world even before the Indian shooter could take the podium. But the news took time to percolate from the mainland to the hinterland.

There are a few television sets with cable connections in this coastal village that lies between the Netravati and the Arabian Sea. But as Abhinav Bindra made history at Beijing, history repeated itself here in the form of a power cut, robbing the residents of the joyous moment.

When the news finally reached here at 1 p.m., this correspondent was at the Kasba Bengre Government Higher Primary school, which was hosting the inter-school sports competition for the first time since its inception about 50 years ago.

Excited as the people were with other things, the Bindra’s exploits got digested slowly.

As in a game of “Chinese whispers” the news got further distorted while passing from one mouth to another. Finally 12-year-old Mohammed Thoib from the Ombattu Kere Higher Primary School asked this correspondent “Is it true? Has the Indian cricket team won an Olympic gold?”

Half-an-hour later, a voice crackled over the microphone, “Children, today is a very important day. For the first time in its history, the country has won an individual Olympic gold medal, thanks to Abhinav Bengre.” However, after some angry hissing, the voice came back on air and said, “Sorry children. That is Abhinav Bindra, not Bengre.”

Headmistress of the school Juliet B. Pinto told The Hindu, “Hopefully, these children will someday realise the importance of this Olympic achievement. Let us hope that sports will get some importance after this. For now, let them play to their hearts’ content.”

On the way back to the mainland, it appeared that nobody had heard of Bindra’s achievement. Even in the mainland, not many had heard. The stopover at a local restaurant threw up an Olympic buff, Aravind Shetty (36).

He said, “I do not think pride is exactly what I feel right now because I never felt ashamed whenever India put up a below par performance at Olympic events. What I feel now is pure joy, the kind that I have not felt in many years.”

Narendra Prabhu (45), an agent with All India Radio at the restaurant, was animatedly discussing the prospects or the lack of it of the Indian Cricket team in Sri Lanka. When asked about Bindra’s gold he said, “It is just a one-off thing. But a huge achievement, nevertheless. I would like to see this repeated more often.”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

India’s largest solar telescope to be ready by 2013
Nature’s fury
‘Set up horticultural varsity in Chitradurga’
Hospital staff in Davangere accused of demanding money
Extend Scouts and Guides training to rural schools: MLA
Rivers in spate in Uttara Kannada
Davangere girl for Junior Karate
One more IDBI branch
News travels slowly from the mainland
School celebrates biggest moment
Protest against eviction drive in Chikmagalur

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu