Opiate the Masses

The idea of nationalism and nation-building is brewing everywhere in a different connotations. Sports is the only common thread that binds people together and helps in developing a feeling of cohesiveness and patriotism that can counter regional factionalism and sinister design of various separatist forces, particularly in the chaos of the present scenario. Sports has a huge role to play when it comes to organization building and nation-building. Sports should be the “opium of the masses”. It helps in elevating qualities like discipline, determination, teamwork and a passion for fitness in the psyche of an organization / nation. After the industrial revolutions, our lives have become sedentary than our predecessors, thanks to the various comforts brought in by the advent of technology and it is going to far more sedentary in the ongoing fourth industrial revolution. Many of these scientific achievements which we take for granted, have made our lives considerably easier and have reduced our level of physical activity. Once you are into sports, certain virtues like teamwork, ethics, and sportsmanship become lifelong qualities. When you are active, it will keep you crossing limits. Sports is a cheerful activity, so crossing limits becomes natural.” Any major international sporting event like the Olympics or a World Cup promotes universal brotherhood and gives one a sense of belonging to a larger global community. Nelson Mandela’s beautiful quote sums up it up in a very meaningful way. “Sport has the power to change the world,” Mandela said. “It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.” In the pre independent era, it was very difficult, for many South Africans who had seen imprisonment and death from close vicinity, to support their predominantly white team. But the legendary South African President Nelson Mandela used the sports especially rugby as the medium to enable an inclusive atmosphere which led to social interactions within diverse groups who would otherwise never interact. Making the nation rally behind their team to celebrate their commonalities and put the differences aside was a huge victory and this was a perfect plot too for the Hollywood blockbuster “Invictus.” Be a responsible citizen and involve in the process of better place to live. Opiate the masses through sports and Live Absolute…!