The Hindu : View it as a game, says Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 04, 2003

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National

View it as a game, says Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI March. 3. At a time when politicians and even Generals are busy blowing out of proportion India's victory over Pakistan in a World Cup cricket match, the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, has sought to place the victory in perspective.

``It's a game and it should be viewed as a game. This is not war. There is no place for politics or religion in this,'' Mr. Karunanidhi said. The victory did not mean a redrawing of the national boundaries or a change in the situation in the subcontinent.

He said he was not trying to take away the credit for the victory, but the fact remained that it was merely two teams that played the game. And one won and the other lost.

Mr. Karunanidhi, an avid cricket lover, who stayed up to watch the match between West Indies and Sri Lanka, said India's victory should not be viewed in the context of the changing political equations between the two countries. The match should not be seen as a victory of the forces led by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, over the one led by the Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf.

The zealots on both sides of the border should take the cue from the players themselves, he said and pointed out that there was no animosity between the players of both the countries before or after the match. They shook hands and played the game in its true spirit, he said.

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