A Prince Charming

Sir, - A prince among men, a sportsman among princes, Madhavrao Scindia was the beloved of the gods. How else can one explain his being snatched away by inexorable fate in the shape of his own aircraft going up in flames and consuming him.

He was a charming and popular statesman rising steadily and surely in the national political firmament. Only in his mid- fifties, Scindia was reckoned the Prime Minister if and when the Congress regained power.

Amidst his hectic political activities, he snatched time to play cricket for his own pleasure. He held the position of the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), enhancing its stature. What a tragic coincidence. He was elected BCCI president on September 30, 1990 and the same day a decade and a year later he returned to the dust (Sept. 30, 2001) leaving the nation in a state of shock and mourning. We fondly remember his graceful presence and enlightening speech at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association diamond jubilee in 1991.

S.R. Jagannathan,

Chennai

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Opinion
Previous : Misleading slogan
Next     : SIMI and the Constitution