Amid Punjab's Challenges, Shubman Gill Emerges as a Beacon of Hope
The recent days have been filled with distressing news. An Air India aircraft crashed, a bridge in Gujarat collapsed, and a landslide in Mandi swept away an entire family, leaving only an 11-month-old girl who cries for her mother. A Jaguar plane crash resulted in the death of two pilots. Reports of rapes are emerging daily from Kolkata to Chennai, and murders are being reported from various locations. Two incidents from Haryana highlight the deterioration of societal values. In Gurugram, a father, troubled by his daughter's achievements and quest for independence, killed her. In Hisar, two students fatally stabbed their principal. This is the same Haryana where the hit film 'Dangal' depicted a positive father-daughter relationship. In Mumbai, individuals are being slapped for not knowing Marathi, despite only 36 percent of the city's population identifying Marathi as their native language. Ahead of the Bihar elections, the Election Commission has rejected Aadhaar, ration, and Apna cards as valid identification. If the Commission's citizenship criteria are enforced, millions could be denied their fundamental right to vote.
The last several decades have been very painful for Punjab. We came out of militancy and got caught in drugs. 'Chitta' has destroyed our society. Now the Mann government is showing seriousness and is catching big crocodiles but it seems it is too late. The youth who can run away is running away from Punjab. Many have gone abroad through the donkey route, many are stuck on the way. Now the routes to go out are closing, so crime has increased a lot. Gangsters sitting abroad are firing bullets here for ransom. Recently in Abohar, a famous textile businessman was shot dead with 10 bullets in broad daylight. Some gangster sitting in America has taken the responsibility of this murder. In Moga, actress Tania's father was murdered in his clinic. Drugs and crime have a deep relationship. News of snatching from cities is received daily. Farming is not profitable, due to which there is discontent in the countryside. Unemployed youth, educated or illiterate, are a challenge for any society. Investors are not coming here due to protests and closed roads during the long farmer movement. Investment does not take place in an environment of uncertainty. On top of that, the attitude of the central government is not cooperative. Punjab is not being harassed, but nothing is being done to rescue Punjab either.
The dirty, polluted, chaotic cities of Punjab tell our story. Many youths have been attracted to crime due to the glorification of gangsters. A section of Punjabi singers has done the shameful work of putting the youths of the state on the wrong path. These misguided youths do not understand that once they get caught in it, there is no return. In this depressing scenario, a young man has given a message through his example that all is not over. The youth of Punjab still have the ability to lead the country. That youth is from the region where agriculture is the main occupation. Mumbai gave players like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. Delhi gave Virat Kohli and Virender Sehwag. Every kind of facility is available here. The atmosphere of sports is available but coming out of Fazilka and dominating the cricket horizon of the country is not an ordinary thing. The immense success of this young man is a message that if you have the support of the family and the passion to work hard, then you can reach anywhere.
Punjab, eager for positive news, has Shubhman Gill to share with the world. It's not just 'Udta Punjab'; it's also Shubman Punjab. India's new cricket captain hails from the Malwa region of Punjab. The village of Chak Jaimal Singh Wala in Fazilka district has produced a new star for the nation. At 25, Shubman Gill is setting new records and making history. He comes from a region known for producing notorious gangsters and smugglers, where gang wars are common. However, Shubman's focus is on a cricket bat, not an AK 47. According to The Tribune newspaper, 'the most notorious gangsters have emerged in the last two decades within a 50-kilometer radius of Fazilka, Muktsar, Moga, and Faridkot.' Perhaps this is why his family, recognizing his talent, took him to Mohali for training. His father, Lakhwinder Singh, showed dedication and commitment to his son's career, helping him reach the top. Grandfather Didar Singh Gill mentions that Lakhwinder set the goal for his son to become a successful cricketer. The son fulfilled his father's expectations and made the country proud. Following Lala Amarnath and Bishan Singh Bedi, Shubman is the third captain from Punjab.Under his leadership, the Indian team crossed 1000 runs in a Test match. For the first time in 58 years, our team has won at Edgbaston and that victory was also by a huge margin of 336 runs. Many records were broken. After Sunil Gavaskar, Shubman Gill is the first Indian captain to score a double century and a century in the same Test match. Virat Kohli's record of three centuries in the first two matches as captain was also equaled. It is very important that the answer to the question, who after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, has been found? Shubman Gill is dignified, polite, seems to be a role model. He is also attracting the country with his personality. Even old astute sports journalists are discussing his 'smile'.
He may have lost his temper twice at Lord's but the burden of captaincy is not light. The hopes of the entire country are riding on his young shoulders. He does not jump around on the field. He looks less like Virat and more like Rohit. Nor is it expected of him that after victory he will take off his shirt and wave around abusing the way Sourav Ganguly did at Lord's. Senior sports journalist Pradeep Magazine has written, "The art of captaincy is not just about screaming and shouting. It is about leading without ignoring the opinions of others while remaining calm".
A tour of England is not easy. History casts its shadow. Winning against England brings the same joy as winning against Pakistan. And this tour has come after many defeats at home. There are only three senior players in the team, Rahul, Jadeja and Bumrah. Many players are inexperienced. Some could not perform well under pressure but the captain showed the way by performing well in the first and second matches. This young man from a small village in Punjab transformed 10 other players from different provinces, languages and temperaments into a formidable team. We lost at Lord's but fought till the end. The English words most commonly used for Shubman are 'calm' and 'mature', calm and mature. Yuvraj Singh, another Punjabi cricketer who has earned a lot of fame and whose six sixes against England are remembered till date, wrote "Shubman Gill has shown maturity beyond his age". Jos Buttler who has played IPL under Shubman in Gujarat Titans said, "Very impressive player... remains very calm". The media used to call Virat Kohli 'King Kohli', Shubman is being called Prince. Virat has called him 'Star Boy'. He has become a star but he is no longer a boy. Playing in England can make anyone mature. The temperament of both is different even though both are of Punjabi origin. Kohli's aggression was visible, Shubman is more calm. By scoring 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second, Shubman has made his presence felt. Shubman's 269, which is the highest by any Indian captain, has surpassed Virat Kohli's 254 in South Africa. There are more records. Virat Kohli has also written, "History is being rewritten. Keep moving forward. You deserve it". It is clear that Shubman is the heir to greatness. He has shown enough leadership ability. But captaining a cricket team is not a bed of roses. The defeat at Lord's shows that not everything will be flat. Ups and downs are all part of the captain's fate. But right now we are happy that we have found our prince. A new team is being formed around him. It is a special pleasure that this talented young man is from Punjab. This also contains a message for the rest of the country that Punjab does not only have drugs, crime, gangsters or protests. We also give captains.