Mahatma Gandhi and Cricket: An Unusual Partnership

© File Image of Mahatma Gandhi | Image: Commons

The relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and cricket may seem far-fetched at the first instance. This could be primarily due to his strong aversion towards modern sports including cricket, tennis, football etc. According to him, “Spending time in sports does give some exercise to the body, but exercise of this kind does nothing to improve the mind”. So how did the two converge? The answer lies in Gandhian philosophy reflected profoundly through three landmark events in Indian history: Movement against Untouchability, Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement.

Cricket in colonial India not only assumed the dimension of a way of life but also became a vehicle for the national freedom movement. Bombay Quadrangular (later became Pentangular), which was played on communal lines, had become India’s premier cricket competition in the mid-1920s. It soared cricket’s popularity in the country to new heights. This was also the time when Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa and was beginning to take charge of the freedom struggle movement.

His campaign against the practice of untouchability had dramatic effects on the cricket field. Palwankar Baloo, a lower-caste Hindu emerged as a magnificent slow left arm spinner in the late 1890’s. He broke countless social barriers to become an indispensable member of the Hindu Gymkhana team in the Bombay tournament. While he was accorded the same treatment on the field, he was treated differently off the field. He was time and again dropped and was never given the leadership position due to his caste status.

Palwankar brothers, specifically Shivram and Vithal joined elder brother Baloo by 1913. But the social exclusion was far from over. The tide turned with the 1920 Quadrangular - which is also the year when Gandhi became vocal against untouchability. For the first match of the tournament, Baloo was dropped. Moreover, D.B. Deodhar was appointed captain in place of M.D. Pai after the latter fell sick and withdrew from the match. Shivram and Vithal were unceremoniously ignored for the position despite being the most senior and skilled players.

In protest, Vithal and Shivram resigned by saying that “Social or educational status has no place in sport, when the claims of a cricketer of lesser social status are admittedly superior.” The brothers received overwhelming support from the general public in the wake of Gandhi’s campaign. Sense prevailed and all the three brothers were recalled for the next match, with Baloo being appointed as the vice-captain. "Gandhi never watched Baloo bowl or Vithal bat. But his campaign against Untouchability emboldened the Palwankars and their followers to fight more openly for their rights.", notes Ramachandra Guha in his celebrated work “A Corner of a foreign field”.

Gandhi’s scathing remarks against untouchability provided much-needed confidence to other nationalist leaders and their supporters who have been dedicatedly fighting for the cause. After a string of losses in 1921 and 1922, the Hindu Gymkhana administration in Bombay made some pragmatic changes to the side and appointed Vithal as the captain. The decision paid off as Hindus clinched victory with Vithal lighting up the final with an incredible innings. He was carried back to the pavilion by the upper-caste Hindus on their shoulders. This, we can say, was an eloquent social and political victory achieved on the cricket field.

In 1930, the political climate in India was volatile again as Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement with the Dandi Salt March to shake the foundations of the Raj. Consequently, the MCC tour of India in 1930 was cancelled and the Bombay Quadrangular was suspended till 1933. Gandhi was put behind bars in 1932 and some cricketers decided to stay away from cricket to show solidarity towards the movement. Likes of Vijay Merchant and L.P. Jai made themselves unavailable for the selection of the Indian team which was to tour England for its first official test in 1932 in Gandhi’s support.

Another major impact of Gandhi’s actions on cricket came in the form of a critique of the Bombay Pentangular tournament in 1940, primarily due to its communal nature. He said “I can understand matches between colleges and institutions but I have never understood the reason for having Hindu, Parsi, Muslim and other communal elevens. Can we not have some field of life which would be untouched by communal spirit?” His response was met with strong fervor from both sides. As a matter of respect, the Hindus team decided to stay away from the 1940 edition, only to return back the next year.

However, the call for getting rid of communal cricket kept getting stronger. The tournament was suspended in 1942 due to political unrest in the country with Gandhi announcing the Quit India Movement. It eventually met its end in 1946 with the region-based Ranji Trophy replacing it as India’s foremost domestic competition. The intertwined world of sports and politics paved the way for cricket to be featured in Gandhi’s journey.  Without wielding the willow and just by sheer ideology-driven actions, Mahatma Gandhi left an inalienable mark on cricket’s development in India.

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