Friday, November 30, 2001 India is roused. Emotion — an abundant commodity in South Asia — has overcome reason. When the loudmouths that claim to speak for a nation of a billion unite, the furore is difficult to ignore. "Dalmiya is right, India was wronged." "How dare Denness the Menace slur Sachin Goldenballs?"

When patriotism is the spur to arms you can assume that no good will come of it. The tragedy of the Mike Denness affair is that rabble-rousers are drowning out voices of reason. To question Dalmiya's stance is to question your personal loyalty to the flag. To side with ICC is to side with the racists, the imperialists, and the enemies of India.

To dismiss this incident as a storm in a teacup is to dismiss the history of perceived injustice that sits in the minds of Indians, Pakistanis, and Sri Lankans. But this view lacks maturity. Blind loyalty and knee-jerk reactions, intimidation and chips on shoulders fuel it. India's history of democracy and tolerance deserves better.

And then you have to think of who will gain from this impasse? Not ICC nor England. Not Sachin nor Sehwag. Certainly not Mike Denness nor the relationship between players and officials. Nor will South Asia's campaign for greater power be furthered. If this is how we plan to run world cricket then it is better off in the hands of the racists, the imperialists, and our enemies. No, there is only one winner. His position secure, his profile boosted, his scores settled, and his thirst for shaping the future partially quenched. Dalmiya is the sole beneficiary of this sorry saga — his agenda served by jingoism not logic — and the sooner India wakes up to that the better.

Amid the chaos of the past fortnight it has been easy to forget priorities. India does have a legitimate grievance over the treatment of its stars - ICC and Denness must answer it. But Dalmiya's deliberate strategy to subvert ICC, and South Africa's complicity, are still bigger sins. Racism is an easy charge to make, but a difficult one to prove. And the only realistic way that ICC can address it is to ensure that its officials are representative of its members and that they are highly trained. Not just in the Laws of the game, but also in communication and management skills.

If there is one single trait that has held back Asian communities then it is this finger-pointing, this cowering behind perceived injustice. When things go wrong, blame it on racism. Instead, many situations require internal as well as external reform — but that takes courage.

India has been infused with nationalist fervour over the last decade; the rise to power of the right-wing Bhartiya Janata Party is evidence enough. It is an emotion that Dalmiya is exploiting with relish — his stance is unsophisticated and untenable once passion is put to one side. India can turn Dalmiya, for sure, but whether or not it has the poise to do so is another matter.

Born in Lahore, brought up in Rotherham, Kamran Abbasi is assistant editor of the BMJ. His Asian View appears every Friday on Wisden.com.

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