Mumbai: Fast bowler Irfan Pathan received backlash for posting a message on Twitter a day after CAA protesters clashed with Delhi Police in Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi.
In his tweet, he wrote: “Political blame game will go on forever but I and our country is concerned about the students of #JamiaMilia #JamiaProtest”. Speaking to Indian Express, the current J-K coach-cum-mentor said that he has the earned the right to speak his mind on issues affecting the people of country.
Suraj mein ek alag si garmi nazar aai,Hawa bhi apna rukh badalne lagi. Jinhone mulk ke liye ek tinke ka kaam nahi kiya aaj wo ek mulk ke wafadar se badzubani karne lage #jaihind
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 16, 2019
“Let me start with a personal story. When I went to Pakistan in 2004 for the Friendship tour, I went to a college in Lahore along with Rahul Dravid, L Balaji, and Parthiv Patel. In a question-and-answer segment attended by 1,500 students, one girl got up and asked, almost in anger: why do I play for India despite being a Muslim? I stood up and said I am not doing any favours (ehsaan) by playing for India. It’s my country, and I am lucky, proud and honoured to represent it. It’s my mulk, my country, a place where my ancestors all come from. Everyone in that college clapped.”
Political blame game will go on forever but I and our country🇮🇳 is concerned about the students of #JamiaMilia #JamiaProtest
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 15, 2019
“If I can speak like that in Pakistan, in an open gathering, puffing out my chest, then I don’t need anyone’s permission in my own country to say what I feel. I have represented my country. Some people should realise that. When I ran in to bowl for India, I didn’t think I am a Muslim. I am an Indian first before anything else,” he wrote.
Pathan further said that peaceful protest is fundamental right in a democratic nation. “Whenever there are two sides to an argument, and both strong, I don’t tweet about it. Here, the issue was different. Peaceful protest in a democracy is a fundamental right. I wanted the attention to go there so that there is no loss of life there, the situation doesn’t worsen. These are kids, our future. Aren’t the Jamia kids ours? Aren’t the IIM kids ours? Aren’t the North-East kids ours? Aren’t the kids from Kashmir and Gujarat ours? All of them are our kids,” he said.
The 35-year-old further said that there is nothing wrong in him presenting his opinion. “If I present my opinion on society, is it wrong? Haven’t I done anything for my society? I have. I also know that in this era of social media, there would be reactions and I also know that many of them are fake accounts,” he wrote.
Pathan further said that people should not spread hatred and spread positivity. “Don’t spread hate. We should retain positivity in our minds. It’s not like before, a random text message of hate, now it’s everywhere; just open the phone and it will flood in. It’s our responsibility.”
Irfan Pathan represented India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He was part of the team that won the 2007 ICC WT20.
