On 29th of June, India beat South Africa in the nail-biting final to emerge victorious in the T20 World Cup 2024. Immediately, celebrations erupted in the neighbourhood with bursting of crackers. The jubilant mood of the cricket fans reminded me of an episode linked to the T20 World Cup 2022.
On the eve of Diwali, we ventured out locally to meet and greet close friends at their houses. It was afternoon of 23rd October 2022. After the rendezvous was over with the family, we had dropped in on first, I called the next friend to sound him about our arrival at their place in 15 minutes. I enquired if they themselves weren’t planning to go out. He said that they were home only, and we could come. The tone however didn’t exude warmth. Nonetheless, we drove to their place in almost 15 minutes’ time as we had imagined.
Despite our reaching in time on an announced visit, my pressing the doorbell did not elicit immediate response. We stood at the door for one long minute before my friend opened the door and exclaimed, “Oh you reached”, as if we had arrived much earlier. After being ushered in, I looked for clues that would unravel mystery behind the tepid reception.
Gauging my discomfiture, my friend immediately divulged that they had been engrossed in watching nail-biting T-20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan. We had pressed the doorbell at the critical juncture when last ball was being bowled over which hanged the fate of the match. He was ecstatic that India had won the match as our batsman scored the required winning runs from the final ball. As my friend recounted with excitement the thrill of the match, I could visualise that he was in the midst of watching the cliffhanger when I had called him 15 minutes earlier. The misgivings in my mind were fully cleared.
Watching the glee writ large on his face because India had beaten Pakistan, I marvelled at the ‘vicarious’ pleasure which my friend and millions like him get when India beats Pakistan, or any other country, in a game of cricket. The vicarious pleasure, derived from successes of sportspersons you feel patriotic kinship with, is always free from monetary expense or physical effort.
The very next day on the occasion of Diwali, a historic event brought more cheer to Indians. Rishi Sunak, a practising Hindu of Indian origin, was anointed the Prime Minister of Great Britain. Indians were gloating over the irony that stemmed from the reversal of roles. Britain, which once ruled over India for 200 years, was now to be ruled by a Hindu gentleman of Indian descent. Indians just received a double dose of vicarious pleasure during Diwali festivities.
Indians had also taken pride in the elevation of Kamla Harris as Vice President of the USA. Likewise, we proudly boast about the Indian origin of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The success of non-resident individuals of Indian profile is filling the hearts of millions of Indians with vicarious pleasure. This phenomenon of feeling elation with the achievements of another individual, howsoever distant, because he shares your roots or religion is a subject matter of study by social scientists.