Australia has honoured Sachin Tendulkar with an award it rarely bestows on foreigners. Membership of the Order of Australia for India’s master batsman has, however, not gone down too well with some people in that country who have raked up the “Monkeygate” racial vilification episode and Tendulkar’s testimony supporting Harbhajan Singh against Andrew Symonds in 2008.
In pointing out that the honour was not given even to Shane Warne, their greatest spin bowler, some people are missing the point. Such an award is bestowed for the totality of a great cricketer’s achievements at a time when Australia is trying to reach out to India with the promise of supplying uranium to fuel nuclear power stations after changing its policy on this once India had signed the landmark nuclear deal with the United States.
Prime Minister Julian Gillard, now on a visit to India, has assiduously taken forward Australia’s “Look Towards Asia” policy. The announcement was timed to coincide with her visit as a diplomatic coup since cricket is perhaps the strongest link between the two countries, besides trade, where India is a ready buyer of Australian mineral and coal resources.
Tendulkar was always highly regarded in a sport-loving nation which loves a competitor who puts up a fight against so-called Aussie supremacy in world cricket. In over 100 international appearances against Oz, Sachin has been one of the thorns in their path. It is an honour he richly deserves after doing so much to inculcate in Australians a deeper understanding of India.