Dilip Mandal, a columnist with ‘The Print’, courted controversy on Sunday (December 11) after claiming that only those sports are popular in India, which do not involve human touch.
In a tweet in Hindi, he claimed, ‘Is it not true that only those games are popular in India that do not involve touch? Or where the players do not need to touch each other and bear the least risk of being touched? Prove me wrong.’
क्या ये सही है कि भारत में वही खेल ज़्यादा लोकप्रिय हैं जिसमें दूसरे खिलाड़ी को छूना नहीं पड़ता या शरीर छू जाने का ख़तरा कम से कम होता है? मुझे ग़लत साबित कीजिए।
— Dilip Mandal (@Profdilipmandal) December 11, 2022
He further continued, ‘Think of the games that are funded by the government. Which sports are funded by companies? Which are those games? Think along these lines.’ The archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.
सरकार किन खेलों में पैसा डालती है? कंपनियाँ किन खेलों पर पैसे खर्च करती है। वे कौन से खेल हैं? इस तरह सोचिए।
— Dilip Mandal (@Profdilipmandal) December 11, 2022
Social media users wasted no time in proving ‘The Print’ columnist wrong. Aaj Tak journalist Panna Lal pointed out, “India is the champion of Kabaddi. Great in the arena of wrestling as well. (India) is also a rising star in the sport of boxing.”
भारत कबड्डी का चैंपियन है,
— पन्ना लाल (@itsmepanna) December 11, 2022
पहलवानी में भी अच्छा है
बॉक्सिंग में भी उभर रहा है।
RSS ideologue, Rupa Murthy, took potshots at Dilip Mandal, who happens to be a habitual caste baiter. She mocked, “So true. This untouchability practised by the General category is the reason in Kabaddi & Kusthi players only touch each other with a long stick during the match.”
“They even make reservation category people touch the feet of the General in Kabaddi. Attaching the proof too,” Rupa Murthy added, posting an illustration of Kabaddi.
So true. This untouchability practiced by General category is the reason in Kabaddi & Kusthi players only touch eachother with a long stick during the match. They even make reservation category ppl touch the feet of General in Kabaddi. Attaching the proof too pic.twitter.com/brQOiJ1zZv
— Rupa Murthy (@rupamurthy1) December 11, 2022
Media portal ‘The Frustrated Indian’ mocked, “Yes, one has to wear gloves while participating in Kabaddi, wrestling matches.”
हां कबड्डी कुश्ती में तो दस्ताने पहनकर छूना पड़ता है एक दूसरे को
— tfipost.in (@tfipost_in) December 11, 2022
Popular Twitter user Vikrant remarked, “Every day, we prove something or the other to you but for the time being, focus on wrestling. Perhaps more is done in that sport other than just a simple touch.”
देखिए साबित तो आपको बहुत कुछ रोज किया जाता है, पर फिलहाल कुश्ती पर ध्यान दीजिए. शायद उसमे छूने से कुछ ज्यादा ही किया जाता है.
— Vikrant ~ विक्रांत (@vikrantkumar) December 11, 2022
Senior Sub-Editor at India TV, Sudhanshu Gaur, wrote, “Mandal ji, please visit a psychiatrist soon for an urgent evaluation of your mental condition. Your mental stability is decreasing every day. If this trend continues…”
मंडल जी आप खुद को किसी अच्छे दिमागी डॉक्टर को दिखाइए. आपका मानसिक संतुलन दिन प्रतिदिन घटता जा रहा है. ऐसा ही रहा तो एक दिन….
— Sudhanshu Gaur (@SudhanshuGaur24) December 11, 2022
Last month, Dilip Mandal had started to trend the ‘casteist BCCI’ hashtag on the micro-blogging platform Twitter.
He was upset that cricketer Surya Kumar Yadav wasn’t included in the ODI squad during the Indian tour of Bangladesh. As such, the habitual caste baiter blamed the decision to rest Yadav on the supposed casteism of the selectors and the BCCI.
