The Picture Was Touching Indeed

The Picture Was Touching Indeed

The ongoing Confederations Cup in Brazil has witnessed good football and more importantly protests against the public funds being spent in building the stadiums for the World Cup 2014. The rise in transportation cost and the depleting conditions of social services in the country was what led to the collective anger of the Brazilians. Protests in different cities started with a few people but it soon became a much larger movement and only the intervention and public announcement on television by the President, to address the issues immediately calmed the people. As the announcement to address the concerns raised by the protesters was made by the President, the animosity between the public and the forces of the state, who were not so long ago throwing tear gas and shooting rubber bullets at them, was lost in transition. The picture which many newspapers carried, showing a protester wrapped in the national flag hugging a policeman was very touching indeed. The gesture on part of both the parties involved tells us that they were both working for what they perceived to be a larger good for the society and the nation. Both the parties were making a contribution for the proper functioning of the society.

The timing of the protest could not have been better. The focus of the entire world was on Brazil where the elite eight nations, champions of their respective Confederations (Italy qualified by virtue of being the runner up to Spain, both the world and European champion) along with the host of the world cup were participating for the coveted Confederations Cup. The protest has its genesis sometime in 2007 when the public was saddened by the pathetic conditions of social services in the country and was opposed to the expenditure that the state would incur in hosting the World Cup in 2014. Then the government had promised that the expenditure incurred in the construction of new stadiums and refurbishment of some of the older stadiums would be borne from private funds, but this was not done. The argument put forward by the social activists is that the 14 billion dollars that has been spent till now on the stadiums would be better worth if it was spent on education, health services and for the improvement of other hosts of social services. Even the team members of the national team support these demands and Philpao, the World Cup winning coach, has said that victory would bring unity across the people.

What is interesting is that the protesters love for the beautiful game, the blood line of Brazilians, has not been affected. The stadiums are houseful in all the matches and the atmosphere inside each one of them is electrifying. Of course the violence and vandalism has affected the players and have raised concerns for their security- especially of foreign players (which I personally think is an overreaction from a section of the foreign press- as there has not been a single incidence of any foreigners being targeted). Emotionally and psychologically the players may have been affected but the electrifying atmosphere and the absence of any form of protest inside the stadium has made the players determined to play a good match of football. And goals and victory in football for every Brazilian irrespective of whether he or she is protesting in the streets is of utmost importance. Everyone in Brazil loves football. Football in Brazil brings people together, brings social issues of pressing importance to the forefront and forces the President to negotiate with other political parties to bring reforms in the existing policies.

Till now no damage is done to the stadium and the playing arena, as everyone is aware that once the dispute is settled it is time for samba and football. Football has become a means to achieve those goals which the political parties have not been able to achieve. Every member of the team is aware of the repercussions of the tournament. To undermine the prominence, this tournament has for every Brazilian, Scolari is trying to make the fans believe that this team has not yet reached its zenith and is gradually moving towards its goal, that is winning the World Cup 2014. Winning the World Cup in 2014, which is being hosted for the second time in Brazil, is of paramount salience as they had lost he finals in 1950. That defeat to Uruguay still haunts the Brazilians and winning in 2014 is epitomized by none other than the only 4 time World Cup winner Zagalo. Scolari for sure knows that if he can repeat his 2002 feat achieved in Japan, all the social, economical and political turmoil that the nation is going through will be forgotten and samba and celebration and festivities will again be part of the people. Happiness and aspiration will again be part of the social capital of each and every Brazilian in this universe, which is evidently missing in some socially concerned citizens of the greatest footballing nation in this earth.