I was taken aback first when i heard about the two – year ban imposed on Boria Majumdar . Was unable to fathom how could someone like Boria whose passion for sports is unmatched and knows cricket and it’s iconic players inside out could ever get into a mess with a cricketer . It was unbelievable really .
Having known him for over two decades now and read all his books over the years and not at all an easy task to pick which one is the best since he raised the bar with every new book, i was aghast when the issue came out in public domain . This is a wrong charge . Truth has to come out and lies had to be exposed said my inner mind someday. Cricket without Boria talk was like watching French Open without – Rafael Nadal . It as simple as that .
What left me stunned and shocked was when heard Boria speaking on the matter in – News 18 Bangla interview . I could not believe what i was hearing from him – knew that social media trolls are dangerous but that they so vicious and destructive one never knew. I found it disgusting and angry nasty comments about his late father, mother, wife , tough times of his sister , daughter. It was there then i bought the book straight away and decided to write this review expressing my solidarity and support in a small way .
And when Boria announced his book – Banned – A Social Media Trial that would hit the stands soon , i was eager like anybody else to buy and read what he had to say . And i agree with what he says on what prompted him to write with these apt lines – I have written many books. But never have i felt as apprehensive before writing something s of now. To be told that you are a bully, that you have threatened a cricketer and intimidated him merely for an interview, when you have not, compels one to set the record straight. How did all this start and how did it spiral out of control within hours? This is that story .
Having served the ban, i wanted closure in the form of this book. Writing this book and putting the truth out there has drained and exhausted me. The truth is that false- hood piled against me, ratified by all- knowing social media trolls, changed my life and that of my family. There is no going back to what we were. This was our long covid .
And Boria is upfront as he writes , To set the record straight once and for all. I did not threaten the cricketer. And that’s why i decided to write this book. I decided to take on the trolls and the hate army, and deal with the toxic online fan culture that has taken over Indian cricket. If you question an Indian cricketer of any stature as part of your media job, your parentage is questioned why?
Banned is a book from of our foremost cricket / sports writers and is telling one. A must read one for all . It has brought to fore the brutality of social media trolls nearly 100, 000 tweets of abuse of days on an end as the writer says are scary numbers so to speak. Numbers that could not only mar by destroy life . Chapters – Guilty Till Proven Innocent : How the issue Unfolded , Social Stigma, Media Matters , Vindication of Faith , The Last word are deeply moving. Once you start reading it is simply unputdownable from start to finish.
Not only social media trolls , the other dark side of today’s times is the toxic culture . The very essence of democracy – engage, discuss, agree, disagree concept has gone for a toss . It’s a norm to term one anti-national the moment he/ she has an opposite/ rather different view . This is alarming and dangerous . Where are we heading as we talk about India 2o47 ?
Now that the ban is over and it is great to see Boria back to doing what he does best – giving us riveting talks on cricket and others sports with his sheer passion, energy . The master is back where belongs .
