Book Review : BANNED – A SOCIAL MEDIA TRIAL BY BORIA MAJUMDAR

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 .