Leave Neeraj alone

There is justifiable anger among people across the country over the Pahalgam killings. The appalling assault on unsuspecting tourists has scarred the very soul of the nation. Anything or anyone connected with Pakistan, even remotely, is being viewed with hatred as well as suspicion. But it is highly unfortunate that India’s sporting icon Neeraj Chopra has been sucked into this vicious maelstrom. The lone Indian to have won an Olympic gold medal in athletics is being brutally trolled for having invited fellow javelin thrower, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, to an event scheduled to be held in Bengaluru next month. It’s painful for Neeraj to see his and his family’s integrity being questioned in abusive social media posts.

The Olympic champion has made it clear that invites for the inaugural NC (Neeraj Chopra) Classic were sent out on Monday, a day before the terror attack. However, misinformation and false narratives are being spread maliciously by trolls, who are doubting his patriotism. Neeraj enjoys a healthy rivalry with Nadeem, who had outshone him to clinch the gold at the Paris Olympics last year. But he has clarified that the recent invitation was “from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less”. It’s a new low that Neeraj has been provoked into stating the obvious — that his country and its interests will always come first for him.

What’s even worse, the great sportsperson’s mother is being targeted for her emotional statement after the Paris Games that Arshad was like her son; her noble gesture had been reciprocated by the Pakistani athlete’s mother, who had said that the two competitors were like brothers. It was hoped that this heartwarming display of cross-border amity would inspire both nations to rise above their long-festering differences and reach out to each other. But the Pahalgam massacre has rudely dashed that hope. However, hurling abuse at Neeraj, who has done the nation proud time and again, is a sign of sheer ingratitude and shamefulness.

Editorials