Television programmes of this country are not always the barometers of what the nation feels. However, one talk show telecast last week was revealing; almost all the participating celebrities, barring the obvious BJP exception, when asked what they would do if they met Thackeray in a dark alley, spontaneously said that they would send him to jail. No other reaction could have been more spontaneous as it was correct. And this is precisely where the failure of Advani stares the nation hard in the face.

From the day Thackeray made his threat not to allow Pakistani players into this country, ordered the digging up of pitches and staged unholy demonstrations outside the residence of non-political persons like the ICC president Jagomhan Dalmiya, the silence of the Union government had been as appaling as it was queer. The nation would have applauded the government, despite its all-round failure in almost every sphere, for sending out a clear, positive signal on a matter which is close to the heart of every right-thinking man in this subcontinent : cricket. After films, nothing else binds this subcontinent more than cricket. But the Centre chose to keep quiet even as Thackeray continued to spew venom and a bunch of players whose only objective in mind has been to play cricket and entertain people were subjected to some cruel days of agony and tantalising tension.

But even the government could not save the day as pressure went on mounting, capped by the vandalising of the BCCI headquarters at Brabourne Stadium. The nation cried out action; again, unfortunately, The Vajpayee government had none to offer. When Thackeray should have been arrested as the only logical answer to this sort of blackmail, the Centre chose to take the easiest way out; it went to Thackeray with bended knees and folded arms and resorted to the only option of the weak. Which_ though there are other more sophisticated ways of reference _ is known universally as begging. The Indian government was seen, for the first time in recent memory, to beg and too, to a man who could and should have been chained to a gaolhouse with the entire nation's support.

But that is how the BJP government has chosen to work; fudging facts, brushing issues under the carpet, opening itself up to blackmail and finally, capitulating to pressure.