Cricket, Government and National interest!!

A few weeks back, Nimbus, which had bagged the four-year BCCI, telecast rights last year for $612 million, was asked to share cricket telecast with national broadcaster in the ‘interest of the nation’.

I couldn’t decide whether to be feel happy that the common man with no cable connection at home would be able to watch the men in blue playing World Cup or to question the decision of the government which is forcing a private company, who bought the rights to telecast the matches ‘exclusively’ in a multi-million bidding!

How fair it is on the part of the government in this open economy to force a private player that too by the way of an ordinance to share its business with government?

While surfing got hold of this article by Karan Thapar. A thought provoking conversation there.

An excerpt:

“And what about the right to food, education and healthcare? No one can deny that they are more important than cricket. So, now, is the government going to force restaurants to provide free food, hospitals to admit patients without charge and schools to waive their fees? In terms of the government’s logic that should have happened first!”

Cheers!!