As India battles the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the western media outlets have unleashed a massive wave of propaganda to humiliate and discredit the country in the global media. India, which has so far put up a brave fight against the Chinese pandemic, is also coping with a massive misinformation war initiated by the global left-liberal establishment.
Amidst all these, India is also receiving a lot of warmth from across the world, who have come to the country’s rescue by not only providing material resources but also extending their moral support to the country. The latest to join the global efforts to help India in its fight against the Chinese pandemic is Australian cricketing legend – Mathew Hayden.
In a recent post, the former cricketer has expressed his overwhelming support for India and slammed international media for criticizing the Indian government over its handling of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a detailed post, Mathew Hayden, perhaps frustrated by the global propaganda on India by the western media, shared his “perspective” on the pandemic saying, it is “not available to those sitting thousands of miles away.”
Hayden, who was in India to participate in the IPL tournament, penned a letter, saying, “India is in the middle of the pandemic second wave’s battering, as never seen before. As it battles the alarming spread of the virus, the world media has spared no time in lambasting a country of a whopping 1.4 billion where the sheer numbers make the implementation and success of any public scheme a challenge.”
Calling Tamil Nadu his ‘spiritual home’, the former Australian opener said, “I have been visiting India for over a decade now and have travelled all over the country, especially Tamil Nadu which I consider my “spiritual home”. I have always had the highest respect for the leaders and public officials who are entrusted with the task of running such a diverse and vast country”.
“Wherever I went, the people greeted me with love and affection, for which I remain in their debt. I can proudly claim that I have seen India up close over the years and that is why my heart bleeds to see it not only in agony at the moment, but also for the bad press that has been hurled at it by those who I am not sure to spend any time here to understand India, its people, and their myriad challenges,” he wrote in a column for the Institute for Australia India Engagement, a think-tank based in Australia.
Further, sharing his opinion on the biased media coverage against India, Mathew Hayden wrote, “As a cricketer and lover of the game, I have maintained my association with the sport which has allowed me to come to India to cover the Indian Premier League (IPL). Many of my fellow countrymen have also been playing in the IPL for years. In this context, at a time when the world has been shutting doors on India and lambasting the Government, I thought of sharing my thoughts while in India, to give a perspective not available to those sitting thousands of miles away”.
India appreciates Mathew Hayden’s gesture
Anand Mahindra, the chairman of the Mahindra Group took notice of Hayden’s emotional post for India and expressed his adulation to the former cricketer.
He wrote on Twitter, “Extracts from a heartfelt blog on India by @HaydosTweets. A cricketer whose heart is even bigger than his towering physical stature. Thank you for the empathy and your affection…”
Extracts from a heartfelt blog on India by @HaydosTweets A cricketer whose heart is even bigger than his towering physical stature. Thank you for the empathy and your affection… pic.twitter.com/h671mKYJkG
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) May 14, 2021
Uday Mahurkar, country’s Information Commissioner also praised Mathew Hayden for his moving article on India.
Cricketer Mathew Hayden’s moving article on India at a time when a section of foreign media n divisive forces from within see an opportunity in the Corona pandemic to batter India rather than give honest advice. Must read
— Uday Mahurkar (@UdayMahurkar) May 14, 2021
Incredible India deserves respect https://t.co/oIqzNLXJlg
Another social user opined that Mathew Hayden is more Indian than most Indians.
“Incredible India deserves respect”
— Achyutha (@achyutha) May 14, 2021
Mathew Hayden is more Indian than most Indians.
Respect.https://t.co/M1xRGZoA0X pic.twitter.com/PsRyTqWUJy