No ill-will intended, just lighten up!

Weekly supplement titled Roshalo, of Bangla daily Prothom Alo, known for its bold humour and impish style, is making news on the other side of the border, not for flattering reasons, to be sure. You may just have a frown in your forehead, a short-lived one, we can assure you. Yes, all hell broke loose in a section of the Indian media over a 'photoshop caricature' on the cover of Roshalo's last Friday issue. No wonder, the eclectic content has gone viral over social media. While it has taken a week to sink in, it might take a few more to go off the radar.

The New Indian Express in a New Delhi datelined report fired a salvo last Thursday: "The caricature showed Indian players Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan and Ravichandran Ashwin half-bald holding a banner saying 'We've used it. You can use it too'."

"Behind the cricketers shows a billboard showing Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur with a cutter in his hand symbolising his renowned 'offcutters'. The exact translation from the billboard is 'Tiger Stationery, Made in Bangladesh, Mustafiz Cutter is available in Stadium Market, Mirpur, Dhaka'."

ABP News Bureau of Delhi in a report said, "A newspaper ad by a renowned Bangladeshi newspaper shaming Team India members reeks of lack of sportsmanship in Bangladesh media."

A well-known Indian journalist even dug into the past recalling a resentment in Bangladesh since the Farakka barrage days. Some of them thought with a graceful self-effacement topping that: India's ODI series defeat against Bangladesh went down as 'a sweet revenge' by Bangladesh for her defeat in World Cup quarterfinals against India. It implied a spat over some controversial umpiring decisions in the crucial match. 

Well, from Bangladesh's side, the rants have been no less audible. There was the provocative Mauka Mauka jingle of an ad about the ICC World Cup India versus Bangladesh match. Of course, the same ad was run on the eve of the matches against South Africa and Australia. But Bangladesh, as the improving side, needed good neighbourly encouragement from a well-established Team India. Besides, ads or remarks pointing to a 'Bachcha' coming of age sounded condescending. By contrast, you heard the genial Indian team manager's parting remarks to the press: "Bangladesh cricketers have not attained the present status overnight, it took 15 years' hard work and coaching for them to shape up as a strong winning unit." 

In a sharp contrast to the riled Indian media, the country's ad guru Prahlad Kakkar paid unqualified compliments to the Roshalo satire. Rating the graphics as 'creative' he had a good laugh over the funny streak. He asked, 'Wouldn't have the Indian readers enjoyed the caricature had it been used in case of Pakistan?" 

It can, however, be assumed that given the freedom of thought and speech in India, the Bangladeshi cartoonist may have taken an un-poetic liberty. 

True, Indians worship their cricketers as heroes and can't normally countenance any negative jibe at them. But no personal umbrage taken. Their respect for their cricket icons is too robust to be wilted by any 'petty-fogging'. 

Churchillean words, 'Magnanimity in victory and defiance in defeat' have not apparently wholly worked with Indian and Bangladeshi media. This is a pity. They can do with a greater sense of humour without any whiff of rancour harboured even in the deeper recesses of their minds. In fact, the mainstream Indian media granted that if Modi-Hasina relations had not taken the bilateral ties to a new height, any hint of negative publicity would have been much worse. 

What all the above boils down to is the need for respecting each other's sensibilities. Both countries have to realise that just as their relationship has become closer, poised to grow from strength to strength with some unfinished agenda on the table, it is important that they don't hurt each other unnecessarily although they can critique one another on a constructive, problem-solving basis.

Indian media has recognised Bangladesh cricket as a unifier for the nation and that is about the best compliment it could give to our rising cricket star. On that note we end on a handshake.

The writer is Associate Editor, The Daily Star.
E-mail: husain.imam@thedailystar.netStar