If one sees Lionel Messi rubbing shoulders with Che Guevara and Fidel Castro on a flex, or Ronaldo waving a red Marxist flag, one need not be surprised. That's the football-crazy political Kerala for you.
And the dominant politics of one place can be assessed by the colour of the dhoti Neymar is wearing. If it is red, then you are passing through a Communist bastion, and if it is saffron, you know it is a BJP area! And if you see Rahul Gandhi wearing an Argentina jersey, you know that the Congress activist who put up that flex is a Messi fan.
The FIFA World Cup fever is affecting all and sundry. There is no age or gender or class or even political barriers. It has reached such a feverish pitch that on many flex boards that the DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M), has put up, the face of Che has been replaced by Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo.
Latin American countries Argentina and Brazil hold a special place in the hearts of Malayalis. And many a time the reasons behind this obsession is connected more to politics or ideologies than to sports.
This is more so in the case of Leftists. Comrades have many reasons to be fans of Argentina, and Che connection is the strongest of them. They will tell you that Argentinian legend Maradona has inked Che Guevara on his chest or the fact that Messi grew up in a place where Che was born....
Latin American countries Argentina and Brazil hold a special place in the hearts of Malayalis | Rijo Joseph
“Brazil and Argentina are my all-time favourites. It may be due to our fascination to their revolutionary zeal, deep-rooted political culture of the land along with the beauty of their game,'' said M.B. Rajesh, MP, known for his football craze.
Asked to choose between Brazil and Argentina, he was in a fix. “It's a tough call as I love both... But this time, I am with Argentina,” he said.
International politics also play a crucial role in determining one's favourite country, it seems. The fact that Argentina cancelled a football World Cup warm-up match with Israel over Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza also has won it many fans here.
“That very act shows what Argentina is all about. I pray every day for Argentina to win,'' said Abdul Azeez, a native of Kozhikode. A huge England fan till recently, he shifted his loyalty only last week.
“Sports is not just sports; it is also about love for fellow beings,” he would explain to you.
Local sports clubs, mostly controlled by the dominant political party in the areas, are holding football matches these days. And the names of the teams vary from Argentina, Brazil, England and even Saudi Arabia. Theatre festivals with football themes are also being organised by cultural wings affiliated to various political parties.
The FIFA World Cup fever is affecting all and sundry | Rijo Joseph
The CPI(M), with its strong network of cultural personalities, is at the forefront. The State Youth Welfare Board, headed by CPI(M) youth wing leader Chintha Jerome, is arranging a big screen to telecast the football live in all districts. It has arranged 400 odd screens for this. The fact that it would be the state secretary of the CPI(M), Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who would be flagging off the inaugural rally in connection with the World Cup, underlines the importance that the party gives to the FIFA World Cup fever.
The Congress is also catching up.
“The party is not organising any matches directly. But many youth clubs associated with us are doing it. I, personally, had organised a sevens football match,” said Hibi Eden, Congress MLA. Though the CPI(M) is ahead in capturing the football mania, Eden dismissed it saying the Congress cannot do what the CPI(M) does. “They may put Neymar and Che together; they will also put Jesus Christ and even Swami Vivekananda on their hoardings. We do not do such gimmicks,'' he said.
The BJP, which is increasingly becoming a mainstream player in the state, however, is yet to catch up with the rest. “We have not planned any football related events even as an organisation... maybe next time,” BJP leader K. Surendran told THE WEEK.
Other than political parties, even bakeries, salons, and textile shops are gearing to latch on to the football fever. There are World Cup-themed cakes, ice creams, special haircuts, umbrella, bags, head gears and branded jerseys. The football mania is such that if a visitor can't be blamed for mistakenly believing that the World Cup is happening in Kerala or that India is a participating nation!