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Woe, Calcutta!

It was another black day for Calcutta.

Calcuttans are hanging their heads in shame for the behaviour of a section of the crowd at Eden Gardens today. A record of sorts has been created at the Eden as the match was concluded with emptied galleries.

Spectators at the Eden Gardens had earned praise for appreciating good cricket even by visiting teams. As such, today's behaviour has stunned all middle-class Calcuttans for whom an entry into the stadium is out of bounds because of the price of tickets.

What happened at the Gardens on Saturday was just a repetition of the shameful incident during the semifinals for the Worlds Cup in 1996 between India and Sri Lanka.

It was the same pan masala-chewing, safari-clad, cellphone-toting brigade which started shouting "Pakistan murdabad" while a majority of the crowd, which had been displaying flags of both the countries, stood as hapless spectators, not even daring to stop these people who were more interested in communal politics than sports.

During the semi-final match in 1996 India was playing Sri Lanka. But to the surprise of many it was the same crowd which started shouting "Pakistan hai hai".

When India was all set to lose the match against Sri Lanka, missiles were thrown into the ground. It was around 8.30 pm when match referee Clive Lloyd came out for inspection.

Even he was not spared. An empty liquor bottle landed near his feet. Newspapers were gathered to set the galleries aflame.

Lloyd was really surprised. Because during his cricketing years, the spectators at the same Eden gardens had appreciated his good cricket with thunderous applause despite watching India lose.

He was left with no choice, really -- the match was called off and awarded to the Sri Lankans.

The Calcutta media raised a hue and cry, condemning such behaviour and columnists analysed why such a thing could happen at a place like Eden Gardens.

The West Bengal government promplty ordered a probe which was conducted by state sports secretary Sumantra Chowdhury. He submitted a detailed report, but that is probably lying among the thousands of files at the Writers' Buildings.

Yesterday, when trouble erupted after Sachin Tendulkar was declared out, Chowdhury was sitting at the club house next to a journalist.

As mineral water bottles, fruits and other missiles aimed at the Pakistani fielders landed within the ground and the police did not dare to enter the galleries, Chowdhury recalled his report. He had suggested that the capacity of the spectators at the Gardens be reduced by at least thirty per cent so that there could be sufficient gap between the spectators, and the security personnel could make their ways inside the galleries.

The capacity of the stadium is 1,00,000. But usually there are at least 10,000 more people during any cricket match within the stadium.

However, the CAB reportedly did not agree to the suggestion because that would mean gross reduction in gate money. And it is now the CAB which will be paying the price.

But as trouble broke out, what were the police doing?

More than 10,000 policemen were deployed for the match. But most of them were posted outside the stadium and were busy checking tickets of spectators hundreds of yards from the stadium.

The bigwigs of the Calcutta police force had claimed that even if a person threw an orange into the ground, he would be arrested. During Friday's disruption of play, the police looked the other way at first. After Sachin Tendulkar and Jagmohan Dalmiya went around the ground, the police arrested eighteen persons on charges of creating trouble within the galleries.

When the same thing was repeated on Saturday, the senior police officials had no option but to announce that the play would not be resumed, and to vacate the galleries.

This indicated the flaws in the security arrangements, and have raised questions about the efficiency of the Calcutta Police.

There is only one topic which is being discussed at all places in Calcutta. Bengalees known for their "adda" are debating whether in future any foreign team would agree to play cricket in Calcutta.

Soccer violence in Calcutta is nothing new. But that stopped after 16 youths were killed in the early-seventies during an East Bengal – Mohun Bagan match.

In the history of Eden Gardens, a cricket match was first disrupted in the late sixties when India was playing the West Indies. Violence had erupted in the stadium and tarpaulin sheets meant to protect the spectators were set ablaze. The crowd ran into the ground and the pitch was destroyed.

But that had nothing to do with cricket. It took place because policemen beat up a middle-aged man and some of the spectators intervened. The police lathicharged the spectators, and that led to a pitched battle.

According to most of the Calcuttans, the latest disruption of play is certainly condemnable but at the same time understandable, because of the controversial manner in which Sachin got out.

But what happened on Saturday is neither akin to Eden Gardens nor to Calcutta.

It is the vernacular press which is responsible to a large extent.

At the end of Friday's play the match was certainly poised in favour of Pakistan. But the vernacular press deliberately raised the hopes of cricket loving fans in a chauvinistic manner.

Screamed the lead story of Ananada Bazar Patrika, the most widely circulated Bengali daily, "India's fate is in Bengal's hands" with a shoulder headline – "Sourav's battle to be a superstar".

Another daily, Aajkaal, known for its good sports coverage, ran its lead story with the headline which said something to the effect that the 'superman' had falled by accident, but the "Maharaj will grab Eden" -- meaning that though Sachin failed, Sourav would lead the team to victory.

Bartaman, another Bengali daily wrote, "Dramatic end expected, crowd burning with emotion" and "Sourav is now the hope".

Even Sunil Gavaskar's story in Aajkaal, carried the headline, "There is no doubt Sachin was out – Sourav alone can bring victory".

The people flocked to the Gardens on Saturday with their hopes high -- omitting apparently to read Sourav's reaction when a former cricketer, Gopal Bose, telephoned him last night to remind him of the task he was expected to perform that day.

Sourav replied without any trace of emotion that he would try his best, but he was not a superman.

In the sixties and the seventies, when spectators never saw India win, they could still applaud good performances on the cricket field.

Today, that is the stuff of legend. Adulation greets a win -- stones, a defeat. And communal politics has raised its ugly head even in the metropolis' sports circles.

While the ruling Marxists and Jagmohan Dalmiya might feel that Calcutta's tradition has not been affected, an ordinary Calcuttan is ashamed and does not agree with the high and mighty.