Beauty and whiteness: the Indian Premier League

The jiggling dance fest is posing problems for the Indian authorities. Some players have complained - Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi has demanded their removal, citing them as a distraction to his keen sense of hard-hitting. “Cricket itself is an entertainment. It does require such cheerleaders to entertain.”

The authorities are also caught in a bind. R.R. Patil, State Home Minister, threw out the bar dancers of Mumbai in 2005. He now sees a sporting equivalent in open play, and is wondering whether to act. The conservative Bharatiya Janata Party Maharashtra President Nitin Gadkari could barely restrain himself. In the Legislative Council on April 23, he posed the question: “If the state has banned dance bars, then how is it allowing vulgar dances by scantily-clad cheerleaders in IPL matches?” An investigation of work permits may soon commence.

Capitalism, but to be more exact, commercialism, is indifferent to bonds, to ties, to community. It dishevels, it parts. Every major historical revolt against capitalism has a common assumption: rampant, unmonitored commercialism throws up factions which re-order society. So, the girls dance, fleshy, nubile, exquisite, some Indian patrons hurl abuse, and the BJP protests. Are Indians, despite an increasingly insatiable middle class, ready for this?

The donors and the stake holders of this giant enterprise won’t care - unless it affects the purse strings. Like the concept of fast food consumption, the 20-20 format of the IPL is set to be replicated. Allen Sanford, the Texan billionaire is keen to run the model in England. An otherwise conservative English Cricket Board might just relent.