Puneet Bansal
Washington D.C.: The future of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and its commissioner Lalit Modi is in danger, and this is now sending jitters to the USA. If IPL closes shop, it is likely that USA will suffer a lot, since American cheerleaders working in it will lose jobs. Modi is said to have been let off in criminal cases in the USA earlier on the condition that he got Americans jobs later on.Amidst the global recession and rising unemployment rate, the possibility of IPL's end has shocked the American economy. The New York Stock Exchange fell down 300 points reacting to this news. President Barack Obama has himself expressed deep concern and said, "This could jeopardize the future of hundreds of school- and college-girls who never dreamt of earning a decent living. Instead, they chose to go to India and show their dance moves. Today they are the only source of income to our country." Sensing the gravity of the issue, Obama further said, "This is not acceptable that our women are losing jobs because there are allegations of betting on IPL."
Political pundits predict this development could endanger the outsourcing business and could aggravate the anti-Indian sentiments among the Americans. "It can also put brakes on the Nuclear Deal which is very dear to India," said one.
Infosys founder N R Narayan Murthy has also sensed the side-effects and requested the government to let the IPL be the way it is. "We need to improve the image of India - we are the job givers, not job takers," he said. Obama has assured the public, however, that steps will be taken by the government to ensure that IPL should continue and provide job avenues for American women. "Despite everything, we are still the lions and the Indians timid mice. We will manage it," assured Obama.
IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, without leaving the opportunity to gain some praise, tweeted that the whole idea of IPL was to provide young talented unemployed American women a way to earn decent living and a decent boyfriend (he himself). This tweet was made through Modi's account only, which was supposedly hacked earlier. "I want to help the downtrodden Americans... I spoiled so many of them when I was a student there, and they all honour me," tweeted Modi.
