My Team: Right or Wrong

IT is become fashionable among the intelligentsia to be ‘well balanced’. It seems to be old fashioned to be ‘one sided’.

I recall, whilst resident in a south Asian country, I was a supporter of a particular person to be the head of the Indian business chamber. Originally the head-ship was thrust on him, becoz no one wanted it. He turned out to be a ‘popular’ head and was re-elected to that office for many years, most of the time uncontested. Not that there weren’t any other candidates. There were, but they knew that they will be defeated. So they never stood for election.

As years went by, the opposition got a bright idea: there should be a provision in the constitution that a person can not be head for more than 2 or 3 years running.

Due to this ‘dispute’, the Indian diplomat located in that town took matters in his hand. He asked for a general body meeting to be called to consider this amendment to the constitution as drafted by him.

The incumbent head n his Team were opposed to this. They argued that if anyone wants, he can come forward n contest elections.

Personally I was in favour of the proposal to limit the number of years one could be Head.

On the eve of the General Body, the Head n his supporters called on me to get my support. In principle I was in favour of the amendment. After a lot of debate, I asked myself: if I am a supporter of this Team, I must support their stand. Else what kind of a supporter am I. (in later years on return to India, I have heard the phrase: issue based support).

So I cast my vote with the Incumbent.

The point I am making is that if one belongs to a particular party, ideology, Team, he cannot in all honesty oppose his party, ideology, Team when it comes to a public airing. It is no dishonesty to voice the difference within the Grouping. But when it comes to a public airing, it has to be my Team, right or wrong.