MUMBAI: If you can’t be king, ensure the one who rules (in this case queen) in your stead, operates under your “strict guidance”. Indian cricket notionally broke the glass ceiling Thursday with the “unanimous election” of Rupa Gurunath as president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) in Chennai on Thursday.
She is the first woman to head a state unit of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Tamil Nadu cricket’s strongman N Srinivasan Srinivasan was present on the occasion of his daughter’s “date with history”.
All this “landmark election” really served to underline though is that while India may be the economic power centre of world cricket, when it comes to due process the operating principles are largely driven by feudal considerations.
To put matters in perspective, Ms Gurunath is not just Srinivasan’s daughter, but also the wife of Gurunath Meiyappan, who was handed a life ban from all cricketing activities by the Supreme Court after being implicated in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
So Ms Gurunath’s first official comments post her “election” were ironic to say the least. The new TNCA president said the association will have “zero tolerance” towards corruption. “Of course TNCA has zero tolerance for any form of corruption and TNCA will take appropriate action on any such issues,” she asserted after taking office.
“We shall continue to provide all necessary amenities and any other requirements for the players to perform at their best and look forward to improve their performances in all forms of cricket.”
Public utterances notwithstanding, it should surprise no one that this is the first foray into cricket administration for the full-time director at India Cements, the company owned by Srinivasan, which also owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings.
And it is this very same “no tolerance for corruption” TNCA that has been in news for all the wrong reasons recently, with unnamed officials, coaches and players in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (which the state association owns and operates) being accused of match-fixing. An inquiry is currently underway in the matter.
Coming back to the “historic election”, Ms Gurunath was elected unopposed at TNCA’s 87th Annual General Meeting. Hers was the only nomination filed for the post of president, the process for which ended on Wednesday evening.
The Supreme Court on September 20 allowed the TNCA to hold elections to elect its office bearers. A Bench comprising Justices SA Bobde and L Nageswara Rao said that the election results will be subject to the apex court’s final order.
TNCA non-compliant on 21 counts: CoA
The Committee of Administrators has deemed TNCA’s new constitution as “non compliant” on 21 counts as per Lodha Committee’s recommendations and asked them to take corrective measures by October 4 if they have to participate in the BCCI AGM on October 23, PTI reports.
The CoA on Thursday wrote to TNCA “that various amendments have been made by TNCA in the Amended Constitution on a deliberate misinterpretation of the order dated 20th September, 2019.”
The CoA in its mail wrote that TNCA has been non-compliant on 21 counts, namely “articles 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33 and 34.”
The mail categorically states that the age cap of 70 years remains and Supreme Court has clarified that. “The CoA further clarifies that the Supreme Court vide its order dated September 20, 2019 in no manner permits removal of all disqualifications in relation to Members of the Apex Council, as has been effected by TNCA in its amended constitution by removal of Rule 14 (3) to (5),” it stated.
Accordingly, the CoA clarified that all other disqualifications are to remain in full force viz. those contained in Rule 6(5) (a) to (e) and (g) and Rule 14 (3)(a) to (e) and (g) of the BCCI Constitution.”
It further stated: “Accordingly, TNCA is hereby again requested to incorporate all the aforesaid proposed amendments in their constitution and register such modified constitution with the Registrar of Societies, Tamil Nadu and provide a copy of the said registered constitution to the Committee of Administrators at the earliest.”
TNCA is thereafter requested to conduct its elections in accordance with such registered and compliant constitution before October 4, 2019 in order for its results and the representative to be recognized for the purpose of BCCI elections.
