JAIPUR: Text messages describing the life and style of suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi haven't ceased to exist almost a year after he disappeared from the power alleys of Indian cricket.
The other day, one popped in claiming 'Modi spotted shopping in Dubai with Bollywood star.' Before that, there was another one that claimed 'Modi buys Ferrari in London.'
So, Modi continues to be in the news beyond the easily available resource which is the Twitter.
However, far from the authenticity of such text messages, reality suggests a different picture. Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Stadium, for instance, presents a stark truth in the manner in which every cornerstone laid by or during Modi's reign as an administrator, every picture of his that adorned the walls of the state association, every brochure or document or deed that suggested he had been here and done that, has been removed. If you didn't know Modi already, there's little chance you'll get to know any more now.
Also, along with Modi, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals - who entered BCCI's bad books for having Modi's co-brother-in-law as an investor in the team - have been facing similar music. Despite Royals winning the inaugural edition of the IPL, not a single picture of the team owners hangs on the walls of the enclosure that forms the entrance to the players' pavilion at the Mansingh Stadium.
It was, in fact, when this reporter arrived at the players' lounge that photographs of team owners and anything remotely related to them were being removed and replaced by players of the Rajasthan Ranji team who recently won their first ever domestic title.
Perhaps the only place inside the stadium where Modi's name still figures and is visible is on the cornerstone of the excellent Rajasthan Cricket Academy situated within the premises of the stadium. Speak to the locals here about the man and there are mixed reactions. They accept without battering an eyelid that without Modi the facility, and many such, wouldn't have seen the light of the day. However, equally adamantly, they insist that they're happy he's gone.
"You see these interiors?" says someone at the RCA, pointing to the posh floor to ceiling marble and paint that makes the lobby look quite classy. "This wouldn't have happened if not for him (Modi)," he says.
Modi may continue to buy his Ferrari and shop in Dubai's many glitzy malls, but in India he's fast disappearing into a myth. The man who ruled Rajasthan from the cool environs of the exclusive Rambagh Palace and bulldozed his way into the state's elites now exists no more. A bureaucrat, for instance, is euphoric that he won't be slapped with insults at the hands of a power-hungry middleman any more.
It is in the backdrop of these gradual developments, the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League is about to begin. For those interested, Modi has begun Tweeting how he's excited about the tournament and is looking forward to Friday's opening match. In Jaipur, however, anybody's hardly excited about his Tweets.
The state and its capital which Modi so haughtily ruled and reaped from, has moved on.
The other day, one popped in claiming 'Modi spotted shopping in Dubai with Bollywood star.' Before that, there was another one that claimed 'Modi buys Ferrari in London.'
So, Modi continues to be in the news beyond the easily available resource which is the Twitter.
However, far from the authenticity of such text messages, reality suggests a different picture. Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Stadium, for instance, presents a stark truth in the manner in which every cornerstone laid by or during Modi's reign as an administrator, every picture of his that adorned the walls of the state association, every brochure or document or deed that suggested he had been here and done that, has been removed. If you didn't know Modi already, there's little chance you'll get to know any more now.
Also, along with Modi, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals - who entered BCCI's bad books for having Modi's co-brother-in-law as an investor in the team - have been facing similar music. Despite Royals winning the inaugural edition of the IPL, not a single picture of the team owners hangs on the walls of the enclosure that forms the entrance to the players' pavilion at the Mansingh Stadium.
It was, in fact, when this reporter arrived at the players' lounge that photographs of team owners and anything remotely related to them were being removed and replaced by players of the Rajasthan Ranji team who recently won their first ever domestic title.
Perhaps the only place inside the stadium where Modi's name still figures and is visible is on the cornerstone of the excellent Rajasthan Cricket Academy situated within the premises of the stadium. Speak to the locals here about the man and there are mixed reactions. They accept without battering an eyelid that without Modi the facility, and many such, wouldn't have seen the light of the day. However, equally adamantly, they insist that they're happy he's gone.
"You see these interiors?" says someone at the RCA, pointing to the posh floor to ceiling marble and paint that makes the lobby look quite classy. "This wouldn't have happened if not for him (Modi)," he says.
Modi may continue to buy his Ferrari and shop in Dubai's many glitzy malls, but in India he's fast disappearing into a myth. The man who ruled Rajasthan from the cool environs of the exclusive Rambagh Palace and bulldozed his way into the state's elites now exists no more. A bureaucrat, for instance, is euphoric that he won't be slapped with insults at the hands of a power-hungry middleman any more.
It is in the backdrop of these gradual developments, the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League is about to begin. For those interested, Modi has begun Tweeting how he's excited about the tournament and is looking forward to Friday's opening match. In Jaipur, however, anybody's hardly excited about his Tweets.
The state and its capital which Modi so haughtily ruled and reaped from, has moved on.
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