The recent outbreak in Kolkata over Lionel Messi could never be about the mere length of time that the legendary player took on the stage. Intrinsic to it was something much deeper a sense of the wholesale crowd who were present to witness this incident being denied any clear absolute vision of the same.
When Visibility is Taken Away
What frustrated fans was not so much the lack of access, but the feeling of exclusion. Those who paid to get in, stood in lines, and waited found themselves with their eyes fixed on the shoulders of security, fans, or VIPs. Instead of Messi, they were left to look at backsides or barriers. A crowd that pays for what it views as its own event quickly turns from jubilant to humiliated.
Privilege over the Public
The general public can easily bear with some delays and security restrictions but what it cannot easily bear is being made to feel that the true event is occurring in a protected zone that is for the elite alone. After such an initial perception is gained, any restriction is perceived as an insult, any encounter with the elite as an act of appropriation.
Pele’s Visit and a Familiar Pattern
This is no new Kolkata experience either. When Pelé came years back, it exposed the same divide lying hidden. Although the game became legendary, what happened in the background had a completely different tale to tell. Bureaucrats swarmed into restricted areas, as if the presence of the legend is a badge of honor. A classic incident from that era about a minister being denied entry into Pelé’s room showed what happens to hierarchy in the presence of greatness.
Secrecy That Backfires
Organizers normally attempt to manage the crowd through quiet exits and distraction strategies. In Kolkata, such actions tend to provoke, as opposed to pacify. When fans are left waiting for their exits at strategic points, they feel duped, not delayed. This anger is not necessarily triggered by the inconvenience but by the perception of intentional deception.
Factors that sparked among fans
Some factors that tend to contribute to unrest:
VIP obstruction, where VIPs fill up the VIP area and make it difficult for other people to get there.
Diversions or secrets that make the fans feel misled.
Lack of accessibility or poor levels of accessibility, impression of broken promises
Loss of control: This is when poor management triggers the spillover of frustration into the individual’s social interactions
Kolkata’s Honest Response
Fans need to feel respected, given clarity, fairness, and an honest opportunity to bear witness to history. When fans feel duped, asked for their money and their time as privilege takes center stage, so does the volume, only in protest.
