Why should the youth of India and Pakistan not have Saeed Anwar and Sachin Tendulkar as their role models, instead of the bottom-wriggling Shan and Hrithik Roshan, to ‘inspire’ them?
BY the time this piece appears in print, the Indian cricket team will be on Pakistani soil. A gift of the peace process. It is expected, and rightly so, that it will facilitate the improvement of relations between the two neighbouring countries who, for 56 years, have had an adverse relationship. It is “not cricket” if the sentiment on ground is anything other than cricket.
Some three years ago, I was invited by Star News to participate in the popular show The Great Fight by Rajdeep Sardesai, producer, anchorman and friend. Also, an Oxford Blue and the son of legendary Indian batsman, Dilip Sardesai. The atmosphere inside the air-conditioned and serene studio was anything but friendly, particularly with the presence of the Sanyasini minister, Uma Bharti, who was locking horns with Harsha Bhogle and former chairman of the Cricket Board, N.K.P. Salve, but majority of the audience was rooting for their firebrand minister. The hostility of the audience towards me, an outsider and a Pakistani, was palpable.
The subject of the ‘great fight’ that day was “Should India play Pakistan in cricket?”
“No,” said the then Indian minister for sports firmly, “Because every cricketing encounter is played less like a game and more like a war. Indo-Pak cricket has become the ultimate war game.”
But you cannot punish youth for something that is not their fault, I pleaded. They have nothing to do with terror and territory, war and weapons. Why should they pay the price for the acts of (mis)deeds of politicians and the military?
Sports are a pleasant pastime that gives both health and happiness. Why should the youth of India and Pakistan not have Saeed Anwar and Sachin Tendulkar as their role models instead of the bottom-wriggling Shan and Hrithik Roshan to ‘inspire’ them, I inquired.
And bringing the two peoples together in a sports arena is so simple. They would cheer and root for not just both teams but even one another’s teams.
It happened in Panipat in 1997 when the munh-boli behans of the Karachi schoolboys came on the ground and cheered lustily for the Pakistani youngsters who they had befriended in just one day.
At Aligarh in 2001, the Muslim University boys were trailing behind the schoolboys from Karachi by just one goal. A minute was left for the final whistle when the university team was awarded a penalty corner. Said the Pakistani team manager to the AMU Vice-Chancellor seated next to him, “I hope the AMU team can convert this time.” They did. “You stole the match from boys,” said the VC to the Pakistani manager. “No,” replied the manager, “I won the hearts of the hospitable Aligarians!”
Four years earlier, at a breakfast party, the then Vice-Chancellor handed over a beautiful silver trophy crafted in Moradabad to me. “But we have yet to play the match. Isn’t the presentation of the trophy a bit premature?” I asked the VC.
“This is not for the match but for your goodwill and grace in coming all the way from Karachi to Aligarh, braving the weather and the weather-beaten roads between Delhi and Aligarh.” It so happened that in 1997 the university boys beat us.
One wonders if the LG trophy will be presented to the Indian cricket team for their friendly gesture, or better still to their prime minister for making this much looked-forward to series a reality.
Not far away in Lucknow, when the Pakistani swimmers were way ahead in the points tally much to the disappointment of the young crowd, the Karachi team decided to swap team caps. Shia College and City Montessori colours being worn by the Pakistani swimmers and the Habibian caps being worn by the Indian swimmers. The crowd came alive as the ‘Indian’ team appeared to be forging ahead in the relay races and their scores looking much healthier now than before.
Bringing them together in fun and frolic was so simple.
The heightened tension and conflict during the last three years brought Pakistan and India to the brink of war with a million uniformed men of both countries locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation for nearly a year. After such a harrowing situation just a few months back, if India and Pakistan can today play cricket together, then irrespective of which team wins or loses, every game played in peace and harmony will make both countries partners in victory.
Writes friend Mazher Husain from Hyderabad Deccan in Southern India: ‘Wars and flags have historic association. Every war in history was fought under a flag and most wars are fought for flags. But if flags have flagged off so many wars, flags could also flag in peace. However, there seems to be a caveat here. While any one flag can start a war, it takes at least two flags to cement peace.
The two flags that could flag in peace and set a new trend in togetherness and friendship for the whole world are the flags of India and Pakistan.
The Pakistan-India match is on. Thousands are watching it inside the stadium and millions are glued to the television sets. A good shot is played by the batsman. Any batsman. Or a brilliant delivery is made by the bowler. Any bowler. The crowd roars its approval. The people inside the stadium wave flags. Not one, but two flags. The flags of India and Pakistan. Each spectator is holding two flags in his hands ....’
Present and past cricketers, other sports persons, film stars and celebrities from different fields could be approached to endorse this new approach to the game of cricket. If the campaign catches on and becomes a trend, commercial companies can come in and reap a rich harvest through trade, business ventures and technology cooperation for the benefit of the marginal people of both countries.
A web site can be created to facilitate information sharing throughout the campaign period. If this opportunity is missed then each cricket encounter could degenerate into a proxy war, defeating the very spirit of the game and lead to antagonism and rancour instead of promoting friendship, peace and understanding. What we face today is both a historic challenge and a unique opportunity.
Each and every Indian and Pakistani would be responsible for whatever atmosphere finally prevails, and each one of us would be answerable to history. With stakes so high why not play cricket differently this time?
