This past Sunday would be remembered for years, if not
decades to come. It was a jam-packed stadium at Mirpur where India lost to
Pakistan in a crucial cricket match thanks to the last over heroics of Shahid
Afridi. It was à la Eid affair back home in Kashmir with celebrations starting
just after Afridi’s last hit sailed across the boundary for a Six. I surprised
my friends here at the university by sharing with them my happiness of India
losing the match. Upon seeing me happy they expected India to have won the
match. Back in India, more than 60 Kashmiri students of a University were suspended
by the authorities and booked for ‘sedition’ for ‘celebrating’ the Indian team’s
loss.
In Kashmir, i studied at an institute which is unique for a
college/university in Kashmir. The majority of the students in the institute
were non-local, non-Kashmiri students. During the course of my studies there
were many cricket matches we watched together in the common-hall of our
institute. Among all of them, I remember three cricket matches which are significantly
relevant in the present context.
In 2009, the ICC World Twenty20 Final was played between
Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Lord’s. Pakistan won the match with, again, Shahid
Afridi playing a major role. Indian students rooted for Sri Lanka in the match
and Kashmiris cheered for Pakistani team. I decided to go home, watched the
match at home partly because I did not want to hear the battle cries and
hooting by fellow Indian students in case Pakistan lost the match. However, the
Kashmiri students at the hostels after the match were ecstatic. Pakistan having
won the match, Pakistani national song was played in hostels on full volume with
only the joy of having won the match. An odd slogan here and there. "Meri
jaan Pakistan".
Australia versus Pakistan. St. Lucia. ICC World Twenty20,
2010 - Semi-Final. At one point of time in the match Pakistan were cruising along
with the match having set a huge target of 192 runs before the Australian team.
With every falling wicket the joy in the Kashmiris watching the match was
reaching new levels. Indians were silently watching the game and gradually
leaving the common-hall. Just when Mike Hussey began pummelling Saeed Ajmal’s
deliveries across the boundary the Indians felt a new lease of life. The last
five balls bowled by Ajmal went for 23 runs and Hussey took Australia into the
finals single-handedly. By the last over, only the mess-workers were in the
common-hall with Kashmiris having retired themselves to the hostel rooms. While
Hussey raised a storm at St. Lucia, Indians raised one in the Chenab hostel at
NIT Srinagar. Slogans, MCs, BCs and celebrations. It was as if India
had just won a war against Pakistan although the Indian team was knocked out
earlier, having lost all of its matches in the knockout stage.
We did not damage college property just because the Indians
celebrated Pakistan team’s loss, acting upon their sentiment. We did not demand
their rustication, or suspension. We did not burn effigy of the Director
because the Indian students had violated our sentiments by celebrating a
Pakistani loss. Many of us were willing to battle it out verbally, or may be
physically as well. But, restraint was the way. We would always ask ourselves, “If
we fight, the news will go out and there will be problems for Kashmiris
studying in India”.
India versus Pakistan. Mohali. ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 –
Semi-Final. This was The match. Special arrangements were being made, both, by
the students as well as the college authorities. Students in hostels without
internet did some self-made arrangements for watching the match while as the
authorities decided to shut down the common-hall for the night. Just in case. Police
was deployed in the campus. And India won the match, and went on to win the
Final as well. Those who had stayed back in the hostel reported ecstatic
celebrations with slogans and all. “Indiyaaaaaaa, Indiyaaaaaa”. Again there was
no fight, there were no demands for suspension of students. Had there been some
sort of equivalent of Hindutva parties in Kashmir, I think they might have
demanded the same for the Indian students who celebrated the Pakistan team’s
loss. But there are not any!
For me, however, it did not come as a surprise to see the
bigoted reaction of the same Indians who studied with us at the same college in
Kashmir for four years. One of them commented on the recent suspension of the
Kashmiri students saying, “First step towards controlling anti
nationals” and six others ‘liked’ this comment. Strangely, one of those
who ‘liked’ this comment also lives to believe that Pakistan is all about hunger and
bombs. To quote him,“Bahut pyaar karte
hain kashmiri bhaiyon se... aise nahi jaane denge paakistan... bhookho marne,
bombs me udne ke liye”. Well, UN testifies that poverty levels in India are
alarmingly higher than in Pakistan.
It is like them saying to us, “I have a sentiment. It is
called National Interest. I can abuse, arrest or kill in its name.”
“Thou shall not have a sentiment!”