As if the horror of suspending 67 Kashmiri university students for cheering Pakistani cricketers was not enough, the slapping of sedition charges against the students has left the cricket fraternity in a state of disbelief.
The message the knee jerk reaction has sent across the border is that the world’s largest democracy doesn’t care a toss about freedom of expression when rivals outface its cricketers on an unlucky day.
The shocking Indian move has given the Pakistani media fodder for whipping up anti-India sentiments on 24-hour channels.
A high-profile channel that champions Indo-Pak friendship through its ‘Aman ki Aasha’ (Hope for peace) program, took separatist Kashmiri leaders live and it became a juicy India bashing show.
Islamabad found an opportunity to spotlight the thorny ‘K’ issue. Although Islamabad knows it is not possible, it made an offer through the media: “Our hearts and educational institutions are open for Kashmiri students.”
The college has alleged that the students celebrated loudly in the dorm and raised pro-Pakistan slogans, which led to a fight with other students and escalated into vandalism and stone throwing. Does it prove that the students threatened India’s security or jeopardized its sovereignty? Is cheering a rival team a criminal offense in India?
It was just a minor incident involving some disgruntled elements. It should have been treated delicately because it had the potential of snowballing into a full-fledged communal riot. History has witnessed such cricket-related disturbances.
Jingoists might disagree with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who said it was an “unacceptably harsh punishment” that will ruin the future of the students and will further alienate them. But tolerance in such matters has no alternative. If a pressure-cooked solution to the Kashmir conundrum was possible, no untoward incident would happen in the last 25 years in the “paradise on earth.”
Can one imagine a section of audience in London being booked for anti-national activities if it chooses to cheer the Australian cricket team? Is it possible that a group of students in a Wellington university would find itself in a soup if it loudly supported South African cricketers? If there were no traditional rivalries, there would be no charm in cricket.
Some people in India, in their over enthusiasm, have killed sport in cricket.
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