By:- Omkar Dattatray
In a democracy the voices and demands of the people should be accepted particularly when the demands are in national interest. Different political leaders are demanding the there should be no cricket match between India and Pakistan on 24th of October. Even the Centre Minister Giriraj Singh has demanded that the T-20 should not be played with the Pakistan as that country is actively encouraging and exporting terrorism to Jammu and Kashmir. There is no need to play the cricket match with the country which is fomenting trouble and directing the killings of the innocent people in Jammu and Kashmir. Not only is that country involved in the killings of the unarmed civilians but is also killing our army jawans with impunity. In the Poonch operation Safaya our nine soldier shave been martyred by Pakistani infiltrators which included also some officers of the army and it has brought a pall of gloom and grief in the country. In our Jammu and Kashmir target killing of the civilians of different communities which included Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and the non kashmiris’ are being executed on the directions of Pakistan by the terrorists and the land of Kashmir is socked with the innocent blood of the victims. All the killings of the security forces and the civilians in Jammu and Kashmir are being done at the behest of the rouge state of Pakistan and we are made to bleed. In such an atmosphere there is no logic in playing the cricket match against the Pakistan cricket team. The demand for the cancellation of the T-20 match is not only coming from the nationalistic circles but even the member parliament and president of the AIMIM Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly demanded the cancellation of the T-20 match with the enemy country Pakistan. Because that country is involved in the killing of our army jawans and thus the match should not be played with the players of Pakistan till the time Pakistan mends its attitude and stops terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Such is the gravity of the situation that the AIMIM has demanded and favoured the cancellation of the cricket match with Pakistan. The Shiv Sena member parliament and spokesman Sanjay Rawat has also demanded and favoured the cancellation of the cricket match with Pakistan when our civilians and army personnel are being killed by the terrorists at the behest of Pakistan. There is thus no logic, utility and sense in the playing of the cricket match when our country is busy in performing the last rites of the people and army soldiers martyred by the Pakistan supported terrorists. The ex servicemen and the relatives of the civilians killed and the army personnel martyred have also demanded that the T-20 match should not be played with the Pakistan team. The television panelist retired army general G.D Bakshi has also demanded the cancellation of the match till the Pakistan will not stop the killings of the civilians and the army personnel. He has said that there is no sense in the love fest with Pakistan when our people are being killed at the behest of Pakistan. The precious lives of the civilians and the army jawans are being killed by the Pakistan trained terrorists’ day in and day out and there is thus no need and sense in the playing of the cricket between India and Pakistan. In the interest of the nation the cricket match with Pakistan should be cancelled to protest against that country’s involvement in the killings of the innocent civilians and the army men. The Pakistan should be made to realize its follies and its undue interference in our country and its direct involvement in the mayhem and violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Unfortunately the BCCI President has said that it cannot cancel the T-20 match with Pakistan as it is violation of the international agreements and conventions and thus there is no question of the cancellation of the cricket match with Pakistan. The international agreements are there but the Indian government should take the final call and direct the BCCI to cancel the cricket match as it is the need of the hour and the demands of the general people are involved in it and therefore the cricket match with Pakistan should be cancelled to satisfy the aspirations of the common Indian and the political leaders who are demanding the cancellation of the cricket match with Pakistan. It is the consistent position of Indian government that the terrorism and talks cannot go together and thus so as the Pakistan does not abdicate its nefarious designs in Jammu and Kashmir, no dialogue should be held with that country. On the same analogy it can be safely argued that till the Pakistan does not stop to send terrorists to India there should be no question of playing cricket with that country. Civilian and army killings and playing of the cricket match cannot go hand in hand and thus there cannot be cricket match between India and Pakistan. Pakistan should be made to realize that it cannot continue to bleed India with a thousand cuts as is the policy of that country and also have cricket diplomacy to show its false innocence to the international community. Thus cricket playing and killings cannot go together and for the national interest the cricket match should be cancelled without wasting further time. Matches are played for strengthening friendship and for fostering an atmosphere of mutual trust but when one country is having a trust deficit and when it is directly and indirectly involved in the killings of the people and the security personnel there is no use in playing cricket. The cricket matches and other matches are played between the friendly countries but when one of the two countries is involved in the killings of the civilians and army personnel there is no sense in playing between the two hostile countries. Therefore till Pakistan will not mend its ways and till that country does not stop to send trained terrorists to India,no match should be played with that country to give a strong message to them that playing and killings cannot go together. Thus the need of the hour is that no match should be played with the enemy country so long as that country will not shun the path of violence and terrorism which is its state policy. Thus it fallows that peace and war can not go together and the talks and terrorism can also not go together and so playing of cricket and the killings of the innocent people and the security forces cannot go hand in glove with each other. Therefore sanity lies in this that the cricket match should not be played till that country reins in the militants and terrorists and till it stops in sending of the terrorists to India. Thus for the time being no to cricket diplomacy please for the sake of the nation because the national interest is the paramount between the relations of the two countries.
