As India and Pakistan are set to play the final of ICC champions trophy 2017 on sunday at oval England, the emotions run high in Kashmir.Everyone in Kashmir is desperately waiting for the day final match of the champions trophy is played. Elders, young , children, men, women all talk about the match. The match is the talk of the town. The supporters of both the teams will be chanting , yelling and cheering but the Kashmiri parents whose children are studying outside Kashmir in other states of the country are awe stuck. They are cursing the match . They are too much concerned about the safety of their wards. They are calling the children again and again . The scheduled match has indicted sort of nervousness in them keeping in view the previous incidents like that of Asia cup in which India lost to Pakistan and the kashmiri students were beaten ,booked and even expelled from the colleges.
This article is focused on the Kashmiri students who are studying in other states of the country. I just want to convey to them kindly ignore the match and control your emotions keeping in view the present state of intoleranance in other states of the country . Focus on your studies and just forget about the cricket for a while. No doubt keeping the emotions inside and not letting them come out in open is the worst type of occupation but you have to do it for your safety, your future and for your dear parents. For instance if Pakistan wins and you celebrate the win the outcome may be:
1.You will be beaten to pulp
2.Uou may be booked under the sedition
3.You may be expelled from the college
- All three may happen to you.
So be brave and behave as if you don’t know anything about the cricket. You may be thinking that everyone has the right to cheer for the team or the player one likes but there is nothing like that in India now a days. You must be cheering for India if you want to be safe there. You must keep in mind that the intolerance in India is at its peak. The media coverage to the celebrations of Kashmiris for the win against the England has already made the atmosphere too hot. The national news channels are debating the issue for few days and you know the way they do it. Yes I know it very hard to control emotions that too when you are a cricket fan but you have to do it this time for your carrier and safety. The student agitation going on in Kashmir may also have the impact on your celebrations. Please don’t put your carriers at stake.
(The author a student at SSM College of Engineering & Technology Parihaspora Srinagar has mailed this article to “Kashmir Horizon”. The views expressed by the author are his personal)
