I guess most of you are fanatic cricket lovers (a trait common to most Indians) just like my other family members (excluding me)……Not that I don’t like cricket, in fact I used to be an ardent follower of Indian cricket, a six by Sachin could almost wipe off the tears of a dirty break up for me, but all of a sudden I started loosing zeal in the sport, football taking its place in my scheme of things….Now all I crave for is a spectacular goal by Gerrard
Yet missing big tournaments like Champions Trophy would be a punishable crime in the cricket fancy India -so much so that you would be laughed at in any social gathering- and the fact that I m at home enjoying my vacations meant that my sense organs had close watch on things going around in South Africa………….
The first shock came with India’s loss against age old and arch rivals Pakistan….not that Pakistan is not a good side but as history has it Indians have never lost to Pakistan in a big tournament, no doubt, however that the over all winning percentage favours Pakistan…….
Now I ll not go into the intricacies of the loss because in our country every dog in every street no matter how big a dumb he might be turns out to be an expert cricket analyst and I have no interest in registering my name in that fraternity………
What I wanted to bring out though was a great irony which I witnessed yesterday……..
The way the things had turned out in the tournament meant India’s progress was more dependent on Pakistan’s mercy rather than on their own capabilities… …..
Consequently for the first time in my life- and I can swear on anybody’s name- I supported Pakistan in a cricket match (for reasons that were obvious) and I guess I was not the only Indian fan doing so….even the TV ratings showed that in India there were more TV sets tuned into the Paksitan –Australia encounter than the Indo-Windies………..
Ironic isn’t it………..an Indian fan praying for a Pakistan win……how often do you see that……a once in a century kind of scenario……..I can only muse myself thinking about it, as a great cricketer himself had once said “Cricket is a funny game”…
Pakistan disappointed……..not that they didn’t try…it was the closest game of the tournament so far but eventually a meagre score wasn’t good enough for a nervy yet formidable Ausssie line up……Oops forgive me if I even for a word sounded like an analyst……….I told u I hate being that………
However, the emotional aspect of this situation was uncontainable for me……….
Just imagine that indeed such relations existed between the nations…….. that every Indian fan would cheer for Pakistan and every Pakistani would support India (ofcourse excluding the Indo-Pak games)
Imagine that India and Pakistan would have been the best of neighbours….. rather than being cruel enemies
Imagine that there indeed existed an amicable environment in the subcontinent where there was no Kashmir issue, No militancy threats and No cross border terrorism…….
Indeed there existed a unity if not in nationality then atleast in culture and human bonding…………………..
Indeed there were no Kargils fought……no mothers orphaned……….no wives widowed…………
When a Pakistani would fall down an Indian would rush to his aid and when an Indian wailed for help a Pakistani hand would rise first…………..
Together and united we could change the world……….we would rise as the ultimate economic and military superpower……unchallenged in might and authority…………..
As of now all this seems to be a distant dream….but who can stop me… I ll dream and dream and dream...on and and on...... in hope that the day sure would come………
I pray to thee my lord…………
Show us the path that leads to unity
Give us the strength to admit our mistakes
Give us the heart to forgive our brothers
Show me the day when
Love replaces hatred
Kindness, cruelty
Peace, war and
Division is replaced by UNITY
Here’s a short poem written long ago when i was a kid……your kind attention is requested
WITH LOVE, TO PAKISTAN
Memories, remember
Yes our own memories
The one’s we had sown together
Hand in hand
Into one nation’s bosom
The nation we had called ours
Times have changed and so have people
But not the sky we had bathed under
Not the soil that had kept us so close
Not the air that had kissed us both
Oh Pakistan
Even though your beauty is scarred
By crimson people;and I m maimed
By the same
Yet I look forward towards a reunion
Of eternal wedlock
For as true as death itself
I know::::;WE ARE ONE
From an Indian
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