India’s demolition work of Pakistan in the Asia Cup group stage came against the backdrop of heated calls for a boycott after the recent Pahalgam terror attack. There was a backlash from the public over the fact that India agreed to play Pakistan despite the fresh and horrific memories of the terror attack.
The mood before the match was tense, with sections of the public demanding that the Indian team should not share the field with Pakistan. But in a surprising development, families of the victims of the Pahalgam attack themselves have spoken up. They have urged people to separate cricket from conflict.
The families pointed out that India’s sporting commitments and the tragedy in Kashmir were two different problems. It is something quite difficult to say when you are on the receiving end of the heinous crime that cost 26 lives in front of you. Instead of political retaliation, cricket continues to be a source of sporting pride for them.
‘Cricket and terror are different matters’
Speaking to The Indian Express, relatives of Niraj Udhwani, a Pahalgam attack victim from Jaipur, said there was no need to mix cricket with terrorism. Niraj, who worked in Dubai, had travelled with his wife to attend a family wedding in Shimla before heading to Pahalgam, where terrorists opened fire on tourists on April 22, killing 26 people, including him.
“Woh khel ki bhavna hai, woh alag cheez hai, ye cheez alag hai. Usmein is baat ko tuul dena nahi chahiye (It’s the spirit of the game. This is a different thing and that [the Pahalgam attack] is a different thing. One should not equate the two),” said Bhagwan Das Udhwani, Niraj’s uncle.
Another family member, Prakash Udhwani, pointed out that India had to honour its international commitments. “Pahalgam was an India–Pakistan issue. But the match is of an international level, where other countries are also involved since it is the Asia Cup. Agar India nahi khelega toh naam kharab hoga, bahar ho jaayega (If India doesn’t play, then its name will be tarnished and it will be out of the tournament),” he said.
“Pakistan is in Asia just like other countries. Match toh karna chahiye tha, koi dikkat nahi hai (It was right for the match to have taken place, there is no issue). We know India always defeats Pakistan, and Pakistan was humiliated (in the match), but that’s different. Boycotts, etc, are just gimmicks. National and international-level matters are separate. Uss hisab se match hua hai toh theek hua hai (In that context, it is fine that the match happened),” he added.
On the field, the Indian cricketers did the talking as the Suryakumar Yadav-led side gave a proper beating in the group game on Sunday. After the match, Suryakumar also dedicated the win to the Indian armed forces that executed the Operation Sindoor attack as a retaliatory act on Pakistan.
“Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the victims of the families of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to put a smile on their face,” Suryakumar said in the post-match interview.
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