Published: Feb 19, 2016, 07:01 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 20, 2016, 05:35 PM (IST)
A Pakistani Virat Kohli fan was arrested recently in the Punjab Province for hoisting an Indian flag after his Indian hero scored a match-winning knock in the first T20 International (T20I) against Australia. The local police said that he was arrested as it was an act against Pakistan’s sovereignty and ideology. What if that boy was a huge fan of Brendon McCullum or say, Steven Smith and waved New Zealand or Australian flag? Would that still be against Pakistan’s so-called “sovereignty and ideology”? Highly unlikely! India and Pakistan, no doubt have shared a troubled relationship for over 65 years, but what has cricket or any sport for that matter have to do with it? READ: Virat Kohli’s diehard Pakistani fan arrested for hoisting Indian flag on Republic Day
Sovereignty refers to a self-governing, independent state, which Pakistan is. How does that justify the arrest? Let’s give the theory of ideology a shot, shall we? Different countries have different ideologies. All religions have a holy book they follow and base a part of their ideologies on. For Hindus it is the Bhagawad Gita, The Holy Bible for the Christians and for Muslims it’s the Quran. For someone, who has read all three, I can tell you that there is not a single reference saying that it is a crime to support or cheer for other countries or individuals of other countries. Maybe in the neighbouring country they have a secret book, where such ridiculous laws are mentioned. READ: Virat Kohli’s Pakistani fan faces 10 years in jail for hoisting Indian flag
Am I an anti-national if I cheer for Shahid Afridi or Mohammad Hafeez or Misbah-ul-Haq? Will the Indian government arrest me if I wave a Pakistan flag and chant their names? No! We have bigger problem on our hands — from basic problems like poverty to the big ones like terrorism and many more. More importantly, the fact that an Indian supports a Pakistan player or vice-versa is surely none of the government’s business. Was the “Freedom to speech and expression” embedded in our constitutions just to fill up blank pages? READ: Virat Kohli’s die-hard Pakistani fan’s bail plea dismissed
For years, we have heard politicians say, “Politics and cricket/sports must not be mixed”. But for some reason unknown, it is mixed and it is the cricket fan, who is deprived of watching a good contest. India has not played a bilateral series against Pakistan for over eight years, but that is not due to the unwillingness of cricketers. India refuse to engage in any activities with Pakistan, until they stop firings at the border.
With the bail plea of the 22-year-old Umar Daraz rejected by the, one cannot help but feel sorry for the youngster, for he was just cheering for his favourite cricketer. Hope the authorities in Pakistan come to their senses soon.
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
