ICC World Cup 2011 - India v/s Pakistan
India and Pakistan will play the semifinal of the World Cup on 30th March 2011.
That the match can be played in Mohali, India is a gift of the peace process that was started in 2004. Prior to 2004, with Indian and Pakistani armies locked in eye ball to eye ball confrontation on the borders, every cricketing encounter was played less like a game and more like war. Unfortunately, Indo-Pak cricket had become the ultimate war game.
“It is never cricket if the prevailing sentiment on the ground is anything other than cricket. So the challenge is to defeat war and win back the game. Wars and flags have historic associations – Every war in history is fought under a flag and most wars are fought for flags. But if flags have flagged off so many wars, flags could also flag in peace. However, there seems to be a caveat here. While any one single flag can start a war, it takes at least two flags to cement peace,” said the groups in a statement.
And the two flags that could flag in peace and set a new trend in togetherness and friendship for the whole world are the flags of India and Pakistan - if we bring them together!
In 2004 Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Prime Minister of India announced cricket matches between India and Pakistan after his historic bus trip that disengaged armies of both the countries and was recreating an atmosphere of peace in the sub continent. For 16 years both the countries had not played any cricket matches in each other’s countries. There were apprehensions that a cricketing engagement between the old adversaries could reignite hostile sentiments amongst the people and vitiate the just emerging peace process.
To prevent the cricket matches from regenerating old hostilities and instead use them to further the sentiments of friendship and cause of peace, COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations) had proposed the “Partners in Victory – Flags for Peace Campaign” where people were urged to wave and display flags of both the countries together!! Pakistan Peace Coalition, PILER, SAP and many other organizations in Pakistan and India partnered in this Campaign to make the India Pakistan cricket matches a paradigm of friendship.
Pakistan India matches were on in different cities in Pakistan. The stadia were packed to capacity. Millions in the subcontinent and around the globe were glued to the spectacle. A daring shot by the batsman, the crowd roared and waved flags. A brilliant delivery by the bowler- more flags waving and crowds were in frenzy. But the flags that were waved by people all around were the flags of both Pakistan and India!! Each one had two flags in hand- the Indian flag and the Pakistani flag!! Many people had flags plastered on their checks- Indian flag on one and Pakistani on the other. People still remember the spectacle of large Indian and Pakistani flags stitched together and displayed all over the stadia. People’s love had once again defeated hate and created history!!
In 2004 Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Prime Minister of India announced cricket matches between India and Pakistan after his historic bus trip that disengaged armies of both the countries and was recreating an atmosphere of peace in the sub continent. For 16 years both the countries had not played any cricket matches in each other’s countries. There were apprehensions that a cricketing engagement between the old adversaries could reignite hostile sentiments amongst the people and vitiate the just emerging peace process.
To prevent the cricket matches from regenerating old hostilities and instead use them to further the sentiments of friendship and cause of peace, COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations) had proposed the “Partners in Victory – Flags for Peace Campaign” where people were urged to wave and display flags of both the countries together!! Pakistan Peace Coalition, PILER, SAP and many other organizations in Pakistan and India partnered in this Campaign to make the India Pakistan cricket matches a paradigm of friendship.
Pakistan India matches were on in different cities in Pakistan. The stadia were packed to capacity. Millions in the subcontinent and around the globe were glued to the spectacle. A daring shot by the batsman, the crowd roared and waved flags. A brilliant delivery by the bowler- more flags waving and crowds were in frenzy. But the flags that were waved by people all around were the flags of both Pakistan and India!! Each one had two flags in hand- the Indian flag and the Pakistani flag!! Many people had flags plastered on their checks- Indian flag on one and Pakistani on the other. People still remember the spectacle of large Indian and Pakistani flags stitched together and displayed all over the stadia. People’s love had once again defeated hate and created history!!
“Let’s hope and pray that the World Cup comes to South Asia!!! Jai Hind, Jiyee Pakistan,” the groups prayed in a joint statement signed by Mazher Hussain, COVA, Hyderabad, India, B.M. Kutty, Secretary General, Pakistan Peace Coalition and Promod Sharma, Yuvsatta, Chandigarh, India.
