By Jaideep Sarin, IANS
Mohali : On the face of it they are guarding nobody – neither a human being nor a building. But about 20-odd armed personnel from the Punjab Police are literally staring at the greens as they guard the pitch on which the high-profile encounter between India and Pakistan will take place at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here, some 10 km from Chandigarh.
The round-the-clock security for the pitch is based on the past experience here when radical Hindu activists threatened to dig up the square to disrupt India-Pakistan matches.
“I have never played cricket myself nor seen a match. But here, I am aimlessly looking at the pitch and the ground. The responsibility is on our shoulders to keep unknown people away from the ground,” a Punjab Police constable posted at the stadium told IANS.
The cops stationed on duty inside the ground are armed with automatic weapons, including self-loading rifles (SLRs).
These policemen are part of the 100-strong squad of the Punjab Police personnel already manning the PCA Stadium to keep troublemakers at bay.
On Thursday, over 1,000 police personnel and private security guards will be present to ensure a smooth conduct of the match in the 30,000-capacity stadium.
In 2005, militant activists from the Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal had managed to reach the pitch but were apprehended before they could do any damage.
During last year’s Champions Trophy, the same organizations had threatened to dig up the pitch and disrupt the match against Pakistan. Tight security ensured that nothing untoward happened even as over 150 anti-Pakistan activists were arrested near the stadium during a protest.
“The Mohali police will be completely responsible for ensuring security and maintenance of peace during the match,” Mohali district police chief R.S. Khatra said.
The stadium itself will be cordoned off on match eve when the teams arrive here for practice.
Though the PCA Stadium stages other matches as well, it is only during the matches involving Pakistan that Hindu organizations issue disruption threats, claiming that the western neighbour is behind all terrorist activity and bombings in India.
The ground and the pitch suffered much when supporters of the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine thronged the stadium during Parkash Singh Badal’s public swearing-in as the state chief minister here in March this year.
Despite scores of people walking and squatting on the square itself and the lush green outfield being damaged by poles and chairs, the PCA chose to look the other way.
Tickets for all general stands have already been sold and PCA officials are expecting a capacity crowd for the day-night encounter.
A lot of fireworks are being expected not only in the match but also in the skies with the match being held just a night before the Hindu festival of lights – Diwali.