By TCN News,
New Delhi: Civil society groups both from India and Pakistan have urged to make India-Pakistan cricket match to be played in Mohali (India) to usher in a new era of friendship. The groups have urged cricket fans to cheer good cricket and display flags of both India and Pakistan to encourage the sportsmen on the ground and instill a sense of love and friendship, not enmity or war.
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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!!
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Pakistan and India played cricket. And irrespective of which team won or lost, every game played made both the countries Partners in Victory.
In that context, the civil groups have called for Partners in Victory- Flags for Peace Campaign in World Cup Semi Final- Mohali. “Let’s recreate the spirit and magic of the 2004 Pakistan India Cricket Series in Mohali,” they urged.
COVA and YUVSATTA of India and member organizations of Pakistan Peace Coalition will arrange to make available flags of both the countries to the spectators in Mohali for the Semi Final with the hope that every ball bowled and every shot play would be a joint celebration and irrespective of who wins and who loses, both countries will be Partners in Victory.
Pakistan Peace Coalition, PILER, SAP, AJOKA and many other organization will facilitate hundreds of spectators from Pakistan to cross over from the Wagah Border on 29th March 2011 waving flags of both India and Pakistan and COVA, Folk Research Academy and many other organization on the Indian side will receive them and escort them to Mohali singing songs of peace and friendship.
Organizations and groups from India, Pakistan and the world over who want to collaborate or endorse this Partners in Victory- Flags for Peace Campaign are requested to send their consent so that their names could be included as Partner Organisations.
“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.