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| War of nerves begins over Mohali tie | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 29: It is pindrop silence on both sides of the LOC. A hush has fallen on entire India and Pakistan as people have started praying for victory, one for India and other for Pakistan.
When compared to other states, particularly that in the north of India, Jammu and Kashmir is highly tense. As a result of growing regional divide between those in the Kashmir valley and the one living in the region of Jammu tempers seem to be frayed with one more day to go for the Englishman's game to decide whether the honour is won by India or Pakistan.
Tension over the security of the players and the people, specially groups of VIPs and VVIPs, who were supposed to be present in Mohali, that Punjab has been declared no flying zone. More than 15,000 security personnel have ringed the cricket grounds at Mohali from inside and outside. This unprecedented security bandobast has been order following reports that activists belonging to Lashkar-i-Toiba, Harkatul Ansar and Indian Mujahideen planned to target the cricket grounds.
It is a triple tention. Tension over the security of players, people and top political leaders. Tension over the result of the tie between India and Pakistan. Tension over the success of otherwise of brief talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart,Yousuf Raza Gilani. Presence of Gilani,Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and other political biggies, bsides those from the Bollywood, seems to have aded to the glory of the semi-final tie between India and Pakistan.
Over the years any sports tie between India and Pakistan is not a routine game of hockey or cricket. It is war, if not war with guns, but war of nerves. Already Pakistan skipper Afridi has fired the first salvo when he announced he will not allow Sachin Tendulkar to score 100th century without realising that Tendular had scored 99 centuries not because of Afridi's courtesy.
Right from Wednesday morning work will get almost par alysed in Government and private sector offices,banks,educational institutions. The drama has got so much heig htened that airlines have increased their fare,rather doubled the fare.. The fares on New Delhi Chandigarh route have been increased from Rs. 7600 to Rs.12000, on Mumbai-Delhi-Chandigarh route from Rs.11,000 to Rs. 30,000, on Kolkata-Delhi-Chandigarh route from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 18,000 and on Bangalore-Delhi-chandigarh from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 22,000.
Television, Radio and the print media have engaged experts for their comment and reaction. During the last two days these experts,including the coaches pitpoint weaknesses and strengths of the Indian and Pakistani teams. Majority of them agree that Pakistan has st rong hitters and better pace attack than India. But better spin attack and cool temper on the part of the Indian team against Pakistan's inconsistency may be prove an achilees heel for the team led by Afridi.
If not anything else fire cracker factories have done a roaring business during the last three days. Reports say that people on eiother side of the LOC have purchased fire cr ackers worth millions of rupees and if India wins the semifinal against Pakistan it would be roar, bigger roar of these fire crackers on this side of the border.
But those in the Kashmir valley have stored large quantities of fire crackers which they plan to use in both the cases. But this time they may have one disappointment. They may not find enough Pandits who could be chided or jeered in case India lost or even in case it won the tie.
Whatever may be the outcome of the cricket tie is not as important for people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been plagued and punished by 21 year long Pakistan sponsored proxy war, as the outome of Singh-Gilani talks. |
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