Tools of peace? Cricket bats and googlies

Political savior
The irony is that, whereas cricket has often been condemned for fuelling jingoistic passion between India and Pakistan, it has also played the role of political savior between the two countries.

The Indian team was received with much fanfare in Pakistan last year, and the tour gave rise to numerous stories in the Indian media about the hospitality shown in Pakistan to visiting Indian fans.

The political fallout of that successful trip led to a considerable softening of anti-Pakistan rhetoric in India and similar moves in Pakistan and cleared the air for progress on negotiations on a number of thorny issues.

With bilateral relations once again at a critical stage — difficult issues such as Kashmir and water rights are soon to come up for negotiations — both the Pakistan and Indian governments are hoping that the momentum from a friendly sporting exchange will carry them through the maze of distrust that inevitably accompanies any India-Pakistan talks.

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“Cricket definitely can help to improve and make the atmosphere better for the peace process,” points out Aziz Ahmed Khan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi.

“The problem is that people on both sides of the border know so little about each other, which leads to a sort of curtain of misunderstanding if you will," said political analyst Ghazi Salahuddin. "Sporting and cultural exchanges of this sort also lead to people-to-people interaction, which is good in the long-term for the political scene as well. In fact, it is this people-to-people interaction that has moved the political process forward.”

Cricket diplomacy, has a long history of reducing tensions between Pakistan and India. In 1987, at the height of military tensions on the Indo-Pak border, then Pakistan president General Ziaul Haq flew into the Indian city of Jaipur on a surprise visit to watch a cricket match. His presence in India helped lower the political temperature. By the time he had returned to Islamabad, the threat of war had eased.

Warm welcome breaks down barriers
From the looks of it, the Indian public is intent on repaying the hospitality shown last year by Pakistanis to visiting Indians.

Thousands of Pakistanis are expected to take advantage of the easing of visa procedures by the Indian government for cricket fans. According to media reports, visitors to Mohali have been greeted with garlands by groups of Mohali residents.

Some hostels and families have thrown open their doors to the visitors, offering free boarding and lodging to them during the cricket match.

One Indian fan in the city of Baroda, Manish Ajwani, circulated a message via email offering to host up to four Pakistanis at a time at his home.

“We all have witnessed the warm welcome given to Indians when they were touring Pakistan,” he wrote, “and now I wish to reciprocate the same warmth. This is an open invitation to all the Pakistani people who are touring India during the test and one day series.”

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