The Hindu : Hooked to their radio sets

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

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Hooked to their radio sets

By Our Staff Reporter

PALLANWALA(JAMMU), MARCH 13. Soldiers near the Line of Control (LoC) today remained hooked to their radio sets, listening to the commentary on the first one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan in Karachi, Pakistan. In the morning, prayers were offered for India's victory against their archrivals.

The silence at the LoC, courtesy the November 26, 2003 ceasefire, was broken only by the loud cheers of the jawans when the Indian batsmen went for some hard hitting.

In the past, an India-Pakistan cricket match had aroused passions on both sides of the border. An Indian victory used to be celebrated by people here with bursting of crackers. And this provoked firing from the other side.

The jawans keep themselves abreast of the happenings in the world of cricket — even during wartime. For instance, the 1999 World Cup match between India and Pakistan in England, which took place during the Kargil War, was a big hit with the soldiers.

At that time, the Pakistan army resorted to heavy shelling in Pallanwala area from where the Line of Control starts. The shelling led to the displacement of thousands of residents from the area.

The atmosphere was completely different this time. Not a single shot was fired from either side.

Crackers burst

People here celebrated India's victory over Pakistan by bursting crackers. As a precautionary step, a tight security cordon was thrown all over the city. Immediately after India's victory, cricket fans came to the streets and congratulated each other.

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