Field or battlefield
Aik mai aur aik tu hai, aur hawa mein jaadu hai
aarzoo bekabu hai, samjho saari baat baaki
…right here right now, hai khushi ka samaa
right here right now, hum hain iss pal jahaan
These days we hear this song being played everywhere – be it in a car, restaurant, shop, or home. It is not even a local song -- in fact it is an Indian song from a new Bollywood movie, Bluff Master. We love listening to Indian songs, watch their movies, soap operas and other TV programmes. In fact, many people are showing ‘withdrawal symptoms’ since PEMRA stopped the transmission of Star Plus on cable networks.
The cultural invasion by India is worrying some people. These people are extremely sensitive about the preservation of the culture we consider essentially Pakistani, and constantly complaining how we are losing our culture to the Indians through Indian satellite channels, movies, etc. Their concerns are true to a point: that on one side we are absorbed in their culture, while on the other we want to send our soldiers to fight Indians on the border.
The recent initiation of the peace process between the two countries has come as a welcome change. Many are in its favour, as it might ensure peace in the region. We love to endorse Indian culture by wearing their jewellery, clothes, and in following the décor of their ceremonies. But when you hear the phrase ‘Pakistan versus India’, these three words alone conjure up enthralling images of tense encounters on cricket pitches, watched by fiercely partisan crowds. It is the pressure factor that makes these contests unique. One thing is certain – no Pakistani likes losing to India in cricket and vice versa! No matter how liberal a Pakistani is, how much he favours the Indo-Pak peace process, how much he loves Bollywood, he or she cannot bear the thought of the Pakistan cricket team losing to the Indian team. In this part of the world, cricket evokes passions like nothing else.
The rivalry between the two countries is good for the game and brings out the best in each player. For both countries the cricket ground is not just a field, it is a battlefield. When Shahid Afridi blasts the Indian bowling attack with his fierce batting, we cannot control our huge elation. If our bowlers destroy the Indian batting line up, it serves as icing on the cake. But when the tables are turned and Sehwag is smashing our bowlers all over the place, the consternation of the Pakistani nation knows no bounds. Such is the passion on display whenever a cricket match is played between these two archrivals. International cricket umpire Rudi Koertzen ranks the India-Pakistan tests ahead of the Ashes rivalry for their sheer intensity. “Nothing gets bigger than this,” Koertzen said when asked to rate the competitiveness of the two famed rivalries.
But this does not imply that India and Pakistan can never have a friendly rivalry in their matches and its results. Pakistan lost the 2004 India-Pakistan cricket series that was played in Pakistan, but the local spectators gave an appreciative response to the winning side. The reason why the two countries cannot bear to lose to each other is because it is natural for a country that is so passionate about its cricket to not want to lose to anyone. Given our historical background and the bloodshed during partition, it is quite obvious why we feel overjoyed when we win over India. It is virtually a proxy war – our cricketers are fighting on behalf of our soldiers in times of peace, and this is what satisfies our egos at a much lesser cost.
The origins of many sports can be traced to ancient Egyptian or Grecian times. Combat sports were primarily designed for battle training and to improve hand/eye coordination. The development of the majority of sports as competition events, rather than just pastimes, took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, when sports such as cricket, football, rugby, golf, and tennis became increasingly popular. Cricket first became popular in the late 18th century. In the 20th century the advent of televised events led to more competitions in each sport. Sports perhaps were invented specifically with the purpose in mind to divert excess energy into something less destructive than the murder and mayhem caused by war. Human nature thrives on the idea of competition and most sports correlate to satisfaction obtained when rivals are defeated.
An equally important facet of sports in general, is team-sports, as they fashion a unity of spirit for a single cause. For spectators, sports such as cricket and other games, is a means letting off steam -- take a break from a hectic workday, and to relieve unwanted stress. For the Indians and Pakistanis, the Indo-Pak cricket series means a day full of great excitement and even the best blockbuster movie cannot rival its pleasure and intensity.
aarzoo bekabu hai, samjho saari baat baaki
…right here right now, hai khushi ka samaa
right here right now, hum hain iss pal jahaan
These days we hear this song being played everywhere – be it in a car, restaurant, shop, or home. It is not even a local song -- in fact it is an Indian song from a new Bollywood movie, Bluff Master. We love listening to Indian songs, watch their movies, soap operas and other TV programmes. In fact, many people are showing ‘withdrawal symptoms’ since PEMRA stopped the transmission of Star Plus on cable networks.
The cultural invasion by India is worrying some people. These people are extremely sensitive about the preservation of the culture we consider essentially Pakistani, and constantly complaining how we are losing our culture to the Indians through Indian satellite channels, movies, etc. Their concerns are true to a point: that on one side we are absorbed in their culture, while on the other we want to send our soldiers to fight Indians on the border.
The recent initiation of the peace process between the two countries has come as a welcome change. Many are in its favour, as it might ensure peace in the region. We love to endorse Indian culture by wearing their jewellery, clothes, and in following the décor of their ceremonies. But when you hear the phrase ‘Pakistan versus India’, these three words alone conjure up enthralling images of tense encounters on cricket pitches, watched by fiercely partisan crowds. It is the pressure factor that makes these contests unique. One thing is certain – no Pakistani likes losing to India in cricket and vice versa! No matter how liberal a Pakistani is, how much he favours the Indo-Pak peace process, how much he loves Bollywood, he or she cannot bear the thought of the Pakistan cricket team losing to the Indian team. In this part of the world, cricket evokes passions like nothing else.
The rivalry between the two countries is good for the game and brings out the best in each player. For both countries the cricket ground is not just a field, it is a battlefield. When Shahid Afridi blasts the Indian bowling attack with his fierce batting, we cannot control our huge elation. If our bowlers destroy the Indian batting line up, it serves as icing on the cake. But when the tables are turned and Sehwag is smashing our bowlers all over the place, the consternation of the Pakistani nation knows no bounds. Such is the passion on display whenever a cricket match is played between these two archrivals. International cricket umpire Rudi Koertzen ranks the India-Pakistan tests ahead of the Ashes rivalry for their sheer intensity. “Nothing gets bigger than this,” Koertzen said when asked to rate the competitiveness of the two famed rivalries.
But this does not imply that India and Pakistan can never have a friendly rivalry in their matches and its results. Pakistan lost the 2004 India-Pakistan cricket series that was played in Pakistan, but the local spectators gave an appreciative response to the winning side. The reason why the two countries cannot bear to lose to each other is because it is natural for a country that is so passionate about its cricket to not want to lose to anyone. Given our historical background and the bloodshed during partition, it is quite obvious why we feel overjoyed when we win over India. It is virtually a proxy war – our cricketers are fighting on behalf of our soldiers in times of peace, and this is what satisfies our egos at a much lesser cost.
The origins of many sports can be traced to ancient Egyptian or Grecian times. Combat sports were primarily designed for battle training and to improve hand/eye coordination. The development of the majority of sports as competition events, rather than just pastimes, took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, when sports such as cricket, football, rugby, golf, and tennis became increasingly popular. Cricket first became popular in the late 18th century. In the 20th century the advent of televised events led to more competitions in each sport. Sports perhaps were invented specifically with the purpose in mind to divert excess energy into something less destructive than the murder and mayhem caused by war. Human nature thrives on the idea of competition and most sports correlate to satisfaction obtained when rivals are defeated.
An equally important facet of sports in general, is team-sports, as they fashion a unity of spirit for a single cause. For spectators, sports such as cricket and other games, is a means letting off steam -- take a break from a hectic workday, and to relieve unwanted stress. For the Indians and Pakistanis, the Indo-Pak cricket series means a day full of great excitement and even the best blockbuster movie cannot rival its pleasure and intensity.
Comments
Very interesting post, always fun to read Pakistanis talking about India. I wish all our hostilities were restricted to only the cricket field. Awright I'll be back, yours is a new blog for me and I intend to read through the rest of it, so see ya later.
Pareshaan, the new generation of Pakistan (atleast the majority) wants to forget about the age-old hostility between the two countries. We want a new start ... a beginning of friendship, which will not only bring peace to the region but also economic stability and much more. Lets keep our fingers crossed :-)