The seemingly childish but well-planned antics of Shiv Sena and its leader Mr. Bal Thackaray to oppose the proposed tour of Pakistani cricket team in India have further marred India's image and it would harm the national interests in the long run. It would be a tall order to expect a statesmanlike and mature understanding from the Sena leader, it is incumbent on the state government of Maharashtra and the Centre headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party to fulfil its obligation to restore the sanity and rule of law in this country. At the same time we appeal to the ordinary peoeple not to fall prey to the antics of such leaders and keep themselves away from the frenzy they want to generate.
All the acts preceding the Pakistani team's tour, like the digging of the pitch of Kotla stadium in Delhi or, of recent, attack on the office of the Board of Cricket Control of India in Mumbai, are the result of the unreasonable stand taken by the Sena leaders. No doubt, the Pakistan politicians have been causing trouble and creating tension in Kashmir and rest of India through their agencies. This has to be handled by our security forces, and through our political and diplomatic channels. This has very little to do wiith the people-to-people contacts as reflected in cultural and sports relations. Such relations help in easing out the tensions among the nations and would help in pressurising the politicians to desist from pressure tactics in their own countries.
However, this sane view has little effect on the elements, who have been raking the non-issues only with the view of the political mileage, at a time when the elections are round the corner. For that matter, both the tensions and cricket matches between India and Pakistan have been going on for decades. Now that the Sena- BJP coalition seems to be unpopular with people due to its anti-people policies, there is an attempt to create mass frenzy on the issue. The Centre's helplessness and the state government's support for such antics is most unbecoming of the Indian democracy.
We demand that the Centre and state governments MUST act against whipping up of frenzy by whatever means at their disposal. The people too, alongwith all the people's organisations, must resist the attempts by the spoilsports to rake up unwarranted issues and create unncessary tensions, mainly to divert the people's attention from the real issues which we all have been raising. It is the time to assert the people's agenda.
THOMAS KOCHERRY
PROF. SANJAY M.G.
MEDHA PATKAR
National Coordinators