A book fair of noise and heat

inam ul rehman 

On Saturday, July 19, I went to the Tourist Reception Centre ground to watch a soccer match played in the floodlights.  Both the entry and parking are free. As I entered the ground, the stadium was packed with people of all ages, but only a few women and girls were present. People were cheering for their favourite teams, I could sense by their diction that the crowd consisted of people from rural areas as well. 

It was a different experience to see a huge number of people watching a local soccer match. Children as young as five to 10 years old were moving up and down the aisle, cheering and jubilant in their parents’ company.  

As my eyes scanned to spot a place to watch the match my mind went to the 2008 event, when thousands thronged to the same place, which at that time had not yet been bifurcated into two playgrounds. Then also it was called TRC ground.

In 2008, as a rookie journalist I went to cover an event, where thousands of people congregated from many parts of Kashmir on the call of the Hurriyat Conferences, there were two Hurriyats at that time: One led by the Mirwaiz, the other by late Syed Ali Shah Geelani India Today. There was not an inch of space, which was not occupied by the people at that time. It seemed the place would burst at the seams. 

One of my kids broke my reverie and pointed out a space where we can be comfortable.  

Since most states, as is their wont, always think ahead of the people, the state of India, in order not to be taken for a surprise with such huge crowds congregating at one place in the city, decided to bifurcate every such ground where people can assemble. TRC and Eidgah were craftily bifurcated into playgrounds. 

Today TRC has become a vibrant playground where children come to see local players playing and people reciprocate their game with applause.  Soccer has always been more popular in Kashmir than it. Soccer has produced more international players than cricket. It suits our land, our weather, and perhaps mirrors our spirit of never giving up, always finding a way to play on.