Editor, Thuppahi: There is an ISSUE here: does cricket encourage jingoism?
ONE = Item in TimesNewsNow.com, 28 February 2019, entitled “Aakash Chopra, Irfan Pathan laud Indian pilot Abhinandan’s calm demeanour despite being in Pakistan’s custody”
Abhinandan Varthaman, who is in Pakistan’s captivity after his MiG 21 crashed in Pakistan’s territory, has been lauded on social media for his calmness.
While Abhinandan ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft, he ended up landing across the Line of Control (LoC) and was taken into custody by the Pakistani army. With the hashtag #BringBackAbhinandan gaining a lot of momentum on social micro-blogging site Twitter, Indian cricketers Aakash Chopra and Irfan Pathan also lauded the Indian soldier for his composure and politeness.
“Fearless in captivity. Head held high. Bravo. Thoughts with Abhinandan and his family. Can’t even imagine what they’re going through at the moment. Hoping for a quick and safe return. #BringBackAbhinandan,” Chopra tweeted.
Aakash Chopra
✔@cricketaakash
Fearless in captivity. Head held high. Bravo.
Thoughts with Abhinandan and his family. Can’t even imagine what they’re going through at the moment. Hoping for a quick and safe return. #BringBackAbhinandan
Praying for his safe return, Pathan tweeted, “Seeing the vidoe of wing commander #Abhinanden makes u feel proud. How composed and strong u can stay without being loud. I hope he returns home safe #prayers #respect.”
Irfan Pathan
✔@IrfanPathan
Seeing the vidoe of wing commander #Abhinanden makes u feel proud. How composed and strong u can stay without being loud. I hope he returns home safe #prayers #respect
A day after IAF conducted air strikes to demolish terror camps run by Jaish-E-Mohammad in Balakot, a hill town in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistani fighter jets violated the Indian air space on Wednesday. Over 300 terrorists, trainers and senior commanders are said to have been killed in the bombings conducted by India.
Tensions between the two countries reached its peak following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF personnel attained martyrdom. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.
