27 March,2017 08:10 AM IST | | Ashwin Ferro
Pinky Rana, widow of one of the Pathankot martyrs, says they can't bear to watch people celebrating sports with an enemy that has robbed them of a husband and father
Widow of Pathankot martyr opposes India-Pakistan cricket ties
Pinky Rana (left) with her daughter Shivani at their home in Siyunh village. Pics/Ashwin Ferro
Dharamsala: For those who believe sport and politics should not be mixed, here's a short and sharp message from a middle-aged widow in Siyunh village, some 30 km from where India and Australia are battling it out in the fourth and final series-deciding Test at the HPCA Stadium here: "You have probably not lost a husband or a brother in a massacre by a perpetual enemy."
Pinky Rana is the widow of Havaldar Sanjeevan Singh Rana of the Defence Security Corps (DSC), who was among the seven soldiers killed by Pakistan-backed militant outfit Jaish-E-Mohammad in the Pathankot Airbase terror attack last January.
Family photo of Sanjeevan Rana (second from left) with his wife and children
Pinky, her son Shubham (22) and daughters Shivani (20) and Komal (18), were part of a massive protest that eventually led to the cancellation of the high-octane India-Pakistan World T20I match at the HPCA Stadium on March 19. The match was moved to the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Pinky is crystal clear in her justification for the famous protest: "If your neighbour kills your father, will you let your children play with him?"
It was not difficult to find the Rana household, just 3 km ahead of the bustling Shahpur town of Kangra district, on the Dharamsala-Pathankot road - distinctly marked by a bus stop that reads 'Shaheed Sanjeevan Rana bus stop, Siyunh'.
The bus stop in Siyunh village named after the martyr
A family that loves cricket
"We are not against cricket. We are against cricket with Pakistan. How can we bear to watch people celebrating sport with an enemy who has taken away the breadwinner of our family? The Pathankot attack was not in war. It was a guerrilla attack by a bunch of cowards backed by Pakistan," said Pinky.
"Sanjeevan was a fine wrestler and boxer during his army days, and played cricket with neighbours at the nearby ground. In fact, Shubham learnt cricket from his father. Sanjeevan loved cricket, as do my daughters," said Pinky.
That fateful day
"My husband had retired from the Dogra Regiment in 2009 and joined DSC, and was given a non-front posting to the Pathankot Air Base three years ago. He would work two days and then come home for a day. That fateful day, he was supposed to be home, but he called to say that he would return the next day. He never came," said Pinky.
She recalled the moment when they received the news: "I collapsed, my children were shattered. My father-in-law Rattan Singh Rana, also a retired army veteran, was inconsolable. All we ask is, why?"
'He's watching from above'
This correspondent offered tickets to the ongoing India vs Australia Test to Pinky and Shivani. "If Sanjeevan was here, he would have taken the kids and gone for the match. I'm sure he is watching the match from up there," said Pinky, while an excited Shivani piped up: "Maa, I would like to go to see the match."
Pinky shoots back: "See how happy she is. We love the game, but cannot play host to the enemy, Pakistan. It's easy for people to sit at home and say things like politics and sport do not mix. We Himachalis have a big heart, but even we cannot forgive someone who has snatched our livelihood."
