Returning to my grandmother’s place after a quiz yesterday evening, I was greeted with loud sound of fireworks. This was odd, since Diwali is still a couple of months away, and India’s cricket match was to come much later in the night. Then, I switch on the TV and realize what had happened. Pakistan had just thulped New Zealand in the semis to enter the final of the ICC World Twenty20.
The sound of the fireworks, as it turned out, was coming from “Tareen Block”, a medium-sized Muslim area in Jayanagar 3rd Block. They were celebrating Pakistan’s win, it seems. No such celebrations were heard from there following India’s win later in the night. And, for the record, this is an area that is largely inhabited by educated and well-off Muslims.
And they cheer for Pakistan. And don’t cheer for India. The advantages of being a politically significant group…
Update
I watched today’s game from my grandmother’s house. At the end of it, there was a loud cheer. It was from a crowd of auto drivers, etc. who had gathered in front of a consumer goods showroom opposite my grandmother’s house.
No crackers. No obvious signs of celebrations from the Tareen Block side.
Oh yeah and of course Shoaib Malik has apologized to these guys right? Quite funny that was.