The families of victims of the Pahalgam terror attack are expressing their distress and opposition to the upcoming India versus Pakistan cricket match, feeling it disregards their pain and raises questions about the effectiveness of "Operation Sindoor". The terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 killed 26 people. In response, India launched "Operation Sindoor" to target terrorist hubs inside Pakistan. While initially, the families of the victims had hailed "Operation Sindoor" as a fitting response and a source of solace, the prospect of an India-Pakistan cricket match so soon after the attack is now seen as an insult to the deceased.
Aishanya Dwivedi, the wife of Shubham Dwivedi, who was killed in the Pahalgam attack, has been particularly vocal in her criticism. She views the cricket match as disrespectful to the martyrs and accuses the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of lacking empathy for the affected families. She questions the silence of Indian cricketers, suggesting they should have taken a stand against playing Pakistan. Dwivedi is urging people to boycott the match, including not watching it on television, fearing that the revenue generated will be used by Pakistan to fund terrorism against India. She stated that the BCCI should not have accepted a match between India and Pakistan.
Sanjay Dwivedi, Shubham's father, also expressed his anguish, stating that playing cricket with a country whose terrorists killed their son after asking his religion is unfortunate. He, along with Shubham's uncle, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, has urged all citizens to boycott the match.
Other family members of the victims have echoed similar sentiments. They question the purpose of "Operation Sindoor" if relations with Pakistan are seemingly normalizing to the point of playing cricket matches. One individual who lost his father and brother in the attack questioned the point of Operation Sindoor. Another victim's mother has questioned Prime Minister Modi as to why the match is happening before justice is served.
These families are not alone in their opposition. A BJP leader has also voiced their disagreement with the match. The situation highlights the complex emotions and unresolved grief surrounding the Pahalgam attack, with the victims' families feeling that the upcoming cricket match trivializes their loss and potentially emboldens the very forces that caused their suffering.
Despite the strong opposition from the victims' families, there has been no official response from the BCCI or the Indian cricket team. This silence has further fueled the anger and frustration of those who have lost loved ones in the Pahalgam terror attack.
