NOTE: Given the content of this article, it would have been appropriate to write an open letter. However, the author does not consider Pakistanis fit for a one-to-one talk.
It has been usual for Pakistani citizens to carry out PR exercises and present themselves as the harbingers of peace and civilised neighbor-loving people. Pakistan is an economic mess. The theocratic terrorist state does not care for its citizens and spends whatever little resource it has, which it receives in the form of charity, on military prowess and sheltering terrorism. Its citizens obviously look forward to India for sustaining themselves, no matter how badly they chastise India and Indians. On not getting economic support or charity from India, they start defaming India mostly by aiding their government’s futile attempt to create a narrative against India with respect to Kashmir.
Shahid Afridi has yet again epitomised the typical Pakistani syndrome of trying to impress India in order to find an employment opportunity. However, as soon as he failed to find such an opportunity, he started criticising India and asking for Kashmir’s right to self-determination. The peaceniks in India had gone head over heels when Afridi obliged an Indian girl’s request to take a picture.
As reported by sections of the media, Afridi asked the girl to hold India’s national flag in a dignified manner and unfurl it properly before getting clicked with the Pakistani cricketer. Afridi was hailed by some as a harbinger of peace, and justifiably having huge fan following in India. The mainstream media assumed that the India-hating cricketer had won the hearts of Indians with the kind gesture. However, this was not a “kind gesture”. In fact, every Pakistani who has economically benefited is under an obligation to show gratitude towards India. Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram are some of the recent examples.
Interestingly, Afridi has suddenly forgotten about the “immense respect” that he held for India just a couple of months ago. The feeling of respect towards India has vanished into thin air and has been replaced by feelings of enmity and hate. He tried raking up the Kashmir issue that the Pakistan government and its citizens have unsuccessfully tried raking up ever since Pakistan came into existence. The Pakistani cricketer has now posted a tweet alleging that the situation in Kashmir is appalling and worrisome. He even begged the United Nations to stop India from fighting the terrorism manufactured on the Pakistani soil and sent across the border by Pakistan.
Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) April 3, 2018
However, the bigot seemed to express shock as to why the United Nations acted like a mute spectator even as India was openly fighting terrorism unlike his home country, which not only refuses to fight terrorism but also actively promotes terrorism in its own backyard. India’s former opening batsman, Gautam Gambhir, however, correctly deciphered that in Shahid Afridi’s retarded dictionary, UN means “under nineteen” and that Afridi is celebrating a wicket of a no-ball.
Media called me for reaction on @SAfridiOfficial tweet on OUR Kashmir & @UN. What’s there to say? Afridi is only looking for @UN which in his retarded dictionary means “UNDER NINTEEN” his age bracket. Media can relax, @SAfridiOfficial is celebrating a dismissal off a no- ball!!!
— Gautam Gambhir (Modi Ka Parivar) (@GautamGambhir) April 3, 2018
It is not surprising that Shahid Afridi has changed his colours like a chameleon. His actual mindset has always been anti India. Nobody can forget how he had spewed venom against India after the 2011 World Cup defeat when he said that “In my opinion, if I have to tell the truth, they (Indians) will never have hearts like Muslims and Pakistanis. I don’t think they have the large and clean hearts that Allah has given us.”
This is representative of the anti-Hindu and India-hating mindset. The Indian Premier League is around the corner and Pakistani cricketers like any other Pakistani professional have no economic opportunities in their home country. The fact that Pakistanis are excluded from the Indian Premier League on ground of the misdeeds committed by Pakistan must have irked Shahid Afridi. They are totally dependent on their survival on India. While commenting upon the issue of Kashmir, Afridi represented the typical bitter Pakistani sentiment of defaming India when refused alms by India. This also busts the myth that while Pakistan’s military establishment and religious bigots sponsor terrorism against India, its civil establishment and citizens want to make peace with India.
Make no mistake, nobody in Pakistan wants to make peace with India. Pakistan has no cultural identity; the basis of Pakistan’s existence is hating India and Hindus. However, a dominant section of Pakistani professionals are also cunning and manipulative. They are closet bigots who remain mum as long as they are able to live off India’s charity, but show their true colours in a situation of crisis. Afridi’s comments have not surprised people. Pakistanis now repeatedly indulge in such trickery. What comes as a surprise though is the use of fantabulous and flawless English by a Pakistani cricketer who understood only a single phrase till now, “Inshallah, the boys did really well”. It seems the cricketer has finally developed his language skills, but has failed to get rid of religious bigotry and jingoism.