This week will go down as one of the saddest and most emotionally damaging for the entire nation. Following the cowardly terror attacks at Pahalgam, the country mourned the fallen and grieved as a collective. The attack took place on the April 22, right in the middle of the IPL season. While the show must go on, to prove that the country will not be rattled by heinous acts, it is a chance for the sporting community to come together in solidarity. And solidarity is the very foundation of sport.
One of the strongest voices throughout this time has been Mohammed Siraj, one player that has embodied the idea of secular India in modern–day cricket. “To target and kill innocent civilians in the name of religion is pure evil,” he wrote on his personal Instagram page. “No cause, no belief, no ideology can ever justify such a monstrous act. Yeh kaisi ladai hai, jahaan insaan ki jaan ki koi keemat hi nahi [What kind of fight is this where human life has no value]?”
As the country goes through a dark time, voices of support pour in. It brought back painful reminder of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in 2008. Back then, Sachin Tendulkar took centre stage and used his platform to unite the nation. He did not say much but his words were powerful enough to get the country to rally behind him in a united cause.
Expressing his grief for the victims and paying tribute to the security and army personnel who lost their lives, Tendulkar said: “26/11- a day that tested our spirit but never broke it. The courage of our heroes and the resilience of every Mumbaikar will forever remind us of the strength we hold as a nation. We remember, we honour, we stand united.”
Through a dark time, he gave the nation hope. Only weeks later, the Indian team played the first Test match against England at the Chepauk in Chennai. It was a symbolic moment, to showcase that while India mourned the martyrs of the terror attack, it would not bow down in fear. Once again, it was Tendulkar who put a fleeting smile on some faces with a match-winning, unbeaten 103. He dedicated his century to the victims of the attack and quietly looked up to the sky in tribute.
Present-day stars must help grieving nation heal, as birthday boy Sachin Tendulkar did back in 2008
He recalled how difficult it was for the team to focus on the match while the country was going through one of its darkest times. “When we assembled in Chennai for the first Test on 11 December 2008, we were still finding it difficult to concentrate on cricket,” he said. “Our thoughts were with the victims of the attacks, and everyone was talking about those traumatic three days.”
In moments of unimaginable grief, sport can become a great unifier. A reflection of what India stands for as a country and how we can heal together. As the nation grieves the tragic attack in Pahalgam, many will look towards their heroes for strength and solidarity. Just as Tendulkar stood tall in 2008 and gave India hope, today’s cricketing heroes should carry the same torch forward. Because sport, in all its grace and grit, reminds us that even in our darkest hours, we are never truly alone.