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Zaman Noor
Trophy champions in the same year, it is good for everyone. It means that a part of this country that suffered greatly is healing. It means that young people who could have been lost to despair are instead contributing to the nation. It means that the investment of patience, of resources, of belief is bearing fruit.
India is stronger when Kashmir is at peace. India is richer when Kashmir’s talent reaches its full potential. And in this season, we have seen just a glimpse of what that potential looks like.
None of this means that everything is perfect. There is still a long way to go. There are still families in the valley who are struggling. There are still young people who do not have access to good schools or coaching or cricket academies. There are still wounds that have not fully healed.
But the direction has changed. And that matters enormously.
A few decades ago, the question in Kashmir was about survival. Today, the question is about excellence. That shift from survival to excellence is the most important thing that has happened to this region in a very long time.
I began this piece by saying that there are moments in history that go beyond a cricket ground or an examination hall.
What Jammu & Kashmir has achieved in this season is one of those moments. It tells a story about what human beings are capable of when they are given even half a chance. It tells a story about the power of a dream that refuses to die, even when everything around it is falling apart.
The Ranji Trophy is sitting in Jammu & Kashmir today. Sixteen of its young people are preparing to serve the Indian nation as officers of the highest order.
Both these things are true at the same time. And together, they are more powerful than either one could ever be alone.
This is what peace looks like when it starts to take root.
This is what hope looks like when it is given room to grow.
This is what a people a resilient, brilliant, warm-hearted people are capable of when the guns go quiet and the books and bats come out.
Zaman Noor
Pradesh Co-Convenor J&K,
Media Department BJP-JK.
