Where are the cricketers, ask Kashmiri youth

Two days after cricketer Gautam Gambhir tweeted his outrage at CRPF jawans being kicked and abused by a group of youth in Budgam ( Kashmir) through the following tweets, he was at the receiving end of memes and barbs asking why he is not outraged at the Indian army’s use of a Kashmiri as a human shield.

Not surprisingly, Gambhir’s tweets were re-tweeted 20 thousand and 12 thousand times respectively. His subsequent or earlier tweets received far fewer likes and re-tweets.

The delayed reaction in the Valley to Gambhir was because Internet services were restored only on Friday there, following which a large number of memes began circulating.

The outrage spilled over after it became known that an embroiderer of shawls and a tailor was tied to an army jeep and taken around for four hours, ostensibly to prevent people from pelting stones or the militants to attack the convoy.

The selective outrage of Gambhir, who was supported by Virender Sehwag and Md Kaif, came in for much sarcastic comments.

Abid Shafi in a tweet posted some meme of the ace cricketer, writing: “#GautamGambir is now a viral meme in Kashmir.” The memes show Gambhir dressed-up as a Kashmiri and tied to the bonnet of a jeep.

In another meme, Gambhir is shown overpowered by security men and the caption reads: Gambhir being dragged from his home. He doesn’t know the offence he caused or what wrong he did.

In a similar meme, Gambhir can be seen perched on a motorbike with Sehwaag riding pillion, being intercepted by jawans at a security checkpoint. In yet another meme, Gambhir has been shown throwing stones like a Kashmiri protester; with caption reading that “enough is enough.”

Drawing Gambhir’s attention towards larger issues of human rights abuse, journalist Sagarika Ghose tweeted: Wonder if @Gautam Gambhir has ever been to Kashmir…..maybe he can spend a day at the home of a teenager blinded by pellet guns.”

Maintaining that abysmally low voter turnout in recent elections in Srinagar should be a bigger cause for collective concern, Shuja-ul-Haq tweeted: “Amazing how the outrage boys and ‘saviours of the country’ are not worried about 7 %/ and 2% polling. Isn’t that a way bigger problem # Gautam Gambhir”

Congress leader in Kashmir, Salman Nizami wondered as to why people like Gambhir remain quiet over killing of innocent people and atrocities in Kashmir Valley.

He wrote in a series of tweets: “Feeling bad for the Jawans. So do we, but have the courage to condemn all atrocities.. #Gautam Gambhir. “

“Have you ever felt bad for the innocent kids being shot in the valley? Or is your moral outrage also selective?”

“Well! When sportsmen start invoking killings, it should be seen as the first sign of the radicalization of the society!”

Responding to Gambhir’s tweets, Debraya Mukhopadhyay tweeted, “Gautam Gambhir’s stupidity is understandable. Indian cricket never knew nor recognised Kashmir or the northeast.”