Lifestyle: Between Bullets & Death: The Story Of These J&K Cricketers Is An Inspiration For All Youth

In the seventeenth century, the Mughal emperor Jahangir is believed to have said: "If there is ever a heaven on earth, it is here (the Kashmir Valley)". Famous for its beautiful mountainous landscapes and holy shrines, the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir truly lived up to its tag of 'paradise on earth'. The J&K handicrafts industry also made a name across the globe for their exquisite designs and craftsmanship. 
But, today, this strife-torn state is only famous for the bleak stories of violence, lethal attacks, militant insurgency and never-ending protests. The Indian state that was once labelled as the 'Valley Of Paradise' has undeniably become the 'Valley Of Death'.
The education system has degraded to the extent of almost being non-existent. The infrastructure is still a work in progress. The supplies are limited. And, to top it all, the presence of Indian military forces has led to restricted movements of the locals in their very own state.
While the perception of people about the state of affairs in J&K tends to change with time, the occupants of the conflicted region continue to suffer. However, amidst all the hindrances and adversities, the Kashmiri youth have managed to found some solace in the sport of cricket.
At a time when life in their militancy-affected state is caught between Indian security forces and ethnic separatists, cricketers like Parvez Rasool, Amir Hussain Lone, Rubiya Sayeed and Manzoor Ahmad Dar prove how cricket gave them an avenue to express themselves and their potential to the world, allowing them to break out and excel.
This is the story of those J&K cricketers who, rather than opting rebellion, channelled all their anger and frustration in making full use of the limited opportunities they got and excelled in doing what they love most. Theirs is a show of defiance that is capable of not only inspiring the youth in the Valley, but also across the globe.

Coming from a family of cricketers from the town of Bij Behara in the southern Kashmir valley district of Anantnag, Parvez Rasool has represented the state right from the Under-14 level. His elder brother Asif played two T20s for J&K in 2009, and his father opened the batting for Anantnag.
But, before he could make a mark with his cricket skills, Rasool had to bear the pressure of politically-stricken crisis early in his career. In 2009, he had gone to Bangalore as part of the J&K Under-22 side to take part in the CK Nayudu Trophy and was staying at the KSCA's residential complex when police officials stormed into his room.  
As the Bangalore police officers began searching his bags with sniffer dogs, Rasool objected to and was, thereon, detained for questioning due to suspected presence of traces of explosives in his bag. After a detailed investigation, it was established that Rasool's resistance was only due to the presence of a Holy Quran and a prayer mat in his bag.



Though he was released by the police after a few hours as no incriminating evidence was found, the incident could have easily pushed his focus away from cricket. But, Rasool was not the one to throw it all away; rather he came back stronger than ever to get where he is today.
In January 2013, he was included in the India A squad to play a warm-up game against England and became the first cricketer from the Valley to be selected in an Indian team to play an international side. Next month, Rasool became first cricketer from J&K to bag an IPL contract after he was signed by the Pune Warriors. After five months, he got his first national call-up and a year later, Rasool became the second cricketer after Vivek Razdan from J&K to debut for Team India.
If Rasool is regarded as the poster boy of Jammu & Kashmir, then Amir Hussain Lone is undeniably the pride of his state. Born in Wagam village, Amir's father ran a bat manufacturing sawmill to make ends meet for his family. But, in 1997, a tragic accident brought their family to a complete standstill.
At the age of just eight years, Amir lost both his arms in a horrific accident at his father's workplace. He was fiddling with the switches of the sawmill when both his arms were caught in the conveyor belt and were eventually severed on the spot. After the accident, while Amir was trying to cope with his condition, his father had to shut his family business to finance the medical needs for his son.

Having lost both his arms, people didn't shy away from telling him and his family that he would've been better off dead. As cruel it may sound, comments like those eventually became the source of inspiration he needed to prove his detractors wrong. He decided not to let his disability affect his life and began learning techniques to be self-dependent.
Today, Amir has not only managed to make his feet double as his hands, but even learnt to swim, play cricket and do all his chores himself. Now 27, Amir is the captain of Jammu and Kashmir's para cricket team where he bats by holding the cricket bat between his neck and chin. If that's not enough, he also bowls with his legs by using the right foot to grip the ball.
While Amir's story is about overcoming physical odds, Rubiya Sayeed's is about breaking stereotypes and a glass ceiling. Thanks to her, Kashmiri women are slowly but gradually announcing their presence in the social, economic and political mainstream of the state and beyond.
Born in Badasgam of Anantnag district in south Kashmir, Rubiya's father is a professional tailor who was initially the sole bread-earner for their family. And, despite choosing to play cricket - a domain traditionally dominated by men, Rubiya found all support she needed from her father who never let financial hindrances get in the way.
Currently a student at Government College for Women in Anantnag, Rubiya created history after becoming the first-ever Kashmiri girl to play for the North Zone women's team in a inter-zone tournament organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai earlier this year.
She was selected in the North Zone side after a brilliant showing in the Under-23 Women's League tournament. In the qualifying stage of the Women's A League tourney, Rubiya slammed 160 runs with the highest score of 82 runs in the inaugural match played against hosts Punjab.
While urging the society to stop preaching cricket is a boys' sport, Rubiya aims to become an international cricketer, not for her own good, but to help Kashmir - which she believes is full of talent - get the limelight it truly deserves.

Last, but definitely not the least, the story of Manzoor Ahmad Dar's rise in domestic cricket is another exemplary example of how Kashmiri youth are using sports to express themselves. 
Born in Bandipora's Sonawari village, Manzoor witnessed extreme financial problems. In a bid to make ends meet, he was forced to leave his school and earn a living to support his household. This is when he joined Tata Motors as a security guard.
But, despite starting to work early in his life, Manzoor just couldn't let go of his passion for cricket. And, in order to pursue his dream, he started working night shifts as a security guard and pratcised during the day. His efforts bore fruit and he, soon, began playing locally.
Earning a reputation as a swashbuckling batsman, Manzoor smashed 42-ball 122 to guide Team Alkhudam to a 40 run win over Team Ahmad Resorts in their fifth match of 2015 season of Khyber Big Downtown Champions League T20 (KDCL) in Kashmir. It was the fastest hundred in the history of the tournament.
Thanks to his exploits, Manzoor's career witnessed a big break after he was selected to play for the North Zone side in the inter-zone tournament organised by the BCCI. Known as the Ravindra Jadeja of the Valley, the 23-year-old now aims to make it to the Indian team and make his country proud.


Considering the critical political and social circumstances prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir, it's almost impossible for any youngster to pursue a career in sports since regular training; equipment and access to coaches are all scarce.
And, that's exactly why the inspirational stories of cricketers like Rasool, Amir, Rubiya and Manzoor are all the more important as it illustrates the power of sports to provide hope for a better tomorrow.