Army’s CBM in Valley: giant TV screens to watch The Match

The screens have been put up in all districts,and in the border towns of Uri,Kupwara,Gulmarg and Karnah. In north Kashmir’s Baramulla town,screens have been erected at Sherwani Hall and the cricket stadium. Around 1,000 fans can be accommodated at each location.

“There is lot of excitement among the people,” Brar said. “We are only trying to make sure that the people are able to watch the match in a good environment and in a peaceful manner.”

Sheikh Mushtaq,manager,Baramulla Sports Council,described the Army’s effort as an attempt to reach out to the people. “At some places where the Army has put up screens,people don’t even have TVs or face regular power cuts… The screens will attract huge crowds,” he said.

Arjumand Khan,a cricket fan who plans to be at Sherwani Hall along with his friends,said the big screen provided a totally different experience. “The Army has also promised uninterrupted power supply,” he said. Another fan,Javid Ahmad,said,“At Sherwani Hall we will enjoy the match with 400-500 people and cheer for good cricket.”

Fans in Srinagar will,however,have to watch the match in their homes.

“Section 144 (banning the assembly of four or more people) is already in place,” Deputy Commissioner Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo told The Indian Express. “We expect people to watch the match indoors.”

Kakroo appealed to the people to watch the match in the right spirit. “We hope people will watch the match in the spirit of sport. We would appreciate that,” he said.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will try to avoid confrontations — even though it fears attempts might be made to disrupt law and order.

“We have asked our jawans to allow people to cheer for whichever team they want to,” CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi said. “We have asked them to keep their cool.

“There are some people who will try to disrupt the situation. There is a need to keep a watch on them,” he added. Sources said the police have asked the Power Development Department to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the match so that people stay indoors.

The police have asked people to desist from bursting firecrackers tomorrow,especially outside the bunkers of the security forces. The warning came after some youths burst crackers when Pakistan beat the West Indies to enter the semis,and CRPF personnel responded by bursting crackers when India beat Australia.

Yet,the demand for firecrackers is so high that shops are unable to cope,and prices have shot up.

“We were not expecting an India-Pakistan match in the World Cup,and therefore did not order any special stock,” said a shopkeeper at Maharaja Bazar in Srinagar. “The rush has been unexpected. I have sold my entire stock in past two days.”

The excitement is high — even inside Srinagar central jail. Jail officials said that on the demand of inmates,six TVs have been installed inside.