Ever since the inauguration of the Dharamsala International Cricket Stadium in 2005, the locals here have been receiving extra source of income generated from cricket.
The locals soon got the taste of higher revenue generation when Dharamsala hosted its first international game in 2013, an ODI between hosts India and England.
Before the 2016 World Twenty20 got underway, Dharamsala had hosted only three international matches. So without a shadow of a doubt, holding the World T20 this year has added a feather to the crown of the residents of the picturesque city.
The high-voltage India-Pakistan Group 2 encounter was scheduled to take place in Dharamsala and this particular fixture captured the imagination of the entire population, estimated to be around 50,000. The blockbuster game was expected to bring in a good number of tourists and people involved with the game, giving a positive thrust to business.
But, all their hopes were shattered as the biggest game of the tournament was shifted to Eden Gardens in Kolkata last Thursday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had raised security concerns regarding touring the hilly venue ever since the Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh said, and later reiterated, that the people of Himachal did not want the game to be held in this state. The CM had also said he would not ask the police to “lathi-charge” family members of the martyrs who had threatened to protest against the match in Dharamsala.
The protesters were planning to show their disapproval towards the terrorist attack in the Pathankot air force station, located some 78 kilometres from Dharamsala. The attack on January 6 this year had killed a civilian and seven security personnel and injured another 20 who belonged to places in and around Dharamsala. The concerned authorities put the blame on Pakistan for the sudden attack on civilians.
Not surprisingly, the unfortunate decision of the International Cricket Council has upset the locals. They have been denied of a big cricket match that would have turned the small city jubilant and helped the locals earn some good money, let it be people working in a hotel, a restaurant or even a taxi cab driver.
Harjit Kaur is in his 70s now. Over the years he has worked hard to establish an electronics shop. A Lion Club member and also an associate to the Dalai Lama, Harjit is totally against mixing human emotions with a cricket match.
“I have all my sympathies for those who lost their family during the attack but it makes no sense not to allow the game. It was a big occasion to bring in a good crowd to this place. The game would not have only introduced Dharamsala to the world but also would have done good to the people here (business-wise),” Harjit explained his theory.
Prakash, who drives a tourist van, was equally upset. “I don’t earn much to run my family but the India-Pakistan game would have done wonders to me. I had expected to earn nearly a month’s income in those three-four days,” said Prakash.
The change of venue for the game has equally affected the hotels and guest-houses. A large number of bookings for rooms are now being cancelled.