Hindu militants called off their threat yesterday to disrupt the coming cricket test series in India with arch rivals Pakistan following pressure from the federal government just hours before the visiting team arrived in the capital, New Delhi.
Mr Bal Thackeray, head of the extremist Shiv Sena party and leader of the campaign against the Pakistani cricketers, said he would revoke his ban after meeting the Federal Home Minister, Mr Lal Kishen Advani, in Bombay. But the Hindu leader said he was calling off the ban for one year only. He also congratulated party activists for protesting against the Pakistanis by digging up the pitch in Delhi and threatening to disrupt the matches by unleashing a violent campaign.
The Shiv Sena, part of the Hindu nationalist-led federal coalition government, says Pakistan arms and trains Muslim militants in their fight for an Islamic homeland in the disputed border state of Kashmir in which over 20,000 people have died. Pakistan denies the charge.
Meanwhile, security officials yesterday said the "steel ring" thrown across five Indian states where the matches are taking place will remain. Other militant Hindu organisations are also objecting to the Pakistani cricket team touring India for the first time in 12 years. The Pakistanis play their first league match at Gwalior, 256 km north of Delhi tomorrow.
Paramilitary and air force units have been deployed at Gwalior and a senior federal Intelligence Bureau officer placed in charge of the Pakistani team's security until they leave next month.
However, Pakistani cricketers were optimistic about the tour. "A handful of people are against Pakistan-India ties, but I hope cricket will be the ultimate winner" said captain Wasim Akram. The anti-Pakistan tirade by Shiv Sena activists is part of a wave of violence against India's minority Muslim and Christian community ever since the Hindu nationalist government assumed office last year.
Shiv Sena activists have threatened to disrupt the proposed bus service between the Pakistani border city of Lahore and New Delhi while other allied Hindu militant organisations have begun systematically attacking Christians.
