Hindu Militant Storm Indian Cricket HQ (January 18 1998)

January 18 1998

Hindu Militant Storm Indian Cricket HQ

AFP

BOMBAY, Jan 18 (AFP) - More than 50 Hindu militants ransacked the headquarters of the Indian cricket board in Bombay on Monday, sparking fresh fears over the fate of Pakistan's upcoming tour of India.

Activists from the militant Shiv Sena party forced their way into the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the Brabourne stadium in Bombay, witnesses said.

They smashed up the offices, breaking filing cabinets, cupboards and ceiling fans, and cutting telephone wires. Silverware in the board's trophy cabinet was removed and thrown on the floor.

The Shiv Sena, which has vowed to disrupt the tour in protest at Pakistan's support for a Moslem insurgency in Kashmir, has already succeeded in having the venue for the first Test changed after its members dug up the pitch in New Delhi.

BCCI executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar, one of six board employees in the building at the time of the attack, was slapped and manhandled by the militants.

"What could I do?" Diwadkar told a television reporter. "There were 20 of them in my office. I just put my head down."

The assault lasted 30 minutes and all the militants escaped before police arrived on the scene.

"We were taken by surprise," a local police officer said, adding that the activists had caused "considerable damage."

Pakistan, who last played a Test in India in March 1987, are due to arrive Thursday for a two-Test series, the Asian Test championship opener against the hosts and a one-day series also featuring Sri Lanka.

Pakistan announced Sunday that the tour would go ahead, despite the Shiv Sena's threats of violence.

The announcement was greeted in India with a mixture of relief and foreboding.

"Pakistan's coming is great news," said cricket legend Kapil Dev, the most successful bowler in Test history with 434 wickets. "We must now ensure the tour goes ahead without any trouble."

Indian cricket board president Raj Singh Dungarpur added: "It is important we play Pakistan because it has the same value for us as the Ashes series between England and Australia."

But fans are concerned that stiffling security will smother the fun out of the tour.

"There will be more policemen at the ground than spectators," said Pankaj Agarwal, a chartered accountant and diehard cricket fan.

"You won't be allowed to carry even water bottles into the ground. I'd rather stay home and watch on television," he said.

The Pakistanis will be guarded around-the-clock by gun-toting commandos, while bomb-disposal squads will be on 24-hour duty at all venues, the Outlook magazine reported.

Secrity personnel in plainclothes will mingle with the spectators, who may have to reach the ground at least two hours before the start of play. They will not be allowed to carry handbags containing food and water bottles.

"We are not leaving anything to chance," said Nikhil Kumar, a top Indian government security official.

Shiv Sena leaders warned earlier Monday that they would be mobilising some 25,000 supporters during the tour, using them to infiltrate the crowds and disrupt matches.

"As long as Pakistan continues its terrorist activities against India, the question of friendly relations does not arise," said Jai Bhagwan Goel, who heads the party's northern chapter.

"Games and cultural relations can be developed with friends only," he said. Shiv Sena activists have also threatened to set themselves on fire in front of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's residence in New Delhi on the day the first Test starts.