Kashmir Valley wakes up to nightlife

In volatile parts of Srinagar, where public life previously halted by sundown, late night cricket and football tournaments are drawing in youth and families and creating a buzz of interest under the lights

As the sun sets over Srinagar, islands of late-evening life have started popping up, emerging for the first time in over 30 years. Parts of the volatile old city that would once fall silent and dark at sundown, leaving no place for youngsters to go, have acquired a rare buzz this year as youth hooked to a new passion — play football and cricket tournaments in floodlit stadiums till midnight.

Located in Srinagar’s volatile Rajouri Kadal neighbourhood and nestled on two sides amidst old-style congested houses, the Gani Memorial Stadium previously hit the headlines in 2010 when 17-year old student Tufail Mattoo died during clashes between stone-throwing protesters and security forces near the fencing of the stadium, triggering a wave of Valley-wide protests.

Shunning those memories of a violent past, the Gani Stadium instead played host to a successful T20 tournament in September and October this year, with 16 teams and over 240 players participating. Among the top scoring batsmen in the tournament was Arshid Ahmad (name changed), who was booked in 2016 for participating in violent protests. “Cricket is my passion,” he said, refusing to discuss the politics of the place.

J&K State Sports Council’s (JKSSC) Divisional Sports Officer Nuzhat Farooq, who was the chief guest at the final match of the tournament, said, “It was a sight to see such a crowd in the old city. Locals were really enthusiastic. Youth need to take up sports to stay fit.”

In the days since the T20 tournament, scores of families, including women and children, swarm on the stadium with eatables to watch late-evening cricket matches. “It’s a spectacle for us.,” said Manzoor Najar, a local. “We would never stay out of our homes till late in the evening. This area used to be pitch dark. Only drug addicts would dare roam around. That has changed.”

The matches under the lights now end around 10 p.m. to 11.30 p.m., with the area witnessing an unusual milling around of locals and vehicles till late into the night. Around 120 high-beam lights erected on eight poles at the cost of ₹1.24 crore have made the stadium an island of life for the youth living around Rajouri Kadal.

Just five kilometers away, towards downtown Srinagar, Irfan Majeed Mir is busy curating the second round of the Khan Bagh T20 Night Tournament in the Lal Bazaar area. Sixteen teams from and around Lal Bazaar are participating in the tournament, with matches starting in the cold November evenings and ending by 10 p.m.