Just adjacent to the school campus, CRPF jawans keep a vigil from their hideouts but Hina and her friends are hardly bothered by their presence. Instead, these Kashmiri girls are enjoying themselves to the hilt, by playing the world's most popular sport -- football.
Interestingly, there is no fatwa against Hina, Ruksana, Nazia... who are dreaming to become footballers and, who practise in a school ground in Srinagar's posh Rajbagh area which is near the Bakshi Stadium which recently hosted the National Football Championship.
Gun-toting securitymen notwithstanding, presently, one does come fact-to-face with the fact that the Valley is moving forward on many counts, as evidenced by the regular participation of girls in football.
At the Rajbagh Girls' Secondary School, around 45 girls from different schools turned up almost everyday for the local selection trials. After the trials, the team will travel to Leh next month for the U-19 state championship. "They are highly excited at being part of a football team," said coach Mushtaq Ahmed Dar.
No hardliner has yet spoken against the presence of women in a 'manly' game. But the girls prefer to be in trousers and not in formal football shorts. "There are no strict guidelines on the use of hijabs. Some use it, others don't. Football is the key word," asserts Dar.
Whether, it's making an accurate pass or taking a freekick, the girls seemed focused on training. Also, football seems to have made them bold and confident. For the record, though, Jammu & Kashmir has not yet seen an exclusive women's sports events.
"Earlier, Kashmiri Muslim families had an orthodox mentality. During and after militancy, most girls opted to study outside the state. It helped change their mindset. That's why most families here do not mind sending their girls for sporting activity," feels Humaira Showkat, who is pursuing her PhD in sociology from Aligarh Muslim University.
Dar explains: "TV has changed our society. After watching some women sports events, these girls have been encouraged to dream. Though they are aspiring to be footballers, most of them idolizes tennis star Sania Mirza because she is the only celebrated Muslim sportswomen in our country."
When I asked some of these girls if they were uncomfortable playing a game dominated by men, they felt there should not be any gender bias, particularly in today's progressive society. "Girls are excelling in various fields and there is no reason why we should not participate in football too."
The recent football National Football Championship in Kashmir has given them a fillip. They now believe more than before that the situation is conducive for football in the state.
(Srinagar, June 2008)
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