Tense evening at Dharamsala

IT was a surreal experience in the evening of May 8 at Dharamsala — a stadium filled with spectators, the Punjab Kings-Delhi Capitals IPL match in full swing, the usual buzz of excitement, and then, within minutes, the entire scenario changed. As the news started coming in about drone attacks emanating from Pakistan being intercepted in nearby Pathankot and Jammu, the Kangra police, the district administration and the organisers knew they had to take a call swiftly and, more importantly, work in tandem to ensure the safety of the cricketers, the spectators and their evacuation without creating panic.

The floodlights were dimmed at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium and later turned off completely. The fans were directed to exit the gates, the broadcasters’ team hurriedly packed their belongings, and police sirens blared — all this within 15-20 minutes.

Kangra’s Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said the stadium was cleared within 20 minutes. “Our first priority was the safety of everyone present. Players of both the teams were called back from the ground and shifted to their hotels under tight security.”

The next morning, the Indian government suspended this year’s Indian Premier League season for a week. Further updates about the new schedule and venues of the tournament are to be announced after a comprehensive assessment of the situation.

Known for its efficient handling of the premier league over the years, the IPL’s organising committee — and the local officials, especially in this case — can take credit for the smooth crowd-control strategy, though critical questions are being raised. Why, for instance, was a match allowed at Dharamsala in the first place, given the heightened India-Pakistan tensions?

The morning of the match began pleasantly in the picturesque Himachal Pradesh town. Those in the hotel, food and tourism industry were preparing to cater to the fans coming to enjoy the tie. For many though, the point of discussion was whether Dharamsala would be able to host the May 11 match (between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians) — the most awaited event of the month in Dharamsala — considering the border skirmishes.

By 3.30 pm, while the organisers were preparing for a live performance by singer B Prak at the stadium, the police personnel suddenly started blowing whistles across the ground. It was an evacuation drill by the local police and announcements were soon made to follow the instructions for a safe exit. Such kind of mock drill had not been conducted in any previous match here.

As the evening approached, the match, which was to start around 7.20 pm, was delayed by an hour because of a sudden downpour. By the time of the toss, the fans, who had taken shelter from rain, were back in the stands. The signature IPL music was played out aloud and the match started with the usual excitement.

As the news about Pakistan’s aerial attack in Jammu trickled in, there was a flutter in the media box. When another drone attack on Pathankot, barely 85 km from the match venue, was reported, spectators could be seen scrolling their phones. Tension and uncertainty were writ large.

As the Kings’ opener lost his wicket, the floodlights of one of the towers were suddenly dimmed. It was enough to indicate that this was not business as usual.

Soon, the high-pitched songs were replaced by sounds of whistles by the police personnel — a call to evacuate the arena. And this time, it was not a mock drill. As spectators started moving towards the exit aisle, two of the four light towers were completely switched off.

Holding on to each other, the fans, with some raising slogans of ‘Pakistan murdabad, Hindustan zindabad’, left the stadium. In no time, the two remaining towers were also shut down, and the police reached the media box, asking the media personnel to switch off their devices, as the lights of the area were also switched off.

The broadcasters’ team left with its equipment, though the aerial camera remained untouched as the stadium went pitch dark.

The stadium, with a capacity to host 23,000 spectators, was closed within no time as the teams, officials, spectators and everyone else were out on the Dharamsala roads tackling traffic jams. These, too, were cleared within 40 minutes after the evacuation.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gave out a statement that the match was called off midway “due to a power outage in the area, as one of the light towers at the HPCA stadium malfunctioned”. However, the real reason was not lost on anyone. No one was complaining, but as the spectators left, the locals did voice their concerns. “The stadium, with its bright shining lights and billboards, could have attracted enemy drones,” one of them claimed, not wishing to be named. “Pathankot and Jammu are nearby and this stadium is vulnerable, and could have been an easy target,” said Usha, who lives near the stadium.

“Since the Centre had put every state on high alert after the May 7 retaliation, the match could have been postponed or shifted. I think the decision on shifting the next (May 11) match was taken before the start of the May 8 match. It clearly shows that the organisers were aware about the possible escalation of the situation,” said Atul, another local.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that the BCCI had attempted to shift the remainder of the tournament to the UAE, which was not accepted.

“It’s fortunate that nothing untoward happened — a drone attack or a stampede. The cricket board has the resources and could have avoided the chaos and the risk. It could have also given time to the spectators and others involved to wrap up things without any hassle,” said an official, wishing to remain anonymous. That said, those in the know of things point to the logistical difficulties and monetary consequences in postponing or shifting any venue.

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told the media that it was during the first strategic timeout that he was intimated about the blackout protocol.

“We had little time but I quickly informed the top officials of both teams’ managements that the lights will go off in some time and how we are planning to do it. I told them to ensure that the players don’t get scared or panic. I also had to ensure that the crew and others working on the venue safely leave the stadium. It was my duty,” he added.

All is well that ends well, but the May 8 Dharamsala match, hopefully, is a lesson sports administrators will learn from.