Divided by conflict, Meiteis and Kukis unite on a football field | India News

IMPHAL: In foothill villages near west Imphal, young men have spent nearly three years taking turns at night, standing on the edge of their settlements with sticks and torches after elders decided vigilance was no longer optional. In Kuki villages, night patrols began almost as soon as the clashes began on May 3, 2023. In Naga-majority villages, they intensified after tensions erupted in Litan this week.Earlier this week, some young men were brought to Assam Rifles’ new Kithelmanbi garrison after completing guard duty that morning, reports Vishant Agarwala. They are footballers. From Monday to Thursday, 13 teams – eight Nagas, three Meites and two Kukis – from nearby villages gathered on the uneven, dusty football ground of the garrison for the Assam Rifles’ Foothills football tournament, organized under Operation Sadhavana.Keithelmanabi lies along the seam where the Imphal Valley rises into the surrounding hills, a geography that has become a buffer zone and guard perimeter. Teams are named after nearby villages. But even a 4 km distance can mean more than it suggests. Kookie teams – including Haibung FC who reached Thursday’s final – crossed the buffer zone in Assam Rifles buses with guards for the first time since May 2023.Football has often reflected deep rifts within societies already under strain. The 1990 clash between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade came to symbolize the unraveling of Yugoslavia. The so-called “soccer war” between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969 went down in history as an example of how a match could ignite territory already primed for conflict. In these instances, football did not invent the complaint, it expanded it.Football in Keithelmanby was said to be restrained. The organizers approached the tournament cautiously. Senior officials of Assam Rifles addressed the teams before kickoff and clarified the conditions: play in the spirit of sportsmanship; Any attempt to hit an opponent will result in an immediate red card; A very serious offense will lead to disqualification of the entire team. “Referring is always controversial, so we used troops from outside the northeast,” an officer told TOI. Security personnel lined the perimeter. From the commentary area, a Hindi voice narrates the play and returns to a plea whenever the tackles get heavy: “Khel ki sadbhavana banaye rakhine. Referee ke nirnoy ka palan karin.” Maintain the spirit of the game. Referee’s decision is final.Two 100% Meitei teams in the first semi-final on Wednesday at 8am – New Keithelmanby Team B and KTYWA KNW. The second carries a heavy backdrop. Khonglong Naga Youth Club face Haibung FC. A few days ago, violence broke out between Kukis and Nagas, about 100 km away, at Litan in Ukhrul district. Although there was no direct damage to the village of Khonglong, panic quickly spread. Naga youths also started night patrolling. The families hesitated before allowing the group to travel. “People were worried,” said one Khonglong player. “But if we stop watching altogether, that doesn’t bode well for the future.”On the pitch, there was no spillover. Haibung dominated the one-sided competition. When the match was over, the handshake was firm and unbroken. It predicted something final – the first Kuki-Meitei football match since May 3, 2023.Haibung’s story illustrates why reaching the final carries weight beyond the game. The average age of the squad is 19. Instead of focusing on training, many found themselves playing night sentry. “For our own safety,” said one. “That doesn’t mean we want to fight other communities.” “We don’t sleep properly on those days,” another player said quietly. “But it’s our responsibility.” They were relieved of duty for the duration of the tournament.Haibung Koch Ngamgoulen (30) returned from Delhi, where he was preparing for the Manipur Civil Services Examination, on April 28, 2023. Within a few weeks, his village was attacked five times. His cousin Nielson Cookie’s house burned down. Movement is restricted. A buffer zone has to be crossed to reach the nearest airport. As the route to Imphal airport is closed, residents travel via Aizawl or Dimapur. Gogo, his acquaintance, never left his village. “As the younger brother of the village chief, it was my duty to be there for my people.” His belongings remain in Delhi.Haibung defender Seminthang Haokip (20) is now living in a relief camp after his village was burned down twice and is still waiting for the next stage of his Territorial Army application. Fullback Thankhopao Singsit (21) was preparing for CDS exams when his village was attacked in July 2023, killing three villagers and leaving one still missing.Goalkeeper Chongoman Kipgen (21) ran a private school with his father that recruited teachers from Meitei, Kuki, Naga and smaller tribes and were in the process of starting another school before clashes made coexistence impossible. Midfielder Thangminsei Kipgen (19) teaches at the only functioning community-run school in the area run by the Kuki Students Organisation, after most qualified teachers left the state.The stands were full before the final started. Villagers were brought in army vehicles under armed guard, joined by elders and locals. Senior officers of Assam Rifles were present.The first half was intense. The new Keitelmanby was in control. By half time, the Meiti team led 3-0. Haibung regrouped at the break and scored two goals soon after the match resumed. Midway through the second half, the Assam Rifles staff started a tackle protest before intervening and giving a brief push. The commentator’s reminder – “Khel ki Sadbhavana Banay Rakhine” – is back. The game ended 5-2 in favor of New Caithelmanby. There were five yellow cards in the match.When the final whistle blew, the players formed a line and shook hands without hesitation. The exchange was brief and regular. “We just played,” said one later. Security personnel remained until the groups dispersed. Meitei turned towards the side valley. Haibung FC boarded an Assam Rifles bus and traveled under armed escort across the buffer zone – to the village where night patrols would resume.