Kolkata rape-murder | When rivals reconcile: Football foes find common cause

As a child Avirup Ganguly was forbidden from wearing yellow a restriction imposed by his father a fervent Mohun Bagan fanldquoYou canrsquot ever wear yellow we are Ghotis inhabitants of West Bengal It is not the colour we representrdquo he would insist equating the colour with East Bengal Baganrsquos longtime rivals whom he had lsquodespised all his lifersquo as Avirup saysAvirup has friends who are East Bengal fans and while he respects the clubrsquos prominence storied history and achievements a lingering antipathy instilled in him from a young age remains deepseated within him ldquoBlame my fatherrdquo promptly comes the response For any oldtime follower of Indian football that is hardly a surpriseOn Wednesday though Avirup like many others did the unthinkableClad in a Mariners jersey the 31yearold joined numerous others in marching through Salt Lake Stadium with East Bengal fans while rallying for justice for the R G Kar Hospital rape and murder victim and also petitioning to reinstate the Durand Cup tournament in the cityldquoHad my father been alive today he would have joined the protests too This is historical for all of us never before have we all come together in this manner Today we are one here we want justicerdquo he addedHe was joined by uncle Snehasish and three friends all of whom were donning a Bagan jersey ldquoThe derby is past us now we want capital punishment for the rapists No man should be allowed to get away with such kind of heinous crimes against a woman Hope justice prevailsrdquo said SnehasishThe Durand Cup derby scheduled for Sunday at Salt Lake Stadium was cancelled due to lsquosecurity concernsrsquo arising from extensive protests throughout the city The decision to call off the match was made in response to escalating tensions and fears of potential unrestDespite the games cancellation the fervour of the fans did not diminish one bit Thousands of supporters from Mohun Bagan East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting assembled outside the stadium united in their protestThe situation outside the stadium quickly became volatile As the protests turned violent the police intervened employing lathicharge to control the unruly crowdsSeveral demonstrators were detained as law enforcement struggled to manage the escalating conflictThe event intended as a showcase of football rivalry instead became a focal point for public outrage and a platform for expressing collective grief and frustration over the grievous incidentNotably although it might seem surprising the camaraderie between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal is not entirely out of character given their shared origins rooted in protest and defiance Both clubs emerged as responses to social and political issues of their times reflecting a deepseated tradition of challenging the status quoFounded in 1889 Mohun Bagans historical significance is highlighted by their landmark victory over the East Yorkshire Regiment in the 1911 IFA Shield final This triumph was particularly momentous as it marked the first time an Indian football club defeated a British team during the colonial eraAbout 31 years later the formation of East Bengal FC was driven by a similar spirit of resistance against perceived injustice The clubs inception was a direct response to the exclusion of Sailesh Bose a prominent Bangal player from the Mohun Bagan team due to his regional background This act of discrimination led to a faction within Mohun Bagan breaking away to establish a new club East Bengal in order to provide a more inclusive platform for players and supporters alikeThe origins of both clubs underscore their roles as symbols of resistance and resilience Mohun Baganrsquos historical victory represented a challenge to British colonialism while East Bengalrsquos formation was a response to internal discrimination and exclusion Tuesday was no less than a reflection of the duorsquos historical roots and their ongoing commitment to embodying the spirit of resilience and unity that characterized their originsTwo days later the secretaries of all three clubs Debasish Dutta of Mohun Bagan Rupak Saha of East Bengal and Ishtiaq Ahmed of Mohammedan Sporting held a joint press conference expressing their hope that the Durand Cup semifinals and final would proceed in Kolkata as initially plannedIts indeed a historical day for Kolkata Maidan the Big Three clubs are speaking together for the first time As responsible football clubs of India we also request CBI and all other investigative agencies that our sister Tillotama RG Kar victim get justice soon and culprits get severe punishment We also extend our sympathies to the family of the RG Kar victimIn this fight we are together without any political influence Saha read out the statement that had the signs of the three top officialsBoth clubs were each awarded one point and under the revised quarterfinal schedule they will play their knockout matches in Jamshedpur and Shillong respectively As the two teams are positioned on opposite sides of the draw they have the potential to face each other in the final