Supporters of the arch-rivals along with Mohammedan Sporting unitedly raised voices to ‘demand for justice’ in front of the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata after the Durand Cup match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal was cancelled due to security issue.
None of us has thought like this. But living in a civil society, we must stand like this. The Kolkata football fans congregated on EM Byepass to raise their voices against the police and the government following the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital. The All India Football Association (AIFF) chief Kalyan Chaubey also joined the ‘demand for justice’ protest outside the iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
The ‘demand for justice’ was instigated by the cancellation of the Durand Cup match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal over concerns of security and violence amid the ongoing protests in various parts of Kolkata. Amidst the slogan of “We want justice”, the fans also protested against the wrong call to abandon the scheduled football match.
The imposition of Section 163 of the BNSS near the stadium by the West Bengal police could not stop protestors from joining in in large numbers. As huge crowd gathered in front of the Salt Lake Stadium, the police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and also detained those who resisted.
This is only for a handful of times since Independence that a Kolkata derby game was cancelled. In 1947, the IFA Shield Final was abandoned over violence in the city. In 1967, the IFA Shield Final was called off again over deteriorating law-and-order situation in the city. In December 2012, a heated Kolkata derby turned ugly when Mohun Bagan coach Syed Rahim Nabi was hit by a stone from the stands. The Mariners refused to play the second half, causing East Bengal to get a 3-0 win and the match to be cancelled.
this is for the first time, the fans of both the teams did not stand against each other but stood together to demand for justice. Later in the day, Mohun Bagan captain and national team defender Subhasish Bose also joined the protest.
