Amid Manipur crisis, Kuki and Meitei footballers play for the same team, all yearning for peace

Amig the months-long ethnic clashes in Manipur, members of the Kuki and Meitei communities have shown the example of brotherhood and harmony as they play in the same team in the A-Division football tournament being held at the Jorhat Stadium. 15 youths from the Kuki and Meitei communities of Manipur have entered the ground with a message of peace.

Jorhat (Assam): In the heartland of Manipur, a land steeped in the shadows of turmoil, ethnic clashes have cast a long, harrowing shadow. For five agonizing months, the fires of discord have raged on, refusing to be extinguished. In their relentless wake, they have left behind a trail of death, despair, and homelessness, tearing at the very fabric of the state. The Meitei and Kuki communities, bound by their shared anguish, find themselves ensnared in a never-ending nightmare.

Yet, amidst this bleak landscape, a glimmer of hope beckons. Do the ordinary souls of Manipur, battered and broken by these communal storms, yearn for this ceaseless strife to cease, to yield to a brighter tomorrow? Indeed, amidst the chaos, glimpses emerge; snapshots of a longing for an end to the brutality that has consumed their lives. In the midst of this turbulent Manipur, a stark contrast comes to light in the neighbouring Assam.

Here, on the football fields, members of these two embattled communities have painted a picture of unity and harmony. In the sprawling Jorhat Stadium, the A-Division football tournament serves as a stage for a profound message. Fifteen youths from the Meitei and Kuki tribes of Manipur march onto the hallowed turf, bearing a message of peace. Seven of them don the colours of Ramakanta Sporting Club, a local beacon of hope in Jorhat's footballing league.

Among these seven, one belongs to the Kuki community, while the rest are Meiteis. Together, they reside in the same camp, sharing meals, laughter, and the beautiful game, all in the name of love, peace, and brotherhood.

Daniel Grant, a scion of the Kuki community, strides onto the soccer field, a symbol of unwavering determination. Even as his family takes shelter in a relief camp, he stands undeterred. In Guwahati, he shelters his mother and grandmother in rented quarters, embarking on a quest for a livelihood, leaving behind the haunting memories of their ordeal.

Yet, deep within their hearts, Daniel and his comrades carry a fervent wish – that this communal tempest in Manipur may soon dissipate. Just as they coexisted in the past, these resilient youth harbour hope that the Kuki and Meitei brethren will once again embrace peace in their homeland. With unwavering optimism, they believe that the people of Manipur will come together, united by the bonds of brotherhood and the pursuit of lasting tranquillity. In this strife-torn land, the indomitable spirit of harmony and love persists, shining as a beacon of hope amid the darkest of hours.