On 16 August 1980, the Eden Gardens witnessed the darkest day of the East Bengal, Mohun Bagan rivalry when they squared off for a league match and on that day, 16 fans lost their lives due to mayhem in the stands.
Forty-four years later, on August 18, 2024, it was a new chapter for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans when the marquee match may have been called off for security reasons, but it was their victory and they will have enough reasons to be proud of themselves for having showcased bonhomie to seek justice for RG Kar’s victim.
Seems no body told the troll how their alliance partner is hitting innocent #FootballFans just before #HaryanaElections2024 #justiceformoumitadebnath #JusticeforMoumitha #RGKarHospital #rgkarincident
From that you can understand what they will do in case they win with… https://t.co/MOEUvQKANI pic.twitter.com/DOiu5RkGU2
— Lucifer (@krishnakamal077) August 18, 2024
Raise your voice, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans are showing united protest.
#JusticeForMoumita #NirbhayaOfKolkata pic.twitter.com/MGSPzuDu9A
— (@AniBaital91) August 18, 2024
A jersey displays colour(s), but sportsmanship depicts conduct, respect and graciousness for one and all.
And on Sunday exactly this happened when colour took a backseat on EM Bypass Road in front of the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Salt Lake.
Braving torrential rain, fans of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting Club raised slogans like “Teen prodhan er ek shor, Justice for RG Kar”. (three main football clubs of the city demand justice for RG Kar).
Some also shouted slogans like “Bangal-Ghotir ek shor, Justice for RG Kar”.
The Bangal-Ghoti rivalry goes a long way… and the river Ganges is considered to be the great divider…
Kolkata Police Imposes Section 163 Amid Protests Over Doctor’s Rape-Murder At RG Kar Medical College
In a rare sight, supporters of the two clubs held each other’s flags and raised slogans demanding justice for the victim’s family, with a huge contingent of the police keeping a vigil on the situation.
As the protests spilled onto the busy EM Bypass and blocked the traffic, police chased the agitators in a high-voltage drama and detained some of them. Even though the police were somewhat successful in breaking the gathering initially, the protesters regrouped in small numbers a while later and continued raising slogans.
Police said prohibitory orders under section 163 of the BNSS were imposed in the area from 4 pm till 12 am to prevent any disruption of peace. For defying the prohibitory orders, some of those who gathered here were detained, they said. As the police tried to whisk away those detained, the supporters of the two clubs tried to block the way of the vans.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey also reached the site a while later and met the angry fans of the three clubs.
Kolkata Police Imposes Section 163 Amid Protests Over Doctor’s Rape-Murder At RG Kar Medical College
“It is very shameful. Law and order have completely collapsed in West Bengal. A football match could not happen… and look at police deployment, it looks like a riot is going on,” Chaubey, also a BJP leader, said.
The arterial road connecting the city’s northern end to the south was eventually blocked at different locations, including Kadapara and Beleghata Connector crossings, disrupting the flow of traffic to and from the airport.
As the police tried to whisk away those detained, the football fans tried to block the way of the vans.
Screaming at the police, a woman dressed in Mohun Bagan’s maroon-green colours said, “Where were you when the vandals took siege of the RG Kar Hospital, and doctors, nurses and common people ran for their lives? Where were you when costly medical equipment at the hospital was being vandalised?” Waving the Tricolour along with the flags of the three clubs, a group of football lovers also sang the national anthem amid chants of “We want justice”.
“We only have one demand, we want justice for the doctor and her family. Two clubs but one voice, justice for RG Kar. It was said that police cannot give protection to the large crowd during the match that is why the match is being cancelled. If there is so much police just to resist the protest then why was the match cancelled?” said an East Bengal supporter, holding a flag of Mohun Bagan club.
Police said there were intelligence inputs that attempts would be made to trigger violence during the match, because of which it was cancelled.
West Bengal: Protests Continues Over RG Kar Incident, CP Met With Agitators
“We had specific information that some groups and organisations would attempt to create disturbance in the stadium,” a senior police officer from Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said, adding that 63,000 spectators were expected for the match.
“Keeping in view the safety and security of the football lovers, we took up the matter with the Derby committee and decided to cancel today’s match,” he said.
Meanwhile, reports of widespread protests have started pouring in from all over the state.
