Kolkata: West Midnapore district was host to a unique football tournament on Saturday where 12 women’s football teams from the Moaist infested areas of West Bengal Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore participated in “Jangalmahal Cup”, organised by the state government.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has always maintained that the “peace and development” of the region is a success story of the state government that should be emulated all over the country where Maoist rebels threatened to dislodge democracy.
“Football and other sports like kabbadi have played a critical role in ensuring the peace process by engaging the villagers in positive activities. The women football team has also ensured that young girls are not lured into negative activities and took part in nation-building,” Banerjee told Gulf News.
“I congratulate the people of the region who have come out of the dark days of bloodshed and is keen to return to the mainstream process of progress and development. We certainly welcome them with open arms,” said the chief minister who had launched a rehabilitation programme where any Maoist member who surrendered arms was given financial help to rehabilitate into the mainstream.
The state government is building a women’s football academy at Kashipur in Purulia district; and tournaments are being organised regularly to engage the female strength in the region.
“They say it’s a beautiful game. It indeed has helped to create beautiful minds in this part of the country. Hundreds of women are practicing football and participating in various tournaments. It is sight no one even dreamt of even five years earlier,” said Swapan Belthariya the elected legislator of the area.
The process was initiated by the state police who bring together people of the region in a bid to encourage them to interact with one another and the administration. The villagers responded positively and football became a major tool in this endeavour.
“It helped counter disenchantment among the locals. Women of Jangalmaalso, especially in areas like Bandwan, Baghmundi, Barabazar, Balarampur and Ashra of Purulia district, which was known as Red Corridor, started participating. Their enthusiasm proved contagious and touched women in other districts as well as a result football tournaments are also being organised in West Midnapore and Bankura,” said a senior police official.
On Saturday, the women’s football league will begin in West Midnapore. It has been organised by the district sports body. As many as 12 women’s football teams from the district are slated to participate in the league. The state government has also organised two separate Jangalmahal Cups for women and men.
“It is certainly a successful social experiment that has succeeded even beyond the imagination of the administration. The people were eager to come out of darkness and football become a tool. India can certainly find many sporting starts in that region which will go a long way in making the country truly democratic,” said sociologist Pallav Majumdar.
