IMPHAL: In villages across the foothills near western Imphal, young men have spent nearly three years taking turns through the night, standing at the edge of their settlements with sticks and torches after elders decided vigilance was no longer optional. In Kuki villages, night patrols began almost immediately after clashes erupted on May 3, 2023. In Naga-majority ones, they intensified after tensions flared in Litan this week.Some of these youngsters were brought to Assam Rifles’ New Keithelmanbi Garrison earlier this week after finishing guard duty that morning, reports Vishant Agarwala. They are footballers. From Monday to Thursday, 13 teams – eight Naga, three Meitei and two Kuki – from nearby villages gathered at the garrison’s uneven, dusty football ground for Assam Rifles’ Foothills Football Tournament, organised under Operation Sadbhavana.Keithelmanbi lies along the seam where the Imphal Valley rises into the surrounding hills, a geography that has hardened into buffer zones and guarded perimeters. The teams were named after nearby villages. But even a distance of 4km can carry more meaning than it suggests. The Kuki teams – including Haibung FC which reached Thursday’s final – crossed the buffer zone for the first time since May 2023 in Assam Rifles buses with guards.Football has often mirrored deeper fractures within societies already under strain. The 1990 clash between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade came to symbolise Yugoslavia unravelling. The so-called “Football War” between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969 entered history as an example of how a match can ignite terrain already primed for conflict. In those instances, football did not invent grievance, it amplified it.In Keithelmanbi, football was asked to restrain. The organisers approached the tournament with caution. Senior Assam Rifles officers addressed the teams before kickoff and made the terms clear: play in the spirit of the sport; any attempt to injure an opponent would result in an immediate red card; an extremely severe offence would lead to disqualification of the entire team. “Refereeing is always contentious, so we used soldiers from outside the northeast,” an officer told TOI. Security personnel lined the perimeter. From the commentary area, a Hindi voice narrated play and returned to one appeal whenever tackles grew heavy: “Khel ki sadbhavana banaye rakhein. Referee ke nirnay ka paalan karein.” Maintain the game’s spirit. Referee’s decision is final.The first semifinal at 8am on Wednesday featured two 100% Meitei teams – New Keithelmanbi Team B and KTYWA Keinou. The second carried a heavier backdrop. Khonglong Naga Youth Club faced Haibung FC. Days earlier, violence had flared between Kukis and Nagas about 100km away in Litan in Ukhrul district. Though Khonglong’s village had not suffered direct damage, anxiety spread quickly. Naga youngsters too began night patrols. Families hesitated before allowing the team travel. “People were worried,” one Khonglong player said. “But if we stop meeting completely, that is not good for the future.”On the pitch, there was no spillover. Haibung dominated in a largely one-sided contest. When the match ended, the handshake was steady and unforced. It set up a final few had predicted – the first Kuki-Meitei football match since May 3, 2023.Haibung’s story explains why reaching the final carried weight beyond sport. The squad’s average age is 19. Instead of focusing on training, many found themselves playing night sentries. “For our own safety,” one said. “That doesn’t mean we want to fight another community.” “We don’t sleep properly on those days,” another player said quietly. “But it is our responsibility.” They were excused from duty for the duration of the tournament.Haibung coach Ngamgoulen (30) had returned from Delhi, where he had been preparing for the Manipur civil services exams, on April 28, 2023. Within weeks, his village was attacked five times. His cousin Nilson Kuki’s house burned down. Movement became restricted. Reaching the nearest airport required crossing a buffer zone. With routes to Imphal airport blocked, residents travelled via Aizawl or Dimapur. Gogo, as he is known, did not leave his village. “As the younger brother of the village chief, it was my duty to be there for my people.” His belongings remain in Delhi.Haibung defender Seiminthang Haokip (20) now lives in a relief camp after his village was burned down twice and is still waiting for the next stage of his Territorial Army application. Fullback Thangkhopao Singsit (21) had been preparing for CDS examinations when his village was attacked in July 2023, leaving three villagers dead and one still missing.Goalkeeper Chongouman Kipgen (21) ran a private school with his father that employed teachers from Meitei, Kuki, Naga and smaller tribes, and they were in the process of starting another school before the conflict made coexistence impossible. Midfielder Thangminsei Kipgen (19) teaches at the only functioning community-run school in the area, managed by Kuki Students’ Organisation, after most qualified teachers left the state.By the time the final began, the stands were full. Villagers had been brought in Army vehicles under armed escort, joining elders and locals. Senior Assam Rifles officers were present.The first half was intense. New Keithelmanbi was in control. By halftime, the Meitei side had built a 3-0 lead. Haibung regrouped during the break and scored two goals soon after the match resumed. Midway through the second half, a tackle triggered protests and brief shoves before Assam Rifles personnel intervened. The commentator’s reminder – “khel ki sadbhavana banaye rakhein” – returned. The game concluded 5-2 in favour of New Keithelmanbi. There were five yellow cards in the match.When the final whistle blew, players formed a line and shook hands without hesitation. The exchange was brief and routine. “We just played,” one said afterwards. Security personnel remained until the teams dispersed. The Meitei side returned toward the valley. Haibung FC boarded Assam Rifles buses and travelled across the buffer zone under armed escort – to villages where night patrols would resume.
