The visuals in this video depict the way football in Calcutta conducts its self in the Maidan. East Bengal a 102-year-old club that plays in the Indian Super League is an illustrative example.
Most fans in Calcutta are caught in the mix of power struggles, politics and the oppression of the police. Some fans actively take sides and ride the wave of inefficiency, corruption and unprofessionalism, with personal interests in mind, while some actively choose to voice their opinion for genuine concern for the club and its identity. Overall a toxic environment persists in the city's football landscape, putting two of the biggest clubs in the world in jeopardy of losing their identities and connect amongst the emotional masses of the older generation and today's youth who prefer quality over chaos.
Kolkata which was once the bastion of football in India is now slowly slipping into oblivion, resting more on its memory than on its present, much like the city itself. This realisation, though late, is slowly beginning to dawn upon the modern generation of fans, especially with the increasing use of Social Media.
This video is the story, is of one of the two big clubs in the Calcutta Maidan- East Bengal Club. An institution built on the pride of first-generation immigrants ( From now Bangladesh). East Bengal FC was a reclamation of pride and existence amidst society for millions of displaced Bengalis during the Partition of Bengal and India.
Over the years since its inception in 1920, domestic and international success made the club one of the best-supported teams in the world. However, in the last 20 years, the story has been different. The club management who have been accused of corruption, power-mongering and threatening general fans with dire life consequences, have shown barely any adeptness as football administrators.
A campaign to reclaim the club began on Social Media and finally hit the ground on the 21st of July, 2021 amidst the ongoing pandemic.
#SignandResign and #RajaEbarCharoGodi (King now leave your throne) were the two trending hashtags used to target reformation in the club management.
Like their forefathers, East Bengal fans of today, have set out to reclaim their pride and establish their existence, yet this time it is not against those who denied the existence in Society but from the same people who they once trusted their beloved club with.
There is a saying in Bengali which when translated to English goes as "Sometimes the biggest enemies are found inside your home"
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