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have arranged volleyball competition match and such other games and sports with players of Bangladesh and
India, specially IBV people live on the No-man’s land in others places of this particular Indo-Bangla international
border sectors of Indian Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and also Meghalaya States with a view to improving relation
and establishing amity between the people of India and Bangladesh. This is done in order to avoid any untoward
incidents that are often held abovementioned international boundary between the above two nations for nothing.”
Upon enquiry, the children and the youths of the aforesaid IBV Lyngkhat have revealed, “Though, we are
playing football match in this playground, but, very rare we have seen the Bangladeshi children to come here and
join with us, when the soldiers of the BSFI are absent.”
“But, most irritating thing is that we never play football in this ground peacefully due to BSFI, though, the
soldiers of the BSFI strictly vigil or come into this areas mostly from 06:00 pm to 06:00am”, said the youths of
the aforesaid IBT, Kailashahar and IBV Bolapasha.
“In point of fact, BSFI soldiers are patrolling near the above two football playgrounds round the clock;
because, the IBWBF is absent and it is happened due to vehement opposition from Bangladesh side and the
peoples of Indian IBVs as well. The populaces of above IBVs thought that if IBWBF erects here they will not only
loose the many playgrounds, abodes, cowsheds, shops, schools, banks, government and private offices, fruit-
gardens, et cetera but also the relation, games and sports, marriage, people to people contact and business, et
cetera between two nations will be discontinued or ended”, stated local publics of the Kailashahar.
In deed, India is constructing International Barbed Wire Border Fencing (IBWBF) across its boundary
with Bangladesh to prevent illegal incessant flow of Bangladeshi infiltrators, rampant smuggling and nonstop
noxious anti-Indian activities (by the dreaded insurgents and religious fundamental groups and their leaders).
Because of this, numbers of children and villagers have desisted from enjoying their daily (friendly) football match
in these particular international border areas.
“We’re very much aware that we are playing in both India and Bangladesh. However, we never play with
the Bangladeshi players, though we have heard also that football match in Bangladesh is very popular. The
Bangladeshi players (that is, children) think that if they come here to play with us and if the soldiers of the frontier
guard of IBIB, Border Security Force of India (BSFI) see it, it will create problem for them and for this reason, we
can never stand face-to-face. But, in spite of this, when the BSFI jawans remain absent there, Bangladeshi
children come and play in our ground, but its’ a rare case, you can say”, revealed one of the local football player of
the Kailashahar.
But, whether little Khongsdier or little Lamin and his friends doesn’t try to realize the situation that
existed between the two nations. They know only that they belong to a very good football team constituted in the
aforesaid IBV named Lyngkhat village. Their team often arranges competitive football matches that are played
between the children and the youths of the both sides, specially, those who dwell upon the land that are existed
beyond the Zero-line. The international field, where the games held is existed in no where but in the above
Lyngkhat hamlet. Players of the team often exchange their position, while playing any match with the youths of
Bangladesh. Some time in India and very often in Bangladesh. This happens because of the facts that half of the
said playground falls in India and the rest in Bangladesh or it may say one half of the games are played in India
and the other half in Bangladesh. International Cross Border Game (ICBG), football field is existed in nowhere but
in the Lyngkhat hamlet.
Indeed, the residents of IBV, who are actually living in the No-Man’s Land areas or beyond the IBWBF
areas have neither peace nor prosperity. They IBV peoples have neither good agency nor institution for offering
entertainment to their beloved children and youths. As a result of this, in most of the times, the children and the
youths of these aforesaid IBVs pass a monotonous life. Not only that this monotony hangs high upon them
because of the fact that they have no scope to enjoy cinemas, theatres, and so on, except radio and television
except in few areas. So they are compelled to live a very boring life.
Therefore, to do away this unbearable state of life, they are sometime, compelled to arrange games and
sports, especially football match, volleyball competition, and so on with the children and youths those, who are
also resided beyond either the No-man’s Land or IBWBF. This is how, the ‘International Cross Border Football
Match’ or so has come into existence.
According to the social scientists, ‘These children and the youths are human beings. They cannot live in
monotony or while away their time either and thither aimlessly for want of good field, where they pass their
leisure time in games and sports.’
(Author is former BBC, The Statesman, The Times of India & Hindustan Times & The Telegraph, AP,
AFP & PTI Contributor-cum-Photographer of Northeast India/The writer specialises in Northeast Affairs)
References :
1. India, Bangladesh Kick Cross-border by Shib Shankar Chatterjee, Asia Times, (Newswire Organisation of
Asia Times Online (Holdings) Limited, Hong Kong, China, Dated 03rd July, 2010.
2. A Kick In India – Goal In Bangladesh – by Shib Shankar Chatterjee, ESPN STAR SPORTS (espnstar.com),
Dated 06th July, 2010.
3. A Kick In India – Goals In Bangladesh – by Shib Shankar Chatterjee, News Blaze, (Newswire Organisation of
United States of America [USA]), Dated 04th July, 2010.