 The tiny state of Manipur gives India two kinds of workers in disproportionate numbers. The first is soldiers. The second, perhaps more celebrated, athletes. The state produces elite athletes across sports and disciplines. But no sport is as present everywhere as football. In March 2023, India's senior men's national team played two internationals in Imphal. It was the first time the state hosted these home games. Six players in that team were from the state of roughly 3.5 million. The matches and the final round of the Miss India beauty pageant that was held soon after were very much part of the double-engine BJP government's narrative of normalization and mainstreaming in the border state, where identity politics reigns and every community, including of course the state, is armed. Local leadership made every effort to maximize the PR value of these events and the rapid strides Manipur was making under Chief Minister N. Biryansing towards peace and development. On May 3, that narrative was violently altered. But even back in March, the chasm between investment in Imphal and any of the hill areas was wide. It is as clear in sport as anything else. The city boasts a sport university, sprawling sports authority of India, centers of excellence, a games village, hundreds of football pitches and turfs, coaches, academies, in addition to the best schools, colleges and hospitals. As the major population centers, some of this is expected, but the degree of difference, particularly when it comes to government infrastructure projects, is glaring. As a result, most of the Manipuris the rest of India knows, come from Imphal. When India beat the Kyrgyz team in front of a capacity crowd of about 30,000 at the Khoman Lampak, Chinglan Sana Singh was among the six Manipuris who celebrated in front of the home crowd. His story isn't a little different. Though Amaitai, the dominant community in Manipur, is from a small subset pond and raised in the hill districts. His home, like his mother's before him, was Chura Champur. From there, he made it to the Tataford Ball Academy in Jeb Shaper before graduating and playing for clubs in the country's top tier league. A regular at Hyderabad FC since 2020, the Central Defender's consistent form was noticed by the head coach, Aning Sana, a dream debut for the national team at 24. Neither he nor the myriad politicians cashing in on the photo op. Nor those of us watching from the galleries that day had any inkling that in a little over two months, he would be forced to drop out of the team as it prepared for the SAFF championship. Or that he would be homeless. But by May 5, almost every last Kuki in Imphal had been forcibly evicted from their homes. To the families of footballers like Simon Landongan, Semboy Hoikeb and hundreds of young boys and girls training at various schools, the city was completely off-limits. That was when Sana's home came under attack. We met the family in Bishnupur. They found refuge just across the border at the home of another pro footballer, Bokulan Kerala Deshander, Salam Ranjan Singhs. It is just 35 kilometers away, barely an hour's drive on one of the best roads in the region. But for Sana's family, it might as well be a different planet. Their testimony reflects how deep the divide in Manipura has become and how even those who want to live in a cosmopolitan India, in peace and drutherhood, find themselves forced onto a side. On the third night, there was a rally, which was called Peace Rally. And the time we've seen, we broke out into a kind of, they started attacking the houses and started burning down the houses where our family was in our one house. And a lot of other local family came into our house and they were there. And they waited until the next morning to get evacuated from their by the army, then they came to the camp in Moirang, Renif camp in Moirang, stayed there for a few days. And this incident was very surprising to every one of us. The third night was very difficult because of the violence and the threat that it possessed at that time. It was very scary. I wasn't part of, but I was on the call with my mom and, you know, I myself thought that any moment they could attack the house, burn the house or, you know, suit, suit and all these things. So yeah, it was very scary for all of us. And yeah, that's what mom meant to say. Deveson, a little bit about the place itself, the locality, what was the kind of, you know, how many, many families, how many other families, cookie, other tribals were and how long had your family been in that place? Also, how was your relationship with the locals and the tribal? Yeah, I mean, I have a lot of players, friends and people whom I know from the tribal community that we train and we grew up together, title friends as well. So we were born and brought up there. My mom herself was born and brought up there. So our entire family was born and to tamper. And we have our home. Everything that we have is in general was there from 1942. That's what mom was talking. Yeah. So we core existed very peacefully. You know, there was nothing such as tribals and mateys. And, you know, it was we were the minorities there, but we never felt threatened or we never felt out of this. But this incident was very, as we said, my mom and every one of them, they taught like it was just a place to be on the third, nothing. And hence, we were not going to be better. You know, nobody knew about this or everything. I never imagined there couldn't be something like it would happen. This that they would attack the house or burn the house or something like that. That didn't nobody caught. And we didn't take anything out of the house, thinking that in the health room we were born, we protect it. Even on the fourth, we thought like nothing will happen. So she just locked the house and then we took the key. The key is still with us. We thought like nothing will happen to the house. We thought like after two, three days, we can come back and stay there again. They'll be peaceful in us for like two, three days more, you know, because we don't think they didn't be helping like this. Like they are very friendly with them. Well, they are like my remedy, you know, sound that because we stayed there. We don't know the people from outside. Well, we know the people from Trinsapot only. So we don't know that they might do the thing. So around us. So when the first four of people came to attack your home, did you recognize them? Were they the same people that you have grown up with? Or were they people from outside? You can't be recognized exactly because it was dumb because they cut down the light. So we can't see their face or like topony. They just know that they are coming towards us. That's what we know. But we can't see their face or nothing. The light has been cut down because it was dumb. And we were inside the room. Because we can't come out. You sort of, the time you were sentenced in that time? So at that time what we did, it was like we have some license. Double barrel, those license are not automatic. So we took that gun. Like around 10, 10, 15, 10 to 15 of the religion. They came out. They didn't shoot to kill. It was like just to defend. Like double barrel. How can we shoot more? Just two. So we're like just to defend. Yeah, just to defend. But then they, they have all those automatic. They fired like boom, boom, boom. For us like down, down. That's it. We don't know if we are killing them or not. But we're just to defend them. I mean, defend us. That's what I mean. No such information was given to us that like this thing is going to happen. You guys need to evacuate. Nothing was there. No message, no information. That night, I think we called up the police. And it was like, but then like they said, yeah, you're sending a security, but there was no security at all. Nothing, nothing. There was like, when we called up the police, they swing your head quarter or everything, but they said, like, oh, we're sending the security. Only two of you were sending it. We're sending it only two of you through phone. Through phone, through message. There was like around one to two hours. We keep on sending them a message. We keep on calling them. I don't know where we are ready to support you. You know, we're going to send the security. Don't need to worry. Don't need to fire. I think everything will be distinct. If I'm not mistaken, mom, you guys called up the MNH. Even the local people, they will call up. Boys, Mrs. Sustarek, man. Even he told us, the MNH itself told us, no need to scare. We are there for you. I have called up the security. I have talked to the ASP. They are sending the security first. They can't do it now. That's it. Before the RANI on the third, the big RANI, or even after the RANI, the DC, then he removed the culture and many of the security courses were sent back to him for all of that. Also, also happened, right? So do you think that the state was completely unprepared for what was about to happen? When was it that the CMR, first incident was happened on 27th of April? 27th of April. CM was about three in a way, dead seeming, yeah, yeah, yeah. At that time, the security force was fully tight. Fully tight, it was. They were more than, you know, like 1,000, I mean, 500 of them, commandos, state police, IRB, everything. But after the destruction of the open gym and all everything, CM decided not to come. So around 10 p.m., I was there. 10 p.m., all the security force, they left. And I was like near to the main road. I have a restaurant, small. So I could see from the first floor. Around 11 o'clock, they started the ride. I mean, they started building stones and they started shouting slogans like, oh, this mate, they are not allowed to stay here. Then they started giving bad words to the chief minister. And they started, you know, destroying the, what to say, shop, store, everything. What was it? One day away. And even dogs. I saw two, three dogs were barking over there. They pelted stones in there. And just on the main road, there's a small dude which goes to the local MLA house. Even they could have come and give some noise to the MLA, but they didn't do anything to that end. They went straight to the police office. Police station, wherever they were. And they started pelting stones at the police station. And I think they started firing some tear gas at that night. So at that time, you were in Sherilla, obviously being so far away from your family. What was going on in your mind? What were you doing? As soon as the mass ended on, we played against Mont Blanc. I saw a lot of miss calls on my phone and it made me so worried at what happened, you know. And then I called Mont back and she said that this is what was happening, all these that we've been talking about, the attacks, the burning and the gunshots and everything. And from that moment onwards, well, we had lost that match against the air security. And well, I stopped thinking about the game. I just thought about my family at that time. And it was so disturbing. And I was so worried because I was so helpless. I'm not with them. I'm away from them. All I could do was just call out some friends and just check what are the plans, what's happening, will they be protected and what are the people doing those things. All I could do was that. And well, I called my mom and I said, please make me be there on the line. Don't hang up on me. I want to be part of everything that's happening. And well, even the screen nights were off. So it was like that. And I spoke with my mom. I was there. And it was really difficult because, you know, your house could be under attack. You know, they could get killed. I mean, that was so scary, so scary. And it's not that they explained in words, but what I felt at that time was so difficult. And over the phone, we were very Muslim as well. That like God's blessing your life. I think all of them are alive and healthy. That's the most important to me. And well, whatever happened was really unfortunate, but yeah, that's what happened on the third night. And the rest, most of the of the family has managed to remote, but you, there's still someone there that you love very dearly. Yeah, no, my dogs are still there. And few friends, I've been kind and good enough to live after them. Cory Carbys and yeah, well, I'm trying my best how to get them out, but there's no self-waist how to get them out and it's really difficult. But every day I think about them, because I'm very close to them. And I love my girls and love them. So I'm hoping that they remain safe and things get better. And I can get them out of teens again. If I can ask a bit more about the locality, again, made sure of how many people were there, so if at this time when you were evacuated, sort of how many people had to be moved? And then what were the conditions in the release camp in Manang when you arrived there? On the first trip, some of them were evacuated on the first trip and then the trucks came back. So they waited for the second trip. And while waiting, there was stone pelted at them. You know, that's what I've been told. Stone pelting and things like that. And they were gathered around in a place new to the Arbor's Party. And from there, the trucks up to them period and lead them to the relief camps. And once they reached the relief camp, it was a chaos, of course. You know, nobody was prepared for this. So even they were kind enough to arrange food for them and everything. But who were they left back? And who were stranded behind? I think what I heard from them is that the food to herself on the paper, on banana, you know, that. Banana? Yeah, and. Not even banana leaves. You want to call it banana, those. The steam. Yeah, steam. They cut the steam and the cover, the steam. On that they had, and it was a kind of like small portion of rice with some dhal, you know. Very basic to serve. We have those pictures also. Pictures of Vido Arbana and very. Yeah, they could eat like, yeah, they put like this. You could see the rice and the dhal running side by side, right? And they have to wash and keep it so that they can eat the next thing they get. And a few videos I have seen the drinking water from this and the rest. So, but, I mean, you wouldn't like to wash your face with that. Well, you know, even, you know, have a shower with that water. Well, they drank that water to stay alive and, yeah, so. And that was what everyone went through. To add to this one, I have a small boy. He just one and a half year old, my son. My wife, they were on, you know, like was struck, which were fully covered. There was no air to pass in it. They were all suffocated. So, like they suffered on those things and then onto the, like they, they pelted stones. They thought, like, oh, I want to die. That is what in their mind, it was so anyway. And when they reached the safe point, they thought, oh, we're going to be light. As you said, that must have been also a mixed kind of feeling, right? Because you clearly have, like everyone does, an emotional attachment with your home, you know, and for before India became India, and when you live in there. So, coming from there, that time, work for your first thoughts. Did you still think, okay, it was bad, but we get to go back home one day and rebuild and start again? Well, feeling the same. Well, some of us are feeling the same. Yeah. As you said, to remind them that we have, like, a fast name because they want to put up there. So, we are supposed to go back and live there, but even the circumstances, like, if we felt right, it's, there's no security everywhere for us, but the minorities, because we were designed to live there for sure. And so as for them, and coming back, being far and leaving, you know, for them, it's all going to be difficult. It's the people above who doesn't take care, like, you know, the state force has to be there for any emergency or anything, any such things. If that is assured, then I think the people will have faith to go back then, live. It's not, I think nobody will, yeah. It's a matter of life and death. It's like we, they felt like they skipped that when they arrived at the camp, see. So for them to go back and to live personally, they're very lucid. Until the government, you know, set up good force and stations to protect the people, peace. So yeah, that's the thing. And talking about Tasman, brother, whatever, we have had until now as a family memories, our childhood memories, you know, from small things to everything. So it's all there. And we don't have a second home in Manipur. Be it Moirang, be it Infal, we had no plans because everything we set up was all in Tutanpur. So my mom, she's the one who loves this district so much that even though we're able to, like by land, we fall into the house, but we wanted to get into Tutanpur because we're so attached and we love the place so much. I myself do. Hence I set up the football to off. It's got destroyed, people unfortunate. And well, I had the deep lands, you know, for the upcoming players and all the academies and pre-doers, national programs and everything to give them a chance in football because I know for sure that if the boy needs football at a high level in India, the family, everyone like changes. So like it has for me and for many of us. So with that thought, I had big plans, you know, because there are a lot of talented footballers who are from very bad backgrounds because their families are coming to support them, you know. Well, I wanted to support them. Vice versa, you know, be it Maitreys, be it Fungman, be it Tiberians, be it anyone. Because our sports football doesn't happen here. You know, really, the cast or anything. It's their talent and it's their, that will get them what they deserve to. I just wanted to provide that platform. That's the reason I built up the football ground, not because I have money or anything. I, what I own through my footballing career, I invested on building that golf between three leagues that got destroyed. Now, what do I do? I mean, you know, so I interview Saad again and I have to give one sentence to my family to be there for them. It was great to go to the season. For me, they miss out on the national team meetings because that is what everything there was to eat. So it's a country and play. From many seniors have coordinate up and told me, like, you should go for the game and things like that. It was a very hard decision because at that point of time, I had to be a son. I had to be a brother. Well, so that's what I thought. Like, my family miss me the most at that point of time, whereas for India, they are the minute gears who can make it for India. And for my family, maybe they go to, it's only me. So that's why I decided to be them and throughout this time. And I thought, like, teams will get better. You would know what the situation was. And we can go back and restart again, maybe again. But until now, the best thing that it is is for you not getting better. So it's difficult, but we need to have a plan now. So I want to build a family house in Moira and so we can live there for some time and see what's the situation which is under and going forward by the crunch. But coming back to what the other person knows, like everything that we ever had, even my winning medals of the Indium Supplementary Soft Cup, whatever I've won from my academy days to until now, it's all been destroyed, grown, and taken away. What I do is that a few jerseys and things like that were on the floor and my woman, before they have taken that away, and well, yes, it's that other thing that we must come back. I can't buy them, you know. Those are the memories and what we earn to our sporting merit. That's gone, but really saddening. But I have to implode it, you know, what to do around it, right? Yeah. You don't work like training because of the sport. It also gives you access, like we said, access to the MNA, access to really senior families and all that. And still it was so, this is it for your family. Or do they like for just normal people, other people in the community, who don't have that kind of, or start to seek up for phone and call somebody? Too very difficult. Yeah, like, well, this thing, Auntie, Nima, I love it. Yeah, I love it. And even scarred by this senior having rid of all the general economic thing, they send me all the way to finish our name. Well, like, what do they do? Mostly, I mean, you know, what? Well, in our locality, there are many people that earn daily on a daily basis. I mean, they earn daily on a daily basis. And imagine, many people, we as a state, as, like, you know, we, I think I have not seen many babies. Be it at any traffic or any other site, that's because people who want to walk on and rest up fully, it needs, you know, whether it's a small house, small house, that's what people do. Now, in this situation, like many people are homeless, jobless. Then lift camps, what do they do? How do they earn their living, you know? It's difficult. How long does the people who are supporting support? So in our locality, how we live was like that. There are a few people who are businessmen and who I myself went to sports. So there were a few like that. Otherwise, everyone was earning their daily wages. Well, all that was taken away. I'm wondering how are they surviving now? You know, the truth of the thing and process. And what is our government doing at this moment to we start with them or support them or what is the solution, you know? I'm sure everyone is in the, you bring their level best to get things back to normalcy, but each passing day is making so difficult. Even for us, it wasn't one of them. How they might be surviving. Yeah, again, my sister was the form I do. And I, our possible, our zone passed away just in December. This is just last December. 22 December. And she was saying to, you know, the cover, forget all those, my husband passed away, you know? And this incident happened. And her house has been burned down, all destroyed, anything like, whatever they had. I mean, like the husband, no, like, he'll come and decorate. Like, ah, this is not good. This is good for the house. Decorate everything and then like, husband passed away. And like, she's trying to forget all those things and then like, suddenly this thing happened. Now she's like in that trauma, like, what will happen next? For sequences, now she's still with us, but she still has that pain in her heart, you know? Like, my husband passed away and then told her, like, this thing in my house has been burned down. What will I do next? What will happen next? I don't know. Mom, like, my sister, they, you know, work so hard. We have our dogs. We... We eat our sweet. You know, like, we own from some other place, you know? I don't know. May not go, okay? For our trauma, okay? He grew up like that. That's how we build the house. And like, it has been destroyed in seconds like that. So, we feel so, you know, like... We build it up like that. We'll be cut down by that. But that's what Mom, like, and my sister did. You know, the pain is still there.