Chasing greener pastures through Asmita: From Tripura tea gardens to football pitch

New Delhi [India], January 1 : Mousumi Oraon is no fiery political personality or a raving film star. She doesn't attract the inquisitive attention of the thousands when she walks on the road. A daughter of poor parents from north Tripura, Mousumi is a simple girl who plays football.
Yet, Mousumi, whose mother is working as a daily wage labourer in one of the many tea gardens in Tripura, has brought in a reticent rebellion that has injected a new life into the sporting scenario of the area.
Four years ago, Mousumi was selected to play for Tripura in an age-group National Championship of the AIFF. Overnight, she became a sensation, and hundreds of girls from the area decided to follow Mousumi's path and started playing football.
"Previously, we had only Mousumi and maybe a few other girls. Today, our Phulo Jhano Athletic Club have more than 150 girls pursuing football. We have four teams--three in the age group playing in the Asmita League under the Khelo India programme and one participating in the official women's league of the Tripura Football Association," said Joydip Roy, a tireless social worker and the backbone of the club.
Pranab Roy, the President of the Baikuntha Nath Memorial Trust, which plays a major role in keeping the fire burning of the club's ever-dwindling funds, said an unbelievable social change has come into the tea gardens of north Tripura ever since the young girls took to football, according to a release.
"This is an area where there are several tea gardens. The labourers there are poor. Naturally, the girls suffer from malnutrition, early dropouts from school, and child marriage. We were involved there for some years in social work on several fronts and found things are not easy to change. Lack of education, health care, and poverty are major hindrances. But when football was introduced by the Phulo Jhano Athletic Club, the girls in the entire region lapped it up with huge enthusiasm and approached us in numbers to join football," said Pranab.
Football is like the gateway to freedom and the bigger world for the girls from these tea estates, who have lived their lives confined to small hutments, fighting to earn their next meal.
The change is evident and magical. Today, these girls are serious contenders to represent the state teams. Mousumi has graduated to play for the Tripura senior women's team. Players like Kunti Oraon, Sabamani Oraon and Anita Gaur have donned the state colours in age groups, the release said.
"The Khelo India Leagues have come as a boon," said Amit Chaudhuri, the honorary secretary of the Tripura Football Association.
"The Phulo Jhano Athletic Club have three teams in the U13, U15 and U17 women's leagues and a team in our senior league, too. They always perform well in the leagues," he added.
People like Pranab Roy and Joydip Roy are working overtime to make this project a success.
"Money is the biggest issue," admits Joydip. "We have a good coach in Anjan Pal now, himself an ex-footballer. We take care of the girls' outfits, equipment, training time refreshments, travel, stay, food during tournaments, and everything else. The growing cost of living leaves us drained regularly.
"Pranab-da does a lot for us. The Tripura Football Association is kind enough to lend us a helping hand. The Khelo India leagues are also of some help. Some well-wishers chip in regularly. Despite all the drawbacks, it is not a losing battle... it is a big victory at every stage," he said.
Mousumi's elder sister, Prabasini, was also a budding footballer. But she sacrificed her career to see Mousumi progress. Phulo Jano Athletic Club, tucked in the remote corner of north Tripura, is now engaged in a grim but enthusiastic battle to see many more Mousumis lighten up the pitch on the football ground.