SAFF Cup Final: Manipuri footballer carries Meitei flag triggering controversy
The Indian national football team defeated Kuwait to win the South Asian Football Federation Championship, or SAFF Cup, on Tuesday. However, during the post-match presentation, Indian player and Manipur resident Jeakson Singh Thounaojam walked in draping a Meitei flag, sparking a new controversy. He said he didn't intend to hurt any sentiments but to draw attention to the situation prevailing in his home state.
Why does this story matter?
Manipur has been witnessing violent ethnic clashes since May. The Meitei community, to which Thounaojam belongs, forms the state's majority and has been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which is being opposed by the state's tribal groups. Notably, Jackson wore the flag of Kangleipak, Manipur's ancient name. Certain quarters of the Meitei community advocate for a sovereign Kangleipak, claiming to be the genuine inheritors.
Salai Target flag represents 7 Meitei clan dynasties
Hailing from Manipur's Thoubal district, Thounaojam was instrumental in India winning the SAFF Cup for the record ninth time. After the match in Bengaluru, Thounaojam went to collect his medal while sporting the Kangleipak or Salai Taret flag. The seven colors on the flag represent the seven Meitei clan dynasties that ruled ancient Manipur. Some social media users called Thounaojam's action "secessionist" and "unprofessional."
I want peace: Thounaojam
However, he insisted that the flag represented Manipur. "I just wanted to tell everyone in India and Manipur to stay in peace and not fight," Thounaojam said. "I just want to bring the government's and people's attention to get peace...My family is safe but there are...lot of families who have suffered and lost their homes," he added, dedicating the win to all Indians.
Thounaojam only Indian footballer to score in World Cup
Reportedly, 22-year-old Thounaojam rose to prominence during the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 when he scored India's first and only goal in any World Cup. Since then, he has established himself as a regular on the national team and his club, Kerala Blasters FC.
Mob forced Army to release 12 KYKL cadres
Last month, a 1,500-strong women-led mob forced the Indian Army to surrender 12 cadres of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), a Meitei separatist outfit, after they were arrested with "arms, ammunition, and war-like stores." After the incident, the Indian Army requested public support to restore peace, saying, "Women activists in Manipur are deliberately blocking routes and interfering in the operations of security forces."
