By Chiranjit Ojha
(Reuters) – Supporters of Indian soccer clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan put their bitter rivalry aside and united in protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital.
The Durand Cup match between the century-old clubs from the eastern city of Kolkata was cancelled on Sunday amid security concerns but fans gathered near the Salt Lake Stadium to demand justice for the 31-year-old, who died this month at R.G. Kar Hospital, prompting protests across the country by doctors.
Fans of the two clubs are often at loggerheads during heated Kolkata Derby matches, but Mohun Bagan general secretary Debashis Dutta said he was not surprised by the show of unity.
“They represented society… an incident like this saddens all of us and we all want a quick solution,” Dutta said.
Some supporters injured as police dispersed crowds on Sunday.
Arundhati Biswas, an East Bengal supporter, sustained minor injuries during the protest but was pleasantly surprised by the camaraderie between rival groups.
“I never thought I’d see sworn enemies come together like this,” Biswas told Reuters on Monday.
She added that some fans of another local side, Mohammedan Sporting, had also joined the two groups.
Subrata Ray, a Mohun Bagan fan who was arrested and taken to the police headquarters at Lalbazar, said the protesters had not engaged in violence or vandalism.
“We were protesting peacefully,” Ray said, adding they were released late in the night after Indian soccer federation chief Kalyan Chaubey intervened.
Chaubey, a former India goalkeeper and a politician affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, condemned the arrest of fans, saying they had only gathered for a “peaceful march”.
India and Mohun Bagan defender Subhashish Bose also joined in the protest.
“There’s only one demand, everyone wants justice,” he said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex Richardson)
