India's Manipuri hockey player Nilakanta Sharma seeks PM Narendra Modi's help to restore peace in his home state
Nilakanta Sharma at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium on Wednesday. Pic/Ashwin Ferro
India hockey midfielder Nilakanta Sharma, 28, is known to be a quiet customer. Despite having played more than 100 internationals, he still remains one of the lesser talkers, both on and off the field. Nilakanta is the only Indian hockey player in the current squad for the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) here, who hails from Manipur.
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His home state has seen some serious violence due to ethnic tensions in the last few months. In May this year, clashes erupted in India’s north-eastern state between the Meitei people, a majority that lives in Imphal valley, and the Kuki tribe, who reside in the surrounding hills, leading to over 100 dead.
Though reluctant to speak given the sensitivity of the issue and the consequential tense political situation it has created, Nilakanta, 28, said that he is hoping for peace to prevail and for this, he seeks the intervention of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Main sirf itna bolna chahta hoon ki Modi sir kuch bole apne liye, baaki mere bolne se kuch nahi hone wala. Modi sir kuch bolenge tabhi kuch hoga otherwise mere bolne se ya mere rone se kuch nahi hoga [I only want to say that Modi sir should say something for us. If Modi sir says something, only then something will happen. Nothing will happen if I say anything or even cry here],” Nilanata told mid-day after India’s final training session on the eve of the ACT at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Wednesday night.
Earlier, opposition party members met India’s president Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi, seeking her intervention in the Manipur issue that has resulted in more than 70,000 people, including thousands of families displaced from their homes.
Fortunately for Nilakanta, his family back home is not in any danger at the moment. “I last visited my family [in Manipur] two months ago. My family is safe because things are fine in Imphal city where they live. The problems are in the hilly regions,” concluded Nilakanta, who executed one of Indian hockey’s most crucial passes in the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal-winning clash against Germany, setting up the equaliser by Simranjit Singh after India went down 0-1. India eventually prevailed 5-4 to find pride of place on the Olympic podium after more than four decades.
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