‘I felt like crying’: Asian C’ship silver medalist Bindyarani worried about family in riots-hit Manipur

In a distant land of Korea, Bindyarani Devi, a weightlifter from India, was filled with worry on Saturday. She wondered if her parents had received the news of her silver medal-winning performance at the Asian Championship. However, her primary concern was their safety, as she had been unable to communicate with them for the past two days due to the internet shutdown caused by the ethnic violence in her hometown of Manipur.

Despite the conflict, Bindyarani put aside her worries and represented her country with pride, standing on the podium as a symbol of her hard work and dedication. However, when PTI contacted her in Jinju, where she had achieved her remarkable feat, the 24-year-old athlete broke down on the phone.

Through her sobs, Bindyarani expressed her distress at not being able to speak to her parents. The situation in her hometown had left the people there incommunicado, and she feared for their safety.

“Har competition ke pehle mumma mujhe call karke ashrivaad deti hain par aaj aisa nahi hua (My mother blesses me before all my competitions. But today, I couldn’t speak to her),” she said.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in the tragic loss of countless lives, leaving many more injured and prompting a shoot-at-sight order. In response to the rioting that broke out, nearly 10,000 army, para-military, and central police forces have been deployed in the affected state.

To maintain peace and order, internet services have been suspended for five days. Additionally, the state government has authorized all district magistrates to issue shoot-at-sight orders in extreme cases.

“The internet is shut down, I haven’t been able to talk to them, I am scared. Even today, before going for the competition I felt like crying,” Bindyarani said.

The Commonwealth Games silver medallist’s father is a farmer who also owns a grocery shop. She also has a brother, a sister and a sister-in-law back home.

“There was no violence around my house the last time I spoke but now I don’t know what is happening. When I spoke to my family three days ago, at that time this issue was not so big. But now things have become quite bad.” Bindyarani said.

She lifted a total of 194kg (83kg+111kg) to open India’s medal count in this edition of the championship. But she couldn’t call her parents to share the joy. In fact, she didn’t even know if her family was aware of her latest achievement.

Bindyarani, a member of the Meitei community, comes from Langol Ningthou Leikai, a village located on the outskirts of Imphal. Unfortunately, her village is situated near one of the flashpoints of the ongoing violent fight. The Kuki tribe, who live in close proximity to Bindyarani’s residence, have experienced several house burnings. However, sources have confirmed that her house remains safe.

The state of Manipur has been struck by violent confrontations between the Kuki tribe and the majority Meitei community. The clash resulted in several deaths and the displacement of thousands of people. According to the latest official count, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 50 people.

The Meiteis make up approximately 53% of the state’s population and reside mostly in the Imphal valley. Conversely, the Nagas and Kukis, who are considered tribals, constitute another 40% of the population and live mostly in the hill districts.

(With inputs from PTI)

READ| ‘Should change his name to ‘No hit Sharma’: Kris Srikkanth triggers huge debate on Rohit’s role in MI XI