Aizawl FC fans clean Shillong, win hearts

New Delhi: They came in driving in droves from Aizawl, fanatic football fans from the Mizoram capital, to support their “underdog” team fight an epic battle in the soccer field on Sunday against the acclaimed local team — Lajong FC in the Independence Day league match touted to be “real final.”

And when they left, besides claiming the coveted football trophy, they also laid claim to the hearts of the people of Shillong. Not demonstrating great football skills but by exhibiting the “Tlawmngaihna” approach to life which essentially means always being kind, caring, selfless and helpful to others.

When the match ended in a draw with Aizawl FC claiming the trophy on the basis of league points — the first time a team from the Northeast has done so — there was understandably a lot of mess and garbage that had accumulated inside the stadium. That was when many Aizawl FC supporters decided to stay back and clean up the mess.

It did not go unnoticed for the locals, who are also known to be partial to cleanliness. On Sundays, entire communities in Shillong get together with shovel and dustbin in hand and try to clean up the neighbourhood with its windings roads and street corners. Neil Nongkynrih, leader of the famous Shillong Chamber Choir, told this newspaper: “About the cleaning up what else can I say. It is the Northeast way. Facta non verba.”

Meanwhile, social media too went abuzz with R.G. Lyngdoh, former Meghalaya deputy chief minister, saying: “Thank you Aizawl football fans for cleaning the trash after the match yesterday…speaks volumes of your attitude, we, the rest, should learn from them.”

A retired IAS officer, Toki Blah, said that the “future of Mizoram lies in safe hands.” Another admirer, Marchborn Syiem, said: “Aizawl FC got a new fan in me. I like their attitude more than their style of play. The most advanced people are not from mainland India but from the remotest part of India.”

Just after the last election, a top Election Commission official who was on election duty in Mizoram had told this correspondent: “How the public behave during elections in Mizoram should easily be a model for the rest of the country.”

Poll commandments by civic organisations include no defacing of walls, not more than 30 flags, a maximum of 20 posters and strict warnings against use of muscle power.

Incidentally, Mizoram is also known for its shops that are bereft of shopkeepers. In these shops, the wares comprising vegetables and fruits are displayed along with a small container where people deposit their cash after they pick up their vegetables and fruits. There have been no known cases of cheating till date.