The Kolkata giants are on the verge of an existential shift; One that could fundamentally alter the founding philosophies of these massive community-based clubs. It is in this context that the Kolkata derby was played out at the Salt Lake Stadium on January 19. Next season, Bagan, after its merger with ATK, will play in the Indian Super League (ISL) while East Bengal is expected to follow suit. The close to 70,000 fans who congregated at the stadium, however, granted the occasion a larger historical significance. They adorned the stands with banners and tifos in protest against legislation, policies and future programmes of the BJP government at the centre. In this episode (Season 2, Episode 17), the 420 Grams crew, joined by veteran football journalist Jaydeep Basu, talk about the history of the clubs, connected with the freedom struggle and immigrant rights post partition, as well as their future in new football ecosystem.
