In a unique initiative to promote women's football and improve the livelihoods of tea garden workers, the Baikunthanath Tarkabhushan Memorial Trust on Monday distributed 30 bicycles to women footballers and 30 piglets to their parents at a programme held at Unakoti Kalakshetra in Kailashahar.
The beneficiaries are members of the Phulo Jhanu Women's Football Club, which is based in Kailashahar and is believed to be one of the largest women's football clubs in India. The club has 10 teams, ranging from the under-10 level to the senior category, with around 140 women footballers, all of whom come from tea garden worker families.
The club is managed by the ‘Baikunthanath Tarkabhushan Memorial Trust’, which provides year-round football coaching and facilitates participation in football tournaments across Tripura. The trust is also actively involved in various social welfare initiatives throughout the year.
The distribution programme was attended by Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu as the chief guest. Others present included Trust President Pranab Roy, MLA Birajit Sinha, Kailashahar Municipal Council Chairperson Chapala Rani Debroy, Unakoti Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Amlendu Das, Additional District Magistrate Arghya Saha, Superintendent of Police Sudhambika R, and other senior officials.
According to the trust, many of the footballers travel long distances from their homes to the training ground every day. Due to the poor financial condition of their families, they often struggle to afford daily transportation, affecting their ability to attend practice sessions on time. To address this challenge, the trust distributed bicycles to 30 players in the first phase.
In another livelihood-support initiative, the trust provided piglets to the parents of the footballers. Since most of the families depend on low-income tea garden jobs, the trust believes that pig farming can provide an additional source of income and improve their economic condition.
Trust President Pranab Roy said that the remaining members of the club would also receive bicycles and similar support in phases until all 140 footballers are covered under the initiative.
Addressing the gathering, MLA Birajit Sinha expressed concern over the socio-economic condition of tea garden workers in Tripura. He alleged that adequate measures were not being taken to improve their standard of living and urged the government to introduce effective welfare initiatives for the community at the earliest.
Governor Indra sena Reddy Nallu lauded the organizers for combining sports promotion with livelihood support. He appreciated the trust's initiative of encouraging pig farming among tea garden worker families and suggested that they could also take up poultry farming using modern hatchery techniques. He said there is a strong demand for poultry in the state and expressed hope that such activities would help tea garden workers strengthen their financial condition while ensuring a better future for their families.