Lack of segregation in Siliguri stadium causes major security headache ahead of Kolkata Derby

LACK OF SEGREGATED GALLERY is causing a lot of worry for the police in the upcoming Kolkata Derby at Siliguri.

The long-standing mega rivalry fixture, which has had a long history of violence, is usually played at the Salt Lake Stadium which was constructed with the Derby in mind. It has a completely segregated seating system which allows for the three-tier stands to be split evenly between the two sets of rival fans. The fans even enter the stadium from gates built in the opposite ends of the arena.

But since that stadium is under renovation for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the match was moved to Siliguri's Kanchenjunga Stadium. The 35,000 capacity arena doesn't have the segregated seating system it is believed is pivotal to maintain peace during the match.

The two clubs were alotted 5,000 tickets earlier, which were sold to their fans in Kolkata. These fans will sit in specially marked and separate areas. But the rest of the tickets were sold to the locals, and do not carry any demarkation of loyalty.

This means the majority of the spectators will sit in mixed blocks containing both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans. And since Siliguri is a Red and Gold stronghold, most of these "general" tickets are expected to go to their own fans who will overwhelmingly outnumber the Green and Maroons on the matchday. 

With the tension and heat around the Derby already reaching a crescendo 24 hours before the match, the presence of a mixed crowd presents an extra threat of violence and disorder during the match. The Siliguri police will have to be extra vigilant to avoid any unwanted situations during the match tomorrow.