India beat spirited Nepal 2-0 to qualify for SAFF Championships semifinals
Bengaluru, Jun 24: Captain Sunil Chhetri found the target yet again as India beat a spirited Nepal 2-0 in their second group match to book a berth in the SAFF Championship semifinals here on Saturday.
Chhetri (61st minute) scored his fourth goal of the tournament before Mahesh Singh (70th) struck to notch up the home side's second consecutive win. India had beaten Pakistan 4-0 in their opening match on Wednesday with Chhetri scoring a hat-trick.
Chhetri (91 goals from 139 matches) had already become the second most prolific scorer among Asians -- after Ali Daei (109 from 148 matches) of Iran -- and third among active players in the world. He is the most prolific goal-getter among active Asian players.
With six points from two wins, India qualified for the semifinals from Group A along with Kuwait (also six points), who beat Pakistan 4-0 earlier in the day for their second victory.
India play Kuwait on June 27 to decide the group winner. Nepal and Pakistan are out of the reckoning for a semifinal spot as they lost two matches each.
Before India broke the deadlock, they had to ward off a strong fight from Nepal. India entered the match with large scale changes as only Chhetri, Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad retained their places in the starting 11 from the previous match against Pakistan.
Nepal ran India close the whole of first half with a fine display of solid defence and quick counterattacks.
The first clear chance of the match came Sahal's way but his header from a cross sailed just wide of the goal post in the 21st minute.
Nepal could have gone 1-0 up in the match had Bimal Ghatri was a bit quicker with his shot, as it was kicked away by Rohit Kumar close to the goal line in the 34th minute.
In the 41st minute, Mahesh Singh, who made a fine run down the right flank, jinked a lovely cross to Sahal inside the box but the latter overran the ball and could not execute a volley.
India showed more urgency and purpose in the second half, and the result came their way in the 61st minute.
Sahal and Mahesh engaged themselves in a lighting one-two to evade Nepalese defence before finding an unmarked Chhetri inside the box, and the forward just had to beat goalkeeper Kiran Limbu.
The goal energized the Indian players and they continued the search for another with Sahal marshalling the midfield brilliantly. The Kerala man along with Mahesh Singh worked the engine room of India in the second half.
The second goal was a tribute to Sahal's speed and skills. The midfielder made a bull run through the centre and his pass found Chhetri but his shot deflected off Limbu.
However, Mahesh Singh was right in place to head the ball into the net in the 70th minute as India gained a decisive 2-0 lead.
Despite conceding a two-goal lead, Nepal tried gamely to stage a comeback. But India were able to keep the scoreline intact.
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Maharashtra village goes ‘caste-free’, penalties for abuse, 2-hour student “no-phone” period
New Delhi: A village in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district made an effort to redefine social boundaries through a unanimous gram sabha resolution, with residents of Soundala publicly declaring the village "caste-free" earlier this month.
According to a report published by The Print, during a specially convened gram sabha, a resolution was passed on February 5, which calls for the removal of caste-based distinctions from public and social life. It urges residents to interact only on the basis of shared humanity. It also prohibits inquiries into caste identity and affirms equal access to public spaces, religious places, water sources, schools and government services.
Soundala is located about 350 km from Mumbai. It has a population of around 2,500 across nearly 450 families. Majority of the families belong to upper castes while a significant Dalit population, alongside a small number of Muslim and Christian families also live in the village. While overt discrimination had been declining over the years, residents say the resolution gives formal expression to changes that were gradually taking root.
The initiative was led by village sarpanch Sharad Argade. The Print quoted him as saying that the move was initiated because of rising caste and communal tensions in neighbouring areas of the state and he feared that social divisions seen elsewhere could harden in his own village if left unaddressed.
According to Argade, the idea of declaring Soundala caste-free was discussed over time, influenced by social worker Pramod Zinjade and shaped by his family’s long involvement in local politics. Argade’s wife Priyanka, a former sarpanch, is credited by villagers with playing a key role in challenging social norms through her outreach work, which included visiting homes across caste lines.
The resolution states that Soundala will not differentiate on the basis of caste, religion, creed or colour, and adopts the motto “My caste is humanity." The resolution also warns against social or economic boycotts, communal statements and the circulation of inflammatory content on social media, with provisions for penalties.
After the resolution villagers are sharing food in festivals, visiting each other's houses, and attending community events together. Older residents recall a time when Dalits were forced to sit separately at weddings, use different wells, and stay away from upper-caste houses. Members of the Muslim community also spoke of earlier experiences of exclusion that discouraged social interaction.
Soundala has also introduced penalties for verbal abuse, discouraged discriminatory practices against widows and extended financial support for widow remarriage. The gram panchayat also provides educational support to girls up to Class 12 and enforces a daily two-hour “no mobile phone” period for students to encourage study.
Two months before the caste-free resolution, the village had also adopted a practice of playing the national anthem each morning over a loudspeaker. Argade said it was intended to reinforce a shared civic identity.
Acknowledging that caste remains relevant in government policy, particularly in reservation for education and employment, the sarpanch was quoted by The Print as saying that the aim was to confine caste to official records and remove it from daily behaviour.
