He was known as the Kalo Harin or Black Buck. But IM Vijayan is a name that has pretty much been forgotten in the history of Indian football. But make no mistake, in his prime, he was no less than an icon. A striker for the national side, he also had a distinguished club career and then as a coach. Nonetheless, his contribution as a player despite staying away from the limelight has no equal. The journey however was not easy.
Born into a Dalit family, Vijayan had to sell soda bottles in the Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium to support his family. He grew up in a poor environment but had a love for football early on. It proved to be the turning point when he was spotted by MK Joseph, the then DGP of Kerala. At the age of 17, he joined the Kerala Police football club. He played for the club till 1991 and his performances earned him a place in the national side in 1989. Between 1989 to 2004, he scored 40 goals in 79 games for India though officially he is credited with 29 in 66.
Vijayan played for India in the Nehru Cup, pre-Olympics, pre-World Cup, SAAF Cup and SAF Games. Along with Bhaichung Bhutia, the Sikkimese Sniper, he formed one of the most deadly combos on the field. He had a habit of scoring crucial goals in international tournaments and in 1999 netted one of the fastest goals in history when he scored in 12 seconds vs Bhutian in the SAFF Cup.
His club career saw him play for the likes of Mohun Bagan, JCT Mills Phagwara, JCT, Churchill Brothers, FC Kochin and East Bengal.
His biopic was released in 1998 named Kalo Hiran which referred to his nickname. After retirement, Vijayan had an active acting career and acted in over 20 Malayalam & Tamil movies.
Poetry on the field, full of experience and advice and fit even at 54, Vijayan may be forgotten for the most part of India’s football history, but the man’s contribution to the sport cannot be ignored. He is now mentoring the next generation of players. A hero who always worked from the sidelines.
In a cricket-crazy nation, being an international footballer is not easy and Vijayan paid the prize for playing the beautiful game at a time when interest in Indian football was way less than what it is today. But we should not let his legacy by lost in oblivion because the man at the very least, deserves recognition from the people of the country he represented on the pitch.