Does the AIFF have any plans to spread the game?

PUNE: Former Kerala captain and Mohun Bagan forward CM Chidanandan has criticised the AIFF’s proposal to convert the glitzy Indian Super League as the premier competition of the country and reduce I-League clubs to second and third divisions in the coming years.
The Kannur-born Chidanandan, now based in Chennai, said lakhs of domestic players’ future would be ruined if the proposal, mooted by the AIFF in tandem with Football Sport Development Limited which runs the ISL, were to be implemented.
“I wonder who these stake holders are. Can the district football associations with about 25,000 clubs and involving about five lakh registered players qualify to be a stake holder,” Chidanandan wrote to TOI.
According to the AIFF roadmap, an expanded ISL with the addition two new teams will become the top deck of a three-tier system while 20 more teams will play in League 1 and League 2. The clubs will neither be promoted nor relegated.
“Will a contractual obligation, which disqualifies two of the century old iconic cubs, be necessarily good enough to take Indian Football to the top of the chart, at least in Asia, in the next five years,” Chidanandan, who played alongside legends like Chuni Goswami and Jarnail Singh during his one year stint with Mohun Bagan in the early 60s, asked.
“It is important to mention that this proposed restructuring will involve only about 50 teams (1500 players). What about the 25,000 clubs and five lakh registered players?
“Now look what China is doing. China has laid out plans to win the World Cup by 2050. Therefore they are creating a pool of 50 million players with the help of 50,000 soccer schools.
“The idea is to spread the game. Does the AIFF have any plans to spread the game? A solution should be all encompassing. ISL is most certainly good for Indian Football but it should not be at the risk of shaming and insulting the century old football clubs.”