Another street game

Intu Mintu

Intu mintu is a popular take on the English game ‘Oranges and Lemons’. The rhyme that accompanies it does not make as much sense as Oranges and Lemons and neither does it have very much to do with clock towers. But it is definitely a game that is more interesting than the said Oranges and Lemons.

The game requires at least six or more players. First, two captains are chosen. These two go off in a corner to decide alternate names—anything from countries to animals. They then come back and create a bridge holding each other’s palms as the other players pass underneath. A chant is sung during this process: “Intu Mintu London ma, Hamro baba paltaan ma, Esckoola ko paale dai, Pahilo ghanti bajaideu, tinnnnniiinnnniiinniiinnnii, jhyaapa” (Intu and Mintu are in London, Our father is in the army, please gatekeeper of the school, ring the first bell”). The tinnnininini part is the ringing of the bells and the captains can prolong it as long as they want. With the jhyaapa they lower their arms to capture one of the players passing underneath. The captured player is taken to a corner and asked to choose from the two alternate names the captains have given themselves to preserve anonymity. Depending on the choice the captured player is assigned a team. This continues till every player is captured and assigned a team.

Then a line is drawn and the captains reach across to hold hands as their teams form a chain behind them as a game of tug-o-war begins. Bet Oranges and Lemons did not end in a tug-o-war! Whichever team wins the tug-o-war is the winner of the entire game. In another version the game is played without the tug-o-war at the end nor with the alternate names for the captains. The last player captured going under the bridge automatically wins the game.