The IHF was suspended because of 2 reasons. 1. India fails to qualify for the Olympics and 2. A sting operation caught the secretary of the federation accepting bribe.
Hockey was sacrosanct because it was that sport which India won Olympic medals. It is something which is dear to the nation. The nation expressed its fondness for the game by naming it as the National game of India. We had hockey to cling on in our dream of a gold medal. Because if we had won it once there is a good chance we will win it again. At least that was the hope wagon which kept the Olympic gold medal train chugging. It gave comfort to the administrators, government and the general public that we are doing something in that direction.
So the inference is that Indian hockey is made up of different kind of men, who are totally insulated from the politics which affects other sports in India. This is a totally transparent organization, all is fair and honest and the men involved in it are super human beings who will hold the principles written in the Indian constitution like dharma and Satyam steadfast and take the nation to glory, and fame!! Nice feeling right. See we take great comfort in being naïve and are willing to be lured away by what the media is so generous in giving at us.
Let’s start with the real reason for the dissolving of the IHF. Had Mr. Gill being diplomatic and offered to grease the system both with sound bytes and currency, it’s doubtful if there would have been a sting operation. After all the sports minister is also a Punjabi and we all know that blood is thicker. But he being what he is sounded the way he always sounds like a fighter. This did not go well with the “sentiment” of the nation and it turned out to be an ideal chance for all people who did not like him to take out the daggers and call for his blood.
If people are asking for the head of Mr. Gill for non performance then the same rule should apply to other sports bodies including Mr.Kalmadi the all powerful boss of the IOA under whose inspring tenure the nation has lost count of the number of Olympic medals India has won. The same rule should apply to the sports ministry and the Minister should resign and if we push this rule to its end then all the other non performing sports bodies, and bodies in other ministries should resign too.
The reason why Mr. Gill has taken over the IHF in a brazed coup like operation is that he needed something to hang on to after his retirement as a super cop. In the absence of a system in which the nation doesn’t recognize its heroes it was left to him to take care of himself. The alternative for him was to wait for deliverance from the government which we know is not capable of doing. What he did was perfectly justified as that is what is done by other prominent politicians. He understand the system and played the system game. But then he also has an aura about him which is difficult for the other non aura personalities in the sports ministry to digest. So they all conspired to ditch him.
Sting operation and reason for bribery can be one of the laughable ironies which was dished out by the planted media and consumed by the masses. Sting operations are stage managed as they seem to address a specific result. It would be interesting to know the people behind the sting operation. Wish there were sting operations for other acts of bribery happening in India. We could as well start a television channel named, “Sting channel India”. It would be a very successful channel, considering the fact that India is ranked amongst the most corrupt nations of the world.
Mr. Gill was right when he said that, “when I look around I see no one capable to take over his post” So many people are depleting the nation of its resources then why should he be accused of something which other are doing with total impunity. Let’s buy the argument of the new set up which replaced him. Are they going to guarantee that it is the turning point for Indian hockey both in terms of results and transparency in operation? We all know the answer.
The nation needs to remember its heroes. Imagine if the Punjab crisis was not solved now… it would have been a festering wound the way Kashmir is now. Kashmir hasn’t produced the equivalent of Mr. Gill and so have other states which are plagued by violence. The administrators of India would do what they do best… “Allow the drift”. What he has done is monumental and if the nation had treated him well, and made use of his skills then he would not have made attempts to take over the IHF. If you read the newspapers the number of people asking for his head is embrassing.They seem to exhibit typical mob mentality. If somebody is down they hit him further, and if somebody is on the top they join in chorus to praise them. The public and the journalists who are asking for his head should attempt to come out of their mob mentality.
Its time to give Mr.K.P.S.Gill his rightful place in the heart of the nation instead of making him fight for what is his legitimate due. We don’t know if the government of India has recognized his efforts in fighting terrorism. Nobody has asked him if he is happy with the rewards the government has given him. Let’s respect our heroes which can pave way for other heroes to spring. The ideal solution would be to thank him for his services to the country, forgive him for the so called “lapses” as head of IHF, recognize and reward his true efforts and give him respect and dignity.
