Ratna for Dhyan Chand a reality now?

NEW DELHI:The longstanding demand for the highest civilian award of the country, Bharat Ratna, to hockey wizard Dhyan Chand may soon be a reality if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ tribute to the legendary player yesterday and his party’s “complete support” to the idea is an indication.

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 29

The longstanding demand for the highest civilian award of the country, Bharat Ratna, to hockey wizard Dhyan Chand may soon be a reality if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ tribute to the legendary player yesterday and his party’s “complete support” to the idea is an indication.

Seconding the prevalent viewpoint expressed by several top athletes, senior BJP functionaries said that the man who helped India win three gold medals in the Olympics deserved the honour “ahead” of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Major Dhyan Chand definitely deserves the Bharat Ratna and the “party believes he should get the honour next year”, they said.

Significantly, the Prime Minister yesterday opened his periodic radio programme with a tribute to Dhyan Chand. Reminding listeners of “his contributions” to the nation, the Prime Minister said: “He played a pivotal role in helping India win hockey gold medals in the Olympic Games in 1928, 1932 and 1936. All of us cricket lovers know Don Bradman’s name very well. He had complimented Dhyan Chand by saying that ‘he scores goals like runs’.

“Dhyan Chand was a living example of sportsman spirit and nationalism. During a match in Kolkata, a player from the opposite team hit him on the head with the hockey stick. At that point, only 10 minutes were left in the game. And Dhyan Chand scored three goals in those 10 minutes and said, ‘I avenged the hit by scoring goals’.”

Ahead of his birthday today, which is also celebrated as the National Sports Day, top hockey players also revived the longstanding demand for Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand. Top Olympians, including Ajit Pal Singh, Zafar Iqbal, Dilip Tirkey and Dhyan Chand’s son Ashok Kumar, urged the government to fulfil their demand and also signed a memorandum to the President and Prime Minister.

Though the demand may not be new (it has been there since sportspersons were made eligible for Bharat Ratna), it is more likely to be fulfilled now. Major Dhyan Chand deserves the honour more than anyone else and there seems to be a political angle as well.

The hockey legend was born in Allahabad and settled in Jhansi (the place of his last posting) — two historic cities of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is hoping to make a mark.