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Journalism of Courage
Their bid to have sport represented in the Rajya Sabha saw some of India’s most respected sportspeople turn up at North Block today to meet Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani. Milkha Singh, spearheading the campaign, was accompanied by Bishan Bedi, former TT star Indu Puri and former Asian badminton champion Dinesh Khanna.
After a quick meeting — it lasted barely 15 minutes — the sporting stalwarts seemed pleased with Advani’s response. Advani, said Milkha, ‘‘was very respectful during their audience and had promised to look into the matter’’. Bishan called the Deputy PM’s response to the idea — first reported in The Indian Express — ‘‘wonderful and very receptive.’’
The urgency in their mission lies in the fact that the list of Rajya Sabha nominations will be out by next month, when two-thirds of the members are due to retire. There’s no point, as Milkha put it pithily, in crying over spilt milk.
The legendary runner is also seeking to raise the issue a notch. This campaign, he said, was not just about entry into the Rajya Sabha but in ensuring ‘‘deserving recognition to sporting heroes who have shed blood and sweat for their country.’’ By ‘‘deserving recognition’’ Milkha said he meant an ambasssdorship or a governor’s post.
Asked if the delegation had suggested any names to Advani, the response was a quick negative. ‘‘That’s not our prerogative, that is for the politicians to decide,’’ said Indu Puri. Bedi added, ‘‘We are just here to clear the first hurdle and it doesn’t matter who gets nominated.’’
Well before the team arrived at North Block, there was talk of Kapil Dev joining them today. He was conspicuous by his absence, given the fact that he’d issued a statement yesterday in support of the cause. Milkha’s explanation was that it was proportional representation. ‘‘We are not interested in collecting a crowd; since Bishan was here there was no need on this occasion for another cricketer.’’
As the media waited at the Home Ministry, a humble villager carrying a dirty piece of paper tried to push his request to meet Advani. One got the feeling that, were it not for the posse of television cameras and reporters, the country’s brightest sporting stars would have been in roughly the same boat.
