Gurbaj Suspension: Compassion is needed

The process is clear. It can withstand any legal scrutiny. But the process is not everything and eternal. Yes, we are talking about the case of Gurbaj Singh, who has been suspended from serious hockey for nine months after a 3-member disciplinary committee refused to lift an earlier decision to this effect.

The long, unexpected ban might close down, steam out and even wear down the most impact making player of our current team.

To establish processes that can withstand any amount of legal scrutiny is the hallmark of the present Hockey India, whose procedural exercise can envy any national federation in India.

But, process is different from perception.

Hockey community by and large believes the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gurbaj Singh, is wronged.
Perception comes on its own, wide and popular.

Gurbaj Singh is perhaps the last of veterans who die for the team on the turf and off it. This may sound uncharitable to many current players, but the fact, history and perception do exist and count.

Very much like Dhanraj Pillay, Gurbaj has the knack of being in the controversy though degree of it varied.
Even his entry into the national team – Doha Asian Games – created a big news as he was replacing well-entrenched Viren Rasquinha at the right half.

Similarly, right or wrong, like Pillay again, Gurbaj evoked much of emotion among the followers.
Gurabaj talks straight and is the problem.

I have a personal, among the many, example to quote here.

When I met him in his room at Busselton, a suburb of Perth during India-Pak-Australia tri-anglular series, first question he threw at me was did I write against Jose Brasa being sacked.

Even before I finished his reply, he shot another: ‘Did you take me or his opinion on the matter? He was pointing to his room mate BS Chandi.

He pulled me straight. “That is the problem, you people don’t write when needed, don’t ask us when we feel we needed to be asked, media is quite calm when it should not be….’’and the kind of words continued.

His plain talking got him many foes, but obviously he did not care. He has his stick to speak for himself on the turf.

Same day evening he was among the four Indians suspended due to India-Pak fracas, which is a different story.

Yes, different story but there lies a message.

The biggest bulk suspension of Indian came as a shock, just a couple of months before the crucial 2012 Olympic Qualifier. India lost out the previous number was fresh in everybody’s mind.

While most others had one or two match suspensions, Baljit Singh Chandi, who was not in the line up, but entered the field to join the fracas, was handed out five-match suspension.

It is said that time that the concerned Hockey India staged a 5-match South Africa test series prior to the home Olympic Qualifier to ward off our players suspension especially Chandi’s.

The incident is recollected because this kind of compassion, strategy and attempt is required now with respect to Gurbaj.

Great, famous players are always a complex pack. Young, fame, zeal to win matches make them so. Groupism, lobby, internal sabotage, provoking the vulnerable are part of team game.

Some players manage themselves well but most others not.

Gurbaj belongs to the second category.

He opens mouth not with journalists, but with coaches, trainers and administrators, though the last one was the least. But one can always feel he takes up team and team’s cause. This cannot be denied.
Was he rustic in his approach, may be.

It’s here fans appeal to Hockey India to show compassion.

None of us know what exactly is the complaint against him by Jude Felix, a former player then with the team as a deputy coach during Hockey World League, Antwerp.

HI has to consider fights between present and former players is a common occurrence, a reality.

Public has a right — and are eager – to know exact happenings that has led to extreme, extended punishment, and if that is not possible for whatever reasons, HI should step in and do something that can cool down the ever-increasing tempers of common man.

Public perception today is that Gurbaj Singh is wronged. This is because he has been wronged a couple of times in the past too, which is manifest in the fact that every time he was dropped, he has to be recalled.
One option that I feel appropriate is to reduce the ban tenure by one by third and let him come back into the team well before the next Hockey India League.

HI needs to understand the popular sentiments his case evokes, and the number of picture that float in the social media and huge number of ‘likes’ it gets everywhere.

It’s a measure of public sentiment and it needs to be taken note of.

India has majestically qualified for the Olympics, and its preparations has to be immaculate and get good public wishes.

For that, bringing back Gurbaj at the earliest is essential.