Even as KPS Gill’s team getting beaten lock, stock and barrel at the crucial international meets, his regime has brought another shame, this time off the turf. When everyone in India is advised to transact even their personal business through cheques, a Secretary of the National Federation receives large sum in hard cash.
Since many years, the hockey inner circle is abuzz with rumours of two particular officials in the Indian Hockey Federation taking money for putting players. Recently, it is also rumoured a coach is also making hay, but on different form. That none could get clear proof is another matter. Perpetrators of crime are smarter than ordinary citizen. This is an universal phenomenon.
In good old India, even if there is a train accident, the Union miniser of Railways will resign. The leadership has as much responsibility and accountability as that of the criminal caught. Here, now that Jothikumaran is culprit, his boss of long years also owes moral responsibility.
If reports are to be believed, Gill has said strong words about Jothi’s act.
I am really surprised Gill is not aware of many wrong doings of his own secretary. Many State secretaries have written letters against Jothi, and the IHF’s own Joint Secretary said in a live television programme, in which I was also present, that Jothi is eating all the IHF’s money.
Yet, Gill has taken no action against Jothi, reasons for that are known only to him.
Now it will be interesting to see whether Gill will resign and go honourably, because whatever the channel has to say about him, people in the hockey circle know it is Gill who has been protecting Jothi for long, long years.
Jothi is Selection Committee Secretary while Gill is Chairman. In other words, no player can enter into the national scene without the nod of these two.
But we all know, the IHF hardly announces probables and the team in time, or send it to ministry for legal formalities. Most of the times, they see to it they are poolproof on paper. Most selectors, honourbale Olympian momumnents, sign on the paper. It will be next to impossible to find a legal fault with the selection process, unless and until you catch them on camera. And it has been done.
Jothi has been protected by Gill. In his own electoral belt, Gill has got lot of flak for his inexplicable sticking to his secretary. But of late, after his monumental effort to dislodge Carvalho failed with Gill, there has been rumours that Gill and Jothi has fallen out. And also, after he was seemingly organizing a lobby within the IHF that was growing each day.
Now that the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports has spoken about inquiry into it, both Gill and Jothi should resign together so that an impartial inquiry can be conducted by competent authorities, say, Central Bureau of Investigation.
Now there are two possiblities. One, Gill will take moral high ground and maintain child like innocence. This sells in India because Gill in his professional life did service to the country. It is time, in the best interest of hockey, Gill should be viewd from the point of his role in hockey not to mess up with his past as a professional police officer with the manner he runs the Indian Hockey Federation.
Second, Gill is the only person to protect Jothi so far. Why was he so is an interesting mystery. They were partners in crime. Both has equal role in killing our national game. Will the same bond come up once again, and despite public posture, will Gill try to save his Secretary? The second one seems to gain currency as events unfold. Because in each one’s survival lies their secrets of partnership.
Therefore, when the inquiry comes on ground, the same minister should ensure both are not in power of the Indian Hockey Federation for an impartial legal process.
Gill can certainly help by resigning albeit temporarily.