When I broached the subject of Roop Singh Centenary needs to be celebrated by the government of India three moths ago, MS Gill, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, stunned me. He said: “Only in India we bother about past. In the States, no visiting dignitary goes to George Washington samati. Here everone goes to Gandhi Samati. We should stop doing all these things”
But the same minister is never tired of praising Milkha Singh in every occasion.
Why different tune and sudden wisdom in case of poor Roop Singh?
Will the minister ignore milestone happenings if it comes to the legends of his party?
Or simply put if a player of Roop Singh’s calbre is from his home State Punjab, will he say the same things. I doubt.
Govt of India needs to do something worthwhile to honour Roop Singh, say a Padma award, Centenary Celebration by the State, or anything they deem fit.
Ignoring won’t do justice to the hockey legacy.
Dhyan Chand’s Centenary was also ignored by the govt three years ago. It was left to his son Ashok Kumar and family to organize a rally and a function at Jhansi on that day. However, one can derive satisfaction to the fact that government has done a lot to commemorate the memory of Dada Dhyan Chand.
It was not the case with Roop Singh, an unassuming but great player.
Now also, Ashok Kumar was behind in Gwalior city organizing a small function on the birth anniversary of Roop Singh, who was settled and died here.
Now the moot question
Is Roop Singh and Dhyan Chand just a family affair? Are they not national celebraties?