Narinder Batra should have been a national hero today – as Sports ministry shows some backbone and comes out with an executive order specifying the tenure of National Sports Federation office bearers including IOA — but he is not. He left the game he started so passionately, halfway, unfinished and of course getting some benefits personally in the end. Thanks to Rahul Mehra, a staunch sports lover, the game was not over. He not only picked up from where Batra mysteriously left — allegedly charmed away by the post of Secretary General of Hockey India that Suresh Kalmadi, the Indian Olympic Association, presented to him – but brought the issue to a logical end.
Narinder Batra, who was then the senior vice president of the Indian Hockey Federation, filed a case against KPS Gill seeking fourth term. That was around the time Gill was elected, thanks to Olympian Gurbux Singh, who hosted the election at his home, Kolkata, in 2005.
When the court gave the judgment, this writer was present in the court along with Batra and a couple of KPS Gill’s ardent fans.
It was clear there Batra has won the case, the hon’ble court, upheld Batra’s pleas that the sports ministry, being the fund giver, has every legal right to regulate Nationals Sports Federations. The court also specified some time limit for the ministry to respond.
Meanwhile, Batra, despite winning the case in all purposes, did not follow up the case. He in fact joined the Indian Olympic Association lobby against whom he filed the case!
Thankfully, Rahul Mehra, who won a case against might BCCI, has now done it. He followed it up vigorously. Ministry itself intervened in the case when a foolish FIH official did not support governments guidelines to conduct election. The case then picked up momentum, and all sports lovers watched it with interests.
Now that the court starting pressing the Ministry, MS Gill has rightly came out with the tenure specification. In a order, ministry has agreed to suitably modify the 1975 guidelines – which it never enforced – that is expected to clear the stagnated waters of Indian sports administration.
Narinder Batra brought top lawyers including former Law Minister Arun Jaitley to fight his case, while the Indian Hockey Federation, against whom the case was filed with IOA and ministry as co-respondent, availed the services of son of a sitting law minister. This was a high profile case, which this Batra won, and still did not know what to do.
He was short-sighted, greedy and could not wait more for getting posts. Very unfortunately, he switched sides and started hobnobbing with the same people against whom he fought in the court.
As Batra is now exposed, the nation goes on joyous mood. Let us salute Rahul Mehra, who not only brought big relief to sports world of ours, but also exposed the real objective of Narinder Batra.
Even then thanks Batra Sahib, at least KPS Gill cannot stand election now, as he has already completed 16 years.