Chouhan calls for Bharat Ratna for Dhyanchand

Milind Ghatwai

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said hockey legend Dhyanchand should be given Bharat Ratna ahead of Sachin Tendulkar.

Chouhan, who has done his bit to promote the national game over the last couple of years, said the cricket icon should be given the award because he rules the hearts of lakhs but Dhyanchand deserved it first.

“It was Major Dhyanchand who brought India laurels on the world stage,” Chouhan said demanding that the highest civilian award be given posthumously to the champion hockey player.

Chouhan’s demand assumes significance because Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Ajay Maken recently wrote to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram seeking inclusion of sports as a category for the award of the highest honour.

In January 2010, Chouhan wore a black arm-band to express solidarity with women hockey players who were protesting against alleged discrimination by Hockey India. Before that he had offered to bear all expenses on hockey.

Incidentally, in January this year, the CM inaugurated a road named after Tendulkar in Gwalior, where he scored an ODI double century a year ago.