Taking advantage of people’s high excitement for hockey after excellent performance by India’s men and women teams at the Tokyo Olympics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi played his own little game against “Team Congress” on Friday. Modi announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award would now be known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The BJP leaders described it as “Khela Hobe.” The Khel Ratna award is the highest sporting honours. Legendary Dhyan Chand became a hero in the 1936 Olympics as India under the British Raj had scored a Hat-trick. Adolf Hitler had watched with awe as Germany was defeated 8-1 and India had secured the gold medal. The final match was played on 15 August 1936—and renaming of Khel Ratna awards in the memory of Dhyan Chand just days before the beginning of mega celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence has added more significance to the PM’s well thought-out decision. Dhyan Chand had scored six goals out of the eight for India. Hitler was so much impressed by Dhyan Chand’s magic stick game that he had offered him a place in the German military but, with all his pride, he had declined to accept the offer. Congress leaders accused Modi of playing politics. Modi said that this was being done “respecting the sentiments of citizens across the country”…”Major Dhyan Chand was among India’s foremost sportspersons who brought honour and pride for India”.
‘Thank You’ Odisha for Promoting Hockey
Many are not aware that from February 2018, Odisha government had taken over the sponsorship of the Indian hockey teams for the next five years. The name of the state adorns the players’ jerseys. Odisha has conducted major hockey tournaments in Bhubaneswar including the Men’s World Cup, World League, Pro-League, Olympic qualifiers etc. “India got it’s real life ‘Chak De India’ moment—thanks to support from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who deserves the nation’s heartfelt ‘Thank You’ note,” felt sports commentator RakeshThapliyal. Patnaik on Friday spoke to the women’s hockey team on video call and congratulated them for putting up a brave and fantastic fight against Great Britain in the bronze medal match.Women’s team had finished last at Rio 2016, having qualified for the Olympics after 36 years. Patnaik also congratulated men’s hockey team for bringing home a medal (bronze) after 41 years.
‘Hail Mary’: Mahua Moitra’s greeting style in LS
It is a tradition in the Lok Sabha to greet the Speaker in the beginning of the day. Earlier, ‘Namaskar’, ‘Namaskaram’ and ‘Vanakkam’ used to be the usual greetings. But in the recent past one has started hearing ‘Jai Telangana’, ‘Jai Maharashtra’ and ‘Jai Bangla’. Some MPs from Punjab would say ‘Sat Sri Akal’ and saffron MPs would greet with ‘Har Mahadev’ and some Muslim Members would say ‘As-Salaam-Alaikum’. As ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants took on a political tenor, some BJP Members would use it to convey their unique identity. The TMC’s vocal member Mahua Moitra is responding to them with “Hail Mary!”
‘Arey yaar! I Can’t Speak’
In the Rajya Sabha, when many Opposition MPs get a chance, in the din of the House, to discuss one of the three Bills tabled on Thursday, they use the opportunity to instead raise the issue of the Pegasus, farm laws and alleged gang rape and murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl by a cremation ground priest and his men in the national capital. When Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s turn came to speak, she got frustrated as she could not speak because of the commotion in the House. A colleague advised her to “get to the point”. Upset, Chaturvedi told him that she was trying to do that“arey yaar!” Finally, she succeeded in raising the issue of the Dalit girl.
A Gift From Land of Pegasus
Even as Parliament has been rocked over the Israeli “Pegasus Spyware” row, Tel Aviv has sent a sweet and practical gift for a girls school in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The Israeli Embassy donated a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system to Nehru Smarak Inter College, a girls’ school in Greater Noida on Wednesday. This innovative technology will lead to optimal water usage and conservation in the school campus and also encourage students to save water from a younger age. Ms. Rony Yedidia Clein, Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy, said, “We are happy to donate this Israeli-invented drip irrigation technology. This is another example of the multi-faceted partnership between Israel and India in the fields of education and water.” The Embassy also donated capsicum seedlings to the school. Students and teachers, along with volunteers from Aarohan NGO, came together to plant these seedlings on the school campus. The Embassy had brought these seedlings especially from the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence in Karnal (Haryana). Founder of Aarohan, Rani Patel, says the children in the school mainly hail from families of rural migrants. If they learn farming techniques, it is something that they can always put to use in their lives.