Bharat Ratna and the unhappy Indian

Who deserved the Bharat Ratna more?

India ranks a nelson (111) in the Global Happiness Index released by the United Nations in 2013. This suggests that people of 110 countries are happier than we Indians and to be frank the result of this survey does not surprise me entirely. For instance, take the controversy which followed the announcement to award Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar. I am sure most of the other countries would have been celebrating the fact that the highest civilian award is being given to one of its greatest son. There was celebration, but it was accompanied by a huge hue and cry.

The “not so happy” Indians felt that if Bharat Ratna was being conferred to a sportsman then it should have been given first to Late Major Dhyan Chand. While no one can deny the fact the Dhyan Chand was truly one of the greatest sportsman that the country has produced but I do not think that this is the right time to bring this issue up. The entire country should have been happy that the government has for once made a timely decision and given it to Tendulkar just when he is retiring.

It started with few politicians who might have been lobbying for the award for Dhyan Chand raising there voices and there out burst is still understandable to an extent. But when it came out from few former sportsmen, it was really a surprise. The entire indian sporting community should have been happy that a beginning has been made in the right direction.

The news hungry media made it a point to highlight these negative reactions from across the country. People were asked the most outrageous question – “Should Dhyan Chand been awarded the Bharat Ratna before Tendulkar?”

Sporting greats from all over the world have always said that it is not right to compare even people in the same sports of different eras. Well, here the comparison was being made between two players who are not only from different eras but also from different sports. Just to give a magnitude of difference between the two great indians, when Dhyan Chand died at the age of 74 in 1979, Sachin was yet to celebrate his seventh birthday.

I am sure Dhyan Chand the sportsman would have been happy today that the doors of Bharat Ratna has finally been opened for sportsmen. If Indian sports is a one big happy family then Dhyan Chand is its grand father and Sachin probably the grandson. And I see no reason why a grandfather would be upset in the success of his grandson.

Yes, Dhyan Chand the human might have felt the pinch of not getting the award himself. But giving the award in 2013 to a person who died in 1979 is already a rear guard action and giving it to Tendulkar say 10-15 years later would have been another rear guard action.

So, the government of India at least avoided one rear guard action and announced the award for Tendulkar on the day of his retirement. Kudos to the government for this. The timing could not have been better, the entire nation was filled with emotions on the day of his retirement and the government acknowledged his work in the probably the best way it could have.

For the “not so happy” Indians, I would say that yes if sportsmen are eligible to be given Bharat Ratna, then Dhyan Chand also deserves this award, probably more than anyone else. So, they can still award the Bharat Ratna to him now. But please do not dampen the joy for another great who has entertained you for more than two decades and has got the award at the right time.