Son dejected over Dhyan Chand missing Ratna again

INDORE: A day after Bharat Ratna was conferred on ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and educationist Madan Mohan Malviya, hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand's world cup winner son Ashok Kumar is hurt because his father was snubbed yet again for the country's highest civilian honour.
"After Narendra Modi government assumed power at New Delhi in May and Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju informed the Lok Sabha in August about the ministry having recommended Dada Dhyan Chand for Bharat Ratna posthumously, hockey lovers were elated," Kumar, presently technical advisor to MP State Hockey Academy, Bhopal, told TOI over phone on Friday from his native Jhansi district in UP.
"Not only our family, but hockey lovers across India were expecting much-awaited honour for country's most successful centre forward, who powered India to three Olympic hockey titles in pre-independence era. Lovers of hockey across the country feel let down and dejected over hockey wizard not being awarded the highest civilian award, " said Kumar.
An Arjuna Awardee himself, Kumar the ace striker, whose winning goal against Pakistan clinched India it's lone World Cup Hockey title at Malaysia in 1975, said, "We still have high hopes from this government and the way, the two illustrious sons of the soil received Bharat Ratna on their birthdays on Friday, hockey lovers are hoping government will finally do justice to Dhyanchand on his 110th birth anniversary on August 29, 2015".
Lauding PM for honouring Banaras Hindu University (BHU) founder Madan Mohan Malviya with Bharat Ratna on Thursday, Kumar said, "Just a few months after being elected to Lok Sabha from Varanasi and then becoming country's PM, Modi has conferred the long overdue honour on Mahamana. But why has similar effort not been made by BJP MP from Jhansi and union minister Uma Bharti for Major Dhyan Chand". It was during Uma Bharti's stint as union sports and youth affairs minister that New Delhi's National Stadium was rechristened Major Dhyan Chand stadium. "Several stadiums have been named after him and several awards instituted in his name, but why have union ministers like Uma Bharti, who represents Jhansi and ex-BJP president Rajnath Singh, who represents Lucknow in Lok Sabha, failed to fight for Bharat Ratna for the hockey legend," Kumar questioned. He said after the Asian Games gold medal triumph and stellar performance at the recently concluded FIH Champions Trophy, national game hockey seems to be in revival mode and a Bharat Ratna for Dada Dhyan Chand would have given more fillip to sport.