Conflicts and Infighting and the " START " of the " FALL " of India Hockey:: The " SINGH " Family and Major Dhyanchand " AVERTED " the FIRST Collapse.

Pic :: The  " FIRST" HATTRICK team of Olympic India Hockey Captain Roop Singh is sitting on the Right and Major Dhyanchand is seen standing ,1st row, Third from the Left 

Conflicts and Infighting and the fall of India Hockey::

This would be the first of the three or maybe the second in terms of the articles that I would write on the DEBACLES of the Indian Hockey. Though the theme of the subject would be the same however the titles may be a bit different .

This one the first on the three or maybe the two that would come, will describe all about the conflict that arose from time to time and that went in to completely demolish the Indian Hockey in the  days to come and the total demolishment of many a teams and their players.

This started FIRST when Major Dhyanchand led the Indian team and he dissolved it with his stature and the aura that he carried.

1932 :: The first time when it was observed that there was an discontentment in the squad

In the starting period of Indian Hockey when it started moving across the globe, the situation was such that the CHRISTIANS were the one’s who dominated this game

 It maybe recalled and brought to the notice of the readers that Hockey in India was brought by  the Viceroy, Lord Irwin who was a very ken lover of this game . His idea won the imagination of a British Army Personnel and Hockey was started by the Regiment which was then known as British Regiments

The British regiment started this game and they put many of their jawans to play this game in the evening so that the jawans not only played the game but kept them fit in terms of being physically fit

Hockey became popular in India when the British Regiments played the game in India and introduced it in the British Indian Regiments who quickly picked up the game. The first hockey club was formed in Calcutta in 1885-86 followed by Bombay and Punjab.

 

It were and it was mostly the Christians who we call them as ANGLO-INDIANS who were most in numbers and who played this game .Slowly the Indians especially the Rajput and the Mohammedans started playing the game within the regiment and when they would visit and go to meet their families during the leaves, they would play this game with the young coots of their villages and areas and would teach them.

 Hockey became very famous with the Muslims. The Muslims of Uttar Pradesh which was known as United Province then took the game very seriously and this game suited them the most. The other part of India especially Calcutta then, and Bombay was following in that order but it were the Christians and the Muslims who took all the honour to get attached to the game and glorify themselves as the two most famous communities who were becoming the MASTER’S of this game. However the Bheels and the Tribals slowly took onto this game and the Tribals made it as their daily part of their life by playing this game in their area. They soon were known in India as HOCKEY-TRIBES as this game soon caught the fire in the tribal atreas of Orissa and Bihar

 India and the British Indian Hockey federation slowly started making a move and the First ever Indian Olympic squad was then formed in 1928 which was send to the Amsterdam Olympics to participate in the Olympic Hockey.

This was the team of the 1928 Olympic’s of India and the Indian Hockey team that won the FIRST-EVER-HOCKEY Gold for India-:

 The 1928 winning team: Richard Allen, Dhyan Chand, Michael Gately, William Goodsir- Cullen, Leslie Hammond, Feroze Khan, Santosh Manglani, George Marthins, Rex Norris, Broome Pinninger, Michael Rocque, Frederick Seaman , Shaukat Ali, Jaipal Singh ( Captain ) , Kher Singh Gill 

 They and there were as many as NINE Christians that played for this team , and of them FOUR were from Jubbalpore then, and Jabalpur now . Those were Richard Allen, William Goodsir Cullen , Rex Norris, and Broome Pinninger who passed out from the C.C.B.H.S.S. a famous school from Jabalpur and thereafter had joined the Indian Army at Jabalpur .

 It may be recalled that in 1928 , a Tribal Prince, Jaipal Singh led India and he was from the belt of Ranchi . This success set the tone and thereafter many from the Uttar Pradesh belt, especially the Muslims and the Punjabis started playing hockey along with the Christians who dominated the game in India .

 Basically from 1928 to 1936 when India won THREE consecutive Gold medal in Hockey , the Indian teams was mostly constituted by the Christians followed up by the Muslims. Most of them came from the University to the Indian team and some slowly, like Feroze, and Ali Ishtiaque Dara to name as an example came from the Lahore belt of Punjab though they played for the Indian team.

 The First “ DISGRUNT ” in the Indian team

 The first discontentment and the disgrunt started in the teram selection for the Olympics and that was in 1936. Major Dhyanchand was selected as the Captain of the Indian team and this wasa the Indian team of the 1936 Olympics-:

 Richard Allen , Dhyanchand ( Captain ) , Ali Ishtiaque Hassan Dara, Lionel Emmet, Peter Fernandes , Joseph Gallibardy , Earnest Goodsir Cullen , Mohammed Hussain, Syed Jaffer , Ahmed Khan ,Ahsan Khan , Mirza Masood, Cyril Mishie , Baboo Nimal , Joseph Phillips , Shabban Shahabuddin , G.S.Garewal , Roop Singh , and Carlyle Tapsell. 

From this, if one observes, there were SEVEN players who were playing for India and those who were the Christians. From 1928 to 1936 before this Indian Hockey team was announced there were some who were playing as many as THREE consecutice Olympics ands the Cjhristians named here , they were  TWO who were the member of the 1928 as well as the 1932 Olympic team . They were disappointed that even after the Christians primarily the nucleus of the Hockey team, and who formed the backbone of the team were NOT given the Captainship of the team with the fact that India was ruled by the BRITISHERS who actually are the Christians.

 The Britishers though were never BOTHERED about this as GREAT BRITAIN was the Olympic Hockey champions of the Olympics 1920 and Olympics 1924 and they  had the belief that sooner or later they would be the Olympic Champions again which after 1924 took the 64 years to be crowned as the Olympic Gold Medallist in 1988 when they won the Hockey Gold at Seoul, South Korea.

 Infact ONE of the outstanding Hockey player, Hammond, after the 1932 Olympics purposely went to Australia because he was NOT considered the captain of the Indian Hockey team for the 1932 Olympics. Hammond was a terrific penalty corner specialist and when Lal Shah Bokhari, a Aligarh  Muslim University student was declared as the Captain of that side, Hammond had made it very clear that this would be the last time he would represent India . Once back to India after the sojourn, he along with his family settled at Australia and it was Hammond who was primarily responsible for spreading and making Australia and the Australian to take fast this game.

His effort bore fruit when his son represented Australia in the 1968 Olympics and that beat India in the 1968 Olympics but had lost to India by 1-3 in the Munich Olympics. Like the Father, the son too was a penalty corner specialist, and he played until the 1975 World Cup Hockey, which India had won but had to settle to play a 1-1 draw against India with India taking the lead in the 3^rd minute through B.P.Govinda and then that same gentleman Hammond neutralizing for India though the WIKIPEDIA that it was Irvine that scored for Australian which is a BIG MISTAKE by the Wikipedia to do that . There are many a FAULT that I have noticed in Wikipedia and people might NOT believe me when I correct them but this is ONE of the MANY that I have noticed in the Wikipedia.

Coming back to the subject and the rift in the 1936 Olympics, it was Dhyanchand who noticed that .To please the Christian community and the Christian players who would assist the side, the British India Hockey Federation purposely DROPPED Ali Ishtiaque Hassan Dara from the side and put Cyril Mishie in the squad. This send a strong anti wave in the nation about the team selection and the nation went wild and crazy.

A wily and a COOL Dhyanchand met Dara and said as well assured him- GHABRAO NAHIN, Tum Hi Meray Bagal Mai Finals Khelogay which means DO NOT BOTHER- YOU WOULD BE THE ONE WHO WILL PLAY IN THE FINALS beside me,  at Berlin.

Dhyanchand intelligently and cleverly played in such a manner that the Indian Hockey team lost to a German selected Olympic team by 4-1 in an exhibition match before the games actual competition started and he send a call for Dara . He again ORDERED his younger brother Roop Singh NOT to score more goals but to pass the balls to the Christian players for them to score. He made Roop Singh to understand that  THE TEAM’S SUCCESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE INDIVIDUAL RECORD and he purposely in the final game against Germany would dribble past all the players and when in front of their goal would retreat to again form a move wth his colleagues and wuld pass on the ball to the Christians to score. There were as amany as EIGHT goals that the Christians scored in that Olympics.

Roop Singh had to suffer for for all these. If Dhyanchand had NOT done this perhaps India would have mauled Germany by a score of 13-1 in the finals as the duo and the brother of the SINGH playing then, Dhyanchand and Roop Singh gave away scoring as many as FIVE goals in the OPEN GOAL that was up for them .

 Roop Singh :: The “ MOST ” UNLUCKIEST Hockey player in the annals of Indian Hockey

Pic :: Captain Roop Singh 

 Roop Singh always had to play under the SHADOW of his elder brother Dhyanchand and he had to obey his orders . He has the WORLD RECORD of scoring the MAXIMUM number of goals in a single hockey OLYMPIC match, ELEVEN out of the 24 that India had scored against the USA in the 1932 Olympic games. In the Berlin Olympic to put the entire disgruntled and a discontended house in the order, he had to follow the COMMAND and the ODER of his elder brother . He could have finished that Olympic by scoring as many as fifteen goals individually but he had to make the passed for the Christians playing and there were as many as EIGHT GOALS that the Christian players playing in that Olympics for India had scored. That was the SACRIFICE he made for the team .

When the Indian team for the 1932 left the shore for the Los Angeles a comparism was made for the two brothers who were assisting the side and this is what the younger brother behaved and this is what  Major Dhyanchad had to say-:

This inside-left maintained a low profile and rarely interacted on tour; all apparently to show humility to his elder brother. This despite his straight-talking, famous sibling often making this clear: “Roop is a better player than me”. When Dhyan Chand repeatedly said this in Ceylon, the first stop on way to the Los Angeles Olympics, reporters first refused to believe him. And then, after a few matches they heaped paeans on the younger brother.

Hardly the one to prop up someone undeserving, Dhyan Chand didn’t say this for effect. At the Los Angeles Olympics one month later, Dhyan Chand’s words were vindicated when the scorecard read: India’s total goals: 35; Roop Singh: 14 Dhyan Chand: 12

To what extent Roop Singh made the situation cool and easy for the entire Indian team in 1936 for his elder brother to have a easy time was gauzed by the fact that when the team arrived here, Roop Singh immediately took to the kneel to pose for the team Actually as per the rites that one follws, the SEATS or the CHAIRS always goes to the Senior and the Juniors take on either the ground or the back row to stand to pose for the pictures. Roop Singh was Senior as compared to many who were there in the team. He was the member of th 1932 Los Angeles Olympic team, which had won the GOLD and he had scored 11 goals out of the 24-1 win over U.S.A. and he in 1936 was ONE of the most Seniormost member of the side. He should have stood for the pose and for the picture after the team posed in front of the camera. But to make the things easy for his elder brother, and to diffuse the unusual murmurs etc that was making the life a HELL for his brother, he preferred to take on to the ground ONLY TO MAKE THE THINGS EASY FOR HIS BROTHER . That is it. 

Moreover the Olympics were NOT held in 1940 and 1944 due to the World war. If those were held Roop Singh would have led India in 1944 and NOT only that, he would have completed scoring FIFTY OLYMPIC goals for India in Olympic Hockey ,  then and by that time  That would have been a such a KIND of a RECORD that NOBODY could have even imagined in this and his 10000^th different life even to touch that leave apart beating or smashing it. Over it FOUR more medals would have come to the Dhyanchand family which in combo has FIVE OLYMPIC GOLD and a TOTAL of 13 International Medals of which SEVEN are GOLD,  in hockey from various international competition. That would have made it NINE OLYMPIC GOLD ,  in toto in a family by the BROTHERS and that also would have been something that NO FAMILY in India would have ever touched it in 10000 different life time.

Playing against the time and the TIDE and RESPECTFULLY obeying his elder brother like Lord Laxmana did at the jungles when he was with Lord ram, sacrificing all himself for the elder brother Roop Singh and his name as well as his deeds went all into the drain..

No one except the SCINDIA GHARANA gave him a job and he had to live his life all in PITTANCE .The ONLY glory that remain is the CAPTAIN ROOP SINGH Stadium at Gwalior which Mr Madhav Rao Scindia  named after him .

 “ THIS FORGOTTEN MAN IS THE REAL ONE WHO SHOULD BE AWARDED THE PADMA SHRI, POSHTHUMPOUSLY . BUT WHO THE HELL CARES AT INDIA “  .

  It is ONLY that STINK of CRICKET that the NATION smells and DIES for it. Has anybody REALLY cared about the ONE’S who DO deserve anything better. NO .That is the SAD part of the ROTTEN tale and the commentary of Indian HOCKEY and OVERALL the INDIAN SPORTS AND GAMES.

People are worried for their POWER, MONEY and the SEAT that they occupy, NOT for the one’s who made them to OCCUPY those- NEVER. That is the truth of the nation and India is a CHAMPION in all those things that I have written here.

 This is how the FIRST ever FACTIONALISM was DOUSED by Major Dhyanchand and his INTELLIGENT mind and the BRAIN to FIRST summon the Indian authorities to send A.I.H Dara to the Berlin Olympics to assis the side after he was dropped originally from the team and SECONDLY to BOOST up and put the Christian players UP in the side and allowing them to score the goals so that they feel PROD and an WANTED personalities in the squad saved many an acrimonious and unsavoured situation for India in that Olympics.

  INDIA WOULD NOT HAVE WON THE GOLD AT BERLIN-1936 IF DHYANCHAND DID NOT GIVE THAT SPACE TO THE CHRISTIANS P;LAYING FOR THE SQUAD AND IF HE DID NOT GET DARA TO PLAY IN THE FINALS.

 Germany then as a team was far far ahead and much much better as compared to the Indians but Dhyanchand along with A.I.H.Dara made the world to RUB their eye and watch the MESMERISING display of the Indian- all for the COST of Roop Singh who had to sacrifice everything that he carried as an ammunition to Berlin, ONLY-NOT-TO use them as per the orders served to hi by his elder brother who was ACCLAIMED as the MAGICIAN of HOCKEY .

 That was the contribution of Dhyanchand and the sacrifice of Roop Singh for the Indian Hockey and INDIA to win that GOLD at Berlin which had send Adolf Hitler to a NEUROLOGIST to find out whether his BRAIN ws in order after watching the INDIANS pulping the Germans by 8-1 and after watching Dhyanchand playing that kind of a MAGICAL BRAINY GAME to TRICK that HAT of Adolf Hitler for COMPLETING the INDIAN HATTRICK in the Olympic Hockey.

 Hello- the Indian Government PLEASE RISE and wake up and KINDLY award the BHARAT RATNA to Major Dhaynchand, FAST and the Padma Shri to his brother Roop Singh and his son Ashok Kumar for the contribution that they made it for the Indian Hockey .. THIS IS MY REQUEST TO YOU ALL.

"THEY DID NOT FIGHT AGAINST EACH OTHER OR DISPLAYED EMOTION IN THE PUBLIC LIKE THE CRICKETERS THAT THEY DID AT PAKISTAN ,  AFTER THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO GET THEIR DOUBLE CENTURY – BUT THEY SACRIFICED THEIR OWN INTEREST TO KEEP HOCKEY INDIA AFLOAT.

This is the REAL story of the FIRST kind where the FIRST ever WAR of Indian Hockey in terms of a MUTINY was dissolved by the SINGH FAMILY that is known for Dhyanchand and it’s exploits in Hockey.

Well , that is it and That sums it all.

Regards and Thanks

Pics

Shyamal Bhattacharjee 

Mr Shyamal Bhattacharjee, the author was born at West Chirimiri Colliery at District Surguja, Chattisgarh on July 6th 1959 He received his early education at Carmel Convent School Bishrampur and later at Christ Church Boys' Higher Secondary School at Jabalpur. He later joined Hislop College at Nagpur and completed his graduation in Science and he also added a degree in    B A thereafter. He joined the HITAVADA, a leading dailies of Central India at Nagpur as a      Sub-Editor ( Sports ) but gave up to complete his MBA in 1984 He thereafter added a Diploma In Export Management. He has authored THREE books namely Notable Quotes and Noble Thought published by Pustak Mahal in 2001 Indian Cricket : Faces That Changed It  published by Manas Publications in 2009 and Essential Of Office Management published by NBCA, Kolkatta  in 2012. He has a experience of about 35 years in Marketing .

Signature Of Shyamal Bhattacharjee 

This website is maintained , controlled and managed by OOK’S Technologies, by Mr Amook Vandan Yadav , Phone Number 8090848585 , Varanasi