Cheque De India

Shahrukh khan had tried to set an example. Chak de India did set an example. One aspect of the movie was highlighting of a highly doubtful phrase, atleast in the current phase, ‘Unity in Diversity’. Another thing portrayed in that movie is about the plight of Indian women hockey players.
A report appeared recently in one of the leading newspapers in Delhi carried the horrifying report about the plight of the women in the hockey team of India. Most of them come from the lower strata of the society and are also, sadly, the breadwinner of their family. The team goalkeeper E Rajini’s plight was brought to light recently. Her father is a carpenter with an income of Rs 3000-5000 a month. He needed a surgery for his kidney which meant raising a whooping amount of Rs 20,000. Rajni’s father was in no position to meet the expenditure; neither she or her three siblings and mother.
Ironically, the men’s team had been handed over cheques by Hockey India (HI) after Rs 1 crore came from Sahara. This money was also earned after continuous protests. Interestingly, the women were told there was not enough money for their achievements.
The question here is not whether hockey, our national game, is given its due status and prestige. Of course it’s not. And we all know it. The debate is more than that. The question here is why are the women players not given their due status and prestige. If the men’s hockey team can be awarded a huge amount of one crore, why not the women players? After all, they had won Champions Challenge II and made to the finals of Asia Cup last year.
Here is one country, where cricket players are bought. A huge sum is invested in cricket. A cricket match raises the TRP’s, leads to over hype and excitement. But with all due respect, there isn’t much respect left for our national game. And even more less respect for the upcoming women hockey players. For that matter, even the women’s cricket team. What is not digestible is the fact that though some of these women have proved their mettle in our national game, and also represented India in the international field, still are being paid a meagre 10,000.
They say we live in the 21st century. They shout out slogans about women empowerment. But this outrageous incident makes us question whether India is really on the path of liberation, especially for women, as it claims to be.