Published in April 2008, this is what happened when KPS Gill was sacked as the chief of the Indian Hockey Federation. Perhaps for the first time ever in his life, he talked about “democracy and fair play.” -the pot calling the kettle black. Since India as such did not have any use of him, he was removed without a murmur.

NEW DELHI: Strange how India calls a habitual loser it’s super-cop. KPS Gill even shamed those who propped him up with unearned epithets for more than two decades now. As a police officer, he earned ignominy and was convicted in a case of moral turpitude. In the line of duty, he bloodied his hands and soul with the killings of innocent Sikh youth. In sports, he will always be known as the man who presided over the death and final decimation of Indian hockey, cling like a limpet to the body administering the sport and finally had to be kicked out to the benefit of prime time international TV.

After all, a super-cop’s ignominy has to be multiplied a million-times and beamed into all drawing rooms for his ego to be massaged. Rules made it difficult to remove KPS Gill from being the President of Indian Hockey Federation; so, the sports domain honchos got together and knocked out the IHF itself. Now Gill has nothing to head.

While he has a Sikh face, it is remarkable that the community did not have to lose face in either case. The Sikhs have never had any love lost for him. KPS Gill killed the game of hockey.

“After all, KPS Gill is the India nation-state’s hero, who being a Sikh, was responsible for the extrajudicial killings of Sikhs in Punjab and ‘crushing the rights movement’. It was amusing to listen to KPS in the last few days talking of ‘democracy and fair play’. Man, he did make us laugh!”

KPS Gill has long cast their religion and religiosity aside but it was clear that he has a lot to learn in humility, a basic tenet of any faith.

Dictatorial management, bad planning, no accountability, declining performance, failure to qualify for Beijing Olympics and a bribery scandal were cited as “persistent reasons” for dismantling the Indian Hockey Federation.  There were clear and public pressure from the International Hockey Federation to clear up the mess in Indian hockey. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s response was to make MS Gill, the former Chief Election Commissioner, as the Sports minister in place of Mani Shankar Aiyar, and let the two Gills slug it out. The slugfest did not last long. A sting operation that felled Gill’s junior Jyothi Kumaran expedited things and soon Gill was on the mat.

Sections of the Indian media did not stop trying to help out Gill. Full page interviews, references to his ‘super-cop’ image and behind the scenes parleys did not stop. A Walking-Talking editor of an Indian national newspaper interviewed Gill just hours before his final exit, giving him full opportunity to make his case. In fact, at one stage, Gill conceded he did not even remember the names of the selectors of the Indian hockey team. And the Editor did not think of grilling Gill on even such an admission.

Just as in the moral turpitude case, Gill once again showed remarkable capacity to strike his own foot on to the axe, often without moving the axe.

KPS Gill thought he was more important than the game. KPS Gill tried to run Indian hockey the way he ran Punjab Police, all rules to the wind, and became tyrant yearning for more. He is now a big loser.

Nothing of this is surprising in India.  As WSN has mentioned earlier on various occasions, KPS Gill was given the post of hockey chief, to adjust him after he was rendered jobless and the government of India was obliged to adjust him.  He was adjusted but hockey was killed in the bargain. Never mind that.  In the interest of the state, that is a small sacrifice.  After all, KPS Gill is the India nation-state’s hero, who being a Sikh, was responsible for the extrajudicial killings of Sikhs in Punjab and ‘crushing the rights movement’.  It was amusing to listen to KPS in the last few days talking of ‘democracy and fair play’. Man, he did make us laugh!

“Nothing of this is surprising in India. As WSN has mentioned earlier on various occasions, KPS Gill was given the post of hockey chief, to adjust him after he was rendered jobless and the government of India was obliged to adjust him. He was adjusted but hockey was killed in the bargain. Never mind that. In the interest of the state, that is a small sacrifice. ”

At one point, Gill had said those demanding his resignation were like professional mourners, the Rudalis. Thankfully, Gill at least recognize that things have come to such a pass that Rudalis are beating the path to his doorstep. He still could not hear the word: “GO!”

And down he went, with no one mourning. Indian Nation-State’s Hero made for one of the biggest Zeroes on primetime television. Such is the fate of the man.

30 April 2008