Govt has killed 3 birds with one stone: Milkha

The government effectively bowled a googly today by announcing Dara Singh’s name among those nominated by the President to the Rajya Sa...

The government effectively bowled a googly today by announcing Dara Singh’s name among those nominated by the President to the Rajya Sabha. Not only was the wrestling legend a late entrant in the race, the decision should silence — if not satisfy — the group of sportsmen who’ve been seeking representation from sport in the Upper House.

Flying Sikh Milkha Singh, who’d been leading the campaign for a seat for sport in the Rajya Sabha, was his usual pithy self when the news broke today. ‘‘By nominating Dara, they (government) have killed three birds with one stone as he is a former sportsman, a popular actor and a BJP worker too.’’

Milkha, who spoke to Dara Singh on the phone today, said he congratulated the government ‘‘for opening the road for sportspersons in Rajya Sabha. It certainly is an encouraging step.’’

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But, he added, I hope some deserving sportsperson may get a look in Parliament. ‘‘Moreover, they can always make deserving sportspersons foreign ambassadors and state governors.’’

Several thousand miles away, at Juhu in Mumbai, it was celebration time at Dara Singh’s residence.

‘‘I had some inkling about my nomination as I met Sushmaji (Swaraj) a couple of months back and had a chat with her in this connection. At the age of 75, I can’t ask for more,’’ Dara, who’d just returned from shooting for Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Na Ho in the US, told The Indian Express.

‘‘Unlike others, I never lobbied for it, it just came my way. People are now saying that I am not a sportsperson as I have never participated in the Olympics and do not deserve the honour. However, I have won a number of international professional wrestling championships. During those times, we knew nothing about the Olympics otherwise who knows, I might have won a medal for the country. I am a sportsperson first, then an actor and a politician. I have always been like this and stay like this forever,’’ the septuagenarian remarked.

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Adds his businessman 37-year-old son Amreek: ‘‘My dad has always been so relaxed that even this ‘big’ news seems nothing to him.’’

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