NIS fears for players' security, SGPC says not so

Thu, Jun 26 01:45 AM

Some Three months after the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, authorities asked for police protection from 'armed supporters of SGPC', they have been forced to hire private guards 'for the safety of women athletes' in the girls hostel inside the complex. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) had taken control of around eight acres of land in India's premier sports institute in March after a Punjab and Haryana High Court order.

The Executive Director (Administration) L.S. Ranawat on Wednesday confirmed to HT that he had written a confidential letter to SSP, Patiala, but "I haven't got any security. We have hired private guards but since the piece of land is accessible to outsiders now, anything can happen, especially at odd hours.

" The letter - a copy of which is with HT - dated March 25 reads: "Nearly 500 armed supporters of SGPC have taken possession of the land situated in NIS and they have broken considerable length of wall because of which they have free access to the girls hostel and staff quarters. "Armed supporters of the SGPC are threatening women athletes residing in the girls hostel who are preparing for the forthcoming Olympic Games and also foreign coaches and residents of staff quarters.

"The life and liberty of these persons are at severe danger, as any untoward incident can take place at any moment. You are, therefore, requested to take immediate action so as to prevent any major incident.

" In fact the girls hostel in-charge, Kalpana Debnath, too wrote to Ranawat on March 24, stating, "I am worried about the security of the girls. Under such circumstances the athletes cannot prepare for Olympics.

" HT had carried a report on April 25 highlighting the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) sloppiness, which led the institute to lose the land to SGPC. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued an order on February 29, giving possession of the piece of land along with the historic Gurudwara Moti Bagh Sahib to the religious body. The SGPC had been fighting the case against SAI since 1971.

A copy of the judgment along with the possession warrant was handed over to the SGPC on March 15 and four days later, they took possession of the land by putting a barbed fence around it. Subsequently they raised a concrete wall.

The land could have been saved had the SAI challenged the order in time. In a knee-jerk reaction, SAI removed the advocate fighting the case from the panel and suspended two senior officials.

However, Jagjit Singh, Sewadar of the Gurudwara said: "There is no threat to the sportspersons preparing for the Olympics from us or from the people visiting the Nishan Sahib (a part of Gurudwara Moti Bagh Sahib). People come here to pay obeisance and devotees have nothing to do with the NIS. "SGPC is a religious body and we are not here to harm anybody.

If you have any doubts, you can come here any day. No playground or track existed on the area where the Nishan Sahib is situated.

It was a deserted area. We don't know how we are a hurdle in the practice of players," he questioned.

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