Sachin Tendulkar, muzzled in Rajya Sabha, takes to Facebook to discuss future of sports in India

Amid  uproar and vociferous sloganeering in the Rajya Sabha  on Thursday, cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar was unable to make his maiden speech in the Upper House since his nomination. Tendulkar, however, took to social media on Friday to deliver what was, in all likelihood, his speech for the Parliamentary session. Tendulkar was not able to make his speech as Rajya Sabha on Thursday, as the House was adjourned for the day following the Congress’ insistence on resolving the impasse over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks against his predecessor, former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Members of the Opposition shouted “BJP sharam karo” as  sloganeering continued  in the Upper House of Parliament on the fourth day. This was Tendulkar’s first attempt at initiating a debate in Rajya Sabha where he has been a member for five years and is a year short of completing his term. He posted a 15-minute long video on Facebook with the message: “It is my endeavour to transform India from being a sport-loving nation to a sport-playing nation. I urge you all to participate in this effort and help make my dream, our dream. Always remember, dreams do come true!”

In the video, he speaks about the “pressing matters in our India” that require our attention, some of them being economic growth, poverty, food security and healthcare. He said that as a sportsman, “I’m going to talk on sports, health and fitness of India as it has a telling impact on our economy.” He suggested that the RTE bill (Right to Education), which was passed in the Rajya Sabha in August 2009 should be amended to include the "Right to Play " [caption id=“attachment_4133545” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Reuters[/caption] Speaking about his vision of “a healthy and fit India,” Tendulkar urged Indians to change their sedentary lifestyle and their unhealthy mindset. He said that a way of doing this would be incorporating sports in all walks of life. “We need to transform India from a sport-loving nation to a sport-playing nation,” he said in the video. “We are becoming immobile in this mobile phone world!” he also quipped while advocating for a plan to make India a sporting nation. Tendulkar lauded the sporting culture in the North East, mentioning the likes of Mary Kom, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Bhaichung Bhutia, and Dipa Karmakar and others. He urged the government to focus on making “smart sports cities” to foster growth in India. He also said that school children should have more access to infrastructure and that open spaces and playgrounds should be retained. Another recommendation he had was to provide school children representing India on a district, state and national level extra marks. He spoke of ’three Is’ for making India a sporting nation — invest, insure, immortalise. Under invest, he requested Minister of Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley to make a portion of CSR spending compulsory for sports infrastructure. He said that parents should give equal support to their sons and daughters who are pursuing sports. “If dreams don’t discriminate then why do we?” he asked. Another point he made was the need for full-time staff support for athletes, who can guide them through their journey. Another interesting point raised by Tendulkar was about the lack of financial security for athletes, whose careers usually end by the age of 35-40, an age where other conventional careers launch. He said that retired athletes should be mobilised to coach future athletes, to keep their minds occupied and to provide economic stability. Health insurance for all athletes was another issue he touched upon. He also said that sporting history should be taught in schools to inspire the future generations. With inputs from agencies