New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday invoked legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand while launching the second phase of domestic gas connection scheme Ujjwala from Mahoba in Bundelkhand region of India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh. In his address, Prime Minister Modi made extensive references to locally important factors such as festivals, sons of soils, development work carried out by the Centre in the region and the State to connect with the audience.
Recalling the launch of the first phase of the Ujjwala scheme which also took place in Ballia district in Eastern Uttar Pradesh in 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the scheme was launched from the land of Mangal Pandey, the pioneer of the country’s freedom struggle. "Today, the second edition of the Ujjwala scheme is being launched from Mahoba in UP, the land of brave hearts. Be it Mahoba or Bundelkhand, it has always been the source of energy in the country's freedom struggle."
"Every speck of this place is laced with the fragrance of the stories of brave hearts such as Rani Lakshmibai, Rani Durgavati, Raja Chhatrasal, Veer Alha and Udal among others," said the Prime Minister. "Friends, today, I remember one more great son of Bundelkhand. Major Dhyan Chand, Our Dadda (elder brother) Dhyan Chand."
Prime Minister Modi said now the name of the highest sports award in the country has been renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. "I am fully confident that the association of Dadda's name (Dhyan Chand's name) with the sports award at a time of an unprecedented performance by our young friends in Olympics will encourage millions and millions of youth," PM Modi told the audience while remembering the legendary hockey player.
This time, we have seen that our players have not only won several medals but they also gave the signs of future by their strong performance in several sports, added the Prime Minister.
Dhyan Chand’s Bundelkhand connection
Legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand was born on August 29, 1905 in Prayagraj (Allahabad), a pilgrim city and military garrison located on the confluence of the River Ganga and Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh. His family, however, settled in Jhansi, a district in Bundelkhand region in southern part of Uttar Pradesh, which is known for freedom fighter Rani Lakshmibai who fought British during the First War of Independence of 1857.
India won 1928, 1932 Olympics Hockey tournaments with Dhyan Chand playing in the centre-forward while the country won 1936 Olympics Hockey Tournament under the captaincy of Dhyan Chand by defeating Germany in Berlin Olympics
Read: BJP got over 75% of electoral bonds sold in 2019-20, Congress 9%
