THE MUCH AWAITED NATIONAL FITNESS POLICY : THE GAMECHANGER
The long overdue and much awaited National Fitness Policy
(NFP) draft has been promised to be tabled in the parliament by the Sports
minister, Mr Ajay Maken. This will articulate the government’s policy, action
plan, commitment and responsibility towards a healthier and fitter nation,
which must surely remain a critical function of governance. While there were
earlier policies, encompassing a similar strain of thinking and implementation;
not much has happened to elicit confidence in the usefulness and applicability
of its contents. The erudite and outspoken Mr Mani Shankar Aiyyar, while he was
the Sports & Panchayati Raj minister, in the build up days to the
Commonwealth Games 2010, had conceived the twin approach for a sporting and
healthy nation, by involving the people and the youth at the village and
panchayat level upwards. This obviously necessitated an integrated modus
operandi to include infrastructure, equipment, ancillaries, trainers and adequate
finances, all in a sustainable manner. While grants for capital and revenue
works would be provided from the central and state budgets, a business model to
sustain the project was critical to its efficacy. Most sports infrastructures
which were created under schemes of Sports Authority of India (SAI) in the
villages / talukas / districts have over the years become decrepit and unsafe
for use, only because these could not be maintained and refurbished from funds
that were generated by their usage. These fell embarrassingly short and grossly
inadequate to the requirement. In contrast to this, the SAI centres, which are
managed and administered by the government and funded through their aegis, are
in a state of repair and worthiness. Therefore, subsequent to a facility being
constructed and made operational, it is its maintenance and continuous usage
which throws up the real challenge to keep it going and functional. The NFP
must be wary of this drawback in its content and factor such provisos therein, as
will address the stated shortcoming. For a country of our size and population,
having a humongous demographical dividend, which must remain the focal point of
such a policy; it is imperative that the reach and spread of the NFP is across
its length and breadth, thus making it into a macro level reality.
Notwithstanding the huge capital costs of implementing and putting into action
such a pan Indian scheme, it is the recurring costs which must be visualised
and planned for to keep the investment afloat, in an enduring manner. The
endeavour is extremely worthy and befitting of an emerging global economical
power, as it will intangibly contribute in enhancing in the people wellness,
pride, efficiency, national character and self worth; all of which bestow to an
improved Gross Domestic Produce (GDP).
There is no gainsaying that fitness not only improves
efficiency but also instils a feeling of well being and prevents a number of
major diseases. It therefore stands to reason that enhanced fitness will
exponentially impact society in all its ramifications and produce the magical
spark of euphoria, which is its most vital by product. Across the demographic
construct, strata, class, religion, gender, community, caste and variety of
people who comprise Indian society, an improved state of fitness will not only underscore
and alleviate poverty of thought and deed, but also attitude and material
penury. It will usher in a culture whereby, every man, woman and child will
participate in the celebration of his spirit in a state of joy, through the
efforts of his body. The benefits of
exercise are so many that its audit will run into a tome, but even then I wish
to recollect some of these from my experience and memory; enhanced self esteem,
confidence, positive outlook, improved bearing, zest for life, relief from
muscle atrophy, improved muscle efficiency, mobilization of fat, quicker
removal of cholesterol from the blood stream, improved resistance in combating
injuries, provides cardiac reserves, reduces emotional and nervous tensions,
eliminates stresses and triggers survival mechanisms etc. So to surmise, it
will suffice to say that fitness can well be a panacea for most ills, in a time
when people live short and die long. From the intangible benefits which accrue
from indulging in fitness related activities, the most important and worthy is
character development. This, in our present times is a crying need to give
wings and ethical legitimacy to our democracy. A nation such as ours with its
diversity and natural wealth, when infused with the energy, which is sustained
on the tripod of simplicity, diligence and character of its people; will become
a force multiplier to achieve greater prosperity and economic power in the
comity of nations.
Being from the Army Physical Training Corps (APTC) of the
Army, from which I retired in 2008; the subject is of special significance to
me and I am absolutely convinced in my mind that, when fitness training and
culture becomes a national priority with the government and it is committed to
engender and nurture it as a state policy, we as a Nation are on the right
train and the right track, which is moving in the right direction. The payoffs
of such a commitment are innumerable and it is a win - win situation for all.
One of the reasons for democracy not delivering in our country in the manner it
ought to is the discernible lack of individual and collective character in its
people, irrespective of whether it is a politician, bureaucrat, technocrat,
professional, corporate, civilian, low level functionary in the government or
the holier than thou NGOs etc. The
cumulative effect of this reality constitutes National Character, which is more
obvious in its absence than presence, at all, levels of public life in the
country. The striking difference in the India of yesteryears, when freedom from
foreign oppression was a noble cause then and in contemporary times, when scams
galore are the singular achievement s of state and central governments,
respectively; character has taken a severe beating and has been pushed to the
back burner, so to say. Men and women of character are more an exception to the
rule these days. One of the ways of instilling and help imbibe character in
people is to expose them to a daily / periodic dose of fitness related activity,
which pushes them with a sense of reasonable discomfort beyond their comfort
threshold. For those who are doing it as a part of their daily living to eke
out a livelihood for themselves and their family, the need is superfluous. It
was the sight of these people, which evinced a remark from the former American
ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith, who remarked that ‘There is
richness in the poor of India’. That richness, as I now understand it to be is
character.
Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal
+919410900051
No comments:
Post a Comment