Chak De India!

Karthik Venkatesh writes about Olympian Jaipal Singh Munda

I was nervous and anxious. The person I had to interview wasn’t just anyone. Jaipal Singh Munda had been a member of the Constituent Assembly and played an important role in the writing of India’s Constitution. That was not all. He had also been a part of the gold-medal winning hockey team at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.

“What do you remember of your boyhood years?” I asked him hesitantly.

He smiled and cast a faraway look. “When I was born in 1903, my family were all farmers. And we had many cows and buffaloes at home. From a very young age, my job was to look after them.”

Jaipal Singh then told me that he was born in a village near Ranchi (today the capital of Jharkhand). This was in the region known as Chota Nagpur, a thickly forested area which was home to a number of tribes like the Santal, Oraon, Munda and others.

“What about school?” I asked.

“For the first few years, I went to the village school whenever I could. But when I was eight, my life changed. I left my family and village and went to Ranchi, where I was admitted to St Paul’s.”

“Who took you there?”

“His name was Rev Kushalmai Sheetal. He was a missionary and he decided that I would do very well in a proper school instead of my village school.”

I felt bad when I thought of this young boy torn away from his parents and family and then asked, “Didn’t you miss your family?”

“Greatly. It was many months before I adjusted. But then I began to like the school, the teachers and most of all, the hockey fields.”

“Hockey?”

“Yes. Hockey had come to the region just a few years ago and it was very popular. Every one of us was given a hockey stick, usually made locally, and taught the basics. If we were not at school or doing our homework in our hostel rooms, we would be on the fields. We played all the time.”

“Who was your favourite teacher?”

“There were many that I liked. But my favourite was Canon Cosgrave, the principal. He encouraged me in everything and gave me the kind of opportunities I could only dream of. In 1918, he did something unimaginable. He was retiring and going to England and he decided to take me with him.”

“To England?” I asked open-mouthed.

“Yes. Can you imagine? Just a few years ago, I had been looking after cows and buffaloes and now I was on my way to England. It was mind-boggling.”

“And then?”

“In 1922, I joined St John’s College, Oxford University and studied philosophy, politics and economics. But the best time I had was when I played football and hockey for Oxford. The matches were so hard fought, and it felt so good when we won.”

“Wow! That must have been something,” I remarked.

“Oh yes! I was awarded a Blue, the highest honour given to sportspersons at Oxford. Also, I decided that it was not just enough to play hockey with the English. I started the Oxford Hermits, a club for hockey players from Asia, most of them Indians. We had a great time, all of us, often beating English teams at their own game.”

“Incredible!” I exclaimed. “So when it was all over, you must have felt incredibly sad.”

“Well, yes and no. Oxford was over, but I knew what I was going to do next. I was going to give the Indian Civil Service (ICS) exams and become a civil servant.”

“Were the exams tough?”

“Very tough. But my years in Oxford helped and I qualified. In fact, I topped the interview. Soon, I began training to become an officer. And then something unexpected happened.”

“What?” I asked breathlessly.

“In 1928, when I was in training, I was asked to captain the Indian hockey team at the Olympics. I approached the ICS authorities and asked for leave. After all, the captaincy was such an honour. But they refused. For two nights, I couldn’t sleep after that. If I left without permission, I would be expelled. But I didn’t want to miss playing at the Olympics either. On the third day, I made up my mind. Leave or no leave, I was going to go!”

“You left the ICS to play hockey?”

Jaipal Singh guffawed. Perhaps, he hadn’t quite thought of it like that. But that’s what he had done. Not for nothing — he had won an Olympic gold medal and because he didn’t join the ICS, his life turned out very differently. He was able to represent his people, the Adivasis, at various forums and ensure that their rights were protected.

As Jaipal Singh walked away after speaking to me, I couldn’t help but marvel at the man. I saluted him, walked back home, picked up my hockey stick and ran to the park. I would explain to my parents later, I thought.

Jaipal Singh Munda is featured in the new book ‘10 Makers of the Indian Constitution’ by the writer.