Balbir’s journey from carnage of 1947 to greatness in 1948
BBC described Indian hockey’s 1948 London gold as one of the most politically significant episodes in the history of the Olympics. A British colony till a year ago, India defeated Britain on their home turf and saw the Tricolour of the newly-independent nation being hoisted in a country which ruled them for two centuries.
Leaving behind painful memories of Partition that saw massive migration, dividing the subcontinent into two nations (India and Pakistan) on religious lines and sparking large-scale violence which killed millions, the Indian hockey team gave a young nation something to feel proud of on August 12, 1948.
“Though it happened 70 years ago, memories of the London Games are as fresh as it happened yesterday,” recalls the 94-year-old Balbir Singh senior with moist eyes. “As a child I used to ask my father (Dalip Singh Dosanjh), who was a freedom fighter, what independence means and what we would get out of it. He’d reply that independence would give us our own identity, flag and pride forever. That day when our flag was hoisted in front of thousands of Britons at the Wembley, I realised what independence meant. It was the proudest moment for me and for all Indians back home. When the national anthem was played and the flag was going up, I felt that I was flying. I am short of words to describe that glorious moment,” added Balbir, who went on to complete a golden Olympic hat-trick (1948, 1952 and 1956).
PARTITION WOES
The story of independent India’s maiden Olympic gold started from the tragedy of Partition. India lost Lahore, a major hub of hockey, and many great players to Pakistan.
“Siblings Shahzada Sharukh and Shahzada Khurram, who were integral to the Punjab team, decided to stay back in Lahore, giving shelter to many teammates, including Keshav Dutt, and made sure they were escorted safely out of Lahore,” said Balbir.
Both brothers went on to represent Pakistan in London.
“The wound of Partition was so engraved in people’s hearts on both sides that when both teams came across each other during the 1948 opening ceremony, there was hardly any interaction between the players despite many of us playing for the state team just a year ago. There was no warmth.
“This was the impact Partition left and it took time to get out of that. Though with time, things settled down and we toured Pakistan in early 1950s for a Test series,” said Balbir.
“If the 1948 triumph was the greatest day of our lives, the 1947 carnage was the blot on our society. Being a Punjab Police inspector, I was in action then, trying to save people and stop violence. I was posted in Sadar ‘thana’ of Ludhiana and we got calls regarding fires, killings, abductions and loot almost every hour. People were at each other’s throat. There was a mass exodus of population fleeing to Lahore or coming from the other side. Because of the massacre, I stayed away from hockey for months.”
SELECTION CONUNDRUM
Mumbai won the 1948 Nationals and had seven players in the London squad. Initially in the 39-member list of probables for London, no player from Punjab was considered.
“It was only after the intervention of Dickie Carr, who was part of the 1932 Olympic gold medal-winning team, that I got a call after one week of the camp, eventually making it to the 20-member squad,” said Balbir.
THE FINAL
“When we took the field in the final, the jam-packed stadium was rooting for their team, but as the match went on, impressed with our game, the crowd started cheering us. That was the golden era of Indian hockey and I hope the day will come when we will again rule the world,” said Balbir, who scored the first two goals. Defender Trilochan Singh Bawa and Pat Jansen were the other scorers.
› That day when our flag was hoisted in front of thousands of Britons at the Wembley Stadium, I realised what independence meant. BALBIR SINGH, winner of three Olympic gold