July 27, 2022
Saugata Roy spoke on The National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021
Namaskar, Madam. Thank you for letting me speak on this Bill,which is… मैंअनइम्पलायि बन गया था, इधर-उधर भटकिा रहिा था। … हम चाहिेहैंतक अपोतजशन यूतनटी बने। फातसस्ट और कम्यूनल फोसेज के तिलाफ यूतनटी बननी चातहए, लेतकन कोई प्रतिबन्ध बनिा हैिो उसका हमेंअतिक्रम करना है। इसीतलए मैंनेइस पर चचाष शरूु की है। मैिम, मैंनेशनल एटं ी िोतपंग तबल, 2021 परबोल रहा ह ं। This Bill was earlier brought to the Parliament and sent to the Standing Committee in November, 2021, and then the Standing Committee gave its Report in February, 2022. It is on the basis of the Standing Committee Report that the Bill has been finalized. Now, the important question is this. How serious is the problem of doping in India? Madam, you know that mainly doping is done through use of the anabolic steroid 19-norandrosterone. This is a performance enhancing drug used specifically for the purpose of enhancing performance in sports. Now, there have been people in India who have been accused of using this drug. First example was that of Anshula Rao of Madhya Pradesh. She was a woman cricketer. Anshula is not the only one. Earlier, National Anti-Doping Agency had let off Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul with a warning for not adhering to the whereabouts clause for the national agency to conduct surprise tests if it wants to.Now, doping is evil because it distorts the performance of an athlete. It enhances his or her capability at the cost of other people, and in the long-term it causes immense harm to the health of the athlete concerned. यह बन्द होना चातहए और बन्द होनेके तलए अनरुाग तसंह ठाकुर नेकुछ कदम उठाए हैं। Anurag Singh Thakur is a lucky man because earlier India’s sports performance was good. Under Kiren Rijiju, we did a lot of work, but unfortunately just before Olympics the portfolio was changed and Anurag Singh Thakur became the Sports Minister. So, instead of Rijiju getting the full credit, Anurag basked in the glory of India’s performance of winning seven medals in Olympics.…What is to be worried about is that there is a slide. I was closely watching the performance of Indian athletes at the World Athletic Championship. Neeraj Chopra, as usual, did well, but he got only a Silver medal, not a Gold medal as he got in the Olympics. Following that, he retired. He will not join us for the Commonwealth Games. He was our sure-shot medal winner, but he will not attend the Commonwealth Games.नहीं करगेंे। यह दिु की बाि है। …(He was the sure shot winner. Now, because of injury, he can’t perform.So,the Commonwealth Games means, one medal less. जो गिुलक चल रहा था, अभी थोड़ा बैिलक आ गया है। मैंयही बोल रहा था।सल्वर जीिकर, ररटायर हो गए। ररटायर नहीं, वह हट गए हैं। आप शब्द समतझए। मैिम, हमेंकं ट्ोल करना चातहए। हमारेतहन्दस्ुिान का उिना अच्छा नाम नहीं है। We have the National Dope Testing Laboratory. You know that urine is tested mainly for these performance enhancing drugs. Our Dope Testing Laboratory was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency for not doing its job well. So, in between, samples were to be sent abroad, which is a matter of shame for us. Anurag ji got that sanction/approval from the World Anti-Doping Agency because doping is a world problem and 191 countries in the world are signatories to this Anti-Doping Convention. This doping is controlled by the United Nations Economic, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO). So, we have to get their approval.What Anurag ji is doing with this Bill is following the recommendations of the Standing Committee, which suggested no changes to the Bill. They made a few suggestions. Good enough. Now, the main thing is that it gives statutory power to the National Anti-Doping Agency. It also sets up a National Anti-Doping Board. What the Minister has to take great care of is that this means a few people will get good jobs, cushy jobs. The Director General would be of the rank of a Secretary or something.There is already a National Anti-Doping Agency. Now, this Board would be set up under a Director General. I think, it is a sort of top-heavy structure that they are bringing. Just, listen to it, Madam.There will now be a disciplinary committee. How many members would be there in a disciplinary committee?… तिसतपलनरी कमेटी मेंबहुि ज्यादा मैम्बसषह।ैं आप भी िो नहीं चाहेंगेतक कुछ लोग आएं और कमेटी मेंबैठकर पैसा लेजाए।ं इिनी बड़ी-बड़ी कमेटी बनाने की क्या जरूरि ह? ै The main thing is that this job has to be done by the Federations. Our Federations have been lax. There have been complaints about doping by our rowers and rowing people. Now, the Sports Minister must have a meeting with these Federations, to warn them that the Government would not allow any sort of doping because for the purposes of glory, they may give some banned drugs and it will bring bad name to the whole of the country. We wish the Sports Minister well in his efforts to remove doping. यह नहींहोना चातहए। ड्रग लके र अच्छा मेिल तमल जाएगा, तफर बाद मेंयह तनकलेगा तक ड्रग ली थी िो बदनाम हो जाएगा। हमेंइस बदनाम बस्िी सेबाहर रहना चातहए। मैंयह समझिा ह ं तक आप भी इसकोपूरा समथषन देंगे। With that, I support the Bill. I have givena few amendments, which I will put in later. But otherwise, in principle, I support the Bill.
