Shams Aalam is the first swimmer ever from Bihar to qualify for the World Para Swimming Championship. In 2018, he won four gold medals at the Indian Open Para Swimming Championship and a bronze medal at the 2016 Can-Am Para Swimming Championships held in Gatineau, Quebec. He also represented India at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. The 35-year-old at present is preparing for the World Para Swimming Championship which will be held in Portugal in June.The Bihar government gives Rs 2 lakh to every athlete for participation in big international tournaments. However, despite representing India at the 2018 Asian Para Games, Aalam received only Rs 50,000 instead of Rs 2 lakh. In an exclusive interview with The New Indian, Aalam comes clean on the entire subject. Here are the edited excerpts:
Dear @NitishKumar Ji, I participated in Asian Para Games 18, Now I m going for world championship which is also international games . Bihar govt give 2 L for participation as here you are giving the same but I got only 50K why this discrimination with me. Kindly give me my money. https://t.co/17IelkacWa
— Shams Aalam 🇮🇳 (@IamShamsAalam) May 21, 2022
Q: Why hasn’t the Bihar government given you the entire sum? What is the issue?
A: There is a rule of the Bihar govt that if any resident of the state participates in authorised major international championships or sporting events like Asian Games, Para Asian Games, Olympics or Paralympic Games, he/she is entitled to get Rs 2 lakh from the govt. The important thing to note is that just participation in these games makes you eligible for the sum.
Every state government gives a stipulated sum to athletes for participation in these tournaments. The sum varies from state to state. For example, the Haryana govt gave Rs 7.5 lakh to athletes of their state for participation in the Para Asian Games.
After my participation in the Para Asian Games in 2018, I was supposed to get Rs 2 lakh but received only Rs 50,000.
Q: Did you try to get in touch with the government officials and register a complaint?
A: Yes, I have written so many emails to the Chief Minister’s office, sports ministry and secretaries of the sports department of Bihar. But I have not received any response from anyone till now.
I know one athlete named Sharad Kumar. He is originally from Bihar but has represented Delhi. He participated in the Paralympics Games in 2016. In 2017, during the ceremony to felicitate athletes, he also got only Rs 50,000. But he protested and refused to accept that amount. Then sports federation people backed him and he got the full sum (Rs 2 lakh). His case was solved immediately because he had a powerful support system.
I don’t have any objection regarding him. All that I am asking for is my due. If the govt can give Rs 2 lakh to him, why not to me? What wrong have I done? That is why I tweeted to the honourable Nitish Kumarji (Bihar CM) yesterday.
Q: Do you know anyone else who hasn’t got the full sum after participation?
A: There is a girl called Archana Kumari. She is also a para athlete and got only Rs 50,000. Just because we don’t have any support system and no one is talking about us, we are facing this discrimination. I filed an RTI in 2020 requesting information about how much money has been given to athletes of Bihar since 2018. Even that RTI is still pending.
I’m a paraplegic person. I have to practise continuously for various tournaments. I can’t go to Patna every week and knock at the doors of ministers or sit on a ‘dharna’.
I am not telling the Bihar govt to give a sum equivalent to what other state governments are giving their athletes. My objection is if you’re giving an ‘x’ amount to an able-bodied athlete from Bihar, please give the same amount to specially-abled athletes from the state.
Q: You told me that Sharad Kumar protested when he was given Rs 50,000. Did you also protest when the full sum was not given to you?
A: Yes, I raised my voice and told them I don’t want just Rs 50,000. But at that time, there was a person called Dr Shivaji Kumar, then State Commissioner for Persons with Disability, who told me he would talk to the concerned minister and I will get the full amount. But nothing has happened after that.