Srinagar, September 11: Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have voiced strong criticism of the administration’s handling of bureaucratic obstacles faced by accomplished athletes, highlighting the case of international water sports coach Bilquis Mir, who was compelled to approach the Supreme Court to secure permission to represent India at the Asian Games.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the Supreme Court’s intervention on Friday overturned a previous order from the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. The apex court directed the Union Territory’s administration to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) and a relieving order to Ms. Mir by September 15, enabling her to travel to Japan for the Asian Games, scheduled to commence on September 19.
Ms. Mir, a physical education teacher within the Jammu and Kashmir Youth Services Department, had been selected as the chief coach for the Indian National Kayaking and Canoeing Team. Her planned participation in the prestigious event was jeopardised by administrative delays and procedural hurdles.
Mehbooba Mufti, the chief of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, articulated her dismay on the social media platform X. She stated, “When a sports icon like Bilquis Mir, who broke barriers for women in water sports, is forced to fight in the Supreme Court just to represent India, it exposes the rot in the system here.” Ms. Mufti emphasized that an internationally recognized sportsperson should receive unwavering institutional support, rather than encountering resistance and obstructions from administrative bodies.
The PDP chief further commented on the broader implications of such cases. “If a legend needs a judicial order to compete, what about the countless young athletes who don’t have the means, influence or resources to fight the bureaucracy? Sporting slogans ring hollow,” she added, underscoring the disparity faced by athletes without the wherewithal to challenge administrative bottlenecks.
The Supreme Court bench, presided over by Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi, had considered an appeal lodged by the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association and Ms. Mir herself. This appeal contested the High Court’s August 11 order, which had ruled that Ms. Mir, as a government employee, did not possess an enforceable right to compel her employer to issue an NOC or foreign travel permission solely based on her selection for a national sporting assignment.
The apex court not only quashed the Jammu and Kashmir government’s June 19 order that had denied Ms. Mir permission to travel abroad, citing pending departmental inquiries and service conditions, but also underscored the nature of sports administration. The court noted that sports bodies operate under stringent timelines that cannot be held up by conventional administrative processes.
This is not the first instance where procedural delays have impacted Ms. Mir’s career. She had previously missed an international assignment in Hungary due to similar administrative issues after being selected by the association in February to train the national team.
The Supreme Court’s decisive ruling followed another significant development weeks earlier, where the court dismissed a separate petition filed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration. That petition had challenged the quashing of an Anti-Corruption Bureau First Information Report (FIR) against Ms. Mir. Ms. Mir holds the distinction of being India’s first female judge for kayaking and canoeing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Chenab Times News Desk