'Reports of tampering with sight of Bindra's rifle saddening'

Nagpur, Aug 15 (UNI) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief K S Sudershan has said the reports of tampering with the sights of Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra's rifle just before the finals in Beijing had saddened him.

In a statement issued here, Mr Sudershan said it was to the credit of Bindra's composure, self-confidence and timeliness that he corrected the error immediately after discovering the tampering, and was successful in winning the gold. ''Bindra's success has made the whole nation proud. It has brought glory to our nation after a lapse of so many years,'' he said.

It was also unfortunate that weightlifter Monika Devi was declared ''positive'' during a doping test, but was later exonerated, Mr Sudershan said. However, by the time the error was detected, it was too late for Monika's inclusion in the Indian contingent, which had caused her great frustration, he said.

Mr Sudershan said that the remarks by former RSS chief M S Golwalkar alias ''Guruji'' in this regard, made during a speech at Thane (Maharashtra) in 1972, had proven ''prophetic''. Quoting Mr Golwalkar, the Sarsanghachalak said that the craze for winning by any means, fair or fraud, and unwholesome rivalry, had begun to vitiate the field (of sports). ''The prominent feature of modern western society - permissiveness and competition - have taken human society away from peace and happiness,'' Mr Sudershan added, quoting from the same speech.

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