Cash incentives for Asian Games medal winners from Punjab: CM Mann
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Monday said players from the state, who won medals at the recently concluded Asian Games in China, will be given cash incentives after their return.
Punjab gives Rs 1 crore for gold medal, Rs 75 lakh for silver and Rs 50 lakh for bronze.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, 33 players from Punjab won 19 medals -- eight gold, six silver and five bronze.
Addressing a gathering during interaction with coaches here, the chief minister said earlier governments had "not bothered to felicitate medal winner players" but his government will give top priority to it, according to an official release.
Mann said his government will ensure that the medal winners get the cash and other incentives soon after their arrival in the country.
It is heartening to note that out of 48 players from the state, who participated in the Asian Games, 33 won a total of 19 medals, the chief minister said, adding that this is the biggest tally of Punjab in the history of Asiad during the post-Independence era.
Lauding the coaches for their roles in a player's life, Mann said they also play an important role in grooming the players for the national and international events.
Players excel in fields due to the hard work and confidence infused by coaches, he said.
On the performance of the state players in the Asian Games, Mann said Punjab is blessed with immense talent which has been proved in these games where players won various medals.
On one hand the credit goes to dedication of players and on other, the role of coaches cannot also be denied, he noted.
Mann congratulated players and coaches for this display of remarkable sportsmanship in the Asian games.
He said the state government is committed to revive the sports culture in the state for which coaches can play a pivotal role.
The state government is making concerted efforts for wiping out the menace of drugs from the state for which sports is being encouraged, he added.
Coaches can act as a catalyst in making Punjab a drug-free state by promotion of sports, he said.
He said the state government is incentivising players with cash awards and other facilities to encourage them to perform in national and international events.
For the first time, the state players are being given financial assistance to prepare for international events, the chief minister claimed.
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Ladakh a living land of dharma for centuries: Amit Shah
Leh/Jammu (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday described the return of sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Ladakh after 75 years as a "historic reunion" and said that the Union Territory has remained a "living land of dharma", preserving and nurturing Buddhist knowledge for centuries.
Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.
"Ladakh has been a living land of dharma for centuries. When the Dalai Lama comes here, he says this land is not merely a geographical land but a living laboratory of Buddhist culture and compassion," Shah said, speaking after the inauguration of the sacred holy relics exposition of Tathagata Buddha and the 2569th Buddha Purnima celebrations at Jivetsal in Leh during his two-day visit to Ladakh.
Calling Ladakh a land of compassion, he said this land has preserved and nurtured knowledge. "Whenever Buddhism faced crises, this land worked to protect the teachings of Buddha. And when peace returned, it helped to expand and carry forward that preserved wisdom," he added.
"Unless one internalises knowledge and makes it a part of oneself, liberation is not possible. Knowledge is incomplete without spiritual practice, while spiritual practice without knowledge is blind. Therefore, the union of spiritual practice and knowledge is the right path. Even after all this, if there is no moral discipline, one cannot lead a truly wise life. The basis of a life of wisdom is moral discipline," he said.
Shah said it was through Ladakh and adjoining routes that the teachings of Tathagata Buddha, which originated in India, spread to China and several other countries.
"The message that emerged from the land of Ladakh has become a guiding force for many people around the world to take their lives forward. The presence of these sacred relics in Ladakh reminds us that India's civilisation has, for thousands of years, given the message of peace and coexistence," he said.
He said that in a diverse region like Ladakh and Kargil, this message becomes even more relevant. "This heritage still tells us today that amidst conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions."
He said the return of the relics on Buddha Purnima had enhanced the significance of the festival for the people of Ladakh.
"These sacred relics have come to Ladakh after 75 years. It is as if Buddha himself is present here today," Shah said, adding that followers of Buddhism and people of other faiths in Ladakh and Kargil would draw spiritual energy from the relics.
Highlighting Ladakh's role in the spread of Buddhism, Shah said Kashmir was once an ancient centre of Buddhist studies, Mahayana philosophy and Buddhist art, from where Ladakh first came into close contact with Buddhism.
He said Emperor Ashoka's envoys laid the foundation of Buddhist influence in Ladakh through Kashmir and Gandhara, while Mahayana Buddhism expanded in the region during the Kushan period between the first and third centuries CE.
The Silk Route linking Kashmir, Leh, Yarkand, Khotan and Tibet became a channel not only for trade but also for ideas, monks, manuscripts and artistic traditions, Shah said.
He added that later, Tibetan influence between the seventh and tenth centuries further enriched Ladakh through Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.
"Amid conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions," he said.
Shah also appealed to the Ladakh administration to ensure complete arrangements so that followers of all faiths, especially Buddhists, could visit and pay obeisance to the relics.
#WATCH लेह, लद्दाख: केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने कहा, "जब दलाई लामा यहां आते हैं तो वे कहते हैं कि यह भूमि केवल भौगोलिक भूमि नहीं है। यह भूमि बौद्ध संस्कृति और करुणा की जीवंत प्रयोगशाला है। इस भूमि पर ज्ञान का संरक्षण हुआ है... भारत की सभ्यता हजारों वर्षों से शांति का संदेश… https://t.co/2nwG0w2CE6 pic.twitter.com/W13itRBqeX
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