Is our cricket team Indian or British Indian? CIC asks Centre [Read order]

In a remarkable order, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked the Central government to respond to the queries posed by RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agarwal regarding the BCCI and its functioning..The queries include the reason for the continued use of the logo designed by the British instead of the symbol of Union of India, and failure to bring BCCI within the scope of Right to Information Act..The order was passed by Central Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu..One of the major aspects dealt with in the order is the failure to bring BCCI under the ambit of the RTI despite directions to that effect by the Supreme Court and the Lodha Committee..Referring to the 2016 decision of the Supreme Court in BCCI. v. Cricket Association of Bihar, the CIC in its order observed the following:.“The Supreme Court reiterated this saying “since BCCI discharges public functions and since those functions are in the nature of a monopoly in the hands of the BCCI with tacit State Government and Central Government approvals, the public at large has a right to know and demand information as to the activities and functions of the BCCI especially when it deals with funds collected in relation to those activities as a trustee of wherein the beneficiary happens to be the people of this country. .As a possible first step in the direction in bringing BCCI under purview of Right to Information Act, we expect the Law Commission of India to examine the issue and make a suitable recommendation to the Government”..Regarding the use of British designed logo, the CIC had this to say:.“The logo of BCCI derived from the emblem of the Order of the Star of India, symbol used by the British Raj. India gained Independence from British Raj, but Indian Cricket is yet to be relieved from logo designed by and reflecting British Raj. .Why BCCI has in its logo a British Star, why not Ashoka’s Chakra or four lions, why ‘Satyameva Jayathe’ is not the motto of BCCI?”.The CIC then poses the question whether our cricket team is Indian or British Indian..“Whether our team is Indian or British Indian? Symbol of BCCI is similar to the representation of the star of the order on the mantle of British Raj (see left). After First War of Indian Independence in 1857, to consolidate its sovereignty over India, British Crown created a new order of knighthood to honour loyal Indian Princes. No such honours were given after 1948. Did anybody notice that the BCCI is still hanging on to this colonial legacy, ‘symbolically’, & our team flags this logo even today.”.It then proceeded to set out the following queries raised by Agarwal and asked the PMO, Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to explain their stand on the above questions.“Why the Indian Cricket team even now carrying the logo of BCCI instead of sporting the Union of India symbol? Why the BCCI is still using the logo designed by British Raj in 1928 which resembles 90 per cent the symbol of star of India given by British Raj to his loyal princes, as mentioned in the order of CIC in CIC/MOYAS/A/2017/116693 on 9.6.2017? Why the Government of India does not change it to truly Indian Symbol with either tricolor or four lions or Ashoka’s Dharm Chakra or any other logo decided by the Government of India? Why the Government of India, the PMO or the MoYAS has not taken any measures to implement its declaration that the BCCI as public authority under RTI Act, as per its answer to Loksabha referred above?Why are they not bringing a uniform policy for rewarding winning international sports persons to prevent unhealthy competition for publicity among Governments? Why the sports frauds like match fixing and betting are not prohibited and action was not being taken effectively?What is the status of action on the Bill to prevent sports frauds?”.Read the order below..Image taken from here.