Why CWG mess is not a shame for India.....

At an estimated budget of  U$6.6 billion, India is hosting the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever...2010 Commonwealth Games, even surpassing the previous games held in Melbourne 2006 (approx. US$ 1.1 billion). Now, isnt that quite an acheivement for a Third World nation, whose 85.7% of the population lives on less than $2.50 a day and  a majority of Indians have per capita space equivalent to or less than a 10 feet x 10 feet room for their living, sleeping, cooking, washing and toilet needs." and "one in every three urban Indians lives in homes too cramped to exceed even the minimum requirements of a prison cell in the US."

Three years back, the Hon' CM (Corruption Minister, errrrr pardon me, Chief Minister) of Delhi, Ms. Sheila Dixit had no time for any other work because she was devoting all her energies into Commonwealth Games preparations..but it seems Mike Hooper (Commonwealth Games Federation chief ) isn't very impressed with the preparations as "filthy" was the word he used to describe the physical conditions in the Games Village. Now now, Mikey, come on, wipe that smirk off your rotound face and answer this : What were you doing during this whole stretch of 3 years? There is no way you can avoid this moral resposibilty.

And all of you out there, screaming on top of your lungs that CWG is a shame and disgrace to India, come on, grow up!! For once in life, try and appreciate the sheer brilliance of Kalamadi and Co. They have tackled so many life threating  issues at one go, itself. CWG  being a major sports event watched by millions, provides theatre for terrorist organisations. It was to be expected that many terrorist organisations would have been tempted to explore the possibility of organising terrorist strikes during the Commonwealth Games but now, with ceilings and footbridges collasping every day , even they would be afraid for their preciou lives to set their foot anywhere near the CWG venue. No need to spend crores of rupees for safety of CWG .  Pure brilliance!!!!

On a serious note, CWG was always meant to be a vulgar show, a great money making idea for some and if Dixit says the Games are a boon for Delhi's  'development' then its sheer baloney on her part. Someone needs to tell her  that development means much more than pouring concrete and asphalt from high-speed mixers onto roads and pedestrian sidewalks. And its saddening to see how political elite equates pageantry with national glory.The  extraordinary pageant of the Berlin Olympics could not save the collaspe of Hitler's Germany, nine years later. A similar fate befell on Soviet Union after Moscow Olympics.

So, we can draw some comfort that all is not lost. India is much, much bigger than the sum total of our political class but we need to learn some serious lessons from the current pageantry . Its not a shame to India, its a shame to our leaders. And to all of them, even to the dimpled Prince....CWG could have been a perfect oppurtunity to showcase his leadership skills...he should have taken over from Kalamadi, once it was clear that the preparations were way behind the schedule and turn the entire debacle into success but alas, another brilliant opportunity lost.....What a shame!!!

With the Grand Prix due to take place in Greater Noida on the outskirts of Delhi on October 30 next year, we need to ask some real uncomfortable questions about our country's limitations and the need for such events....There is no dearth of legitimate claimants for  good money in 'real India'. In or outside Delhi. One can see millions of most genuine claimants. What has happened in the name of 'development' is an act of sin and while we shake our head in disapproval over the current mess, we should not forget the lessons learnt ............. As for CWG, the damage has already been done making India's passage to the high table on the world stage all the more difficult (Remember China Olympics)  and western world will play rough to humiliate us on CWG failure.....so what...."Munni badnaam hui................." but then again, unlike the games village, badnaam Munni looked good.