Let the Games Begin

With only two months left for the commencement of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, preparations as reported by the media seem to suggest that we might be headed for a major embarrassment. News channels are replete with reports of poor venue preparations, sub standard work and most of all, corruption. And to our great horror, a senior political leader from the ruling party came out with a shocking statement recently, almost wishing for the games to go awry. Of course, the statement was a little tongue in cheek which the TV anchors conveniently chose to ignore.

Should it not be the bounden duty of all Indians to do their bit, for the success of the games? The way some of these news channels, 'Times Now' in particular, are going hell for leather after the Games Organising Committee, seems outrageous. Is this the right moment for such journalism, with only a few weeks left for the games to begin? I am all for accountability, rooting out corruption, transparency.............. But going after anyone and everyone who has got anything to do with CWG Delhi, at a time when the opening ceremony is just round the corner may not be such a great idea. By all means media is well within its rights to expose corruption, fraud, malpractice........................ but at times, for a change, 'discretion ought to be the better part of valour'.

News channels going berserk reporting a minor injury to a young diver in SP Mukherjee Aquatics stadium seemed weird. Oh come on guys, it was just a bruise. And the current war of words between Mr Kalmadi and the Indian High Commission in UK makes us the laughing stock for the world. At the end of the day, thanks to the media onslaught, an event that should have been a matter of pride for us, ........................, even if successful might inevitably leave us with a bad taste in the mouth.

So there is corruption, money laundering, sub standard work, leaky stadia................... etc. What was one to expect anyway? Corruption in India is all pervasive. So what does one do? Outsource preparations to China? Indian contractors have probably never seen quality. Forced to race against time due to political, procedural and bureaucratic delays all around, it is a wonder, that venues are nearing completion in the first place. Money laundering............... If media was to be believed, there was near credible evidence of money laundering against the likes of Rajiv Gandhi, a man born with a silver spoon in his mouth. So what can be expected out of lesser mortals?

A look at the time line of the preparations for the CWG makes one thing clear. The organisers did not seem to have the slightest idea of how to go about it. Nor did they have a sense of urgency. To that extent, one would have to agree with Mani Shankar Iyer, "Hosting these games is a huge mistake". But the clock cannot be turned back now. And we must put our best foot forward.

RISE IN SUPPORT OF CWG 2010. Jai Hind.

CBI A BUNCH OF FOOLS?

This was a question asked by Mr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the congress spokesman in response to Amit Shah's allegation that CBI had fabricated charges against him.

"Do you think CBI is full of bunch of fools who will risk their entire career by making false allegations, non-existing allegations which are going to be examined by the Supreme Court?" 

While in this particular case, CBI may or may not have acted like fools, but otherwise................................... they are not called the 'Cases Burial Institution' for no reason. Have they ever been able to convict anybody who is a somebody?

Wait and watch this case drag for years and finally Mr Shah getting acquitted.

Yet Again: Indo – Pak talks collapse

"But even more shocking to me is the fact that we have agreed to resume talks with our western neighbours. How many times do we need to be stabbed in the back to realise that it is futile to talk to Pakistan. Much as I would have liked to believe, there cannot be an 'Aman ki Asha.". 

                                                                         - Excerpted from earlier post Post Hiatus

This time though, it is not only a breach of etiquette, breach of diplomatic propriety,.......it is downright rude and a personal insult to SM Krishna, and thereby to the entire Indian establishment. The kind of comments that Mr Qureshi, who seems not to have heard of the word hospitality, made while his Indian counterpart was still on Pakistani soil, is nothing short of shocking. Was this a part of the script? Of course. It has always been Pakistan's design to thwart any and every Indian initiative towards improving relations...................Shimla accord, Lahore Bus Yatra, Agra summit.................. Peace with Pakistan has been given a shot by almost every prime minister -- and I don't think anyone walked extra miles for this than Vajpayee; all attempts however failed not because they lacked conviction but because the efforts were not reciprocated with same commitment from the other side. The humiliation of its dismemberment in 1971, is not to heal easily. And that lies at the bottom of the Pakistani psyche.

So, what next? Is there a way forward in Indo – Pak relations? Of course not. The Hindu in its editorial suggests, "Engagement must go forward". How can anyone suggest something like this, particularly after yesterday's humiliation? When are we going to learn our lessons?

Pakistan is a rogue state, as I have argued in an earlier post, and needs to be treated as such. It needs to be ostracised by the international community, being the fountainhead of terror in the world. And being the worst affected, we must lead the way.

Peace with Pakistan is a good thought and a great idea. Indians and Pakistanis can be friends, but India and Pakistan can never be friends.

Weird & Bizarre in World Cup 2010

The world has been abuzz with Soccer related news for some time now. Besides football related news, there have been a few Bizarre and Weird peices of news as well. Here is a sampling of the same:

• FIFA refuses to use technology as an aid for Refereeing decisions, but does a volte face.in the wake of referee's wrong goal decisions during the league stages.

• Predictions by Octopus Paul being followed the world over.

• And now the latest in the series : UAE Fatwa Declares Innocuous Vuvuzelas un-Islamic. (Don't they have better things to do?)

The Govt Fiddling?

How long are we to succumb to Maoist pressure? The frequent call for Bandh by Maoists is taking a toll on lives of ordinary citizens yet again, not to mention the Bandh by opposition parties. Seven trains have been cancelled or diverted in Jharkhand today. This is the third Bandh called by Maoists within a month. Another Bandh has already been called on 13 – 14 Jul.

It has been a few months now, since the brutal and barbaric Dantewada massacre. And in the meanwhile, another massacre in Chattisgarh recently has been apparently unable to shake the Govt out of its slumber. It seems to be taking them forever to decide how to tackle the menace(to use Army or not, to use Air power or not). The state machinery is not showing any signs whatsoever of cracking down on the Red Brigade. As brought out earlier on this blog, the Maoists are nothing but a bunch of self serving rogues. The Maoist struggle if it can be called that, is not against the Govt's apathy towards development in tribal areas or any other conceived injustice towards them any more. It is all about, extortion, power and money. No development is possible in Maoist infested areas, as such efforts are thwarted by the Maoists themselves. They gobble up the lion's share of funds allotted through extortion from govt officials and contractors.

Time is running out for us. If the problem is not dealt with an Iron hand immediately, a Sri Lanka like situation is imminent where the LTTE had built a state within a state. Maoists in India unfortunately are not confined to a contiguous portion of the country which can be blockaded, surrounded and attacked. It is gong to be much more difficult for us. In fact, it already is. Maoists are holding the state to ransom with impunity at will as and when they want. While the country is burning, is the Govt fiddling?.

Soccer Mania at Fever Pitch

Netherlands, the underdogs turned out to be the winners in Wednesday's Quarter Finals. They now have a fair chance not only to make it to the finals but win it too. In the semis against Uruguay, the team in Orange are surely the favourites. Holland has been unfortunate in the last couple of decades not to have reached the finals of World cup. Despite the likes of Rijkard, Lothar Mathaes, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Nistelroy, Marc Overmars, Patrick Kluivert etc. The flying Dutchmen could not get their hands on the Jules Rimet Trophy. They have of course been runners up twice in a row in 1974 and 1978.

One cannot but feel sorry for Ghana, to have suffered the cruellest of defeats. The match produced two breath taking goals in regulation play, one each from both teams. One would surely not like to be in Asamoah Gyan's shoes. The memory of this match could haunt him for the rest of his life. With his missed penalty in the dying minutes of the game came crashing down the hopes of an entire continent, which had the backing of none other than Nelson Mandela.

Tonight's action in Cape Town promises to be another cracker.