A ball ranging from Table Tennis to Basketball, hockey sticks, Long Jumps, Shotput, Swimming, Cycling, heavy weights, shuttle cocks are not the items merely seen in a particular city, state or country but worldwide. All these have created significance in each country in their own way aprt from fitness and leisure purpose. One suc term or event that serves as a platform to all nations and individual towards being global is Sports, and further Commonwealth Games. The hallmark sporting event are not connected only to enjoyment but are binoculars for the Growth & Development of the economy of the host nation.
Honk !! Honk !! Burp !! Chaos !! Flurp !! Abey Chal Naa, Badayega aagey…. And so on… Noises noticed at the busy road blocked by the Holy Cows. A common scene observed daily at the roads when the Capital is at the buzz preparing itself for an Inter- national Sporting Event, CWG 2010, with less than a month left to open the account as an International Event. I am sure you all must have thought for different innovative names, for it has been in news for all Bad Reasons and Issues. According to me, we should get the approval from the Federation to change it to Co(W)mmon Wealth Games( Looking at the daily Road Scenes)or Common Wealth Shames(Literally being punctual to Deadlines and concerntrating over amassing nation’s wealth). . .
What a Divine Scene!! Cows welcoming us standing in the mid or infront of our vehicles, without even responding to our Honks, as if they are busy with their kitty parties or the Sports Conference for CWG. This also reminds me of Paul Octopus, predicting future about CWG. :)
I wonder if the games were associated only with amassing the nation wealth and not with the words of the delegates, not to mention who?. The Sports Ministry is not the only the associated ones but some responsibilities lies with MCD, Delhi Govt, Central Govt and the Vigilant CItizens, to name a few.
The elements that automatically relate to CWG are not only huge infrastructures, stadiums, seating capacity or transport but also fetches attention towards Security Issues, Accomodation, Employment generated, Resources, Materials used, Responsibilities on the part of authorities, Citizens and Media, Road qualities to be used for commutation and stray animals( buffalo, cows and Dogs thus fulfilling the tagline of Incredible India, Athithi Devo Bhavay :)
The Stark questions to the event involves the rationale of spending more than a billion dollars on a sporting event of this kind in a country like India, which is already struggling with numerous issues where the disparity between the rich and the poor is disturbingly wide. While we wish to forget the hiking Inflation rate for honouring the participating 72 nations, The people in charge of the games are busy presenting a picture of incompetence(Usage of Substandard Material) , Corruption(Amassing Wealth) and inefficiency(Repeated Delays) worldwide.
Will this turn out only to be an exercise in politician-induced patriotism and nationalism with political interests in mind? As the Labels and Whispers related to the officiating people involved their concentration over dodging reporters misguiding them, shoddy constructions, failure to deadlines have been making the access to all inclusive of the International authorities for months. None of the visits made by the International Authority of Olympic Association till now have had a contended positive remark. Thus again achieving another failures. Instead, when the –ve’s were being spotted out (loose tiles, loose grilles, unfinished staircases and seating arrangements, protruding iron rods, leaking roofs and walls, and debris inside and out) in the Vigilance reports, Suresh Kalmadi, shirked his shoulder with a simple reply that he is concerned not about the constructions but to make it a successful event. But will someone shake him and tell him, that the Spectacular event isn’t possible without the structures.
Even if the efforts were being made by the contracters somehow, to build huge structures, the rains have spilled it out. The event's two shooting ranges, have been extensively damaged in the downpour. A week earlier, the temporary roof of the table-tennis court in the Yamuna Sports Complex collapsed under another deluge, and the new Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex, hyped as the best aquatic arena in the country, is now a mess of debris, electric cables and leaking eaves. Adding another glory to this is a Young swimmer who tripped on a loose grill and hurt herself during the National Federation Cup, a test event held at the recently finished Talkatora Stadium.
Reckoning that there are two flips to a coin, if positives are counted undoubtedly a negative too are counted. Moving step by step with all the achievements and improvements, I can throw light over the above fact with evidences. Logically thinking what all is necessary for an event.
Tourism Sector
Firstly, this would have been the best chance for India to showcase their efficiency level at par with China’s hosted Olympic Games in 2008, in aspects of Tourist Attractions, Infrastructures, Employment, Social Environment. There’s no denial to the fact that this event will help India to surpass the tides of global recession, by making a dramatic change and bringing boom to Tourism Industry, thus all efforts in promoting spots like famous world heritage Taj Mahal, the star attractions of India, Jaipur – the Pink City of India, Ranthambhore – the land of tigers, and Corbett National Park, beautiful hill station, Shimla. This was the highlight about the Monetary Incurrs.
Social Environment
Talking about the Social Environment, the authorities efforts have been majorly to improve travel and transportation facility before the Commonwealth Games 2010 modernizing the airport and currently in the process of modernizing the railways station, besides upgrading bus terminal and introduced new and better buses. But completely neglecting the routes which connects the main destinations like Cannaught Place from Punjabi Bagh. Still we can spot potholes, without any warning barriers to intimate about the danger. This is the kind of Safety being provided. No doubts about the efforts being done to complete the other phases to connect all major places via metro, but then delay in lagging for Kirti Nagar Phase, but seeing the present scenario it appears as if sooner Delhi Metros will be like Mumbai Local trains, the way the citizens are illtreating the property.
Employment
Will it really have notable positive effects on the community, like Labourers ? When it comes to building structures, the main performers are the backbreaking labourers, who slaved on contract basis at bulk, but the suitable conditions provided to them were underpaid, miserable conditions, no security to their jobs after the event. And when it will be come to the names of the contributors for the successful event, if done, they’ll be invisible workforce, nobody to praise their hard labour. For a country like India which Poverty stricken, one good thing has been 8% growth rate. The worst part has been that they are left at the mercy of contractors for hefty profits and commissions. Lured by employment prospects being offered , millions have started pouring in from the rural hinterland
Green Games ; Green Environs
Altogether the promoting camps present a picture that is it’ll be ‘Green Games’ thus sacrificing the grown up trees and building structures. But no effort has been notified from the departments for planting of trees, thus leading to polluted city instead of Pollution free.
