I must confess whatever faith I had in our government has evaporated completely. Until last afternoon I was a benign onlooker emitting an occasional scream in disbelief and horror as I watched on TV or read in many a newspaper the utter and total chaos that Common Wealth Games 2010 has come to signify. Poking fun at our collective selves or letting out steam on the twitter by way of inane and insignificant tweets.
I read the following articles in Times of India and Hindustan Times. This got me going and could not restrain myself from putting together this blog.
1. Much good from a bad Games : India : M J Akbar : TOI Blogs http://t.co/HvjPUpP via @timesofindia.
2. Old India has failed New India, again: Vir Sanghvi - Hindustan Times http://t.co/IC9S7he via @AddThis
The stark contrast of content and intent is thought provoking.
Mr. M.J. Akbar concludes his article “A friend pointed out that we have only now begun to notice what happened some time ago: the CIA has taken over India. The CIA provides the core inner ring which pumps blood into the heart of the current ruling class of our country. CIA is: Corrupt Incompetent Arrogant. There is only one reason China is ahead of India; because it is run by the CPC: Corrupt, Perverse but Competent.”
The journalistic competence and ability of this accomplished Journalist makes it a pleasure to read his thoughts and views on the ongoing fiasco called CWG.
Mr. Vir Sanghvi concludes his piece “In 1980, Indira Gandhi recognised that the Asian Games would be a fiasco unless the government got involved at the highest level. Rajiv Gandhi oversaw the preparations, deadlines were kept, the infrastructure survives till today and the Games served as an advertisement for India.But what this government has given us is a complete repudiation of Rajiv’s legacy. The preparations have been handed over to people like Suresh Kalmadi and when ministers have got involved, the task has been left to incompetent windbags. Nor has there been any attempt to find an alternative private sector model.”
This formulation makes your stomach churn in total disgust at the level of superficiality and sycophancy exuded by this individual. The focus is on what has been attempted to be projected by this author.
Mr.Sanghvi wants us to believe that India is in a perpetual state of conflict.
“These days we hear a lot about the clash of the two Indias — the India of the villages vs the India of the cities; deprived India vs shining India, etc. This conflict is undeniable but we are neglecting another clash between two other Indias which is subtler but no less significant. The unprecedented level of public anger over the screw-ups in the preparations of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) can be best understood if we see it as a clash between two Indias.”
He stops miday after alluding to M.S.Gill the Minister for Sports his age and background. Overlooking the fact that the responsibility goes right to the top; that is the Prime Minister who happens to be senior by a couple of years, and shares the background with Mr M.S.Gill.
All this while he conveniently overlooks the fact that there is a very heavy imprint of the presiding deity of Congress party in appointing the PM and the Sports Minister. The blame for the ongoing unparalleled accrual of indignity and shame is the net result of poor decision making and total inert state of government in India.
The much maligned old India that is being used as an alibi to gloss over our present predicament is an enduring gift from our first Prime Minister and it is his legacy which is being carried forward. We do hear and read on a daily basis the GDP growth and the ever north ward movement of sensex. These have been touted as the two great beacons of performance of our Government. Nothing could be further from truth than the above two symbols.
On one end of the spectrum are the exploits and achievements of entrepreneurial India, where many an achiever is in the age group as our Prime Minister or Minister for Sports. It is not the age that matters; it is the ability, dedication and conviction for the cause that is defining and makes India shine. One India is producing results on a daily basis which pose challenge to the largest and most ambitious economies and people on this planet. Where as those who are appropriating these successes as their own are in fact squandering away in most disdainful manner the hard earned monies, image and goodwill.
Let the author not exonerate Government, Congress party or its high command by singling out a few individuals, who for all practical purpose hold their current position with the unambiguous blessings of the powers that be of the Congress Party. We should not shy away from facts and candidly admit that governance in India is non existent under the present dispensation. Glaring examples are placed to refresh malfunctioning memory cells, and cure selective amnesia. 2G spectrum scam, rotting food grains 60,000mt, 37% Indians below poverty line, ever proliferating slums in our metros, naxal violence and of course last but not the least Kashmir.
Objective was to showcase India, we have achieved the converse. Let me conclude we the people of this country are indignant in extreme, with all the might at our disposal do repudiate this image. This could be the image of our government and congress party. this is not of us and our country.
