I know all of us are either hurt or ashmed or appalled or stunned at what has been happening in the run up to the hosting of CWG. The national print, electronic and virtual media is flooded with opinions of hundreds of indians regarding what went wrong, how corrupt the organising committee is and how it was a wrong decision in the first place despite being a third world developing country to want to host such a big event. There are all sorts of concers being voiced regarding the morality of spending such huge sums of money for building sporting stadia, infrastructure upgradation and beautification of the city, when millions are still struggling to get access to the basic requirtements and amenities of life. In one of the articles i read that since the tax payers money is being spent, were they consulted before the governmnet decieded to bid for the CWG hosting. I hope this gentleman knows that our democracy does not function like that. We dont have to go to people every time the governmnet has to take a decision. Our democratically elected government headed by the Prime Minister is competent to take such decisions. I dont know why did he expect such a referendum on this issue.
All arguments being put forth by people representing various interest groups and of various ideological hues of course have some merit in them if perceived at from their point of view. At this time to indulge in a verbal fight over the economic, social and ecological merit and demerits of holding CWG games is of purely selfish interest. These people just want to be heard and they know they would be able to catch some eyeballs in this general atmosphere of controversy and frustration of indians. Having said that i dont imply that they are wrong, they might be right but its the timing that is absolutely wrong.
In our democracy decisions are taken by the government of the day which holds the confidence of the house and in turn the people of India who are represented by the members of the House. Once a decision is taken then it becomes our responsibility to ensure that the committments and obligations undertaken by our government are fulfilled. We sure do have a right to protest about decisions by which we feel aggreived but for God's sake that cants be 12 days before the actual date of event. What were all these now vociferous groups doing for the last 7 years when India beat Canada in the race to host the 2010 CWG and our government pledged its support.
Why cant we understand that now hosting CWG is inevitable, a matter of national pride a matter of national committment (right or wrong thats our internal matter) and all of us should endeavour that we are successfull in doing so. All the wrongdoings that have happened should be and must be dealt with, with utmost stringency but not before we see our country through this mega event.
I have a grave suspicion and i fear that if we mange to pull it off, all these people who are hounding the CWG OC and the government would conveniently forget the stink of this unfathomable corruption that has happened and would busy themselves with singing their praises instead. If past experience is anything to go by then i would not be surpriesd, in the least, that the smug, elitist, largely corrupt, irresponsible, and sensationalist media of this country, who i have never seen fighting any cause till its logical end, would just do a lip sympathy. I however really hope and would pray that they prove me wrong and become an equal partner in the fight with the people of this country.
The need of the hour infact is that all of us keep our cool at this moment and ensure that the anger, hurt, frustration and sense of betrayal is not allowed to explode before the games finish and we see off our guests. Lets alllow it to simmer and once we are done with the games, let the people responsible for the shame and corruption face the ire.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Chori or Phir Seena Zori
It is so very sad to see my hope and belief and the hope and belief of millions of self respecting, optimistic Indians fall flat on its face when the over bridge outside Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium crumbled and came crashing down on 23 poor hapless people. It not only crushed these labourers but also crushed the confidence, pride, faith and hope of many Indians who prayed all this while and thought that we shall be able to pull off CWG respectfully, despite rampant corruption and endless delays in delivery of infrastructure projects. It was appalling to see how the Organising Committee official was shamelessly defending the unlivable and unhygienic conditions in the games village by saying that our standard of hygiene is different from what is being expected by international delegates and this is just because of this difference in our perception. This statement amounted to shaming all indians and almost sounded as if we routinely, as a tradition, allow or even hire stray dogs, if they are not available, to make them defecate in our bedrooms to build our immunity. It also sounded as if tobacco chewing is mandatory for all Indians, without any exception, so that all can spew out red coloured muck on everything possible. As if it is a constitutional duty for all Indians to ensure that everything that comes their way whether it is a road or a wall or a brand new shining signage, it has to be marked red with mandatory Indian signature.
I along with many more Indians (i am sure) are ashamed not because we are Indians but because of the fact that our apathy and indifferenece have allowed things to come to such a pass that people in the name of governance are looting our nation in broad day light and have the confidence to defend themselves for doing such unthinkable mismanagement. Where people have no compunction putting country's pride at stake and where self aggrandisement is the only motive that people in power work for. This is a classical example of Chori or Phir Seena Zori.
These CWG guys have goofed up big time and still have the audacity to claim that nothing major has happened. Look at the Chief Minister of Delhi who didn't think twice before saying with a straight face and without any remorse that this overbridge was not meant for CWG delegates and was only made for the convenience of common people. First of all thats a white lie as this overbridge connected the parking area of the stadium with the main stadium as per the news report and even if we assume that it was actually not meant for the CWG delegates or for athletes's use, does she mean that it is well with in her power and is her duty to make sure that a few hundred common people die in such accidents while using utilities that are supposedly made for their convenience. She sounded as if this is some sort of a official strategy to deal with our uncontrollably growing population. She wasn't at all repentent, forget about her feeling ashamed.
I exhort all fellow Indians to please wake up and raise our voices to ensure that anybody or everybody who is responsible for this mess directly or indirectly should not go scot free. Lets do something before it is too late. Lets stop taking things lying down to begin with and open our mouths wherever and whenever needed. These guys have the audacity to be shameless because we allow them to walk over us. We have to get together and show them the might of aam aadmi. We have to do whatever we can, to bring these thugs, thieves and pimps to book.
We have to make sure these people not only get punished but are debarred from holding any public office in future ever. We cant also absolve the opposition parties in this matter, they are suppose to be the watchdogs but unfortunately they are all chips of the same block.
I read in a book by Mr. Fali Nariman, who is a very well respected lawyer that Mrs Gandhi was very surpriesd by the lack of any protest specially from the so called intelligentia, when she had imposed emergency in a high handed manner to meet her political ends. I was quite amazed to read this and got convinced yet another time that that woman was as shrewd a politician as they come. She, i m sure, would have kept her arrangements in place to deal with any such eventuality but we Indians the aam aadmi, the middle class chose to keep quiet.
Lets not allow these guys to get away with this disaster which has put the nation on the brink of global ridicule and shame.
I along with many more Indians (i am sure) are ashamed not because we are Indians but because of the fact that our apathy and indifferenece have allowed things to come to such a pass that people in the name of governance are looting our nation in broad day light and have the confidence to defend themselves for doing such unthinkable mismanagement. Where people have no compunction putting country's pride at stake and where self aggrandisement is the only motive that people in power work for. This is a classical example of Chori or Phir Seena Zori.
These CWG guys have goofed up big time and still have the audacity to claim that nothing major has happened. Look at the Chief Minister of Delhi who didn't think twice before saying with a straight face and without any remorse that this overbridge was not meant for CWG delegates and was only made for the convenience of common people. First of all thats a white lie as this overbridge connected the parking area of the stadium with the main stadium as per the news report and even if we assume that it was actually not meant for the CWG delegates or for athletes's use, does she mean that it is well with in her power and is her duty to make sure that a few hundred common people die in such accidents while using utilities that are supposedly made for their convenience. She sounded as if this is some sort of a official strategy to deal with our uncontrollably growing population. She wasn't at all repentent, forget about her feeling ashamed.
I exhort all fellow Indians to please wake up and raise our voices to ensure that anybody or everybody who is responsible for this mess directly or indirectly should not go scot free. Lets do something before it is too late. Lets stop taking things lying down to begin with and open our mouths wherever and whenever needed. These guys have the audacity to be shameless because we allow them to walk over us. We have to get together and show them the might of aam aadmi. We have to do whatever we can, to bring these thugs, thieves and pimps to book.
We have to make sure these people not only get punished but are debarred from holding any public office in future ever. We cant also absolve the opposition parties in this matter, they are suppose to be the watchdogs but unfortunately they are all chips of the same block.
I read in a book by Mr. Fali Nariman, who is a very well respected lawyer that Mrs Gandhi was very surpriesd by the lack of any protest specially from the so called intelligentia, when she had imposed emergency in a high handed manner to meet her political ends. I was quite amazed to read this and got convinced yet another time that that woman was as shrewd a politician as they come. She, i m sure, would have kept her arrangements in place to deal with any such eventuality but we Indians the aam aadmi, the middle class chose to keep quiet.
Lets not allow these guys to get away with this disaster which has put the nation on the brink of global ridicule and shame.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
While the aam aadmi and every concerned self respecting citizen of this country is apprehensive about how we will fare in the coming Commonwealth Games as hosts, our parliamentarians are busy ensuring that they get unprecedented salary hikes for doing nothing in the interest of the country they purportedly represent. It is such an irony that in a country where the per capita income is one of the lowest in the world our parliamentarians want everything free and everything absolutely the best in the world. Their greed has no end, they also want tax free salaries. They get to decide themselves whether they deserve what they are asking for, and that is the ultimate insult to the principles of natural justice which happens to be the cornerstone of our common law.
May i please ask why should the aam aadmi be made to bear the burden of our parliamentarians avarice. Could we please have statistical data about the comparative financial status of all the legislators in the country at the time that they enter politics, and then five and ten years later and so on and so forth. I am sure it would make a lot of interesting reading to find out countless rags to riches stories and the rate at which these politicians prosper. What is it in politics that makes you rich overnight?
Barring a few exceptions, most of the politicians and their families in this country are incorrigibly corrupt. The so called young parliamentarians who are routinely eulogized in the media and have greatness and competence thrust upon them are just living a lavish life style on the booty their families have gathered while being in public life. We as a nation have been perpetually struggling with poverty and our politicians have been engaging in wealth accumulation with impunity, plundering the country's exchequer. Sometimes i feel that the best way to eradicate poverty in this country is to ensure that every family in the country get a chance to hold public office. History is witness that anybody who has entered politics in our country has become filthy rich whether they started as school masters or labourers, farmers or small time shopkeepers, or pilots or whatever. They are the new despots who have replaced the royalty.
May i please ask why should the aam aadmi be made to bear the burden of our parliamentarians avarice. Could we please have statistical data about the comparative financial status of all the legislators in the country at the time that they enter politics, and then five and ten years later and so on and so forth. I am sure it would make a lot of interesting reading to find out countless rags to riches stories and the rate at which these politicians prosper. What is it in politics that makes you rich overnight?
Barring a few exceptions, most of the politicians and their families in this country are incorrigibly corrupt. The so called young parliamentarians who are routinely eulogized in the media and have greatness and competence thrust upon them are just living a lavish life style on the booty their families have gathered while being in public life. We as a nation have been perpetually struggling with poverty and our politicians have been engaging in wealth accumulation with impunity, plundering the country's exchequer. Sometimes i feel that the best way to eradicate poverty in this country is to ensure that every family in the country get a chance to hold public office. History is witness that anybody who has entered politics in our country has become filthy rich whether they started as school masters or labourers, farmers or small time shopkeepers, or pilots or whatever. They are the new despots who have replaced the royalty.
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