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.
