Hi Ram! I'll do! This article is by Vir Sangvi, one of India's most respected mediapersons.
Manojda On 9/28/10, Ram Dhar <ramd...@hotmail.com> wrote: > >>>>*India is very angry. Bharat couldn't care less!*>> > > Manojda, > Good to hear from you, you can act as assmm net freelance reporter on the > opening ceremony ! > > > some excerpts from an article i read recently in HT ---- > > When Indians talk about ourselves these days, it is this new India we allude > to. It is the new India that is an emerging superpower. It is the new India > that is the rival of a resurgent China. It is the new India that the world > is rushing to befriend and to invest in. > But just as we begin to believe the hype about the new India, the old India > comes back and bites us in the arse. > One reason why there is so much public outrage over the CWG mess is because > we perceive the old India as having failed the new India. On the one hand, > we talk about competing with China. On the other, we can never ever dream of > matching up to the standard of the spectacular Chinese Olympics. In fact, as > long as the old India types are in charge, we can’t even organise the > Commonwealth Games, a relatively minor league event. > In the eyes of the world, we are now a laughing stock. We can brag as much > as we like about the new India. But when it comes to delivering on an > international commitment, we are no China. We are still corrupt, slothful > old India. > The most horrifying aspect of the CWG fiasco is that the guys at the top > still don’t get it. You and I may think we are building a new India. But the > old geezers who are still in charge are content to live in the old India. > > Take sports minister, M.S. Gill (age: 74), a retired babu and the man who > must take the rap for many of the screw-ups. Gill’s view is that the > Commonwealth Games are like an Indian wedding. There will be disasters. > There will be chaos. There will be confusion. But somehow, it will work out > in the end. This is India, yaar, he suggested, this is our way of doing > things. > It is hard to think of an attitude that is more out of tune with today’s > times. Forget about systems, forget about delivery dates and forget about > accountability. It’s like a shaadi, yaar. Ho jayega. Somehow! > Or take Jaipal Reddy (at only 68, the baby of this Cabinet). After Suresh > Kalmadi fell into disrepute, Reddy was moved in by the government to keep an > eye on things. Much of the faulty construction is the responsibility of his > ministry. > What do you suppose Reddy’s attitude to the recent foul-ups is? The collapse > of the overbridge that injured several workmen. The false ceiling that caved > in, etc. > These are minor matters, he says. Why focus so much on them? These things > happen, he suggests. And finally, there is the inevitable appeal to > patriotism, always the last refuge of the politician. All of us should focus > on the positive aspects of the Games and not draw attention to the > disasters. Because India’s prestige is at stake. > And who do you suppose put our prestige at stake? The people who oversaw the > collapsing bridges? Or you and I who worry about this disaster in the > making? > When the Cabinet is full of people who operate in a chalta hai environment, > can you be surprised by the attitude of the organising committee? > Every Indian I know was deeply ashamed to see the pictures of the filth in > the Games Village and to read the reports about the state of the athletes’ > accommodation: human crap on the floor, paan stains on the wall, dirty loos, > and animal footprints on the beds. > And yet, how did the organising committee react? According to Lalit Bhanot, > the problem was merely one of the differing standards of western hygiene and > Indian hygiene. > With that single response, Bhanot summed up the difference between his India > and ours. In his India, it’s all right if people crap on the floors of > bedrooms meant for athletes. If anybody complains, then they are just using > western standards of cleanliness. > This clash between the two Indias runs through almost every aspect of the > CWG fiasco. In the old India, it is unthinkable for officials to disperse > hundreds of crores of rupees without pocketing substantial kickbacks for > themselves. > So it is with the CWG organisers. Forget about the over-priced equipment > purchased for the Games or the dodgy companies hired at huge cost to perform > meaningless tasks. Even the contracts for constructing buildings and roads > have been awarded on the kickback principle. Why else do you suppose the > infrastructure is so shoddy? Why else would bridges fall, buildings remain > incomplete and ceilings cave in? > The tragedy of the Commonwealth Games is that it did not have to turn out > like this. If we had assigned the Games preparations to the private sector — > to any of the infrastructural companies that run airports, build hotels etc > — budgets would have been adhered to, deadlines would have been kept and the > construction wouldn’t have been sub-standard. Moreover, there would have > been accountability. If the private sector fails, then it doesn’t get paid. > Alternatively, the government could have displayed some leadership. 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. > Is it any wonder that we are all so angry? As hard as we try to build a new > India, this fiasco reminds us that old India still has the power to > humiliate and embarrass us. > > >> Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:39:18 +0530 >> From: dasm...@gmail.com >> To: assam@assamnet.org >> Subject: Re: [Assam] Aftermath of CWG >> >> Dear D'da >> >> I took a tour of the facilities and the city yesterday by road to reaasure >> myself.. >> 1. The village looks awesome from outside. Things inside are now less >> worrisome. Food is fantastic, cleanliness is upto the mark, view near the >> Akshardham temple backdrop is very nice; >> 2. Yamuna is full is fresh flood water, dirty filthy stinky pollutants >> gone; >> 3. Stadias are games ready; >> 4. Delhi eye opened today at Kalindi Kunj, Metro lines linking Connaught >> Place to NOIDA, Badarpur (Faridabad), Gurgaon is ready; >> 5, New Airport T3 with 74 aerobridges is great; >> 6. Airport Metro line will open in a day or two; >> 7. Nearly 25000 volunteers are ready; >> 8. 1000 AC low floor red lone buses are ready at the world's largest bus >> depot at Yamuna bank; >> 9. Security is at full gear; >> 10. Rehearsal for Opening ceremony has started 1month back, we also bought >> 4 >> tickets for our family @Rs 5000 each to witness the event; >> 11. 2000 Blueline ordinary buses are packed off the roads from today; >> 12. This will be a world class game no doubt..you can say JIT (Just In >> Time >> Game); >> >> Indian economy started performing when gold was taken out of the country >> in >> planeload in 1991. I think this CWG shame will act as a catalyst to clean >> up >> our public space of corruption. >> >> Yes some heads will roll after the games. I think MS Gill, Jaipal Reddy, >> Suresh Kalmadi will go soon after. >> * >> * >> *India is very angry. Bharat couldn't care less!* >> * >> * >> *BTW, *Commonwealth Games Chief Mike Fennel himself is embroiled in many >> controversial contracts related to the CWG preparations. Kalmadi was smart >> to rope all in the loot. Rs. 70000 crore spent on the games included the >> airport, metro, water treatment plants, stadias, roads, streetscaping, >> FOBS, >> AC Buses >> * >> * >> *Jay ho!* >> Cheers! >> >> On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 8:51 AM, Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> > >> > On Sep 26, 2010, at 9:43 PM, Dilip Deka wrote: >> > >> > > I see two scenarios coming out of the CWG fiasco. >> > > 1. India pulls it off at the last minute. CWG goes on and has a happy >> > ending >> > > despite some minor mishaps. India claims a big success and brags about >> > it, "See, >> > > we told you. It could be done. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE INDIA". >> > >> > >> > **** First off: Define success. What will constitute a success, let >> > alone a >> > BIG one? >> > >> > >> > > 2. The CWG is a flop with major disasters and it starts major reform >> > > in >> > India in >> > > terms of corruption. This happens because the middle class Indians get >> > insulted >> > > and upset. It always takes a big event to make big changes. >> > >> > **** Similarly, WHAT would determine if it was a flop? >> > >> > >> > Only then one can delve into your question. Speaking of which, why do >> > you >> > assume that >> > in case of a FLOP, Indians would consider it an insult and demand >> > reforms >> > to eradicate corruption. >> > Is it CORRUPTION that is at the root of a possible flop? Why could it >> > not >> > be corrupt yet successful? >> > >> > I see a problem with the assumption that corruption is the cause for a >> > possible flop. Does >> > competence not have a place in the equation? Nobody has accused China of >> > being free of corruption, but they >> > proved how COMPETENT they are. In other words competence and corruption >> > are NOT mutually exclusive. >> > Few would complain IF competence could be demonstrated, would they? >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > >> > > What do you see? Alternate scenarios? >> > > Dilip Deka >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > assam mailing list >> > > assam@assamnet.org >> > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > assam mailing list >> > assam@assamnet.org >> > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> > >> _______________________________________________ >> assam mailing list >> assam@assamnet.org >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > -- Sent from my mobile device C 166 LGF Sarvodaya Enclave New Delhi 110017 09910972654 _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
