I often wonder whether, even though we can and also shall, we should be organizing the commonwealth games. The moot point is whether a country that is unable to provide twenty hours supply of drinking water and electricity even to the citizens of its capital city should be organizing an extravaganza like the commonwealth games? Does a capital city where many of its citizens have to carry out their daily morning ablutions in the open, quite often along the railway tracks deserves to organize a sporting extravaganza the outlay on which could have served its inhabitants in a much better way?
And to top it all, the decision makers also appear keen to bid for the olympics! The prospect and also the implications of this decision makes me shudder.
Opinions may vary, but the fact remains that a person deprieved of the basic necessities and also the basic dignity that a human being deserves shall remain unconcerned. The games shall definitely touch the lives of the high and mighty, but the lives of almost ninety percent of its citizens shall remain untouched. The event, by no stretch of imagination can instill a sense of pride in the common man, as is being widely expected in the elite circle.
After all, for a man sitting on a heap of waste and refuse, the talk of pride in the nation is surely a long shot. Not worth attempting, but shall we ever learn? Never, despite being almost at the bottom of the list of nations, and that is why we are where we are.
This republic day, let us all pledge to attempt excellence and pull the nation out of the abyss it finds itself in rather that rejoicing in the transient extravaganza that the games really are!
This blog contains the thoughts of ASHWANI LOHANI on contemporary issues with the need for deliverance, integrity and ethics within the governance machinery as its primary focus. Extracts from this blog should not be reproduced in full or part, nor the views expressed be used in any form in any publication without the consent of the author. The author keenly looks forward to comments, suggestions and advise from readers
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Monday, January 25, 2010
Should we be doing it?
Labels:
common man,
commonwealth,
country,
elite,
extravaganza,
human race,
olympics,
pride,
republic day
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I beg to differ, these games are acting as catlyst in the development you are seeing around. Even the new railway station is getting renovated because of these games. Had it not been games deadline you would not have seen any of those metros around in Delhi. Administration do plan but some tom dick & harry would sit on those file for years. Your concern for other amenties is genuine but these toilets comming up at various place would be used latter by the people only. Delhi has seen tremendous improvement in infrastructure because of various events it cater to. Look at other cities like Bhopal, the same issues are their but no deadlines; so the normal pace of administration delays various projcts. The STPI / SEZ at Bhopal has not seen the light of the days for last 7 years when it was formally annouced. Our concern is that some of major events should be held at other cities also.
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