Hang Kalmadi ! And, Declare the Games Cancelled!

Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, hang Suresh Kalmadi. And do not spare Sheila Dikshit, MS Gill, Jaipal Reddy and all those responsible for proper staging of the Commonwealth Games.

And, cancel the Games.

Mr. PM and Mrs. G, India has been shamed immensely and there is nothing left to salvage anymore. Before every Commonwealth country withdraws leaving India’s shameful unpreparedness to make Delhi’s life even more miserable, please pull the plug.

Mr. PM and Mrs. G, I wonder how on the earth could we manage an assortment of the worst kind of people to organize the Games. The embarrassment is so colossal that no amount of PR will ever get India’s prestige back. With its reputation in tatters and beyond repairs, India will never be able to stage a comeback on the global high table. The hosting of this sporting event has put India in a uniquely bizarre situation from where there is absolutely no escape. The whole world is laughing at us and is aghast and amused at our incredible ineptitude. After 7 years and 70,000 crore (US $ 2 bn) we could not even manage a simple event like the CWG! It is unbelievable and hugely humiliating.

Mr. PM and Mrs. G, both of you maintained your steely silence throughout even while the country’s coffers were being looted unashamedly by a bunch of utterly corrupt officials and politicians and let the country get humiliated and mutilated simultaneously. Not even for once did you own up your leadership responsibility which is highly disappointing.

Mr. PM and Mrs. G, if it was not for the Indian Media the nation would probably never have got the exact details of the mess that the CWG and the country are in today! The rot would have remained under the carpet and the country would have woken up to the devastating realities only when international delegations would have descended in the city and would have revolted against the shocking state of affairs surrounding the Games. India today is enormously indebted to the Media (I especially thank Times Now for starting the trail of Games exposes) for bringing the nauseating truth out of the closet with relentless coverage of the scam & sham that is CWG! And, not to forget Mani Shanker Aiyar!

Mr. PM and Mrs. G, the most appalling thing is that even today – after being subjected to insults of global proportions – no one is ready to own the accountability for the chaos and crises. The buck is unapologetically being passed around. But just remember that “the buck stops with you”. Therefore, take immediate action. Sack Kalmadi and Sheila and Gill and all involved with the Games. I am sure if a similar shameful episode (never-ending soap!) had happened in China, all involved would have been hanged in public!

And, cancel the Games.

If today from “Incredible India” we have become “Unlivable India”, you two are equally responsible, Mr. PM and Mrs. G.

To sum up my anguish and anger, I use Arnab Goswami’s analogy from today’s News Hour: It is like watching an accident in slow motion. … :(

I support Mani Shankar Aiyar on Commonwealth Games

Mani Shankar Aiyar has my solid support on Commonwealth Games.

He is the only parliamentarian – politician – with enough courage to speak bluntly. Rest are simply too busy stashing away common man’s wealth in their Swiss accounts. Then there are many who are too blinded to see India feel “honoured” by staging this no-value Games.

What purpose will this no-purpose Games serve for India? Or even for its sporting community? Or sports in general? Rs. 35,000 crore if spent properly – i.e. honestly - would have helped both players and various sports immensely and then perhaps we could have hoped to graduate from rare solitary medal to a couple of ones in future Olympics.

Then what is this talk of India’s “honour” in successfully hosting of this unnecessary sporting extravaganza? It is akin to “preserving” one’s so-called honour through “honour-killing”! The analogy is not inappropriate. The sports administrators and politicians involved have indeed made a “killing” for themselves in the name of the Games.

And, if we were so concerned about increasing India’s ratings on the Global Honour Index - !!! - then we should have ensured every penny from Rs. 35,000 was spent honestly in developing required infrastructure so critical for success of the Commonwealth Games. Why nobody is pointing towards colossal levels of corruption indulged into by all involved in the Games? Can’t everybody see those gaping holes and already blown away roofs of the newly built stadia? Is there any doubt lingering in the tortoise-paced preparedness of India? Only a blind person can be fooled by all those rhetoric of Suresh Kalmadis and Shiela Dikshits. … I wonder why the Government of India is feigning sleep. For sure, Commonwealth Games conduction is its prime responsibility as well.

If little bit of rains could expose the real picture of India’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games, then I wish Delhi gets “real” rains this monsoon. At least, the world will know beforehand what they are getting into by agreeing to participate in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. I also pray Delhi’s monsoons get prolonged till October so that all illusions about the so-called Grand stature – honour – of our nationare washed away and India comes out in its “true” colours in front of everybody – Indians and international community as well.

I am also thankful to these more-than-usual level of rains in Delhi which forced the Indian media to wake up eventually and “break” the “facts” before gullible Indians, so conveniently called the “aam-aadmi”.

To all those who think I am a “detractor” like Mani Shankar Aiyar: For God’s sake, the massive amount of money taken out of our country’s coffers in name of the Commonwealth Games is “our” money – we taxpayers’ money – your and my money; we work hard to earn and pay huge taxes every year. The Games could be called “Commonwealth” but the money (being) spent - ??? – is not “Commonwealth”. And as an honest & honourable citizen of India, I feel enormously pained and extremely angry at the wastage of my tax money.And that is the reason why I fully support Mani Shankar Aiyar on the Commonwealth Games issue.