India is hosting the Common Wealth Games 2010 for the first times in its history. Only once before have we hosted event of such a large scale, in 1982 when we were hosts to the Asian Games. Common Wealth Games are the third largest in terms of the number of countries that participate in it and the scale of the games is huge. Hosting such a game should be a matter of pride for India but in the end, as it happens with most events in India, controversies and scandals take over the desire to stand united.
These games showed how easy it to create controversies in India and how every section have utilized the games to further their own interests, but in all this one one really thought about the pride of India. Everyone was ready to malign each other, pass the buck but no one was ready to stand up and take responsibility for the delays in the preparations nor even ready to accept that they were at fault. IOC blamed the Delhi Govt, the Delhi Govt blamed the DDA, the DDA passed the buck onto someone else and someone else onto someone else. In all this, what the games really meant to India as a whole was never spoken about. The media was happy to dig up for skeletons, but it ever once acted in a responsible manner and educated the people of really what was happening or what can actually be done. Everyone was just looking for "sound bytes"; whatever happened to responsible journalism?
We always try to look for the shortcomings, because it is easier to spot it. Today, as I watched the opening ceremony of CWG 2010, I did not think we were any where less in the visual spectacle that we put up. It was actually breathtakingly marvelous. It put on display what we truly are. Something what makes India.... India, our unity in our diversity. But none of it was visible in the run up to the games. No one really bothered to stand behind the government, no one asked the right questions when it was time to ask it. We all waited to blame each other till the last minute and then rushed into the frenzy of putting up the best that we can. Why did the media not wake up to the delay in the preparations of the game till the last minute? Did they really start talking about the games only when they had no other story to cover? and when they had a new story to cover, they just dumped the issue of CWG? Why did the politicians not commit on the work from the start? If they said, the games were suppose to India's moment in the Sun, why did they never act on it, till the last minute? There are many WHYs that need to be answered. But then, do we really get answers to these WHYS?
I am not a pessimist. I have faith in India more than anyone has. I believe as a nation, as a country we have the capacity to excel and be the best in the world. That was the dream of the freedom fighters who fought tirelessly and selflessly for our freedom. Common Wealth Games or any other games are a way to prove that India can be better than any other country in the world. We can beat anyone, it is just the will that is needed.
It is funny how we can easily talk about what is wrong with our own country and praise China for hosting a spectacular Olympics. But, why do we ever think that we can't match China or London to host an Olympics? If Brazil can bag both the Fifa World Cup and the Olympics, why can't India do the same? If the beautiful opening ceremony is anything to go by then we as Indians can achieve great heights. We just need to stand united as a nation and have the will to make our country the greatest. Every nation has the potential to be the greatest and it is just the will... the desire of its people that can make it reach the heights of greatness. I hope and I believe that India will be one of the greatest countries of the world.
Go Team India! Let us all together make CWG 2010 the best ever! Jai Hind!
