Visitors of Delhi CWG no more believe in “Shining India”
The Delhi Commonwealth Games ended with a triumphal note; however the analysts’ views had been quite contrary to the general perception. According to the independent analysts the event fell considerably short to showcase the aspirations and strengths which
an emerging regional and global economic power should have depicted. Though India put all its force in carving an image of economically progressive country, but the visitors and world as a whole took it as a chaotic and bureaucratic nation.
The efforts made at the eleventh hour to ensure the organization of the event quite on time had been commendable but they only came when the country had already earned months of negative publicity and humiliation amid news of corruption and nepotism around
the globe.
Sheila Dikshit, the Delhi chief minister, while talking to the media told that she felt satisfied and relieved that the event had finished well as they had started it off since the past two months on a panic note. However, an independent analyst said that
feeling relief after organizing the event in the looming disasters had highlighted weaknesses on India’s part.
Robinder Sachdev, the head of a New Delhi based think tank named Imagindia Institute said that the event was a classic example of management by crises. He said that the authorities behaved in accordance with the typical stereotype of India and the Games
were clearly looking like to dismantle at any stage. Sachdev further said that the idea of finishing up with the designated jobs at the right time should be discussed in focus rather than to dwell upon perpetuating corporate boardrooms overseas.
The stress of Mr. Sachdev was on the point that if India really wanted to grow, it would have to ensure the world that the country had the ability to conduct large scale projects with impeccable planning and execution on time within limited budgets.
The total cost of organizing Delhi Commonwealth Games had been around 6 billion dollars, which has been highest ever in the history of the event. Sachdev said that the way India had lost the confidence of the investors, it would cost it many more billions
dollars.
The analysts particularly criticized the poor infrastructure and the haphazard implementation of all the concerning measures and arrangements. This had underlined the incapability of the country in executing the big projects at higher standards.
A footbridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium collapsed a few days before the inauguration of the event, an important train link with the airport remained closed even until the end of the event and work upon a number of flyovers and metro stations had been
finished in a shabby and frantic manner. The corruption news throughout the event made space upon leading newspapers. However, nobody on government’s part felt the need to deny the news about hiring treadmills for 20,000 dollars each and for buying each toilet
paper roll for 80 dollars, pushing the cost of the project to multi-billion dollars.
Founder of a Bangalore based public affair centre, Samuel Paul said that the event had exposed the true face of India in matters of accountability, transparency, governance and management. People that do not feel disturbed with the depiction of such chaotic
situation are stunned upon the systematic problems that are prevalent at highest political and bureaucratic levels. The good thing is that general people of India look much concerned about such a high cost of the event. Giving voice to the thoughts of the
people Rajesh Kalra, a famous columnist wrote in his column that as the games had ended, there must be an honest audit of everything. He said that all the venues should be sealed and an estimate of what India had achieved on such high cost should be made.
The columnist further demanded that a list of all the acts of mismanagement, nepotism, misappropriation of funds, and favouritism should be made as the common people of India had to right to know the real truth. Though in its final remarks the media around
the world has acknowledged the efforts of Delhi administration, but the local journalists who had a greater exposure of the facts are rather bitter in their analysis of the situation.
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