Kalmadi – The Unsung Hero

Oops!! Is the title right? May be, We’ll find out soon. India so far has conducted a Cricket world cup and a few other sporting events of some scale now and then, nothing great or bigger apart from that. We aren’t surprised on India’s ability to conduct a cricket world cup, but could you have ever imagined or can you still imagine that India could host a mega event as huge as the ‘CWG’? Do we have the expertise, the experience, the support of all the stakeholders? (Now you would say yes, but what would have been your answer before the games started?) No matter what your answer to this question is, we required courage, leadership and faith to be able to even dream of something of this scale and size. And since we showed all of that in some sense or the other, in some people or the other, we pulled it off, don’t you think so?

Every cat, dog and mouse (tom, dick and harry is old) have been abusing and accusing the chair of the OC, the guy who got the CWG to India (agreed, it’s not his individual effort but his role was quite substantial as I understand), who fought the bureaucracy, the system and most importantly the mindset, by making us believe that we can do a mega event like CWG and that will take the sporting arena in the country to a new level by providing our sportspersons excellent infrastructure and world class atmosphere within their home to be able to compete with top sportspersons from across the world at par. If it wasn’t for his courage to take the responsibility and the risk of doing the unthinkable in India that too as a public project (unlike cricket world cup, which is a private entity in more senses than one) to me is commendable!

Talking about the accusations of corruption and delay, give me one concrete proof or example of the same, all the accusations that our beloved media has so far made are nothing but assumptions and hidden camera operations to try and unearth something to make a story! Do we have a single charge of corruption against him that is direct and accurate? Don’t give me stuff like ‘contracts were given to relatives’, ‘the people working in the team are all his aides’ and so on, how does it matter as far as the work is done? Give me one politician in the country who has people in his team that he hasn’t known for decades, why talk so broadly, take the example of how our country is being run, since independence our country has more or less been run by a single family generation after generation, isn’t that true? Then why point this as an issue against this chap? (Now don’t tell me that, the people of India wanted this family to. Crap!) I agree mostly on the accusations on him in terms of the delay as that led to a lot of last minute issues and fears, but is it totally fair to accuse him for this so seriously? Are we not the country where the court of law takes decades together to give a verdict on simple disputes? Are we not the country where Pizza gets delivered before an ambulance? Are we not the country where police always reaches after the criminals have done all they wanted to? Then why suddenly are we trying to act as if we were the second’s hand of a clock? Lets face it, we have never been able to complete projects on time, that’s not an excuse for Kalmadi but does that not remind you of the fact that the whole CWG organizing required  coordination between various bureaucratic ego’s and stakeholders, Do I need say more?

I hate the fact that people keep blaming ‘him’ for India having spent 17000 crores (or whatever the exact figure is) without even spending a single minute thinking about where and how that money was spent. Most of the money was spent on the city of Delhi and not on the sporting related things, and that’s not just for the games, the money spent on infrastructure of Delhi was much required keeping in mind the growing population of the city and the kinds of problems people face in commuting in Delhi. Is CWG responsible for the money spent on such endeavors? It’s the scapegoat cos because of it the projects were taken up much earlier than they ever would have been! Delhi otherwise wouldn’t have had a metro may be for another decade or so. If the money spent on the infrastructure of the games village and other stadiums is a waste of money then we should stop expecting our sports persons to perform and win! If Kalmadi has been a cause of overrun of cost then who does each household hold responsible for the increase in their monthly expenses than budgeted early in the year? Is there no inflation or change in costs/plans when we talk about the CWG related contracts and materials. Can something that was decided years or months ago remain as it was put down on paper? I heard sometime back from someone that a flyover or a road leading to the new airport in Bengaluru was proposed to be made for 67 crores rupees by a panel that included Mr. Narayana Murthy, later that committee was dissolved due to some political intervention and the state PWD went ahead to do it and completed the project for close to 300 crores. So if that is possible with just a road, is it not possible with a games village? Use some mind if not heart!

Everyone is talking about corruption and hanging of Kalmadi, as if he has pocketed the entire 17000 crores, come on, lets stop being silly, may be there are discrepancies here and there, may be he is corrupt, may be he gave all the contracts to his aides, name me one party or politician in the country that hasn’t done any of the above at least a dozen times. I am not trying to support Kalmadi, nor am I trying to say that it’s good that Indian politicians are corrupt or we should leave Kalmadi even if he is guilty cos everyone does this. I am just trying to bring some rationale to the madness that the media has inserted into our head; our accusations seem to be statements made in a hurry. What if the audit committee finds him to be honest and find no wrong doing? I know this is too much optimism but have we not already shown too much distrust on him already! Just take a moment and find answers for these people before you defame or ill treat Kalmadi any more. The names that I am listing down are just a small sample of people who have various criminal cases or so against them, but they still continue to enjoy complete freedom and power in various sectors even though their wrong doing might have been established or proved in ways and times more than one – Lalu Prasad Yadav, Shibhu Soren, A Raja, Madhu Koda, Mayawati and many more!! Now compare these people with Kalmadi if he is really guilty and see the difference in what he has created and what these power houses have! I rest his case here. Hang him if he is guilty, beat him to death by the law, but don’t beat him to death just by defaming him before finding out the facts. And for once, just for once, acknowledge the fact that he has played a gigantic role in the hosting and success of the CWG, no matter he might be corrupt or what so ever that might be proved, but until then respect the courage and the commitment! Stop treating him like Kasab at least, phew! May Kalmadi get what he deserves, post the probe that is!

Today’s Favorite Line – There are a lot of lies going around and half of them are true (Winston Churchill)

Today’s Favorite Song – The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)

P.S – I don’t mind if I sound like a desperate attention seeker by taking a view completely opposite to the rest of the world as if I was trying to support the deeds of Kalmadi, just trying to see things from the other side as well. Let’s not forget, we live in India and this was a public project, not a private one!