Little children, some as young as three, work on Delhi's Commonwealth Games facilities for a few cents a day. The cost of the Games in this third-world country is, however, being claimed to be an unprecedented several billions of dollars.
Roundtable
Delhi Commonwealth Games:
The Roundtable Open Forum # 45, September 23 - 30
EDITOR
The following is this week's (September 23 - 30) topic for discussion.
DELHI'S COMMONWEALTH GAMES
In an Editorial this morning on the Commonwealth Games fiasco in India's capital, Calcutta's The Statesman bemoans the state of affairs under its caption: "Monumental Shame That Eludes The Shameless".
It captures the distress felt by the desis as their attempts at projecting a façade of modernity to an unsuspecting world now lies in tatters.
'Filthy', 'unlivable, 'chaos', 'disaster', 'disgrace', 'incompetence', 'corruption' ... these are the words being used synonymously with 'India' in the world's headlines today.
The actual words that properly apply to the situation - sharam and be-sharam - however, defy translation.
"Be-sharam" - a term oft applied to India's politicians - means much more than just "Without Shame".
It is the ability of a person to stare you right in the face while telling you a blatant lie, knowing full well that you know that he is telling a lie!
That's is what "be-sharam" encapsules and it is the only word that fully conveys the corruption- and greed-infested scene that has finally forced India to hang its head in shame.
The Games will proceed - the be-sharams are simply claiming that nothing is wrong and that this is how things normally work in India. No matter how it proceeds or concludes, monumental self-inflicted damage has been done; the curtain has been pulled back for the world to see the real India.
What are your thoughts on this entire situation?
September 23, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Karamjeet Singh (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), September 23, 2010, 2:49 PM.
I lay most of the blame on those who awarded the Games to India. If they had done their due diligence, they would've known that India is not reliable, by any stretch of the imagination, for providing quality, meeting deadlines, security, support, back-up, etc., etc. What is exciting about India is the chaos of its bazaars, the diversity of its cultures - but none of these translate into organizational or institutional skills.
2: Ranjit Pal Singh (London, United Kingdom), September 23, 2010, 2:55 PM.
Who in his right mind would think that India is a good place for westerners to invest? If your judgment is not affected by the drool triggered by seeing a few crooks raping and plundering the poor country and making a quick buck, you'll see that, sooner or later, things catch with you and all will be lost. As somebody else has already said so succinctly - don't be stupid! Stay away from the God-forsaken land!
3: Carl Stevener (Kent, United Kingdom), September 23, 2010, 3:09 PM.
Any idiot can make money! The tough part is in developing skills in living well. Other than the Punjabis, I've yet to meet too many Indians who know how to live! I am not surprised at the mess in New Delhi. What I don't understand is why is ANYBODY surprised! I can't believe that the world thought that just because India has a few obscenely rich rogues that it is ready to be accepted as a civilized nation. Sadly, it remains the most corrupt nation on earth. And it is worse today than it ever was in the past.
4: Priya Anand (New Delhi, India), September 23, 2010, 3:34 PM.
Our government is unable to provide schools and education for these children. Yet, it has thousands of crores of Rupees (I don't even know how much that really is) to spend on sports facilities? No good can come out of this, I assure you.
5: Baljit Singh Pelia (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.), September 23, 2010, 8:18 PM.
Actually I would be more surprised if anything at all is done RIGHT in India. On my recent visit to Delhi I was asked by the customs officer to put some cash for him in the passport. On the way back to the USA, my wife was told she could not carry over five thousand rupees so the customs people helped her by keeping the extra rupees and all this goes on at the most secure place, that is the Indira Gandhi New Delhi airport! It is in keeping with her reputation, I guess.
6: N. Singh (Canada), September 23, 2010, 8:24 PM.
Heart-breaking images! And they tried to reduce my people to this level too ...
7: Gurteg Singh (New York, U.S.A.), September 23, 2010, 10:11 PM.
It is a shame that the Sikh leadership during India's independence movement was so naive to have hinged the plight of the great Sikh nation under this gang of corrupt Hindu criminals!
8: Taran (London, United Kingdom), September 24, 2010, 12:19 PM.
I love India where I was born and lived for the first 19 years of my life. In India, we are taught in schools: 'saare jahaan se achchha hindustaan hamaara'. But I guess in every nation state, you are fed that kind of crap to make you faithful to your land. I am strongly against all these notions where nations are glorified and all the dirt is swept under the carpet. It does not clean things or make things better. My childhood patriotism has all faded with the views of that country from different angles. I honestly admit that India has failings. I often see that the majority of Indians proclaim that they are patriotic and would go after another person if they hear something bad about India. But in fact they are running away from the truth. Truth is always bitter. I do not think that just because India is doing good with its call centres, shopping malls, and growth rates, that it's at all going well. ALL IS NOT WELL. India needs to wake up!
9: Tejbir Kaur (California, U.S.A.), September 24, 2010, 2:34 PM.
A pox on those who, directly or indirectly, make these children work and deprive them of their childhood and all the basics that every citizen of a rich economy deserves.
10: Pritam Singh Grewal (Canada), September 24, 2010, 2:53 PM.
In this context, I am reminded of Guru Nanak Sahib's unforgettable words from Var Assa: "Saram dharam ka dera door/ Nanak koorh raheya bharpoor" - [GGS:471] - Sharam and dharam have no place in all-pervading falsehood. And how relevant is his warning! "O Lalo, both sharam and dharam have vanished. Falsehood is ruling the roost." - "Saram dharam doaye chhup khaloay/ koorh phiray pardhan vay Lalo." [GGS:722]
11: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), September 26, 2010, 7:36 AM.
A fairy-tale about the Commonwealth games, by Anurupa Roy: Once upon a time in a kingdom called Dil-ee/ The queen had an idea very, very sil-ee/ She told all her courtiers, this will be fun-ee/ And we will make pots and pots of mone-ee/ They made merry and drank to her health/ As plans unfolded for the games Commonwealth/ Crores for the stadium, and the beauty of the court/ Crores for the road curbs and more for the air port/ Where really did all the crores go?/ Not for you and me to ask or know/ Please don't be idiotic/ And so so very un-partiotic/ But as the day drew closer it rained and rained/ And the water, it refused to be drained/ The river gushed was on the roll/ But the queen said "its under control"/ But the river swelled and flooded the city/ The queen just said "What a pity .../ Change all the posters and hoardings on the street/ We will call it the Commonwealth-water Meet"/ They hailed: "What an idea, what a name/ Now shall we open the game"/ On D-day all was in great shape/ Stuck together with duct tape/ As they started someone yelled out/ "Where is Shera the mascot - give him a shout!"/ The queen asked - "Yes ,yes, where is he?"/ "Umm-ahh - Madam, he is down with den-geeee!"
12: Dildeep Singh Dhillon (Canada), September 27, 2010, 11:31 PM.
"The Games" - a poem by Dr. Badri Raina, Professor of English at Delhi University. -- However you may cavil,/ We got the game, the game;/ However it may unravel,/ We have no shame, no shame.// Only a hundred workers lost their lives,/ Only a footbridge fell;/ Only the beggars were put to the knives,/ Our hands remain in the till.// The white man does not appreciate/ How well we negotiate/ Reality and bluster,/ Third world and first world state.// Our metaphysics teaches us/ To look with benign eye/ On scoundrels and scalawags/ Who leave us high and dry.// O India we assure you/ Your image shall not be dented;/ However the shit may hit the fan,/ Our glories shall be scented.// Be not the anti-national wag,/ Sing praise to national pride;/ Whatever be the price to pay,/ We shall bring in the bride.// And when we do the beggars will/ Be back where we know them;/ And they will so rejoice with us/ When we show them// All the infrastructure we built/ While they were in quarantine;/ They will dance to national pride,/ They will say it is fine// If they never have a belly full,/ Or a shanty in their fate,/ So long as the Queen acknowledges/ How the games made India great.