It’s show time

After the initial glitches and gaffes, India has finally managed to set its house in order for the Commonwealth Games, which start tomorrow,
writes M. S. Unnikrishnan

AFTER many a slip between the cup and the lip, the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games are finally rolling into a successful fruition.

Though the 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games were allotted to India by the Commonwealth Games Federation as far back as in 2003, the project got on track only two years ago when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pushed the Central Government’s full backing to the Organising Committee (OC), headed by Suresh Kalmadi.

Yet, the OC had to face many roadblocks before serious work on various stadia and other infrastructure began. In the very beginning, Kalmadi had to ward off trenchant criticism from his party colleague and Sports Minister Manishanker Aiyar, according to whom the Games were a sheer waste of the precious resources of the country. And which could have been better utilised for creating sports infrastructure in villages across the country.

Kalmadi heaved a sigh of relief only when Aiyar lost the last parliamentary election and was no longer part of the Union Cabinet.

After Aiyar, the advent of Dr M. S. Gill, a former Election Commissioner and an IAS officer, at the helm of the Sports Ministry initially augured well with Kalmadi, as now the Organising Committee chairman, Dr Gill and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit began working as a team to get the work on road.

But the honeymoon did not last long as a turf war between Kalmadi and Dr Gill soon began, which resulted in the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) often clashing with the Organising Committee on various issues.

A section of media, which was skilfully used by the anti-Kalmadi faction in the Organising Committee, the Sports Ministry and the SAI, started picking holes in the functioning of the Organising Committee, which was accused of corruption at the highest-level in the awarding of many a contract for the Games infrastructure, Queen’s Baton relay launch and the overlay equipment.

The construction of the Games Village on the east bank of the Yamuna river, on a 64-acre vast green expanse, faced undue delay as the green brigade used every trick in their armoury to stop the project, which, they alleged, was in complete violation of the environment laws and concerns.

And when the construction of the Games Village finally began around two years ago, the project faced many other hurdles, and at once stage, the project almost got derailed as the builders of the prestigious complex threw up their hands midway, citing lack of funds as the reason

The Delhi Development Authority and the Delhi Government had to step in with a Rs 7,000 crore bailout plan to resume the construction work.

And when finally the project was nearing completion, the media went into an overdrive exposing the "shoddy construction" and filthy apartment blocks, and revealing one scandal after another.

The spiralling cost of the Games’ projects required constant intervention on the part of the Prime Minister and the Union Cabinet to revise the budget, which jumped from an initial estimate of a couple to thousand crores, to upward of Rs 50,000 crore. (According to Aiyar, the Games projects have cost the Government between Rs 70,000 and Rs 1 lakh crore).

Many foreign countries expressed reservations about participating in the Games after hearing horror stories about the corruption and "shoddy work" of the infrastructure and the stadiums.

Incessant rains throughout August till the middle of September further delayed the construction work. And the collapse of a foot over-bridge outside the Nehru Stadium and some other mishaps elsewhere, put a big question mark on the Games.

As it became a race against time to complete everything in time, allegations and accusations flew thick and fast, most of them aimed at the "corrupt" OC headed by Kalmadi, the "inept" Sports Minister and the Delhi Government, which had gone on a construction spree in the name of the Games to create a total mess and make Delhi a dust bowl.

But Kalmadi and his ilk should be hailed for their persistence and stoicism as they held out even in the face of severe criticism from all around, even when Dr Manmohan Singh bypassed the Organising Committee to form a high-level committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Chandrasekhar to ensure the speedy completion of the works to make it ready for the Games.

The controversy over the mode and method of the opening and closing ceremonies, Kalmadi’s running battle with Commonwealth Games Federation (CEF) Chief Executive Officer Mike Hooper, who has remained parked in Delhi for the past couple of years, the many shortcomings in the organisation of test events, which were intended to assess the readiness of the Games competition venues, other infrastructure and facilities, the intimidating security arrangements only contributed to the mess that had become the preparations for the Commowealth Games.

But Kalmadi, Gill and their close allies never lost hope, and prophets of doom, who had termed the Games as a big joke and a disaster, had to eat the humble pie. Because the joke was now on them, as Delhi finally managed to put in place a world-class infrastructure and a Games Village, that have become the pride of Delhi and the envy of visiting athletes and officials.

Delhi is on the threshold of mounting a successful Commonwealth Games, though work went on till the final hour. But then, all is well that ends well, and the people, who worked hard in the face of mounting criticism to make the Games a reality and a success, can bask in the spotlight of India’s hour of glory.

Hail India’s never-say-die spirit.

Jai ho!