INDImag – Contemporary fiction | Motivational short stories | Social stories | Short story criticism

‘Commonwealth Games-2010′ are due to be held in the Indian capital, Delhi, from 3-14 October next year. Given that any talk about India is incomplete without China creeping into the conversation, Commonwealth-2010 provides a unique opportunity for India to match/better(one can dream!) India’s arch nemesis’s  impressive and precision managed show at the Olympics.

Fret not my dear, India has grabbed the holy-cow by the horns !

Almost everything about the games is running behind schedule or has not started. Environmentalists are suing the government and cases pending in courts ; committees that oversee the progress do not meet leave alone show progress ; barren land with jutting steel greet the sites of the stadias. But none of this gives our Government a “Delhi belly”. Our government digests far too much bovine crap in a day to be affected by these delays.

Now, we have a minister, P. Chidambaram (Cheddi for short ?)  talking tough. No, he is not cross at the ones who have made the preparations a non-starter — they are after all Cheddi’s chelas — chums of this bum. Cheddi is having a go at the hapless citizens ; about prudent behaviour !

While the preparations are in tatters, our honorable minister goes around scolding Delhi citizens to ensure they are at their best behavior. I have no qualms accepting ‘we the mango people’ (aam aadmi of Love Aaj Kal fame) ought to improve. I squirm at every honk and spit that flies across a typical Indian metro like if it were a scene from Matrix reloaded ;  I muse at how the traffic jams encourage jay walking and bad driving , which in-turn ensure traffic jams — reincarnation 101 !  I watch helplessly as pavements become open bazaars forcing pedestrians to spill over to the streets and traffic adjusts to this overcrowded roads by moving onto the pavements — Darwinism at work huh ?

The list goes on. No denying we Indians can/should improve.

But in this context , is this a case of a black Cheddi calling the mango people black ?

At the current rate, if the games are held, it will be riddled with problems. We have bigger issues than lost face due to a jay walker or a missing registration on a vehicle ? How about a little worry for the missing stadia and non existent athletes’ accommodation ?

Mr. Cheddi in a Lungi, how about the Government behave first — show some leadership, progress et al, before asking it’s citizens to step up ? You see, sir, it is easy to forget the jay walker while there is a more compelling visual to worry about. The visual of Government’s lungi flying off in the wind leaving a screaming Cheddi  ? A black Cheddi..

Tiny Kettle (Mango People)	Large Pot (Government)
Ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth games, home minister P Chidambaram today asked the citizens of Delhi to change their “behaviour” to present the nation’s capital as an international city. “This is the time when Delhiites should bring out changes in their behavioural pattern. They must behave as [residents of] an international city,” he said. Observing that people in the city often do not obey traffic rules, Chidu said the national capital needs to change its mindset. “People in this city move in their vehicles, without having registration plates, cross roads where they should not. They don’t use overground or underground bridges. We want to encourage people to change their mindset,” he said.	India needs to take immediate steps to ensure that it is in a position to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a top sports official has said. The Indian Olympics Association secretary general, Randhir Singh, said some of the concerns raised over the progress of preparations were valid. His comments follow a warning from the Commonwealth Games chief that Indian plans were severely behind schedule.There are also concerns over security arrangements and housing for guests. In a letter to the local organising committee, Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell is reported to have warned that India’s preparations were behind schedule.He said it was “reasonable to conclude that the current situation poses a serious risk to the Commonwealth Games in 2010″.
More : DNA	More : BBC

Parting Take : Mr. Minister, have your heard of  ” Take my advise, I do not use it anyways ? ”

Photos : Reuters & BBC

Thank You For Reading This Post. Please Stop By Again.