Commonwealth Games-New Delhi 2010

Haresh · Post by **Haresh** » 25 Sep 2010 15:57

From the London Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/colu ... se-it.html

I don't live in India, the only Indian news channel we get in London is NDTV, I watch it because it's free!!!

However I was watching a discussion with Mani Shankar Ayer on the panel.
To be honest he spoke alot of sense.
His argument was the money could have been better spent on training sportsmen in India and on sanitation and other infrastructure. India/Delhi needed it and the CWG should not have been the reason for building it.

Sometime ago I mentioned the rather unpleasant subject of toilet sanitation in India on the Indo-UK thread.
I was accused of being Macualyite and basically the thread was moved to another thread.
I was even told to "Just leave it"

The fact is this entire CWG fiasco has shown the ugly arrogant contempt that India's elite & middle class have for the poor.
NDTV is a good example, it is geared for India's elite, amongst their bizarre programming is "Gadget Guru" and "Friday Night Lights". Of what F'ing significance is this for the average Indian??
They don't cover important development issues as a programming theme, instead of these two rubbish programmes, why don't they have one such as "Building India" or something like that??

Alot od people on BR harp on about India rising etc, that's fine ... to a degree. Unfortunatly and I am sorry to say this people have beleived their own BULL$HIT, and have been blinded by the real issues.

I am regularly reminded by the goras at work about the CWG fiasco, fortunatly I have my aggresive prepared replies.
Those responsible should be hung out to dry after the games.
What an embarresment.

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 25 Sep 2010 16:21

As a workaround for the collapsed bridge Army has been called in to build bailey bridge. Its expected to be built in 5 days time.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 25 Sep 2010 16:24

Ajatshatru wrote:
But we must become a China in 10 years.
We would, in fact, overtake China in a few years.

In GDP terms.

The 'overtaking' projections make some (big) assumptions regarding the timing and magnitude of investments. If major projects all take twice the time, we are going to be sputtering and straining in the passing lane behind the dragon.

There is a window of opportunity to become the next real destination for investment as China becomes too forbiddingly competitive.

But we are not the only ones: Brazil, Turkey and perhaps even SAfrica are competitors. Goof up on governance and send ambiguous signals about political direction and the projections stay on the bookshelf.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 25 Sep 2010 16:42

If you are reminded by goras about CWG, ask them about the heathrow T5 opening and how that went

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 25 Sep 2010 16:43

@Haresh ^^
:However I was watching a discussion with Mani Shankar Ayer on the panel.
To be honest he spoke alot of sense."

MSA IIRC, was 'sports minister' at one time and he was openly unhappy because he wanted MEA so he could pal up with his paki buddy from his Oxbridge days. He was then quoted as saying 'sports' was a waste of time. Also, when he was (is he still?) minister for the North East, he made an outrageous statement about whether it was worth keeping or some such thing. I can't sure exactly of what he said but it was outrageous.

The guy is a true paki in the sense that if you mention something is good in India, he'll immediately point to some wart. He's the personification of Shiv's: Indian says to paki--"Your shirt is unbuttoned (in a helpful way). Paki responds: "You fly is open (as in reflexive retort) even if the fly is not open."

The sneering/sniveling brits at you workplace are hard wired to find dirt to demean. It is their defining national characteristic.

During the Napoleonic wars, the brits hung a monkey thinking he was a Frenchman.

http://www.buchanobserver.co.uk/buchann ... 4869170.jp

Fire back or better yet fire forward

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 25 Sep 2010 16:54

per the canadian hockey team photos, it looks every bit as a good as a premium sobha or prestige flat complex in blr. reminded me of prestige St.Johns wood in bangalore.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 25 Sep 2010 19:25

^^^To keep an area clean doesn't take much, but permanent construction behind the facade, which will last through the games, is the real question. A lot of construction has been hap hazard and won't last more than a few years after cycles of hot summer, monsoon, and cold winters in Delhi. Look at the photos and in the background you see Swami Narayan Temple - a large project that was handled well, sure it had its faults, but for the most part was built and organized well. The same can't be said of the large venues of the CWG games or of the some of the roads around NCR.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 25 Sep 2010 19:36

If gora media whine more about "facilities"

1) Send them back their own reports about 700 mill and their crappy 2$ days. they dont have 1/10000000000 of what these goras have to sleep in
2) Point out African teams have not complained anything, neither did Asian teams
3) We perceive this campaign as a burning cross found on our lawn. If they can stereotype with impunity, so can we

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 25 Sep 2010 19:36

Mort Walker wrote:^^^To keep an area clean doesn't take much, but permanent construction behind the facade, which will last through the games, is the real question. A lot of construction has been hap hazard and won't last more than a few years after cycles of hot summer, monsoon, and cold winters in Delhi. Look at the photos and in the background you see Swami Narayan Temple - a large project that was handled well, sure it had its faults, but for the most part was built and organized well. The same can't be said of the large venues of the CWG games or of the some of the roads around NCR.

You are too optimistic. I have seen some of the works (pavements etc) won't last much after the game may be a month but no more. That too in premium areas.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 25 Sep 2010 19:37

Mort Walker wrote: The same can't be said of the large venues of the CWG games or of the some of the roads around NCR.

Is there an expert inspection report that is available for our review?

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 25 Sep 2010 19:57

All said and done, the games will go on, and probably be successful. Now, the focus should be on the athletes, not on unclean toilets.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 25 Sep 2010 20:07

I'm disgusted to hear all the mental acrobats here spewing out more defense of the corrupt kleptocracy they support. Spraying perfume on manure doesn't change what it is.

When I see people on this forum scoffing at the sh*t-filled sinks and bathrooms, dismissing these as a "2-minute clean-up job" I really wonder how such people maintain their own homes. Their cavalier attitude towards corruption is filthier than their hygiene standards. Chalte hai, chalega, chalega. Who the hell can stand before the world and seriously talk like this? What are they smoking?

Sports events are a minor issue in the larger scheme of things. The issue is how the corrupt rulers always duck responsibility for their crookedness. This scandal has again brought it to the fore.

The One Party State is more defiant than ever against criticism, entrenching itself with EVMs while maintaining a false air of "democracy" which it has no intention of allowing to happen. This is not a govt that fears being ousted at the ballot box, since the ballot box is now tightly under their control.

India will achieve a Chinese level of autocracy before it achieves a Chinese level of GDP.
And this is because the more the middle class grows, the more it will pose a threat to the ruling elites and the continuance of their power. Dealing with popular will is proving to be increasingly inconvenient for the elites, and so they are ever devising new ways to circumvent the popular will that they loathe to be answerable to.

munna · Post by **munna** » 25 Sep 2010 20:22

Sanjay M wrote:India will achieve a Chinese level of autocracy before it achieves a Chinese level of GDP.

Even they have started to criticize the past deeds of party and here we are being told not to "politicize the issue" wonder why have democracy in the first place then?
India is not == a particular grouping in power and their H&D is not the responsibility of all Indians

Meanwhile in China
Mao is damned by Chinese Movie

TOI wrote:The movie is replete with dialogue denouncing several aspects of Mao Dezong's rule during the Cultural Revolution in the seventies.

Why are we doing this to ourselves? Have our false political gods becomes higher than constitutional principles? Will we ever ask some tough questions be it in strategic, security or economic fields?
Patchwork to please goras will never replace governance reforms and accountability, period.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 25 Sep 2010 20:37

HEADS roll in CWG????

Chief of press manish kumar transferred " for sabotaging the games"

press chief??

sabotage??

no kalmadi and his shady gang???

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 25 Sep 2010 21:58

Nobody begrudges the success of CWG. But what will be begrudged is apparent/fake success. On the way to impress firangis:
1) common Indian citizen is condemned to third class status. Asking people to leave, because they do not have Dilli ID under the guise of security is plain wrong. 2) Security should be enforced within a broad swath of sanitized zones. Does not matter if one has Delhi ID or not, unless one carries ID allowing one to enter the CWG area one should not be allowed. Period. But driving out Indians because they do not have Dilli ID is trampling the constitution.
3) Shaft medical services for the poor.
4) wake up with crocodile tears to squalor and poverty onlee when firangis show up.
5) beat up the small guy (vulnerable section of the society) for the frustration of incompetency, corruption etc elsewhere

CWG is benevolence allowed by the poorer citizenry of India; so the fat cats in dilli can indulge in the splurge. Atleast shouldn't the fat cats have some decency in allowing the dignity of the poorer sections of the society.
Their displacement can cause many of them months to recover the loss in income.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 25 Sep 2010 22:12

Akhil Kumar's bed at Games Village collapses

Call it the plywood scam?

"I checked the bed and part of it has no plywood. It was very disappointing after enduring a long journey. The athletes are at least entitled a decent place to rest. Even the toilets are not very clean. I have told coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu about this," said the boxer who will compete in 56kg at the Commonwealth Games.

Manishw · Post by **Manishw** » 25 Sep 2010 22:43

vera_k wrote:Akhil Kumar's bed at Games Village collapses

Call it the plywood scam?

"I checked the bed and part of it has no plywood. It was very disappointing after enduring a long journey. The athletes are at least entitled a decent place to rest. Even the toilets are not very clean. I have told coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu about this," said the boxer who will compete in 56kg at the Commonwealth Games.

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 26 Sep 2010 04:14

There are reports that food is good and possibly because there are many international companies like Delaware North massa based company. For such companies 100% means 100%.

But as per Indian logic 100% perhaps means 70 or 80%..time to change percentile calculations in India now.

Now Kalmadi says

Asked about the problems that persisted, he said, "When you're organizing an event like this, work never ends. Today, we'll resolve some issues, tomorrow others will come up. Our work will end only after the last athlete goes home."

Also BTW where are people (Not necessarily on BRF) used to say "what's wrong in producing movie like Slumdog Millionaire, when its realistic and depicts real India"

I hope they get the answers now..

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 26 Sep 2010 05:29

Well, better that popular disgust with current events is aired openly, rather than letting corruption go unnoticed.

The CWG scandal has increasingly become the butt of jokes:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 625181.cms

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 26 Sep 2010 06:07

India chides Australian PM for CWG criticism

After the criticism from Australia about the Commonwealth Games became too much for the Indian government, the foreign office on Saturday gently chided Australian prime minister Julia Gillard for her comments.

On Friday, Gillard said more security officials would be travelling to Delhi for the Games, saying there were strong security and health fears during the Games. "The decision on whether to attend the Games is obviously a matter for individuals," she said, adding, "As the government we seek to provide people with the best possible travel advice."
"But I do remind Australians that for a considerable period of time our travel advice for people in relation to India has asked Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in India."
"Our travel advice has made clear that there is a high risk of terrorism in New Delhi and since 2000 there have been at least 14 major terrorist attacks in New Delhi," she said.

Commerce minister Anand Sharma too took up cudgels on India's behalf in Canada, which has also been critical in the run-up to the Games. He described the intense criticism as "unwarranted" and "unfair".
"There is no major project anywhere which is concluded to perfection... Trying to run down the country is not acceptable to us," he told mediapersons in Ottawa. Sharma pointed out that Canada too faced similar criticism in the past when it hosted the Winter Olympics.

But the bulk of the criticism has come from Australia where its top Olympics official said on Thursday that India should not have been awarded the Games. "The whole focus has to be on the well-being of the athletes. If you were not satisfied as to the security, health and hygiene of the team, then I would question going there to compete," the official had said.

White pakis down under should be shown their place-- some of the statements like terrorism since 2000 and 14 terrorist attacks etc were not appropriate.
Aussie cricket team have played here before despite all the above.
Some Indian should make comments like racist attacks on Indians each time some Indian sportsmen go to play there. DDM media should write about it along with sports.

munna · Post by **munna** » 26 Sep 2010 06:24

Amul's take on CWG.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 26 Sep 2010 07:16

jagga wrote:PM slams Dikshit, Gill at emergency Games meet, results start showing
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired an emergency meeting at this residence on Thursday night to tackle the Commonwealth Games and made no secret of his anguish, and anger, over the shoddy preparations that have marred the build-up to the October 3 to 14 extravaganza.
With all the reports of "filth" in the Games Village really hitting the country's image hard, he took Sports Minister M S Gill and even Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to task. According to sources Lt. Governor of New Delhi Tejinder Khanna was "shivering" while responding to him .

<snip>

A security guard at the Barapullah bridge, manning the signal system near Nizamuddin area, summed up the mood. Looking to the sunny sky, he said, "Mausam badal raha hai [the weather is changing]!"
PM is too late to wake up.

PMO denies ministers were pulled up on Games work

The Prime Minister's office (PMO) on Saturday denied reports that Manmohan Singh had pulled up the Group of Ministers (GOM) in charge of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) for the delays and the shoddy work regarding the Games. A statement issued by the PMO said, "Such reports are misleading".The statement said: "The prime minister has seen reports in a section of the media that he 'pulled up' the Group of Ministers in charge of the Commonwealth Games. Such reports are misleading."

It added that the prime minister "appreciates the difficult job the GOM has on its hands". "He has been encouraging the ministers and officers concerned to work together extra time to make the Games a success."

PM never woke up. Media had a field day. may be the party managers thought some pseudoroar will help the nation. But the real singh denied it. Very honest indeed.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 26 Sep 2010 07:19

East Delhi sees another cave-in

Saturday witnessed yet another road cave-in in East Delhi. This one was barely two kilometres away from the spot where a cave-in took place on Friday morning. The cave-in happened at the Mandir Marg crossing on road number 57 connecting Telco point near Anand Vihar Bus Terminus to Welcome Metro
Station.

when will this end.

Meanwhile aunty is working overtime and pulling up some people.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Sep 2010 08:16

I read in TOI today that much of the grandoise infra projects for Sydney 2000 were not completed (like something called Darwin harbour link) and the Olympic park itself which is 25kms from CBD lies derelict and abandoned today.

apparently no city has seen a permanent surge in tourist arrivals or business climate in the aftermath of hosting an olympics.

to head off lootfest gurus, MMS and parliament must draw the line and enact a Ashokan edict on a stone pillar infront of parliament house
that "thou shall think of hosting olympics only after 3 consecutive olympics where India wins >=25 medals each time"

that should cover us safely in our lifetimes atleast

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 26 Sep 2010 08:16

O" mai Kalamadi Baaaaadnam
LO Maaaai chala , Lo Maaaai chala,
Chorr ke CWG ka gaanv!!
Meri safe me tumko, Swiss account number milega
Croro ki rishwat ka saar maal milege
Aurr ik cheejh milge , Sheila Dixit ke Naam !! Mai Chala , Mai chala ...
Mai Kala-madi Badnam !!!
Abhi auur Rupiyya Khona thaa
Roads tho kya , Staidum ne bheee, cave jaldi hona thaa
Janne aise kitne , baaaki chor ke kaam
Lo Mai Chala , mai Chala, Kalamadi harm!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM1WhczY0Us

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 26 Sep 2010 08:43

Singha wrote:and the Olympic park itself which is 25kms from CBD lies derelict and abandoned today.

Wrong. Parts of Sydney Olympic Park today hosts rugby, footy and other sporting events. Also some music concerts and other major events.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 26 Sep 2010 09:14

I don't understand this impulse for race-to-the-bottom rationalizations.

"Alright, so I beat my wife last night. But my neighbor beats his at least twice a week"

Indians are very good at rationalizing their vices. Anything to avoid feeling guilty, or feeling bad, or feeling a need to improve ourselves.

Those who are feeling annoyed at this mess are the right kind of Indians. Those who are seeking to placate their conscience by claiming that others have hosted international events with dirty toilets too, are the wrong kind of Indians.

Notice how ferociously the Kaangress hits out when their precious party's future is at stake. Do you think they'd react this strongly if it was merely the country being harmed, without any direct impact to the precious party? Not on your life.

They keep claiming that the image of the country must be defended. They don't give a damn about the image of the country. What they're afraid of is any threat to their party and to its hold on power. Now that they'll fight tooth and nail to protect.

There's a joke that says the Indus Valley was formed by a marwari who accidentally dropped a gold coin down a rat hole.
Likewise, one could similarly say that the only way to motivate the rulers in New Delhi to defeat Pakistan and China would be to project both of these countries as threats to the Kaangress, rather than as threats to India.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 26 Sep 2010 09:22

Canada Hockey posts some great pics of the CWG games village.
Clicky

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 26 Sep 2010 11:36

Couple of contradictory reports with the same dateline.

'Cleaned-up' CWG village still filthy and 'unlivable'

'Filthy' CWG Village transforms to five-star complex

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 26 Sep 2010 12:14

It depends on who got their bribe, and who's still impartial.

Remember, Kaangress is fighting for its life, here.

Your taxpayer money at work.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 26 Sep 2010 12:22

PM, Sonia convinced countries over CWG participation

Seems like participation is assured, no matter what the living or playing conditions are.

Vivek Raghuvanshi · Post by **Vivek Raghuvanshi** » 26 Sep 2010 12:30

Collapsing bed last straw for Indian boxer

http://www.smh.com.au/commonwealth-game ... 15s3h.html

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 26 Sep 2010 12:32

vera_k wrote:PM, Sonia convinced countries over CWG participation

Seems like participation is assured, no matter what the living or playing conditions are.

One of these has now disappeared to the US so that no muck sticks to their teflon image.

Duangkomon · Post by **Duangkomon** » 26 Sep 2010 12:58

People complain about GOI's indecisiveness not realizing that this very trait has probably saved India from its politicos and babus more often than we care to admit, albeit it's an unintended consequence of the delicate balance they have reached between being risk averse and retarded at the same time.

When this equilibrium is disturbed you get real doozies like actually bidding for CWG, formerly known as British Empire Games meant to increase goodwill among its colonies, as India's coming out party and then proceeding to spend 70,000 cr to showcase to the world how unhygienic, filthy and outright dangerous we are.

At least blunders like this give us a reality check on where we are at and how far we have to go in becoming the next sooperdooperpower.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Sep 2010 15:16

per latest tv reports, 409 of the 1200 rooms in village are ready for occupation.

gogna · Post by **gogna** » 26 Sep 2010 16:22

we should have never bid for the CWG, instead we should have spent this money on improving our large city's, as i said before we need more public toilets, we need garbage bins around the city;s and need to educate the masses on keeping the city cleans, hopefully this global shame would wake the babus from deep sleep.

India Needs Toilets to Save It’s Rivers
17 April 2010
600 million lack toilets in India
February 7, 2010
India has more cell phones than toilets: UN
16 April 2010

disha · Post by **disha** » 26 Sep 2010 17:16

vera_k wrote:Couple of contradictory reports with the same dateline.

'Cleaned-up' CWG village still filthy and 'unlivable'

'Filthy' CWG Village transforms to five-star complex

Thanks vera_k and dilbu. People who do lot of Rona & Dhona (R & Dh) should take a look at the above clicky's.

I am not saying that the Aiyer/Gill/Kalmadi and his cohorts should not be taken to task. They handed down a bone on a platter to this shahibs (UK/Oz/NZs). And our DDM to sell its papers did their part. TOI and HT being the leading dailies.

Little has been noted that the Games village was given to Emmar constructions and due to its liquification, the games village became a jeapordy.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 26 Sep 2010 18:23

Okay people have goofed up and CWG is in deep pakistaniyat. Points noted and drastic changes are required from top to bottom. Witch hunt and washing laundry in public can wait. We have a games to host and national pride is at stake. Lets salvage whatever pride we can at this stage. I sincerely hope CWG will go ahead without major hiccups.

This is no way a 'chalta hai' carpet under which everything will be swept in. Heads will have to roll and people will have to be made accountable. But those things can wait. IMO onlee.

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 26 Sep 2010 18:29

We have national games to host and national competency to show case. National pride is only notional and secondary by-product. Bloated egos (bordering on national pride) cannot solve problems, where competency has to be painfully nurtured. That's take home lesson. Hopefully, systems will be put in place where nurturing competency takes the first place.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 26 Sep 2010 18:31

Why leave Gayatri Mantra out of this ? I guss, its not secular enough !

To showcase secular India, azaan, shabad, Buddhist chants at Games

The Muslim call for prayer, azaan, will be a part of the background score at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games. The ceremonies will also have a qawwali soundtrack, props on the celebration of Eid, and props on Mughal monuments to showcase India’s history and secular culture.

These components were included after the Group of Ministers led by Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy insisted, at at least three meetings held over the last three months, on “Islamic elements” in the ceremonies, sources said.

Isnt this idiot reddy one of the 4 idiots of cwg disaster , the other three being aiyar,kalmadi and dixit ?