Commonwealth Games (Delhi 2010) is in a crisis.
If the Games are abandoned, it may be the final nail in the coffin, ending an event that has outlived its importance.
The Commonwealth of Nations is a strange creation of history, not relevant in the 21st Century. Its members have very little in common and little wealth to share.
The British Monarch is the Head of the Commonwealth and was the first to abandon the Delhi 2010. It may be depiction of her mature wisdom to do so but it could accelerate the disintegration of a body that is best left to history.
Ironically, India was the largest nation in the British Empire and since independence in 1947, a valued member of the Commonwealth.
India was the prized possession of the British, ruling it for over 200 years and the struggle for independence gave Mahatma Gandhi to India and the world.
The Sun sets
The British withdrawal from India signaled the sunset over the Empire
Its withdrawal from Delhi 2010 may signal the sunset over the Commonwealth Games.
Delhi, the capital of world’s largest democracy, is now under intense focus by Commonwealth countries.
The facilities were not ready until the time of writing this article and the prolonged monsoon has not helped progress.
Understandably, the participating nations were jittery about India’s ability to contain the terrorist threat, as they have proven time and again that they can penetrate any part of the country as and when they desired.
The attack on the Indian Parliament (December 13, 2001) and Mumbai attacks (November 26 to 29, 2008) are still fresh in memory and the terrorists would see Delhi 2010 as an opportunity not to be missed.
Hosting such games has proven largely to be narcissistic for most nations, as they compete to outdo those that hosted such games previously.
It entails pouring out national wealth disproportionate to the economic ability of such nations. Political bigwigs emerge to share the stage of glory during the Games, only to realise that it was not worth the expense.
Exorbitant Extravaganza
The debt is passed on to the people and the successive generations.
India is considered to be a rich nation but inequitable distribution of wealth has left a majority of its people living in abject poverty. It would have been better for India to invest in the alleviation of poverty and hunger than in hosting Delhi 2010.
Nations that hosted such games found later that, apart from the debt, the disused facilities looked like ghostly apparitions and as macabre reminders of follies and failures of their Governments.
According to Azim Premji, a tycoon and Chairman of Wipro Limited, Delhi 2010 would cost $8 billion and asked if it was for the greater common good.
Such games are calibrated to project desired worldwide impact through television but hide a greater malaise that afflicts many nations.
Impoverished South Africa spent $12 billion to host the Soccer World Cup. The tournament was touted as success beyond expectations. President Jacob Zuma smiled from ear to ear relishing the accolades. Other leaders also wallowed in the fleeting glory but soon the hysteria died down, leaving the monstrous structures to stand silent and somnolent, taunting the leaders and the nation for the needless expense.
It will remain like a millstone around the neck of the nation for decades and by the time it is paid off, the cost of the structures would be twice the initial estimate.
China spent $60 billion to host the 2008 Olympics and by all accounts, it was one of the most spectacular events in the long history of the event. Since then, other countries have lavishly poured money using the Beijing benchmark for excellence in other sporting events. It is interesting to note that Montreal paid its last installment for the 1976 Olympics this year, which goes to show that recurring expense in the form of loan repayment, tax the nations for generations.
The 2004 Athens Olympics cost Greece $20 billion that left the Capital City with 22 abandoned and unused facilities.
Today, an insolvent Greece is struggling to meet its debt commitments.
India will be another victim of the sporting extravaganza.
The Commonwealth Games no longer excite the nations or people. Those who compete and receive medallions do not feel the same as winning Olympic Medals, which is the ultimate glory sought by sportspeople.
Many athletes have chosen not to participate in Delhi 2010, citing terrorist threats, but if it were the Olympics, the story would have been quite different.
The Commonwealth itself is a jaded body, limping to retain its turf but is not worth the struggle. It is often ignored, bemoaned and even ridiculed.
It has lost its aura, stature and standing and hence cannot continue to hold the Commonwealth Games.
Rajendra Prasad is an Indian Newslink columnist. Email: raj.prasad@xtra.co.nz
Photo : Commonwealth Games: Is it worth the trouble?
