Lodhi Garden, Delhi, India
Lodhi Garden, Delhi, India
Commonwealth Games at a tipping point
In the days leading up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi has been vilified in the western media for lack of preparedness, unclean facilities, unfinished and potentially unsafe stadiums (a bridge collapsed, injuring dozens) and security lapses. The international community called it a “fiasco” and is putting a lot of pressure on India to rectify the situation. I feel heartbroken about this because I know and love the city of Delhi, and it pains me to see that the western media seems to take particular glee in exposing the “filthy” conditions. Sports columnist Stephen Brunt in Canada’s national Globe and Mail newspaper wrote a very thoughtful column about the situation, a column that should have been in the front section of the newspaper: Huge shadow looms over New Delhi.
In the column, Brunt rightly pointed out, “… this kind of shortfall was inevitable, eventually. It has been coming. And were it not New Delhi now, it would be somewhere else in the very near future, in a city and country that paid too much, that promised too much, that was unwilling or unable to divert the necessary resources, that simply bit off more than it could chew….
In India you had the perfect storm: a colossus of a country, but still one facing Third World challenges; an event that is costly to hold, but that doesn’t produce Olympic-scale revenues; and the bureaucratic and political intransigence that Pipe mentions, which has now caused gentle prodding to escalate into de facto threats from major players to pull out.
Because the consequences of walking away would be grave, in terms of sport, in terms of the future of the Commonwealth Games, in terms of political relationships with a growing economic power, here’s betting that in the end everyone tries to make a go of it.
But it won’t be pretty. And it may well be a tipping point.”
Sunrise from rooftop, South Delhi, India
Delhi is in many ways a magnificent city, filled with historic sites — including three UNESCO World Heritage sites — gracious tree-lined boulevards, the visionary planned city of New Delhi and a cornucopia of upscale stores, colourful markets, fine restaurants and rich cultural events. Delhi and India have a lot to offer the world — which I write about often on this site — BUT not by playing a first-world game and holding modern mega-la-palooza sporting events.
Personally, I think the corruption in India and the myriad social issues should be cleaned up first BEFORE attempting these monster events. In fact, I wonder if any country can really afford these things — and that includes the G20 summit, the World Cup and the Olympics. There are millions of people around the world who don’t get enough to eat every single day of their lives; there is rampant injustice and serious environmental degradation. Shouldn’t we be attending to these things before we start spending billions unnecessarily?
Odissi dancer in Delhi, India
It all seems ironic to me. If you read my article Sharing India’s wisdom with the world, or if you know anything about yoga philosophy or the essence of Hindusim, you will know that the wisdom India offers is diametrically opposite to these expensive, hubris-driven extravaganzas. Simplicity, contentment and going within to find answers and satisfaction are just some of the values India’s wisdom espouses.
India has a continuous, ancient culture, rich religious and cultural traditions, diverse and stunning geography, glorious art and architecture (including of course the world’s most beautiful building), and some of the most warm, generous and content people you could ever meet. These are some of the things India should cherish and promote — while also recognizing that the corruption and social inequality is a disgrace, and should be addressed very vigorously. In my view, this is where India should be directing resources and energy.
Mariellen Ward is a freelance travel writer whose personal style is informed by a background in journalism, a dedication to yoga and a passion for sharing the beauty of India’s culture and wisdom with the world. She has traveled for about a year altogether in India and publishes an India travel blog, Breathedreamgo.com. Mariellen also writes for magazines and newspapers.
