What's up with India????

Few months back, I was proud to be an Indian while holding the Queen's Baton of Commonwealth Games as my country is hosting the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010.

Today, I am not a happy man along with many of my fellow Indians to hear through International media about the status of India's preparedness for the games which is due to commence in a week's time.

Besides the fact that India could have spend those billions of dollars on its infrastructure, health, education to its people, I had a strong feeling that the money being spend will be a valuable investment in showcasing India's image as a emerging economic superpower.But the news that India is not prepared for the games,foot over bridge collapsed,false ceiling damaged, poor sanitary conditions in the games village is not so good to hear especially when we are boasting India's greatness among other nationalities.

What went wrong????

Is there any insufficiency of funds to support such a big sporting extravaganza?

Are there no qualified architects,engineers in the country who could build a bridge which will not collapse ( at least till the games are over)???

The answer to both the questions above is NO- as the country's economy is one of the strongest in the world as on date and the country,from the pre-historic dates has been a land of inspiring architecture . Then what's the reason for this blemish on India's image and for the way the entire world is seeing India as a host of CG 2010 --

1. LACK OF ATTITUDE of the big bosses of CG 2010 !!!

2. LACK OF ATTITUDE of the western world to digest the fact that India's popularity is growing at a faster phase

When India has been selected few years back to host CG 2010, the politicians, bureaucrats must have been the happiest people on the earth not because its an opportunity to show the world what India is, but because of the golden opportunity the games could bring for them to fill their coffers and undoubtedly it is this attitude which is the reason for all these confusions and bad reputation what India has got today in the international arena.

If one goes deep down to probe, the contractors for building the collapsed foot over bridge,athlete's village,stadium and providing other services during the games would not have been selected based on their expertise or past experiences but on the basis of their proximity to the politicians and bureaucrats.

This incidence makes me to think about the XVI Commonwealth games in 1998 hosted by Malaysia to be the first Asian country to host the CG.Malaysia was badly hit by the Asian Economic Crisis in 1998, internal political clash between the then Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir and his deputy Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Despite all these, the way the arrangements were done for hosting the games, the spirit among the Malaysians of different races to promote their nation during the games was amazing. More than a decade later, as the 2nd Asian country to host CG,India's performance as a host of a big event is looking very poor when compared to its esteemed rival, China which has already hosted a much bigger sporting event( Olympics) few years before.

These officials really deserve stringent legal actions for spoiling the image of the nation after completing the CG 2010.

On the other hand,it is very apparent by the way the entire western world is negatively publicising the short comings in the arrangements as if India is fit for nothing and as if they are "God's gift to the mankind".The western media is notoriously popular for negatively publicising events happening in the emerging Asian countries- may it be the red shirt demonstrations of Bangkok or flood in China, the western media ( BBC, CNN Etc.,) will always report in such a way that these countries can no way near to them."Whatever popular need not be the truth also..." Let's wait and see...

Jago India!!! ( Wake up India!!!)