27 September 2010

Randomly thinking about the CWG...

The media is full of the happenings - good, bad and ugly about what is happening in Delhi, specifically, the Games venues.

The thoughts I'm putting down are my own disturbed thoughts about these Games. They have been formed thanks to what I've seen and heard. What is troubling me the most are the expenses. Of course we cannot not let these Games happen, having come so far. Neither can we treat our guests badly. To this end we will and are putting in huge, huge effort. However, last minute effort does not come cheap; in fact it comes at great expense. My thoughts are on what is going to happen after this circus is over? How in the world are we ever going to make up this colossal amount of money that has been spent - most of it wasted, and wasted out of negligence, incompetency, indifference and without an ounce of urgency or pride.

Of course there were and are more pressing issues - many sane ministers have talked about the need for infrastructure, education, care of women and children, health care and the thousand other things that we really need. The people responsible for this fiasco are not going to make good this loss?  We, the middle classes from whom tax is already being squeezed out are going to have to pay. So what happens to things needed for daily living, that are already so unaffordable? What happens to the Senior citizens who get hardly any benefits in terms of health care or savings? What happens to badly-needed schools? We are not a society that has social or health security - we live on what we earn - we have commitments that have to be met with an increasingly stretched pay cheque. The waves of anguish are being felt by all those who will have to bear the brunt of this, and that too silently, and with their blood...What Karma are these people creating - all of us are going to be dragged in to pay for it.

Worse, we do not even have the grace to feel  shamed by this folly - a minister in Toronto actually had the gall and the arrogance to flex his muscles at those who are rightfully criticizing the Games - remember you have business relations with India, he says, you have business interests in our country.... Lord! does this not smack of goondagiri? we want our goodies, someone has to pay. If anyone says anything, watch out...we know what to do...

I just wish this nightmare would be over - wish it were just that - but the reality that is going to hit us when this is over is actually going to be the real nightmare...