What should we do with Suresh Kalmadi, the Chairman of CWG. Since the time what is called as Commonwealth scam started beaming on the TV Channels, we can’t but conclude that all is not well with CWG or Kalmadi. They say that there cannot be smoke without fire. Various allegations held against Kalmadi and the procurements made by the CWG show that some allegations may require further probe. Under such circumstances, whether Kalmadi should be removed from Chairman’s post or he should be allowed to continue.
It is said that the games are hardly 60 days away and how can you change the Captain when the army is at the doors? A very important question arises for consideration and we may avoid answering that question because all of us want the games to be a success and our national pride should not suffer. Hence no one will dare enough to say that let us wind up the OC/CWG and have a fresh Committee who can put together whatever is left now after the alleged misinterpretation of the word Commonwealth by these persons. In ordinary parlance ‘Commonwealth’ means wealth of everyone. Usually one who has access to that wealth can make it as his own. That appears to be the scenario we are now beholding in the CWG.
Let us go back to the original question whether Mr. Kalmadi should be unseated. Being the Chairman he has his fingers on every pulse of the organization. A new man will find it difficult to collect all the materials or information and then deal with them. So I feel that removing Kalmadi, though it looks to be the just panacea for CWG ills, it may land the whole games into a big turmoil.
Still the fact remains, the whole games appear to be in shambles. I heard somebody saying that we Indians believe that it is through chaos one can get order. It is said that when a traffic policeman is there on the street controlling the traffic, there will be traffic jams etc. but take for instance a road without a policeman, the traffic still moves. There is order, in the sense, the traffic moves. So he said do not worry let this chaos continue, the games will still go on and it will be a success and it will give a fitting answer to those who are So it is said that let him continue and when the games start and end, all will rejoice for it’s great success. One can quote William Shakespeare who wrote ‘all’s well that ends well’. It is like our Hindi Cinema Hero who ultimately succeeds in handing over the booty in tattered dress and bloody body. I do not understand how one can say this. Some other gentleman said that it is like a Punjabi marriage or monsoon marriage, In the end what matters is the success of the marriage and not the haphazard manner in which the marriage was arranged.
We should know that we cannot be like the one mentioned above. Ours is a democratic country. The amount which the CWG spends is the money belonging to aam aadmi. One should account for it. It is not sufficient just to say that we have conducted the CWG a national pride but what matters is how you conducted it. What was planning, aim etc. All these are lacking. This shows that as a nation, we have not yet grown to work for the common good of aam aadmi. We want first to fill our pockets and then of the aam aadmi. Our attitude can be seen from the way rice, wheat etc are kept exposed to sun and rain without distributing them among aam aadmi because our rules do not allow out of turn distribution. We do not have place to stock them, then what to do with them. Ultimately Supreme Court had to step in.
Here also we want a strong arm to take control of the games and see that in the next 60 days, the arrangements for the games are put on the right track. Take all measures to save money at the same time complete the infrastructure for the games. I feel that only a new Super Committee be appointed headed by a young man like Rahul Gandhi to supervise the entire activities of the arrangements for the games. When I suggest Rahul Gandhi, I do not show any bias towards any political party. The Government is now run under the leadership of one political party and person proposed to be appointed should be acceptable to that party. That is the reason, I suggesthis name. He is young and has sufficient powers to prevail on any member of the CWG. What is required therefore is that he should be helped by a group of dedicated and honest people. This will, I hope the Commonwealth Games may become a success and we should be able to hold our heads high globally. This suggestion I give because now it is the responsibility of the whole nation, me, you and every Indian to rescue this game from the clutches of incompetent people who have only a personal agenda. Let us have people who say ‘nation first’
When Mr. M.S.Gill had suggested that the tenure of office of the President of any sports association should not be more than 10 years, I had said Jai Ho!! I think Mr. Gill had in his mind this Chairman. Jai Hind!