The "Uncommon" Common Wealth Games

The burning topic of discussion, as of today in the country , rotates neither around religion (has manged to bury the expected charged emotional outburst over the yet to be declared Ayodhya verdict), nor around cricket (people have started missing their daily doses of the Champions League cricket) nor is it to do with the naaxalite menace (the home ministry must be heaving a sigh of relief)....

So what is it that has kept the attention of more than a billion people riveted and engaged in the last of couple of weeks (dare I say a couple of months)... Well the common thread that has bound the country is the "uncommon" Delhi Common Wealth Games 2010...

In what was supposed to be an event which will improve and enhance the face value of the country (in a way what the World cup football did to South Africa or the Beijing Olympics to China) the Delhi Common Wealth Games has failed to come anywhere close to such milestones and has really went on and did the reverse...sullying whatever  the current image the country has abroad..

Sadly, the fact remains is that the entire game from the beginning is marred with controversy starting from the alleged bribing of Commonwealth nations to hand over the bid to India to the delay in work, corruption in building the stadia, the games villages, the sub standard work, bridges collapsing, et al et al..

Enough dissection has been done by media (both print and visual media) on the miasms behind such fiasco..

I will however try to list down a few which in my opinion are the root cause of such a sad state of affair that we are witnessing today:

1. Traditionally in India, sports federations are handled by politicians rather than sports persons (which is just the reverse in other countries which has taken various games to the next level with clean administration and planing). The politicians are as much to blame as the sports persons. While the politicians rollick in the loot, the sports person abstain taking a high moral ground of we-are-better-than-them -and will-not-stoop-to- -indulge-with - them attitude (is it not true for everything else which is rotten in our country starting from politics to the rotting grains of the PDS system). Having handed over the reigns of power for administration to politicians, I think we do not , least the sport persons, stand any high moral ground to dismiss them
2. While the country bays for the blood of Suresh Kalmadi, I think its Mani Shnaker Aiyar who should be made accountable. Among other things, to satisfy his ego and to get even with Kalmadi ,he delayed the project by 2 years which escalated the cost. Besides all the  malaise, that he is pointing out so eloquently on T.V shows today, could have been addressed by him when he was the sports minister. True, Kalmadi is also not among the Innocent and the sinless.. But we should also make Aiyar accountable and question his responsibilities when he appears for T.V shows with a smirk on his face and I-told-you-so attitude
3. The Congress party (this includes the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi) which could actually boasts itself as the most democratic party where differing voices may emerge and on top of that no action being taken to clear the mess because of these differences in opinion and subsequent inaction
4. Lastly as a nation its our chlata hey attitude which is to be blamed for the mess that we are in. The jugadu approach (to patch together something at the eleventh hour so that thing can somehow be managed) and the common motto which says that aaj kare so kal, kal kare so parson,, itni bhi jaldi kya hey yaaro jab jina hey abhi barson...(Which roughly translates in to "What you have to do today can be differed to tomorrow and the day after. We have nothing to fear as there is a long life in which all work can be done")

 Without adding on to the huge amount of cribbing and anger related to the Common Wealth Games fiasco, I will just end the post with an experience of mine...

One of my relative was a national level player in a state and after his retirement when he showed his keenness to enter in the administration of the game he loved, there was stiff resistance from the power to be which consisted mostly of politicians... but because of the good faith that he enjoyed in the games fraternity, he somehow made it to the association... I have marked very closely since then of his journey... of how he struggled equally with politician and sports persons in ensuring some credibility and standard for the game and the state association... While other members (mostly politicos) were busy getting their favoured player (s) in the final squad by various unscrupulous means, this relative of mine even denied his son a chance to play for the home city (let alone the state) because he (the son) could not clear the qualifiers... While others were busy providing false Sports certificates to people for admission in to colleges, educational institutions and jobs (in return for a kickback ofcourse); his son struggled to make it to a good college and studied in a lesser known college...

However, his struggle has borne fruit today and his honesty and dedication have slowly pushed the netas and babus out from the state association... I see him old and harried with age... But just the mention of the game of his love, and his eyes sparkle with such intensity that it is a pleasure to see his happiness and joy...As if this very moment (and nay the sport of his love) actually justifies his very existence...

There is no dearth of such passionate and dedicated sports persons in the country today... The only question is - are they willing to stand up and make themselves counted?

Till that time we will have to do with watching in frustration  pot bellied politicians giving imbecile statements/explanation  on media on how and why they failed to organise an event of national pride while wasting Rs. 17,000 crore of tax payers' money and 7 precious year of time...

Rajinikanth facts

Came across some hilarious facts about Rajinikanth... Was almost rolling down laughing...

Enjoy while it lasts... or else... you know Rajini's anger na... ;)

1.  There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Rajinikanth has allowed to live.
2. Outer space exists because it’s afraid to be on the same planet with Rajinikanth.
3. When Rajinikanth does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.
4. Rajinikanth is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.
5. Rajinikanth doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.
6. Rajinikanth gave Mona Lisa that smile.
7. Rajinikanth does not get frostbite. Rajinikanth bites frost.
8. There are no races, only countries of people Rajinikanth has beaten to different shades of black and blue.
9. Rajinikanth’s house has no doors, only walls that he walks through.
10. Rajinikanth doesn’t actually write books, the words assemble themselves out of fear.
11. Newton’s Third Law is wrong: Although it states that for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, there is no force equal in reaction to a Rajinikanth turnaround kick.
12. When taking the GRE or CAT write “Rajinikanth” for every answer. You will score over 8000.
13. Rajinikanth has 12 moons. One of those moons is the Earth.
14. Rajinikanth grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his own rage.
15. Archeologists unearthed an old English dictionary dating back to the year 1236. It defined “victim” as “one who has encountered Rajinikanth
16. If you Google search “Rajinikanth getting his ass kicked” you will generate zero results. It just doesn’t happen
17. Rajinikanth once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They made him blink.
18. James Cameron wanted Rajinikanth to play the Terminator. However, upon reflection, he realized that would have turned his movie into a documentary, so he went with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
19. There is no ‘ctrl’ button on Rajinikanth’s computer. Rajinikanth is always in control
20. Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Rajinikanth has 72… and they’re all poisonous.
21. Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Rajinikanth
22. There is no such thing as global warming. Rajinikanth was cold, so he turned the sun up.
23. Rajinikanth did in fact, build Rome in a day.
24. Rajanikanth makes onions cry
    
    Few other common facts about Rajini... LOL
    
    
    
    
    1. Rajanikanth can delete the Recycle Bin.
    2. Ghosts are actually caused by Rajanikanth killing people faster than Death can process them.
    3. Rajanikanth can strangle you with a cordless phone.
       
    4. When Rajanikanth enters a room, he doesn’t turn the lights on,……… …. he turns the dark off.
       
    5. When Rajanikanth looks in a mirror the mirror shatters, because not even glass is stupid enough to get in between Rajanikanth and Rajanikanth.
    6. The last digit of pi is Rajanikanth. He is the end of all things.
       
    7. Rajanikanth does not know where you live, but he knows where you will die.
       
    8. Bullets dodge Rajanikanth.
       
    9. A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Rajanikanth and that you will be handicapped if you park there.
       
    10. Rajanikanth’ calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Rajanikanth.
        
    11. If you spell Rajanikanth wrong on Google it doesn’t say, “Did you mean Rajanikanth?” It simply replies, “Run while you still have the chance.”
        
    12. Once a cobra bit Rajanikanth’ leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.
        
    13. When Rajanikanth gives you the finger, he’s telling you how many seconds you have left to live.
        
    14. Leading hand sanitizers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Rajanikanth can kill 100 percent of whatever he wants.
    15. Rajanikanth has a deep and abiding respect for human life… unless it gets in his way.
        
    16. Rajanikanth once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger, by yelling, “Bang!”
        
    17. In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Rajanikanth could use to kill you, including the room itself.
        
    18. Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Behind every dead man, there is Rajanikanth.
        
    19. Rajanikanth destroyed the periodic table, because Rajanikanth only recognizes the element of surprise.
        
    20. Rajanikanth got his drivers license at the age of 16 Seconds.
        
    21. With the rising cost of gasoline, Rajanikanth is beginning to worry about his drinking habit.
        
    22. The square root of Rajanikanth is pain. Do not try to square Rajanikanth, the result is death.
        
    23. When you say “no one’s perfect”, Rajanikanth takes this as a personal insult.
     And Finally, Ladies and Gentleman... Give it to the man... Rajinikanth...

Where there is a will there is a way. Where there is Rajinikanth, there is no way.

A brief Hiatus

Was debating whether to wait for another couple of weeks and write my next posting on 12th  Oct considering my last positing was on 12th July ;) 

But could not resist the urge to write my new posting and fill all of you on the details of my brief disappearance..

The last 2 months have been eventful, to say the least... Would try to list down what I have been doing for the last 2 months as briefly as possible:

1. Was busy selecting my new batch of hospital management course students... 

Important takeaway from this exercise... 

Number of candidates hardly matters if it does not address your requirements of the minimum standard expected out of them

     2. Busy in organising a gala 3 days decennial celebrations of the School of Optometry at our institute  in which I act as the Registrar

Lessons learnt....

Nothing can beat meticulous planning and team work... E mails rarely works in the organisation of any events and be wary of people who promise the world in terms of deliverable... They are the ones who flounder the most... The silent are the ones who mostly triumphs... and... compromise should not be at the drop of a hat... be compromising with reasonable people... not dumb A#@es who will not value it...

      3. Vacationing at home for  a week...

Lesson learnt....

There is something  that money can not buy...

for everything else (including that "something which money can not buy" too) there are parents,siblings and your good old home...

I have returned energised and reinvigorated to take up new challenges...

Challenges... Anybody....;)