On a day India was declared as the third most powerful country in the world after the US and China in a new official US report, the same India is facing a crisis of confidence, security worry and plain incompetence. Surely these are not qualities that would make a super power. Even as the praise for New Delhi’s rising clout in the world was reported widely across national and international media, India’s brand image continued to suffer with questions being raised about whether the country could host the Commonwealth Games slated to begin October 3, 2010. News of a footbridge collapse, in which five people were seriously injured, only added to the claims that all was not well with the preparation for the CWG. To add to the embarrassment, team officials have also raised “grave concerns” about hygiene and cleanliness in the athletes’ village. The safety concern only grew following the shooting incident outside Delhi’s Jama Masjid where two foreigners were injured. The continuing heavy downpour, an outbreak of the deadly Dengue fever and Delhi’s perennial traffic chaos has also caused alarm. To add to the crisis is the very legitimacy of the Delhi CWG now under question with reports of individual athletes and even teams expressing pessimism. Many are withdrawing from the CWG because of the many grappling unresolved issues. All these are worrying signs ahead of a global event for India.
The crisis and the near fiasco with regard to the preparation for the CWG is something that the country as a whole beginning from the top echelons of power will have to reflect upon and see what has gone wrong. It will be a bitter lesson to learn but one that should be taken in stride if at all the country is to make the necessary correction to become at par with the best. The CWG fiasco is also a reflection about India’s poor governing system, about its incompetence, the corruption within and the culture of compromise that has come to identify with the country. It is quite shocking to learn that despite knowing as early as 2003 that it would be hosting the 2010 CWG, preparations began only in 2008. Five good years was wasted and now the organizing committee is rushing everything at the last minute. Besides being woefully under prepared, the CWG also seem to be suffering from substandard quality. This is not so surprising in a country where corruption is a big problem. The fiasco created in the run up to the CWG is truly a big blow for India’s image as an emerging power. While the truth is always bitter to swallow, nevertheless as mentioned already, the country and its people must look inward and see the many faults that lie beneath the new India. These cannot be simply brushed under the carpet anymore. The problems have to be exposed so that a remedy can be worked out before more ills fall on the country. First and foremost the country needs to wage a war against corruption. For this we need both political and administrative reforms so that our government system becomes more able, efficient and transparent and one that delivers quality service without compromising.
