Nothing Common about this Wealth

This is the expose Hardnews carried in March 2010, long before the mainline media even cared to look at the Commonwealth Games scam. Much of the daylight robbery in the name of CWG was justified in the name of 'National Prestige' and 'world-class' aspirations. People already hit by inflation were forced to pay through their nose for this extravaganza. Suresh Kalmadi's arrest is nothing but the tip of this gigantic scam. We reproduce this landmark article for our readers.

Dunu Roy Delhi

The Commonwealth is a 'friendly' association of those 72 colonies which were once part of the British Empire and rose to free nationhood - some through protracted struggle and others through negotiation. In modern times these nations meet once every four years to play games, perhaps in an effort to forget the memories of bondage. These games have been going on since 1930, except on two occasions during the Second World War.

It is curious that of the 72 nations, only eight have been given the 'prestige' (or burden) of holding the games, and Malaysia and Jamaica are the only two 'developing' nations who figure on this list, and that too only once each. In many ways, therefore, the racial undertones of colonialism persist. In fact, on two occasions, in 1950 and 1986, the African and West Indian nations have boycotted the games.

In spite of this history, Indian leaders have aspired to join the elite club of organisers. They bid for the games in 1990 and 1994 and lost out both times, until they were 'awarded' the bid for 2010. This reward came in 2006 when the autonomous and unelected Indian Organising Committee (OC) placed Rs 1,730 crore of the nation's money under the hammer. Such was the euphoria at this 'victory' - as if India had almost won at the games itself - that the committee thought nothing of spending another Rs 27 crore to bring a team of Bollywood stars to dance and sing for precisely 11 minutes.

The committee, of course, did not consider it proper to inform the Indian  public, whose hard-earned money was being squandered, that they had magnanimously offered Rs 30 crore for training the athletes of other na¬tions and Rs 43 crore for their travel, in order to 'seal' the bid. Even then the Commonwealth Games Federation accepted the bid only after the Indian government promised to guaranteeall expenses.

In due course, the cost of the games rose to Rs 4,700 crore - a fact which so upset the then elected Union sports minister that he stated that with that amount of money he could organise sports in every village of the country. He lost his ministership, but that has not prevented the cost from spiralling to a suspected Rs 30,000 crore.

It is not surprising that the cost of the games increased - in fact, it should have been expected. Four years ago the same thing happened at Melbourne where it climbed from the bid price of Rs 670 crore to an estimated Rs 3,800 crore. Before that, Manchester went from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. And 30 years ago, the Asiad Games at Delhi led the way by shooting up from Rs 550 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.

Not only does this skyrocketing increase leave behind a host city shattered with debt, the structures created with this money for ten days of hypnotic 'sport' remain eerily derelict for years to come.

Some ill-informed 'experts' feel this happens because the Commonwealth and Asiad Games are small affairs with few spectators. If the Olympics were to be organised in Delhi, instead, then there would be a much sounder financial basis. However, history has something quite contrary on offer. Beijing, after all the hoopla of the 2008 Olympics, has refused to reveal how much was spent, although some observers claim that as much as Rs 200,000 crore was expended while the famous Birds Nest stadium today stands as an empty shell.