The Comical Swaggering Indian: Look at the television serials, especially the soap operas. Media reflects society quite accurately. With the growing optimism about India, soap opera characters have a smugness and arrogance about them which is most distasteful. The tone in which they speak, their flashy costumes, the hardball script, the disconnected plot and theme reflects of the arrogance which comes from new found wealth. Look at the reality shows. There seems to be loud performances, exuberant attitude and contempt for the audience. There seems to be a general assumption that the audience will lap it all up. On the other hand look at our celluloid cinemas. The ribald humour, the swaggering hero, the gigantic and often ostentatious sets convey the disturbing feeling that the world is at our command. Derogatory references to foreigners in our films, poking fun at them, abusing them in chaste Hindi, denouncing their system and having a contemptuous superior attitude are all in bad taste.
India and Indians today enjoy a groundswell of goodwill in the Western world. The world wants India to succeed. We must be quick to encash on this opportunity. We must forge new alliances and not be shy of taking all the help and aid that is available. But conducting ourselves flamboyantly will draw snide comments, and ridicule from others. The world will think that we are clowns and monkeys. Recently, Hon'ble Shri Suresh Kalmadi was reported to have said that he would throw out Mike Hooper from the country. Hon'ble Shri Anand Sharma issued a veiled warning to the Australian PM that they could lose out on business opportunities if they backed out of Commonwealth Games. Perhaps, these statements were uncalled for. Perhaps the most comical situation is that India is demanding a seat in the UNSC, literally begging for it. This is not done. We must command respect by our attitude and achievements and not demand it. The world’s leading countries must invite us to become a member of G8 or the UNSC on the strength of our sound institutions, good governance and overall development in our society and not because we crave for a seat in the UNSC.
Reality Check is Essential: India’s growth story is mainly limited to the 10-12 biggest cities. It is here that all action seems to be taking place. This is a small population of India but it adds up to about 6-7 crore people the size of a European country. But on the world stage we must assess ourselves very realistically. We are atleast 100 years behind the US on most counts, 70 years behind The European Union, Japan, Russia, Australia and Canada and atleast 30 years behind China. Let's not jump the gun. If the big powers want, they can put India in place and cut it down to size in no time.
Recently, especially over the last month, the media, led by the electronic segment have done more harm than good to the image of the country and the morale of the CWG2010 organising committee. Unbridled cynicism by the Indian media has killed objective analysis. While the Press has every right to play the role of a watchdog and keep the government departments and officials on their toes for acts of commission or omission, the manner in which the witchhunt has been carried out against the CWG 2010 organising committee chairman Hon'ble Shri Suresh Kalmadi and his deputy Lalit Bhanot leaves much to be desired and indicates that the media is driven more by a personal vendetta than any pretensions of public good.
The damage has already been done. Top archers, long distance runners and discuss throwers have called off participation. New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, England, Wales, Scotland, Canada have expressed alarm at the state of preparedness of the games village and have threatened a boycott of CWG 2010. Television footage of the false ceiling coming down in the wrestling stadium, filth around the games village, the collapse of the footover bridge in JLN stadium and the dog snoring on the bed in the games village room have all alarmed participating countries and has caused a public outcry both in India and abroad. Charges of corruption and misappropriation to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore in the construction of stadia and public utilities and facilities have reinforced the image of India as a basically corrupt and opaque nation. The shootout at Jama Masjid where 2 Taiwanese tourists were badly injured and the responsibility for this misdeed being owned by the Indian Mujahideen on the directions of Lashkar-e-Taiba have exposed the loopholes in the security arrangements causing many international athletes to pull out of the games. What’s more the Australian Prime Minister has issued a travel advisory to its citizens cautioning them against travel to India during the games. Not to forget the flooding in the riparian areas around the Yamuna and the mosquito menace!!!
Press Conference: The Union Government along with the Delhi Government, the CWG organizing committee and the Press Information Bureau should convene a hard hitting press conference on the 27th or 28th September in a 5 star hotel followed by Q&As and lunch for the Press. The preparations for the Press Conference should be as follows:
- Two to four seniormost and articulate officers of the Union Government should do a recce on the 24th September of all the stadia and the civil structures directly or indirectly connected with the games along the routes.
- A 3-page report on the latest situation which is factually correct should be made for media consumption. 4 shots per stadium or civic structure in a long and close view must be taken in hard copy showing the best face of the facility which should be duly captioned.
- A 60-minute video documentary by a professional should be shot and completed by the 26th September showcasing the inner and outer view of the stadia and civic structures with comments from top Union Government officials, senior staff of foreign embassies, foreign media and CWG officials stating that we are ready.
- Since corruption charges have caused a major embarrassment, the cost of the stadia and upgradation, cost of civic structures and how the money has been spent and allocated must be detailed in another 4-page report duly audited by the CAG. All the above should be kept in a media kit and about 600-700 such kits must be prepared by 26th September and distributed to all foreign, national/regional press both print and electronic and embassies of participating countries by 27th September.
- A guided Press tour for members of the foreign, national and regional press (both print and electronic) and members of foreign embassies of the stadia and civic structures must be made on the 26th and 27th September followed by a sumptuous lunch in the Games Village.
- Uncontrolled and unrestricted entry of the media into the Games Village, stadia and civic structures must be immediately curtailed and only guided controlled tours must be allowed.
- On a daily basis, the Union Government must release still photographs and video footage in the press and upload them on YouTube basically to send a strong message out that we have turned around the situation in 10 days.
- The Prime Minister must personally speak to his counterpart in Australia allaying her fears. The Sports minister and Delhi chief minister must telephonically call their counterparts in all the foreign countries who have expressed their reservations and fears and assure them.
- The CWG 2010 organising committee along with the MEA should get in touch with all the various sports federations of foreign countries by the 27th September that we are on track. The Press Conference must be held on the 27th or the 28th September and should be addressed personally by the Prime Minister, the Sports Minister, the Delhi Govt Chief Minister, the Union Urban Minister, Delhi Lt Governor, the Delhi Police Commissioner and the CWG 2010 organising committee chairman.
- Their address to the press must be preceded by a 30 minute slide presentation and and another 30 minute video presentation. All the national, Hindi, regional, foreign press (print, electronic, news wires) along with the information officers of all embassies must be invited.
- Police barricades and strict checks must be made at all entry points to Delhi during the games. Round the clock security arrangements for all stadia should be made. A security man should guard every 300 mts of the route leading to all the stadia and civic structures 24X7. Identity cards must be issued for all athletes and media and officials.
