THE media is full of stories on the Commonwealth Games mess. If they aren’t criticising the way preparations are behind schedule, they are hollering about the various scams and rip offs that are fast coming to light. On Twitter, Suresh Kalmadi has become synonymous with inefficiency, nepotism and corruption. Add to that the public posturing of Mani Shankar Aiyer — it must be a first that a senior member of the ruling party has gone public saying that he will be very happy if the Commonwealth Games flop and disintegrate into chaos. Wouldn’t that look very bad on the entire government, Mr Aiyer? I am surprised that such a big noise is being made about the corruption and nepotism in the preparations for the CWG. Corruption has been institutionalised in our country. Corporations find it easier to grease palms to circumvent rules and laws. Individuals find it easier to break rules and prefer to grease palms instead of facing the consequences. Contractors who build infrastructure pay so many kick backs that they derive their profits from substandard work and the use of spurious materials. Let’s just pray that none of the newly built facilities collapse while the Games are on.

But the chaos and the stink of corruption and nepotism emanating from the CWG reminds me of 1981-82. Delhi was once again hosting the Asian Games. Indira’s Emergency was still very much in everyone’s mind. Although the electorate threw her out of power, the subsequent Janta Party experiment had ended in betrayal and chaos. Indira rode back into power. Then, one day in 1980, Sanjay Gandhi died. Punjab was on the

boil. Initially, it was Sanjay who spearheaded the preparations for the Asian Games.

Many of the Gandhi family cronies had got prime properties to build 5-star hotels in Delhi. There were whispers about nepotism and corruption then too. But Sanjay’s death and the fire in Punjab had pushed the Asian Games to the background.

There was another important difference. During the Asiad, only sport-related infrastructure was being built.

Delhi administration and the managing committee in charge of the preparations did

not have to contend with building transport facilities and road infrastructure. But very close to when the Asian Games were to begin, an audit was made and it was discovered that the preparations were way behind schedule and a lot of the work done was below acceptable standards. It was at this time that Rajiv Gandhi took charge of the preparations.

Rajiv and his Doon School buddies took over and the work received the muchneeded boost. What till then was sluggish and slipshod suddenly became vigourous and

spick-and-span. A lot of the sub-standard work was rejected and removed and designs were altered to make them grander.

It was then that Doordarshan was chosen to convert to colour. So there was a mad race to source equipment for the conversion. From outdoor broadcasting vans to studio equipment, all had to be procured. No one knows how much money was made on all those deals. The conversion of home TV sets was also a concern. What was the use of colour broadcast if Indians were only going to watch the

Games on their black and white TV sets? So, the government came up with another brilliant scheme. The Indian industry was fettered by the license raj, imports were frowned upon and very strictly governed by licensing. Getting import licenses were a tedious process and import duties were sky high.

So, how was the government going to ensure that what was now turning out to be a major propaganda exercise was watched by an equally large number of Indians? The government hit upon a novel scheme — it became an importer. It imported colour picture tubes and the requisite circuits in bulk from leading manufacturers worldwide and then the kits were given to Indian manufacturers who built cabinets and assembled the TV sets. In the allotment of these colour TV kits too a lot of nepotism was alleged and many of the assemblers embezzled a lot of subsidies and tax exemptions. At the time of those Games many fortunes were made, legitimately and otherwise.

Once again an opportunity has presented itself and once again some have been able to dip their beaks into the gravy train. But this time round the media is much more vociferous and so the scrutiny is more intense. But to me, the real danger is not so much in the corruption or charges of nepotism in the Commonwealth Games. What is more worrying is that just a short while ago the fledging rainbow nation South Africa hosted such a grand and successful football World Cup. Will New Delhi live up to expectations? Would we measure up? I am keeping my fingers crossed.