The 35th National Games came to its grand finale this evening. There has been applause from all around regarding the fine conduct of the games and for the excellent facilities that were provided for its conduct. The government has gone a step further by announcing the following:-
(a) provide immediate jobs for the sportspersons who'd won medals for the state.
(b) a plan to look after the newly set up infrastructure by involving sports personalities, including
that of setting up a sports school.
(c) auditing of the games' accounts within the next 45 days.
The closing ceremony had the right amount of pomp and grandeur! The cultural programme that was put up, subsequently, was appropriate and good.
Having said so, there are two things that I haven't been able to fit in this jigsaw puzzle:-
(a) One of the Malayalam TV channels was highly critical of anything and everything regarding
the games, often pointing out the flip side which, incidentally, was good to ensure that
nothing went wrong. From that point of view, it did a good job but being the cynical 'mallu'
that I am, why do I get this feeling that its actions reeked of 'a sour grapes' syndrome? Did
it bid for the organising pie of the games and fail to get it? And all the subsequent negative
coverage was in retaliation? If affirmative, it's sad!
(b) Consider the following sequence of events:-
(i) the new chief secretary takes over before the beginning of the National Games.
(ii) in his first press conference, he comes out heavily at the extravagant expenses related to
the opening ceremony and directs that the closing ceremony should be short and devoid
of big ticket expenditure. The sports minister is peeved and has the matter discussed at
the cabinet meeting where the chief secretary seems to have been censured!
(iii) the CM, at the post cabinet meeting press conference, agrees that there were avoidable
expenditures.
(iv) and a couple of days later, he announces that there's no question of scaling down the
grandeur of the closing ceremony as it was a decision taken beforehand!
What was the need for the pantomime? The chief secretary is involved in the infamous
'Palmolein case' and the opposition had opposed his elevation. By his actions, what was he
trying to convey? Isn't it a loss of face for him to be ignored regarding his directives, by his
own government, regarding the conduct of the closing ceremony?
Or is it that, these days, self respect and standing firm on one's principles have no more
relevance? Seems to be so from what one gets to see!
Tailpiece.
Kerala's excellent showing at the Games was remarkable. What has been brought to the fore is that it has talent all round by its great performances in Rowing, Fencing, Canoeing, Kayaking and even shooting while the thinking, thus far, was that it had stars only in the track and field events!
(a) provide immediate jobs for the sportspersons who'd won medals for the state.
(b) a plan to look after the newly set up infrastructure by involving sports personalities, including
that of setting up a sports school.
(c) auditing of the games' accounts within the next 45 days.
The closing ceremony had the right amount of pomp and grandeur! The cultural programme that was put up, subsequently, was appropriate and good.
Having said so, there are two things that I haven't been able to fit in this jigsaw puzzle:-
(a) One of the Malayalam TV channels was highly critical of anything and everything regarding
the games, often pointing out the flip side which, incidentally, was good to ensure that
nothing went wrong. From that point of view, it did a good job but being the cynical 'mallu'
that I am, why do I get this feeling that its actions reeked of 'a sour grapes' syndrome? Did
it bid for the organising pie of the games and fail to get it? And all the subsequent negative
coverage was in retaliation? If affirmative, it's sad!
(b) Consider the following sequence of events:-
(i) the new chief secretary takes over before the beginning of the National Games.
(ii) in his first press conference, he comes out heavily at the extravagant expenses related to
the opening ceremony and directs that the closing ceremony should be short and devoid
of big ticket expenditure. The sports minister is peeved and has the matter discussed at
the cabinet meeting where the chief secretary seems to have been censured!
(iii) the CM, at the post cabinet meeting press conference, agrees that there were avoidable
expenditures.
(iv) and a couple of days later, he announces that there's no question of scaling down the
grandeur of the closing ceremony as it was a decision taken beforehand!
What was the need for the pantomime? The chief secretary is involved in the infamous
'Palmolein case' and the opposition had opposed his elevation. By his actions, what was he
trying to convey? Isn't it a loss of face for him to be ignored regarding his directives, by his
own government, regarding the conduct of the closing ceremony?
Or is it that, these days, self respect and standing firm on one's principles have no more
relevance? Seems to be so from what one gets to see!
Tailpiece.
Kerala's excellent showing at the Games was remarkable. What has been brought to the fore is that it has talent all round by its great performances in Rowing, Fencing, Canoeing, Kayaking and even shooting while the thinking, thus far, was that it had stars only in the track and field events!
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