Fourth Estate displayed its might by playing a pioneering role in fingerpointing what all went wrong - the haphazard manner - of going ahead with the preparations for the successful conduct of Common Wealth Games to be held in Delhi in two days from now ie. from Oct 3 - 14. Not only our media but also the international media like BBC laid bare the shady goings on and massive corruption eating into the vitals of our sports world, the stardom really falls on the Fourth Estate, no doubt about it. If the media, both print and visual, had chosen to adopt a lukewarm approach by our CWG officials and the mandarins at the top echelons of power, true, the end result would have been quite pathetic. On the contrary, often the media went to the extreme of being sarcastic and scathing and also the dark humour rained by media cartoonists including the ones hailing from outside forced everyone to burst out laughing simultaneously wondering the appalling manner the irresponsible actions on the part of the resposible ones. Naming it Corruption Wealth Games by a channel and one blogger humorously and also in a tone of anger writing about organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, with the intention of hanging himself on a ceiling fan unable to withstand onslaughts from all sides the ceiling collapsing - such a variety of cartoons appeared in the print media. What prompted and compelled the media world to take up their 'acid pens' no secret after all. Thanks to them, they made public and exposed the dealings behind the curtains draining away tax-payers' pockets of Rs. 70000 crore, the Supreme Court has since taken up the matter. All said and done, the collapse of a foot over-bridge connecting Jawaharlal Nehru stadium injuring 27 workers a few of them grievously injured, the collapse of a ceiling of weight-lifting stage, the filth, dirt and nauseating stench of excrements littered around the Games village where athletes from all participating countries are supposed to stay which prompted Michael Fennel, Common Wealth Games Federation Chairman take strong exception. One Indian official making a statement, a laughable and irritating one 'that by Indian standards it is the best' forcing us to hang our heads in shame.
When it was almost sure to everyone as the days were closing in for the grand extravaganza Prime Minister authorised Cabinet Secretary K.M.Chandrashekhar and a few officials under the latter's leadership to overlook the matters under him and to make necessary arrangements, but it was not gathering the required momentum Cabinet Secretary reportedly handed over the baton - pass the buck is the apt word - to Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit to take control of the whole matter and with beads of sweat streaming down her forehead, tried her level best displaying confidence and authority. That's that. Jaipal Reddy, the Urban Development Minister taken to task by a fuming Prime Minister, then Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister (?) Manohar Singh Gill reportedly pulled up by the PM and asked him to behave like a Sports Minister. Our forme Chief Elcetion Commissioner reportedly stumbled for words on seeing the fretting and fuming Prime Minister. Our PM himself chose to plunge into the arena, took control of whole departments of the prestigious event and progress gathered momentum and now a feeling of relief flashes across each face.
But by God, I don't like passing on the credit to our respected Prime Minister instead if anybody deserves the credit our Fourth Estate itself emerge first. Then hundreds of faceless labourers - even now and surely after October 2, that's tomorrow, these poor ones won't be visible anywhere near the venue and won't be allowed to be in the precincts if and when such an event is to be held. They will continue to remain the unsung heroes and the stadiums, Games village, celebrities from across Common Wealth nations could be seen around for about 12-13 days.
Sorry. Another happy news, that too quite important, even epoch-making. Our Olympics Committee Chariman Suresh Kalmadi reportedly is on the look out for bidding for 2020 Olympics(?) in India. Howzaat?
While crediting our Fourth Estate with showers of praises an undesirable even deplorable trend of 'paid-news syndrome' is very much talked about and debated around the media world and the said trend is here to stay and spread out. We will have to stand witness to the erosion of ethics, morals and widely acclaimed credentials in the days to come. Free Market policies should not be allowed to circumvent the very essence of our long-cherished media heritage.
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