Pudhuyugan ponders

Not long ago did we witness a lot of negative publicity surrounding Delhi in nexus to the 2010 Commonwealth Games during the build-up stages.  As the games closed we read about a change that seemed quite dramatic. Had an alien read both of the reports he would have found it quite comical and would have been bemused by our over-reactions. The opening and closing ceremonies oozed grandeur bringing out the cultural richness of the country. India did it as grand as it can get. More importantly, the Indian sportsmen did pretty well trailing only behind ‘Always Australia’ [Not so much so in cricket though]. The athletes from various nationalities seemed to enjoy the arrangements. The aftermath of the eventful event has seen the Indian government instigate inquiries on the games’ organisers on charges of corruption. We keenly await results on these. So what is the verdict? There have been exaggerated criticisms at the beginning and over-reacted praises at the end. ...

The room is filled with pitch darkness. You are left wondering whether it was the right move to have ventured into the room in the first place. All of a sudden a warm grip on your wrist conveys assurance. You don t seem to know this person completely. Or do you remotely recognise him – possibly in one of your earlier encounters? Your grip is then transferred to another sleek one which appears to be a fabulous pen. Nevertheless, the grip transpires to be your light and lead, as you slowly follow suit. The air is filled with a mystic aroma all of a sudden which brings about lovely memories of absolute joy known only to you, personally. But how on earth did this connection happen at all? The journey continues. By now you feel fully at home and walk alongside your 'grip' taking friendly strides. You start guessing and second-guessing the next turn of your journey. You succeed at times when you feel great and give yourself a pat on your back. But then your hunches bet...

New Delhi has been criticised left, right and centre on the arrangements [or the lack of the same, rather] of the Commonwealth Games that are opening today. Critics have pointed out the falling of the footbridge and the other sub-standard arrangements that have left the world in dismay without an iota of doubt. A few others, on the other hand, mention that the participants have now expressed satisfaction with the arrangements in the Games Village. Some others have lambasted the decision to award the Games to be hosted in India in the first place. And a few have even gone on to question whether the claims of India as an upcoming economic power is really justified in light of the Games issues. The local media of this largest democracy of the world has blasted the Games organisers on corruption and poor organisational skills. So can Delhi manage to pull this off? Are the criticisms fair and justified? Handicapped was I without my remote to tackle the flood of adverts thrown...