Now that Games are over, will heads roll?

GN Bureau | October 15, 2010



“Spectacular” and “dazzling” are the adjectives the media has used to describe the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games as well as India’s performance in the event. All of us are glad. Some of us are also glad that it’s over. Given that it was the costliest ever CWG, it must have required special efforts to mess things up till the last moment. If it was meant to tell the world that India had arrived, the effort was largely counter-productive.

Just as those tableaux showcased the Indian culture, the run-up to the games also showcased to the world the menace of corruption and lack of accountability that is rampant here. The only shocking part was that in this case it was so brazen. (Read the accompanying piece: Don't lay the pride trap for us, prime minister. Name the names now.)

But the prime minister brushed all that under the carpet, invoking the cause of national pride. Now that the event is over, the global media’s focus is shifting away, can we expect a stock taking, the fixing of accountability? Or will it be business as usual? Will the people who made money while bringing shame to India and cheating the taxpayer be punished?
 

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