Best and Worst of Times

It has been the best of times, and it has been the worst of times as well.

The rain gods have been overgenerous for most parts of North India, with Delhi recording the highest rainfall in the past 32 years, and hopes are high for a bountiful Kharif crop this season and the forthcoming as well. Hopefully, this should provide us with the much needed relief from the soaring food inflation which has risen to almost 15%.

Sensex crossed the 20,000 mark much ahead of the predictions by the anlysts and veterans of the Dalal Street, driven chiefly by the superb confidence exhibited by the FIIs who have literally flooded our bourses with funds. GDP growth for the current financial year is expectef to touch 8.5 %, and no one really seems to challenge the belief that the Indian econmy is among the best performing in the emerging markets.

The much delayed but welcome visit of the All Party Delegation to Kashmir, toengaage with a wide section of opinion, and subsequent intitiaves like the eight point plan, in order to enable the return to normalcy has rekindled some hopes in the country, notwithstanding the serious reservations against the competence of the Omar Abdullah government to deliver the right governance in the state.

On the flip side, the disastrous state of affairs in the run up to CWG, alongwith the allegations of corruption of unimaginable magnitude, have left most of the self respecting Indians redfaced. The concerns and apprehensions expressed by the envoys of some commonwealth countries, and some high profile sports persons pulling out of the games only further dented our image in the eyes of the world community.

That the Prime Minister himself had to finally intervene, to salvage the situation speaks volumes of the overall competence and capabilities of the key members of the organizing committee, the bosses at the Sports Ministry, and the various agencies involved.

The extent of cynicism and disgust over such sate of affairs can be gauged by the media coverages, cartoons in leading dailies, and the scorn with which some citizens are discussing the games.

What contrast to the general excitement and enthusiasm which prevailled during the run up to the Asiad 82! Sigh, that today we are deprived of a leader like Mrs. Indira Gandhi who took personal interest in the preparations of Asiad 82 since day one, and as some newspaper reports suggest, she was ably assisted by Rajiv Gandhi.

While cynicism has overpowered reason, and pessimism has overpowered optimism among most opf us today, where our character, credibility, accountability, and commitment are concerned, yet I for one would dare to kindle a ray of hope in the midst of this fierce darkness which has engulfed all of us today.

Notwithstanding this fiasco, there is every reason to be confident that ultimately we would pull it off, and all the naysayers like Moody’s who have opined that “Concerns regarding safety, security, and site preparedness ate tarnishing the country’s global image. India’s reputation as a tourist and investment destination could be damaged” would be compelled to reverse their perceptions very soon.

Yet, let this be a wake up call for each one of us, and most importantly for those at the helm of our affairs including our political leadership at the Centre and the States.
All of us love our democratic rights and individual freedoms. But then how many of us are willing to fulfill our duties diligently and devotedly, and are ready to be held accountable for our acts of omission and commission ?

Perhaps, no one else than Ms. Indira Gandhi realized this bitter truth.