"national Disgrace"

[SURYADEV]

I'm pretty certain China is watching this farce unfold and thinking "they couldn't organise a p!33 up in a brewery" and the Red Army is probs making plans right now on how/when to invade India, knowing it would be a doddle to take over the country.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100922/r_t_rtrs_ts_other/tts-uk-games-ca02f96_8.html?printer=1

Athletes quit Commonwealth Games as criticism mounts

Wednesday, September 22 09:52 am

Alistair Scrutton

Several big name athletes have pulled out of the Commonwealth Games and Scotland delayed its departure to New Delhi on Wednesday, adding to woes of an event meant to showcase India's ability to stand up with China on the world stage. Skip related content

Some countries have effectively given Delhi a few days to clean up the Games village or face the prospect of national withdrawals from an event which is so far only showcasing Indian traveller-tale cliches of filth, chaos and corruption.

A portion of false ceiling in the weightlifting venue caved in on Wednesday, a day after the collapse of a footbridge by the main stadium, injuring 27 workers, highlighted problems facing organisers as they race to complete work.

Nobody was injured at the weightlifting venue.

"National Shame" was the headline of one Indian newspaper.

"There have been dogs roaming around the village, the apartments are filthy, there are piles of rubble and right now it's not fit to receive 6,500 athletes and officials," Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, told BBC Radio.

Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell said on Tuesday the two-week event, starting October 3, was seriously compromised by filthy conditions that have shocked delegations.

There have been reports of stray dogs, stagnant water, workers urinating in public, and human faeces being found at the unfinished village where the athletes will live. Stagnant pools of water, breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes, lie around.

Officials say the problems, including the roof collapse on Wednesday, are mostly minor glitches and the Games will be a success.

Some four or five accommodation towers at the Games village are still unfinished, lacking facilities such as wireless Internet, fitted toilets and plumbing. Rubble, unused masonry and discarded bricks litter the unfinished gardens.

World discus champion Dani Samuels of Australia pulled out of the Games because of security and health concerns, as did England's world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu. Four other champions have quit due to various reasons, including injuries, in the last 24 hours.

"Sorry people, but I have children to think about. My safety is more important to them than a medal," Idowu wrote on his Twitter feed.

Triple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica is the highest profile athlete to skip the event.

DENGUE EPIDEMIC

An epidemic of Dengue, in part blamed on stagnant water around unfinished construction sites, has hit Delhi and hundreds of people have been hospitalised. Many residents are fleeing Delhi during the Games, worried about security and traffic chaos.

Only days after two foreign visitors were shot and wounded by unknown assailants in Delhi, Australian TV broadcast how a reporter bought bomb making devices to smuggle through security points. Indian police denied he ever crossed a checkpoint.

Highlighting how the Games has quickly become a political minefield for a government already reeling under high inflation, officials from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office toured the village.

"It's no state secret, we're concerned," said an official at the prime minister's office, who declined to be named.

So far Singh, who took charge of monitoring the preparations a month ago after criticism of missed deadlines, has remained silent on the mounting criticism of the state of the Games, underscoring what critics say is his out-of-touch leadership.

Sporting power Australia backed the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday and many venues, including the main Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, have been praised as world-class.

Officials note that other events such as the 2004 Athens Olympics were dogged by problems, but turned out fine.

But Canada's Games team said it might delay the arrival of some of its athletes if adequate accommodation was not available.

New Zealand Olympic Committee officials have arrived in Delhi to inspect facilities and security.

"I think if the Commonwealth Games didn't go ahead, that could have significant implications for the future of the Commonwealth Games, and that's not something we'd like to see," New Zealand Prime Minister John Key told reporters

Indian officials defended their record.

"Please try to understand ... They want certain standards of hygiene, they want certain standards of cleanliness, which may differ from my standard," said Lalit Bhanot, spokesman of the Delhi organising committee.

Dismal preparations have, for many, underscored the out-of-touch, slow-paced leadership of Prime Minister Singh and his Congress government, raising questions how a graft-ridden, inefficient state can hope to compete with China.

(Reporting by Reuters bureau in New Delhi; Writing by Alistair Scrutton; Editing by Paul de Bendern, Sanjeev Miglani and Ossian Shine)

[kdsingh80]

I'm pretty certain China is watching this farce unfold and thinking "they couldn't organise a p!33 up in a brewery" and the Red Army is probs making plans right now on how/when to invade India, knowing it would be a doddle to take over the country.

Oh come on keep your imaginations under control.Commonwealth games has exposed the corruption and Failure of Govt of India,but it does not mean that China is going to invade India.If China wants then it will support separatitst/naxal movements in India.but Right now waging a war when Chinese economy is booming is not going to be in their mind.

[kdsingh80]

Read this joke and make yourself a good laugh,just read it on rediff

Dear ParvezMusharafSukMyDikkuddin,

Huzoor as per your instruction

Target 1:- The bridge you mentioned to place Bomb has collapsed on its own, even the back up bridge is on the verge of collapse

Target 2: The building which you mentioned to place Bomb, Kalmadi and Pawar used the Toilet and as usual did not flush. The whole building is stinking and as CGF chief Michell Fennell said it has become inhabitable. Forget about placing bomb if we go inside the Building we will become first shahid(Martyr) to die of suffocation due to the human stink bomb.

These were my two targets and you see I am without target. What a waste of time,training and planning. Please let me know what should I do, I am getting bored.

[GillAUS]

I seriously hope this event fails to get under way so a real disaster can be averted.

Indians need to wake up and smell the coffee. A handful of billionaires and the materialistic Bollywood fantasy mentality isn't doing anything to help the country fight it's two biggest problems:

Poverty and corruption.

These issues have been swept under the rug for far too long.

In the end, the greatest hilarity is the fact that it wasn't the so called "Sikh extremists" that were the biggest threat to the Games - as stated in numerous news sources in recent months; but rather the ineptitude of the organisers.

[SURYADEV]

Oh come on keep your imaginations under control.Commonwealth games has exposed the corruption and Failure of Govt of India,but it does not mean that China is going to invade India.If China wants then it will support separatitst/naxal movements in India.but Right now waging a war when Chinese economy is booming is not going to be in their mind.

you are right .i do have a vivid imagination.

It is the Taliban who are thinking why would we want this landlocked mound of rock and dust when we can really turn India into a calipahte and sit where our forefathers did!!!!!!!!!

[DSG]

I sincerely hope a full scale investigation is done and all the corrupt politicians , so called people in power are exposed , the best bit being , its watched by the whole world

Knowing India , they will still be doing construction during the games

[SURYADEV]

Most likely they set up a 15 man committee to run an investigation that will report back in 7years time.

But as some official has stated the standards in India are different to the standards required in the west. Whereas we will see the results as a whitewash, they will find that all parties involved did their best, were innocent and be exonerated.

[Mithar]

I honestly don't understand why everyone is surprised. Did you expect anything different from India? I would have been surprised if the games had been arranged without corruption. What the news is reporting is something that is expected from India.

[dalsingh101]

The thread should be renamed to "National disgrace number 2056...and counting"

[tonyhp32]

I wish the games are a complete disaster and India is forced to cancel them or none of the anglo countries send their athletes. India deserves to have it's nose rubbed in the mud for thinking that a third world country could organise an event of such prestige. Hopefully it will put an end to all those 'India/ns are the best in the world' or '99% of scientists at Nasa are Indians'emails. They really have got so much beizzati over this shambles. Any separatist organisation needs to just let a few bombs off in Delhi and the whole event will die a well deserved death! And to think the Indian idiots were promising world class facilities which would surpass the Beijing Olympics!! And there's still the Ayodhya verdict out on Friday!

Edited September 22, 2010 by tonyhp32

[SURYADEV]

I do believe that Indians produce top class scientists, IT, medics etc. But those are at an individual level. As soon as it involves the public sector the 'goha hits the pakha' and everything fails. India's success to date (bar Manmohan Singh liberalisation policy as FM) has only come about because of individual effort in the private sector and they are reaping the rewards.

I did a project for a British multi-national firm and was told that they couldn't get Highy-educated and highly trained finance guys with specific skillset from this country so had to transfer guys from their Indian office to the UK. India can produce world class knowledge workers but no way can they provide the infrastructure to give them employment.

[dalsingh101]

No doubt that India can produce techies that mess with the best of them. There are a lot of geeky guys out there.

Thing with India is that they generally can't do any good with the talent under their own nose and the best often leave for the west, where they get utilised.

India is obviously run by fools that it lets such a brain drain occur which ends up benefiting other nations. Backwards. The Indian mind is generally small minded, petty and jealous. That includes a lot of apnay too.

Edited September 22, 2010 by dalsingh101

[kdsingh80]

Thing with India is that they generally can't do any good with the talent under their own nose and the best often leave for the west, where they get utilised.

Dalsingh

Do you know that best in India still goes for Govt/PSU jobs as they are very tough to crack.But once they are in best become worst,reason socialist policies,

over job security and no incentive for good work

[tonyhp32]

I think incompetence should have won!

Edited September 22, 2010 by tonyhp32

[Gyan Parbodh]

Breaking News: Sikh separatists were behind the roof and bridge collapsing.

[dalsingh101]

The other week a Czech friend of a friend came around and started talking about India and how people take a shit anywhere in the open. How so many European people who go there are so sickened by this when when they witness it, they don't want to leave their hotels. Women cry "what sort of disgusting place have you brought me too!"

Truth is that Indians can be nasty mofos, and it isn't worth Sikhs getting on any high horse as our lot do that stuff too.

Truth hurts.

Edited September 23, 2010 by dalsingh101

[SURYADEV]

Just before the olympics the chinese govt tried a 'cultural paradigm shift' by trying to stop the populaous shitting and pissing in public, and eating dogs!

dont't know if it worked though - short term or long term.

I think a factor is the India is supposedly a democracy with 'human rights' (or sentimental rights that always get hurt! lol) and china is autocratic structured. If they want to do something they just do.

SOme sikhs do have some insey-weeny sensibilities though. I remember taking a piss up against a wall in semi public and some 'giani' told me that we (sikhs) shouldn't do it like that..........'we should squat down and take a piss. only animals piss whilst standing up'!

WTF....like the organising official said 'we indians have different standards to the west'.

Bande da demaag ferr janda en loka'n nu samaj ke.

[SURYADEV]

Anyway they are 'sorry' now. so ya'll should feel better:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100923/twl-delhi-official-sorry-for-games-failu-41f21e0.html

Delhi official sorry for Games 'failure'

Thursday, September 23 11:25 am

A prominent member of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee has apologised for a "collective failure" as preparations for Delhi 2010 continue to be dogged by problems. Skip related content

Treasurer AK Mattoo has admitted to the failings in a tv interview after reports of "filthy" living conditions in the athletes' village and the collapse of a footbridge near a stadium led to 23 injuries.

He said: "I apologise for whatever has happened, whether directly or indirectly by us or by one of the stakeholders in this event. I genuinely feel sorry for whatever has happened and would like to apologise not only on the part of the OC but everybody else who is committed. This is a collective failure."

Reports that a ceiling in the weightlifting arena fell down have been downplayed.

Several participating nations - including Scotland - have delayed the departure of their athletes while others like Wales are waiting for assurances the issues will be resolved before the Games open on October 3.

England's Commonwealth Games team has provided some welcome relief to the crisis-hit event in New Delhi by announcing the first competitors will fly out as planned on Thursday night despite serious concerns remaining over safety and conditions.

Sir Andrew Foster, chairman of Commonwealth Games England, warned however that the "ultimate option" remained pulling out and some other team members could yet have their departures delayed.

Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell was due to hold crisis talks with India's prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

[DSG]

Thats too funny , one for the books

SOme sikhs do have some insey-weeny sensibilities though. I remember taking a piss up against a wall in semi public and some 'giani' told me that we (sikhs) shouldn't do it like that..........'we should squat down and take a piss. only animals piss whilst standing up'!

[dalsingh101]

I reckon you may well get a some late uturning by some of the west on all this when they have a good think about international relationships and their desire to 'penetrate' the untapped potential Indian market?

That being said, well done India, for absolutely cocking up a clean opportunity to shine on a global platform. Well done for reinforcing the stereotype of India as a corrupt, useless, dirty, exploitative place.

On top of all this I wonder if they've actually learned any important lessons about security or do they still have the clownlike attitude that could lead to another disaster if some sullay decide to invade the party and spray the place up ala Mumbai stylee? Or some action from Naxalite sources?

[Mithar]

SOme sikhs do have some insey-weeny sensibilities though. I remember taking a piss up against a wall in semi public and some 'giani' told me that we (sikhs) shouldn't do it like that..........'we should squat down and take a piss. only animals piss whilst standing up'!

WTF....like the organising official said 'we indians have different standards to the west'.

Bande da demaag ferr janda en loka'n nu samaj ke.

The Giani wasn't wrong. Actually standing up and taking a piss is something that is not supported by traditional sampradhah either, Nihangs for example are taught to squat. I forgot which puraatan rehetnama it is from, but I remember reading that a Singh should not stand and piss. In olden times, it was taught that when taking a piss a man should squat and not stand up because this is what animals do plus when you stand and take a leak some piss drops might end up on your cloths. Standing up and pissing is traditionally thought of as Malech attribute in India, but now everyone in India stands up and takes a piss.

[dalsingh101]

Made me laugh. Just when India couldn't seem any weirder in the international media we have this....

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3156472/Monkeys-to-guard-athletes.html

Like The Sun would ever resist the urge......

No looking at page 3 brothers!

[shaheediyan]

I am sure the Monkeys will do a much more professional job than the organisers and GOI.

[kdsingh80]

Made me laugh. Just when India couldn't seem any weirder in the international media we have this....

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3156472/Monkeys-to-guard-athletes.html

Like The Sun would ever resist the urge......

No looking at page 3 brothers!

Dalsingh

May be for you this is a matter of laugh but it is a genuine problem here.Rhesus monkeys are everywhere and because they are god hanuman you cannot kill them.They are very dangerous and could maul you badly.

So They attack people so much in our colony. That people here are very much worried what to do

Once our colony invited monkey catchers and they set trap in front of our gate

and after that the rage I saw in alpha male was terrifying.Though no monkey was inside the trap but he was not even allowing anybody to go near the cage.He was not afraid of 2-3 guards with sticks.We all have to see the tamasha from inside the window.

[dalsingh101]

but it is a genuine problem here.Rhesus monkeys are everywhere and because they are god hanuman you cannot kill them.

Are you seriously telling me they are considered to be Hanumaan?

I noticed people seem very scared of monkeys, even tiny ones when I visited Panjab.

So they have cows as mothers, and monkeys as gods........and that doesn't seem just a bit strange to you?