Re: Will India win a medal this Olympics ?

[Naveenkj@aol.com]

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This discussion about the olympics reminds me of an article in "The Hindu" on
the day of the anniversary of the Quit India Movement.  A group of women had
gathered (the place I don't recall) protesting multinational corporations,
mainly large farming industries that are not only responsible for dwindling
the local farming industry and destroying family farms pushing many farmers
into poverty, but are also responsible for unequal acquisition of fertilizers
and water resources. (Ironically, around the small article were large
advertisements for Heinz ketchup, Lee Jeans, Domino's pizza, and a weight
loss center.)

The proponent of institutionalizing American Sporting industry in India must
make it known the costs of such initiatives.  In a land of 700 million people
without access to safe drinking water, how does this proponent ask for
Indians to spend metric tons of water on daily maintainance of American
quality sporting fields?  Furthermore, where is the place to build sports
stadiums in already overcrowded cities?  Oh, maybe we will do what we have
done with our highway expansion programs.  Displace dalits and build it on
top of sacred burial grounds of Scheduled Tribe lands (which were once given
to them and promised non-industrialization).  He further states there shall
be no govt. involvement for it will be a hurdle to this "progress".  Thinking
the answers to ending the corruption in our govt. is to have no govt. at
all... no even your gods of the west will agree that further democratization
is the answer to corruption not laissez-faire.

Furthermore, where is the dire need for this?  Not winning medals in Olympics
is not a valid cause for proposals such as this.  The people in India, up to
my knowledge, are not crying for alternative forms of entertainment,
especially sports.

The American sporting industry is nothing more than a form of business, run
through marketing principles of consumerism.  The athletes are highly paid,
not by their teams but through corporate sponsorships.  To adapt such a
society would require India to make drastic cultural adjustments.  For
instance eating pizza instead of puri, and dressing in denim jeans instead of
kurthas.  For the corporate sponspors will force on India, American cultural
commodities of Nike Shoes and CalvinKlein Jeans.  Are we ready to surrender
our culture?  Are we ready to accept the costs to human life, culture and
democracy, for these are requisite means for achieving an America in the
Indian sub-continent?

Why do we have to succeed in terms set by the white man?  Why do we have to
emulate everything American?  Where have the Gandhians gone?  When will we
realize globalization means assimilation into a culture of rugged
individualism, selfishness, unhappiness, lack of family values, all in the
name of economic progress?  When will we realize that the western standards
of world power are suicidal?  Do we really belong to such a backward,
uncivilized culture, that we don't find it worthy of having westerners
emulate us for a change?  Why doesn't the rest of the world learn kabadi, eat
roti for breakfast, and hum the tunes of Ravi Shankar?  Maybe then we shall
think about listening to American music?

peace

Naveen


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