I am attaching a Hindi ‘poem’ (no doubt, an amateur’s attempt) by me, inspired by Peepli Live’s now famous song (Mahangaai Daayan Khaaye Jaat Hai; महंगाई डायन खाए जात है), on Commonwealth Games (CWG) being inaugurated with great fanfare in Delhi on 3^rd October 2010. To read the poem, click here.

Although I have no claims to poetry at all, I have been for long so upset at this 12-day extravaganza and distortion of what India should stand for, that this ‘poem’ was my spontaneous response – response of my anguish. I am sharing it with you in the hope that you would examine its thoughts and the inherent critique of India Inc. and the neo-liberal Indian State , rather than evaluate its quality as a poem.

I wrote its first version on 16^th September 2010 when Shiksha Adhikar Manch, Bhopal organized a seminar on “Commonwealth Games and Fundamental Rights”. It was publicly released by Prof. G. Haragopal, the renowned political scientist from Central University of Hyderabad, who was the chief guest at the Seminar. Some parts of it appeared in the local press. It was also presented the next day (17^th September), the day the Queen’s Baton arrived in Bhopal, at theDharna (Sit-In) organized jointly by several people’s movements of Madhya Pradesh. The attached poem is an updated version of the 16^th September version and includes references to the developments since then.

A report of both the aforesaid Seminar and Dharna will be sent to you later this month, hopefully.

You would please note that we have deliberately not focused on corruption as an issue while criticizing the government’s decision to hold CWG, though the corruption and nepotism in CWG has crossed all known limits of a civilized society. Our stand would not change even if the level of corruption were to be zero. I have noted some comments on the internet questioning our stand on the ground why this belated protest. At this stage, I would restrict to recalling that the first public protest against CWG in which I participated was at the National Convention on Right to Education organized by the People’s Campaign for Common School System in New Delhi ’s Constitution Club on 9^th December 2005. The National Convention, seeking a pro-people Right to Education Act and adequate public funding of the education system, questioned the propriety of spending money on CWG. It was inaugurated by the former Chief Justice Sh. J.S. Verma. Apart from activists and intellectuals, several hundred determined tribals from Gujarat and Maharashtra , representing Lok Sangharsh Morcha, participated. Since then, the subject has been raised at a number of public forums, including the Parliament Rally organized by the All India Forum for Right to Education (AIF-RTE) on 24^th February 2009. I would return to this matter when I write again on this subject later this month.

Our protest against CWG focuses on the following issues:

1. India ’s continued participation in CWG (and Commonwealth itself, for that matter) symbolizes the British colonial rule and indicates the prevailing colonial (now imperialist) mindset of the Indian ruling class in formulation of its present anti-people socio-economic policies and legislations. Of course, this particular objection does not apply to our participation in either the Asiad or the Olympics.
2. The false priority given to allocation of public funds to CWG while the Indian State has been consistently misleading the nation since India became a Republic by citing the proverbial ‘resource crunch’ whenever attention is drawn to inadequate allocation of funds for implementing Fundamental Rights. The holding of CWG may benefit India Inc. but the latter can’t claim CWG as its Fundamental Right!
3. There is no ground whatsoever in the misleading claim that CWG will help promote sports and athletics in India . Did Asiad 1982 promote sports and athletics though it was claimed by the then government? Sports and athletics must be one of the priorities in policy making and public funding but this has to begin at the pre-primary education level and be organically incorporated in educational planning in every village, kasba, town and city from pre-primary stage to higher education.
4. CWG is promoting a market-oriented consumerist culture of games that is replete with neo-liberal values that India must resist and help build a global movement against this reductionism of the healthy traditions of sports and athletics. 

Each one of the above issues needs elaboration. I am keen to do this but, for this, you would have to wait.

Let me conclude this note by citing the following observation (translated from Hindi) at the end of my attached Hindi poem:

“On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (October 2, 2010), a day before the inauguration of the Commonwealth Games, let us explore what would Gandhiji have done if he were to be alive today.”

For the sake of the kind of India we wish to build, let us continue to dialogue on the larger issues raised herein.

Please feel free to use this 'poem' and the views in the covering note in any publication you deem fit.

Regards,

Sincerely yours,

(Anil Sadgopal)

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Prof. Anil Sadgopal

Member, Presidium

All India Forum for Right to Education (AIF-RTE)

E-8/29, Sahkar Nagar

Bhopal 462 039

Tel.: (0755) 256-0438

Mo. : 09425600637

Email: anilsadgopal@yahoo.com