As if contented with being the
biggest consumer of gold - any way, and the definer of world gold price, India
said ‘no’ to gold medals in the London Olympics 2012. As if preferring spiritual
than mundane bliss, this country that ‘balances’ globalisation by exporting
yoga and meditation to the West even dint mind the few pieces of bronze and
silver posted to it.
In fact, although cricket is a
religion there, as if suggesting ‘even a dog has its day’, but more than not reminding
conversion of religion that Hindus frown so much, even the bronze and silver
bringing Olympians saw religion momentarily changed from cricket to Olympics.
In fact, tormented less for a lesser gender, more for lesser in number in the
race conscious nation, the Mongolian lady boxer, Mary Kom from media remote
Tripura who saw derision alone before, now saw adulation.
Furthermore, already united in
territory to disprove American theory that it would disintegrate after
liberation, now transcending divisions in culture, faith, ethnicity, gender and
language it suddenly stood united in euphoria.
More was to come...
Sensing gold, the sports minister
from the state capital Delhi, made Tripura the sports capital. Almost tallying
with its multiple paths to God, he included sports in multiple paths to ICS
officer. Sports suddenly became an undying career. Those less keen on schools,
who refused to aim for doc or engineer as demanded by parents, suddenly had a
good reason to do so - if only they chased sports instead of girls.
However, in shifting focus and
using lesser telescope to include China, the view desplays sadness and ‘Should
India really be proud?’ climbs. Although playing a hide and seek in numbers of
population, economic growth and future leadership, the mismatch in the medals
tally brings more pain to India in showing than hiding. Although the inference
‘It’s better to work than talk’ almost sides with ‘Single party system is
better than multiparty’, the primary pathology seems to be the lack of
intension in the triangle below the Himalayas.
That almost brings us to this...
If India is thinking of being the
future leader, it has to begin with the realisation that the present achievement
is a failure and the euphoria misplaced. That, however, constitutes just one
step. It has to go for a long march. But then, does that not remind one of what
Mao said about the need of first step in a long march? With India ruling over
China for the last 2000 years without sending a single soldier – as a Chinese
embassador candidly put, it’s probably a payback time in terms of learning!
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