Sunday, January 17, 2010

Law and Behold

Why is it that laws and rules (in India) are mostly used to curtail freedom of people rather than to make life easy.

We have been seeing what has happened in Ruchika molestation case. Then later we also saw the case of Hockey players and insensitivity of Hockey India officials towards the players. And then yesterday it was time for harassment of Abhinav Bindra at the hands of NRAI.

It seems that laws (or rules as in case of sportsmen) are meant only for the lesser mortals. The people who are suppose to implement the laws/rules can easily go scot free by doing anything and then citing the laws.

We have seen what happens when players don't perform. Cricketers or their homes may be assaulted (it has happened many times). Other not so well to do sportsperson may forfeit other future opportunities and may end up working as gardeners, cleaners or waiters (it has happened with some hockey players, boxers and weightlifters).

It doesn't look or feel nice when players are forced to bend and beg infront of the beauracrats who are meant to be working for the players and the sports. Don't we make people think that its better to be a sports administrator than and sportsperson?

What about the sports officials who are responsible for administration of sports in the country? KPS Gill went on being the IHF president even when Indian hockey was going downhill. Priyaranjan Dasmunshi has been heading AIFF for years while Indian football is going nowhere.
Least said about Suresh Kalmadi, who has been heading Indian Olympic Association from 1996, the better. Most of the Delhites know about the Commonwealth games preparation in the city, and the chaos and fear because of it - fear that the games would be a catastrophe.

So how is it that these so-called sports officials are not held responsible for poor showings in sports events and how do they keep on holding their lucrative posts year after year. Is there any way that these Sports Authorities be made as much accountable for the on-field performance as much sportsperson are held. Can some provisions made by the Sports Ministry in order to quantify the performance of Sports Authority and on basis of which office holders be awarded or punished?