If you are
following the political turmoil basically over the issue of corruption in India for the
last two years rather seriously you cannot help but suffer from frequent spells
of pessimism. You tend to feel that in 99.9 percent of cases corruption finally
emerges victorious thanks primarily to the politics of corruption fought so
shamelessly and without any sort of ideologies. So powerful are the lobbies of
vested interests, so powerful are the people in power, so powerful are the
chains of mutual interests and so toothless and ineffectual are the legal and
judicial systems that the corrupt finally escape even after being charged or
jailed or whatever. As you can righteously feel pessimistic in the recent IPL
Spot Fixing Scandal after all the big stories of corruption almost every
accused is currently out on bail and things do not at all augur well for
justice being done in near future. The premier investigative agencies pursuing
cases howsoever diligently are always targeted for allegedly favoring
particular ‘party’ individuals or groups or whatever. Nobody cares for the
truth anyway. But today, we witness a definitive case of corruption losing and
the truth prevailing.
Suresh Kalmadi,
the main accused of Delhi Commonwealth Games-2010 corruption case, continued to
pull the ‘mutual’ power strings to remain in contention and power even after
being jailed for ten months. The brazen corruption kingpin wanted to attend the
London Olympics as the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) right
after coming out of jail on bail. One court even allowed him to do so, but
fortunately one higher court barred him citing national embarrassment. Banking on
the ‘mutually corrupt benefit scheme’ and on his ever loyal ‘partners-in-corruption’
Kalmadi still did not want to lose his home-ground Pune in Maharashtra seeking
re-election as the President of the Asian Athletic Association (AAA) for the
fourth time in view of the 20th Asian Athletic Championship starting
in Pune from 2nd July, 2013. Kalmadi might have drawn tremendous
inspiration too from N Srinivason, the classic
case of the adamantly corrupt.
But today, in
the AAA poll held in Pune Suresh Kalmadi lost by 18 votes to 20 votes and was
ousted from the AAA. The Athletic Championship that got overshadowed and
dampened by the Kalmadi factor could finally start in full glory. Indian sports
legends who have been lambasting Kalmadi in helpless rage for his shameless
quest for power and position now welcome the verdict with open and free hearts.
At least in one
case Corruption loses in India.
We must hail this event as very significant and possibly as the catalyst for cleansing
our great country of corruption—be it in the realm of sports or anywhere.
