Indian National Games: Is Kerala state involved in corruption?

-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL

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From Commonwealth to National games?

Almost a month left for the 35th edition of the National Games now being organized in Kerala but the events are already under the clouds of corruption scandals.

It is seems an active involvement in corruption scandals is the birth right of Indian government, officials, politicians. 

The Kerala government, already in trouble over bribery issue by feud with the liquor mafia for protecting the interests of foreign liquor industry in the state, is now facing serious allegation of corruption in national games projects.  

The opposition parties in Kerala say the corruption in national games is on Commonwealth games model corruption. The CPI (M)-led Opposition has alleged that the Congress government was trying to do a repeat of “Commonwealth games model” corruption that rocked the capital and many corrupt people still managed to escape punishment under the Congress led UPA regime.

Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Sports Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan were attempting to become Suresh Kalmadi, who had been the chairman of the Commonwealth Games 2010 who was later axed by the party itself.

Run Kerala Run

The murder of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of former  HRD minister Shashi Tharoor  hailing from Kerala,  in New Delhi has put the Congress party and Kerala government bad spot. Delhi police has confirmed the murder of Sunanda and would question Tharoor, besides sending samples for further foreign investigations. 

The corruption scandal  in National games in Kerala has made things worse for the government as it is in a bad shape with deadly impact of liquor mafia issue. 

Achuthanandan said the decision to give Rs 10.6 crore for an event management firm under leading Malayalam newspaper in Kerala, Malayala Manorama indicated the gravity of the corruption in the conduct of the national games. The event management firm has been given the contract for the conduct of the mass run, billed Run Kerala Run, on January 20 as a campaign for the National Games.

People of Kerala would voluntarily make the mass run a great success considering that national games goodwill ambassador Sachin Tendulakr, a cricketer who got Bharatratna for making 100s with help from fellow batsmen and opponent bowlers as India’s “great feat”, would also participate in the run. Whether or not Sachin will also share the booty is not clear as yet.

It was unwarranted to entrust the conduct of the mass run to an event management company under a particular newspaper. It is mysterious why the government wants to support a private firm under the guise of the mass run

Opposition deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also joined the issue, saying that nepotism and corruption were rampant in the conduct of the National Games. He said the Opposition would rethink about its support for the National Games.

Usual justifications

While offering the tender contract, the Kerala government seemed to have followed some rules but floated important ones. However, reacting to the allegation, Sports Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan of Congress party said ‘K Junction’ the event management firm under Malayala Manorama was entrusted with the conduct of the mass run through open tender process. “We have stuck to regulations in the conduct of the national games. Only two firms including K Junction, had qualified for the bid. As K Junction was the lowest bidder, the contract was entrusted to that firm,” said Radhakrishnan.

The National Games would begin in Kerala on January 31. Unlike the previous editions in which a single city hosted the event, the 35th National Games would be held in seven districts in Kerala. But infrastructural facilities are not yet ready and delay is threatening to disrupt the events.

Alleging massive corruption in the games' deals, former Kerala sports minister K B Ganesh Kumar on quit the organising committee of the 35th National Games. Ganesh said he had warned chief minister Oommen Chandy about it

Kumar's decision to step down came on a day when sports minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had to fend off allegations of corruption and nepotism leveled by opposition leader V S Achuthanandan and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.  Radhakrishnan said the Games were being organized in the most transparent manner possible. "We have uploaded all details on the official website for ensuring transparency," he said.

Nepotism, corruption and medals

One really doubts not only the  proper  expenditure of money allocated for  games but also the worth of medals the sports people get at National games

First it was the Commonwealth Games, which created a huge furore about allegations of corruption. And now even the recently concluded National Games are under a cloud.

National games are riddled with corruption cases. Excited athletes gave in their best during the recently concluded National Games in Jharkhand. While the country was glued to the fluctuation fortunes of team India at the bogus cricket world cup, the athletes were almost performing the role of lone rangers.  But some documents are now putting the entire oganisation of the National Games under the scanner. A formal complaint was filed before the Jharkhand High Court for alleged corruption in purchase of several key sporting equipments. The High court has directed the state vigilance department to carry out investigations. Two hundred dozens of Dunlop tennis balls were bought at a price of Rs 880 a dozen, while the market price is Rs 550 a dozen. Even in Wimbledon, the overall number of balls required is not in excess of 30 dozens.

The investigations are also under way to decide whether a squash court at Dhanbad, built at a price of Rs 1.6 crore, was in violation of guidelines. While Rs 11 crore has been spent on erecting high mast light facilities in the Birsa Munda Astroturf Hockey stadium in Ranchi, 200 javelins have been purchased at a price of Rs 50 lakh. Fox whistles bought at Rs 450 a piece, while similar whistles were available at much lower prices. Even the purchases of football goalposts and hockey goalposts were now being scrutinised.

So the question is who ultimately is responsible for any of these violations? A person like RK Anand, working chairman of the National Games Organising Committee and one of the individuals against whom the FIR has been filed, is claiming to be the whistleblower himself. The Organising Committee members of Asian Games say they have got nothing to do with this. They are not taken into confidence by the concerned officials.

Observation: can corruption be eradicated in India?

India where unemployment,  poverty, diseases, etc  take the toll of all developmental operations by the state, corruption as a serious menace  pulls   nation  backward as  the  corporates and rich loot the nation’s resources. Poor people remain well behind the national averages. But it is a shame that the government promotes that trend a sits prime duty. .

By resorting to corrupt practices   by choice, the Kerala government led by Congress party also deliberately let the corporates and big businesses an mafias make quick money by bribing the government officials and ministers, including CM.

When the government itself guides corrupt routes corruption can never be totally eradicated in India.

Almost every party does not want a strong Lokpal to contain corruption in India. Especially the big parties like Congress, BJP, SP, BSP, DMK, ADMK, etc require no strong authority in India or states to control their corrupt practices. If there is some serious corruption  problem, the politicians  approach the government to  squash the cases and they continue to engage themselves in corruption. Congress and BJP  are deadly against any real authority to control the corrupt operations of politicians and officials. 

Perhaps, the Lokayukta can combat corruption by placing responsible persons who refuse to be bribed at all the government offices where deals genially take place to check bribery lines.