Game plans for Assam

But not everyone around him seems happy. Especially the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom ULFA. The rebel group has not only opposed Guwahati hosting the games, but also vowed to disrupt it.

8220;It is another manifestation of India8217;s colonial attitude and dominance over Assam,8221; ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa has said.

The government has tried to shrug off the threat, but it is not taking it lightly. Home secretary V K Duggal himself flew down to Guwahati to review the security arrangements, a month ahead of the scheduled opening.

8220;I hope the ULFA threat is not a serious one,8221; Duggal has said, probably trying to allay fears that have spread across the country.

The positive side, however, is that people in the state have almost immediately opposed ULFA8217;s treat. Significantly, this is a rare case of people 8212; sportspersons and sports-lovers included 8212; widely disapproving of the boycott call and the threat of violence.

The Assam Government says it will be able to conduct the games 8220;as safely as possible.8221;

8220;I don8217;t consider the ULFA threat as very serious. The people of the state will provide security to the participants. The ULFA leaders must note that the entire population of the state has opposed their boycott call,8221; says Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is also president of the Assam Olympic Association. He said this was an event people of the state had been looking forward to, and one that the state has had allotted after some tough bidding in Hyderabad.

Guwahati has been working overtime to make the games a success. 8220;We have invested over Rs 300 crore in getting the infrastructure ready. This itself is a great achievement for the state,8221; says Pradyut Bordoloi, chairman of the publicity 038; media cell for the games.

In fact Guwahati so far had only one stadium worth its name over the past three decades 8212; the Nehru Stadium, built in the 8216;60s and venue to all sort of activities, sporting and often non-sporting.

8220;Today, we have several brand-new and world-class stadiums in and around Guwahati, and we are in a position to host events bigger than the National Games,8221; says Bordoloi.

For instance, the main Indira Gandhi Stadium, built at an estimated cost of Rs 34.66 crore, can seat 30,000 people. Besides the opening and closing ceremonies, most of the athletic events will be held here.

Nearby, are the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium, built at an estimated cost of Rs 26 crore, and the Zakir Hussain Aquatic Complex, which cost an estimated Rs 17.3 crore.

Then there are the Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phookan stadium, the Maulana Tayebullah Hockey Stadium, the sports complex in Sonapur on the outskirts, with an archery range and a velodrome.

Existing facilities like the Guwahati University Stadium, the Railway Stadium, the Don Bosco Indoor Stadium, and the Veterinary College Grounds, too, have been spruced up, making Guwahati an important sports centre of the future.

8220;The city of Guwahati itself is undergoing a transformation,8221; says Himanta Biswa Sharma, Assam Minister for Health 038; Guwahati Development. 8220;The government has invested about Rs 50 crore for widening and improving roads in the city in view of the National Games,8221; says Sharma.

But some feel the event is being turned into a government affair. Robin Bordoloi, a Congress MLA from Guwahati E, during whose term as sports minister Assam bagged the bid to host the games, complains: 8220;There8217;s lack of coordination between the State Government and the Assam Olympic Association. The AOA and other sports associations have been seriously ignored.8221;

The All-Assam Students8217; Union AASU too is unhappy. 8220;The event has become a government affair with sports organisers and associations sidelined. The Gauhati University authorities, for instance, have not been involved despite the fact that some of the events will be held at the university campus,8221; says Samujjal Bhattacharyya, AASU adviser.

Some other controversies have also cropped up: the decision to procure mementos from outside Assam, ignoring the state8217;s bell-metal cottage industry was called into question, and Rongmon himself underwent a costume change he was initially dressed as a bihu performer, more suited to a cultural than a sports event.

8220;But you can8217;t satisfy everybody. It8217;s more important at the moment to host the games by ensuring that every participant feels safe,8221; says the chief minister. 8220;And that exactly is our first priority.8221;