Event planning

We know that nations use sporting events as a bid for the worlds attention to show off their systems and prowess,demonstrate how far theyve come. Whether it was Chinas Olympics or South Africas World Cup,they are occasions for the hosts to compose their own image. Our government,after having grandly mismanaged the Commonwealth Games opportunity,is now trying to strangle the event with its own ideas of unity in diversity entertainment.

A group of ministers headed by Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy is personally supervising the sounds of the ceremony,making sure it echoes with the plurality of India. Its going to be a polyphony of Indias religions Vande Mataram,audible and identifiable dohas from Kabir,Buddhist chants,appropriately Islamic elements like the azaan and qawwali soundtracks,and Guru Gobind Singhs shabad will go into the background score for the CWG ceremonies. The opening song,Swagatham will include all 22 of Indias official languages. Sticks,swords and fire,essential for a full representation of Indias martial arts traditions,will also be provided for. In short,theyll make this edition of the CWG exactly like all our official celebrations tacky,contrived attempts at national integration. They suck all the fun and energy out of events,they manage to insult all these splendid old traditions by abridging them so awfully,and they entertain nobody.

This is not the point where the CWG needed close attention and micro-management. This very important group of ministers was nowhere to be seen when it came to the arrangements that mattered ensuring strong and durable sporting infrastructure and that stadia were ready on time. What the government needed to do was take charge of the processes and preparations,put in the patient work that goes into organising a high-stakes sporting event. Now,its trying to take over the party. It doesnt take high-level government intervention to demonstrate Indias glorious syncretism that speaks for itself. Our religious and cultural diversity is evident to every first-time visitor,it suffuses our popular culture,it doesnt need to be ground in by a clanking ceremony. The inept monsoon wedding metaphor,which came back to bite the sports minister,is a disastrous choice of words when used as a cover for sloppiness,last-minute scrambling and second-rate results but it is exactly right as a description for the spontaneity and pure joy of our celebrations.