Opinion The trouble with boycotts
Even the suggestion that Indian athletes miss London is shocking
The controversy surrounding the sponsorship of the 2012 London Olympics by Dow Chemicals seems to be increasing daily,with the most recent debate speculating on whether or not the Indian contingent should withdraw from the Games. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the sports ministry appear to be in agreement as to doubting the credibility of the Games sponsorship guidelines,but the fact remains that withdrawing the Indian squad from participating in the Games altogether would be a regrettable move and one which can trigger disturbing participation controversies in future global events.
Lets get one thing clear at the outset the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 is one of the most traumatic and catastrophic events in the history of independent India,if not the world. But it would be difficult,from the athletes perspective,to justify India excluding its contingent from participating in the Games.
The Olympics are the defining platform for any athlete,for his or her ambitions,aspirations and dreams. A medal in the Olympics makes all the effort,sacrifices,blood and sweat that each sportsperson puts into his or her sport worthwhile. For professional athletes,it is the crowning achievement above and beyond a grand slam title,a world cup victory,or a similar accomplishment. For amateur athletes,however,it extends above and beyond such feathers in rhetorical caps. The Olympics are the be all and end all for all athletes in amateur sports such as track and field,shooting,softball,swimming and gymnastics,among others. They are the Oscars,Grammys and Nobel prizes for athletes who dedicate their lives to their sport. To deprive Indian athletes of this opportunity to participate in the Games would be like cutting the lifeline for those who breathe and live their sport. In short,it would be a travesty. Its not the athletes burden to bear the ethical consequences of a 7 million pound sponsorship having been made by the company which acquired Union Carbide post the settlement in 1989. From a sponsorship standpoint,its not upper echelon,and while the sports ministry and IOAs points and protests are well taken,this does not on its own merit a boycott of the Games.
The disturbing turn this could in fact take is of different pockets in future clamouring for withdrawal of athletes in future events due to regrettable situations in the past. For example,were the Dow Chemicals controversy to die down if the sponsors withdrew,or a suitable compromise reached within the various forums in India that are now outraged,there is very little to stop a distinct consortium of individuals from protesting against Indias very participation in the London Olympics,claiming in turn that we as a former colonial nation should not send our athletes to England due to past egressions. Another flawed argument from the athletes standpoint,but one which again might be difficult to quell. India has on occasion refused to participate in certain events due to policy reasons,and thats fine. Other nations have done the same,notably during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2002-03 when certain countries forfeited matches in Zimbabwe due to safety and diplomacy concerns.
Getting into a debate about foreign policy is one thing,but questioning the veracity of the Games entirely due to stadium sponsorship by Dow Chemicals borders on questionable decision-making. Anti-ambush marketing regulations are a well-known phenomenon today in sports events,as is a concerted effort on the part of event organisers to veer away from morally and ethically repugnant sponsors. One wonders whether the Dow Chemicals sponsorship of the Games is egregious enough to merit classification in the latter,but one thing is for sure our athletes deserve the opportunity to participate and excel at the Games. They have worked hard,sacrificed much and invested their lives to attain Olympic glory for themselves,but especially for their country. We shouldnt deprive them of this opportunity at the first Olympics where we stand a chance at medals in numerous disciplines,and as India stands at the cusp of achievement from a sports performance standpoint. Lets not cut off our noses to spite our faces,nor pull the rug from under our athletes. Give them a chance to participate and lets close the debate on whether or not the Indian squad should participate. It should,and if cooler heads prevail,it will. And hopefully excel.
The author is a sports attorney at a national law firm. Views are personal,express@expressindia.com
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