The year was 1984. In the general election following Indira Gandhi's tragic assassination, Congress came to power winning more than 400 seats. BJP was reduced to only two MPs, far below the rest of the major opposition parties.
The two members of BJP in Lok Sabha were mocked at as HUM DO, HUMARE DO (We two, ours two), taking a cue from the famous Family Planning Campaign of that era.
The same can be attributed to our performance in the just concluded Rio Olympics. HUM DO, HUMARE DO - can well be attributed to the two ladies, who against all odds won 2 medals for us.
Now fast forward 30 years from the year 1984, to 2014. The same BJP which was poked fun at, improved its tally from 2 MPs to 284 MPs. It was now India's Grand Old Party Congress's turn to be poked fun at, reduced to just to 44 MPs, less than the peak temperature of a typical Delhi summer.
Million analysis have been done about India's performance attributing the causes for our failure - from apathetic Politicians and Officials who are considered part of the problem rather than solution (the usual disclaimers apply), to our poor genes and diet.
The myth about the genes is as vague as the myth during my childhood days - that there is no Business in the blood of Odias, who are destined to fail as businessmen and entrepreneurs. I was never aware of any Business Blood Group, nor checked the blood group of my numerous Odia friends who are now successful businessmen.
My take on India's poor performance in Olympics is best depicted by this Hindi phrase in nutshell :
KHELOGE KUDOGE TO HOGE KHARAB, PADHOGE LIKHOGE BANOGE NAWAAB.
Roughly translated it means,
Sports & games makes you a commoner,
Excel in academics, become an emperor.
It speaks volumes about where our priorities lie. No system will succeed without the participation and cooperation of the commoners. Those blamed for our debacles aren't any aliens from another planet, they come from the same milieu.
Summing up this attitude is what I heard in Odia mumerous times during my childhood - "CHHATARA MANE KHELANTI, SUNA PILA MANE PATHA PADHANTI. KHELA RU KANA MILIBA. PATHA PADHI OFFICER HELE LOKE MUNDIA MARIBE" - Only girl chasing vagabonds indulge in Sports. Golden kids focus on studies. What's there in sports and games. If you succeed in academics and becomes an officer, hundreds will bow before you". A clearly feudal mindset, where sportpersons are demeaned.
Well, such Golden kids rarely win an Olympics gold medal. In the world of competitive sports, at the highest level where class and quality matters, it needs a lot more skill and steely nerve to make the difference.
A 13 year old girl Gaurika Singh from our tiny Northern neighbor Nepal and the youngest athlete in Rio, won one of the heats in Swimming and numerous hearts world over. It prompted me to visit the website of Swimming Federation of India. Their achievements section is blank, with a picture of Michael Phelps on the front page. That pretty much sums up our swim without an aim.
When we won a gold in 2008, thanks to shooter Arvind Bindra, I thought a new era has dawned, when more Golds will follow in the following Olympics. No golds came in 2012 and 2016. Like the proverbial monkey climbing a bamboo pole, we climb 2 feet up and then 3 feet down. The saga unfortunately continues till date.
Yet we can always take a cue as well as solace from BJP's spectacular bounce back, from HUM DO, HUMARE DO to a Single majority party on its own. It would be heartbreaking for me not to have the high expectations, especially when the China and Britain have already done so. We sure can, provided, as we studied in Intermediate Physics - our immense potential energy is converted to kinetic energy extended to the Sports arena.
Better late than never. If we sow the seeds now and rightly nurture the plant, it will bear fruit in due time. It won't happen overnight, its a long term project which will take decades to yield some tangible results.
Hope the monkey keeps on climbing the bamboo pole, and keep climbing and climbing, as slipping is not an option.
The two members of BJP in Lok Sabha were mocked at as HUM DO, HUMARE DO (We two, ours two), taking a cue from the famous Family Planning Campaign of that era.
The same can be attributed to our performance in the just concluded Rio Olympics. HUM DO, HUMARE DO - can well be attributed to the two ladies, who against all odds won 2 medals for us.
Now fast forward 30 years from the year 1984, to 2014. The same BJP which was poked fun at, improved its tally from 2 MPs to 284 MPs. It was now India's Grand Old Party Congress's turn to be poked fun at, reduced to just to 44 MPs, less than the peak temperature of a typical Delhi summer.
Million analysis have been done about India's performance attributing the causes for our failure - from apathetic Politicians and Officials who are considered part of the problem rather than solution (the usual disclaimers apply), to our poor genes and diet.
The myth about the genes is as vague as the myth during my childhood days - that there is no Business in the blood of Odias, who are destined to fail as businessmen and entrepreneurs. I was never aware of any Business Blood Group, nor checked the blood group of my numerous Odia friends who are now successful businessmen.
My take on India's poor performance in Olympics is best depicted by this Hindi phrase in nutshell :
KHELOGE KUDOGE TO HOGE KHARAB, PADHOGE LIKHOGE BANOGE NAWAAB.
Roughly translated it means,
Sports & games makes you a commoner,
Excel in academics, become an emperor.
It speaks volumes about where our priorities lie. No system will succeed without the participation and cooperation of the commoners. Those blamed for our debacles aren't any aliens from another planet, they come from the same milieu.
Summing up this attitude is what I heard in Odia mumerous times during my childhood - "CHHATARA MANE KHELANTI, SUNA PILA MANE PATHA PADHANTI. KHELA RU KANA MILIBA. PATHA PADHI OFFICER HELE LOKE MUNDIA MARIBE" - Only girl chasing vagabonds indulge in Sports. Golden kids focus on studies. What's there in sports and games. If you succeed in academics and becomes an officer, hundreds will bow before you". A clearly feudal mindset, where sportpersons are demeaned.
Well, such Golden kids rarely win an Olympics gold medal. In the world of competitive sports, at the highest level where class and quality matters, it needs a lot more skill and steely nerve to make the difference.
A 13 year old girl Gaurika Singh from our tiny Northern neighbor Nepal and the youngest athlete in Rio, won one of the heats in Swimming and numerous hearts world over. It prompted me to visit the website of Swimming Federation of India. Their achievements section is blank, with a picture of Michael Phelps on the front page. That pretty much sums up our swim without an aim.
When we won a gold in 2008, thanks to shooter Arvind Bindra, I thought a new era has dawned, when more Golds will follow in the following Olympics. No golds came in 2012 and 2016. Like the proverbial monkey climbing a bamboo pole, we climb 2 feet up and then 3 feet down. The saga unfortunately continues till date.
Yet we can always take a cue as well as solace from BJP's spectacular bounce back, from HUM DO, HUMARE DO to a Single majority party on its own. It would be heartbreaking for me not to have the high expectations, especially when the China and Britain have already done so. We sure can, provided, as we studied in Intermediate Physics - our immense potential energy is converted to kinetic energy extended to the Sports arena.
Better late than never. If we sow the seeds now and rightly nurture the plant, it will bear fruit in due time. It won't happen overnight, its a long term project which will take decades to yield some tangible results.
Hope the monkey keeps on climbing the bamboo pole, and keep climbing and climbing, as slipping is not an option.
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