CWG celebration draws SA enthusiasm

CWG. These three letters are causing considerable consternation to Indians all over the globe. Thousands of words have already been written and thousands more will be penned in the coming days. By the time this article gets published, the much-maligned CWG may have received either a golden gong or a wooden spoon.

However, there was a large celebratory event in Adelaide on September 18, to mark the start of the Games. The air of enthusiasm, exuberance, excitement and euphoria expressed at the Entertainment Centre that afternoon, was certainly encouraging.

In an attempt to strengthen the State’s trade ties with India, South Australian Premier Mike Rann held a reception for an invited gathering of over 500 Indians representing 30 desi community groups. Also present on the occasion were Ms. Sujatha Singh, Indian High Commissioner; Mr Amit Dasgupta, Consul-General and a number of local dignitaries with links to India.

The guests were ushered in under a canopy of tasselled silk umbrellas held by young Indian gals and guys, replicating a royal procession. I don’t know how the rest of the audience felt, but I cringed at this sight reminiscent of the old colonial days, while fondly hoping that the display is not repeated in future functions. But for this, everything else that followed deserved kudos, thanks to the well-oiled drills by Retd. Major Vikram Madan, current president of the Indian Association. CWG organisers could well do with his services. The positive vibes were just pervasive.

Preceding the arrival of the chief guests, the waiting audience was entertained to promotional clips of the Games including the rollicking Tiger mascot and mandatory Bollywood touches.

It was refreshing to see the State’s Multi-cultural Affairs

Minister, Ms. Grace Portolesi, act as the MC for this Indian event. She was graceful in a silk sari fitting for the occasion, and admitted that she had been assisted by Mrs Madan in achieving the effect. Mr Rann himself dressed in a chic steel-grey Nehru jacket as he usually does at all Indian functions. Addressing the audience in this cavernous complex, the premier spoke at length of his recent trip to India to promote the state’s trade ties with the country. Mr Rann spoke in glowing terms of the growing trade relations between the state and India, referring to the recently concluded joint ventures in areas like water management, environmental engineering, etc. Understandably, there was no mention of uranium export. Making generous references to the Games, he said that Australia had been awarded 60% of work in certain areas associated with the sporting event.

The speeches were interspersed with a few wellchoreographed and enchanting dance items.

Indian High Commissioner Sujatha Singh, in her last ambassadorial assignment prior to her next posting, spoke eloquently including making a bold claim that the Delhi Games would be the best CWG ever held, to the thunderous applause of the crowd. We held our heads high.

And only three days later, news of disasters from Delhi began drifting in, rapidly turning into a deluge, to fill all forms of media in every city. The collective head of Indians changed from a state of pride to pain.

At the time of going to press, the Opening Ceremony has been a grand success and the Games are progressing at a promising pace. Let’s hope the doom and gloom merchants are proved wrong.