India breathes easy as Commonwealth Games unfold splendidly

THE COMMONWEALTH Games 2010, began on a splendid note with the successful ‘opening ceremony’ putting to rest all fears of India putting up an embarrassing show in front of the rest of the world. No doubt everyone from an average Indian to Suresh Kalmadi had the pre-event jitters but they vanished into thin air by the end of the opening ceremony. Many who had given up the hope of the success of CWG are now pleasantly surprised.

Even days before the ‘opening ceremony’, the not so encouraging stories about the Games were trickling in and reinforcing the fears of the Games going awry. However, the post ‘opening ceremony’ mood was positive, proud and happy. The web was inundated with expressions of love and pride for the country.
The ceremony was no less than a festival. Certain moments like the entry of the Indian team into the stadium receiving a standing ovation, performance by artists presenting the six folk dances of India and the ‘Journey of India’ put together by the Indian Railways really struck a chord with the masses.

Though I couldn’t catch the ‘opening ceremony’ in the stadium, but while I was watching the frenzy unfold on the television set, a message I had received a few days back on my cell phone came to my mind. The message was about the conversation between a foreign tourist who had returned from a trip to India and his friend. The friend asks his India returned friend, “How is India and the Indians?” The India returned friend replies, “India is beautiful but I didn’t meet any Indian there. All the individuals I met were either Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati or something similar.”

When I first read this message, unfortunately I was in partial agreement but the ‘opening ceremony’ left a proud smile on my lips and made me realise that the message was anything but credible.

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