Star or Starved!

India did fairly well in accumulating medal in Melbourne Commonwealth Games. There are lot of sportsmen and sportswomen of the country who deserves sincere congratulations from all citizens. I extend my sincere gratitude to all of them for their magnificent success. It is a matter of pride for star starved nation.

It was good that a function was organized to facilitate them. Prime Minister attended the function. The whole pleasant function became sour when sportsperson had to put up a case of their allowance in front of PM. They got merely $20 while they were expecting $50 which they had got during last visit in international competitions. If we consider the case of $50, it was the question of hardly few lakhs. But it is irony that Prime Minister has to get involved to sort out this simple and crucial thing for sportsperson on whom we are proud off. Based on these sportsperson, we have planned next Commonwealth Games at New Delhi, how could we ignore them?

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has spent an amount of Rs 40 crore in this Melbourne commonwealth game. When the question of payment to sportsperson came, we did not have money neither we had permission, nor authority. What nonsense? Then how could the money was paid to Mumbai hero and heroin in crores? Initially when the case in the news, I made an impression that they are singing and dancing for India free of cost. But subsequently, all my impression shattered. These artists were not patriotic. They were doing their business. They were doing job. They were earning money on the name of the country. Then why do they get sometime Padma Sri or Padma Bhusan or other national award. Why did we give Bharat Ratna to these artists if they are not performing free for the nation? I feel shame in calling them star. They have more money. They want more money. There is no end of their starvation. There is no end of their expectations. They are not stars but basically a starved people.