The Olympic Torch Relay

This pre-Olympic event of the Olympic torch making its journey though the major countries of the world signifies the uniting spirit of the games. In the past the event has taken place in full and free public glare. Crowds have lined up streets to watch their favorite stars from the sporting and non-sporting world run with the torch. The celebrities who were nominated for carrying the torch considered it an honor and ran with pride.

This time around everything has been different. The Tibetan rebellion has caught authorities off guard. The torch relays were disrupted in London and Paris and this set the somber tone of what was to follow. Curtailed routes amid highest security with no public participation became the prescribed modus operandi. So much so the media unanimously declared that Delhi had become the Forbidden City of China during the relay there.

In India the officials compounded the problem. The eternal “foot-in-the-mouth” sports minister Gill pompously announced to the media that non-sports celebrities had no business to carry the torch, a statement that the Indian Olympic Association boss, Kalmadi, immediately had to correct. But the damage was done. There was a backlash from celebrities of the stature of Amitabh Bachchan. Ex-cop Kiran Bedi and Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan backed off from the relay. Though they cited other reasons it is being circulated that Gill’s statement put them off. Sachin Tendulkar too cancelled his participation citing injury as the reason. This led one scribe to remark that the two steps Sahin would have to take would do him no harm. But to be fair to Sachin he may not have known that the run was severely curtailed.

There was glamour present at the run. The tennis duo of Paes and Bhupati took center stage. It is amazing that despite the bitter personal differences between them, they never fail to come together when the country calls. Hats off to them. Theirs is an example all should emulate. Bollywood was represented by the enigmatic Amir Khan and Saif Ali Khan. When quizzed whether he supported the Tibetan struggle he said that he stands by his country’s stand and his country has not said anything against China.

It is a view that this farcical run should have been called off. Perhaps calling of the run may have been a greater loss of face. It was a damned if you do and a damned if you don’t situation. But one thing is clear. The resistance from Tibetans was far greater than anyone had imagined. It was intense and it was universal and it was planned. And the world was forced to sit up and take notice.