This appeared today in the Times of India....
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CWG mess? Blame it on the stars…!

Yes baba, we know the Aussies totally love and adore us ( any number of bashed up students from India will vouch for this), but Dawn Fraser’s has taken the Aussie attitude to India a bit too far by asking Australian athletes to boycott the Games. “ I would hate to see another Munich…’ the 73-year-old grande dame of swimming declared recently, adding ominously, “… but with things getting worse and worse,I have grave concerns.” Worse and worse? Grave concerns about WHAT, lady? We are aware of all the stuff that has gone horribly wrong with the Games so far. We also know who is mainly responsible for this sorry state of affairs ( bow your heads in shame, you guys, and own up).But really, Ms. Fraser, we do take strong objections to your unfortunate and uncharitable remarks regarding security issues, especially during such a sensitive time. It’s a good thing you were ticked off by your own people, like the ACGA chief executive Perry Crosswhite who stated flatly, “ If security is not at the highest acceptable levels, Australia won’t be going. To suggest otherwise is to accuse us of being irresponsible and we are not.” Fortunately for India, security issues are the one thing that have not come under the scanner with even Commonwealth Games Federation chairman, Michael Fennell from Jamaica declaring security arrangements and planning to be “top class” and “very sound.” Phew! Chalo… ek toh certificate mil gaya. Finally , a few much needed brownie points for the battered Games. And music to our ears. Take that, Dawn.And don’t bother to come.
However,now that we know Madamji and the PMji are on the job, perhaps we can breathe easy… just a little. Why they had to wait till the nth minute to launch ‘Operation CWG’ and salvage the Games, we’ll never know. But we can hazard a guess. It’s called ‘‘Rajneeti – Dilli ishstyle.” There is an insightful cameo in the recent film ‘Peepli {Live}’ where a typical ‘Koi Hai’ babu ( sardonically played by Vijay Crishna) keeps repeating babudom’s favourite mantra , “ Let’s wait for the report…” even as the crisis in the village of Peepli escalates and reaches near-ludicrous proportions. Perhaps our wise and wonderful Prime Minister was waiting for some divine signal before moving in. But now that Ma Sonia has entered the picture and asserted herself (“….the government will look into the allegations of malpractice and spare no one found to be involved in them.”), Kalmadi and cronies must be shivering in their sneakers. Meanwhile, ten senior bureaucrats have been inducted into the proceedings to take what are cutely called ‘on the spot decisions’. These may involve momentous issues like changing the curtains and carpets in the apartments, which did not meet with Fennell’s high standards. But what the hell, it’s good to know someone has agreed to take on this thankless job and save whatever is left of India’s tattered prestige . Our dhobi ghats are overflowing with filthy, unwashed linen right now, and we will need more than just a magic ‘extra whitening power’ detergent to clean up those soiled clothes … err… reputations. It is typical of our mentality - now that the rot has gone public, several rats are abandoning the ship! The same rats that were happy to stay on board as long as the dirt remained out of sight. These were the people making ad hoc decisions and issuing arbitrary orders right and left right up to this juncture. The minute they heard a shrill whistle being blown, they fled at top speed.
One doesn’t really know how the Ten Brave Bureaucrats entrusted with the dirty job of sorting out the myriad tangles, will go about their unappetising assignment.But anybody who has dealt with Delhi Babudom will readily tell you that if anybody can get things done, get butts moving, get results… it is some of those nameless, faceless but all-powerful Babus. In reality, they run India. And they know it. Without their awesome interventions in matters big and small, the country would come to a standstill. What a great pity they were inducted into the running of the Games at his late stage. These are the real Marathon Men of our country – they know exactly when to hop, skip and jump. They are expert hurdlers and javelin throwers.Sharp shooters? That’s them! Oh… they are pretty good at shooting trouble, too. That leaves the vexing question of persuading international sports stars to pack their bags and participate in the Games without fearing for their safety… or caring about the quality of the toilet paper ( the best in the world!). Mr. Gill has already brought in the Great Indian Wedding as an apt if overused analogy and assured the phoren baraatis that ‘aaal eeez well,” or will be, by the time they land in Delhi. But before we start distributing laddoos and barfis in anticipation of pulling off the glitzy Games, let us assess the situation like sober parents of the blushing bride, who have taken a hefty loan to impress the future in-laws. Ahead of taking the saat pheras in October, let’s humbly seek the blessings of every God in the pantheon. At this stage, if there is one thing that can still save our face, it is divine intervention ( never mind the Rahu Antardasha astrologers are talking about). Knowing our efficient Babus, I’m sure a Maha Yagna is already underway. As to who will be ‘sacrificed’ to appease Bhagwan, I have a pretty good guess… the ‘K-factor’ isn’t lucky for everyone, alas.

Madhu Sapre came to meet me carrying an armload of fragrant Rajnigandha stems. Here's a Marathi Mulgi after my own heart - earthy, honest, beautiful. With that idiotic Tuff Shoes court case finally behind her, she is far more relaxed and happy to be home with her aie-baba, eating poha and drinking chai. As always, she spoke transparently about various issues, but mainly she spoke about herself, her inward journey, and the rather unexpected turning point when she realised she had the courage to face various aspects of her past and come to terms with them without wincing. She smiled , " I felt so relieved! I said to myself, ' Nice to meet you Madhu'!"
I wish I had taken her photograph at that precise moment - she looked radiant and freed of a burden she'd obviously been carrying around for over three decades. Back in Italy where she lives with her adoring husband, there are interesting developments as well. Her family has started a winery named Mara ,after her mother-in-law. Tenuta Mara is a bio- dynamic wine produced through the interaction of energies : land, air, soil, man. I can't wait to sip it!! But only after the 8th of September which marks the end of Shraavan.