The Olympic season has finally arrived and it is being discussed for all the wrong reasons. There are widely divergent views on whether sports should be mixed with politics and this I think will remain an open-ended question because of the personal nature of the issue. Two celebrities who stand on opposite poles of the argument are Aamir Khan and Bhaichung Bhutia.

 

When I read Aamir Khan’s article published in ‘The Times’ regarding his stance on the Olympic torch relay, I could not help but admire the guy for holding such a crystal clear opinion. The important thing is that he seems to be aware of all the different nuances of the situation and seems to have given it some very ‘serious thought’.

 

In his article, he makes a passing remark about the history of diverse nations being peppered with taints of oppression against some community or group of people. In other words, China is not the first nation to have resorted to violence with the intention of subjugation.  This is no way makes their actions pardonable. What they did has to be condemned but before doing so, other nations should introspect and cast a look over their past history.

 

When the United States of America waged a one-sided war against Iraq with the measly excuse of Iraq housing dangerous nuclear weapons, how different was it from Chinese violence on Tibetan protestors? And in case, America was hosting the Olympic Games how many people would have protested against it? It is another matter that people in the US did raise their voice against their own government, but so few external countries dared to comment on it. So, ultimately it is all about power and very rarely about the truth.

This explains India’s stand on the issue. As a country, at this juncture India cannot afford to alienate the Chinese government. Can they be blamed for this? Can they be termed cowardly for taking a relatively pro Chinese stand? I think not! After all, the government has to think about all the different aspects of the situation and take into consideration the economic relationship of the two countries before issuing any hasty statement. As a country, it cannot take a stand like that taken by Bhaichung Bhutia on the entire issue. Bhaichung Bhutia as an individual should be praised for his brave views, but I do not think the nation can parade its views so boldly without casting a thought to the possible negative implications.

 

Ultimately, amidst all this turmoil, the heart of one and all goes out to the Tibetans who are being victimized in their own land. I end my post with a fervent prayer that some succor will be provided to them and they will emerge safely out of this entire mess.