15 May 2014, 12:21 PM IST
This Friday is far bigger than India vs Pakistan cricket final in Sharjah. For, it's the counting day for Lok Sabha elections. In a five-year cycle full of speculation, one-upmanship and frauds, this is the only day when the politics comes closer to sports. For, the voters tell the contestants in the most emphatic manner: you WON or you LOST. Period.
However, in sports politics counting days are a rarity: Either there are factions (like Hockey India, IHF and their honorable state heirs), or administrators with high credentials, experience and integrity (like Srinivasan, Kalmadi, Verma, Batra) get elected unopposed. And yes, how can we forget unelected and hence 'born out of wedlock' ad-hoc bodies (like in boxing or the one in Pune chess).
But hey, why do we need contests and healthy confrontations in sports bodies? Because peace is bad, it leads to either mediocrity, unnecessary controversies and scams.
When Sharad Pawar (president) and N Srinivasan (treasurer) won the BCCI elections, they indirectly felt obliged to the voters. That played a huge role in their good performance in the initial phase. But once they succeeded in luring the opposite faction and made it into one power-hungry group, it was a breeze for them; that is: ELECTED UNOPPOSED.
My grouse about a lack of elections is not limited to national sports federations. It trickles down to the state and district bodies too. Take the latest example of Pradeep Gandhe retaining his post as Maharashtra Badminton Association president. Yes, elected unopposed, no counting needed.
In last year's Maharashtra Cricket Association's AGM, a 20-odd member managing committee was elected unopposed: simply beautiful.
When you sense defeat in the elections, the trend shows various options:
1. Lack of will to contest;
2. Try to change the constitution to get more votes;
3. Start a new faction.
4. Join the group in power by 'setting';
5. Get an order from higher authority for ad-hoc committee.
The inertia that many citizens of India face (and hence they don't vote) can also be found in some able persons who don't take the plunge in the elections of sports bodies. Both cry in the same tone: "Kuch bhi honewala nahi hai!" (And hence they don't do anything!)
It's bad because:
1. It indicates that not many administrators are interested in contesting;
2. People who are interested won't mind a backdoor entry through internal arrangement.
3. Power without proper, fair mandate corrupts absolutely (scams generally happen in the latter terms, not the initial ones).
The Delhi High Court has upheld the government regulation which forbids more than two administrative terms in the national sports federations for any person. It's time to implement that law even at the state or district level of sports administration. Maybe with a rider: you can retain power beyond two terms if you 'win' the election in subsequent years. That way, at least counting will happen: Of sins and achievements.
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