Flaming the fire: Olympic torch chained with controversy and fear!

If the IOC believes that the current manner in which it is carrying the Olympic torch across the planet is praise-worthy, then there is nothing more ridiculous and down right stupid than that. The Olympic torch has been on a fiery journey across and the scorching heat emanating from the sporting world’s eternal symbol of human spirit and its triumph even in greave adversity has been anything but what the flame was designed to be. While it is undoubtedly Tibet’s desire to make sure that they use the grandest of all sporting spectacles to highlight their cause, by trying to act as if it does not exist is totally stupid and something that will help none.

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In a perfect world sports and politics are total different entities but we do not live in such perfection and neither can we hope for it. After all, it is the imperfections that make us unique and special. The issue of Tibet is no different with each one having his or her own way of protest. At the end of the day if violence and bloodshed can be avoided, that would be the best possible way to go forward. But the issue here is about that flame which is going through so much and yet so little, which has seen the world yet has seen nothing but a cauldron of security, which has attempted to unite the planet and ended up dividing it further. Is the purpose of the flame now lost completely?

The Olympic torch entered the Indian capital of Delhi after it had been put off once and has seen protests and detours in London, Paris and San Francisco. The Indian capital was sealed off 24 hours in advance and the busiest streets of the city were cleaned up to the point that they were filled only with hundreds of cops and just empty space. The torch paraded for the cameras and a few school children and for the three-tier security ring around it. Everything went down peacefully despite thousands protesting else where. India has not seen this kind of security even on Republic Day parades in the capital. So why were we running with this flame?

The purpose of the flame going across the world is to spread unity and the spirit of sports. We need to ‘Ignite the flame and share our dreams’. Young kids and common men watching it through the street must be inspired to grow up and be a part of it. The flame represents the undying spirit of sports and the amazing fire that athletes carry. By parading it in empty streets for 2.3 Km and 70 torchbearers barely getting to run with it, what is the message we wish to convey? While the security concerns are understandable, what is the point of a parade when the purpose of it is lost?

The last time the torch was here it saw ordinary Indians happily cheering it one. Now it is traveling the world with fear and it sees nothing beyond a tense smile or a protester with an extinguisher. At this point if it had a voice, it must have said, “What is the point of the parade?” The flame at the end of the day represents the athlete and athletes love to perform in front of capacity houses not empty galleries. They represent human sprit with freedom and not fear. They know no bias and once they step out all lines are blurred and the only thing that matters is victory. The flame is that spirit and it is being now caged in fear, anonymity and restrictive chains.

At this [point one also must question the insane fools who feel that putting out the flame will help the cause. If anything, they are only tarnishing the image of Tibet by doing that. Protest if you want to and fight for a cause. Freedom is a right and no one can deny it to you. But please do not target the games and the one thing that still transcends politics to a large extent- Sports. I hope the Olympics will be a lot better than this and it is disappointing to see the flame that stands for freedom, human spirit, triumph against all odds and sheer success be chained and treated as a slave like this.

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