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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.
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.
RSS 
Suppose the family is enjoying their dinner, the kid won’t think a second time before jumping into any one of the plates, just to show that HE is also an important member of the family... ultimately getting hurt or getting scolded by the parents.
The point here is that the Olympics is that plate of food and the Tibetans are behaving like that 2-year-old kid.
Demonstrations are fine and necessary, but what the Tibetans are doing is nothing but foolhardiness combined with a childlike ignorance.
After all, its the right attitude that counts!
I think that is a very apt comparison and it is very surprising that the issue that has been going on for decades only has to blow up like this now. The fact is that Tibet is not really helping its own cause with all the nonsense. This is not about human right and politics alone, this is something totally different. If you have a problem with China, then you have every right to make a statement, but to kill something like the Olympic flame is surely ’Foolhardiness and childish’. Protesting in the wrong way can cause immense harm to their own cause.
kind of like capture the flag in online shooters......cool !!
what i cannot understand is the waste of energy the olympics are !!! come on track and field events they are so interesting -Not !
athletics if you watch on tv are usually played out to empty stadiums so lets build a 93,000 capacity monstrosity every 4 years on our poor about to overheat planet
the athletes are all pumped up on the latest secret drugs only to be found out later down the line
who cares about the olympics ? it is just an other corporate marketing tool to suck the last pennies out of your wallet
have you tryed the official drink of the 2008 olympics ?
have you driven to official 4×4 of the 2008 olympics
come and try the official panty liner of the 2008 olympics
all in the olympic spirit, ring out those tills, have a nice day now =)
All the major powers have turned a blind eye to the uprising in Tibet only because china has used economic threats and flexed its military muscle. Money talks, specially in international politics. All the countries of the world are bothered only about the fruitful economic ties with china. Who cares a damn for the suffering and ignominy of the Tibetans.
It is all very nice to sit secure in our free country and mouth inanities about keeping the purity of the Olympics intact; of keeping politics and sports separate. But try telling that to the Tibetans!
Decades ago, would an Indian have tut-tutted Bhagat Singh and others for killing Saunders? Tibet is facing a similar situation today.
At the time China took over Tibet it had promised autonomy. All the country got was persecution, forcing its leader to flee to India.
Now about the point that there is no use for the Tibetans to protest as their leaders are non-violent; why can’t a new generation of Tibetans take over the demand for independence? These leaders can take recourse to armed struggle against China, if necessary.
Dalai Lama is not an elected leader of the Tibetans, he is only a religious leader. He should stick to religion. Let new, more practical and earthy Tibetan leaders deal with the freedom movement.
No one is going to hand independence and freedom to Tibet on a platter. They have to fight for it. The US was born only after the colonies waged war with the British forces in North America in the 18th century. If that was justified, why can’t the Tibetans fight for their independence?
If strife in china unsettles the world economy, so be it. Human rights of Tibatans are more important. It is high time China realized that brute force does not always work. An armed uprising by Tibetans will force it to introduce political reforms.
Secondly, Indian independence movement had to deal with Britain, which though a colonial power, was (and is) a democracy with a free press, rule of law (they invented it) and a real democracy. Gandhi’s methods worked because of such fertile grounds.
China is a different ball game. It’s media is worse than our Doordarshan. Its elections are largely a sham. Leaders with a different viewpoint are sidelined. There is no scope for healthy and open discussions even at the top levels of the government. Are they going to sit and listen to Tibatan arguments?
I think armed struggle is the only way available for Tibetans, if they desire freedom.
Another somewhat Gandhian freedom movement was in South Africa under Nelson Mandela’s leadership. But he was against a government that was a democracy, if only for whites. The regime had close links with the west and thus amenable to their pressures.
China listens to no one.
India has always been a real democracy(with many warts though). At the time of independence, it had been suggested to the founding fathers of the Constitution (while it was being drafted), that since we are a poor country, we should go in for communism and not for democracy.
But Indian freedom movement leaders were inequivocally in favour of democracy. So democracy India got.
India may have lagged behind China in the economy growth rates because of the slower all-encompassing decison making processes (happens in a democracy), but India has maintained democracy and is growing economically too. It will not have to face the question of political freedom to its citizens, as China will have to face in the future.
About Kashmir. India has held free and fair elections in the state. India baiters sit in the Kashmiri Legislature. Independence-minded Kashmiri PDP leader, Mufti Sayeed was chief Minsiter for some years.
India has inbuilt safety valves, which China lacks. I have nothing against China and its people. They are great people. The attempt here is to highlight what China can learn from India.
>>> Dalai Lama is not an elected leader of the Tibetans, he is only a religious leader. He should stick to religion.
According to you Dalai Lama should not cross the boundary and interfere in politics, is it?
Then why should HIS (religious) disciples be allowed to trespass the sports arena in their political pursuit??
Explain!
While human rights exist only on paper for most of Chinese and especially minority like Tibetans and Muslims, it want to put itself as champions of human rights and development. Concepts like free press and democracy doesn’t even exist on paper for Chinese. What Tibetans are doing is only for attracting people’s attraction to the issue.