Comments - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Attitude

Matt

Matt — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Hey sports is no more untouched by politics. Even China is so enthusiastic about Olympics because it wants to change its image in front of the world.

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.

Jayaprashanth

Jayaprashanth — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I was disappointed to see the Olympic torch relay being by beseiged by security forces and the Olympic torch in India looked like a sordid mess than the spectacular inspiration it should have been. I believe that the Olympic torch needs to be carried with the commonners around rather than being surrounded by the security forces. But unfortunately, the Tibetans are giving it a hellish time. I definitely empathise with the Tibetan cause and strongly condemn the Chinese government’s human rights violations, but i think that extinguishing the torch would do the Tibetans no good. Rather, they can protest peacefully and get their message across. By the way we have seen the power of non violence in 1947 and it is no less relevant in this day and age.

Sameer Kumar

Sameer Kumar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

It is very true that politics and sports just cannot be kept apart and that is the same in most of the fields. But the fact is that Tibetans will start losing all sympathy if they do acts such as trying to put off the flame. Do protest, but that does not mean that you need to do it in a disruptive fashion. I have not seen something like this and that kind of security in the nations capital and it is useless to carry the flame like that.

Aneez

Aneez — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Tibetans are behaving much in a similar manner that a 2-year-old kid behaves to get attention of the grown-ups.

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!

Sameer Kumar

Sameer Kumar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Yes, Aneez at the end of the day right attitude does count :)

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.

Jigg Jigg

Jigg Jigg — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

i hope they get that flame its the newest event and one of the freshest Xsports so far !!

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 =)

Sameer Kumar

Sameer Kumar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Jigg, that is a very unique take on the subject and even though that may not be exactly what we are taking about, there are a couple of very valid points in that. The first thing is regarding the corporate set up of the whole event and honestly the recent Olympic run looked nothing beyond a formality completed for the sake of sponsors. Secondly, the drugs. I have heard several people say why not just make a few legal and that would be setting a very bad precedent. The problem is that they are making them faster than the old guys can make them out at IOC and WADA is still not achieving the kind of impact it should. As far as sucking up pennies goes, i Don’t think that happens in India at all and that is cause we just don’t win anything at Olympics, but that is for a different day. We leave the sucking job to Cricket :)

Balbhadra Rana

Balbhadra Rana — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Tibetans are targeting the Olympics torch because they have no other option to bring their plight to the notice of the world.

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.

Sameer Kumar

Sameer Kumar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

While there is no doubt that money talks, I do not still see how this targeting of the Olympics is going to ’Help’ Tibet. Sure, it will put Tibet in headlines for a few days, but we all know how that works. Once the Olympics are done and dusted with, there will be no more discussion on Tibet in such a scale and the it all returns to normal. I do not think that this targeting will get them their independence as it has to come from greater pressure from world community. The fact is that Tibetans are only trying to ride on the back of Olympics to make sure the world looks at them. There have been nations that had to face much sterner situations in their quest for independence. This is no way to highlight their cause; especially when they are being headed by a Buddhist spiritual leader. When Dalai Lama himself said that the Olympics must not be opposed, then is that kind of protest necessary??

Balbhadra Rana

Balbhadra Rana — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The fact is Tibetans are suffering. They have been reduced to a colony of China. Their culture has been trampled upon; they have been granted no autonomy.

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.

Sameer Kumar

Sameer Kumar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

While there is no disagreeing with the cause or its worth, I just feel that somewhere down the line you are going back to the same point. While the fact that Tibetans have hurt the Torch run is one thing, the way IOC has handled it and the way it is being transformed in to a parade to make sure the formality is put aside is the more disgusting thing and that is exactly what this was about. Both sides are equally at fault with this. There is no doubt that we empathize with them, but that has nothing to do with Olympics. If they wish to struggle for their independence, then no one is stopping them. There are more ways than just violence to achieve independence and we Indians of all people should know it. Irrespective of how you feel about such principles being obsolete, they do indeed work. But that has nothing to do with Olympics

Balbhadra Rana

Balbhadra Rana — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I beg to disagree about non-violent (other ways,as you so nicely put it) ways of gaining independence. India’s case was different. Firstly, it had a man called Gandhi. Such men walk the earth once in a millenium. We can hardly expect the Tibetans to wait that long.

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.

Today Pmp

Today Pmp — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I just saw some words from you and notice that you are from India. Remember, your country has the same problem with my country-China.AND,you have a bad situation. We are all the third development country and it seems that you are still lower in international。Why you are antagonistic China?

Balbhadra Rana

Balbhadra Rana — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I agree both India and Chian have similar problems, main of which is of poverty. We have our own ’Tibet’ in the form of Kashmir.

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.

Aneez

Aneez — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

@ Balbhadra

>>> 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!

Sameer Kumar

Sameer Kumar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

It is also interesting how people are feeling that Kashmir is similar to Tibet? I would still like to know how they are both similar problems and how people are suggesting and others are accepting it with great ease. Moreover, Aneez is totally right. You do not want to accept Dalai Lama’s words when your opinion is different from his and follow him when they coincide? Anyway, the point is still being missed. It is the simple fact that no one has the right of taking away the delight of the Torch run from sporting fans spread across the planet. If the cause of Tibet is so important then let it be so, but it has no right to dampen a sporting event. Let there be other ways of protesting.