The Monika lesson
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: 15th August, 2008 -

Laishram Monika Devi will now probably never get the opportunity to represent the country at the Olympics (London 2112), thanks to the inefficiency, politicking and games of favouritism, nepotism and down right corruption in the Nation's highest sports body, the Sports Authority of India.

We can only share the trauma and pain of the weight lifter from Manipur and the issue lying before us today is whether justice will be delivered or not.

Just as it is the dream of every adventurer or mountaineer to conquer the Everest, just as it is for all the bright students to dream of cracking the JEE to join the IIT or the CAT examination to get admitted to one of the IIMs or the other bright students appearing for the Civil Services Examination (Prelims, Main and Interview) or the young, robust and bright student wanting to join the uniformed services by getting through the National Defence Academy entrance examination or the Combined Defence Services examination, or the rickshaw puller who skips a meal a day to ensure the education of his ward, Monika's dream must have been to represent the country at the Olympics.

Therefore any exercise in probing the whole fiasco should not lose sight of this basic human aspirations and dreams.

We appreciate the manner in which New Delhi has responded to the situation and now that it is clear that there was some bungling, deliberate or otherwise, on the part of the Sports Authority of India as well as the Indian Olympic Association, to deny Monika a chance to compete in the Mecca of amateur sporting meet, the former Chief Election Commissioner of India Mr TS Krishamurthy should focus on how the fiasco was allowed to be enacted in the first place.

In Mr Krishnamurthy we have a figure who commands respect, who is someone above all the dirty politics that has been killing sports in India and it is with this belief that we welcome the initiative of the Government of India to hand over the case to him.

The deadline of one week's time for Mr Krishnamurthy to wrap up his findings is also extremely encouraging and we only hope that the time span is not only on paper but is put to practise.

As we had reported, different reactions have come from the people of Manipur and while we do acknowledge that all the responses have come to demand justice not only for Monika but for the people of Manipur, we should not shut our eyes to the fact that at least Chief Minister O Ibobi and his Cabinet colleague N Biren have risen to the need of the hour.

This is not to take the credit away from the people who came out as one to protest the injustice done to Monika, but to acknowledge that at least this time the political class, particularly the Chief Minister has done his job commendably.

Our prayer is, let the inquiry go to its logical end and when the truth is unearthed spare no one, especially those at the helm of affairs.

The story involving Laishram Monika should serve as the beginning of the process to fix responsibilities and to cleanse the sports organisations, which have been eating into the very vitals of all sportspersons in India.

This is the only positive point that we can garner from the fiasco which victimised Monika.