London Olympics in crisis as India threatens boycott

[dipsydoodle]

Source: The Independent

Indian athletes are threatening to boycott next summer's London Olympics in an extraordinary stand-off with the head of the 2012 Games, Lord Coe, over his controversial sponsorship deal with a chemical company.

Lord Coe is under personal attack for signing the deal with Dow Chemical – under fire in India for its ownership of Union Carbide, whose Indian subsidiary was responsible for the Bhopal industrial disaster, one of the world's worst, estimated to have killed up to 25,000 people and injured over half a million.

The former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, who worked closely with Lord Coe to win the Olympics for London, last night called on the former British Olympian to cancel the deal with Dow before the controversy irreparably damages the standing of the 2012 Games. Ms Jowell told The Independent: "There is a point at which you have to say you cannot take the reputational risk."

Lord Coe has one week to talk the Indian Olympic Association out of a boycott: on 5 December athletes and sports bosses in the world's second-most populous country will meet to vote on walking out of the London Games. Both the British and Indian governments will be asked to intervene to stave off the boycott as international outrage from politicians, athletes and human-rights groups mounts. A boycott by India, which does not boast a history of great Olympic success but has significant business and cultural links to the UK, would be a major embarrassment for Britain.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-olympics-in-crisis-as-india-threatens-boycott-6268207.html

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see also : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2382541

Front page of Independent will confirm this to be LBN : http://www.independent.co.uk/

[skepticscott]

1. Although India may have a legitimate gripe here

they also don't have much leverage. Despite having over a billion people, they will probably be sending few if any athletes of note to the Olympics, and from a sports standpoint, no one will notice if they aren't there. US and world media would make mention of the story at the start of the games, and then it would be largely forgotten in the shadow of sport-related stories.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Of course the money is in the audience, the viewers, the ads.

A billion, you say? All not watching? Indian expat communities joining them? Puts a crimp in the numbers that actually matter. Not sure I can sell things to those who are not watching. How much for a minute again?

[Angleae]

12. The TV rights have already been bought and paid for.

The UK won't feel a thing. The networks and TV stations in India however, will.

[RufusTFirefly]

4. That's right. Dead Indians. Not my concern

Perhaps if we realize that a preventable chemical disaster that killed more than 8,000 people is an affront to all humanity, not just to people from India, we will join India in protesting Dow's role in the upcoming Olympics. Then India will have the "leverage" that it allegedly lacks.

[MADem]

6. Jesus H. Christ on a Bicycle. That is NOT what the guy said.

Way to willfully ignore the caveat that they might have a legitimate gripe, and go straight to "your point" which was acknowledged by the poster and which drifted right over your head.

What's apparently not your concern, either, is reading the post contextually before you respond.

Shoot, Ready, Aim! Heckuvajob!

[jberryhill]

7. Name the country which did not engage in an affront to humanity

How about if we boycott the Olympics on account of India's massacre of Sikhs at Amritsar in 1984?

The Indian government mishandled and misappropriated payments that were made in settlement of Bhopal claims.

Nothing is bringing back the victims, and what is being protested here is a payment by Dow to subsidize the Games.

So, explain to me why India is perfectly happy to have Dow continue to do business IN India:

http://www.dow.com/imea/india/about/locations.htm

Dow has facilities in Mumbai, Chennai, and several other places in India. So, I gather it is perfectly okay with the Indian government for THEM to do business with Dow when it lines their pockets.

So, to summarize the problem: it is okay for the Indian government to continue to do business with Dow, but they object to indirectly benefitting from Dow's subsidy of the Olympics if it doesn't put any rupees in their pocket.

[RufusTFirefly]

8. You seem to be confusing countries and companies

Common mistake these days, especially since the latter are typically more powerful than the former.

As for Dow facilities in India, you seem to be attributing a monolithic status to a country of 1.2 billion people.

The decisions the 1 percent in India make are not always supported by the other 99 percent, any more than they are in this country.

[jberryhill]

10. I see, and the Indian Olympic Committee is run by their 99%?

Hardly.

This is a rent-seeking exercise which has nothing to do with economic or other justice for the people of India.

The Olympics are the rich man's games.

If India doesn't want to do business with Dow, then they can start that boycott in India.

[RufusTFirefly]

11. It's not the Indian Olympic Committee. It's a group of Indian athletes.

There are reports in the UK saying that Indian athletes are planning to boycott Olympics over Dow sponsorships issue. The athletes supporting the move are against the sponsors, who are yet to give full compensation to victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan, has backed the athletes' stance and demanded in a letter to sports minister that the government support the boycott.

VK Malhotra, the acting president of the Indian Olympic Association, said a meeting was scheduled in 10 days' time in which the matter would be discussed.

Source: Hindustan Times.

The Fat Cats aren't the ones calling for this boycott. And they're not likely to support it.

[jberryhill]

16. Ah, well, then it is simple for them - don't go.

However, these claims remain a cynically exploited political football.

There will be a meeting in ten days in which it is determined who needs to get paid what to make this go away.

[MADem]

5. +1 Accurate analysis of the salient points. nt

[Imajika]

13. Yeah, India isn't exactly an olympic powerhouse...

Really don't think aside from a few passing media stories that anyone much will notice or care if India doesn't show up. They really don't have enough leverage to go down this road very far.

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[fedsron2us]

9. Fantastic news lets hope the rest of the world joins the boycott

As a Brit the Olympics are already proving to be a supreme clunker. We know the already creaking London transport system is going to go into meltdown next summer. Normal civic life in the UK has also been halted for the duration of next summer in so far it is impossible to stage almost any public event near the time of the Olympics as police from across the country have been dragged away to London. Even the kids Summer carnival in my Sussex village has fallen victim to this madness.

In fact this latest 'crisis' epitomises everything that is wrong with the event where commercial and political considerations swamp the sporting activity.

I have a revised running timetable for the London Olympics that looks like the following

1) Countries of the world parade their flags in a show of nationalist display (possibly sponsored)

2) Commercial break where the sponsors plug their products

3) Countries, political groups and other interests from around the world stage a series of demos
(possibly sponsored) about various wrongs committed around the world in the last 50 years

4) Commercial break where the sponsors plug their products

5) A big pile off money (possibly sponsored by large banks bailed by the taxpayer) is unveiled in
the Olympic stadium to the applause of the crowd

6) Commercial break where the sponsors plug their products

7) Announcement that all sporting events have been cancelled due to a failure of the transport system

8) Commercial break where the sponsors plug their products

9) Closing ceremony (possibly sponsored) where the idiots of the world are called to repeat the
farce in four year time

[Odin2005]

14. Holy fuck, I never heard about this!

[DeSwiss]

15. WORLDWIDE GENERAL STRIKE

Said it before. Will say it again.

- It's the only way to get their attention........

K&R
"The revolution is not going to happen tomorrow -- it's never going to happen.

It's taking place right now.

It is an alternate universe that runs parallel to this one, waiting for you to switch sides."

http://zinelibrary.info/expect-resistance">EXPECT RESISTANCE









http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wJ-js_NLV8&feature=colike">''It's just a ride.....''

[alfredo]

17. If T20 Cricket was an Olympic sport, India would be making

a horrible mistake by backing out.

[jberryhill]

19. That and taking "phone support" calls.

Hello, I am Bob, and we are to be asking questions to you now. Are you satisfied with your purchase of an All-American Patriot 7000 laptop?

[alfredo]

20. But they are now losing those jobs to the Malay.

[jberryhill]

21. We ought to just set up call centers in the Amazon

Staff them with uncontacted tribes, and pay them in bits of foil and plastic wrap.

[alfredo]

22. Not until all trees are cut down.

[freshwest]

18. I support the boycott, but it's not a crisis. Nations have refused to participate before...