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| May 15, 2000 | ||
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 There's
a disturbing thing about scandals in India. There are always more
questions than answers. In the mess that is cricket, the finger pointing
in match-fixing and shady deals has rapidly included names that, if
proven, will shake the country. It's a jolt to hear names from India's
pantheon of cricketers being dragged through mud. But strangely, though
evidence is still at best circumstantial, only one of many who are accused
of wrong doing or match fixing is going ahead with a perfectly acceptable
form of rebuttal: a defamation suit. Moreover, the police are being coy
with evidence. So, in the end it all boils down to one man's word against
another's.
In our cover story -- our third on the scandal in a month -- we go on a journey through this murky world, as our team of correspondents in India and the UK follow the trail of sleaze and innuendo to try and answer some pressing questions. Is International Cricket Council President Jagmohan Dalmiya part of the problem? What does Kapil Dev have to say for himself? Are Manoj Prabhakar's accusations for real? It is easier -- though no less disturbing -- to gauge the cause and effect of water scarcity that is plaguing much of western India. In our continuing coverage, we decided to focus sharply and understand the problem from a village's perspective. Senior Correspondent Anshul Avijit and Principal Photographer Bandeep Singh travelled to Rohidi, a tiny village in Barmer district of Rajasthan, just 2 km from the border with Pakistan. No rain for two years, no fodder, bare-bones money and minimal help from the Government. And yet, says Avijit, who scripted the text for an arresting photo feature, there were smiles that broke through the anger at both God and government. The sarpanch has barely enough to eat, yet thinks nothing of offering a second roti to him. "They are determined to survive," says Avijit. "It's admirable to the point it makes you question why they have to go through this living hell in the first place." They don't have to. .
(Aroon Purie) |
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