If the 2010 Commonwealth Games were on notice on the issue of the controversy surrounding the Games Village, the mega-event now has to contend with the lengthening shadow of terrorism in the country.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is continuing to assess the situation and has asked its security consultants to give periodic reports on the security situation in India. Talking to the Hindustan Times from London, CWG chief executive officer Michael Hooper said on Thursday that, "Security is a major issue. What is disturbing is that this (trend) has been continuing for the last nine months. In that backdrop, we continue to assess the situation, although we have not taken a definitive position. We have our own security consultants who would continue to monitor the situation in the county.
"Even before the Commonwealth Youth Games (at Pune in October), we held discussions at the highest level with the Maharashtra government and shared detailed information with them, as the serial bomb blasts in Delhi had taken place only a few weeks back," said Hooper and added that the CWG would continue to engage with all the stakeholders including the Government of India, the Delhi Government, the Delhi Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and their own security consultants on the issue.
In a worst-case scenario, whether he foresaw cancellation of the Games, Hooper said, "One can only speculate…It's still too premature to comment on that," he said and added that he had received a 'general advisory' from the New Zealand government on Thursday on the spate of terrorist activities in India. "The New Zealand advisory has pointed out the terror attacks in Assam, Manipur, Bihar and New Delhi among other Indian cities and asked its nationals to be vigilant," said Hooper.
{{/usCountry}}In a worst-case scenario, whether he foresaw cancellation of the Games, Hooper said, "One can only speculate…It's still too premature to comment on that," he said and added that he had received a 'general advisory' from the New Zealand government on Thursday on the spate of terrorist activities in India. "The New Zealand advisory has pointed out the terror attacks in Assam, Manipur, Bihar and New Delhi among other Indian cities and asked its nationals to be vigilant," said Hooper.
{{/usCountry}}On whether the CWG will send a security team to India, Hooper said, "Not in the near future, but as I said, we will monitor the situation."