Stay Out, Mr. Gill

India’s sports minister, MS Gill, is in the news for his views against Formula 1 racing. Although the Force India team has been placed second in the Belgian Grand Prix, the minister does not want to encourage the sport here, finding it too elitist and costly.

So is polo – try and maintain a string of polo ponies and you will find out.

So is cricket – for very few can afford all the equipment cricket needs.

As far as motorsports are concerned, India has not even begun. In the old days there was a Himalayan Rally. There are no car rallies nowadays. There aren’t even proper go-carting tracks in India. No dirt racing tracks for motorcycles. Formula 1 is too far away.

Yet, all these must come. They must happen. India must find its place in the sun.

The sports minister’s comment reflects a widespread attitude among our ruling elite – they all ride Ambassadors and refuse to recognize that an automobile revolution has already occurred on our streets. And it is not a Maruti 800 revolution: here are some of the cars being released this season. Very few are small cars. Most of them are big – there are some SUVs, a Mercedes, and a BMW convertible. This is reality. If this revolution is allowed to proceed at full pace, we can visualize universal automobile ownership in India someday soon. If this has happened to the phone, it will happen to the PC, and it will also happen to the automobile.

Motorsports must arrive in India – but only if the ministry of sports is kept out. I saw a picture in the Express today – of Bhaichung Bhutia with our sports minister after winning the Nehru Cup soccer tournament (the final was against Syria). Why has football never happened in India? Because of this ministry. Why is cricket becoming such a great money-spinner? Because of private entrepreneurs. The same must happen in motorsports.

Sports journalists should take note. The automobile revolution has created a niche for automotive journalism. In precisely the same way, automotive sports will create a new niche in sports journalism. But only if our The State is kept out.

MS Gill is a strange kettle of fish. An IAS officer, he made it to election commissioner. He thereafter joined the Congress and was immediately “rewarded” with a ministry. Many find his conduct inappropriate. Indeed, even the present EC is talked about as a Congress stooge. These IAS men do not provide “civil government”: rather, they are tools of “party government.” Anyway, Gill has enough on his plate, what with the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year. From what I hear, there is quite a big mess in the arrangements. Think of what would happen if our The State tried to organize an Indian Grand Prix. Think of a race track made by our PWD.

No siree.

Give me private enterprise in motorsports any day.