Wily TS bishops with kingly ambitions

On the face of it, April 30 of this year should go down as a Red Letter Day in the annals of Indian chess and more so in the context of Telangana State. Saturday will mark the possible formation of a full-fledged Telangana State Chess Association (TSCA). So far, so good, as the saying goes.

Amid the euphoria and ecstatic celebration by the administrators, what is getting drowned is the manner the legalities have been checkmated, thanks to the wily moves by the men, who will rule the sport for the next couple of years.

First things first-elections for the TSCA will be conducted in a city hotel between 10.30am and 2pm. And that is jolly good news, albeit a development that is three years too late in the day. In hindsight, this is going to be one hell of elections because it makes an absurd mockery of established democratic norms.

It is almost three years since Telangana State was created. Like most sports associations, including the Olympic body, even Telangana chess has been rudderless, although in a please-all gesture an ad-hoc committee was put in place to take the sport forward. As things stand, the ad-hoc panel enjoys the dubious distinction of being perhaps the longest in office without any trace of elections, as is mandated.

One fails to understand how the elections are being conducted without following the set procedures. Any elections, be it to a sports body, unions, institutions or political, will be announced and a notification issued. In this case nothing of that sort has been complied with, which is nothing but going about the task with an ‘I-care-a-damn’ approach that is neither justified nor acceptable under any sane consideration.

It is a ridiculous attempt to conduct elections considering that even the media has not been taken into confidence. The hushed manner it is being held is sending strong signals that something is disturbingly amiss at some point. Elections are being held only to give it legitimacy so that national championships can be allotted in course of time.

The available trends indicate that the office-bearers list is almost finalised. All it needs is a casual assemblage before the observer and declare that the panel has been elected unanimously. Having a consensus is certainly a good sign because it indicates that there is no split or ego-ridden battles for one-upmanship. However, that is not exactly how things have been shaping up with regard to TSCA.

There are many disgruntled elements within. Most of them eyed power during the days when the ad-hoc committee called the shots. Their dreams of participating in elections and making it to the policy-making body lie shattered because they are presumed rebels without a cause. They have either been sidelined, cold-shouldered or left to get frustrated at the happenings in which they have no say, whatsoever.

How does one describe an election that is an anti-thesis to democratic setups? Illegal? State-managed? Null and void? Can it be recognised by the national body considering that the ‘contestants’ are the only ones who are aware of the agenda of the big day while all pre-poll traditions have been by-passed? The way the administrators have made their winning moves should come as practical lessons even to Grand Masters.

Many are wondering why it took almost three years for the constitution of an ‘elected’ Telangana State Chess Association. One is unsure if anyone besides the ‘guiding forces’ has an answer to this billion-dollar question.

By Sridhar K Penna