Vasai: BJP Vasai unit vice-president Mahesh Sarvankar has castigated MLA Hitendra Thakur for what the former has termed as an utter waste of money in the name of Vasai Fests. For the past 29 years, the last week of the calendar year has been celebrated as Vasai Taluka Kala-Kreeda Utsav. The just-concluded fest saw Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar in attendance.
The last week of December is a time for hundreds of families of Vasai to spend time to participate in the arts and sports events. People even take leave from their workplaces to ensure that their children compete in the festival. The children who participated in the festival 29 years ago have grown up, married and now their children are competing in the events. The organisers claim that more than 50,000 people participate in the festival every year.
These fests have provided a platform for the youngsters to exhibit their talents and inculcated a spirit of competitiveness. The festivals are also a showcase for the culture of Konkan. But Sarvankar points out that despite the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation having spent crores of rupees in organising and conducting these festivals all these years, not a single person has emerged as a state or national champion, and no person has got a job even if he or she has performed well in the sports meet.
The same can also be said of the annual marathons being conducted here. The events are merely tamashas and a political platform for Thakur’s Bahujan Vikas Aghadi to garner votes. According to John Koshy, coach of Western Railway’s sports division, these are merely festivals for people to have a good time. Champions can emerge only if the sports infrastructure is in place. Without the infrastructure, merely conducting sports festivals will not produce state or national champions.
A system must be put in place whereby talents can be identified, nurtured, promoted and developed. There are no synthetic tracks in Vasai and therefore it is not possible for athletes to practice and perform. Athletes in Vasai have to go to Mumbai city to practice on synthetic tracks because all national and international meets are held on these tracks.