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As if the embarrassment caused to India in the run up to the Commonwealth Games wasn’t enough, it has started harping on the idea of hosting the Olympics.

Even though India managed to salvage some pride by a truly spectacular show at the opening ceremony and somewhat smooth functioning of the Commonwealth Games, its claim to the Olympics is hardly valid, given the sloppy show in the world’s biggest sporting event.

Our country, although the second-most populous in the world, failed to produce a credible number of individual gold medalists in the Olympics ever with Abhinav Bindra being the only individual Gold medal winner from India!

Compare this to our neighbour China. During the Beijing Olympics held in 2008, China topped the Gold medals tally (51) trumping the US, which managed 36. So, even as China rightfully wanted to host to the Olympics on the ground that it has been one of the top performers, can India (which bagged only one Gold medal and two Bronze medals in the Beijing Olympics) do so only to ensure that it doesn't fall behind in the India vs China race.

Consider the issue of funds. If nearly Rs 70,000 crore was spent to fund the Commonwealth Games, a conservative estimate could put the funds requirement for the Olympics at Rs 1.5 lakh crore to Rs 2 lakh crore.

Even if half that amount is spent on training and welfare of our sportsmen, we could win medals big-time in the Olympics. Look at our athletes’ performance in the Commonwealth Games 2010. We have already won 14 Gold medals and are at number two in the pecking order just behind Australia on Day Five.

Now, if the government pursues its plan to host the Olympics, it would also be depriving its own people as money spent on their welfare will be diverted to give foreigners a five-star stay in India. Can the Indian government push ahead with its plan and leave the poor to rot?

Coming to some dismal stats. Of India’s one billion people, around 350-400 million are below the poverty line, 75 per cent of them being in rural areas. The illiterate comprises almost a whopping 40 per cent of the population and among the worst affected are women, tribals and scheduled castes.

So even if Delhi CM Shiela Dikshit bundles away the beggars in a shelter home before booting them out after the Commonwealth Games, it does not take this stark statistics away from us.

If we can bring about transparency in our government's funds allocation and pump in around Rs 1 lakh crore (which we assume will be half of what will be spent on an Olympics), the lives of at least one-third of our poor can change forever. Our politicians have already plundered the nation and hosting the Olympics would give them another big opportunity to do so.

Just about a month back, India was placed at an abysmal low in the World Competitive Index. India ranked 57th in wasteful expenditure by the government, 72nd in corruption, 95th in burden of government regulation, 127th in cost of terrorism and 67th cost to deal with crime, among others.

India managed 42nd place in transparency of government, 68th in reliability of public services and 76th in efficacy of corporate boards. However, in life expectancy India was at an abysmal 109th spot out of 139 nations, clearly indicating we’re still a backward nation.

To show the world that India has actually arrived, we have to first eradicate poverty and step up social welfare schemes on a war footing instead of trying to wrestle an Olympics bid. Only after we reap the benefits and move up the pecking order in global competitiveness, can we aspire to be elevated from a nation hosting the Commonwealth Games to a venue for the Olympics.