British and Western media maintain power through Commonwealth Games

The 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games has just concluded. For India it was a satisfactory exercise as our country finished fourth on the medal table. There were excellent performances from Indian newcomers and India can henceforth look forward to brighter performances from these athletes in the future. But in all the euphoria that has been generated, let us take a look at the political and economic aspects of multi-discipline events.
The initial objective of holding the Commonwealth Games every four years was to continue to extend Britain’s soft power over its empire through the medium of sports.
The idea of conducting a worldwide sports event especially for countries ruled by the British Empire was first proposed as long back as 1891 by a person named John Astley Cooper who wrote several letters and articles in leading dailies espousing the cause of such an exercise. The idea received lukewarm response but gradually gained strength and the first games known as the British Empire Games was held in 1930 in Hamilton in Canada. It was during the second British Empire Games, held in London in 1934, that Indian sportspersons first took part.
Over the years the British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) has been hit by political controversy and even boycotts. But the original objective of Britain was to keep all the countries under a common fold and exert its influence. Various policy makers in Britain felt that along with the use of military power, the use of influence through promotion of cultural activities and sport (what we now term soft power) could be of great help to the image and clout of Great Britain.
By influencing culture, the imperial administrators disseminated a set of values and ideas which enabled them to create favourable opinions across the world. One of the most identifiable aspects of this can be seen in the widespread use of the English language in every walk of life. If we read any international news, it is mostly in English. So the ideas that are pushed into our minds are those of the English speaking world. Using influence through culture and sports is another way of creating a sphere of control.
Two years after India became independent it proclaimed itself a republic. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, India decided to remain within the British Commonwealth. “We join the Commonwealth because we think it is beneficial to us and to certain causes in the world that we wish to advance,” explained Nehru in the Constituent Assembly on 16th May, 1949.