DALMIYA

World Cup fraud allegation against me is bunkum, bogus. I am honest: Dalmiya Jagmohan
(EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW)

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi: Having spent all his life under the spotlight as a op cricket administraor, it is natural for Jagmohan Dalmiya to hate dim lights. Perhaps, that is why he called the room boy and asked him to add more bulbs to the plush Suite No. 2510 of The Lalit Inter-Continental Hotel before we sarted talking. "There is so less lighting here," he said even as he called the room service. "This is the first time I am staying here," he informed me. Dalmiya usually stays at the Taj Palace or the Oberoi hotel. I was meeting Dalmiya for the first time after he was re-elected president of the Cricket Association of Bengal recently.

Dalmiya became the first Asian to head the International Cricket Council in 1997 and has held almost all top posts in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) before and after the three-year ICC tenure. The 68-year-old business tycoon from Kolkata was recently in the news again as much for being re-elected as president of the CAB as for being charged for misappropriation of Rs. 47.38 crores from the 1996 World Cup accounts that he operated in his native city. He says he chose to fight for the CAB presidentship a second time for “three-four” reasons, including cricketing ones. He admitted that he sought the CAB post so that he could get a platform to fight his case and wipe out the “black spots” from his own self and his family members.

In early 1990s, Dalmiya, along with his former friend and ex-BCCI president I.S. Bindra, had given a new direction to the BCCI by aggressively selling the television rights of international matches at home. One of the fallout of the historic deal was, say experts, was the parting of ways between the two stalwarts due to as-yet unexplained reasons. But the trend they started has paid rich dividends and today, mainly because of the sale of television rights, the BCCI is worth Rs. 17,147,155,393 (as on March 31, 2008). As BCCI president, Dalmiya started the unique monthly pension for retired Test players and umpires. He also initiated a move to financially help other sports federations, but the scheme for some reason did not take off. His successor Sharad Pawar, however, implemented the scheme in association with the Sports Ministry.

Dalmiya spoke candidly on these and other issues during this exclusive interview here in New Delhi. Excerpts:

Was the aim to get rid of the 1996 World Cup monetary allegations the only reason why you chose to contest for the CAB chairmanship?

That was one of the main reasons. Another reason was that for the first time in 80 years’ history of the Ranji Trophy, the Bengal team was relegated [to the second division]. We are very sentimental about Bengal’s pride and, therefore, I had three-four agenda points. But the most important agenda was to bring back the team into the Elite Group and the second one was the expiry of the lease of the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. It had not been renewed for 16-17 months. Without that anybody [read BCCI] who wanted to bypass us [while allotting international matches] could have simply said that ‘you don’t possess the ground’, either through lease or by ownership. Various CAB members told me about these points and wanted me to look into these issues.

I have had a long innings and have occupied each and every position worth the mention. Therefore, I had no further ambition left that I should get any other position. But when I was finishing [my previous term as CAB president], some of my opponents at the national level [the Pawar group], I don’t know for what reason, tried to play a little dirty. So, either you choose to go out with black spots or come forward and fight it out and prove your innocence. And I chose that ‘why should I take the blame and why my children should have black spots’. I have worked so honestly and, therefore, I must go and fight it out. That is the only way to prove the truth, otherwise it’s one statement against the other. And, by the grace of God, I won all my cases, though on paper they are trying to talk about a few crores and millions and billions, which is all bunkum and bogus. I am not worried. Everybody knows the people who have got it done. This is one of their tricks. I had to fight it out and that is what I have proved.


But the case is still going on and it seems it’s again going to be a long innings in the courts.

In the courts, there is nothing left. In Supreme Court, I have filed a case, not them. That case is there because my lawyers say that the documents produced [by the Pawar group] were not genuine. To prove that too one has to go to the court. The court went to the extent to say that this case would be fought in the Calcutta High Court and asked it to file complaints against the five-six respondents [including Pawar and other BCCI officials, both present and former]. Later, I was told that the case had become one between the Calcutta High Court registrar versus the accused [Pawar and co.]. On the other hand, I have said as a further proof, that not only I won the cases, but there was no fair play.


You mean no fair play in the courts?

[He nods in agreement].


So you wanted to come inside the ‘boundary line’ to fight this case because from outside the CAB or the BCCI it was difficult for you to defend.

I don’t want any position or post or anything. But I have to be there as president of my association and I am trying to prove in these cases that allegations against me were all wrong. So, in those kinds of committee meetings, one has to attend on behalf of the association; individuals are not allowed.


You have been confident that there was no hanky panky in the 1996 World Cup accounts [operated by Dalmiya as convenor of the tournament]. How confident are you of finally winning the case? Are you sure you are on a firm wicket?

Of course. Nothing succeeds like success and truth always speaks for itself. Here, it is not just a question of proving oneself. I won in the Bombay High Court, then in the Supreme Court – not this time but the earlier one -- then I won in the Calcutta High Court and the Appeals Court … what does all that mean? Judiciary is the final authority. And now this case, which I filed under IPC Section 340, is going on in the Supreme Court.


As BCCI president you once initiated a move to help other sports federations. Did you have a hearty laugh when the present BCCI dispensation actually implemented this scheme by earmarking Rs.50 crores for the purpose?

There’s nothing to laugh about it. Somebody might have delayed it and ultimately better sense has prevailed. So it’s a point of pleasure and happiness that, all right, they have done it. The pension scheme, for instance, has not happened anywhere in the world. Only in 2000, for the first time in the post World War-II when the Olympic Games were organised, did Greece announce that only one athlete who will come first will get the pension.

So, it’s not a question that I started it. After all, the associations are a collective body and whatever decisions, good or bad, are taken collectively. I am not asking for any special appreciation for this. But it is a fact that this has happened – that is what I am happy about. At that time, this kind of money was not there. Now the amount has been increased and wives have also been included in the scheme [pension is now called monthly gratis].

Like this, there were various things that were done and they have been followed by the present set-up. For instance, I started TRDW [Talent Resource Development Wing], but when I left the BCCI presidentship, it was scrapped. Some people might have felt that it was a useless thing, but I still feel that TRDW was the right thing and through which much could have been achieved and we achieved many things. The [team’s] reserve bench is heavy is because of TRDW. In Bengal, I have started TRDW after being re-elected president because I feel about it.


What exactly happened when you met the representatives of other sports federations? Was the plan actually like this or different from it?

The plan was that the other federations should look into it, that some kind of a help should be given. At that time there were two particular agenda: one was globalisation of cricket, which till today has taken a back seat. Today also, the need of the hour is globalisation.

This [huge amounts of] money which is coming in is a myth … people are saying that I am bringing in the money, you are getting the money, he is getting in the money. It is not so. Money comes according to the market. If the market goes down, money will not come. The proof is that recession has already set in and everybody is getting the brunt of it.

When I took over the ICC presidentship in 1997 only £16,000 were in its coffers and when I left it had $30 million. What globalisation of cricket could I do with £16,000? So we had to raise the money; we had to fight. Some people felt what for the money was being raised and that it would be a wastage, but it was not so. You cannot produce Test players and Test-playing countries overnight; it takes time. Otherwise, India would not have been placed below 140th rank in world football. You have to continue with your efforts to build weaker teams.

Similarly, at this juncture, whatever the money is coming to the BCCI, I strongly feel that a bigger share should have been spent on globalisation of the game. But people feel that probably that is not so much needed.