The best way to know the self is feeling oneself at the moments of reckoning. The feeling of being alone, just with your senses, may lead you to think more consciously. More and more of such moments may sensitize ‘you towards you’, towards others. We become regular with introspection and retrospection. We get ‘the’ gradual connect to the higher self we may name Spirituality or God or just a Humane Conscious. We tend to get a rhythm again in life. We need to learn the art of being lonely in crowd while being part of the crowd. A multitude of loneliness in mosaic of relations! One needs to feel it severally, with conscience, before making it a way of life. One needs to live several such lonely moments. One needs to live severallyalone.

Wednesday 13 April 2016

CSR IN BCCI LOGBOOK: WELL, IT IS NOT THERE!

The Board of Control for Cricket in India or BCCI, the richest cricket body in the world, traces the history of cricket in India as far back as to 1721, as mentioned on its website.

BCCI, that was registered in December 1928 as the apex body of six private cricketing associations, showed an income of Rs. 1266 crore in its balance sheet for the year ended March 31, 2015. The 2014-15 annual report showed a fund flow of Rs. 5437 crore including the sources of funds and their application.

BCCI that claimed being a ‘charitable organisation’, availed tax exemptions for decades, before the tax authorities decided that enough was enough, that BCCI was not a ‘charitable organisation’, but an entity driven by entertainment products and commercial interests. BCCI is now in courts against around Rs. 2300 crore tax imposed on it.

BCCI that controls cricket in India, a game with mass following, with an iron hand, is facing the Supreme Court’s ire on its persistence to maintain the status quo, on its refusal to bring reforms that can cure deeply rooted corruption in the apex body of cricket in India.

How can we expect from that organisation that it will behave in a socially responsible manner and would shift the IPL matches out of drought affected regions – with 10 Indian states officially declaring drought and India facing one of the worst droughts in its history?

This is the second consecutive year when a below normal rainfall has forced the millions of Indians to struggle for a even a single drop of water and has forced thousands of farmers to commit suicide.

Today, as expected, the Bombay High Court forced BCCI to take IPL out of Maharashtra. Yes, it was logical when the court put this restriction on matches after April 30, keeping in mind the fact the holding matches at a particular venue needs weeks of planning and work.

But even then, there was no 'common sense' wisdom dawned upon the arrogant and insensitive BCCI administrators as they started cribbing immediately after the verdict that it was too difficult to shift venues now, that it would harm in the brand IPL, that it would cause financial damage to the franchisees, that IPL was made a soft target, and what not.

Well, you cannot expect social consciousness from an organisation that earns billions but doesn't want to pay taxes properly and desists from spending on practices like corporate social responsibility.

A simple document search of BCCI's latest annual report available on its website (for year 2014-15) with key search words - corporate, social, responsibility, PR, outreach, conscience, citizenship and communication - words, when used in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), represent social consciousness of on organization - tells how insensitive and in fact, commerce oriented BCCI is.

Here is the 'cheat' sheet with the information  on how many times a Communication/CSR related word has been used in the annual report and in what context: (and not even a single of them qualifies as a proper CSR word suggesting some socially responsible intent)!

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY – 0
CSR - 0
PUBLIC RELATIONS – 0
PR – 0
OUTREACH – 0
CONSCIENCE – 0
CITIZENSHIP – 0

CORPORATE (1)
  • Corporate Trophy (under the head – expenditure related to cricketing activities)
SOCIAL (1)
  • BCCI presence on social media platforms is being significantly strengthened to connect directly with fans.
RESPONSIBILITY (4)
  • It places an enormous responsibility on coaches at the grassroots level and on administrators.
  • As much as it is our responsibility to contribute to our team’s cause, it is also up to us to remember that we are entertainers too.
  • It becomes our singular responsibility to offer the right guidance to the younger cricketers..
  • While the ICC ACSU is mainly tasked with providing anticorruption cover to international matches played between Full Member National Cricket Federations, it is the responsibility of the BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit to protect all domestic games played under the aegis of the BCCI.
RESPONSIBLE (4)
  • He along with Mr. IS Bindra was responsible for ensuring a fair deal to the BCCI.. (about Jagmohan Dalmiya)
  • He was responsible for the return of South Africa.. (about Jagmohan Dalmiya)
  • He was responsible for introducing medical benevolent scheme for the retired cricketers and umpires. (about Jagmohan Dalmiya)
  • “We feel socially responsible as a unit wearing this kit and doing our bit for the environment. (R Ashwin on India’s new jersey launch – and that too, at Melbourne)
PUBLIC (2)
  • I have to request you to make best endeavours to work towards eradicating corruption from the game of cricket at the state level and assist the BCCI in its efforts to restore the faith of the cricket loving public in cricket. Shashank Manohar
  • It becomes our singular responsibility to offer the right guidance to the younger cricketers – not just on cricketing techniques but also on how to conduct oneself in public and how to be able to differentiate right from wrong.
RELATION(S) (4)
  • There is regular flow of information and news, and relations with the media are structured in a spirit of partnership and professionalism.
  • .. by the Board and defaulted in relation to the balance franchisee fee of ` 133.86 Crores.
  • .. It becomes our singular responsibility to offer the right guidance to the younger cricketers – not just on cricketing techniques but also on how to conduct oneself in public and how to be able to differentiate right from wrong..
  • .. obligations relating to UAE league matches vest with the Board and the Franchisee shall have no rights or obligations in relation to the staging of the Matches.
COMMUNICATION (7)
  • Communication Expenses (under the head ‘administrative and other expenses’)
  • Communication Expenses (under the head ‘establishment and other expenses’)
  • During the year ended 31st March, 2010, the
  • Board received a communication from the Director of Income Tax (Exemption).. (under the section ‘income tax assessment status’)
  • The Board’s appeal with the ITAT against the said communication had been dismissed as non- maintainable by the ITAT. (under the section ‘income tax assessment status’)
  •  .. the Board has also filed a writ petition before the Honourable High Court of Bombay to stay the communication of the Director of Income Tax. (under the section ‘income tax assessment status’)
  • During the year ended 31 March 2013, based on communication from Income Tax Department, the Board had paid an amount of `144.32 Crores under protest. (under the section ‘income tax assessment status’)
  •  Disputed Matters with Nimbus Communication Limited (under the section ‘Dispute With Nimbus Communications Limited’)
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/