Dateline Bombay

Jan Lokpal Bill Movement: Lessons For India's Middle & Ruling Classes

2011-08-28T15:45:00.003+05:30

`Supercop' Kiran Bedi learnt the hard way (or so we hope) how not to hold fort when she resorted to somewhat unusual theatrics to drive home a point about elected representatives. She was on stage as Gandhian Anna Hazare fasted to get the Indian Government to agree to pass the Jan LokPal Bill, a strong anti-corruption bill. His fast ended on 28 August 2011, 12 days after it started.

The fast (and the strategy thereof) has attracted kudos and criticism alike. The critics call the fast and the accompanying protests blackmail. The supporters say politicians are not known to respond to the usual greet, meet and review process. As they have not in the past. Moreover, the country has lived with unprecedented levels of corruption for decades and across all walks of life. And cannot tolerate it any longer. Extreme conditions call for extreme responses. Both sides however agree that the issue of corruption in public life must be addressed, with some urgency.

I see it a little differently. Without getting into the merits of the Bill itself and the methodology adoped, lets look at what this movement has done.

1.It's brought India's slumbering middle class and youth together on an issue (corruption) they should have united on a few decades ago. Not that its only the middle class that's out on the streets.
2. Equally, its given India's middle class a sense of `real-politik' for the first time. The protestors and the country at large quite quickly realised the Government was being indifferent to them simply because it concluded the SMS/Twitter/Facebook fuelled gatherings lacked the support and momentum of India's masses. Never mind that the hundreds of thousands marched on their volition as opposed to being paid and carted in by the truckloads. Politician Mani Shankar Aiyar said in a television discussion two days ago that he called up his constituency in the southern state of Tamil Nadu to find out how many people were protesting on this issue. "Only 30," he was told. Mani's point: its an important issue alright but not everyone is jumping to support it.
3. Its showed that a bunch of smart thinking individuals with some public support can outsmart a government which, for all its might, demonstrated that it did not think in a calm and controlled manner. Its not that the Government does not have smart people, but the lack of an effective strategy or counter-strategy was glaring.
4. The same bunch of people had a working and evolving strategy at all times, notwithstanding Ms Bedi's theatrics. When Anna Hazare broke his fast on Sunday the 28th of August, he did so with a speech which laid out out a forward looking agenda, one that encompassed education, elections and the environment. In contrast, except for a few very notable exceptions, most Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha rambled on without making any specific points. So while Ms Bedi's antics must be frowned upon and dismissed as that of a political novice, the veterans didn't exactly cover themselves in oratorical glory. Though to be fair, the quality of debate was much higher than the median.
5.The movement created the first stirrings of a political identity for the middle classes. And one of some muscle as well. For deacades, the middle classes have watched silently and in fear as various quasi-political parties have wreaked havoc on the streets. Mumbai is no stranger to it. Time and again, the city has been warned by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray that his boys would take to the streets if a certain issue was not addressed in his favour. And there are the infamous `voluntary-involuntary' bandhs in once Communist Party ruled states like West Bengal and Kerala. For once, the middle class can feel comfortable about getting down to the streets. Hopefully, it will maintain the peaceful and non-violent nature,as originally propogated by Mahatma Gandhi and as espoused by the leaders of the current India Against Corruption movement.

The challenge obviously is larger now. Showing consistency is more difficult than flash protests. Anna Hazare and his team have pulled through for an admirable period. More importantly, agree or not, they have laid out a vision and a direction. They seem to be cognizant of the criticism that they have hijacked parliamentary democracy. Of course they deny the charge. They also recognise that there are much dotting of the i's and crossing of the t's involved before any real legislation is passed. To that extent they are aware of the precise challenges ahead. Obviously, it helps to have at least two constitutional heavy weights on your side - former Law Minister & Supreme Court lawyer Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhushan .

The Government and its many constituents are obviously smarting. Unusually, this includes all sides of the house. And they will want to settle scores where they can. A few members of parliament will advocate greater control on media. Better still they will insist (as a few already have) that the media too be brought under the ambit of an anticorruption law. There will be other such missiles that will be fired in coming days. Some might well be justified.

But the Government can convert this into an opportunity too, by working with the prime movers of the movement more closely. It can take up prickly issues like corruption and be seen to be involving more people in fixing it rather than getting adversorial. By taking firm ownership of the issue rather than seen to be on the defensive. By doing a more broad-based, mass engagement for solutions that will fix the processes that create corruption, particularly `retail' corruption. While there has to be nitpicking on the law, there has to be greater nitpicking on the processes that lead to corruption in the first place. Particularly of the kind that involves the poor and helpless.

Business No Longer As Usual

2011-04-26T13:16:00.000+05:30

My Singapore-based economist friend put the whole corruption issue in an economic perspective. "Indian systems and structures have always been geared to manage the Hindu rate of growth – 3.5% between the 1950s to 1980s. What you are seeing is the inability to cope with 9% plus growth, economically, socially and politically.”

Well. More and more bigwigs are being chargesheeted and going to jail on charges of corruption. Unfortunately, many of us believe they will somehow extricate themselves, using money, influence or both. I will come to that in a moment. Lets take a look at Tihar’s well-heeled jailbirds. Presently, they range from accused in telecom spectrum allocation to Delhi’s Commonwealth Games (CWG) scandals.

There are four kinds of people in from the abovementioned crop. The first is founders of organisations, like realtors Shahid Balwa of DB Corp and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech. To understand their wealth in perspective, Shahid Balwa apparently asked Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials if they could travel from Mumbai to Delhi (where the CBI court is in session) in his private jet. Understandably, the CBI officials declined.

Birds Of A Feather Flock...In Jail

The second is the professional kind. There are three Reliance ADAG Group executives, including managing director Gautam Doshi facing charges. Reliance was on the other side of the transaction with Shahid Balwa, details which form part of a CBI chargesheet. The third is politicians like Suresh Kalmadi picked up on 25th April on charges of cheating, consipiracy and corruption in sanctioning inflated payments to vendors. This was in his role as Chairman of the Organising Committee for the CWG. And finally, its the bureaucrats who were associated with both kinds of scams from the government side.

Four sets of people. All sharing various cells in Tihar jail as the temperatures (summer) rise in Delhi. Its safe to say that they will emerge from their confinements at some point. When, of course, is the Rs 100 crore question. But having interacted with some of them in the past, I do wonder (increasingly) how many will ever try the fast and loose approach in their business dealings ? Moreover, how many of their friends, associates and even remote acquaintances will take the easy way out when faced with legal-moral hurdles ?

Let me put it this way. Ever since Mumbai’s traffic police began cracking down on drunk driving a few years ago, I have only heard of friend’s friends spending a night in jail. A few friends have told me of agonising hours spent in suburban police stations in the dead of the night. Guess what. I do not drive even if I have had a whiff of alchohol, so wary i am of running foul of the law. The same friends have told me that a glass or so is legally acceptable. I don’t care. I just don’t want to take a chance. And I am not alone.

Can The Merry Ways Change ?

Now most of our friends in Tihar Jail obviously boast much thicker skins. And that’s why they are there in the first place. And a few will quite likely return to their merry ways when they are finally done with their time. Which brings me to the big question. What if the `ways ‘ themselves change ? Can this attack against corruption that is now societal, judicial and even political change the course of the river, albeit partially. Is it likely that doing business will never be the same again in India ?

The optimist and patriot in me says yes. When powerful people get chargesheeted and spend time in jail, some deterrence if not restrain has already been created. At least for a while till the systems to check corruption and to crack down discovered become stronger. One where the four kinds of jailbirds will find it increasingly difficult to intermingle unquestioned and milk state-owned resources to build personal fortunes.

The way of doing business changes every now and then. That has been the situation from the dawn of time when entrepreneurs and organisations came into existence. Entrepreneur’s (and maybe managers) always test the boundaries of law and business ethics in search for growth and profit. The last two decades have been challenging, as my economist friend says, for a country that never grappled with runaway growth or for that matter greed. This is the time to pause and learn a few lessons. There is no guarantee that corruption will go away. There is some guarantee that it will take much thicker skins to go through with it.

The Devil That Is Corruption

2011-04-11T10:57:00.001+05:30

The devil is in the detail, goes the old but appropriate cliche. It could apply to the reading of a contract or the framing of a cohesive strategy to combat corruption. Its the latter or the immediate lack of it that worries me. To the extent that we expect this television and social media fuelled movement to go to a next, logical phase.

We are basking in a post World Cup cricket victory glow. A well-timed Anna Hazare anti-corruption campaign appears to have satiated our innate desires for another win. After beating Pakistan and Sri Lanka, surely a corrupt politician was small change. Question is can we now prevent the movement from being a one-day win just like its cricketing predecessor.

At the outset its not easy. I believe corruption affects us worst in our immediate vicinity, in our day to day lives. A 2G telecom scam revolts us but only because it deeply affects our sense of values and the context we see ourselves as a democracy. Beyond that, what price Government-owned telecom spectrum is sold for does not materially change our lives.

A Builder's Reception

A week before Anna Hazare began his fast at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Maharashtra minister Kripa Shankar Singh's son was found to have received a sum of Rs 4 crore from builder DB Realty. Its not clear for what. Good news is you cannot accuse the poor fellow of bias when it comes to builders and developers. It was also found that his wedding reception bill for Rs 15.5 lakh had been picked by another builder, HDIL. HDIL's key pitch is slum rehabilitation. They should add weddings to the list.

This is one example that jumped at me. Every village, town, city and state in India has hundreds of such instances. Happenings that we learn of or see in broad daylight. Ive always wondered how politicians get away by installing plainly illegal hoardings at Worli junction, near where I live in Mumbai. Is it corruption, blatant misuse of public property or just breakdown of law and order.

Or how a politican like Chaggan Bhujbal in Mumbai, elected legislatively but without any state cabinet position, can travel in eight-car police convoys, mowing aside cars that are driven by members not of his ilk. So there is no visible corruption here, or is there ? And how do we convert the anger we so wonderfully expressed on a day to something that keeps such people in check over a sustained period ?

The Visible Symbols

Its human nature to rally around symbols. The daily corruption of the administrative and bureaucratic kind cannot be fought through single symbols. You need motivated people at a very specific, regional level to seek information (as many are), build up cases and then go after the perpetrators. This is a full-time job in itself, so deep is administrative corruption and linked inefficiency in our country.

This is where I think the youth of India have a greater role to play. As they've shown their solidarity on Facebook and Twitter with Anna Hazare, they need to seed small movements (for example) in college campuses and institutionalise the approach. For instance, can colleges in Andheri (a north Mumbai suburb) pick up all the land parcels that have been alloted to builders in the last five years and write project reports on how the transactions were done ? And can they get a few marks for doing this ?

Can other projects look at the state of the roads (measured against the repeated expenditure) ? Or the illegal posters ? Or can you help truck drivers trying to enter Mumbai city and being harassed for entry tax (octroi) and often forced to pay bribes. Or endure impossible waits. Or do a real check of every politicians real assets, compared to what they've declared while standing for elections. Yes, you will spend the first few days laughing at the figures declared. That will be the fun. But the details will not be. That's the nature of the devil.

The Zone

2011-04-04T10:46:00.000+05:30

I was watching Indian captain MS Dhoni's eyes when he hit the sixer that catapulted India to victory at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 on Saturday night. Only someone with numbing focus and meditative concentration, oblivious to the utter mayhem and cacophony all around, can play a shot like that. It was the definitive, you-guys-can-take-this stroke from a cricketer wanting to leave a permanent stamp on the game.

To be fair, many such definitive shots have been played, match winning and otherwise. But it was one of the few I would categorize as belonging to The Zone. Spiritual expert Jaya Row who once defined the Zone to me. "Its your ability to disconnect totally from the world outside and be in total control of your mind and body for that moment," she had told me.

I have always wondered about the role of spirituality (secular) in our lives. Ms Row, a Vedanta expert, defined ita appropriately. "Think of Sachin Tendulkar when he is facing a bowler. Look at his face," she said. She didn't have to explain further. The question is do you need a do-or-die sporting event to achieve this state of total concentration ? World class sportsmen get there most of the time because they are trained to. Conversely, they make mistakes when they slip out of the Zone.

Can I Do It

Interestingly, this phase of inner silence and external concentration is something that we all aspire for. We slip in and out frequently but usually find it difficult to stay put for longer periods. Some of us find it easier to hit the Zone early morning, some late evening. Most successful and happy people spend more time in the Zone. Note, the two are not mutually exclusive.

The Zone is not an agressive place, as I understood it. The motivation might be agression, like in a sporting event. But it might also be an attempt to find a peaceful interlude. The destination is the same. There are many things to take away from a sporting victory. One is to become a cricketer and enjoy a nation's adulation. The other is to learn from them and find your Zone. And enjoy it !

My Way Or No Way

2011-03-31T10:24:00.000+05:30

(Daily Mail pic showing former British PM Gordon Brown)

In India, this is something we are used to and used to giving in, almost as we would bow to kings and queens in medieval times. With citizens of other democracies, the reaction can be a little different.

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown came under fire after his entourage tried to bump a heavily pregnant woman from business class on an international flight. It happened at Oman, when passengers on a British Airways flight were told they would have to move to a lower class because of an `overbooking' problem'. The story appeared on Daily Mail but strangely cannot be found on the newspaper's website anymore, at least when I last checked !

The pregnant woman's husband moved from business to premium economy and other passengers from premium economy were moved to economy and some, apparently off the flight altogether. The story came to light because the woman, seven months pregnant, refused to budge. She also got a photograph taken which is circulating on the web.

The Indian Way

The passengers of course don't know how lucky they are. In India, quite likely, the sten-gun toting guards of a much lesser politician or real estate developer would have lined up the passengers against a wall and threatened to shoot them. Possibly they wouldn't have carried out that threat because of the mess it would create in a public place. But surely they would rough up.

A friend and a well known Mumbai politician were driving a few weeks ago to a concert in a Mumbai suburb when their car got shoved aside by a real estate developer's motorcade. The politician was travelling like you and me, ie minus the red light and motorcade. He was shocked. I understand he tried to make a few calls to protest but got nowhere. This happens all the time in the world's largest democracy.

Roads are the one place where we all meet, till we retreat to our fortresses, towers or slums as the case maybe. So be prepared for your rights to be trampled at will, if only to temporarily make way for a greater being. Our inability to protest this amazes me. It does not amaze me that elected representatives and thus `servants' of the electorate get away. They will, til we redefine the relationship between ordinary citizens and politicians and the rich and powerful.

Only If I Had The Choice

There is no difference between the three categories, often. Note now former Telecom Minister A Raja spends quality jail time alongside Shahid Balwa of DB Realty, a `leading' Mumbai builder. The latter is charged with bribing the former. I am willing to bet that in good times, both exercised their rights that flow to this class by shoving aside anyone who obstructed their convoys. Like politician Raj Thackeray's entourage did last week in Goa.

Here are a cross section of views. The first is Jawahar on the site which carried the Daily Mail story. "Hey BA, you seem more like our Nepal Airlines Corporation. I thought they bumped people off the flight to make way for politicos only in the airlines of the 3rd world countries. Cannot believe you do that too."

And another one from a Sir John in Australia, "This is just typical of the so-called UPPER-CRUST. And that CRUST is made up of all sorts of persons, who think they can have it over what they call and treat as 'DROSS" or 'THE PLEBS", who this CRUST is supposed to honnor, protect, serve, and thank for, for having been selected to do so !!"

Incidentally I used to be a regular British Airways flier. I stopped some years ago when they bumped me down from Premium Economy without reason. And never responded or compensated me for the loss. Obviously I found better airlines to fly. Unfortunately, I cant do the same with our roads.

Buffett Lesson: Unite In Philanthropy

2011-03-28T09:25:00.001+05:30

Warren Buffett came to India. The closest I came to him is when my aircraft passed his (parked) private jet in Bangalore last week. Of course I was flying commercial. Thanks to a fairly trying schedule involving four cities in as many days I missed most of the media coverage surrounding his India visit. Which means, by deduction, I missed most of media too.

So why did we get so excited about Warren Buffet ? So one reason is the obvious one. He is the Sage Of Omaha. He is the most valued value investor. And for all the wealth his firm Berkshire Hathway generates, he himself lives the life of, well, a sage. Its perhaps the failing of my current assignment (or boon ?) that I only have time to browse a few reports and not take the full blast. It was in this context that I read T N Ninan's piece in Business Standard. I think it beautifully sums up the Sage's wisdom.

The second reason is the reason he came here. To invite India's rich (add recently rich) to part with their billions (in dollars). I could say a lot more on this to but I think the Business Standard's article titled `philanthropy mongering as PR' next day pretty much summed it up. I am not sure whether Buffett had success in either. But that can be assessed later.

Antilla Musings

From a vantage point, somewhere in south Mumbai, I was watching helicopters land and take off from the Mahalakshmi Race Course on Sunday morning. A friend pointed to Mukesh Ambani's 27-storey Antilla home (clearly visible from where we were standing) and added that he had applied for permission to land on his terrace. My friend being a pilot, presumably had an aviator's interest in landing and take-offs from a building terrace. Of course Antilla's in your face opulence was not lost on him.

To most, Antilla represents a pinnacle in Indian business achievement and sheer ostentatiousness. Although, its now difficult to say where one ends and the other begins. And therein lies the problem in India. So we like and respect success but are uncomfortable when someone brandishes his wealth and power so openly. More so in a nation where the disparities are so stark. Remember, we never saw it like this before either.

A Mukesh Ambani is not to blame for the disparities. He must, like all entrepreneurs big and small, be lauded for creating opportunity, jobs and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Most of us accept that too. But then, why the discomfort ? I think its because of the concept of perceived equality. Which means that at one level we feel the very rich have taken from the Land and its People and not compensated sufficiently in return. On the other, the State has not done its job of giving us a good deal either.

Distributed Equality

You might argue that the entrepreneur is not to blame for this. True. But the State must fix the perceived gap between the entrepreneurs who mine (pun not intended) the resources the Land has to offer and the benefits that flow to the populace. It does not help that most of the wealth generated in the last decade has to do more with resources that were appropriated in ways and means that were mostly illegal. The 2G telecom scam is a good example.

But what if the State did a much better job in delivering services than it is currently ? I am not upset about a helicopter landing on someone's terrace and whisking him off. But I am surely upset at Mumbai's horrible roads, which surely hold the record for the most non-linear man-made construction on Planet Earth. Or Mumbai's domestic help who marvel at Mukesh Ambani's Rs 70 lakh ($143,000) monthly electricty bill when their homes an hour's train ride from Mumbai are beset with daily power cuts.

Its the distributed inequality that makes Warren Buffett and Bill Gates come and talk about philanthropy. There are two arguments here. First that most Indian businesses practice philanthropy and were not waiting for Mr Buffett to come and preach to them. The other is that philanthropy cannot fix the problems that we really want fixed. Even if the extent of philanthropy, lets say, doubled or even tripled.

So Who Fixes What ?

Most successful businessmen realise this too. They would rather contribute to the larger cause of opportunity creation (which India desperately needs) rather than Buffett-induced philanthropy which in a nation of a billion will always be a drop in the ocean. Unless you were someone like Azim Premji (Wipro chief) who talked about the deficits of education for a long time and finally decided he was going to put some money where his mouth was.

Can businessmen help the State deliver better services ? This is a tough one. The State does not like being told what or how to do. On the other hand, the same taxes you and I pay can deliver a better quality of life. We know this but have to find sufficient ways of enforcing better delivery from the State. We will. I also believe, however, that there is a case for more co-ordinated giving for larger objectives. What if the Ambanis, GMR Group, Birlas, Tatas and the thousands of new and very wealthy entrepreneurs combined their funds for a few specific causes ?

Its not something that any of them would jump to. After all, most of us like to leave our singular stamp on our giving. But for a country of this size, such efforts will bear more fruit. Particularly in areas like education and healthcare. And that's something that Mr Buffett figured too. By donating to the Gates Foundation rather than trying to do it himself. Thats a lesson we should surely take away.

The Real Fear Of Flying

2011-03-23T14:37:00.001+05:30

I have been mostly on the road for the last three weeks. Which means catching flights of various shapes, sizes and of course pilots. I am worried. Because neither the airline, India's regulatory body (Director General of Civil Aviation) seem to know whether the pilots flying the aircraft have earned their licenses honestly and didn't forge their tests. And till some 4,500 licenses are fully scanned, we will entrust our lives to pilots whose credentials are not re-established.

I was reading an insightful piece in the Business Standard which talks about how the pilots forged critical components of the tests required to become certified pilots. For instance, most of the now suspended pilots flunked papers on aviation meteorology, radio aids and air nagivation. How this escaped everyone's attention is a little bit of a mystery. Or not.

The matter picked up steam when the DGCA ordered an inquiry into an improper landing in January (on the nosewheel) by a pilot who, amazingly, had commanded flights with IndiGo Airlines for two years. Turned out she had a forged certificate showing she cleared the tests in November 2009, and thus got the Airlines Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). A few more names cropped up soon, including one from Air India and another (apparently the authorities are hunting a few) from IndiGo.

Continous Testing

I have no doubt that the airlines themselves are turning over every scrap of paper they can lay their hands on to establish whether the records are in order. As we all know, airlines constantly run their own tests and periodic simulator training sessions. Its not like you get hired it and you are in for life. You are tested constantly - almost like a competition sports player - and have to perform to perfection all the time.

So its a little funny that pilots who have not slipped up for two years suddenly make a glaring error, which in turn starts the chain of events that gets them caught. The other possibility is that they were slipping up all the while and continued to fly. Which of course is highly irregular but also unlikely as no airline would risk its passengers' lives and thus its reputation.

So is there a problem with the quality and nature of testing itself ? Could be, because many pilots say that the Indian DGCA has higher rigor than most other regulatory bodies. This in turn forces desperately aspiring pilots to take measures such as this. Because in their minds they know that they might forge exam papers but will fly the aircraft with the diligence it requires.
Thats a talking point but obviously does not fly because laws have been broken.

Unfair On The Rest

Since everyone is `guilty' until proved `innocent', all record's must be scanned. This is good inasmuch as you never know what else might pop up. Its bad because the reputation of the majority has been sullied. Many pilots I know have earned their licenses through the straight, hard route. By pooling family savings, slogging hard and then battling with the bureaucracy to get their licenses. They have recourse to neither clout or money which might help speed things up.

Coming as this does on the heels of various other scams, including 2G, its a sign of how desperation and aspiration make for a terrible combination in an economy where there more aspirers for any well paying and/or glamorous profession than jobs going. Fudging of certificates happens all the time in the information technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) industries. And hence the creation of a National Skills Register (NSR) by industry body Nasscom. Perhaps the airlines also need something similar. Am sure the solutions will be found, but flying will not be the same. At least for a while.

The Forgotten Debates On Nuclear Power: Circa 2007

2011-03-16T20:47:00.000+05:30

Three years ago, I wrote two articles for the Business Standard newspaper. The first, which appeared on October 30, 2007 was called, 'Dump Nuclear Energy For Renewables'. The second, called The Staggering Cost of Nuclear Power appeared three weeks later on November 17.

I am reproducing both articles because I am even more convinced now. Not because of the safety issues that Japan's earthquake has highlighted but the fundamental problems with setting up nuclear power plants that we haven't fully understood, or debated. Actually, I am quite amazed myself how little or nothing has changed. Including the fact that Kudankulam, which I refer to here, is yet to go on stream. Or is finally promised to go live now.

DUMP NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR RENEWABLES

Govindraj Ethiraj / New Delhi October 30, 2007

I visited the Nuclear Power Corporation’s Kudankulam installation, 25 km west of Kanyakumari, two years ago on a dazzlingly clear day. On paper, the project was impressive — 2,000 Mw of fossil-free energy pumped into the country’s power grid at costs that sounded affordable, at least the weighted average cost over the plant’s life.

As my hosts described the project scope and timeline, I asked them when they began work. “Well, technically in 2001, though the first concrete pour was in March 2002,” one of them said. “When is it supposed to be ready?” If I remember, the answer was 2007.

I didn’t pay too much attention to the cost and time factors until a few weeks later when I discovered Kudankulam was actually conceptualised in 1988. It then went off the radar for ten years after the Russians, who offered to help build it, got busy with the USSR’s disintegration. But it was not the Russians alone who delayed the project. Local environmental protests held it back as well. Incidentally, 2007 will end soon and Kudankulam is not ready.

Nuclear Power Is Too Expensive

I remembered Kudankulam again last week when participating in an insightful discussion on climate change hosted by the British High Commission in Mumbai. The panel was led by environmental journalist Paul Brown, author of Global Warning: The Last Chance For Change, and also had Dr Rakesh Kumar from the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

Not surprisingly, one point of debate was whether nuclear power should be favoured over thermal power, a key contributor to greenhouse gases. In the exchange that followed, Kumar took the scientific standpoint that nuclear power was cleaner over the long term and thus preferable. Brown disagreed, though more for other reasons.

“Nuclear power is too expensive,” he said vehemently. According to Brown, even if you ignored the safety aspects, the cost of uranium mining and enriching, running the plant, and, finally, disposing of nuclear waste was rarely presented upfront. Moreover, plants were located far from populated areas for safety reasons. Which means that at least 10% of the electricity (Brown’s “local” estimates) would be lost before it reached anywhere.

Where's The Time/Cost Debate ?

So what is Brown suggesting? According to him, for the same money, every billion dollars spent on nuclear power, you could have hundreds of small- scale renewable alternatives installed, some within months. These would include solar panels, small-scale hydro and wind turbines on homes, offices and factories. Considering that homes in cities like Bangalore are increasingly turning towards solar heating for water, I am inclined to believe this. And there must be a reason for a windmill stock called Suzlon Energy to catch stock market fancy.

All the same, let’s assume Brown is being a little alarmist. I would still insist on a debate on time and cost. The best case construction time for a nuclear power plant is 10 years, give or take. In India, it’s mostly “give”. Even internationally, it could go to 12 years. Second, cost. With the government funding the project, you can be pretty sure that there are several numbers that are not getting thrown up.

Even if there are no over-runs, we are talking about a figure close to Rs 6 crore per Mw at the very least. Which banker, I wonder, would leap at a 10-year outlay at the minimum with such a high capital cost and all sorts of hidden costs, unless it is subsidised, which is the case in most countries, including the UK, as Brown pointed out? Then how long and why should we subsidise nuclear energy particularly if we don’t need to?

No Legislation Either

Even if the bankers sign off, I can bet my half-life that no nuclear plant project will take off in India without first being slapped with a battery of lawsuits and environmental protests. I know site identification is on but can you guess where the next three nuclear power generation sites in India are going to be? I have no clue but I do know that the government is trying to squeeze in two more nuclear plants into Kudankulam.

And by the way, the legislation to allow private sector firms into nuclear power has not been passed. Once again I have no clue where this stands. I can assure you, though, that this is not the easiest legislation to push through, considering that, among other things, the word nuclear, for valid and invalid reasons, is now tied to the Indo-US nuclear deal.

So given all of this and also India’s general track record in big project execution, why then, I wonder, is the government not putting all this energy (in saving the Indo-US deal or propounding nuclear options) into renewables? Incidentally, we generate more than 6,000 Mw of renewable energy but only around 4,000 Mw of nuclear energy! The figures are from NPC and not mine.

So if I were Dr Manmohan Singh, I would call up President Bush and tell him that apart from our left problems, we’ve got a big one when it comes to reconciling the cost of nuclear power versus the returns it will give and the actual time it will take to get more projects off the ground.

Moreover, I would say, we need renewable energy quickly since we don’t want to go down the polluting path that your country did. So instead of pushing nuclear, why don’t you sell us some clean renewable energy producing technologies? You don’t have to go too far for that, you can begin with General Electric, the company that first sold us the nuclear reactors 40 years ago. GE’s big thrust nowadays, in case you have not noticed, is ecomagination.

THE STAGGERING COST OF NUCLEAR POWER

Govindraj Ethiraj / Mumbai November 13, 2007

In 2003, the MIT led an “interdisciplinary” study resulting in an exhaustive report titled “The Future of Nuclear Power”. Four years later, the study continues to be a bible of sorts for proponents of a nuclear power renaissance. And, interestingly enough, for detractors of nuclear power as well.

The opposing views sum up the debates surrounding nuclear power today. While most pro-nuclear power scientific studies and opinions claim nuclear power is safer and cheaper, they also acknowledge that cost is critical. They also argue that cost must not be seen in the absolute, rather in the context of savings in greenhouse emissions.

Last fortnight, I argued that given the cost and time overruns of nuclear power plants in India and their minuscule contribution to total capacity, they are just not worth the effort. I admit that what you may well hear from most detractors is the worst-case scenario for anything nuclear and the best case for everything else, particularly those related to non-fossil fuels.

Renewable Scores

But I also argued that if we already generate more renewable energy in India than nuclear power (6,190 Mw versus 4,120 Mw), than what sense does it make to pursue the latter? Assuming of course, at least for the purpose of estimation, we have no dual-use objectives for nuclear fuel or the power plants.

My little reading of the subject shows that opinions on the cost of nuclear power can vary sharply. Often the best scientific brains are on opposing sides. And both can brandish figures to support their claims. But even the most optimistic do not claim that nuclear power is a bargain basement buy. And even these seem to skip the crucial matter of over-runs. And it’s because of the over-runs that the fundamental viability of nuclear power must be questioned.

A Greenpeace report titled “The Cost of Nuclear Power”, released in May this year, highlights the considerable delays in constructing nuclear power plants all over the world. It quotes, for instance, US Department of Energy (DoE) data to show that while the estimated cost of 75 reactors in operation in the US was $45 billion, the final bill was $145 billion.

Longer To Build, Costlier To Erect

The report also points out that the average construction time for nuclear plants has increased from 66 months for completions in the mid 70s to 116 months or almost 10 years between 1995 and 2000. Greenpeace says the longer construction times are symptomatic of a range of problems including managing the construction of increasingly complex reactor designs.

In India’s Tarapur III & IV, for example, the cost went from Rs 2,427 crore at start to a final figure of Rs 6,200 crore. Greenpeace figures also show that all nuclear plants in India have run massively over time even as capital costs ballooned. Greenpeace has also compiled, interestingly, details of some 14 nuclear power projects the world over where work has stalled. These are mostly in former Soviet Russia but also include Argentina and Brazil.

India’s Department of Atomic Energy has an installed nuclear generation target of 20,000 Mw by 2020. Completing nuclear reactors under construction will take the capacity to 7,280 Mw. A good part of this, for instance, the Kudankulam power project, will be delayed and will have cost implications which will only emerge in later Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) reports.

The Total Cost Equation

The question thus is not whether nuclear makes sense. From a technology and safety perspective, India’s track record is undoubtedly sound. India’s skills in this sector are also good. Fuel is a question mark but it can be bought from somewhere. And finally there is the cost and effort involved in decommissioning and nuclear waste.

But the total cost picture is what is extremely unclear. Incidentally, building any new power plant is fraught with risk. This is quite evident if you look at the number of announcements that have been made over the years (including Ultra Mega Power Projects) and those that have actually fructified. On the other hand, capacity could come from anywhere. Reliance Energy’s two proposed plants at Sasan and Krishnapatnam will alone add 8,000 Mw to the national grid. And there are other projects as well, all of which together dwarf the activity on the nuclear side.

The lesson here is that nuclear power is good but mostly in theory. When it comes to capacity addition, the private sector will move much faster with fossil fuel-based projects. Obviously that is not a great idea, either. But in any case that’s not the thinking that really seems to be driving our nuclear power programme.

The Final Equation

If the government is so keen to pursue this, then total costs for every component of construction — technology, operations and disposal — must be made completely transparent. The Department of Atomic Energy, the mother organisation for all things nuclear in India, should explain why and how it feels nuclear power is favourable over, let’s say, renewables.

Interestingly, the DAE has a primary mandate of increasing the share of nuclear power in the country. Its other mandates include driving nuclear research and applications in medicine, food processing, agriculture and “basic research”. One solution is to bring expand the mandate to include, maybe, renewable as well. That should not be too difficult. Once upon a time, the Electronics Corporation of India, a DAE arm, used to make economy television sets.

Can Social Media Survive ?

2011-03-13T20:06:00.000+05:30

Well that's the question many have asked already. The problem is not in social media's utility, its in the revenue model. Which again many have alluded to, particularly in reference to the $50 billion valuation figure placed on Facebook. I was part of an interesting discussion last week in New Delhi where consulting firm Deloitte presented its Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) predictions for 2011.

Usually, I find such predictions lacking in the kind of leap of faith which make them predictions to start with. I found this set a health departure. For two reasons. First, Deloitte says (among other things) firmly that social media is yet to become a real force, in revenue terms. For one, advertising spend on social media is still 1% of total advertising spend. Total advertising revenues for 2011 are predicted at $4 bn for social media, a small amount compared to the investments perhaps going in. And surely the euphoria.

Second, television continues to grow furiously. Deloitte points out that television ad revenues have gone up from $174 billion globally to an estimated $191 billion in 2011. At a 6% growth, this figure could cross $200 billion in 2012. In contrast, newspaper industry revenues have gone from $126 billion to an estimated $93 billion in 2011. Indian television revenue is expected to grow 14% in 2011. China on the other hand is expected to grow 16%. Indian newspapers of course continue to grow.

Why The Telly Could Dominate

How much time will we spend in front of the telly ? Well, Deloitte says 3 hours and 12 minutes in 2011. Compare that to 15 minutes for social media on an average and 33 minutes for the internet, in America. And there are powerful global franchies like Strictly Come Dancing which now attract 250 million viewers in 38 countries. We have our own variations and adaptations of many global franchises in India. And this will grow as there is another 3 billion potential new viewers to target !

I also understand increasingly the role of television and entertainment in the heirarchy of needs, particularly in countries like India. A television will typically come ahead of most gadgets and just after maybe shelter, food, clothing and a now, mobile phone. And not surprising that color televisions are given away free in states like Tamil Nadu. Its the entertainment opportunity, not really news and current affairs. Which can actually make life more content, for most.

What do you think ? Do you think social media will get the support of commerce. And to what extent ? Do leave your thoughts !

The 1 Cee R Club

2011-03-08T15:17:00.000+05:30

This morning's papers tell me that the residents of Chandigarh are willing to `shell out as much as Rs 1 crore (twice the actual cost) to own a two-bedroom flat.' And this is a state government-run development ( Chandigarh Housing Board). So while it might be a competent build, it might not have the bells and whistles private developers throw in.

This is not to say the residents of Chandigarh cannot afford Rs 1 crore ($210,000) apartments, particularly for a Housing Board construction. Sure they can. A realtor taking me around in a distant north Mumbai suburb last weekend told to forget thinking about buying a good place if I had less than 1 Cee R in my pocket. What he meant is Rs 1 crore . The realtors/brokers say `Cee R', because they think its respectful in case you don't belong to this exclusive club. Thankfully, the family was looking for a place to rent and not to buy.

The latest Economist has an interesting survey called Bricks & Slaughter, arguing that while property is widely seen as a safe asset, it might be the most dangerous of them all. Try telling that to the folks in Chandigarh. The Economist piece also talks about (alongside advertisements for gleaming new condos in Singapore where you can work, play, live and grow and luxury villas in Gurgaon, near Delhi, where `Fine living rarely gets any finer') the famous Burj Khalifa, the 388 metre structure in Dubai. Many flats inside lie empty, as do houses in many parts of the world from the United States to Spain.

Say It With Pride

All of which might seem like alien nations to us in India. Chests brim with pride when it comes to property prices. It's an achievement for which you've worked hard by spotting at the right time and place. The realtor told me that there was more supply coming up in this distant north Mumbai suburb. "So ?" I asked. "So prices will always be stable or they will keep rising," he told me with the eternal confidence I have come to expect from this breed.

At one level there is nothing exclusive about a club whose tentacles have now spread to the farthest corners of the country. I do wonder, often, why so few people consider rising asset prices a problem. Actually, even inflation is barely a problem - it's a sign of growth which we crave for. Then I wonder if we really have the brainpower to fix the problem of asset prices. And then I wonder again whether the brainpower that there is keeps it that way, by managing and benefiting from such supply-demand imbalances. Hint: one very enterprising young man from this world was thrown into jail recently.

Oil prices are rising. I asked in an earlier post whether we were ready for a situation when oil would hit $200 a barrel as has been widely predicted. Well, the answer is evidently no. But at least we think about it. When it comes to rising property prices, we've stopped thinking. Welcome to the 1 Cee R Club. Too bad if you don't belong.

Why I Worry About Food Channels

2011-03-02T19:29:00.000+05:30

A confession. This is less about a mid-day chef shootout amidst howling spectators and more about food, the kind that most of India finds it difficult to source daily. There are many indicators to measure governance. Usually, its access to food, shelter and clothing to start with. Then education, healthcare and infrastructure. In a country where elections are often lost on food in general and onions in specific, lets look on food.

Here is a table that I have taken from Time Magazine that's self explanatory. It highlights percentage of total household consumption expenditure towards food.

Country % Of Income On Food

United States 7

United Kingdom 9

Australia 11

Brazil 25

China 33

India 35

Tunisia 36

Egypt 38

Nigeria 40

Indonesia 43

Pakistan 46

India is better off than some countries but worse off than many developed countries. And most of these countries are much smaller in any case, except China which is bigger. The Time Magazine draws a connection between rising grocery bills hitting the poor and causing political unrest, note Egypt and Tunisia. The Economist has a special report on the same subject in the latest issue. The world's population will go from 7 to 9 billion in 2050. Will there be enough food, the author asks ? Adding that at the start of 2011, world food prices have crossed the peak they hit in 2008.

Why No Blueprint ?

In India, I would pose this question right now. And I did go through the pronouncements of the Union Budget 2011 in this regard. With some disappointment. Because while are a multitude of steps, none or all add up to the one Big Idea, Big Blueprint I thought one would expect at a time like this. And given the way we reacted (or not) to the last onion price crisis, I am not sure how much of even this is converting to action and in what way.

Production and supply chain are the big concerns. Much has (and will be) debated and written about on these two aspects of agriculture in India. But to little avail overall. Not just because there are foodgrains rotting in the warehouses of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Turns out it happens in many countries. The Economist says rich countries waste about the same amount of food as small ones, in quite different ways. Studies in the US/UK apparently say a quarter of food from shops goes straight into rubbish bins or thrown away by shops and restaurants. Salads head the list, if you were keen to know.

That does not help us here. What I would expect now is a blueprint with action points that says how food prices could come down and supply go up, in whichever order. You can't do this over the weekend and announce it while inaugurating a car dealership. Instead, take three months, appoint the right people to work on it, see how technology can help manage the information-supply chain challenges and then present a national solution. Which is surely there. I am not getting into the rest of it (including genetically modified crops) because that's not the problem.

Of Food Shows

The Economist points out somewhere in the survey: (I suggest you read the whole thing) that the food industry has been attracting extra attention of other kinds. For years, some of the most popular programmes in English speaking countries have been cooking shows. That may point to a healthy interest in food, or not. The historian Levy thought the Roman empire started to decay when cooks acquired celebrity status. Meanwhile, for the last three days, my cable television has been flashing a message about a new food channel.

The Bollywood Formula Guide To Understanding Union Budgets

2011-03-01T04:20:00.000+05:30

This one failed to deliver a Big Idea. Most annual Budget exercises in India actually don't. Usually, they are a combination of four or five factors in no particular order. And almost forumalic, like Bollywood cinema. Sixteen reels make a film, of which 6 reels must be songs, 2 reels must have action sequences and so on. Figures are approximate and you should allow for evolving social mores. Ditto with Union Budget exercises. Needless to add, the formula will vary depending on the evolving political situations, among others.

So I thought I would look at this annual ritual (and shine the proverbial spotlight) from five vantage points rather than embark on a deep economic analysis which no one (including self) would follow. And submit that you could use the same five factors next year too.

1. Plumbing

Where existing policies are cleaned up, given finer shape and initiatives discussed in closed loops are showcased for mass viewing. Importantly, promises are presented afresh, with some garnishing. The best example of course is the transition to a Goods & Services Tax (GST). The one tax that will create the freedom of movement of goods across States in India, just like the European Union did, a while ago, across countries.

The documents released today say the areas of divergence with States have been narrowed. And a Constitution Amendment Bill is proposed to be introduced in the current session of Parliament. Also, there is significant progress in establishing the GST Network (GSTN), which will serve as the IT infrastructure for GST introduction. Incidentally, GST transition is the one area where industry is looking for an encylopedia of action steps, not a few lines which they know of.

Nevertheless, there is some forward movement, like in the case of the various, but minor reductions in customs duties. But what do you make of this one ? 'Augmentation of storage capacity through private entrepreneurs and warehousing corporations has been fast tracked'. Or, 'Issues relating to reconciliation of environmental concern from various departmental activities including those related to infrastructure and mining to be considered by a Group of Ministers'.

Or, 'Membership of various international fora engaged in anti money laundering, Financial integrity and Economic development, Exchange of information for tax purposes and transparency, secured.' And then the tax proposals, where you expect the most precision: 'System of collection of information from foreign tax jurisdictions to be strengthened. Well, well. All this is verbatim, including the syntax from the Budget Highlights from the Government's own documents. Moving On to the next Reel.

2. Plain Promise:

'Government to come up with a comprehensive policy for further developing public private partnership (PPP) projects. On corruption, the one issue that has rocked the country for the last six months - 'Group of Ministers constituted to consider measures for tackling corruption. Recommendations to be made in a time-bound manner.' Even promises can be drafted with more promise, one would think.

There is also a promise in the Budget documents that discussions are underway to further liberalise Foreign Direct Investment. This would instantly cause the antennas of those working in the retail and insurance industries to perk up. And maybe now, in Defense too. But the antennas have been going up and down for a decade now. So, take it easy is what I would say. Perhaps that is what you, as someone working in these areas, would say too.

3. The Big Idea Which Actually Replaces Old Bad Ideas:

Not forcing India's salaried class to file Income Tax returns and go through this annual tedium. That's really far sighted. But when you think hard, you wonder why it was there in the first place. But then, that's what most economic liberalisation is all about. And its good. No one is complaining.

Along these lines, generally speaking, observe that lower duties and `relief measures' for sanitary napkins, baby and adult diapers have been announced. Now, why did we charge higher duties for something like this anyway. Perhaps it does not matter, considering we are an aspirational nation. Like we aspire for good homes, cars and clothes and education for our children, we also now aspire for good diapers for them. Someone's done some sharp lobbying here, evidently.

I would include targeting of subsidies in this category for two reasons. One, work has been under way before the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's speech on Monday. So this is among those many announcements which have been revisited. Second, it should have been fixed earlier. Notwithstanding all of that, this is the game changer I am very interested in.

Foreign investment has been permitted in domestic mutual funds. Not really a bad idea for not having it, but it could have come earlier. Of course, Know Your Customer (KYC) norms are always the concern for these things but its the same KYC that applies to equity schemes which has been there for a while. Earlier we were worried about too much capital flows and now we are also worried whether the flows are 'genuine'. Lets move on.

4. Being Politically (& Agriculturally) Correct

Every Union Budget will and should spend some time trying to address the problems of those of us who are untouched by the soaring indices or who benefited from the $1 million values that apartments in many Indian cities are beginning to command. But there is not sufficient to conclude with, for example, this: 'Removal of production and distribution bottlenecks for items like fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, poultry and fish to be the focus of attention this year.' Good to hear that.

More specifically, there are various allocations for initiatives ranging from bringing the Green Revolution to the Eastern region (Rs 400 crore) to nutri-cereals, protein supplement and accelerated fodder development. Good stuff, hope the scale is right. And then there is a National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, where 'Government will promote organic farming methods, combining modern technology with traditional farmer practices.' You would have thought it was already happening...

5. The Ocassional Big Idea:

How about this, "Full exemption from basic customs duty to Crude Palm Stearin used in manufacture of laundry soap.' So it will be cheaper to wash your linen, yes ? Kidding, but the one thing that caught my attention was the exemption from basic customs duty and a concessional rate of central excise to imported batteries for electrical vehicles. And concessional excise duty of 10% to vehicles based on Fuel Cell Technology. We are getting somewhere.

We didn't go whole hog or write a new alternate energy policy - not that the Finance Minister's office would do so - but at least customs duties on solar lanterns have been reduced from 10 to 5%. But at least we record our efforts to put down that Big Idea like this classic one under Innovations: National Innovation Council set up to prepared road map for innovations in India.

6. The Interval

I know I said five vantage points but now, this is the most important part. In Bollywood, the Interval is the pause just after a dramatic Turning Point has been introduced. Its the kind of break that makes you not want to leave your seat to grab some popcorn or coffee. And yet you do because you want to be munching away so as to better relish the twist in the tale. And use the few minutes to ponder about what would come next. Will the the hero really marry the heroine ? Was he always the bad guy ? Will he die in the second half in spectacular glory ? Etc.

So instead of a two-hour continuous run, I propose an Interval. One where all parties rise, grab various refreshments, ponder, reflect and settle down to await the twists in the tale. Note that once the movie is over, you don't really think back and wonder whether the Interval was worth it. Its about getting entertained here and now. And that's what its increasingly about, isn't it ?

Invest Here Or The French Alps: Can Union Budget 2011 Fix ?

2011-02-27T21:05:00.000+05:30

Ms Artha Property Real Estate Services has today advertised luxury apartments starting at Rs 1 crore (approx $220,000) in today's newspaper. If you live in any of the four or five big cities, you must be reaching for your cheque book. I almost did. Hold on. These properties are not in Gurgaon, Noida, Bandra or Andheri. Actually, perish that thought. These properties, we are told, happen to be in the French Alps (Viry). Oh, that's just 10 km from Geneva.

The luxury apartments advertised range from 470 square feet to 870 square feet + balconies. Of course, 75% finance is available (from a Swiss Bank I would think) at 3.4% interest and monthly EMIs are lower than Rs 20,000. And Ms Artha Property promises that possession is April 2013. Now that concerns me. But site visits are promised in March, so reckon you can go see for yourself. Which is doing better than many folks I know who bought properties without seeing anything in Mumbai. And they still are'nt seeing anything except dwindling bank balances.

A day before the Finance Minister presents his Union Budget its worth using Ms Artha's advertisement (no ill will towards this enterprising relator) as an indicator of where we stand as an economy. Which is on very weak footing. Wouldn't it be you think, if the Alps are more enticing to buy property in than Andheri, in north Mumbai. Of course you can't live in the Alps and commute to work. But these are trifling details, you would agree. Oh the reasons. The French are facing their own pressures and like other such economies need investments from outside. Like we are not.

The Twin Canons

We are facing worse pressures thank to the twin canons of inflation of rising asset prices and can't seem to be able to do much. These two factors (the rest can focus on the rest) are killing this economy and its people. The first we usually try and respond to, the second we do not, except through some distant monetary measures. Each time, something has happened with the latter, its usually the result of an equally distant development (like a global economic meltdown) or providence or a combination of both. I am waiting to see what it would be this time.

So if there is anything the Union Budget can do, apart from lets say new measures for subsidy targeting, it is to drive the nail into inflation. Can the Union Budget do it ? Perhaps not entirely. Can the Union Budget bring down prices of real estate so that ordinary people can buy houses and there is not such an artificial supply-demand gap that every politician gets into the game as they have been. Perhaps not directly. But it can surely set various balls rolling.

The first is to signal monetarily (to the country at large and the Reserve Bank in specific) that interest rates should and will rise. And rise to a point where some backs will break. Yes it sounds difficult to digest. But we did survive similar phases in the late 1990s. And till date, the problem has always been availability of capital, not the cost of capital. Am not saying the second is not important. And if you, as industry, are still seeking cheaper capital, than try borrowing from where Ms Artha is lining up funds, at 3.4%. And Im only half-kidding.

Cleaning Up The Pipelines

Theother thing is to focus on is declog the pipelines. Lets look at the flow of funds in the system, particularly in public services. There are ideas and committees that are working on this already. The right signalling combined with stringent action will help free up a lot of government funds. And ensure they reach the right person in the right manner. Technology is offering fascinating and affordable solutions to these issues that have plagued us for decades.

I would categorise imports as a pipeline problem in some ways. Lowering the tariff barriers and streamlining flows (technology can aid this process with greater precision) will help address some inflationary pressures. Though not all. There are other pipelines that need declogging, including of course availability of real estate. And education. Its interesting what open markets can do in a country. We have over 500 television channels and close to 90 news channels pumping out information (which may be all of us don't want) all day but not enough schools to educate our children or food to feed them. Which we desperately want.

And the problem is not the lack of pipelines. Because they will get created with the right incentives, including appropriate policy. Its about declogging them to ensure that they deliver the goods. That's the only way you wont add additional flight of capital to the problems we already face. Else, it would make more sense to invest in the French Alps and gaze at the mountains than see inflation eating your savings up. Oh and I forgot to add, if you think the Alps are too cold, you could settle for villas in Bali. Ms Artha promises to set you up there too. And its still cheaper than Andheri.

What If Oil Hits $200

2011-02-23T20:20:00.000+05:30

I remember asking then Finance Minister and now Union Home Minister P Chidambaram what would happen to India's economy if oil went to $200 a barrel as was being widely predicted towards end 2008. Since it was already $147 a barrel, that figure didn't seem impossible.

Modern history was of course kinder to us. Not only did oil prices plummet, it brought down everything with it, including the global financial system. Actually, it was the other way round but, as many would argue, though it really does not matter.

Tensions in the middle east have pushed oil prices to $106 a barrel and analysts, I read in some reports, are predicting a return to the $147 regime. Perhaps that what oil speculators are waiting for and in some ways prepared for. The modus operandi is the same, the circumstances are different. This time its Gaddafi we are worried about. Last time it was Wall Street.

Fruits Of Growth

The Government here says the key priorities for 2011-12 are controlling inflation, protecting the common man from rising food prices and ensuring the poor get a fair share of the “fruits of growth”. Accordingly we can expect policies to be framed, is what the Business Standard says today. The newspaper also argues for tough moves to bring social equity, including steps like introducing inheritance tax.

I agree. I would add the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contribution to that list. I will also propose a model for doing so in coming days. One I think would best take care of all interests. However, moves to introduce greater equity by taxing the super rich should be matched with moves like reducing customs duties sharply on those products will help manage inflation.

That may include oil. But oil is the big bear sitting in the room. And no one knows how to start this conversation. The bear has the potential to upset or wreck the best of monetary and fiscal calculations. And there are not too many of those going around in any case, given how we've been struggling with inflation for the last year or so.

So What Happens Now ?

So the situation is ripe for two kinds of outcomes. The first is that things get progressively worse till some distant point - in many countries this is the point citizens spill out on the streets. The second is that the system will give way because of the already accumulated heat of overheating.

The last time this happened (guess what, just three years ago), the system gave way. Wall Street collapsed, the banking system followed. And then froze solid. And of course asset prices of all types began falling. Unfortunately this period (and I say that carefully) did not last long enough in countres like India.

Will the system give way? Possible, but unlikely at the global level because many systems (think Europe) have already given way ! What about India ? Well, India is more precariously poised because it tends to usually be like the frog that gets boiled without actually getting fully boiled. No, not in oil, in case you thought I was stretching the pun here.

The FM's Response

Fact is that oil prices are one of the many problems we face. And the one we have least control over. Fighting inflation requires some stern wielding of the monetary stick. And the time to raise or tighten interest rates is right now. We should stop running from that. We need some strong fiscal measures as well, including managing tariffs. But that is not so much a matter of will.

And of course, the $200 question that I posed to the Finance Minister's. Well, he admitted that he did not have an answer. Except to say that that things would get worse if prices went up. It struck me he instinctively knew the economic system was strained badly and would give way. Perhaps the reasons were not so apparent. I am betting the same thing today.

What The PM Should Have Done

2011-02-20T23:44:00.000+05:30

I read, from the weekend newspapers, that a 90-minute interaction between the prime minister and television journalists last week didn't go too well for the former. Going by reports, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ducked questions and was not assertive enough. Though, as has been amply pointed out by the few who know him and many who do not, I have never known him to be assertive.

The problem lies elsewhere. When someone invites you to an interaction of this nature, you presume he or she has a message to deliver. A politician in power has the luxury, some might say, of calling you over and then responding to questions that are uppermost on the mind, your's mostly rather than his or hers. Of course, politicians know only too well that media tends to pounce on them on issues uppermost on their mind - the agenda be damned.

So, its a Catch 22 of sorts. Do you, the politician, come prepared with a thought out, strategically important, introductory message that allows you to set the agenda and then mould and massage the subsequent discussions. Or should you wait for em to pile em. I have no specific experience on the other side, ie the politicians, but have seen sufficient interactions which have gone well or awry because of what the starting point was.

So I would still argue the best position would be where you seem to have arrived with a tactical agenda. And then talk about what's going on in the real world around us. How about a few real-life narratives of a billion people going about their lives oblivious to the 2G Scams, in all their struggles and happiness. Fighting, succeeding despite everything. Sometimes not. Share their stories, inspire us. Very few will accuse you of being defensive then.

10% Growth ?

Will India grow at 10% ? I know this is one of those questions that will mesmerise us till we do it ? I suspect when we do hit that number, we will be facing far too many problems as an economy to celebrate. As we already are. Inflation is the biggest bother. I read the views of almost a dozen economists in the last few days on the matter to safely conclude that they have no answer. Most of them, thankfully, admit as much.

Inflation is one of those things you cannot fix unless you have equal control over the factors of money flow and supply. And of course have summoned the will to play with the levers. There lies the problem. Our ability, traditional and present, to move the levers is limited. At least in a hurry. Increase interest rates and the growth hawks will scream. Lower interest rates and inflation and asset prices will blast through the roof. In my view, that's already happened. Though not everyone will have the same view.

The solution though is precisely that. To the extent that inflation is a monetary problem, there is no choice but to increase interest rates further. Can we realistically fix the supply side problem, whether in real estate or in foodgrain. Maybe, maybe not - yes I know onion prices have dropped from Rs 65 to Rs 23 per kg, or so. Frankly, we are better off manipulating the levers we can. The other solution is of course much greater efficiency in the economy, in production and distribution of products and services as well as making the citizen more `visible' to Government subsidies, direct and indirect. So we may or may not hit the 10% mark. But we will be better off.

Indian Venture Capital: Funding The Billions

2011-02-18T16:42:00.000+05:30

Luis Miranda, presently Chairman of IDFC Equity and Sumir Chadha, presently MD of Sequoia Capital are veteran Indian venture capitalists. Both have been around for more than a decade. Both have `discovered' and nurtured entrepreneurs in different spaces. Luis can claim some credit for the initial success of infrastructure groups like GMR and Sumir, the likes of Cafe Coffee Day, JustDial and Carzonrent..which tells you something about the diversity.

Both were part of a panel discussion I was moderating last night at the VC Circle's Limited Partners Summit at the JW Marriott in Mumbai. We went through a brief history of investing, including the challenges posed by volatile markets and staying the course. Both admitted that the learnings had been tremendous, investments had gone wrong as had, more importantly, their judgement of some of the entrepreneurs behind the ventures. The good news was that there seemed to be more rights than wrongs.

The discussion was wide ranging but let me bring out one or two points. One question often asked of venture capitalists is about their ability to find or create the truly innovative start-up, read the Yahoo or Google of India. I posed this to Luis and Sumir and was not surprised with the answers. For one, its now increasingly clear that innovation in India will not translate into startups like Google. At least for a while. The real innovation will happen in companies and ventures that are creating appropriate products and services for the Indian market market and consumer.

Digital Dividend

Sumir quoted the example of Star Health & Insurance which his firm Sequoia recently invested in. I am familiar with Star, its a good example of how firms in India are applying cutting edge information technology and processes to solve the problems of the poorest. In the Kalaignar Insurance Scheme, Star provides cashless insurance protection against a host of medical contingencies requiring surgery and hospitalisation. The scheme, which is government funded and aimed at `below poverty line' or BPL residents of Tamil Nadu covers some 352 surgical procedures. And some 40 million individuals are covered.

The part thats really exciting about this project is that its entirely digital. Patient records, interactions, transactions, everything, is oneline. Which means the poorest of the poor in this country in some states are enjoying facilities that citizens of many developed countries can only dream of. Firms like Star are not just innovating new and efficient cost models using technology but also showing how the bottom of the pyramid effect can be served profitably. Not surprisingly, venture capital is headed there.

Luis had similar thoughts about the innovation in funding and structuring infrastructure projects. And I agree. The gaps are so huge that there is enough to do here. By all means think of the next Google and Facebook if you can. Chances are you will be better positioned to do it if you were in Stanford or Harvard. Or maybe even in India in coming years. But the exciting innovation in India will be about finding solutions to the problems faced by a billion people.

The Next Decade

Leading on from the innovation argument, there was some discussion on the next decade of venture capital/private equity. The bottomline is that everyone is considerably bullish about India and investment opportunities. And there are newer focus areas like health insurance, education, infrastructure and products and services focussed on the consumption side. For example, Luis' firm has invested in Manipal Health Systems which manages 11 hospitals and over 1,400 beds in south India. I would consider this innovative too, because more such firms, in areas like education and health, would be encouraged to set up and raise capital. And also think of raising their standards and offerings.

Several stalwarts of the Indian VC industry, including Luis and Sumer as it happens, are moving on. Luis is off to the public policy space and Sumir to start a public markets venture, which is more of picking stocks than seeding companies that may go public some day. Is this is a comment on the state of affairs in some way ? Both disagreed, saying the industry was strong and would continue to grow. Their own life cycles were turning, they pointed out. I wouldn't quarrel with that !

The question on the future was answered in a different way. I met Atish Babu and Jinesh Shah from Omnivore Capital. They call themselves an "early stage venture capital fund investing in agricultural technology startups in India". Atish told me they were back entrepreneurs innovating solutions to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability. Their knowledge and understanding of rural Indian opportunities was strong and growing as I could see. They already had plans of what they could and not do in this market. And there are many more Omnivores out there, including Omidyar Capital, whose interest overlap somewhat. The next decade is evidently about the billions, not the millions.

Financial Inclusion Begins @Home

2011-02-16T16:25:00.000+05:30

Out of personal curiousity and professional interest, I am constantly in conversation with the banking and financial system trying to understand how they can (and will) play a greater role in spreading financial inclusion in India. While its fairly clear that financial inclusion does not end with opening a bank account, its a very important start because close to 70% of India's population does not even have bank accounts.

The Ministry of Finance, along with the Indian Banks Association has just launched the Swabhimaan initiative, aimed at taking banking to some 73,000 villages having a population of 2,000 by March 2012. Electronic banking (at least technologically) is now accessible by most people in and parts of India. Combine this with the mobility of identity through the Unique Identitification Authority of India (UIDAIs) Aadhaar project and someone who has been out of the system for all his or her life will now become part of it. And there are other benefits, like subsidy targeting which I won't get into here.

If close to 70% the population does not have access to banking facilities, it must stand to reason that a good part of this 70% are in urban India as well. The good news is that we are connected to the problem (and the solution) right in our homes. Its actually quite simple to establish. Many of us living in cities and towns in India employ domestic help in the form of maids and cooks, driver for the car and so on. Ask them whether they or any of their family members have bank accounts. The answer, in 3 out of 4 or mostly 4 out of 4 cases is a plain No.

Proof Of Identity

The reason they don't have bank accounts is not because they don't want to. Its because they don't have the right papers to prove to the bank they, well, exist. The interesting (and sad) part of this is this is the case whether they hail from a village in a distant state or a village 40 km from a city like Mumbai or Delhi. Banks as part of their Know Your Customer (KYC) will demand proof of identity and proof of residence. Forget the working migrant class, even those of us who rent homes find it next to impossible to produce the right proof of residence.

The UIDAI's Aadhaar will partly change this. The Government (via the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank) has directed banks to accept the Aadhaar as sufficient KYC for opening `small accounts' or no-frill accounts. So the enablers are falling into place including the fact that most states have begun rolling out Aadhaar (1.6 million + as of this morning). But the biggest enabler is you and me. Instead of handing out cash to our domestic help, we should be telling them and helping them to open bank accounts. One way of doing this is to obviously ask them to get the UID first. Second is to actually help them go and open bank accounts.

The third is to pay electronically (as far as possible). Its a headache reducer for both parties and a cashless way of existence has other benefits as well. This is the beginning. The next thing would be to bring in other small aspects of financial inclusion such as micro insurance schemes and/or pension schemes. Life Insurance Corporation (LICs) Jeevan Madhur and Jeevan Mangal are examples of such schemes. There are similar initiatives in micro pensions as well. I suspect that getting a micro insurance or pension scheme may face some of the identity challenges a la opening bank accounts did. But this is getting rapidly ironed out.

FI@Home, A Force Multiplier

The multiplier effect of starting financial inclusion at and from home can be considerable. Most urban workers remit money to villages and small towns. A bank account on this end will incentivise the opening of one on the other end as well. So, if the two or three people who work in your home open accounts, its another three or four in their families plus a few more. Its not about the numbers though, its about the contribution that you and I can make through simple steps.

So, as March 1 comes closer, remember to start talking to your domestic help. Tell them about the benefits of opening bank accounts and how you might be willing to pay a small part towards insurance and pension schemes as well. Encourage them to adopt banking and savings as a way of life. And that from now on you will deposit directly into their bank accounts. I bet you they will thank you for this. And don't forget, spread the good word to all your friends and acquaintances too !

China Beats India On Black Money And Yet..

2011-02-15T15:50:00.000+05:30

An economist from Washington-based think tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI) quoted in the Business Standard today says India lost $213 billion in illegal flow of money out of the country between 1948 and 2008. That would presently be worth $462 billion, assuming standard rates of return - all money should earn returns, shouldn't it ? The other oft-quoted figure for black money stashed overseas is $1.4 trillion.

The economist, Dev Kar, has an interesting point. He says that faster rates of growth in the post reform period have not been inclusive in that the income distribution is more skewed today, which in turn has driven illicit flows from the country. Thus, the result does not hold in the pre-reform period when growth rates were low and income distribution was more equitable.

This is an interesting point. And not surprising in some ways. All you have to look at China which has grown at 10% or thereabouts for some 30 years ! And leads the league tables for illicit outflows. The reasons for the outflows are very similar to India and, I reckon, quite boring to get into repeatedly- if you really want to know, its bribery, theft and kickbacks. To get a sense of the magnitude, I reproduce figures from the Ford Foundation funded GFI, which studied illicit flows from 2000-2008.

Country	USD $ Billion	Rank in Asia
China	2200	1
Malaysia	291	2
Philippines	109	3
Indonesia	104	4
India	104	4

Incidentally, Russia ($427 bn), Mexico ($416 bn), Saudi Arabia ($302 bn) are also ahead of India which is now ranked 15th among developing countries - if its any comfort to you, the reader of this blog. Also, India slipped in the ranks because, according to the GFI, the oil exporting countries, shot ahead. I hope we don't make up with as a `mineral resource' exporting country.

To me the big challenge today is equitable distribution. Fact is we would all care less about black money (and dismiss it as a tax problem) if there was a greater sense of equitable distribution. Here, China is better off than India - it has greater equitable distribution despite higher illicit outflows. How do you measure the first part ? Well, you could use standard metrics, like absolute poverty, access to education, healthcare, child mortality and so on.

Which brings us to a fundamental point on quality of governance. Countries like China, or for that matter, Malaysia and Indonesia evidently deliver better governance to their citizens than India does. In India, we are grappling with intensifying corruption coupled with weak governance. No prizes for guessing. Its the same few people who we depend on and let us down both ways.

Good Governance, Bad Folks

In China, my sense is that these two sets do not necessarily or always overlap. The proportion of honest people delivering good governance seems higher than those who are not. And its possible even dishonest people are delivering good governance. This is often quoted by developmental institutions as being the classic South East Asia paradigm - not including Singapore.

The curse of rapid and unbridled growth is precisely the skew that causes, among other things, illicit outflows. Of course illicit outflows is only one manifestation of inequitable economic growth. Outflows or not, the damage to the internal economy and society can be high, as organisations like GFI also argue. The only solution is to get a hang of things and clean up the system as far as possible.

In some ways, this is tantamount to accepting that 20 years have gone by without our wrapping our arms around the problems thrown up by sudden growth. Its true. On the other hand, its never too late. One way to view the noise presently being generated through the multiple corruption scandals coming to light is precisely that...a giant mop trying hard to clean up a dirty floor that has been untouched for decades.

China Railway Comes Closer, To India

2011-02-14T20:53:00.000+05:30

Three months ago, I argued in an article that China's railway lines were inching towards the Indian border. The argument was of course based on reports of China's own plans to expand its railway network in the Tibet.

I also argued that towns like Tibetan towns like Nyangtri (Nyingchi) - which will eventually link to Lhasa - already boasted swank airports. So, infrastructure investment had already flowed liberally into the region. The railway line was following the initial thrust, not preceding, as would historically have been the case.

The Indian Express today reports with greater finality that China is to extend its Tibet railway network into the Chumbi valley area, next to Sikkim and the Siliguri corridor. The newspaper says the China's Railway Ministry latest map shows lines extending from Lhasa to Zangmu on the Nepal border, to eventually extend into Nepal and even Kathmandu. Another line will branch out midway at Shigatse, and end up at Yadong, which is on the other side of Sikkim.

Trading Places

As I pointed out earlier, there are sound economic benefits in this linkages for trade on both sides of the Indo-China border. Traders in Sikim have hoped that for years that a road or rail link with China via the Nathu La pass would accelerate trade. For Tibet, the port of Kolkata is closer than Tianjin (1,200 km versus 5,000 km).

India is also concerned about such developments from a strategic-defense perspective. Given history, that cannot and must not be ignored. The fact however remains that the region is in crying need of infrastructure. I recently travelled to Dibrugarh, in Assam, which is perhaps the largest, eastern-most town in India...incidentally, the longitudinal line that passes through Dibrugarh touches Banda Aceh (1.5 hours ahead) in Indonesia down south.

I also drove from Jorhat to Dibrugarh on National Highway 37. One way of looking at it is that the infrastructure in this region is similar to most states in India. And why hope for anything better ? The other is to see China's moves on the other side of the border and use the economic, rather than the military rationale to change things.

Do we need Vedanta's Aluminium ?

2010-08-29T14:35:00.001+05:30

I remember peering through the rain lashed windscreen of a helicopter as we came in for landing at Enron's infamous power generation site at Dabhol. Despite the monsoon winds and accompanying turbulence, the ride was exhilirating, mostly for the amazing scenery just below us, the virgin Konkan coastline that is India's west coast. The year was 1995 I think.

The site was awash with activity, with the usual hubub of construction machinery, excavated earth and helmeted workers. The pace seemed impressive, though litigation would soon bring it to a grinding halt. As I looked around and now think back, one question has kept nagging me, in the air, on the ground, then and now. Why was this power plant here, in the middle of nowhere ?

There were many sound answers provided by the powers that be. One reason was the power plant would run on gas or naptha which could be best procured if the ships came right upto the coast and unloaded the energy source. Or it would come via pipelines from up north. There was no doubt that the state of Maharashtra needed the power and has suffered subsequently on account of the lack of it. But the fact remained that the centers of consumption were far away.

Of Course We Need Aluminium

The same question nags me when I look at the Vedanta Orissa mines controversy. Actually, its the answer which begs the more important questions. Let me tackle the development/growth one first. Do we need aluminium ? Answer, yes. We need aluminium as we need steel and other metals, our per capita consumption numbers (1 kg vs 25 kg in the US) are quite low. We are a growing economy and we have a lot of construction and building to do.

Great. Now, the second question. Do we really need to manufacture aluminium and mine raw material bauxite in India ? Not necessarily. A shortage of aluminium is served through imports too. Even China has turned net alumunium exporter. And fact is, there is global overcapacity. Admittedly, this overcapacity may not last for ever. But there is nothing that says it is India's or Orissa's duty to fill the gap. Particularly when the Middle East is ramping up capacity furiously as we speak. As other country's might later.

Aluminium is a very power hungry process. So, you have to set up power plants. Vedanta has built a 1215 Mega Watt Captive Power Plant (CPP) at Jharsuguda in Orissa for its 0.5 million tonne aluminum plant. Vedanta also (proudly) claims this is the largest captive power plant in India. Sure, to make aluminium, not to solve Orissa's power problems. Not that Orissa's power problem is Vedanta's problem. But it tells you what a energy guzzler this metal is.

India Mines, Others Consume

Give or take, total global aluminium capacity is around 53 mt. Production this year will be around 42 mt and consumption around 41 m. So there is clear overcapacity at this point. But like I said before this will catch up. Back home, India consumes around 1.2 mt but produces around 1.3 mt. So we don't even consume as much as we produce at this point. Yes, this could change in time.

Its the same story in iron ore. I was looking at Sesa Goa's (owned by Vedanta) sales numbers. Sesa Goa, the 13th largest global producer, turned out 20 mt of iron ore last year. Where do you think all this went ? Well, an amazing 17.5 mt went to China and Taiwan. And how much did India consume ? Only 1.14 mt !!! So, all the ecological destruction in Goa and Karnataka only ensures that Chinese steel furnaces are kept burning. By the way, I am not saying its good or bad.

But we must ask nonetheless.Why are we mining so recklessly (and illegally) for natural resources whose final product we don't even consume, or at least manufacture. Well, that is a tough one. Because India is a poor country and needs development, including in the realm of manufacturing. And arguably, if you are a developing nation, then the mining of your natural resources too contributes to your income, as a country. And some folks benefit, somewhere.

Asking The Right Questions

But the question must be asked with greater precision today. Which industries, which regions or the country, what's the net value addition , how ecologically sensitive and so on ? An industrialist who hails from the Konkan region (and I know well) says manufacturing has no place there. "They should go to the hinterland of Maharashtra and take the coal or whatever they need by rail to those places," he told me last week.

What about the Konkan region, I ask. It needs tourism, educational institutes, industries which do not damage the ecology, he says. But like in Orissa, such industries may not come there willingly. Which leads to the next, more tricky set of questions I will pose and then attempt to answer in the next post. Who really benefits from the aluminium, steel and iron ore mines or such industry in our country ? And more importantly, is there a solution to Vedanta like situations ?

To Be Continued..

The End of Making Money From Money ?

2010-08-24T12:33:00.001+05:30

I had a young visitor from New York the other day. He was exploring openings and opportunities in investment banking. Back there, he told me, everyone was talking about India. And having landed here, he was struck by the exuberance and yet, couldn't help contrast the potholes against Mumbai's property prices. I thought as we spoke, that financial services, often the business of making money from money, depended on such exuberance. And give or take a few blimps, we've had it in abundance. But how long would it would last in the present form ?

In the past I have often pitied banks and their seemingly vulnerable savings accounts. After all, I am bombarded with a continuous stream of messages telling me how to make more money from money. "Take your money out of your bank, DON'T leave it lying there," is the essential text hammered consistently. Invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, gold, silver, property and of course, clever insurance schemes.

A Vast, Global Industry

There is a vast, global industry which thrives on this way of life. It includes most of the financial markets, the really smart people (or are they ?) who work in them, financial media, communicators, independent advisors and government regulators who are always trying (I stress the word) to ensure that you, the saver, is not separated unjustly from your hard earned money.

The role of any financial market is to allocate capital and connect those of us craving to multiply our savings with those who want to multiply their wealth. Yes, in the process, keep a small portion aside for you as well. Actually, I do mean that genuinely. And yes, there is nothing stopping you from participating either. You should, if you think you can.

To return to my conversation with my visitor, it was two articles in the New York Times patched with some interesting stastics back home that got me thinking. All bear examination, inasmuch as they could tell you where opportunities could lie, versus not. To be fair, India is unlikely to face the same problems as the US economy, at least now.

"The Turnabout Is Striking"

The first, talks about small investors fleeing stock markets in the United States. Investors withdrew a staggering $33.12 billion it says and even quotes a Credit Suisse analyst (an integral component of that global community) saying "Small investors are losing their appetite for risk." And investors, as this article, will tell you, are selling on the way down as well on the way up again, presumably the smarter ones or with more guts.

Its the long-term trend that the NYT is pointing to.."One of the phenomena of the last several decades has been the rise of the individual investor. As Americans have become more responsible for their own retirement, they have poured money into stocks with such faith that half of the country’s households now own shares directly or through mutual funds, which are by far the most popular way Americans invest in stocks." "So," says the NYT article, "The turnabout is striking."

Now, lets look at the other article, also in the NYT, which speaks about property. This one argues that it (housing) in the United States will eventually recover from its great swoon. "But many real estate experts now believe that home ownership will never again yield rewards like those enjoyed in the second half of the 20th century, when houses not only provided shelter but also a plump nest egg."

Era Is Gone For Good ?

Moreover, says the NYT, "the wealth generated by housing in those decades, particularly on the coasts, did more than assure the owners a comfortable retirement. It powered the economy, paying for the education of children and grandchildren, keeping the cruise ships and golf courses full and the restaurants humming. More than likely, that era is gone for good."

Now I can pull quite a few data points which will show you that the Indian investing mania never reached American proportions so the question of the return journey does not arise. On the other hand, did the return journey begin long ago..? An interesting article by Sucheta Dalal suggest as much, at least in equities.

She argues that investor population has plummeted from a high of 20 million in 1992. She quotes figures shared in Parliament that show some 3 million investors traded in the National Stock Exchange's cash market between April-June 2010 but 90% of the investment came from only 192,000 investors !! Moreover, 50% of turnover comes from just 451 investors, of which 156 were proprietary traders.

Sold On Growth

This is not to argue that you can't make money in India. Of course you can. And many do, quite wisely. But as Sucheta's piece says and I infer - statistically, not everyone has much of a chance making money from money. So careful with the hype.

Property is another story. We need roofs over our heads and we buy houses for long term security, unlike stocks and other financial market instruments. But at current values, particularly in the metros, housing is plain unaffordable for most Indians. One reason (galloping real estate FDI) is provided in this Times of India article. There are other reasons as well. So some sort of reversal must happen. Soon.

Im still sold on the India growth story, allowing, of course, for frequent ups and downs. There is very real consumption happening in the country. And people's lives are improving for the better, across strata and across the country. And there is need for capital and capital allocation too. And the market discrepancies ? Well, market forces will take care of them. That's what I told my young visitor as well.

Our Politicians Who Rule The Roads

2009-11-29T19:28:00.001+05:30

Adman Suhel Seth made an interesting observation the other day on a discussion that I was part of. "We fear our politicians while they should be fearing us." Obviously he was not referring to the gentle Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The subject was 26/11 and the first anniversary. The first anniversary demonstrated, as many commentators have amply pointed out; that the political class is now better protected and drives in sturdier SUVs and of course treats you like the very terrorist that its supposed to protect you from, were you to get in their way.

Yesterday I was racing to the Bangalore airport to make our evening flight back to Mumbai. We were on the last stretch. I turned around to see a white car with a howling siren honking ceaselessly. Surely we were not getting pulled over. Wrong, we were getting pushed over. Then the red light Ambasssador was alongside. In its wake, was a Volvo SUV, a XC 90 or therabouts I think. Prices start at Rs 45 lakh. Of course, the starched white politicians I could see seated comfortably within (forgive me if they were volunteers at Mother Teresa's) deserve no less.

Whose Roads Anyway ?

A policeman seated in the front left seat of the Ambassador car leaned out waving his finger threateningly. Our driver, fresh from a battle of words with a motorcyclist a few kilometres earlier, seemed raring to defy. He kept pace, both cars were now racing alongside. The policeman's finger kept going, finger waving. Now I was getting worried. One part of me wanted to cheer the driver on, the other part of me, was worried. What if these guys jumped out with guns and started firing ?

Fortunately, they did not (start firing ie) and we screeched into the terminal even as the motorcade veered left into another lane. Obviously, the reserved ones for VIPs. And then the sickening sight of the policemen genuflecting before them, rushing to clear the way. And then I lost sight and interest. I had a flight to catch.

This happens every other day in Mumbai city. Politicians, and I suspect, many others, routinely brush traffic aside like the roads were maternally willed to them. I've always wanted to force them aside and ask, "What gives you greater right over this road ? How is that these policemen whose salaries I pay for treat you like a lord and me like a serf." Isn't democracy is about it being the other way round." Maybe I will, force them aside one of these days. Remember you read it here first.

The Mumbai Massacre: One Degree Of Separation

2008-11-30T13:01:00.001+05:30

The most gruesome stories about the terrorists attack on the Trident-Oberoi and The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai and a Jewish congregation are unfortunately just beginning to emerge. As are the identities of the scores who were out dining at the fine restaurants in the two hotels that evening.

There is perhaps no aspect of this attack on Mumbai that is less revulsive and deserves any less condemnation. But if there is one element that stands out for further scrutiny, as I see it. And it is the manner in which innocent diners at the Tiffin and Khandahar restaurants at The Oberoi (the smaller Oberoi hotel next to the larger Trident-Oberoi at the southern tip of Mumbai's Marine Drive) were dragged out, made to stand in a line against a wall and executed.

Reports also have it (from some of those in that line-up who survived by pretending to be shot) that the shooter sought instructions from someone on the phone before carrying out the act. The voice on the other end of the phone, suspected to be from outside the country, asked the shooter to go ahead. And he did, perhaps emptying an entire AK-56 magazine.

Anxious Relatives

Unlike the hotel guests, there was no master list against which the authorities (confused as many of them were) could match and tally. And so the identities of those who remained inside, dead or alive, was only known when the seige at the Oberoi finally ended on Friday afternoon, having begun Tuesday night around 9.30 pm.

I met many of those relatives and friends who began milling around The Oberoi since Wednesday morning, as they discovered that their near and dear ones had not returned from their dinners. There was no way to confirm whether they were dead, alive or held hostage. And this most unfortunate state of affairs was to last almost 48 hours.

One was a father who said two of his daughters were both dining at The Oberoi, one he said managed to escape and the second he did not know about. I hope she survived but I don't have the heart to trace him down. And I could. Ditto with several gentlemen I met who even showed me the visiting cards of friends and associates they knew had entered The Oberoi on Tuesday night. And were yet to return.

The Facebook Deathlist

They were asking me for information, their eyes and voices pleading with me to reveal something that they did not know. I wish I could. At first I thought I would give them hope. But my gut and a sense of what had happened The Oberoi made me decide against it. I told them that there was absolutely no information forthcoming on who was still inside and in what condition. Also not to believe anyone otherwise because no one could get that information out, whatwith the National Security Guard (NSG) and the terrorists still engaged in pitched and clearly audible gun battles.

Another couple I met told me that their daughter told them how her friends' were posting messages on Facebook saying their parents or one parent had gone to The Oberoi and not come back on Tuesday night. "We found out about X because our daughter and Mr X's daughter are in the same class," the couple told me. And there were others too.

Well I did know Mr X and have met him a few times professionally, though I did not know him that well. In case you are wondering why I am using the past tense, you are right - I saw Mr X's obituary in the newspaper this morning, along with at least four or other people I have either met in years gone by or know of. As I could count, there has been, in many cases, barely a degree of separation, if at all.

The last time that happened was in March 1993. I was there minutes after the Air-India building bomb went off, killing scores and injuring hundreds. I knew a few people who were injured and survived. I was even standing and walking in and around the same location (A road seperates Air-India and The Trident Oberoi and their entrances face each other) as I could see. Come to think of it, it was even as chaotic this week as it was then. 1993 was the first time, If I remember, the concept of the Mumbai spirit and resilience was born. I do hope it did not die last week, indeed as many people believe it has.

Next: The Mumbai Massacre: We Must Respond

State of Insecurity

2008-02-24T18:10:00.000+05:30

In the last two months, shops and establishments near my office in central Mumbai have been shut down some six times. This is how it happens. One moment the road is buzzing with activity. The next, it’s deserted, the scores of makeshift food stalls and hawkers have vanished. The shutters are down. Only a few onlookers remain, gazing intently at the cars passing by.

The first trigger was the apparent suicide or murder of a Buddhist monk in distant north Mumbai. The second one was to do with a bus going off a cliff between Mumbai and Nasik. The third, fourth, fifth and possibly sixth occasion could be credited to the politician Mr Raj Thackeray. The first day, the news that he was contemplating sending out the boys was enough to send everyone scurrying home. The second time, the boys did actually emerge from the shadows to wreak havoc.

The next occasion was the possibility, just the possibility, of Mr Thackeray being carted off to gaol. The last time was a day or two later amidst an amazing arrest-to-bail farce that the whole country watched. Maybe there were other occasions when shops and establishments were summarily shut down but I wouldn’t know since I don’t usually spend all my time on the streets.

"Time To Shut Shop"

I wondered what indeed the connection was between the untimely death of a monk in another part of the city, a bus falling into a ravine and my part of the world going about its business? I couldn’t establish the monk connection but did find out that some of the deceased in the bus lived in a building nearby.

Predictably, none of the shutdowns was voluntary. On one occasion, turning off the main road into my street, I saw a bunch of energised young men going from shop to shop “requesting” the owners to close down. My own office complex too had shut its gates and the guards seemed hesitant to open them. How and why these men felt that establishments were obligated to shut shop for the above reasons is still a mystery to me.

Two fairly large Toyota and Honda car dealerships sit on the road that I refer to. I have noticed that they are typically the first to put up their shutters. Cars are usually a juicy target for any mob, as they must well know. I am not sure if six one-fourth to half working days at a Mumbai dealership would give Shoichiro Toyoda and Takeo Fukui (Honda chief) sleepless nights.

It does not give me sleepless nights, either. But the prospect of this happening on little or no provocation or being triggered by events which could well be on another planet do worry me.

"Will I Reach Home Safely Today ?"

The industrial town of Nasik has not been so lucky as my street. Estimates put losses at Rs 400 crore and over 1,500 large and small firms have been hit. Almost a tenth of the small firms have been hit, going by reports. Labourers have been forcibly evicted from their workplaces and perhaps homes. Some 6,000 north Indian labourers left the city, possibly to return later. All in a skill-starved economy.

Some businessmen I spoke to (who have manufacturing units around Maharashtra state) told me they can manage corruption, bad infrastructure, pollution and globalisation but they can’t manage fear. I can understand. On all the days the Thackeray drama raged, fear was writ on the faces of every Mumbai citizen.

“Will there be violence in my area too? Are taxis running? Will they stop the trains? How will I reach home? How will my family members return home? Should we close the office early so that everyone can go home?” Actually, send the watchman and driver home early. Because they are north Indian.” I wouldn’t wish this on any capital, leave alone the country’s financial capital.

The Indian In Malaysia

Two weeks ago, a day Mumbai city was guessing what Mr Thackeray’s next move was, I was driving around Kuala Lumpur. As a fervent believer in grassroots journalism that owes its source to local taxi-drivers, I got talking to Bala Muhammad, the driver of my London cab look-alike taxi.

I asked Bala what he thought of equal opportunities as an Indian in Malaysia. Actually, my cue came from that morning’s headlines in The Star. Following violence and protests from the ethnic Indian community, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced a charter of promises to improve prospects for Indians. Bala, it turned out, had worked as a clerk in Standard Chartered Bank, then as a tourist guide before driving taxis. He converted to Islam just eight years ago in the face of family opposition. He said Indians had got a raw deal in Malaysia particularly when it came to good jobs, more so in government. His job and faith shifts appeared to have been driven by the discrimination.

He was happy that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stepped in, last month, to express concern about the fate of Indians in Malaysia. “This is not the first time. Indira Gandhi did the same in 1969,” he said. Presumably, he was referring to the deadly Sino-Malay ethnic riots, which left hundreds killed.

How did he feel about India taking an active interest in his welfare, I asked. “Oh, it feels good, I feel India is always there to support and give us security when we need it.”

I am not sure I feel the same.

This post appeared as an article in Business Standard

Why Blame Ratan Tata For The Nano ?

2008-01-29T22:31:00.000+05:30

Ratan Tata is chairman of Tata Motors. He is passionate about cars. Not just driving or admiring them but about building them as well. Ten years ago he unveiled the Indica, the country's first indigenous car. The Indica was greeted with much acclaim. On the road, it was a different story. The car had several glitches and it took several years before they were resolved.

Tata acknowledged the Indica's failings from start. It was not easy. Possibly he turned the criticism as encouragement to work even harder to create an error-free product. But the Indica experience, as traumatic as it may have been at outset, did not deter him from thinking even bigger - A project to build the world's cheapest car.

So if Ratan Tata is a car maker, then all he can do, presumably, is to think of better, cheaper and bigger cars or dream of doing all of that. So he is only doing what he set out to do, or the founders of Tata Motors did when they set up the Tata Engineering & Locomotive Company (Telco which became Tata Motors recently) to make locomotives and other engineering products in 1945.

What Are The Rest Doing ?

I wonder then why people blame Ratan Tata for creating a car that might potentially swamp Indian roads or create a pollution problem. As an innovator in the automotive arena, Tata and his team are only doing what they set out to do, as best as they possibly can. Can the Nano be the most fuel-efficient car on the planet ? Or remain $2,500 for ever. Maybe not, but competition and determination might help.

That is the story of Ratan Tata. What are the rest doing, I wonder ? How much innovation can you credit those in Government who are supposed to create infrastructure, either for mass transport or private transport. Why is it that we fail so miserably in even defining a benchmark for innovation here, leave alone setting one - yes there is the Delhi Metro.

It could be argued that public funds end up funding private transport, either at the point when the cars are manufactured or are driven, on the roads. I am not sure. We pay much higher prices for cars and fuel than most, if not all developed countries do. A car that costs $10,000 in the US costs $20,000 in India. As simple as that. Fuel is much cheaper there too.

An Alternate Transport System ?

Actually, cars are insanely taxed in India. So where does that tax money go ? Why I wonder would I pay Rs 10 lakh for a car that costs Rs 5 lakh elsewhere and still not get good roads or quality public transport – at least one should flow logically, if not both. The question is rhetorical incidentally, we all know where the tax money goes or does not.

A small illustration. Mumbai desperately needs an alternate transport system. A proposal for a water transport link connecting south and north Mumbai has been floating around for three decades and more. All that someone in Government had to do (state of Maharashtra) was to take a decision.

As I have realised over the years, the easiest thing to do is to not do anything. That's what most public service in India is actually about. Business is different. Being remembered is not so simple anymore. Most battles are not fought in backyards but on the global stage. Even dynasty does not help. So why blame Ratan Tata for taking a decision and chasing a dream.

The Rise Of Dhirubhai Ambani

2008-01-14T20:52:00.000+05:30

(This blog's author is attempting to return to the fold, as it were. This is not the first attempt nor I suspect the last. The plot this time round is to make it simpler, shorter and easier to read. Which may prompt the conclusion that it was not so earlier. True, is the author's own objective assessment.)

Actually the book is called The Polyester Prince. Copies of the book suddenly appeared all over Mumbai on Sunday evening at traffic signals and pavement book shops. Prices ranged from Rs 100 to Rs 400 I was told. A colleague picked it up at Rs 100, the urchin selling it at a traffic signal in central Mumbai quoted Rs 250. The timing of the book's release - a day before Anil Ambani's mega Reliance Energy IPO opens for subscription - is curious to say the least.

The Polyester Prince was first published in 1998 and was supposed to be an authorised biography of the late industrialist. Somewhere along the way, possibly following a somewhat negative article the author (Hamish McDonald) wrote in the Far Eastern Economic Review, the two fell out. McDonald went on to write the book and published it.

McDonald provides interesting and less known insights into Dhirubhai's childhood. His birth in Chorwad, his time in Aden where he demonstrated his entrepreneurial bent and the birth of the textile and petrochemical giant that is Reliance today. But the book also prises open the lids on episodes the Ambanis would surely want to put behind - for instance, the fascinating story and events that led to the arrest of Kirti Ambani, a Reliance employee, on charges of conspiring to murder Dhirubhai rival Nusli Wadia.

Incidentally, the book was banned ten years ago and has till date stayed out of circulation. What was selling on the streets yesterday is the pirated version of a banned title. Most enterprising, one would think, even as you wonder why now. I guess Dhirubhai himself would have said, "Nobody is a permanent friend. Nobody is a permanent enemy. Everybody has his own self-interest. Once you recognise that, everybody would be better off."

Ex-President's Rule

2007-10-08T08:02:00.000+05:30

Over a dinner conversation with friends the other day, I said, "I am sure the office of the President of India could play a role in judicial correction..." "For instance," I laboured on in gyan mode, "If you take the current president..umm." I forgot the the president's name. I looked at my companions for rescue. No luck, they forgot too. We scratched our heads for a few minutes, trying to correlate some activity that the President had undertaken hoping that would trigger the memory receptacle that contained the name. No luck.

Former president A P J Abdul Kalam arrived in California (from New York) around the 27 of September, a week or so after I passed through the East Coast myself. I didn't know he was there nor, I am sure, would I have been able to gate crash - Scanning the reports, I learnt that he spoke to several groups of people including at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. While not everyone appeared to agree with his thoughts at his various interactions (the number of joint households would be the best measure of Indian values), he clearly held the crowds to attention.

And he's not exactly canvassing for votes. He's been meeting entrepreneurs, academic and business leaders (Stanford President John Hennessey and Cisco Systems' chief John Chambers)and speaking about a World Space Vision for 2050 where a describes a planet heavily reliant on solar energy to power its needs. He also met with a large group of Indians who welcomed him like a sitting president, not a former one.

Talking Space & Progress

There are some interesting tidbits about why he never visited the US as president. You can find them here Though what struck me is that even after returning (for that matter, before going as well) he has an amazingly packed schedule. I can't think of too many politicians (at least in India) who have such hectic lifestyles, I mean of this nature..check out the schedule I picked up from his website.

5 October - Address to the Space Community Forum on the 50th Anniversary on the Space Travel at VSSC
4 October - Address to IIST students and Faculty at VSSC
4 October - Address and Interaction with the Students participating in the quiz programme - INDIA@60 at Thiruvananthapuram
3 October - Address and Interaction with Students at Indore
3 October - Address at the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore
3 October - Address to the IIM Indore Students and Faculty On the 11th Foundation Day
29 September- Address at the Inauguration of the International Seminar on Shipbuilding Opportunities, Ahmedabad
28 Setember - Address at the Basavapuraskar Award function, Bangalore
28 September- Address to the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association, Bangalore
28 September- Address and interaction with the Students of Christ College, Bangalore
28 September- Address and interaction with the Students of the International School, Bangalore
27 September- Address to the Students participating in the 58th International Astronautical Congress, Hyderabad
27 September -Address at the 58th International Astronautical Congress, Hyderabad
20 September -Address at the International Aerospace Conference Celebrating Fifty years of Space Technology At California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
19 September -Interaction with the Members of Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research
18 September -Visit at Cisco top talents on the theme "Technology for inclusive development" at Jordan Conference
18 September -Interaction with Round Table Members India Community Centre, San Francisco, USA
18 September -Address and Interaction with the IISc, IIT & TIE San Francisco, USA
18 September -Interactive session with 50 Cisco top talents on the theme "Technology for inclusive development" at Jordan Conference Room, Bldg 9, San Jose

Its possible most of these engagements were frozen much before he lost the race for another term at presidentship. But going by the response he generates everywhere, I really don't think anyone cares. Despite being all of 76 years, the father of India's missile program continues to be the perfect mascot for a young, resurgent India. And yes I did remember the current president's name finally. I wonder if you really want to know.

The Ganpati Trance & Team India Dance

2007-09-28T08:33:00.000+05:30

Its an interesting time of the year to touch down in Mumbai. Particularly if you are coming in from America, a nation gripped by paranoia, fear and mild depression. For reasons ranging from Al Qaeeda to various financial excesses of the recent past. Yes, I was there on 9/11, my third anniversary trip, though I didn’t make it to Ground Zero on that day.

And you land in Mumbai where life seems to be one constant party. The annual Ganesh Chaturthi festival is on in full swing. Brightly decorated pandals (mostly jutting right onto the already choked streets) blare loud music as devotees line up for their darshans. There are several `immersion' days in the 10-day festival, each with a crippling effect on the city's logistics.

And there is the big one, the day most people stay at home anyway. More ear pounding music and street dances accompany this massive exercise that commences late afternoon and goes onto the early hours of next day. The time-band is not driven by astrological reasons, rather the traffic jams of idol laden trucks that await their turn to send the Ganpati idol on his last journey.

The Cricketers Arrive

Innovations abound. I saw one truck built like a cruise liner. So the lord now travels in style or was it the mandal's (the group behind the effort) fervent wish to go on a Caribeean cruise or something. What was the guy thinking ? I swear I heard trance playing on at least two ocassions. With accompanying strobe lights, all on a moving truck with a generator in tow. Yes there was a Ganpati idol too.

And finally Team India has arrived to a thunderous welcome. Driving into work in central Mumbai, I marvel at the throngs of people on the road to see the 30-km victory march into south Mumbai’s Wankhade stadium. Surely all these people have better work to do then to ogle at a bunch of guys who got lucky in the last over. As I reach my office, I realize I am gripped by the frenzy too. In ten minutes, bags have been dumped and a colleague and I are back at Worli Junction waiting for the ‘boys’ to arrive. I look around and see that the traffic has come to a standstill everywhere.

This is not exactly a vantage viewpoint. Its raining intermittently and we are not carrying protection. We try and squeeze under the occasional umbrella that springs open in front of us, smiling sheepishly at our temporary benefactors. After all, we are all united in our purpose.

Success Has Many Fathers

Earlier in the day, I read with amazement the number of advertisements released to commemorate the Indian cricket team’s victory over Pakistan. National carrier Air-India has booked entire pages to congratulate a handful of team members. Predictably, the advert has a photograph of the smiling aviation minister and a line which seems to suggest that Air-India had a role to play in their success.

How, I wonder. The papers said they flew Emirates, Dubai’s national carrier. I ask a colleague. Ah, they work for Air-India. At least on paper. I then discover that Indian Oil, another state-owned company, has also claimed a cricketer as its own. So has a private management school in Delhi. Later I read that the Air-India cricketers have received promotions too.

After a good half hour of rain, wind, no sun and several false alarms, the open bus carrying the cricketers comes into view. Most of them are standing on the open deck. The crowd erupts into a roar. A general surge begins and the constables who are posted precisely for this purpose weild their lathis. “Dhoni, Dhoni,” cry out the assembled.

Trance Becomes Dance

Dhoni, positioned in a Di Caprio-Titanic sort of way at the head of the deck is not looking at us though, he appears bored or is just dog tired. After all, he’s been at it for a good 20 km already. Yuvraj Singh is the most animated at this point and he even rattles his shoulders to the music. Another open truck with speakers blasting discotheque music is crawling ahead.

At this point, everything becomes seamless, the Ganpati trance and the cricketing dance began. Actually its simple, only a few hours have passed since the last idols were cast away. Mumbai city is throbbing with energy as one celebration flows into another. Stockmarkets are hitting new highs again so the moneymen are celebrating too. If you thought, all of this was happening only in Mumbai, you are wrong. This week, several business honchos from Mumbai are celebrating India@60, in New York.

What Is The Hit Rate Here ?

2007-08-02T09:07:00.000+05:30

I am following, as the world at large around is, actor Sanjay Dutt’s journey to gaol. Not that I have a choice, theree seems to be little else that is being talked about, at least for the last two days.

Unsurprisingly, Dutt’s friends, of which there are many, have attacked the special court in Mumbai for pronouncing a `harsh’ and undeserved sentence. After all the crime is 14 years old and he has been held guilty for possession of arms, which, lets face it, is something that would have got him a commendation for bravery or held up as an inspiring act of self-defence in some countries. I am sure I don’t need to name them.

The point is not whether Dutt is guilty or not. He obviously is. Nor is this about whether he should have got six years or two years or should have got two years with the possibility of immediate probation and so on. My sense is that while he must have expected to spend some time in jail, he surely did not anticipate being carted off from the courts to jail immediately. As a journalist friend who spoke to the jailor told me, “That broke him down completely and he cried like a child all evening and night.”

Getting Caught And Not

The point, that I have been trying to debate in my own mind, is, what is the hit rate here ? Because this is not about innocence or guilt. Its not about being accessory to a crime or not. Its not about the intention to cause harm or loss to someone, an individual or collective. Quite simply, its about who gets caught and who does not.

The same journalist friend told me that the chances of Dutt getting some form of relief at the Supreme Court were high. “It’s a matter of some time though.” He also pointed out that it was amazing how in the famous BMW case (a young man and his friends mowed down six unsuspecting victims in Delhi), despite fairly conclusive evidence, nothing has happened. There is even a Wikipedia entry on Sanjiv Nanda, the perpetrator.

The Mumbai bomb blasts happened in 1993 on a hot March afternoon. I still recall sitting in a friend’s office in Nariman Point on a hot afternoon when we heard the dull explosion and the tremor that went through the building. We ran down and out of the building and noticed the crowds streaming towards Air India building where clearly, something had happened.

Show Me One Person Who Was Hanged ?

The blasts were, as the theory now goes, a revenge for the killings that happened in December 1992 in Mumbai, following the Babri Masjid storming. I remember biking around parts of south central Mumbai with a photo journalist friend. And watching in horror as groups of young, crazed looking men wandered around flinging huge stones at anything that came in their way, from cars, traffic lights to store fronts. They would openly mock the police cordons who stood in the distance, safe in their own self-described perimeter.

Hundreds were killed, a commission of enquiry was set up. As all of us know, no one really was handed out a jail term, leave alone a death sentence. One constable was suspended for police complicity. Appalling as that is, it pales in comparison to the 1984 riots where over 3,000 Sikhs were killed, mostly in northern India. A Sikh friend of mine traveling on the Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani Express escaped sure death by cutting his hair off and shaving himself clean. A senior Delhi-based editor I know said a few years ago, “Show me one person who was hanged for 3,000 deaths.”

So what is the hit rate ? Is it a factor of influence. Sure, most people do get away because of it but you can’t say Dutt lacked it. Or is it influence in addition to a low profile ? Possibly yes, if you are high profile, then you are in trouble because the media will descend on you. But actor Salman Khan enjoys a similar status. He mowed down (yes, yes allegedly) workers sleeping in the open outside a bakery in suburban Mumbai. And what one would have thought is an open and shut case is still being tried. Yes, Khan never confessed.

The Karmic View

Is it a structural failure of the law, order and justice system ? Maybe, but I am one of those who believes that we have all the laws that any self respecting democracy ought to have in order to effectively govern its citizenry, give or take a few, small aspects. Like harsh penalties for drunken driving. The problem as we all know is administration and implementation.

Or, to conclude, as my journalist friend said, is it plain fate ? According to him, Dutt has always had a bad run with fate. From the first time he got caught and jailed 14 years ago to now, when he’s been sentenced again. Of course, no explanation works better than the karmic one. And maybe that’s the best answer to my question to who gets in and who stays out.

Pasricha To Patil: India's Ultimate Public-Private Partnerships

2007-07-01T19:52:00.000+05:30

A few years ago, while looking for an apartment for rent in central Mumbai, I chanced upon a flat in a building that `belonged' entirely to bureaucrats working for the state government (Maharashtra).

I met the owner of the flat, who worked with a state-run industrial agency and discussed the terms, which, not surprisingly, were quite outlandish. What was more outlandish, as I thought more about it, was how the gentleman in question had acquired the property, on prime land, worth crores of rupees or close to half a million dollars when his annual salary could not have been more than Rs 500,000 or $12,000.

The plot, so to speak, was simple. Mr K, along with his peers, had cornered a government-owned piece of land in the heart of the city and got it `dereserved'. Next step, get together, form a society and put up the building. At prices that anywhere between a tenth and twentieth of the real cost. It also dawned on me that Mr K had not only ripped me off as a taxpayer by usurping public land in the first place but was now demanding extortionate rents for the same !

The Seed Money

Mr K is of course not alone in this most public, mega land-grabbing spree the city of Mumbai has seen in the last few decades. Hundreds and maybe thousands of bureaucrats, police officers and politicians, among others have cornered acres of publicly owned land in the city for their benefit. State Director General of Police (DGP) Dr P S Pasricha was caught up in a sting operation that highlighted his proclivity for the real estate business and of course, the staggering financial muscle to back it up.

It then emerged how the seed money (at least on the face of it) had emerged. Deputy Chief Minister of the state R R Patil said and I quote, "Pasricha booked a flat for Rs 2.97 lakh in 1975 in Dilwara cooperative housing scheme (in prime south Mumbai) comprising government officers as members and took its possession in 1985. Later he sold it in 2000 for Rs 1.40 crore. For this Pasricha had sought necessary approval from the government.

“In 1985, Pasricha’s family members bought 2.5 acre land in Shahanoorwadi area of Aurangabad for Rs 99,000. The land later came into Municipal Corporation limits. It was sold in 2003 for Rs 1.75 crore. Although it was not mandatory for Pasricha to inform the government of this deal as it was done by family members, he nevertheless informed the government”, Patil said further.

What's His Real Job ?

“In 1986, Pasricha became a member of the New Bharat Cooperative Housing Society by paying Rs 18,000. He got possession on the 480 sq. metre plot in 2000 and paid Rs 25,000 as development charges. In 2000, after he sold the Dilwara society flat, Pasricha bought commercial space at Kolhapur for Rs 1.27 crore. In 2001, he bought a flat for Rs one crore in Lady Ratan Tower at Lower Parel in Mumbai. For this, his son took a bank loan of Rs 61 lakh. Rs 39 lakh was paid from the sale of Dilwara flat and Rs 13 lakh was from rental and deposit of the Kolhapur commercial space, he pointed out.

All this makes me wonder how he ever had time to do his real job. But then, Pasricha and Mr K are similar. I would only rate Mr K as less enterprising since, on the face of it, he managed only a flat or two in the city near free of cost. Its actually quite interesting how this thing has shaped out. Because the `original sin' is not a sin at all, as its blessed by government and the bureaucracy. So why penalise them for the proceeds of something that was never seen as wrong.

This must stop. A land-scarce city like Mumbai cannot be subject to more looting and plunder by government servants. Why do we still call these guys servants ? Its time to go to the source of this plunder and not get distracted by the outcome. Its about going after the guys who perpetrated the original loot, `legally, or otherwise. Yes, on the search for the house, between asserting my principles and of course being constrained by affordability, I lost that flat to someone else.

Patil For President

As for Pasricha, the sting operation surfaced in April. Presumably its all over and forgotten if not forgiven as well, at least to my knowledge. Now we are all focussed on a unheard-of (at least by me) politician from Maharashtra with an equally stellar track record of taking people for a ride - like depositors in a bank she floated or on the sugar mill loans that she defaulted. But Pratibha Patil has greater expectations, unlike Dr Pascricha. She is running for President of India.

Singapore Sling - II (The Perfectionist)

2007-05-30T17:27:00.000+05:30

Each time I visit Singapore, I am fascinated by the green grass and the beautiful trees, flowers, even shrubs. You may ask why, considering that there is so much more to see or do – like a visit to Clarke or Sentosa Island ! Well yes, but let explain. In the 1960s, when premier Lee Kuan Yew decided he wanted Singapore to become a garden city, he personally got interested in the subject of soil and vegetation, trees and drainage, climate and fertilizers.

He apparently became so involved in the subject that he even found out how in France, the broad tree lined boulevards were possible because a drainage system had been built below the pavements.

When he saw beautiful rolling meadows in New Zealand, he asked for the services of two experts from there under the Colombo Plan technical assistance scheme. Lee was told that Singapore did not have a grassland climate in which rain fell gently from the skies. Instead, being part of the equatorial region, it experienced torrential rainfall that would wash off the topsoil and with it the vital nutrients necessary for strong plant growth.

Under The Flyover

I know this is getting a little too detailed but do bear with me – In an equatorial forest, as Lee learnt, with big tall trees forming a canopy, the rain water drips down. But in Singapore, the trees had been chopped down, it would all come down in a big wash. So Lee decided that fertilizers would replenish the soil and began the task of making the compost from rubbish dumps, adding calcium and lime where the ground was too acidic.

Years later, when Singapore was already an acknowledged success, Lee asked his officials to find out which plants could survive below the flyovers where the sun did not shine much. And instead of having to water these plants regularly, which was expensive, he got his officials to find a way to channel water from the roads, after filtering it to get rid of the oil and grime from the traffic above.

When the flyovers became broader, shutting out the light completely, he ensured the roads were split into two so there would be a gap in the middle with enough space for sunshine and rain to seep through and greenery and vegetation to thrive below. “I sent them on missions all along the Equator and the tropical, sub tropical zones, looking for new types of trees, plants, creepers and so on. From Africa, the Caribbean, Latin, Middle and Central America, we’ve come back with new plants. It’s a very small sum. But if you get the place greened up, if you get all those creepers up, you take away the heat, you will have a different city,” he said.

A Perfectionist At The Top

Now, having driven up and down Singapore, I can tell you that that the heat has not exactly gone away. My father used to tell me when he visited Singapore in the seventies that it was just like Madras (Chennai). Hot as hell and humid too. And yet, the greenery does have a calming and maybe cooling effect. Maybe it would be hotter if it were not for the greenery, considering Singapore is closer to the equator than Madras. In any case, Ive never heard anyone really complain about the heat in Singapore.

I am sure over the years, there have been other issues to consider, like pollution, clean drinking water and so on. Each of these civic issues is a case study in itself. So let me close this one with this quote from Lee. “A well kept garden is a daily effort and would demonstrate to outsiders the people’s ability to organize and to be systematic. The grass has got to be mown every other day, the trees have to be tended, the flowers in the garden have to be looked after so they know this place gives attention to detail.”

And that’s why I look at the trees, shrubs and manicured grass as I drive through Singapore. Because I know that they didn’t just happen to be like this. Rather because someone right at the top has been monitoring this effort closely, for over 30 years. A perfectionist who is worth studying, individually and collectively.

(Material On Lee Kuan Yew Largely Sourced From The Aspen Institute Readings)

A Singapore Sling - I

2007-05-25T08:41:00.000+05:30

Somewhere on the fringe of Singapore's Chinatown, Ronald and his family run a highly specialised `hobby supplies' shop. I've been in touch with Ronald over the last few months, on phone and on mail so it was a pleasure to catch up with him last week, on, I might add, a particularly balmy Singapore afternoon.

Like most Singaporeans, Ronald did a compulsory stint with the army. He also happens to be a mechanical engineer by training, allowing him to ply his trade with considerable precision and understanding. Particularly when it comes to explaining stuff to a novice like me. And Ronald, who is evidently much younger than me, can be very patient.

As we got talking, I asked Ronald what his present customer profile was like. "Oh," he said, "from all over." I said you mean Singapore and Malaysia. "No, all over," he said. I knew he had many Indian clients like me. So, India as well I gathered. "Phillipines, Indonesia, Thailand as well," he said. And this was a barely 750 square feet shop, obviously with a larger warehouse somewhere at the back end.

A Regional Presence

Ronald's firm has grown in the last few years but not physically. He has a web presence. Its not exactly the Amazon of this business but its adding scale and sophistication as Ronald and his colleagues and family members figure their way around. But its reputation, even in the pre ecommerce days has spanned the region, across south and south east Asia.

Ronald's success and prominence is testimony to the hardwork and ingenuity of the Singaporeans in general and the Chinese in specific. But the larger credit must go to Lee Kuan Yew who built the blueprint for Singapore. I recall a memorable interview on Channel News Asia where he told the interviewer how one of Singapore's biggest advantages was the fact that it flanked a closed and yet potentiallly powerful economy like India. Like how Hong Kong benefited from China's seclusion. The challenge now of course, he said, was to re-invent.

Which Singapore is doing admirably. From shopping destination to leisure destination (in this heat !) to world class airline hub to biotechnology destination and so on. Standing in Ronald's little shop, I was struck by the opportunity lost not just all these years but even today. Lets face it, there might be ten guys who are smarter than Ronald between Delhi and Mumbai but not one who can be as nimble and responsive.

36-Hour Delivery

Let me give you an example. I call Ronald on a Monday noon and say, hey, can you send me so and so. "Sure," he says. And the component is on my table at 9.30 am on Wednesday morning. His mail confirming the order often arrives after the parcel. And I can track the parcel's progress from the moment it leaves Ronald's shop on Monday evening thanks to DHL !

For an Indian entrepreneur to do this will be extremely tough if not impossible.
One problem is obviously the infrastructure. The bigger problem is tarrifs, customs, duties and all the miserable paperwork that goes with it. I don't imagine a small mom and pop shop achieving such turnarounds in consigment handling, maybe big firms with well-oiled (on the customs' end) can.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of Ronalds in Singapore, Hong Kong and many other countries who have benefited from India's pre liberalisation myopia. Thanks to leaders like Lee Kuan Yew who ran SWOT analysis for their nations at the right time. There are thousands of Ronalds in India as well. I am sure you know many of them, like I do. Now only if they had someone to lookout for them, in this globalised world.

The Gatecrashers Of New Delhi Airport

2007-05-20T16:46:00.000+05:30

Am traveling again, this time I pass through the hallowed gates of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport. If you want to showcase how Incredible India is, this is the classic one. And it makes me wonder whether the ownership really transferred into private hands. Anyway, the experience kicks off nice and early as I drive up the incline. A long traffic jam has developed. My driver alternately jams the accelerator and brakes to stay in one place. And its raining heavily.

The airport is packed with people, even more than Mumbai and Hyderabad airports, whose vast collections of crowds usually amaze me. Like all other airports in India, roughly 95% of the folks who visit the airport ain’t going anywhere. They are here to see off the other 5%, or is it 2% in New Delhi. Most of them travel very long distances.

Passengers like me are a hopeless minority. In every way possible. For a moment I thought I would give up and return, so challenging did the task of entering the terminal appear. Then I decided to fight my way through. After a careful study of my relative position to enemy flanks, I began to heave-ho. Angry stares accompanied me all the way. Several extremely able-bodied (I shall not say from where) gentlemen focussed on a lone and distant waving figure inside the terminal looked mightily inconvenienced.

Line & Length

There is just one long line to enter the immigration area. And it takes a long time. Guess why ? Not because the immigration guys are dragging their feet. Not quite. Because for every four guys from the line that walk over, there is one who will jump it or attempt to barge through. Two familes of four with howling children were `whisked’ through as I watched. Then followed a pot-bellied guy with a `pan' stained mouth - smiling sheepishly at no one in particular.

An American (not Indian origin) businessman - smart suit n boots - too tried to gatecrash as I watched. He went a step further. He begged the lady from United to please help him through. For what reason I could not fathom. She heard him, nodded her head, he pleaded again and then after much thought, she stepped forward and requested the immigration officer managing the line to let him through. I wonder what the excuse was. Maybe First Class. But there is no separate line.

Of course, despite my best efforts I didn’t see any ministerial entourage (with or without a minister) sail through immigration, security et al. After all, these fine gentlemen and gentlewomen (whose passport pictures may or may not tally) do not need to stand in any line. Or even bother to jump one.

Our Honourable Human Traffickers

2007-04-27T18:27:00.000+05:30

Diplomatic Status For MPs

Actually, till one (or more) of our honourable members of parliament (MPs) were found running immigration rackets, I did not even know that they carried diplomatic passports.

I reckoned they could breeze through security, customs and what have you (with and without guns depending on the time and ocassion) and generally make everyone's life miserable. No, I don't mean all of them are like that. Obviously there are some very good eggs.

But good or bad, why diplomatic passports ? Specifically, this is how I am affected. I know MPs do not have to get a emigration check not required (ECNR) stamp on their passports. I know I have been running around for some three years to get it done. The lack of which makes me run around even more when I have to visit countries like China, Korea or Dubai. And guess what, a trafficker of humans can sail through where I can't. I am asked for every damn certificate since I was born and nothing seems to work, at least till now.

Tax Paying Citizen !

I point out that I am a tax paying citizen - please check my PAN (Tax Dept) number - but no, we are the ministry of external affairs and that is the ministry of finance. So we don't talk to each other. So because we will not talk to each other, it is your problem to figure out how to prove to us that you pay taxes, have passed a miserable exam and generally, are not a threat to some other country. But are'nt you the same government ? "We don't know." This by the way is not an imaginary exchange but an exasperating encounter with a real, senior official in the MoE.

I must credit our honourable MPs (those discovered so far) with some intelligence. In the scale of value addition, human trafficking must be the most lucrative and rank, in my estimation, above drugs, gold and currency. Maybe the only thing more lucrative would be gun-running. But there are physical constraints to the smooth practice of this activity, as you might imagine.

On The Shilpa Shetty Episode

How quick we are to jump to our countrymen's defense. Particularly when it involves something emotive, argumentative and is addressed with a volley of hurriedly issued statements. And then the matter dies down, the soap opera (quite literally) ends and life goes on.

What did you do dear Minister in your tenure ? Well, my biggest achievement was that I protested the indignation a paid and willing sufferer in a circus had unfortunately to undergo. From whom I ask ? Well, from another performing monkey, but this time from the wild. Well, what do you expect when two different breeds of performing monkeys meet, I ask ? And lets put nationality aside for a moment.

Am I condoning racism ? Obviously not. Am I wondering whether every act of speech anywhere in the world demands immediate response. Yes, I am. Because, I would argue that there are lots of things around that revolt me which you, dear Minister, do nothing about. None of them involve performing artistes in circuses.

But they do involve things, little and big, that I see around me everyday which get me so angry that I wish I could lodge daily protests and get the kind of public attention a television episode can. Obviously, I won't and it can't. I presume you know what I won't or can't. And yet, I must protest because that's the least I can do.

PS: Yes, I have been away for a while. The Shetty rant written when the matter was hot. Obviously, star weddings are what's keeping the nation, or at least the nation's media, busy today. More on that later. I've been travelling a fair bit, including out of the country. I have so much to say that I don't know where to start, nice excuse hah ?

Will Indian property markets tank ?

2007-03-15T17:06:00.000+05:30

Read an interesting interview with Robert Shiller (Irrational Exuberance guy) who is now predicting some sort of bottoming out in the US real estate market. Interestingly, he added a section to his book last year saying the property market there was likely to head south.

The US real estate market to quote an investment banking friend of mine, is detonating all over the place. Actually he told me this four days ago. And a few nights ago, the Dow Jones tanked followed dutifully by Japan, Asia and of course good ol India.

Shiller says he has been reading up articles and stories on what triggered the previous fall in the US. Interestingly, I embarked on a similar academic exercise, trying to understand what brought the real estate market to its bottom after 1994. I am not quite there as yet, but Shiller says one signal is when people start talking about how they were `had’ in a certain transaction.

Stories of stupidity

This is what he said in a Business Week article last week. "I've been reading old newspapers and advertisements to see how past booms ended. It's usually when stories start to circulate that embarrass people who believed in the boom. For example, there was a Florida land boom [in the 1920s]. There were stories of people buying land that was swamp. Booms end when prices start to fall, and then there are stories of buyer stupidity that are told and retold. I sense that's happening now."

Interesting, isn't it ? I met someone from a large conglomerate (with a substantial presence in real estate) on a flight into Delhi last evening. According to him, the functionary in his organization who drives the real estate business has predicted that 2008 is the year when the Indian property markets will turn. The same gentleman predicted the 2003 stock market bull run several months before it actually happened. I know because he told me !

So I am somewhat inclined to believe this statement. Of course one cannot guarantee this things. My American investment banker friend was telling me that the loan market was witness to the most amazing recklessness in lending last year. You went to a bank and applied for a loan. "What do you make?" the bank would ask. "Oh, $50,000, you would say." "Okay, here's your loan, enjoy !" Almost like that.

Bubble Or Not ?

The same gentleman I met on the Delhi flight said he was hearing of downward pressure on prices in areas like Gurgaon (outside Delhi) particularly when the sale was initiated by a seller, as opposed to the buyer landing up. This might be happening in other places too.

So will it all pop ? I have no clue except to say that if its happened before, it can happen again. Unlike many of my friends who think the only way is north, because India is growing furiously and all of that. I don't necessarily see a correlation but this is one of those things where its easy to take a position but difficult to go with anything but gut whilst defending the same position !

Shiller's insights are useful though. "Bubbles don't pop suddenly. The air comes out gradually. More and more people decide that the market is turning."

The All Important Inclusion

2007-02-26T21:29:00.000+05:30

Inclusive. Remember this word, you will be hearing it many times in coming months. From all sorts of folks, politicians to business leaders. Because suddenly realisation is drawing that the last couple of years of runaway growth and prosperity has not resulted in inclusive growth. Rather only in a few getting wealthier.

Even China gets worried about such things so presumably we should be too. That we not only do not have inclusive growth but we have runaway inflation from rising prices of goods and services. I now understand that finance minister P Chidambaram and his team have been furiously reworking their Union Budget 2007 proposals so as to ensure that there are more specific steps to fight inflation.

And yet I wonder why we did not see it coming. We all got caught in the great India Shining mirage three years ago and vowed that we would always watch out for such signals. And yet we've had a near encore. Forget wheat prices and onion prices. Real estate prices have doubled in many parts of India in the last 18 months. What's the general reaction ? Jubiliation, because somehow we think this is a reason to celebrate rather than worry.

Rising Prices, Time To Celebrate

So instead of figuring out how to step in and control prices, the government almost took pride in the fact that prices were rising and no one was affected. Because we are a growing economy. Turns out we are growing but not quite the manner in which we thought we were. So voters are already voting with their feet as they have done in the states of Punjab and Uttaranchal. And suddenly, whether or not rising prices are the reason, politicians are scurrying around trying to put together dossiers of anti-inflation measures.

Sure the Reserve Bank has been stepping in and hiking interest rates. But then, monetary tools can only do that much. A friend from Coimbatore told me that his company had to go out of the city to expand their factory. Because land prices were ridiculous. Which means thousands of jobs would go to some other place instead of Coimbatore. But prices in this smaller town in Tamil Nadu had shot up as well. The project was looking less viable now, he said.

What does all this mean ? Quite simply, we can grow only when the critical factors of production and supply are in our control. When demand overshoots supply then you have overheating. And things don't just cool off nicely, sometimes they just collapse. The Economist hinted at that in a cover story recently. And everyone pounced on The Economist saying they got it wrong. Well, well.

Are We Not Growing ?

So are we not a growing economy ? Of course we are. But as I never fail to point out, not all of us are growing. Industry is doing well, IT is doing better but to many hundreds of millions, it will be a long while before there is any change in their lives. So, inclusion is an important word to remember.

Amartya Sen & The Tunnel Effect Of Indian IT

2007-02-06T22:36:00.000+05:30

How often do you get stuck in a traffic jam ? Almost everyday right. Now, here is a car on the lane next to you. Both of you are headed in the same direction and have been immobile for a while. So you and the driver of that car get talking. You discuss various things, mostly it will be to do with the state of traffic itself.

Soon, the other line starts moving and the driver in the other car waves his goodbyes and gets going. You wave your goodbye and smile at him. You are actually happy for him. Because you know that soon you will be going too. Time passes and you get impatient. Actually you are not moving. On the contrary there is no change in your position at all. Looks like your neighbour's line was the only line to benefit. Your happiness turns to anger. You are upset. You now curse the other guy.

This, as Nobel Prize laureate Dr Amartya Sen described it this evening in Mumbai, is the tunnel effect. I hope I got his example right - if not, I shall modify. The ocassion was a small dinner hosted in his honour by IT industry association Nasscom and the Welsh Development Authority.

Staying Back In The Tunnel

What if the Indian IT industry represents the other car that you, in the beginning, are happy to see surge ahead. And your car, lets say, is the rest of the economy and the polity. What happens when you realise its only the IT industry or the other car that's moved on. You are not moving. First there is frustration and then anger. And then, who knows what.

Professor Sen is going to dwell some more on this issue, as I can see. I reckon he will raise questions about the IT industry's contribution to the society, to the nation. He will pose questions that I feel have been posed but not strongly enough. And raise issues that deserve greater debate than ever before.

India Versus China

Will India overtake China ? Everyone has a view on this. Professor Amartya Sen's view is as follows. He does not care. He does not find it interesting. "I don't have the slightest idea or interest," he says.

He would be worried, he says, if India started losing out in life expectancy and China began gaining. For instance, he says China was 40 years ahead of India in life expectancy in 1979. Now, its just 7 years. Mortality in 1979 was 39 years. Now its 28 years. States like Kerala do better on some of these counts, he points out.

Or developments in health care. China, according to Professor Sen, messed up healthcare by allowing everything to be handled by the government before 1979 and prematurely privatising and handing over everything by the private sector after. "You can't understand these things by comparing GDP rates," says Prof Sen.

IT and TI

Professor Sen used this evening's short address to refer to a favourite topic, the argumentative Indian. He ascribed the success of the Indian IT industry to the fact that Indians discuss, debate and of course argue. "I think whether the IT industry has done well because of TI, meaning, Talkative Indians," he says.

Morality Is Related To Knowledge & Information

Information Technology is the hub of social morality, says Professor Sen. But for more on this, you will have to wait a day !

How Multicultural Are We ?

2007-01-24T16:00:00.000+05:30

My friend who heads marketing for a large US IT hardware multinational told me the other day his firm was swamped with applications for a mid level position they had advertised on the web.

While scanning the applications he found, unusually, that the applicants included two Americans, one Australian and one New Zealander. He asked HR to get back to them saying the job profile spanned Asia Pacific but was very much grounded in Bangalore. All four (none were of Indian origin) got back saying they were game.

Last week, I was speaking with a partner at a Big Four consulting firm. Remarkably, he said, more and more partners from around the world wanted to come and work in India. More so in the last six months, he said. "Once upon a time, people were `seconded’ to India, now they want to come here. Else, it was only Indians going overseas," he told me.

India Is Hot

That more and more foreigners want to work in India is not new. So why is it an issue today ? Because multi-cultural workplaces are exploding all over the place – the term denoting multi-national rather than just people from different parts of the country. My sense is that gearing up to receive and exploit talent from world over will be a big challenge and task for Indian companies. As many organizations have already realized or are in the process of doing so.

Indian organizations are not new to working with non-Indians. But, as a director with an IT MNC said to me recently. “in India, the only multi-cultural exposure has been really bi-cultural. So you had German, Swiss and American companies from the west and Korean, Japanese and now Chinese companies from the east setting up companies in India alone or with minority joint venture partners.”

According to him, in these cases, the management, because of the ownership pattern, hailed from the home country. So there was a managing director and maybe one more director who were either German or American. Everyone else was local or, in this case, Indian. So while there were some cultural issues, the onus on assimilation lay between one individual or two and the rest of the organization !

Challenge & Opportunity

But in the last few years, in industries like IT, telecom, retail, hospitality, among others, increasingly, expatriates are coming in at middle and even junior level positions. This creates an interesting challenge and opportunity for Indian organisations and managers. Challenge because Indian managers are yet not there when it comes to working in truly multi-cultural workplaces, here and overseas.

Opportunity because effectively addressing these issues will help not just companies achieve greater talent integration for the domestic marketplace but also help Indian mangers better tackle the the world. I recall Ratan Tata telling me in an interview four years ago that one of the biggest tasks and challenges for the Tata Group were going global and going multicultural, not necessarily in that order. At that time, Tetley was just about the only big global acquisition the Tata group had either concluded or attempted.

What has been the experience so far ? Largely good. The sense I get from talking around is that Indian organizations are working hard at truly multi-cultural environments. It helps that the India story attracts talent from world over. In many organizations, such environments have actually helped foster more thought leadership rather than, as one manager put it, cultural leadership.

High On EQ & Low On..!

The problems could be that the Indian weaknesses stand out. As the same manager told me, “Indian managers tend to be high on emotional quotient and low on professional quotient. This is sometimes difficult to comprehend for people from some other cultures.” This is of course a commonly mentioned point. And yet, he adds, Indians are extremely flexible and display a strong ability to change.

The bigger challenges lie ahead. If Indian workplaces and environments are to be truly welcoming to people from varying cultures, then we have to work hard to manage our own latent racism. Most managers will tell you that Indians tend to be more subservient to some cultures while displaying distinctly racist attitudes towards the other. This is not a generalization by any stretch. And good organizations have the systems to address this. But the external environment is another story. A mid level expat manager may not be able to live the cocooned lifestyle expat head honchos are used to.

Another challenge is ensuring young Indians are exposed to multi-cultural environments before they hit such workplaces. Colleges and schools being the most obvious interaction point. At the Indian School of Business (ISB) a few months ago, I noticed several non-Indian students in the classrooms. I was told they were here on long exchange programs. Obviously the ISB or other institutions like it are an exception.

Understanding A Plain Jane

As I see it, organizations and institutions should set out a few tasks. First, make multi-culturalism an objective rather than an outcome that they have to prepare for. Second, as a corollary, make the working in a multi-cultural environment a virtue and a necessity for personal growth. Third, work towards all of this by creating the systems and processes to handle the inevitable fall-outs.

If you look around you, the smart Indian companies, from the Tatas to Reliance are already doing it. As are the IT majors. It will only accelerate. My sense is that early multi-cultural exposure will make for better managers right here. Or at the very least help understand how a plain Jane thinks and reacts in foreign lands, within or outside a reality show.

This piece first appeared in Business Standard !

Oops, I Forgot I Am Carrying A Gun On This Flight

2007-01-20T14:10:00.000+05:30

Two months ago, I had an interesting encounter with Mumbai airport security. I was flying from Mumbai to London and carrying, among other, non-violent items, a small tube of pain relieving gel for my back. The brand is well-known and you can find it in any medical store in the nation.

I walked through the frisking counter to discover my haversack had been ominously laid on the table. The guy came over and asked me to open it up. He looked at the man facing the screen with the X-Ray images. “There is a tube in it,” the scanner said. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer asked me to open my bag and take it out. I didn’t argue or anything, just said it was a pain relieving gel for my back. And it was a small tube, I demonstrated.

“No,” he said. “I need it,” I said. “Do you have a prescription then ?” he asked. "No," I said. And that was it, the tube went into the dustbin hopefully to be picked up and used by some baggage handler with a sprained back or shoulder, or at least I hope. London these days was on high alert - just after the big bomb attack in the sky scare and security was tight. And yet, despite my discomfiture, I was impressed with the sharpness of the Mumbai airport personnel.

Do You Know Who I Am ?

Well, the airport chaps (technically, the chaps who scan check-in baggage work for the airlines so it may not be the same) let a man with a revolver and 30 live cartridges go through Mumbai airport on January 13. By the way, we've had at least a dozen high alerts at the airports in the last six months. High alert, presumably, means you look for weapons and the like and not pain relieving gel. Anyway, the firearm was discovered in Dubai when the passenger landed. The authorities there must have called up the authorities here (this was an Air-India flight which itself answers a few unasked questions) and hell must have broken loose. Till it was all wonderfully covered up .

The possibilities of what and how are staggering. Lets look at them one by one. First, the man in question, businessman Nusli Wadia of the Bombay Dyeing Group, did not even put his baggage through security check. Second, his baggage whent through security check but the guys missed the gun and the bullets.

Third, they found the gun, discovered the bullets and asked for an explanation. However, when the passenger posed the big Indian question, “Do you know who I am ?”, they decided to let go. After all, he is a big businessman or a VIP. Frankly, I don’t what’s the most worrying or scary. Whether they knew there was a gun or they did not. Thankfully, the Dubai chaps were more alert or at least were not bought off.

Its My Servant's Fault, Catch Him

It gets worse. In Dubai, Nusli Wadia reportedly said he did not know the gun was in his bag because his servant packed it. So ? Well, we let go. After all, its not the poor man’s fault that his servant who packs his bags usually slips in a gun or two. And its only you and me who are asked every time when checking in whether we packed our own bags and whether anything untoward might have crept in.

And the best part is this. In Dubai, when challenged, Wadia apparently fished out an arms permit and said he had a license to carry the gun. Sure. So, we are now to believe the servant inadvertently packed the gun but Mr Wadia advertently carried the license. How convenient ! Lets assume the license arrived later and the servant did indeed slip in a gun. Wow ! What kind of `domestic help' does that ?

Okay, Ramu, I might need a gun on this trip because I have a few business deals to crack so pack my gun. Or, sir, would you like to pack the gun and the shaving kit together or seperately ? Amazingly, you can blame the servant and get away. At least, as it appears, a businessman of some repute can. What do you think would have happened to any of us were we to be caught with a gun in the check-in baggage ?

Indians' fuzzy outlook on citizenship

2007-01-09T16:07:00.000+05:30

During World War II, in 1942 to be precise, US President Franklin D Roosevelt signed an executive order forcing some 116,000 Japanese Americans (of which over 60 per cent were US citizens) to relocate or move from the west coast to `war relocation centers’ in the country’s interior.

The reason was this. Post Pearl Harbor, many Americans believed Japan was about to launch another full scale attack, this time on the west coast. To quote an American Lieutenant General who administered the `internment’ program, "There is no way to determine their loyalty...It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen, he is still a Japanese. American citizenship does not necessarily determine loyalty..."

It took four decades to right the slight. In 1988, President Reagan signed an apologetic legislation which said the government actions then were based on "race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership."

Help Us Stay Home, In Britain !

The Japanese American Internment is a prominent 20th century case study in the fundamental issue of citizenship and patriotism. And it often reminds me about Indians and our own fuzzy sense of citizenship and everything that goes with it.

Here is an instance. Some 30,000 Indians in Britain are requesting the Indian authorities to protest a British government move that affects their status under the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP). The UK move may be unfair but it baffles me (if I were to believe the reports) that these chaps expect our PM to request Tony Blair to give them safe haven and potentially, citizenship, in the the UK !!

I would divide my America bound acquaintances, friends and relatives into roughly two categories. First are those who seek specific opportunity, find it at a location that is not pre-determined and then `settle’ down. Their return is always open-ended, so to speak. These are a minority. The second are those for whom countries like America are fixated, pre-programmed destinations regardless of what they do in India and how.

What About Patriotism ?

For many first generation settlers in the US, the 80s and 90s have been kind. Having acquired a two-car garage house, lawn mower and a sound understanding of local baseball, they ponder about what to do next. Should one stay on ? Will the children adapt back in India ? Will there be opportunity ? What about bureaucracy, bad roads, cheating taxi drivers and pollution ?

Ah, in passing, they might ask of themselves: should we become US citizens ? If we do, then what does it really mean? Should we give up Indian nationality just like that, just because we are getting citizenship here ? What about patriotism ? Or is it, in any case, restricted to cheering when Rahul Dravid scores a century ?

Okay, how many folks do you think really understand the following: ""I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the USA against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law.."

How Many Even Ask ?

I would like to guess but will pass. I don’t know whats more worrying, whether they do or they do not. Actually, it is my submission that only 5 per cent of self-exiles actually ask questions. To the credit of this 5 per cent, as I have seen in some cases, they can go through considerable heartburn. The other 90 per cent I would argue, do not even pose these questions. Of course there are many who steadfastly maintain Indian citizenship. We would all know some of them.

I always wonder why Indians (sure, maybe many Chinese do as well) find it so simple to switch nationalities ? Or is it that it does not matter when you are in the flow, student to H1B (or equivalent) to Green Card to citizen. Where is the time or energy to ponder where you really belong !

In which case what must be done about it ? Rather, should something be done or is it another issue best left to market forces ? I am not sure about this. Looking inward, I would argue that the case for patriotism is weak. What I am not sure is whether its getting weaker or with economic development, stronger ?

A Case For Patriotism

Why did I start with the example of the Japanese-American Internment ? Because the argument of economic good and meritocracy scoring over cultural diversity and ancestry can fade over time. Neither the host country or the immigrant can be sure that this sort of symbiotic relationship will stand the test of time, in the truest sense. No one is suggesting a repeat of the Intermnent. And yet we had the veil issue in Britain.

My fear is that young Indians with their fuzzy outlook on nationalism can be victims. Most don’t know (or care) what they sign up for. But for those still to do so, I would still make a strong case for patriotism. To be more appropriately inculcated, if possible. Not one that is necessarily borne out of economic soundness.

PS: This is another Business Standard instalment. Yes, I have been a little pre-occupied and perhaps lazy. I have been busy, among other things, fighting a fresh round of battles with our domestic airlines !

Setting Expectations For 2007

2007-01-02T18:10:00.000+05:30

Living in Mumbai, I am somehow bound to the “Will Mumbai become Shanghai?” phrase and all its connotations and interpretations. Before I come to my submission on our state of great expectations, a few words on the Shanghai syndrome.

First, Mumbai should look for a new phrase. That’s because, to my mind, Delhi has already become “Shanghai”. Sure, Delhi is not a port city or the commercial capital. But using the usual extrapolation of Shanghai to mean high-quality infrastructure, visible administrative determination (for whatever reasons) to clean up a mess and so on, Delhi scores.

Delhi is the only city in India where there are visible infrastructure improvements in short periods. Sure, Gurgaon residents are howling about the extra hour they spend on the approach to Delhi, but if you ask me, I see the men and machines working day and night to find some solutions. Unlike Mumbai, a city that took three decades to decide to build one bridge across a creek.

Just A 50% Chance..

Now to narrate two somewhat disparate examples. Remember Mumbai’s highway road signs (amidst crumbling or dug-up roads) requesting you to bear with the present for a better future? I don’t know about you but when I read them, I expected solutions that would fundamentally alter the road infrastructure in the island city. Far from it. As I see it, this high-decibel signage mostly meant that some roads or pavements would be re-layered. Yet, here I was thinking life was going to fundamentally change.

Allow me to shift gears. I happened to be in London the day Tata Steel announced its bid for Corus. It was interesting to see local media reactions. It was clearly a big thing. People wanted to know what would happen to Corus if the Tatas took it over. I didn’t know the answer. I still don’t, particularly now that it may not be the Tatas who will take over Corus.

Nevertheless, it struck me that ever since the Tatas threw their hat in the ring, their victory has been pretty much taken for granted by most of us—with the possible exception of Tata Steel brass and perhaps their investment bankers. Turns out as things stand they have only a 50 per cent chance, or is it less?

Expectation Overload

My point is this. We are in a constant state of expectation overload. In the case of Mumbai’s miseries, expectations appear so high that the outcome is laughable. Equally, albeit a little differently, in the case of a Tata-Corus, expectations have run ahead of reality. The Tatas may or may not be responsible for this but surely many others are.

And it goes on. From the unfinished Golden Quadrilateral highway project and government-sponsored advertisements which highlight announcements as achievements to erratic cricket performances and newspaper headlines that suggest something has already happened as opposed to “yet to”, we are in a perpetual race to declare conclusion or victory. The two are not necessarily congruous but the malady is common.

When the GQ project started, we were told to get ready to cover 1,000 km in 11 or 12 hours like on roads in the developed world. Guess what, thanks to litigation-induced blockages, we might actually take longer than what was planned. In any case, the gap between induced expectation and actual delivery runs into years, sometimes decades.

Where's The Word Gloom ?

Having said all of that, it’s still fine to over-expect in some areas, I mean you can keep expecting India to win at cricket or Sachin Tendulkar to score a century. It might happen (or won’t) but no one’s the wiser. It’s a little different when it comes to more fundamental issues of economy and infrastructure. We expect a Shanghai but fail to question the basic problems in civic infrastructure.

Now, a little digression. Exactly a year ago, I was sitting with Harvard Business School professor Das Narayandas at the HBS campus in Boston. Gazing at the falling snow outside, we were discussing, what else, India. “Is India Shining all over again?” the professor asked me. It was a rhetorical question, I realised.

Narayandas had this to say. The word gloom didn’t really exist in the Indian lexicon, referring more to those who were economically privileged and had benefited from the recent economic boom. As we go into 2007, I think of his words again. Whether it’s crumbling Mumbai or our global business aspirations. Or my concern, taking off from Narayandas’ posers, that our record GDP quarter growth numbers will make us believe we’ve cracked it all, already.

Plunging Ahead..

And so I ask, are we plunging into another new year overawed by the past, expecting miracles from the future ? Without rolling up our sleeves to solve the basic problems that still plague our existence? Are we assuming conclusion when we are far from even the beginning of the solution. If you ask me, my first thought for 2007 would be to set right expectations, individually and collectively. That way, we will achieve more and be less dissapointed when things don’t happen. Like realising how Mumbai will not become Shanghai. And accepting that even a Delhi can get its act together.

This article first appeared in Business Standard

I Finally Made It To IIM Ahmedabad (A)

2006-12-26T12:01:00.000+05:30

I finally made it to IIM Ahmedabad. Obviously I mean a short visit to the campus. What did you think ? Anyway I always thought the campus was tucked away in some quiet corner, away from the city. I guess it must have been at one time. Now, the town of Ahmedabad has pretty much wrapped itself around the institution, honking cars, dusty roads et al. Similar to IIT Bombay.

The Louis Kahn brick structure has stature and exudes the quiet grandeur, despite the scores of cracks in the walls and arches that look like they are going to give way any moment. Looking at the arches, I am reminded this is a Government institution. I understand the IIM Calcutta buildings are in worse shape so..

I realize there are actually two campuses, the old brick one whose photographs we see all the time and a new one built in `exposed concrete’ whose photographs we do not see. Not surprisingly because the exposed concrete (the result of thought out architectural strategy and not an accident) will take some time getting used to. After all your first thought is, hey, when are they painting these walls ? A busy road that separates the two campuses but an underground tunnel with a permanent and insightful exhibition of IIM’s history connects the two.

Its A New Course

My colleagues and I are being given the tour by Prashant, a PGPX student and former TCS guy – the one-year MBA programme, which despite whatever else anyone at IIM might say, is pitched directly against the Indian School of Business (ISB). I mean the 1-year-duration part, not necessarily the cut-off age or other factors. Be that as it may, the fact that IIM has responded is worthy. Given its parentage ie.

The one-year course has much higher cut-offs, you have to be at least 27 years old, or roughly seven years of work experience. All this was told to me by Prashant as well by professor of marketing Arvind Sahay who is one of the faculty members overseeing this course. It’s a bit of a pet project for Sahay and I would wish the team all the best.

Sahay is one of the many boyish looking professors who dot the IIM landscape. I met another IIM A professor T T Rammohan Rao (TTR as he is called) in Mumbai recently. My first words to him were, "Oh, I thought you were much older." "I am sorry to dissapoint you," he said with a twinkle in his eye and in a tone that must be trademark sarcasm. Incidentally, a study of Sahay's bio (IIT, IIM, PhD from Austin, U Texas in marketing, Assistant Prof at London Business School) can inspire or depress, depending on where you are in life. I guess I tilt towards the latter !

Job Market Will Set The Tone

Now the big question. How will IIM A’s new course stack up against the Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad ? It’s a tough one. Sahay admits they are a late entrant in this format - the first batch passes out in March 2007 – and there is a while to go. Placements were on as we were walking around the campus and presumably in a month, things will be clearer. Sahay did say a couple of big placement offers had already come in.

From a course perspective, I did get the sense that IIM has tried hard to distinguish itself from ISB– notably its focus on a higher percentage of resident faculty. I also got a sense that the one-year is pretty exhaustive. The students point out that they are working all the time. That is not a comparison with ISB of course, just an observation. I also felt that IIM might have responded better and faster, if only it could.

My gut tells me that ISB might lead in the job market for a year or two more before it becomes a neck n neck battle. If the job market continues to boom, you might see equilibrium achieved even more quickly. I am basing this on the fact that the input in both cases is more or less similar and of a high quality. I have met ISB students and I met some IIM PGPX students – I see no structural differences ! Would be interesting though to hear what everyone else thinks !

Five Tips For Surviving India's Budget Airlines

2006-12-13T12:29:00.000+05:30

For the last few days I have been flying a mixture of high and low cost carriers (though the opposite of low is not high by any stretch) and I feel confident enough to put down a small survival guide. I welcome you to add/subtract to this list. Hopefully we will have a useful Indian budget air travel guide at the end of it !!!

Choose the right Low Cost Carrier (LCC)

I am a great admirer of Capt G R Gopinath but his airline is a no-no as far as I am concerned. I like time-bound arrivals and departures even on holidays and personal visits and Air Deccan has not delivered on this count. I speak from personal and collective experience here.

Actually, Air Deccan (they do fly sectors others do not) is okay if it’s the first flight out in the morning. These are usually on time. But first flights are usually at 5 am or thereabouts. For people like me, that’s last night. Spice Jet and GoAir seem to be doing pretty okay on schedules, from my own experience.

Always ask friends and colleagues about their experiences. Ask only one question. Was it on time or not ? If not, was it the airline’s fault or ATC etc etc. My advice is to use punctuality as the ONLY benchmark in your assessment. The rest does not really matter.

Takeaways

1. Punctuality over everything else
2. Choose the early morning flight if you don't trust the airline to be punctual
3. Visit both travel as well as airline websites
4. My choice of aircraft..Boeings are a little more comfortable and agile than Airbuses

Ticketing And Fares

All airlines have pretty robust ticketing platforms, including Air Deccan. So you can buy your ticket online quite effectively without any hassles. And they do get honoured when you land up at the airport. If there are any problems here, I am not aware of them. Facilities like choosing your seat do not always work. On Spice Jet for instance, I’ve found that the java application does not run all the time.

On fares, remember that Air Deccan is not necessarily the lowest. So, do browse through sites like www.travelguru.com (my friends) or other ones like Makemytrip and cleartrip. They all seem competent.

If you don’t always want to go the internet way, use call centres. They are quite efficient and can take you through the process of choosing ticket, airline, giving you some basic advice and so on. Again, I’ve only used Travel Guru which I am happy with. I am pretty some of the others would be good to.

Tickets are typically emailed to you. Its possible you might get a better deal that what you got on the airline’s website but its not likely to be killer one. The advantage is that you can enquire after special offers, packages and the like. Increasingly, you can book hotels as well. I did so for a personal trip to Hyderabad this time and the hotel was a good budget one and everything went smoothly. I didn't have to pay because I had already given by CC details to Travel Guru.

Travel firms or agencies help when you need tickets in a hurry. Or want to cancel and rebook. I did that once from Bangalore airport if I recall correctly. I cancelled my delayed flight, checked out the best fares that were on offer (for flights in the next two hours) and booked another ticket. All in about three minutes. I then walked over to the airline counter to collect the ticket ! Remember, for all the sophistication on the internet front end, the back end is like any other travel agency !

Takeways

1. Start by scanning the travel websites
2. You could use the travel website/agency to look for deals. You could get good budget hotel deals as well.
3. Call the travel website helpline to work your way around.
4. Always visit the airline website to see if the deals match
5. Credit cards are safe, at least I think so.

Departure

This is the tricky part and can call for considerable mental and physical preparedness. Let me give you an example. I was flying Spice Jet from Delhi to Hyderabad a few days ago. I reached the airport an hour and ten minutes before departure. I spent roughly 20 minutes in the line for baggage screening, 40 minutes in the line (systems were down for 10 apparently) for check-in and another 15 or 20 for security check. Not adding up ? Of course not. The flight took off late, not because of air traffic or fog but airport congestion.

Now,I catch the same Spice Jet flight back from Hyderabad to Delhi the next morning. This time, I spend 2 minutes in line for baggage screening, 1.30 minutes at check-in (there was no one ahead of me) and 3 minutes at security check. Is there a pattern here ? To some extent possibly. Delhi airport is a bloody mess. GMR (the chaps who run the airport) have cleverly segregated low cost from high cost.

Either way, its good to be mentally geared. And its not the time factor only. Be ready to confront bawling babies, stressed out mothers, countless parents scurrying after restless children, family members shouting for each other and minor bruising from baggage trollies as they brush past you.

The good news it that quite likely you will meet a fellow traveler who too is rolling his or her eyes at all of this. So you can strike up a conversation on budget airlines in general and maybe other things of mutual interest in specific. Years of Shaolin Temple training in patience and silence ensure that I am not the first to plung into such conversations. I do go along if approached though.

Takeways

1. Gear up mentally before you leave for the airport. Meditation might help.
2. Reach at least 1.5 hours before. You could reach 1 hour before but be ready to race around like a headless chicken.
3. You could be surprised too, the way I was at Hyderabad.
4. Remember, the LCC terminal will resemble an inter state bus terminal or railway station.
5. Prepare to meet all sorts of folks. Enjoy the experience. Think of it as a microcosm of India etc.
6. And yes, the bus ride to the aircraft will most probably be in a scavenged and retrofitted state transport bus. There will be no aircon and it will wait to fill up, rather than rush off with small batches. Just like the ST buses.

On Board

Actually, this is the easiest part because there is little given or taken. You might be served some bottled water (smallest size)and VERY light snacks like a biscuit. Or maybe you could buy some food. Either way, do NOT go in expecting four-course dinners. I am surprised how many of us still do. Come on, you can’t pay Rs 1 + taxes for a Delhi – Mumbai flight (or wherever) and expect food. Bring your own.

Air Deccan has free seating. Not sure about all. So remember you have to make a run for it. If you have travelled in Mumbai locals as I have, this is the easiest part. Just don't try and jump into the aircraft or out before it reaches the tarmac, as you might into or out of local trains leaving and approaching Churchgate station.

Takeways

1. Carry food, water if you feel like mid-air meals.
2. Do not expect any inflight service, except water.
3. Don't expect flight attendants to rush to you when you jab the button. Not that they do in high cost carriers either.
4. Carry reading material. Mostly, there will be no newspapers. Expect one inflight magazine which should take you roughly 2.5 minutes to complete.

Arrival

Not much to report here. Baggage will take as long as anyone else, though some airlines are faster at baggage extraction and dispersal. In the last two days I have spent roughly one hour waiting at the Delhi and Mumbai airport aprons for a parking bay..yes, I couldn't believe it, but turned out that neither could the pilot - of the Delhi-bound aircraft - who kept expressing shock and surprise !

Takeaways

1. The same ST bus will fetch you
2. Once in the exit terminal, you will mingle with passengers who've just arrived on high cost carriers. Don't know if you will feel good or bad about this
3. Once you step out of the terminal, you will be at the mercy of tough looking taxi drivers, credit card subscription agents and sundry touts. In this, you will be treated on par with your HCC passengers.

Happy Flying..

What's The Difference Between A Mumbai Taxi Driver & India's Leading Hotel Chains ?

2006-12-10T16:45:00.000+05:30

Well, nothing ! I remember every time the local train system conked for some reason the taxi drivers used to drive up their fares. The meter was forgotten. So a Churchgate to Bandra ride which was, lets say, Rs 300 by the meter, suddenly became Rs 600. Stranded passengers wanting to reach home obviously had little choice.

I think of the Mumbai black and yellow taxi cabs when I check into hotels these days, particularly the leading hotel chains in India. As I am right now in Delhi at a `prominent' address. The hotel is nice, as it always has been. Except that the tariffs have been jacked up beyond comprehension. Worse, they are mostly quoted in dollars. Its like the rupee had gone out of fashion. Or the dollar figures make the tariff seem smaller. Incidentally, I recommend you carry smelling salts in case you feel dizzy at the check-in counter. And while checking out.

I have no specific problem with the hoteliers. Since they are in this business to make profit. Except that they switfness with which they've raised rates, almost unapologetically, makes me feel they are behaving like Mumbai's taxi drivers. Yes, yes I know there is no fixed or regulated tariff for hotels.

But It's The Same Product !

But its the same product. The rooms are the same, the linen is identical, the telephones don't work some times, housekeeping often forgets to bring what you asked for and the food, well, is the same. Service, let me tell you, is not top of the line. The difference is you know the customer will return. Where will the guy go ? And yet, you are paying twice as what you did six months ago.

Makes me think this is a good time to buy hotel stocks, since I might benefit from their success if not their product. And yet, I don't find the hotel stocks exactly soaring. I wonder why.

What's Wrong With Bengalooru ?

2006-11-03T13:08:00.000+05:30

Nothing at all. I have no objection to name changes. After all, individuals do it all the time..particularly in Bombay (oops Mumbai) where I stay..remember all those who added alphabets to their name because it was felt to be numerologically beneficial. So, you had Shobhaa and Kiraan and so on. Some of the revised names are downright hilarious. But then who cares, its their choice.

So, do I not have a problem with Bengalooru or is Bengaluru ? Of course I do. And two principal ones. And they are to do with the motivation and cost behind the name change, rather than the name change itself. The first is debated extensively but the second, rarely. Lets talk about motivation first. I would think that regardless of all the political sermonising that accompanies such moves, the motive is very simple - which is to create some connect with a vote bank that is potentially about to drift or already has drifted.

I always have one question when our smart politicians embark on such moves - why now ? Believe me, I am yet to hear an answer that makes logical sense. Its not just Bangalore but Bombay as well. Why was it done when it was done ? I mean, there have been several phases of heightened state-level patriotism over the past few decades in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka. There have been agitations, protests, demonstrations and legal battles. And yet, no one thought of it earlier. Why ?

Bankruptcy Of Ideas

Let me tell you my answer. For one, because earlier, there were greater, more imaginative causes. It might have been the creation of the state itself or a linguistic issue or something more fundamental to do with preservation of historical identity. What is it now ? Well, nothing but a desperate move by a polity that's utterly bankrupt when it comes to causes.

And if you don't have a cause or you are seen not to have done something for your people, what do you do ? Well in India, try and stoke some local fervour by changing the name. Because that way, you can think you've achieved something grand so that you could return to protecting your wayward children as they run amok with their Hummers (or its equivalent in value and attraction) and beat up innocent people.

To dwell on Karnataka in specific, what comes to mind when you think of how local politicians have performed in the last few years. Let me tell you what I can remember. For one, they tried to stymie every major infrastructure project that was on the anvil. Like the Bangalore-Mysore expressway and the new international airport. Then, they focussed their attention on changing legislation to kill the expressway because their ego was hurt or their dirty games were exposed. And finally, they tried to force schools to teach in Kannada.

Show Me One Fundamental Change ?

If there is anything that Karnataka's politicians have done that reflects stellar political leadership and innovative action that has fundamentally changed people's lives for the better, please let me know. Because I really don't know and I can't see. Yes, they did allow Infosys to stay on and not drive them out of the city or descend on Electronic City with bricks and stones. Though, they did succeed in driving N R Narayan Murthy out of Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL).

But I digress. Now, let me come to the second point about cost. Do you know the cost or effort involved in a name change ? Well, I am not sure myself, but let me make some educated guesses. A name change means that every railway station, government office, airport and road will have to go in for a fresh coat of paint or put up a new hoarding.

It means fresh printing of Government stationary and changes in official gazettes, rule books and what have you. Frankly, I don't even know how vast this effort is. All I know is that it is. So we are talking crores of rupees or millions of dollars. And please don't tell me that the coffers of our respective state governments are so full up that these are just niggling expenditures.

BAN Or BEN ?

In addition to the Government spending crores of rupees of public money, thousands of private organisations have to do it as well. Airlines, shops, companies, bus services, newspapers, books and what have you. Think about it, officials sitting in airports spanning from Singapore and Bangkok to London and Frankfurt have to figure out whether the initials BAN will work in the new dispensation or does it now become BEN. In which case, is it clashing with another BEN.

So, while the likes of writer UR Ananthamurthy (a crusader behind the Bangalore name change to whom I bear no disrespect) may be thrilled at the prospect of having achieved a literary and cultural goal, the politicians of Bangalore have proved, yet again, that they are supremely bankrupt when it comes to political goals.

India And India Inc: Tata And Tata-Corus

2006-10-22T19:07:00.000+05:30

The day champagne bottles were popped to mark the success of the $7.6 billion Tata Steel bid for British steel maker Corus, the newspapers also noted, somewhere inside, that the district of Vidarbha in Maharashtra had seen another four farmer suicides. This brought the total to almost 1,000 suicides in about a year's time. In just one region.

Tata-Corus was the largest Indian takeover of a foreign company and will make Tata the fifth largest steel player. We must also be the one of the few countries in the world where poverty, deprivation and debt have conspired to kill people at a rate that would match any war zone. Except that there are no suicide bombers here, there are just suicides.

Increasingly, when I am asked by people about what’s happening in India, I say there are two India’s, India and India Inc. There were always two Indias or maybe more but the other India earlier was just educated, aware and ranged in income levels from the middle class to the affluent. Everyone knew they existed but no one really cared beyond that. We could have been another Latin American country.

What Will Happen to Corus ?

I happened to be in London the day Tata’s bid for Corus became public. I also happened to visiting some journalist-friends at the BBC’s White City offices where BBC World is headquartered. Even as I was sitting in the now fully digital newsroom, the tickers began firing more and more takes on the possible deal. The BBC producers quickly realised that this was now the big story of the day. Not just for the Asia editions but also global bulletins.

Being a journalist from India and all that, they felt I might be able to provide some insights. So, I was asked, first, if this bid was for real. Second, they asked, what would now happen to Corus ? Yes, I said to the first, but I didn’t know what to say to the second question. I mean, no one has ever asked me that one before. Its always been, what will happen to some poor unsuspecting Indian company. Not because of a takeover, because we’ve ensured that we don’t really allow those but because of competition that we’ve fortunately allowed.

So there is India Inc, whose image outside is getting more and more menacing, so to speak. I was in Bavaria, Germany before I visited London and a German journalist friend mentioned how there was concern amongst some workers in local engineering firms particularly after Indian companies (like Bharat Forge, M&M) began snapping up assets here. There was even concern over India’s medical tourism initiatives because German medical practitioners would potentially be hit.

Not Just Bangalored

And I am quite happy for that, more so than perhaps the traditional Bangalored view (I will dwell on this more later) where thanks to flat world and all that, Indian engineers and call center executives began plucking jobs out of cubicles of firms in the western world. That’s worrying but not as much as the spectre of someone coming out of the blue and taking over your company one fine morning, or so I would think. Tata taking over a Corus is not outsourcing. It is sheer might and puts Indian companies on the same platform as any large western or for that matter eastern multinational. This my friends, is not a global delivery model. It is a global model.

And there is India, where farmer suicides continue. Where the chief minister of the state of Maharashtra says 40% of the suicides have nothing to do with debt. So in effect, he is not responsible. Didn’t realize that politicians were only responsible for covering people when they went bankrupt. Else, its clearly your lookout. Why then do we arrest people for trying to commit suicide ? I mean if you are not in debt, than its fine, go ahead.

So, India Inc is taking good care of itself, but what's to happen to India ? Well, in a limited way, I think that steps by private sector giants like Mittal and Reliance in building massive supply chains with giant retail front ends with the farmer at the back will create a better deal for many millions. If nothing else, many farmers will get better prices for their product and they will be encouraged to move beyond being marginal land owners. Nothing that the government is doing or is planning to do in this regard will do, much as I hope it will. I only wish we could have similar initiatives for basic education, sanitation and roads. Unfortunately, as we all know, this is still Government territory.

India And India Inc Converge

Until recently, I always thought that it would be the Government that would prop up India while India Inc got the glory and recognition. Increasingly, I feel that India Inc is the only salvation for India as well, at least when it comes to raising incomes and providing livelihoods to the larger millions. Obviously India Inc does it for a profit. But that’s better than the Government trying to do things and handing out monies to middle men. And doing a pathetic job in any case. You don’t have to go to Vidarbha in central Maharashtra, the roads outside my house are a good enough start.

The best thing is that the Tata Group has known this for decades. Its interesting that Tata Steel, whose expenditure on Corporate Social Reponsibility (CSR) is perhaps the highest amongst all Indian companies and thus a wary pick for stock market analysts has also turned out to be a prowling tiger on the global stage. At least today. And that’s where the interests of India and India Inc have converged, I would think. And will come even closer. I think so. Am sure Mr Tata thinks so as well.

The Veil Debate: The Immigrant View

2006-10-18T08:35:00.000+05:30

The veils debate has come to India, as I write. And it continues to rock Britain, ever since former home secretary Jack Straw set it off two weeks ago (read previous post). Polls in Britain, including one initiated by The Guardian newspaper say that "53% of voters think Mr Straw was right to suggest that the full veil creates a barrier between Muslim women and other people, with only 36% believing he is wrong on the issue."

I started out by saying its somewhat of a non-issue in India, like in many other countries. For the simple reason that unlike Britain, there is no immigrant issue here. Incidentally, the TOI today quotes Islamic scholar Zeenat Shaukat Ali saying "Quran doesn't ask Muslim women to use a veil. It wants them to dress modestly and behave in a dignfied manner." The veil has, Ali says, become a symbol of dignified dressing and its not a form of opression.

Like before, let me focus on the nation-state issue that I raised earlier. Which is really what a state can or should expect from its citizens, particularly immigrant citizens. Maybe there should not be a distinction in that. But my sense is that countries are beginning to distinguish between the two in some ways, at least in defining what they expect from them, for instance Canada saying knowledege of English is a prerequisite.

Do Immigrants Care ?

What I wonder and to an extent worry about is really the motivation behind migration. I also wonder whether most modern day migrants realise what they sign up for. And let me add that Indian immigrants to the west are not an exception here. My question: do immigrants understand the notion of a nation-state or is it only defined by what the emailer below says.

I will connect this with the subject of veils later but my instinctive answer is no..most migrants couldn't really care about the nation-states they adopt. Of course some do and perhaps make their adopted nations proud. The vast majority are in it for the free ride. And that is worrying. I will build on this later, but meanwhile let me quote two mails (presumably genuine) that appeared on the website of Britain's largest newspaper, The Sun.

Mike on The Sun
13/10/2006 14:07:33
Re:Show your face!

To right they should, it makes my blood boil all this fuss over the Muslim faith. If they want to live here then abide by British way of life, after all if any British citizen was to go and live in a Muslim country they have to abide by the Muslim way of life. And never mind all this multi cultural society clap trap they are just politician's words for i dont want to ignite a debate in case it back fires on me. But i say well done Mr Straw for being honest if only Blair and his i am OK jack sod everyone else cronies were as honest. there are only 3 things that attracts people to this country and that is 1.health service, 2.council property, and 3. State benefit.

wiseman
14/10/2006 00:59:58
Re:Show your face!

I would just like to state, the last I checked this is a free country whereby where Muslims have integrated with what every colour of human you like and successfully co-exist with each and other British Citizen. Including freedom of speech and freedom to where what ya like and do what ya do best so long as you do not breach the law.

Please can somebody point out.. Is it against the law to where a Veil?????

Didnt think so... All the same I aint saying that there should be either, A muslim lady wears a veil based upon here dedication level of her faith to safe guard rapist as such who find it in their minds to screw what they choose a disgusting matter of which we all would condemn full stop.. BUT if he cant see ya face wey hey atleast he aint getting any fresh ideas.. What Ya rkon..

Mr Straw, I personally think is quite intelligent, but as they say donkeys are stupid, but Mr Straw aint a donkey, but has clearly demonstrated that he can walk on all fours... Clever lad.. but credit to the man he has caused a nationwide fiasco.. and given those idiotic extremists an excuse to jump on.. No wonder the security of this country is in a shambles they put the wood on the fire then complain when the water runs out... British politics... Just another b movie..

I Muslims lady in a veil, is a Muslim lady in a veil a standard human being, an affectionists, a patrion to her country and her religion, neither is shew forced or expected to where a veil but wheres on her own free will to further confirm her faith and beliefs..

Besides I do not feel that to understand ones feeling really requires the view of a face. If you really are caring and passionate god gave us understanding and feeling of words that mean heavily in sudden sentences, the great english dictionary and language further supports my point.

I am a Muslim totally integrated in to the british society, my occupation employs and invests in all colours of human regardless to race or what they wear i respect their beliefs and there religion and watever else they need from me as this means integration..

Get over it people.. wats the point of a debate when all it is gonna create is bad feeling in the general public nationwide and further disturbance to whats left of the peace and harmony our fore fathers have left us with..

I am a British Muslim, proud to be British and proud to be a Muslim, if ever I was asked to choose between my nation from my relegion I would end up in a phsyco ward as i just cudnt just they are both dear to me.. but if push came to shove.. then i am glad to say the British justice system still caters for all walks of life..

Take care all.. and just relax.. we are not the enemies and neither are you, we all in one boat but if we dont paddle together we gonna sink.. lets not let that happen..

All the best..

Should (Muslim) Women Wear Veils ?

2006-10-08T21:29:00.000+05:30

Its quite amazing when you think of it..walking or driving around East London, where I am staying currently, I see far more veiled women than I see in Mumbai or Delhi or any Indian city. Which is not to say they are not there. Its just that in my travels in India, I do encounter burkha clad women but rarely veiled women and that too fully veiled ones at that.

Former British home secretary Jack Straw has kicked up a blazing debate in Britain by saying Muslim women should consider dropping their veils in order to communicate better and foster community relations. He expressed this in an article in a local newspaper The Lancashire Telegraph where he said he felt uncomfortable speaking to veiled visitors to his constituency in Blackburn.

A day later (two days ago) he did something unusual for politicians (at least considering where I come from) reacting to a backlash – he stood by his statements. Then, he went on to say he would prefer it if Muslim women never covered up. When asked if he would rather the veils be discarded completely. “Yes, It needs to be made clear I am not talking about being prescriptive but, with all the caveats, yes, I would rather.”

Muslims Split Too

In the same article Straw said a meeting with a veiled woman had made him consider the apparent incongruity between her entirely English accent and UK education and the wearing of the veil. “It was not the first time I had conducted an interview with someone in a full veil, but this particular encounter, though very polite and respectful on both sides, got me thinking,” he wrote.

Interestingly, the issue has split Muslims in Britain as well. Groups like the Lancashire Council of Mosques have attacked him, others like Dr Daud Abdullah of the Muslim Council of Britain said he understood Straw’s views. “The veil does cause some discomfort to non-Muslims. One can understand this,” he said, adding Muslim opinion was divided on the veil (Evening Standard).

Prime minister of Britain Tony Blair, the Bishop of London and Jemima Khan have backed Straw’s right to comment on the matter. While the PM has not said anything further, Khan (a convert) has said there is nothing in the Koran which says covering the face is mandatory.

A Question of Identity

The issue as everyone know is larger. Its about integration. Britain clearly feels that millions of immigrants later, there is not a cohesive British identity, rather one of split identities. The fact that radicalized Islam has reached out to some young British Muslims too causes concern. Another raging debate here is whether universities are being used as recruiting grounds by such groups. There is a report out on the issue.

Am personally quite fascinated by this subject, not as much as the impact of radical Islam (though I’ve been doing some reading on its origins) but the very concept of a nation-state and its collective identity. Jack Straw may be right or wrong in his views but I would support his asking whether certain cultural practices go against the grain of his nation-state.

I would support similar questioning in India as well –not on veils since I don’t see it as an issue. Nor is it in other countries including apparently America. That's also to do with the nature of immigration I guess, of the kind permitted into the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Or the kind of people and when they came in.

Problems For The Future ?

My sense is that more and more countries are going to question their policies of free-for-all immigration and assimilation, often driven by economic necessity, on social grounds. It seems to me that the social price (tension between communities) to pay for relentless opening up of a country is not going to be offset by economic gains. This is a problem that will occupy the liberal politicians of the west in days to come. I wish to initiate some debates on this as well.

I do wonder at this point whether:

a) Do nations have a right to determine what their citizens wear ? Where does that definition stop or should it stop ?
b) Does the wearing of a veil by (mostly Muslim) women go against the grain of the society of they live in ?
c) Who decides, particularly in a democracy where a veiled UK citizen has as many rights as a non-veiled one !

The answers will be interesting and varied and may have ramifications on our own multicultural society and elements within in that may `break’ out or have a distinct identity.

A Challenge To BMW !

2006-10-06T19:13:00.000+05:30

After two extremely trying encounters with the British Airports Authority, which saw me compete for The Great Healthrow Terminal Marathon and British Airways who told me on arrival at Munich that my only checked-in baggage with all its toiletries and clothes had been misplaced, I stepped out into the concourse into the bright sunshine.

My troubles seemed to melt away as my eyes fell upon the BMW 7 series, extended, waiting to ferry, lo and behold, me to the Bavarian countryside. I strapped myself into the front passenger’s seat and began admiring the console. Having sat in aircraft cockpits, the experience was not wholly new. The young driver, a half Greek, half-German student studying medicine in Munich, was my guide and host for the next hour and a half.

The BMW 7 series is no ordinary car, but you possibly know that. I learnt quickly that I could hit the rotary dial located where the gear shift usually is, call up the menu on the screen placed on the dashboard and, among other things, fiddle with the suspension settings. “Will it be soft or sporty ?” asked the young driver. I chose soft and tweaked the electric switches to become even more comfortable.

No Limits Here

Autobahns don’t have speed limits right, I asked ? No, he said. I can go faster but we usually don’t. I looked like I rode autobahns for a living. I mean, we can go fast, but I don’t know if you would be okay, he said, adding insult to injury. Go ahead, I waved my hands. At which point, he dabbed the accelerator I think. I say I think because I didn't feel anything, but the speedometer leapt from 140 kmph to over 210 kmph.

I don’t know if it was the G-Forces or the fact that we were suddenly rocketing ahead of the seemingly crawling traffic but my heart skipped a beat. The young man seemed to have sensed some tremors on the passenger seat so he slowed down, to a sedate 160 kmph. I pretended to look at the GPS reader very carefully. "Aren't we in the same direction as Salzburg," I asked.

The highway was packed with trailers, heading towards Munich. Viktor, the driver, pointed out that the trailers were mostly Italians wanting to have a go at the Oktoberfest, presently on in full gusto in the city. Much as I wanted to, I never did make it there. Though I did see the lights of the fest from a distance in a tall building in Munich.

The Ultimate Suspension Challenge

While autobahns don’t have speed limits, recognize that you can rarely go over 180 kmph, such are traffic conditions at least on the arterial highways. The inner roads have speed limits. While the 7 Series comes with a host of other features, best left to automotive journalists to describe, I think the part I liked best was the suspension.

In fact, the Indian in me already wants to throw a challenge to BMW engineers. First, for the Indian versions (not 7 series), they should add a option called Bombay Roads, in addition to soft, sport etc. And promise that this will be the ultimate spine protector anywhere in the world. Think about it, its the automobile engineering challenge after, maybe, cars that run on water ! And I guarantee people will line up outside the dealerships.

To Fight Terror, First Stop Getting Terrorised

2006-10-01T22:04:00.000+05:30

By his own admission, UBL got some 2,500 innocent citizens killed in the bombings of 9/11, including of the World Trade Centre twin towers. America knew he was coming for them, but did not know how, where and precisely when. We seem to have a better understanding of all of that today, except maybe when. And yet, our lives have not got simpler, just more painfully difficult. Let me narrate an incident that's still fresh in my mind.

Between last night and this morning, I spent approximately two hours at security lines between Mumbai (Bombay) international airport and London Heathrow airport. If you think security in India is tight, you’ve got to see this and what it can do. It took me two hours to transfer from one terminal to another and I made it to my connecting flight to Munich with five minutes to spare. The only reason I was accepted is my luggage was on board.

Fifteen other passengers were not so lucky. Their baggage was offloaded as we sat in the aircraft. Like me, they all had confirmed tickets and someone waiting for them at Munich. And it was not their fault they were late. “We will put them on the next service,” the captain of the British Airways flight announced cheerfully. I am sure they did not similarly when they landed at the gate.

Banking On Averages

I arrived in Munich almost three hours later (the flight was an hour late) to discover BA had misplaced my only suitcase. The amazing thing was there was a Lost Baggage counter right next to the baggage carrousel. I’ve never seen one so close and so strategically located. Its like every airline that arrives at Munich usually forgets a few pieces of luggage behind. Not surprisingly, our half-full Airbus A320 had seven or eight people standing for lost luggage.

That’s still not the issue. Baggage gets lost I guess. Actually this is the first time its happened to me. So from a law of averages perspective, Im doing okay. The BA lady at Munich was pleasant and helpful. She ran my numbers through the computer and said the baggage would arrive in a few hours. She promised to deliver it to the hotel by late evening, despite it being 150 km away in a Bavarian village.

So what’s my grouse ? Its like this. I usually carry my toiletries in my hand baggage, along with my laptop and other electronics. Thanks to this heightened state of alert where toothpastes and shaving creams are seen as explosive material or triggers for the same, every bit of toiletry has to be thrown out. I thought I would use the small toothbrush and toothpaste that BA gave me on the first leg at Heathrow.

The Fear Of Terror

No way. I was running all the time, or standing in lines. The last line was the security check to enter Terminal 1 where I had to chuck the little tootpaste and toothbrush into a huge bin. What I thought was a 45-minute process of transferring between terminals took two hours, resulting in the last minute dash into the connecting flight. So, here I am in Munich, with no extra clothes and no toiletries. And no time to brush my teeth !

And that's my point. Terrorism or the fear of it has made us alert and aware of a whole new world out there. Its put on us guard. That is very good. I know why the United Kingdom is on high alert but now its getting a little ridiculous. Even Indian airports are following the same security rules whether or not the threat perception is the same. Fear obviously spreads faster than anything else. And Im not saying this because I had to run around for tootpaste and shaving cream.

Some of my fellow delegates from India told me they had vowed not to transit through Heathrow till things settled down. Guess I should have been a little smarter about this. But then that's precisely the point. We can’t get so scared that we make our own lives so miserable and difficult. Or keep configuring and reconfiguring our existence because of some madman sitting in a cave and plotting the world's end.

India's Feudal Politicians - II

2006-09-24T14:10:00.000+05:30

In July 2000, a boy was discovered by Scotland Yard in a `drunk and incapableÂ state at Leicester Square, the heart of London's West End. If you've been to Leicester Square as I have, particularly on Friday night, the most likely state you will find anyone is drunk and incapable ! That's one good way to put your worries behind and have a jolly good time, I would think.

Anyway, this boy seemed in bad shape, "lying on the ground, clearly ill," and he had been vomiting. An ambulance was called and medics determined that he did not need hospitalization. He was then hauled off to Charing Cross police station, not too far off. When questioned, Euan John, as he called himself, gave an old address and a date of birth which made him appear over 18 years of age.

Here is another London story. William Straw, all of 17, was caught by the police after he tried to sell $17 worth of cannabis to a lady reporter who was apparently following up on a tip she had received concerning the young man's activities. At some point, the story made it to the news, though not in the manner it was planned.

No prizes for guessing, both these adventurous boys are sons of powerful British politicians. Before we come to what happened to them, lets see what would have happened in India, were similar incidents to occur. Take the first case. Well, you would not even know about it because chances are that the affair would have been suppressed right there.

The second would have been tougher, but rest assured the reporter would have been in jail. Actually that happened in Britain as well, for possession of cannabis. But more on that later. Not quite here. Not only would the reporter be in jail, a private secretary to the politician concerned would have issued a statement saying, "Politicians or their wards cannot be exposed to sting operations."

Fix The Witnesses

Next day, there would have been a hue and cry in parliament asking for the heads of the reporter concerned and maybe the publisher or owner of the media house as well. Surprised ? Well, let me assure you this has already happened not once but many times over in recent years. And the beauty is that this behavior inevitably cuts across party lines.

What would have happened to the legal case, if any ? Well nothing. Witnesses would have either been bought out, threatened or hounded out. The chief inspector of the police station in question would have been transferred, ideally by next morning. The constable who effected the arrest would have been hiding in his house, or looking for another job. All the while fearing for his and his familiy's safety.

So, by the time the matter reached the courts, if it did, all would have been resolved, under the table or over. Else, it would have been put behind as a little prank the boys played. Maharashtra state revenue minister Narayan Rane usually does that when his sons go out of control in their locality in Mumbai (Bombay), which until recently was the same as mine. Click on this link if you donÂt believe me. But then, I don't know who one should fear more, the father or the sons, or the trio.

Back In London

Lets return to the cooler climes of London. The first case involved Euan Blair, son of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. As per law, the boy's parents were summoned to the police station. They didn't go to Charing Cross, but Kennington, to avoid the media onslaught. So that was one concession. According to reports, the parents and son were there for 30 minutes while, among other things, Euan was reprimanded severely by the inspector in charge.

Downing Street later stressed that ÂMr Blair and his wife Cherie acted as `appropriate adults' at the police station when police would have spelled out `in ordinary language' to Euan the full consequences of his punishment. So, the prime minister and his wife had no choice but to behave like normal parents and pay the price for their son's excesses. Obviously, the media had a field day all through.

In the second case, Jack Straw was forced to do something similar. Actually, I read the account as published by then Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan in his book The Insider (an amazing read actually). In the book, Morgan describes how the Mirror was first tipped off that William Straw was into the drugs scene at a pub near the family's London home in Clapham.

A Drug Deal That Blew Up

Morgan says he sent two of his top investigative reporters, Dawn Alford and Tanith Carey to take a look, undercover. After getting a little friendly at the pub, Alford ended up buying the cannabis from William. Now comes the fascinating bit and do bear with me as I narrate from the book, a copy of which I have. Even as Morgan and his team debated what to do with the information they brought back, Alford got a call from William Straw's pub mate to say there was another big party the coming Saturday night and there would be `plenty of drugs'.

At this point Morgan says his team debated the matter. The decision, arrived in consultation with legal help, was not to run an expose because the boy was a minor. However, since the law was likely to be broken again and since the father of the son was the home secretary, they would call the father and alert him. Morgan called up Straw and in a conversation mentioned that the latter's son had been caught selling drugs.

Morgan says Straw called him back the next day and said his son had confirmed that he had indeed sold drugs. "We are still talking over it as a family and I will let you know if we will be saying something," said Straw to Daily Mirror's Morgan. At this point Morgan's interest was the putting the story out and ensuring no one else did it first. He hung up after eliciting a promise from Straw that the Mirror would like to know first.

Boils Down To Functioning Democracy

The next day Morgan ran into a government functionary who revealed that Straw had visited the local police station the previous day and reported the event. Straw apparently concluded that a crime had been committed and as Home Secretary, he had no choice but to report it. Dawn Alford, the reporter who bought the cannabis from William, went to the police station to give a statement and was arrested. Later, she was released on bail.

The press went to town with it, without naming Jack Straw because the law prevented the naming of the minor. In the headlines, he was "a Cabinet Minister" whose son had been trapped in a drug deal. The media, not surprisingly, was on the issue for several weeks. As it happened, despite an injunction and gag orders, all the names eventually made it into public domain.

Several things emerge from this. For one, democracy works better in Britain than it does in India. Of this, I am pretty clear about. Particularly since I have interacted with British politicians and seen the system at work. Which is not to say the British system does not have its problems or scandals. Of course it does. And there are no dearth of scoundrels either.

Moral Of The Story ?

The point is that for whatever reason, strategic, political, opportunistic or plain common sensical, both politicians did the right thing. Which is to co-operate with the law and not subvert it. British media did allege that there was favourable treatment in both cases. And there may have been. Intrerestingly, both politicians were on the backfoot trying to defend their respective positions. And not on the attack saying, "If I don't get privileged treatment, who will ?"

The moral of this long story is that our political class operates differently. They are two sets of rules, for the rulers and the ruled. I am not saying this applies to all politicians but surely a few who can make life difficult for you and me. I shudder to think what would happen if my car were to accidentally cross a Narayan Rane family member. I would expect that my being a `media person' may help, but god knows how and when.

What would have happened if the BJP were in power, Pramod Mahajan alive and his son Rahul Mahajan found drunk and drugged with his secretary lying comatose next to him. Well, you know what happened without the BJP being in power and the father no more. Forget the legal complicity, remember the bit about the `poor' 31-year-old boy making a mistake.

And then, what's changed is really the media, particularly the 24/7 variety. Think about it. That's the only thing that might make the likes of Deshmukh, Rane and the countless other feudal politicians ruling this country think twice before they let their wrath loose on their subjects.

Thank you to all of you for sharing your thoughts on a subject I feel strongly about as well - this is a sequel to the previous post on our arrogant and feudal politicians. Instead of responding individually as I would have liked to, I thought I would put down the next instalment in this train of thought..

Our Incredibly Arrogant And Feudal Politicians

2006-09-17T09:55:00.000+05:30

You haven't heard of Leeladhar Borikar, nor had I until two days ago. He is a Superintending Engineer at the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) in Nagpur. He is in the news because he dared snip off the power connection to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's official residence in Nagpur. Why ? Because the CM's department forgot to pay up some Rs 1.5 lakh worth of dues.

You might have heard of Yakoob Qureshi, the Uttar Pradesh minister for Haj (imagine, you can have a minister for the Haj when maybe a good travel agent would do) who put a price on the head of the Dutch cartoonist for his drawings of the Prophet. Well, he is in the news again, this time for threatening to kill (yes kill unless there is dire misreporting here) Indian Railway officials for catching him while traveling ticketless on a train to Lucknow. To compund matters, the railway officials made him pay a fine of Rs 14,000.

What's common to both cases ? Both incidents took place in the last few days. And both smack of incredible arrogance and utter shamelessness. On the part of politicians, bureaucrats and their collective ilk. In both cases, the persons concerned or their side kicks (of which they are always so many) were furious that they were hauled up by a government authority. And both reacted in a manner that can only be termed feudal.

"I Will Get Your Whole Family Killed"

In the Nagpur power cut case, `Senior IAS officer' Jayraj Phatak, labelled as a Government spokesman, went on to say that position of Chief Minister called for special treatment. "It (the treatment) cannot be the same for the tehsil office and the CM". So, the action of suspending Borikar was justified.

The Haj minister went a step further. "Tumko jaan pyari nahi hai kya. Poorey parivaar ko jaan se marva daloonga...pata bhi nahi chalega." Yes, the translation of this reported utterance, "Are you not afraid for your life ? I will get your whole family killed. You won't even know." Given the methods used to settle differences of opinion in some parts of our great country, I am inclined to believe the Haj minister may well have intended to carry out his threat.

Deshmukh whose boundless administrative incompetence needs no introduction, responded as any infuriated politician and feudal lord would. He ordered a `thorough' investigation into the cutting off electric supply and as to why the Public Works Department (PWD) did not pay the bills, though apparently it had adequate provisions for the same. Possible, but Mr Deshmukh, when did you last speak to your state finance minister. Last I did, your state government's debt stood at Rs 100,000 crore ($22 bn) and rising. Despite all the announced, fresh investment intentions.

"Don't You Know Who I Am ?"

While he tries to do that, I would like to know the result of the thorough investigations that his Government has conducted into:

1. The July 26 floods in Mumbai and the Mithi river disaster. And what is the status report on work done ?
2. The Vidharbha starvation deaths which show no sign of stopping.
3. The Mumbai bomb blasts two months ago. What has changed in law and order staffing and structure that can make me the citizen feel more safe ?
4. State of Mumbai itself. Even something as simple as potholes cant be fixed.

Would like to add to the list but really would not want to strain our overburdened administrations. Moving on, Qureshi apparently asked the Ticket Collectors (TCs) how dare they enter his compartment and ask for a ticket ? And then the immortal line, "Don't you know who I am ?" Qureshi did have some form of documentation, but predictably, not in order. One was a fax copy of a ticket for two people from Hapur to Lucknow and the other a ministerial requisition form - neither were valid travel documents.

There is nothing new in what either minister did. Just that the brazenness with they flout every basic tenet of behaviour expected of an elected representative baffles me. And this is despite a hungry media, a more open society et al. And as always, we have an amazing knack of being straddled with wannabe fedual lords for politicians. For whom democracy is a joke and their reign in political power, an extension of their fedual reigns in their ghettos, hamlets or villages or wherever they come from. And the unfortunate truth is that we allow them to rule over us.

Owning Up A Mistake

A good politician, gentleman and a good citizen would have owned up a mistake immediately and paid up. Or, if he or his department was bankrupt, would have requested a small moratorium. And demonstrated to the citizenry that he was indeed serious about this apology, serious about not commiting this offence again and how he would cut back on costs. It would have been a great opportunity to show some basic courtesy and decency if nothing else. And maybe got some votes.

Obviously, such phrases or actions are alien to our fine politicians and their men who did what comes best to them. Cajole and threaten. So, Deshmukh's men suspended the righteous engineer and Qureshi warned that blood would be shed if the Railway officials persisted in doing their job. After all, the honour of a politician lies above all laws of the land and blood of its citizens.

The good news it there was a huge outcry and Borikar has been reinstated. The technical line is that the suspension did not follow the normal procedure. Which means Borikar has difficult days ahead. Deshmukh and/or his cohorts will not rest till they have run him and his family to the ground.

I am pretty sure both he and the Haj minister, or their loyal followers, will set out to finish off these `ordinary' citizens and `public servants' who came in their way - and tried to do their job. Not knowing their job is only to catch people like you and me. Not them, particularly whilst in power. Unless of course you and I can help it. And take these guys on where we can.

A Nation Of Potholes

2006-09-13T18:52:00.000+05:30

A few years ago, this was touted as the new dream road, a toast to West Bengal and Kolkata's (Calcutta) future. The New Town/Rajarhat road which leads from Salt Lake to the airport was as smooth as silk. I remember racing towards the airport at a 130 kmph and wondering how Kolkata had changed so much. This road strikes out from the city and heads out into open fields, now earmarked for IT parks and the like.

Construction is on but the road is in shambles, as I discovered last week. After getting thrown around like a doll for some distance, we were mercifully transferred to the other lane. So, most of this once gleaming road has been closed off, for pothole covering work. The ride into the city after clearing Salt Lake was not much better. But than who ever expected Kolkata to have good roads. So on we went, bumping along, negotiating potholes and tram tracks till we reached Alipore.

Last month I drove to Pune. This is an uplilfting experience since there are very few moments you are actually seated. For the roughly 50 km run from Mumbai to Khargar, its like flying over the lunar surface. Then you touch the Mumbai-Pune expressway which is obviously a dream. And then, its the last 25 km into Pune city. I thought roads could not get worse than this. Actually, they don't...because they are not roads any more..its very simple, just a change in nomenclature. What I thought was the Aundh road turned out to be a dirt track most of the way.

A National State Of Mind

I am not even talking about Mumbai roads because there is nothing to talk about them, except perhaps gaze in utter amazement and initiate scientific studies on how mankind could create something so beautifully random. Or contemplate how this randomness can actually be used as a weapon of mass destruction.

Imagine, if you let our road contractors loose in Baghdad, then Bush would have been saved a lot of money in Iraq and misery at home. Every Baghdadi would have had spinal failure by now. I mean, I have nothing against Iraq specifically, but lets say we wanted to invade someone. Think about it..now outsource from India..Strategic Pothole Disability Weapons (SPDW). Incidentally some Iraqi roads are the world's best even now - a friend did a Amman-Baghdad run, more than 1,000 km in 8 hours last year !

Potholes are a national problem. And they reflect a national state of mind. One of the ultimate Indian disregard for workmanship, the supreme chalta hai way of life. The quality of products and services put out by India's private sector have improved dramatically over years. So have those served by the once moribund public sector. Though not to the same extent. But when it comes to roads, we are treated to the same standards that applied when governance and controls were at their worst and apathy highest..maybe the seventies or eighties or both. Tackling this is going to be one mighty challenge.

The Last Big Hurdle

I always wonder, as I negotiate the roughly 300 or 400 potholes, bumps and uneven roads that I do in Mumbai, everyday - what makes these guys do such shoddy jobs ? Are they blind ? Can they see, feel, experience, or are they bereft of some of the senses which you and I are thankfully or perhaps not so thankfully blessed with ? Yesterday, I wondered if I could somehow unhook my spinal cord and place it in some cyrogenic freezer, to be retrieved at a later date.

And do our civic authorities and officials not experience these terrible roads themselves ? Do they know not what a basic evenly laid out road is ? Did they study geometry in school ? Or is schooling not a prerequisite to bag contracts with Mumbai's BMC or whoever the giver of contracts in your city is. I am pretty sure not. I have questions but no answers.

I do know that our central and state government services are the last biggest hurdle we have to cross, if we are to aspire for anything that resembles a decent quality of life. And they will kill you for even trying..as they put me to slow death everyday. Till then, suffer along !

Wanted: More Wiki India Concepts..

2006-09-07T18:39:00.000+05:30

Some time ago I had written about how Wikimapia was a huge benefit in a country like India where we had little or no mapping of relevance. Particularly the kind of digital and satellite maps you can zoom in and out of many parts of the world.

I don’t know about everyone else but many friends and colleagues at work have found the concept and its utility fascinating. Considering you can identify and mark your home or area out on the map, wherever in the world. A friend who lives in north Mumbai’s Yari Road area found that his neighbour’s teenage daughter had already imprinted her name on his building. And just six families live there.

A colleague from work told me how the satellite picture of his village near Ratnagiri on the south western coast of India was taken exactly 1 year and 8 months ago (or some thing as precise). How, by looking at some construction activity which had just begun there.

A Wiki Project on Bribes !

The Economist in its latest issue talks about the Wiki principle in some detail. I also learn from the same article that “the word “wiki” comes from the Hawaiian word for “quick”, but also stands for “what I know is…. Wikis are thus the purest form of participatory creativity and intellectual sharing..” The same issue of The Economist carries an extensive survey on how newspapers’ very existence is at question.

Everyone is aware of collaborative experiences like Wikipedia, an online encyclopaedia now believed to be several times larger than the Encyclopaedia Britannica. And expanding every day.

It strikes me that we should look to create more Wiki concepts like Wikimapia. Except that it could be dedicated to India or specific, information-starved areas within India. For instance, a Wiki project on government departments that accept or demand bribes with details of who, when and in what circumstances. Of course its prone to misuse. But so are so many things. Though experience suggest collaborative projects have a tendency to self-correct over time.

Right To Information Magnified !

Or a Wiki concept on the number of times your local MLA has actually done some work..or even your local usually lazy corporator. Or the last time the roads were paved and with what. You can even link with Wikimapia’s satellite images. To create a richer experience. Obviously this is your version of events but like I said before, it will self-correct. Think about it, its like a Right To Information Act concept magnified several times. But I sense it could work. Am sure you can think of more such Wiki concepts !

Behave Yourself, You Are On An Aircraft

2006-08-24T08:28:00.000+05:30

A few years ago, I was on a KLM flight from Delhi to Amsterdam's Schipol airport, my destination as well. The plane took off at 6 or 7 am in the morning. It had been a tiring night, leaving the hotel at 3 am or some such hour and then dragging oneself to the Indira Gandhi International.

Not so for many of my co-passengers and country men as I discovered. Barely had we lifted off, some of them began walking up and down and loudly greeting their friends sitting elsewhere, like the take-off had been something to celebrate. Next, the purser was summoned and alchohol was requested for. The purser declined saying service would start a little later.

They waited for a little longer and then dispersed. I found out where a little later when I took a walk to the lavatory in the rear. A group of 10 or so men had collected and were imbibing fine scotch, or so it looked like. "Some whiskey for you ?" one of them asked me in a tone that was more a suggestion than a offer. I declined and requested to be allowed to pass. The `whishkey' was offered once more, till another, presumably more considerate, member of the group raised a `cheers' to me and moved his friend out of the way.

Their Idea Of Fun

For the next couple of hours, the pursers and air hostesses were constantly badgered for alchohol and accompaniments. When the purser put his foot down, they would cosy up to him, put an arm around his shoulder and wink.."Come on yaar, just one drink for us." The audio levels of the conversation at the rear steadily rose. By the end, it could have well been a Sunday morning bazaar.

The young men were having fun, the rest of the aircraft was not. There was a strained silence all across. Most passengers, particularly some younger women, looked extremely stressed. Like me, everyone was hoping these guys would not do something stupid. And not knowing what would happen if they did.

This was a few years before 9/11. No one had used aircraft as instruments of destruction so the fear was limited. People on my flight were worried about a law and order problem. They were not worried about any terrorist problem. At least I don't think so. Fortunately, nothing happened and the exuberant gathering soon dispersed, fully satiated and settled down to sleep.

Decorum On An Aircraft

I am pretty sure this sort of behaviour would have caused equal consternation today. With a difference. Some of the actions and defiance could be interpreted as terrorist behavious. Or someone with a design to do serious damage, either to the aircraft, the people or a third target.

The problem is many people fly for the first time. Understanding decorum and behaviour on aircraft (or for that matter buses and trains) is not something that comes naturally. No one teaches it to you. Perhaps its time that we did. Notices at international airports (I noticed them in the US I think) already warn you against making any statement about a bomb in your baggage..jocularly.

Some not so frequent fliers might think its fun to run around the aircraft, brandishing cell phones and the like. Some of us who grow up don't do so respecting authority. After all, this is something you do as a kid, not as an adult. We also assume authority everywhere to react the same way our local `pandu' does - a fiver and he's on his way. It struck me that the young men who boarded the KLM at Delhi were treating the purser like they would a local constable or some minor government official.

No More Mid-Air Antics

Well, don't expect airline staff or marshals on board to think similarly. And not just on international but aircraft flying domestic skies as well. Not any more. The world has changed, mid-air antics will not be tolerated. And you better understand that. Airlines need to to their bit to tell passengers in no uncertain terms that funny behaviour will not be tolerated. For their own good. Its not tough to do it.
The guys on my KLM flight to Amsterdam got away luckily. Personally, I would have liked to see them taught a lesson. Maybe a small one, but one nevertheless.

Air India & The Fine Art of Airline Upgrades

2006-08-21T13:42:00.000+05:30

Three days ago a Bollywood actor and her friend had a flaming row with Air India counter staff after the latter allegedly denied the friend an upgrade. Getting upgrades on airlines is an art, though with Air India, it could be argued that its a science as well. I've been lucky on a couple of ocassions on international carriers, where profile and the right VIP associations are not necessary preconditions for upgrades.

What I mean is its been plain luck. Mostly, its been a surprise at the boarding gate, where my stub has been taken, a new seat number written on and handed back. But I've always wondered whether its an easy thing to ask for, leave alone fight for. Am not saying the young ladies in question demanded they be upgraded or else..aviation minister Praful Patel would be summoned to set things right, as some newspapers reported.

Air India's own reasoning for offering the upgrade was apparently that the actor had commercial importance and hence was upgraded. For a change, I can't argue with that one. Though Air India could fly all the Bollywood actors it wants and it couldn't save themselves from plunging into losses this year. Or for that matter the next, if it remains the way it is.

The Art Of Getting Upgrades

The fact is that many passengers have mastered the art of getting upgrades. Many plan it long before the actual flight takes place. To that extent the Bollywood actor in question hasn't figured life out completely. Most passengers, having secured an upgrade for free or at an remarkably lower cost, boast about the feat endlessly. I recall doing it a few times myself. After all, why woudn't you talk about the equivalent of hitting a mid-air jackpot ?

A young lady recently gave me a long lecture on how airline miles should be accumulated for free tickets and upgrades. She said it was utter foolishness not to take advantage of such facilities. I've been a little more careful since then. But as it happens, after that lecture, I have not flown that much.

Ive seen people asking for upgrades at counters. And mostly nicely. Not saying I will call so and so and get you fixed if you don't give it to me. These are the most decent chaps. They want the luxury of business class travel, can't afford it but don't mind asking. The not so decent ones are those who've obviously fixed it before arriving at the airport. And I don't mean by sending a requisition form to the airline concerned.

Till Death Do Us Apart

Being a Government-owned entity in India is not an easy thing. Which is why Air India typically faces the worst of it. Not to say that the airline itself is not at fault. I've stood in business class lines (paid for) where most of the people before and after me were employees or relatives of employees travelling on free tickets. And wanting further upgrades and adjustments.

Once I noticed an oldish couple showing American passports and collecting boarding cards. This followed a long, painful and totally pointless discussion with the counter staff where they bargained like they were buying fish at the Bandra (in Mumbai) fish market. They were either employees or relatives. But it amazed me that you could actually be a citizen of another country and still claim benefits from a state-owned airline !

I would love to write more on Air India, an airline I vowed not to fly even if I die - translated, even my coffin (were I to cop it on international soil) would not be brought back on this airline. But that's for another day.

India-China, Do We Suffer From The Burden Of The Past ?

2006-08-12T12:42:00.000+05:30

Try this for irony. Prime minister Manmohan Singh says Mumbai must emulate Shanghai. At the same time, his defence ministry prepares to bomb the city ! It is perhaps in the nature of defence reporting that coverage of the not so successful Agni III missile launch included casual references to its capability of hitting "high value targets" in China, notably Beijing and Shanghai.

The casual references were unfortunately followed (independently or otherwise) by not so casual actions. Chinese companies - note that it is not all foreign companies – were denied entry into the ports sector. Investment proposals from Chinese companies such as ZTE Telecom (trading arm), Huawei (manufacturing) have been rejected, on `security' considerations, which are not altogether very clear.

Putting aside the sectoral sensitivities, broadly, the polity is divided in two camps. Hawks who see China as a permanent threat and others who see it as an economic ally or better, an example to emulate. Its a somewhat unusual extreme. Yet the positions are clear. What is not so clear to me, a younger Indian, is why China is perceived as a specific threat ? And what defines this threat today ?

Legitimate Concerns

Yes, there have been legitimate concerns. For instance, the nuclear arming of Pakistan in the 1980s and the `encouraging' of separatist movements in the north east in the 60s and 70s. Though these events are more than two decades behind.

So, is China a threat because of a burden of memory on those who were at the receiving end of a distant event (the 1962 border war) in history. Then all the more reason to debate or address some of the issues raised above. Because in not doing so, we are perpetrating a slow brainwash of this generation as well.

How ? By possibly extrapolating Mao Zedong's aggressive world view on to his clearly pragmatic successors three decades later. It was Mao who said "the time had come to teach that representative (Nehru) of the reactionary national bourgeoisie a lesson." And dispatched some 30,000 troops to do the job. *

The Real Mao ?

There is more to Mao. While India has stewed for decades over the 1962 debacle, little is known about what transpired on the Chinese side, about the war itself and the people behind it. And insights into the real Mao, devoid of propaganda, have only begun emerging in recent years. Like how for Mao, the India war was but one move in the geopolitical chessboard - China expert Mira Sinha Bhattacharjea referrs to Mao's India war as based not on territorial concerns but strategic considerations.

Interestingly, Nehru's own role in that period has been debated. From his botching the Sino-India border issue to being seen as competing with Mao (who thus struck back) for the position of Asian leader. Leading to the 1962 war. But Nehru comes out largely fine. Not so with Mao. Critics today refer to him as a tyrant and dictator worse than Hitler, charging him with the death of tens of millions of Chinese.

Moreover, some of his policies have been publicly repudiated by successive Chinese governments. As far back as 1981, a Communist Party' Central Committee resolution said Mao’s Cultural Revolution was carried out "under the mistaken leadership of Mao Zedong". Though Mao has not been completely discredited, surely not to the extent many China watchers would like him to be.

Why The Distrust ?

There is of course the eternal question of who drew first blood ? From what I read, including Ministry of Defence history accounts of 1962, India's own actions are under a question mark. John Garver, a China specialist, has written that Chinese reacted because it feared a concerted Indian attempt to undermine its position in Tibet. Not to mention Mao's machinations.

Which brings us back to the subject at hand. Why would we express such evident distrust with a country we do $11 billion of trade ? The Chinese for sure don't view Indian investment with any suspicion. If I were to go with one point of view, 1962 happened precisely because we miscalculated or didn't fully understand Chinese intentions. By the looks of it, we are doing it again, albeit with no military implications. Or so I hope.

While much political progress has been made in recent years (AB Vajpayee's visit, Nathu La pass opening), we still hold on to some inexplicable hardline. As has been argued in the past (Jairam Ramesh: Making Sense of Chindia), Indian investments into China are far smoother than the other way around. I can and have got a Chinese visa in Hong Kong in hours. Chinese businessmen on the other hand complain of onerous procedures to visit India.

Business As Usual

Indeed, having invested there, firms like Mahindra & Mahindra are now planning expansions in capacity. Software majors TCS, Infosys and Satyam will soon employ in China as many engineers as they did in India just a few years ago. Of course the Chinese have more restrictions on foreign investments than India does. But they apply uniformly, not selectively.

And finally, most Indians living in China would admit to you that this is amongst the few, relatively developed nations where they are treated so well. We also seem to overlook that most of the Chinese leadership is technically trained. This makes them focus more on practical delivery. Remember Deng Xiaoping's statement about it not mattering what colour the cat was. As long as it caught mice.

* Philip Short: Mao, A Life.

This article appeared in the Business Standard this week and has already attracted some criticism !

Do Innocent Lives Matter ?

2006-07-30T21:26:00.000+05:30

Over 54 people including 37 children (United Nation figures) died early this morning when Israeli air strikes leveled a building in Qana, in southern Lebanon. The Middle East has been in flames ever since the Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and the Israelis retaliated, 19 days ago. Since then, both have been raining rockets on each other. The Israelis say the Hezbollah is launching rockets from civilian areas, like Qana. It now accepts this morning's strike was a mistake.

From all appearances, the Hezbollah, an `extra-constitutional' authority in Lebanon is guilty of drawing first blood. But the point here is not the genesis of the conflict or where its headed. Nor is it about how this morning's air strike and the casualties thereof has caused the Lebanese to go ballistic. Not just in Lebanon but all over the world. Mind you, its not just the Lebanese, there is support in the rest of the Arab world as well.

And its not about the support either. Its just about how the killing of innocent civilians in general and children in particular can cause so much consternation in the international community. US secretary of state Condoleeza Rice postponed her scheduled trip to Beirut today following the bombings because the Lebanese said they were in no mood for discussions. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan later condemned the killing of innocent women and children. As did many others.

The Price Of War..

I observe this in the context of our own reaction to terrorist attacks on our women, children and families. Note that terrorist attacks are far more dastardly acts than those of war. The conflict between Israel and Lebanon can be termed as war, since Israel is responding to what it sees is an attack on its sovereign nation. And yet, the cost of casualty is the same.

I recall some one saying that we don’t have the time nor the inclination to mourn our dead. Because, after all, so many of us die and in so many ways. And yet, when someone butchers innocent women and children (as opposed to their dying while crossing the street or being hit by a garbage truck) the rules change. The world at large seems to have understood and accepted this. I am not sure we have.

26/7: A Memorial For The Mumbai Citizen We Never Mourn

2006-07-25T08:36:00.000+05:30

On a low wall between the recently spruced up area where tickets are sold and platform No 1 at Mumbai’s Mahim railway station is an embedded granite plaque, visible to those walking in through the main entrance.

Written in the Devnagiri script and gold letterings are the words “Shradhanjali”, meaning In Memoriam. Just below in equal prominence is inscribed the name of President APJ Abdul Kalam. The plaque notes the bomb blasts that ripped through seven Mumbai local trains on July 11, and records the President’s homage to the victims on behalf of the nation.

In India, loss of public life is rarely mourned in a manner that represents an organised attempt at grief and remembrance. Not that we are a stoic society. Politicians and perhaps others who have commanded public memory are paid generous homage. While for ordinary citizens, remembrance is mostly a private affair, in homes and sometimes institutions.

Human Lives Are Precious

To be fair, there have been memorials erected after natural calamities, like at Nagapattinam after the tsunami-hit Tamil Nadu, or following armed conflicts. But terrorism, for instance, is different from natural calamities and conflicts. It calls for a different kind of response: the first being to demonstrate to terrorists that innocent human lives are precious, and that people will rally around, whether in anger or grief.

Rarely have we demonstrated this in the past. Government involvement in such tragedies typically kicks off with untimely VVIP swoops on hospitals and end with ex gratia payments. Rarely does the state or its constituents pause to truly remember for the lost life, particularly after the event and deed fade from memory, typically a few days.

There could be other reasons as well. But the fact is that you won’t find a memorial for the March 1993 blast victims or the August 2003 blast victims in Mumbai. Or for all those who died in last July’s floods. But contrast Mumbai’s fate to similar tragedies elsewhere in the world. From the Madrid train bombings and Bali’s bomb blasts, public memory is retained in the form of permanent memorials and annual services held there. Incidentally, the toll in Madrid and Bali was roughly the same as Mumbai.

Memorials Elsewhere And Services

In Madrid, a Forest of Remembrance was created in a park with one tree planted for each dead. Incidentally, Spain broke with tradition in 2004 (after the bombings) when it held the first state memorial service for people outside the royal family—at least in the history of Spain’s new democracy.

The October 2002 Bali bombings saw permanent memorials being erected in Indonesia and Australia, from where 88 of the dead hailed. In addition, there were many individual memorials put together by families of the dead, mostly teenagers. A function to put up a new memorial at the Bali blast site in 2004 was accompanied by a Balinese Hindu ceremony.

And there is 9/11. While there are ceremonies every year, a formal memorial will open only on September 11, 2009. Called Reflecting Absence, it will comprise two voids in the original footprints of the Twin Towers. Each void will have a pool of water filled by waterfalls on all sides. A forest of oak trees will surround it. The final design was selected from 5,000 entrants hailing from 63 countries.

2-minute Pause A Beginning

Is India ready to follow suit? This writer is not an expert at analysing the psychological reasons for the inability to unite in public grief. Suffice it to say that something changed with Mumbai’s train bombings. The city’s trains, buses, taxis, office-goers stopped to observe a 2-minute silence at peak hours last week. Even the usually charged pizza delivery boys alighted from their scooters to stand still. And thousands paid homage at railway stations.

The 2-minute silence did not bring the city to a grinding halt. But for a first attempt of this kind, it was notable. Citizens even complained they did not hear the sirens that were supposed to alert them to the moment. Now, there is talk of a wear-white day on July 26, the day floods and an incompetent local administration brought the city to its knees last year. Over 400 died in Mumbai that day and over a 1,000 in Maharashtra.

Many people have argued that Mumbai’s citizens should express anger at the administration’s inability to take care of its own. Ever since last July’s floods, the city has been let down at regular intervals. Living in Mumbai—a land mass that struggles to carry a population four or five times more than it can sustain—itself is a challenge.

Anger And Grief

More than anger, which sometimes can flame out, grief as expressed in permanent memorials may be a more powerful emotion. It reminds and binds, and forces those in power at the moment to revisit old memories. Expressions of remembrance also suggest recognition that the ordinary citizen’s life is indeed not that cheap. As most of us now believe. Public support and bonding are rising, whether for Mumbai’s train victims or wronged individuals elsewhere. The Mumbai train blasts seem to have provided the complementary force in tipping the scales. I hope I am not being premature in calling a trend.

This piece appeared in the Business Standard on Tuesday, 25th July, a day ahead of the first anniversary of Mumbai's 26/7 floods disaster

Blocking Of Blogs..What Are We Protesting !

2006-07-19T13:31:00.000+05:30

People are up in arms over the Indian government's decision to block `objectionable' sites and blogs. And rightfully so. However in doing so, I think many of us are missing the point by miles. To address the issue, you've got to define it. My sense is that many have failed to do so. Let me try !

The 20 Sites/Blogs Or Something Else ?

What are we protesting ? Are we saying there is a freedom of speech/expression issue because 20 sites have been blocked ? In which case, we should protest when Da Vinci Code gets banned in some states, books like Satanic Verses get banned or for that matter Shivaji's biography. Or MF Hussain's painting. Of course there are many more books, paintings and movies which have been banned and not just because they are harmful to minors.

My point is you can't keep quiet for one form of content and get all roiled just because it gets delivered digitally. A digital delivery (if you ask me) does not make it any less `bannable', at least in principle. Yes of course you can download lots of other stuff which is banned in the physical world. But that's a reverse argument and may not work here !

So, if you are with your government on the fundamental issue of banning, or have not protested in the past, then you've got to pipe down. Else, protest all forms of bans on all forms of content.

Technical Incompetence

The Government wants 20 sites to be banned. It sends out a notice to some 150 internet service providers asking them to do as much. Between their technological incompetence and their enthusiasm to please the Department of Telecom, many ISPs banned access to all sites with some extensions, blogspot being one example.

Now, that has nothing to do with freedom of expression. That is plain incompetence and a technical inability to manage firewalls and gateways. Am sure the Government has nothing to do with it. Nor does it want to. Yes, its order has resulted in the baby being thrown out with the bathwater. But its unintentional as I see it.

The guy you have to catch is your ISP who needs to ensure he blocks only those sites that the Government has asked him to. This takes a little hard work from what I understand. But then, its nothing to do with a clampdown on freedom of speech.

Once again, the ISP could be the overzealous MTNL or BSNL, going all out to keep some bureaucrat/politician happy. But that still does not alter the fundamental fact. That's not what the order is asking for. So, protesting in the general direction of the government is pointless.

Now, Does It Merit A Ban ?

Now comes the issue of merit. Is a website that is vaguely attacking Left leaning political parties elsewhere in the world harmful to our digestive process. Am not sure. Is a website that directly or indirectly urges anti-national forces to rally together harmful ? Yes it is. Should we let it be in the interests of complete freedom of speech. Am not sure. You need a very, very liberal approach for this. In any case, this is a separate debate.

Either way, it boils down to a discussion on whether the content on a certain platform (in this case digital) is subversive or dangerous ? It could be magazines, newspapers, films, books or paintings. And what should be done about it. That again is a larger issue which needs to be tackled separately. It has little to do with blogs or websites. Both are delivery platforms for information and opinion. So, lets not make this is a blogs and websites issue. Focus on the fundamental issue if you want to and/or have the energy to. Till then, happy blogging.

PS: My ISP seems to have held on to his horses, at least so far

Resilience, Immunity and Kindness in Mumbai

2006-07-13T18:43:00.000+05:30

Some bloggers asked why I am not angry at the administration's failure over the city's serial train blasts. Why not take the Government on, first, for not seeing this coming and second, for not being in a position to help its citizens who were in dire need of medical and other assitance ?

I agree I should express my anger. I intend to do that and put my thoughts down on two other points on as well. Sure, the authorities (police, fire) should have resopnded and in large or larger numbers. But as I have argued in the past, we are a shining example of utter mismanagement of governance. Does it make sense attacking it again ? Maybe. But the sources of mismanagement must be addressed first.

The second and the larger issue is that we don't have enough hands devoted to protecting us. That is a fundamental problem. There are not enough cops, whether within the railway system or out of it. There are not enough traffic cops and there are not enough ambulances or people to man all of that. Sure, the cops have a way of dissapearing when something happens. Or rushing to guard Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Prasad Yadav as they make their uninvited visits. But its only part mismanagement. The fact is that there are not enough of them.

A State of Bankruptcy

Any solution should keep this in mind. So, I would sit down with the (bankrupt) Maharashtra state's balance sheet and ask how much are we spending on law and order and where can we cut and prune if we want to do something about it. I should request someone more numerically inclined like Bombay Addict to carry out this exercise but

I have the answer instinctively. Seventy (70 %) per cent or more of the state's budget goes to pay salaries of employees. Not on any form of development work. Of these thousands of employees I can safely wager that we can cut back 20 to 25% and not feel a thing. Instead, we could focus on recruiting more law enforcement hands. And also give them the right facilities, from modern arms and ammunition to working conditions. I would now focus my anger there.

Which brings me to the much discussed points about resilience and kindness. I think we tend to mix them and sometimes confuse one for the other. Here is my take. Suppose you are driving on the road and something (like an accident) happens in front of you. Someone is injured. Or its a bigger accident with lots of injured. Usually (not necessarily) you get out the car and see what's happened. Or if you are walking by, you will run towards the scene. Chances are you will help and take the person/s to hospital.

No Help Coming

Why do you do that ? For the simple reason that you instinctively know there is no trauma care in India. Don't expect blue and white helicopters to materalise out of the sky to airlift the wounded. Or for that matter, expect to hear sirens in the distance within four minutes of the bomb blast or the accident. Because someone dialled a 100. Try and see if someone even picks up.

Even if an amublance set out in your direction, chances are its stuck in a traffic jam - every time I see one stuck I shudder. Recognise we don't have dedicated emergency lanes on our highways, leave alone roads. But guess what, we all know that, even the urchin on the street knows that. So, you take matters into your hands. And see where you can help out. Because that's the only way you can save the poor sod. And that poor sod might you or me one day.

And that's why we are kind. Because there are those of us who feel for our fellow human beings, citizens (and thank god for that) and want to help in some way. Because we know there is no other way that help will be delivered. So, whether its that instinctive response to run to a site of an accident when you hear that sound of metal hitting metal or whether its to stand on a road in the middle of the night with bottles of water, biscuits and tea, it all stems from the knowledge that someone out there needs help and you are quite possibly the only person or set of persons to do that.

Resilience Or No Choice ?

Now the resilience. Why are we resilient ? As many others have said before me, because we have no choice. Both my friends who were in trains (the other first class compartments) that were targeted by the serial bombers are back on them today. Why, because they have to go to work. Yes, there were some who stayed back home the day after. Particularly the younger lot whose worried parents prevailed upon them. But what do you do two days later ? Sit at home. And for how long ?

And what are your options if you can't look at a Western Railway local again ? Will you buy a car and fill petrol at Rs 52 a litre or whatever it is and drive 60 km both ways from Malad or Borivali (north Mumbai) to your place of work in south Mumbai ? Or will you now travel by bus ? Would you spend two and a half hours doing that each way ? And what makes you think buses are safer ? We've had bombs being set off in buses as well. So, what does it boil down to. You have to get onto the train and get to work. At some point. Because you are a bread winner for the family or maybe you are alone.

Most people I know (including me) work for a living. And have no choice about it. Though many of us like doing what we do as well. So there is an added attraction. Most of us don't have a legacy to fall back on either. Turns out even those who have a legacy want to work and prove themselves. That's the kind of infectious energy this city has.

And Finally, The Spirit Word

So that's resilience. Its a combination of a lack of choice and the need to be doing something with our lives. That's not necessarily the same as kindness and the spirit of helping each other. Maybe the two connect, maybe they don't. The resilience makes us seem immune as well. Guess we are, by inference. Because if I were not immune, I would be sitting at home. If I am immune, I am back at work. That makes me resilient and immune as well. I don't see something wrong in that..

Terror In Mumbai: Life Must Go On

2006-07-12T08:41:00.000+05:30

Two people I know were on trains which were the target of powerful bomb blasts which ripped through seven crowded commuter trains between 6 pm and 6.30 pm on Wednesday evening. The toll as of now is 163 dead and over 400 injured.

Both were headed to their homes in north Mumbai and only by pure providence did not get into the northern first class compartment which they well might have. For those who came in late, Mumbai’s trains have either nine or 12 coaches and two or three first class sections within those coaches. Women travellers have a dedicated section as well.

The bomb exploded as the train had just begun leaving Jogeshwari, a north Mumbai train station. And came to a halt immediately. My friend says commuters standing on the crowded platform were hit as well, by the force of the blast as well as by flying iron sharpnel. The second friend was on the train which halted between Bandra and Khar stations (a little north). He says the blasts were so powerful his ears were ringing even four hours later. He jumped off on to the tracks, walked back to Bandra and got onto a bus.

Traffic Jams & Good Samaritans

I drove home around 12.30 am and encountered traffic jams all the way. Some people took five and six hours to do the usual one to one and a half hour drive. The trains were stopped immediately after the bomb blasts were reported and hundreds of thousands of passengers were consigned to the roads. The jams had nothing to do with the blasts otherwise. They were another reminder of the failure long ago of the city's carrying capacity.

While people like me were trying to negotiate the jams to reach home, thousands of residents were on the streets with water bottles, packets of eats like potato chips, biscuits and the like. Between Worli and Bandra (where I live), I must have been offered water and chips by at least 50 people. They ranged from young, smartly attired boys and girls to old men and women. Some stood in groups, others alone. Some even with stainless steel pans with glasses.

Those who were not offering water and food were directing traffic. Many of them had plastic raincoats on. It had been raining off and on since evening, though not very heavily. I passed the Hinduja Hospital and the Lilavati Hospital on the way. Both usually have milling crowds around them when a `VIP’ is lodged. This time it was ordinary people, waiting for news about their friends, relatives and loved ones.

Life Must Go On

Mumbai (Bombay) has been numbed once again. First it was civic apathy, then vandalism by the Shiv Sena party’s supporters (protesting the defacement of a statue) and now this. The serial bomb blasts will have the most impact. Its not easy to board trains and public transport after an event like this. Worse, if you were in the adjoining compartment when the bomb went off.

And yet, there is no choice. There is no other option. Life must go on. Despite knowing that every vulnerable chink in Mumbai city has been exposed. Those who survived Wednesday's blasts have only fellow passengers to thank. Television imagaes showed many being lifted and hauled off. Others, with bloodied faces and tattered clothes, staggered out of stations and helped themselves into waiting taxis.

Against that gore, I think of one old lady who must have been standing for several hours with a plastic bottle. She offered water to every other car that passed. It was 1 am in the morning when I drove past. And several hundreds, if not a few thousand cars and buses must have passed her last night. Many must have stopped to accept her kindness. I waved my thanks to her as well. But she had already moved on to the next car, waving her bottle. I think of her and I know I must get back to work. Like we always do.

Shiv Sena Goes On A Rampage And The Party Ends

2006-07-09T19:29:00.000+05:30

It’s a little difficult to fathom. Some miscreant/s desecrated Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s late wife’s statue in Shivaji Park in central Bombay (Mumbai) on Sunday morning. Shiv Sainiks go on a rampage burning buses, stoning cars, heckling citizens and smashing store fronts in Nashik, Pune and Aurangabad, towns several hours away from the commercial capital.

Shiv Sena leaders emerge from their houses to challenge the ruling state Congress-NCP government to find the culprits within 24 hours or else..its not clear what the hanging threat means. It surely does not mean that the Shiv Sena will go to the High Court with a Public Interest Litigation. Its evening and I've stayed at home this Sunday. Not out of choice.

Bombay is under siege again, albeit for just half a day. Its restless, frustrated and angry populace is out on the streets. Some seem genuinely angry at the defacement of the statue. Mrs Thackeray was like a mother to them, they say. But it seems difficult to believe their anger is only directed at the defacement. More likely, it is at the perceived enemies of the Shiv Sena, old or new. And most likely, it is new. The Shiv Sena has been hunting for a cause for a while now.

What's The Real Motivation ?

Watching the young men hurl bricks into glass store fronts in the northern suburb of Thane, one wonders what could be the possible motivation. Actually, several come to mind. The obvious one is that the shops did not close down when the Shiv Sena asked them to. In India, a bandh or a shut-down is a way of expressing anger. Through brute force. So much for democratic protests. In any case, shops were closed already. So, why were bricks being hurled ?

To settle old scores, like jobs not given. Or, to find an easy outlet for a rising frustration against all the glitz and glamour that they can see and almost touch but not experience. In India, its almost always been the latter. Destruction of physical property is a leveling experience. It allows the person to think he can conquer and vanquish. And bring those who dared rise above him economically or otherwise back to ground.

Its not the first time we’ve seen this phenomenon - dismissed as "spontaneous reaction of the angered masses" by the leaders who instigate them. It won’t be the last time either. Parked buses, private cars and taxis are traditional targets. The latest targets are the malls and multiplexes, the new glass and steel manifestations of prosperity. Unfortunately, on days like this, they only highlight the disparities inherent rather than the goodies they house within.

The Party's Over ?

Hang on, isn't this the commercial capital of the country where we are talking of ? Where opportunities abound, where no resident whether living in a highrise or on the streets goes without a meal. Where there is a spirit of carmaderie, kindness and trust. Where the civic system can fail, but the people won't. All true and yet, helping people in distress and watching helplessly as the economy shifts from under their feet are two different things.

I have another working hypothesis..if there is one sign that the last three or four years of economic euphoria are about to take a breather, this, perhaps, is it. The widespread vandalism is just a manifestation of the problems bubbling beneath.

What Is Bombay Really Scared About ?

2006-07-05T16:36:00.000+05:30

In my previous post, I wrote about the palpable fear that most Bombayites feel today when stepping out, the shudder that accompanies every sighting of a waterlogged road. Reading some of the posts that followed and the references to media, I am a little confused.

What are people fearing here ? Is it the feeling of being caught inside a car with the water level rising (I came close yesterday and on 26/7) or falling into a manhole whilst crossing the road OR is it television/news reports of the possibility of this happening ?

I admit, you do experience a sense of alarm watching television or seeing the large pictures on the front pages of newspapers. But are you scared into submission ? I really wonder. Before TV came in, the newspapers were putting the same pictures on page one. As they should. TV turned much of this into real time dissemination.

Ridiculous Proposition

So are we saying we are quaking in fear because of what we see on TV ? I think that's a ridiculous proposition. I don't know (maybe there are some of you out there who do) of one Bombay (Mumbai) resident who is shivering in fright only because he or she watched TV in the last few days or read the newspapers. Its very simple. People are scared because of what they experienced. First hand. On the night of 26/7. Do note am not saying everyone is equally affected.

I accept that the images do cause apprehension amongst those who do not live in the city. So, someone living outside India and watching an Indian TV channel or reading a news website report would be worried about his or her family members and friends. Images, reports may sound overblown. Or for that matter, family and friends living in other parts of India. But that's the nature of the news business.

I am obviously a little biased here. But to my mind the thing that media has done is to put tremendous pressure on the civic authorities (albeit with little results). Its highlighted the collective incompetence that passes for civic administration. It does so in a manner that is relentless. Opinions may vary about the treatment but the net impact in my mind is positive. The citizenry would feel better having an active media than not.

Raw, Cold Fear

To conclude, there is no substitute for the raw, cold fear that you've experienced whilst wading through 5 feet plus of water and the waves licking your chin. I know some who have, am sure you do too. Or the memory of someone who lived on the ground floor of your building and was trapped by the rising waters. And died. Someone you saw every other morning on your way to work.

That is true fear. No amount of breathless media reporting can substitute or make up for it. And thank god for that ! That's what's keeping people in their houses and wary of stepping out. Its as clear as that.

PS It rained again in Bombay (Mumbai) today and it was yet another day of deserted streets. Thanks to which I reached my place of work in less than half the usual time it takes

Fear And Submission In Bombay

2006-07-04T15:06:00.000+05:30

Sitting in office, after having driven my car through a few minor lakes getting here, I am wondering why the roads were mostly empty at 11.00 am in the morning on a weekday. Outside, as I write, the rains are pounding the city of Bombay (Mumbai). Trains have stopped, flights are being diverted, schools and colleges have shut. And those who did make it to their offices are planning their trek back.

Now, the roads were not completely deserted, of course there was traffic. But very little. One reason is most of the smaller roads in and around residential areas in Mumbai's suburbs are flooded. So, even if the arterial roads are okay, you can't get out of your lane. For me, getting out of my immediate area was a greater challenge. Actually, so was the road which leads to my office in Worli, in central Bombay.

Did folks heed the BMC (civic authority) Commissioner's warnings yesterday ? Which said that heavy rains were expected in the next 48 hours. Quite possible. But, we've had similar warnings in the past as well. Yes, parents would be careful and would not take chances. What about those who commute to work, clearly the majority ?

Beaten Into Submission

The answer is simple. Bombayites have been beaten into submission. Mostly by fear. Ask anyone who spent the night of 26 July 2005 on the streets and they will tell you that a shiver runs through their spine when they see flooded roads. I don't exactly feel thrilled at the prospect either.

This city's never say no spirit is under extreme strain. Perhaps like never before. One feet of water and the bravest are taking a step back. No one, absolutely no one seems to trust the civic authorities or the politicians.

When asked on a television interview (in a city channel) about lifeguards at the beaches (following a few drownings), the BMC Commissioner said they were being interviewed and would soon be hired. But then, when was the BMC ever in a hurry ? Or for that matter any state or civic administration ? A deadline is not a deadline, its just another point in time.

Well, its the same attitude that ensured most road work was not complete before the rains arrived, on schedule. And there were at least nine months if not a year to set things right. The wounds of 26/7 are yet to heal. I think it will take a long time, if it does.

Why Aren't We REALLY Paranoid ?

2006-07-01T12:42:00.000+05:30

Newsweek's latest cover asks "Can America Compete ?" It leads with an article written by Fareed Zakaaria which starts out by saying that the United States is still the dominant force in technology, innovation, productivity and profits. "But Americans don't quite realise how fast the rest of the world is catching up," it says.

Zakaria frowns upon what he diagnoses as a larger cultural decay in the nation. "A country that once adhered to a Puritan ethic of delayed gratification has become one that revels in instant pleasures...America is becoming a post-industrialised society that specialises in consumption and leisure, he says.

He concludes with a firm note of paranoia. "First, be scared, be very scared. The United States has a history of worrying that it is losing its edge..but America's problem right now is that it is not really that scared. Mainstream America is still unconcerned.." And so on.

Do We Have Stuff To Be Paranoid About ?

Zakaria is not alone in his paranoia. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has hit similar notes in his recent columns. The interesting thing is not the paranoia, but what follows. Both writers have offered solutions. Newsweek then outlines `15 Ideas To Recharge America." Each idea is attributed to one person. The first is Rob Glaser, CEO of Real Networks, the second is Arati Prabhakar of US Venture Partners.

The Delhi-born Arati Prabhakar argues that immigration should be viewed as a strength. "What are the things that are good for America ? That means being completely engaged in the flow of people, capital and goods around the world." She also says the immigrant society has a rich advantage.

So, I wonder wonder we don't have the same degree of paranoia about India ? Shouldn't we be paranoid that we are in a position where could well lose the few competitive advantages we've notched up in the last few years, in the global economy ? Shouldn't we be paranoid about what our millions of youth will do, without jobs ? Or whether they will get the right jobs ? Shouldn't we be paranoid that our boom story of the last three years is hanging precipitously on balance ?

The Wrong Paranoia ?

Okay, maybe the number one guy is paranoid because he has something to lose. Like America. Possibly for the rest its about the determination to catch up. I am not sure I see too much of that. Ive seen all sorts of people getting worked up about a survey-based allegation that Mumbaikars are rude but not getting paranoid about the city in an accelerated ride to the very bottom.

And then, how do we instil or inject paranoia ? Am not sure about this. Most Indian corporations are paranoid. Part of the whole attempt to have strong global footprints stems from a paranoia about Indian markets. And whether they can survive purely on the strength of the domestic market. Or whether they can take on global competition if they are not global themselves.

Of course I see paranoia around. Its mostly about whether Naresh Goyal is actually a scheming spy who might use his aircraft (Jet Airways) to bomb god knows what. Or how China may attack us tommorrow (you think I am joking, read some of our regular defence columnists). Or, its about how our youth is getting waylaid and skirts are getting shorter. And how the screening of Da Vinci Code could cause irreversible damage to our religious sensibilities. Or how some lady entered a temple she was not supposed to..I can go on...

Yipee, Bombay Will Have A Metro, In 2021

2006-06-23T14:36:00.000+05:30

A friend just told me I should be happy because Mumbai will finally have its metro. She said, I carp and complain all the time. Okay, I am happy. And yet, in my happiness and joy, I am compelled to pen a few points.

1. This is Phase I which will end in 2009 end or so. While I have greater faith in Reliance's (the company who has bagged the contract) execution abilities, this is not a purely private initiative. Purely private initiatives (including levelling entire mills in weeks) are capable of immense execution focus. Am not sure about public-private. Mumbai airport's new arrival terminal is a case in point. Its considerably delayed the chap doing it is `private'.

2. Phase I is a east-west connector in the north of the city. Very useful for those who are living in those parts but zero impact for anyone else.

3. Phase II and III are what will really matter because they will connect the city's north-south axis. Targeted completion is 2021. Without revealing embarassing details about my age, let me assure you I will not even be able to think young at that time. And there is no guarantee it will be done by 2021. Maybe you can start telling the building of the Metro story to your children who in turn will narrate it to their grand children. Who might just about be able to experience it. You think I am kidding, ask anyone who lived in Calcutta in the 70s.

What Next ?

By then, what will happen to this city ? I have no clue. We are 18 million and straining at every inch. The roads are giving in, water is a problem and there are not enough health services. So, children are suffering from malnourishment in the middle of the city..Implosion is a good word but in India things do not implode. They maintain a steady rate of descent into a never ending abyss of decay.

And what it is it going to take to build all this ? You can forget about smooth traffic movements. That does not exist even today. Its a nightmare travelling east-west or west-east in Bombay. What is worse than the nightmare that is ? Search me. Bombay's metro builders would be wise to seek the counsel of Delhi Metro's E Sreedharan. At least he will figure out how to manage traffic while putting up a metro track in the middle of the city. So, should I be happy ? What do you think !

Fighting Government To Survive: The Bangalore Story

2006-06-18T16:21:00.000+05:30

I am now of the view it should now be a global term for a situation where a politician holds a democratic state to ransom. Or when and his his cohorts emerge in brazen public eye to railroad anything that comes in their way of personal material upliftment. So, guess who has been Bangalored recently ? Well, its Bangalore !

The present war between politician and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and NICE, the promoters of the Bangalore-Mysore expressway project is downright sickening. And its a scar on democracy, even what we know of it.

The Indian Express ran a story last week which exposed the fact that Gowda owned a 47-acre piece of land off the expressway.And because he couldn’t use the land (allegedly) the way he wanted, he was stalling the project big time. Actually, better still. He was getting the state Government to do it. What was suspected all this while or known but not said is now in the open.

Gowda then proved his intentions by getting the Government to engineer a `hostile’ takeover of the land around the expressway, which was handed over to the project as part of the deal. The Chief Minister (Gowda’s son) said the Bill would protect the land of poor farmers. The 47 acres he owns next to the expressway is worth a crore an acre, according to the Express.

Fighting To Survive

Ashok Kheny the man behind the expressway has fought over 300 court cases already to get the project going. He fought two in the Supreme Court as well. In the last judgement, the SC pulled up the state government for its antics. Then Gowda tried changing the law as well. As politicians only know too well, there is nothing the courts can do if the law itself is changed. Fortunately, there is some relief, at least for now.

The point is not the court case. So far one assumed that Bangalore or for that matter IT has succeeded despite Government. Now, its actually about fighting Government to stay and survive. And being insulted and called the vilest of names (land grabber !) while doing that. Commerce and polity couldn’t be at more variance than this.

We are supposed to be 15 years into liberalisation and we can't get a 111 km road project done without it becoming a national issue and politicians baring their fangs. And the fact that they push ahead with their agenda knowing the cat's fully out of the bag amazes me. Actually it does not, anymore. So much for media and so much for the courts.

This Government Is Destroying Bangalore And India

The other unfortunate truth is that the Government (as represented in the present context) is systematically destroying the little goodwill Bangalore’s entrepreneurs have generated. Not just for themselves, but for India. Bangalore was supposed to be India's showcase. Not for this Government. It gives a fig that its the country’s image is at stake. Because for one or two individuals, their land and ego matter the most. The rest can be damned.

The conclusion is that the politicians can succeed. Look around and see the number of projects and initiatives that are not moving. That’s how it stacks up. Unless the city’s citizens rise up against him. The average Bangalorean I know is pretty upset with the turn of events. Its about time this showed up somewhere. Else, even Bombay’s troubles will pale in comparison. Even Bombay, as columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni pointed out this morning in the Indian Express, built a Bombay-Pune expressway. As he says, we seem to be determined NOT to build a developed nation.

Can India fix its `Macro' ?

2006-06-13T16:56:00.000+05:30

The ISB-IIM battle seems to have hotted up a little, going by the furious exchanges flying around. I wonder why..a friend whos familiar with the turf says its because students have returned to their colleges. Ah, the privileges of being one !

Am tempted to throw some fresh fundas into the fire (like who the hell cares anymore) but will desist for a day or two. Meanwhile, am posting a column that appeared in Business Standard this morning !

China Will Fix Its Micro, Will India Fix Its Macro ?

What does the average Chinese businessman think of India ? I put this question two months ago to an Indian trader I met in China’s textile capital Shaoxing, some four hours south-east of Shanghai.

Over a vegetarian pizza, he told he that most of his Chinese clients considered India with respect, some even with fear. After all, Indians were teaching otherwise crafty Chinese entrepreneurs a trick or two about the textile trade. And then there was the tale of a school teacher's son and his six colleagues setting out with $250 in their pockets 25 years ago and creating the $2 bn Infosys Technologies.

A few months ago, the owner of a large Chinese textile unit accompanied him on a visit to India. The mill owner was sewing up some big contracts with Indian garment exporters. And of course to see this `fast growing nation' for himself. "Guess what," said the Indian trader, "The moment we landed at Mumbai and emerged from the airport, something changed. I could see the Chinese mill owner breathing a visible sigh of relief."

Perception On Arrival

He said other traders had similar stories to narrate. Visiting Chinese businessmen would speak well of India for its market potential and entrepreneurship. But on India as competition, they changed their opinion. The moment they cleared immigration. The perception they had built up did not match the reality they experienced. "We don't have much to worry," the mill owner told me," the Shaoxing businessman said, polishing off the last piece of the pizza.

Two weeks ago, GE chairman Jeff Immelt towered over Mumbai's corporate who's who as he outlined his firm's revised India vision. "$8 billion by 2010," he announced to an attentive audience. How ? "Well, for an economy to grow 8%, you need power, planes." Immelt said broad-based consumerism, which wants basics as power, transport and water supply, was the driver. "Once people have tasted an economy that grows at 8 percent a year, they get used to it," he said.

And then Immelt dropped his gem for the day. "The government and everything else works in China. The expressways and airports are just like those in Chicago and New York. China has got the macro picture right, India the micro picture. India’s pluses are fantastic companies and systems." So, he said, with a flourish, India has to fix the macro picture. China has to fix the micro picture.

Focus On The Perception !

Since then, I've been posing that question to myself. Lets for a moment focus on the perception of whether we can fix the macro rather than whether we will fix it. Lets also assume, this writer's perceptions are clouded by journalistic pessimism.

Take the case of Mumbai, the city I live in. After years of debates, protests and court cases, a `new’ airport will rise in the place of the only, old one. Will it be bigger ? Not sure, that depends on whether the slum dwellers who muscled in alongside can be rehabilitated. Will it have better access. Not sure, looks like I will have to pass the same shanty towns to reach the international terminal. And no direct road. So, its a look and feel show. A new airport is under consideration though, for, possibly two decades.

A city metro system was under debate and discussion for as long, if not more. Work should start later this year. With the city’s population straining over 17 million inhabitants, a metro (as and when it sees light of day) will help. Unlikely, it will change life much.

New York, Chicago & Shanghai

An island city like Mumbai needs a water transport solution: think Star Ferry in Hong Kong. We must be in the third or is it fourth decade of planning and announcements. No solution is even in sight. So, don't expect dramatic quality of life changes for a few decades. What about power ? Mumbai city scores here, though northern suburbs suffer. Lets not even talk of Bangalore.

In my last column, I talked about how investors are pouring money into China’s mega bank IPOs. Only because they feel China is fixing its micro, to use Immelt’s term again - he spoke of airports like New York and Chicago. Actually, China might do a little better. Particularly if you were to consider Shanghai’s Pudong International which is going from two runways to five. Or the recently completed 1,142-km Qinghai-Tibet railway line, a massive engineering feat.

So, will India fix its macro ? And more importantly when ? If I haven’t seen real action for the past two decades, what do I see today that suggests a magical transformation in the next two. Very little. I've heard of $150 billion opportunities number for a decade at least. Funny, the figure does not change. Will we win the marathon against China in the next three or four decades ? Probably. But chances are I may not be around. Nor, if you are reading this, will you. But China will fix its micro a lot sooner. That I am sure. And I am sure Immelt is sure too.

Micro Or Macro ?

So, what should the average Chinese think of India ? What should the average Indian think of India ? The Shaoxing businessman tells me India has opportunity but should stop comparing itself with China. "Forget the infrastructure. Even we are treated better here," he tells me. Now, is that a macro or a micro problem ?

Rescue Us From Bombay's Mis-Managers..

2006-06-06T12:51:00.000+05:30

Wednesday last, I spent roughly 2.5 hours on Lady Jamsedji Road in central Bombay. No, I was not shopping for vegetables or the like. It was a traffic jam and a heinous one at that. Reason: rains. And I left my office in Worli (central Bombay) thinking it couldn't be that bad. I mean sure it would take half an hour to 45 minutes more than the usual 1 hour (which is half an hour more than the earlier usual) but still.

Well, the roads were paralysed, the traffic had come to a standstill. To top it all, most of this arterial road was without power. And the water was rising, steadily. Actually no, but it looked like it would. For the moment, it was a steady drizzle, the downpour stopped a little while ago. And guess what, no traffic policemen. Or any policemen.

They had dissapeared. Like they did the last time I was stuck on this road for this duration. Would you like to know when that was ? Well, it was July 26, 2005, more fondly remembered as 26/7. When our car approached a traffic junction where we planned to turn off for a parallel road, I finally saw two men in the distance directing traffic. Policemen finally, I thought. Guess what, as I was turning off, I discovered they were local residents. Youngsters wearing wind cheaters. Amazing !

Every Deadline Is Broken

I can vent on and on about a whole lot of things that are wrong with the way civic authorities have plain messed up this year's run up to this year's monsoons. One thing stands clearly out. And that is a monumental inability to mismanage the simplest of things. Why else do you think every deadline for road completion is behind schedule. Which competent manager would have waited till the last day to finish what could have been done months ago ?

Or a disaster management system which failed instantly. Come on folks, have you heard of running mock-ups, tests, stress tests. How do you even dream your system works when you haven't exposed it. So, it boils down to a such a total managerial crisis in Bombay's civic system that even talking about it is depressing. Its this crisis that is ensuring the simplest things are going wrong and will continue. Unless something is done.

Running a city is not a joke. Surely not a megapolis like Bombay. And even assuming we had the most dedicated people in charge, I am sorry, it does not help. What you need here is not just commitment but talent. And a specific talents at that. We cannot be at the mercy of arbitrarily transferred civil servants. Someone who was running the textiles department or tourism cannot be running a city. No way. Someone who was running tourism can be sent to animal husbandry or agriculture.

Get People Who Have Experience

Infrastructure and city projects should be run by people who have managed large projects. Its another issue that even competent people have failed us. But the chances of their learning from their mistakes and improving are better. That's the difference between good managers and bad ones. We have the worse, because not only do they not learn from their mistakes but repeat the same ones every day. And every citizen in Bombay pays the price, dearly.

Bombay is now saddled with the most inept managers in the repertoire of India's bureaucracy, I would hazard. When the city is crying for the best in the country. The Government needs to hunt for managers. Actively. It needs to find them from within its system. Since it does not have the guts to hire from outside. And to be fair, there is talent within.

Whether within the Bombay Municipal Corporation or outside, we need managers who can manage projects, deadlines and be responsive to customers or citizens. And preferably have a track record of doing so. Put together a committee of former and present city managers to hunt for a candidate. And trust me you will. Even the government ocassinaly gets these things right. At least when it comes to public sector companies.

Politicians Bumble Along Too

Unfortunately, our politicians are unfortunately bumbling along with the mis-managers. Collectively, they are like the five blind men and an elephant. Which is obviously the city of Bombay. I can't think of a more disasterous combination. Good politicians have the basic sense to find and install good managers. Its their responsibility as well. Its time they did something. And found the right guys for the job.

Listen To The Supreme Court, Or Else !

2006-05-31T15:24:00.000+05:30

Many Americans hate George Bush for Iraq. That hate rises as the body bags keep piling piling up. Three days ago, two CBS journalists were blown up by a car bomb in Baghdad. A third one barely survived. The journalists were in Iraq out of choice. The scores of dead American soldiers were not. What option does the American public have ? Very little. They elected George Bush. In a democracy, you've got to follow the process.

The student community is rightfully angry with the Government. Its protests have had some impact, but nowhere as enough. That only goes to show how thick skinned our politicians can be. Particularly where they perceive a larger votebank connect. We can protest, oppose, picket and shout slogans. Or wear black badges.

We can keep agitating against the ruling political class or certain members of it. We can fight for their removal. Or ask them to pull back. Or boycott them at every turn. And keep up the protests. But they too represent the will of the majority. Whether or not you agree with it. Yet, you can keep the pressure up.

SC Is `Highest' Authority

The courts work a little differently. The Supreme Court is the `highest' authority of the land. They are a part of the same democratic system and process the politicians belong to. And they represent the final `voice' in many issues. Disregarding that voice is tantamount to contempt of court. And contempt of court is a serious matter. And the SC has a habit of flexing its muscles to remind citizens of this.

I may not agree (and have not) with some SC rulings or judgements in the past. But the democratic process which allows me the freedom to express my views also constrains me from speaking out against the Supreme Court. Arundhati Roy discovered this to her chagrin in March 2002 when the Supreme Court jailed her for a day for criminal contempt of court.

Much as I disliked the Court's treatment of Roy, I realise that a polity like ours has to respect some authority at some point. Else you will have anarchy. The adventerous lot within us may desire that too that but its not such a great idea. A somewhat functioning democracy (as some would describe the State of India) is better than one that has collapsed totally.

Courts Work, Sometimes !

So, to conclude, if the Supreme Court tells you to stop protesting, my suggestion is you should. If you build up your case well, the Court can help get justice. In the past, they've demonstrated the ability to delve dispassionately into detail. And arrive at workable solutions. But taking on the Court for no reason except to convey a sense of distrust against all authority may not be the best idea. Not at this point of time. Not on the issue of reservations.

Now, Pin The Government Down !

2006-05-29T18:45:00.000+05:30

A young colleague of mine came wearing a black band on his right arm to office. He was protesting against reservations over the weekend. Braved the hot sun and shouted slogans at Bombay's Azad Maidan. It was fun too, considering a lot of pretty girls were part of it, he admitted. But he says he's part of a larger group, that is committed to opposing reservations.

That's the good news. The momentum is picking up. And young, possibly middle and upper middle class India is opposing reservations to the hilt. And why shouldn't they ? They have much to loose. And its not their fault the Government is not doing its job, helping those who should be helped, effectively.

I am still not convinced whether reservations are the right solution to the right problem. Its the wrong solution the wrong problem. A classic politician's move - A short term, quick fix for an issue they have no desire to address, in the long term. Because they are not around that long. And they lack the tenacity of execution. Actually, they are not even around even now. Arjun Singh is in Saudi Arabia. As are most other ministers. Only PM Manmohan Singh has been left behind, to negotiate with the students.

Class Within A Class !

I still feel its jobs, jobs and jobs. Let me put it in a somewhat roundabout way. Someone who passes out of IIM is economically advantaged compared to most of his peers. So, an OBC student who passes out of IIM is economically advantaged compared to the rest of his OBC peers. So, how does reservation help the rest. Are we not creating a class distinction within the class !

Forget reservation, how does life improve for the rest ? Who, arguably, also aspire for a better life. Well, it does not. I still don't understand how by giving seats to precisely 1,500 students, anything changes for the rest. If I was an OBC (and I was once given to understand I could pass for one if I so wished), would I feel thrilled if some other OBC (of some 100 million OBCs) got a seat into IIM or AIIMS ?

Life is not about feeling happy for some lucky sod. Its like saying Arjun from my building won a Rs 1 crore Playwin lottery. So all of us building folks are happy and celebrating. Would you ? Yes, winning a lottery and gaining admission into a course is not the same. But then, isn't it somewhat here ? Since its a reserved seat ! So, its not about OBCs per se. Its about the numbers. The numbers are too vast for homegenity of any sort. And for people to bond with each other on this.

Where Are The Jobs ?

The government and the private sector have to work together here in creating more and more jobs. Which means opening up more industries, more investment (foreign and domestic) and creating a clear charter for more industrial output. We all celebrate the success of India's IT industry. The problem is we are celebrating the success of half a million people (at the very best). And not bothering about creating jobs for the rest. Not enough. And not on a war footing, which is what it should be.

I could go on and on about this but will not. The point is protesting students have to now force the government to think about solutions as well. With a promise to execute. Again I think, as always, how is it that the Government is able to display such amazing determination and will, to push through reservations but behave like a wimp when it comes to building roads, airports and ports. Yes, one is a short term fix and the other is long term. Who's seen the long term !

Since the students have shown so much determination, they need to take it a step further. And pin the government down on implementing solutions. On more primary education and more jobs. The vast majority knows they need vocational training and the ability to earn a living. Not the promise of more seats for a few thousand of their so called bretheren. That's fooling them. And of course not fixing the original problem.

Student power has changed a lot of things all over the world. Its emerged as a very important locomotive for change in India as well. It must do its bit. In a sustained manner.

Students Of India, Its Your Problem As Well !

2006-05-20T20:51:00.000+05:30

I'm glad the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) students (finally) emerged from their campuse in Bombay to form a chain of protest. That’s good to hear. Now, where did they do that ? Not near distant Mantralaya or Azad Maidan or some such public place where their protests would surely have more impact. Rather, in the relative comfort of Powai, in North Bombay. Oh yes, it was right outside their campus. Wow ! That must have taken some effort.

As long as they protested, I guess. Maybe this is exam time. Which leads me to wonder. Why, again, is a fundamental issue of meritocracy in education not affecting the rest of the country's student community ? Or the creation of more quality education seats. Surely, even a child can tell you that adding seats in premier institutions is not like topping up an ice-cream cone. Or packing a Bombay local train with a few more hundred commuters. Its got to be thought out and planned out.

China has faced similar problems. And responded with a strategy to hugely enhance education capacity. Across disciplines. Like information technology & English language where it wants to play catch up with countries like India. But China has also calibrated over-capacity in colleges (which strains the job markets) with tighter admissions. But no quotas ! Which obviously is the easiest thing to do for our politicians. Because the other option requires an intensity of execution which they largely lack. And its a longer term solution. Why bother when you have a quick fix !

I hear youngsters talking about these issues all the time. So, I presume they care. And yet no one has really moved, excepting a scattered few. Is it the because the medicos have made themselves the sacrificial goats ? And they are managing and fronting the show.

Stage Managed, So What ?

Before I move on, there are suggestions, here and there, of the medicos’ protests being stage managed. Are we thinking foreign hand here ? Or is it just opposition parties ? Or is it some third force that we are yet to be acquainted with ? Didn’t realize that this is how we regard the folks we visit we go to when our lives are hanging in balance. I wonder, then, why you would entrust your life to someone you equate with politicians, middle-men, brokers and god knows who else.

Lets assume that the medicos are `stage managing’ the whole thing. They band together every evening, draw up plans of attack, farm out duties at a national level, ensure reports are constantly flowing in and monitor the whole thing, using whatever technology they can afford or access. I don’t get it. What’s wrong with that ? The best protests are stage managed.

From Davos to Tinamen Square, people don’t happen to get together like that. Following a cup of coffee at the local Barista. The most effective protests are meticulously planned. And executed with precision. It happens all the time, all over the world. That’s how student protests (I am limiting my argument to them) ought to be. That’s why student protests usually achieve more in the longer term. As history tells us. As opposed to crowds going berserk.

Now, What ?

To return to the point, so the protests have picked up steam. The student in me reiterates that every student should take up the issue. Whichever way you feel. Particularly, if you want a serious debate and conclusion. Studies conducted by Surjit Bhalla and Sunil Jain in Business Standard debunk some popular theories. For one they challenge the commonly touted OBC stastic, saying its 36% and not 52%. Bhalla than goes on to attack the lawmakers saying they’ve blundered in principle.

This is not something, unfortunately, that’s been widely debated. Though Ive seen some interesting points of view on this blog and elsewhere. Though I think that's only one of the issues at stake. Lets understand one thing. There is a large section of society whose lives are not exactly rocking the way yours and mine are. I say this because if you are reading this post, you can read, have access to a computer and know where to surf. I have said this before..there is an increasing disconnect between the post-liberalization riches that have benefited a few and this class.

The issue is not whether its 36% or 52%. We are talking tens and hundreds of millions of partly educated or uneducated, unemployed youth. Who watch TV, films and develop aspirations which are similar to you and me. They would not like to be condemned to the lives they were born into. They want out. And not all have the necessary DNA to become entrepreneurs or migratory labour.

Wake Up, Or Suffer

Something about the system is not working, because opportunities are not being created. China has created over 100 million manufacturing jobs in the last few decades and has pulled some of its populace out of poverty. We have nothing to show in comparison. Except more stock-option blessed riches in urban India. And the occasional vanilla farming jackpot.

I have argued this before as well. Politicians can be trusted to come up with some pretty unimaginative responses. The rest of us unfortunately pay the price. Either by being denied seats or facing some other fall-out. To that extent, the problem is all of ours. Particularly all students. Because its you who will suffer the most. And you better wake up. Instead of watching with equanimity.

Why Are The Doctors Protesting, Alone ?

2006-05-13T12:18:00.000+05:30

I don't get it. Until a few weeks ago, I thought the additional 27% reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBC) affected a whole lot more folks. Someone posted a comment cum link on my blog seeking support for an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) student initiated effort protesting against Arjun Singh's quota capers. Many Indian Institute of Management (IIM) students (or were they former) too made noises.

And yet, the only people protesting the hardest seem to be the doctors. Whose being on the streets unfortunately has the maximum impact on the people they are suppposed to serve, typically poor patients needing medical attention. Often urgent. And they look like the villians in the story.

That has not stopped them. Medical students from West Bengal and Bihar to Delhi and Mumbai, they are uniting to take on the government. Even Mangalore ! And the momentum only seems to be gaining. Students are talking of stepping up their efforts and creating a nationwide movement.

Amazing Rallying Powers

The medicos seem to be united regardless of their backgrounds. I quote one, from the DNA newspaper.."Dr Rudra who finished his internship at KEM medical college last year and belongs to the OBC caste said, “All students have realised that reservation is a game of votes. I belong to an OBC caste and I don’t need reservations. Reservations should be based on economic basis. My friends, who are also OBC’s, have also come out to protest.”

But the OBC problem affects a lot more people. The government wants to make the 27 per cent OBC reservation in 20 central universities, the IITs, IIMs and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The total quota will then stand at 49.5 per cent. And its the medicos who are hitting the streets all over the country.

As amazed as I am with the medical student fraternity's ability to organise and mass-rally, I continue to be a little puzzled as to the reason for the silence on the part of the other constituencies. The doctors and interns have more to lose than engineers and management graduates, unfortunately. Public ire will not turn against a IIM grad for hitting the streets. It will against doctors for staying away from work. The doctors are in a dangerous Catch 22 here.

Dr P Makes A Point

And as I wonder, I have one solid response from Dr P, a doctor based, lets say, in north India. He is pretty upset about the OBC issue. Though he has been corresponding with me on, other, professional issues. I put the same question to him and I reproduce his response which I received a few hours ago.

"Anyway, coming to a very pertinent question that you have raised here. As a doctor (and exam appearing), I have full reason to be circumspect. The majority of the seats are competitive and the pass percentage is FAR less than what is needed for IIT's or other Regional Colleges.

Hence there is more competition. I am told that most of the students do manage to get in Engineering. Look at this way too. With the proliferation of the colleges in South (Karnataka/ Tamil Nadu), it is easier to get a donation seat cheaper than Medicine. The similar donation runs in couple of lakhs for Medicine/ Surgery or any other branch."

The Lure Of Money

"Further, most of the Engineers opt for MBA. Which is easier for them. Making a career switch for Medicine is difficult. For the same reason, I opted out of IAS preprations. I'd rather work in a hospital (and preferably in a teaching institue) than push files.

This could be one reason. From this session onwards, one of my juniors, paid 48 lakhs in XXXX, Chennai for a M.D. General Medicine seat. One of the other juniours paid roughly Rs 25+ in YYYY, Tamil Nadu. Hence, the competitive pressures to get the sarkari funded seats is high. Where the fees is subsidised."

I can empathise with what Dr P is saying. And that makes me wonder whether simple demand-supply economics is what is keeping the engineers and management graduates silent. Make a noise but only to the extent that your life could really be affected. After all, you have Plan A, Plan B etc. Nothing wrong in that. Most of us have our lives to lead, including journalists !

Smart as they are, I don't expect a first year IIM graduate to descend to Jantar Mantar in the scorching Delhi heat. Protests unfortunately have to be held in the middle of the day, when temperatures could touch 45 degrees. Especially, when summer means a month spent poring over bill receivables in Citibank ! Or, maybe more dramatic like structuring Alipine convertibles in Goldman Sach's Zurich office. Okay, no more bitching !

Here's The Math

Back to Dr P. Where he reminds us of same basic numbers. "Privatisation of health care delivery has adversely affected the rural health care. If someone has "invested" a particular sum to "educate" himself through the specialisation (which again makes no sense for a developing country like India), he would want to re coup his "investments". It is a no brainer."

Dr P concludes by making an interesting point, about doctors leading revolutions..yes, Dr A, you did remind me, for a brief moment, of another doctor who abandoned his comfortable existence decades ago in south America to become one..yes, I refer to Che Guevera. Anyway, to return to Dr A, before one gets carried away on an uncharted idealistic journey.

"This remains my point of view. Let's take it this way. Doctors have been at the forefront of "revolutions". Till the time, there is radicalisation of the "movement", nothing would happen. I am studying and waiting for the oppurtune time. I wouldn't want to see a repeat of Mandal 1 where immolations had become fashionable. Mere "democratic forms of protest" like rallies isn't going to work. Strikes would. Unless they come in with ESMA. The future looks bleak."

Let me admit that apart from a friend or two, my association with the medical fraternity is restricted to meeting them when in dire need of medical assistance. So, I have no special love for them. And I am quite amazed at the sincerity with which some of them have been hitting out at the government over the OBC issue. And the revolutionary fervour..to take Dr P's point a step forward.

This War Will Not Be Fought In Cyber Space Or Through SMSs, It Will Be Fought On The Streets

Let me pick up a quote from Jam TV, a part of Jam Magazine. This interview was recorded this afternoon in Bombay following another round of protests in Azad Maidan. The protests met with a unusually brutal, almost pre-meditated response from the police.

The doctor/medical student being interviewed here says, "There is no point in discussing reservation in drawing rooms. These people don't understand this language. This battle will not be fought in cyber space, through SMSs or on mobile phones. It will be fought on the streets. Our time is precious too. We have to come out now and fight this..." I am moved, fellow bloggers ?

Indians Spin Textile Story in Shaoxing, China !

2006-05-10T13:42:00.000+05:30

Neeraj claims the first three months in China were torture. "I couldn't understand a word. I thought I made a mistake by coming here," he says passing around cups of Indian tea in his office cum guest house. Neeraj is a textile trader based in the bustling city of Shaoxing. The apartment is packed with fabric samples on hangers. "And then," he says, "it began making sense." Evidently, as he asks the cook to include dal in the menu for lunch, in fluent Chinese.

Neeraj is one of some 1,200 Indians living and working in Shaoxing, located three hours south of Shanghai and on the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta. Shaoxing is popularly known as the textile capital of China and even Asia. What its perhaps not popularly known is the fact that it has highest concentration of Indians for any city or town in China, more than Beijing and Shanghai combined.

Like Neeraj, most of the Indians here in Shaoxing (also known as the wine city) are textile traders. And yet, very few actually have come from India. Instead, in a fascinating tale of economic migration, they’ve been drawn over the last five years from Dubai, Hong Kong, Taiwan and even South Korea. Following the manufacturing trail, so to speak. And the Chinese miracle of scale and costs.

India One Of Many Markets

Sitting in Shaoxing, Neeraj and his associates source and supply mostly wholesale fabric to markets world over over, including the Middle East, Africa, Iran, Iraq and East Europe. India for them is one of many markets. And they seem to be working all the time. Its a Sunday afternoon and two Indians from his Dubai office are in the midst of animated phone calls.

Precise figures are hard to come by. But five years ago, the Indian trading community used to export around 200 containers every month, half to India. Today, the community exports more than 3,000 containers a month. At an average of $30,000 per container, its more than a $1bn worth of business. The margins are wafer thin though. The Indian traders’ share of exports to India has been rising as well, to around 700 to 800 containers per month today.

Most of Shaoxing's Indian traders started small. Neeraj hails from Byas, Punjab. In 1992, after studying for a ITI diploma in airconditioning & refrigeration, he left for for Dubai. "I was the first passport holder in the family," he says. In Dubai, he worked for a textile company (his diploma didn't take him far) and did mostly odd jobs including sweeping up at the end of the day. And then he began learning the trade.

"Overheads Up, Business Down"

Along the way, he set up his own trading firm, sourcing fabric from Taiwan, and South Korea and supplying it to the rest of the middle east. Till manufacturing began moving to China. "We had to come here, he says," referring to his three brothers - his parents are Radhaswamy Satsang disciples and wish no connection with their sons' textile business.

The dapper Radhu Phulwani began in Dubai too, but a good decade earlier. He was the third Indian to settle in Shaoxing, in 1999. "In Dubai, our overheads were increasing and business decreasing," he says. Phulwani came to China first in 1987 and recalls visiting the country some 50 times before finally settling down. "I saw the decline of the Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese textile markets and the rise of China."

Phulwani says in the beginning, he would export around 50 containers a month. Today, he does almost 100. Of these around 10 head for India. Phulwani also tried setting up base back home. "The bureacuracy was too much," he says. He has an office in Mumbai, but he only visits it. A younger brother from Dubai is here more often. So, like many others, he is trying to make himself feel at home here, in Shaoxing.

Indian Curry In China

That's getting easier. There are four Indian restaurants and two grocery shops, started by the members of the traders’ community, probably wanting to diversify. And there is a Shaoxing Indian Business Association as well. Phulwani happens to be the President of this association. He points out that associations are not permitted in China, particularly ones with religious affiliations. This one exists `unofficially’with official knowledge, he says.

What does the future portend for the Indian trading community ? Will they migrate again ? Neeraj is not so sure. "There are six or seven people in the chain now. It has to come down. While business relationships will matter, it will not be easy, he admits. He wants to set up shop in Delhi, maybe trade in other commodities as well. He asks this correspondent’s companion, an Indian fabric importer, for some advice. "We are already doing some copper exports," he says.

Phulwani is more optimistic. "As long as the textile business does well, I am here. Ten years, fifteen years, lets see. China is growing," he says. Moreover, he says, there are no hassles of doing business here. "They treat us well, they respect us, there is no corruption." In the meawhile, when he is not working, he is keeping himself busy with the Assocation. "We have a lot of get togethers for festivals. But these are social gatherings, not religious," he insists.

(This article appeared in Business Standard on May 10)

India's 21-Day Disadvantage

2006-05-05T16:18:00.000+05:30

The conference room has a busy, workman’s look about it, with a long table in the centre. Around, on the two of the walls hang shirts with premium labels; Abercrombie & Fitch, Nordstrom, Tommy Hilfiger & Hugo Boss. Through the large, sealed window, is the familiar Shanghai sprawl of skyscrapers stretching across. Its raining outside.

We are in the China sales offices of the $500 million Esquel, a Hong Kong headquartered shirt maker, among the world's largest. Rebecca (name changed), a young merchandiser of Taiwanese origin, is taking my friend Vijay through a corporate presentation. She mentions, by the way, that her founder, Marjorie Yang was voted one of the most powerful women business leaders in the world by Fortune. Yang is also MIT and Harvard educated.

The next slide is on Esquel's production (60 million shirts) facilities. I notice their largest manufacturing plant is in Gaoming, near Guangzhou on the east coast. The plant employs some 21,000 workers. The rest are in Malaysia, Vietnam, Mauritus and even Sri Lanka. "I can understand they are big in China but how come they are not in India ?" I ask Vijay who wants to import Esquel's yarn-dyed (a speciality) fabric for Indian garment makers.

Compounded Delays

The next day we visit Syed, a GAP Inc `converter' or fabric sourcer, in another Shanghai office block. Right next to one of the city's six elevated roads. Translated, its a 14 km, six-lane flyover that runs above the city. Syed hails, +interestingly, from one-time textile city Davangere in Karnataka. Trained as an engineer, he went to Dubai 14 years ago but wandered into textiles and fabrics.

Syed says only 20 per cent of his fabric consignments head for India. The rest go all over the region, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. "Why is India not a bigger buyer, particularly in this post quota world ?," I ask him. Syed takes a pen and paper. "We work mostly with the big brands. Their lead times are small and orders big. And a garment manufacturer in India will find it tough. Assuming he has the capacity," he says.

Why is that ? I ask. "Compounded delays," says Syed. A consignment of fabric can take upto 25 days to reach the manufacturer in India, particularly in Mumbai or Delhi, compared to 15 in Sri Lanka. Customs clearance can be tricky. It might be three days in Chennai but upwards of 10 days in Mumbai. Depending on whether you have a full container or not. And then comes the long march; negotiating inter state barriers, octroi check points and bad roads.

Lost Opportunity

Moreover, Syed says the containers don't come straight to India. Mostly they are trans-shipped (transferred from one vessel to another) in Singapore or Colombo. Like I was on my Singapore Airlines flight back to Mumbai. "But why Colombo ?" I ask. "Well, they have a bigger and more efficient port, he explains. Anyway, that's another two-three days lost. And additional costs.And it's the same story on the outbound, though time at customs is less.

So that's one reason companies like Esquel are in Colombo and not in India. And Syed is exporting there. Customs clearance is brisk both ways, the garment factories are close by and labour, like the rest of the region, is cheap. Not to mention flexible. "But we are managing, aren't we ?" I ask Syed, thinking of all the IPO-fuelled expansion plans of the Indian garment makers.

"Of course," he replies. But then it is about the opportunity lost. China exports almost ten times as much garments as India. But lost opportunity is only part of the problem. Says Syed, "You have to remember the supply chain is always getting shorter and tighter." Deliveries are usually expected with 120 to 150 days of placing an order. Sometimes less. Depending upon the kind of fabric and whether its in stock. And the order size.

Logistics Challenge

Syed says that increasingly, big brands in the US and Europe are creating `fast track' segments. Like demanding that 15 per cent of the total order must be delivered within 60 days. "That's not possible for an Indian garment maker to match, even with locally sourced fabric." Though a garment maker based out of Sri Lanka could potentially deliver, he says.

As we leave Syed's office and proceed for an Indian lunch, I collect my thoughts. An Indian garment exporter will almost always be at a 15 to 21-day logistics disadvantage. Come to think of it, it's the same reason Intel has to think so much before investing in an Indian chip fab. Its one thing to invest for local growth. Another to create a cog in a smoothly turning global supply chain wheel.

A multi-location garment maker, like Esquel, will hesitate to put India on its global manufacturing map. Not surprisingly, there is little or no Foreign Direct Investment in this sector. And thus more jobs. As long as it takes weeks to clear customs and days to transport the product from the ports to the factories. So, the bad news is that customs and procedures are one of the key causes for the delays. That's the good news as well. Revamping should be simpler than building infrastructure.

(This article appeared in Business Standard on 2 May)

Suryanarayana & Other Fearless Indians

2006-05-01T23:06:00.000+05:30

Two years ago, at a technology seminar in Bangalore, I got talking to a telecom engineer in his 40s. He worked with one of the bigger private telecom companies and was responsible for building and maintaining their fixed line infrastructure. As I look back, I would say he looked like a homely, south Indian man of the house, with a soft-spoken and gentle demeanour.

The kind of man who would work hard and well until 6 pm and then go home to his extended family in a house possibly built by his father or grand father in Malleswaram, the older part of Bangalore. And so we spoke, of the challenges of telecom infrastructure and the opportunities that were opening up. And the competition.

Then I asked him where he had worked before his present job. I presumed he had worked with a state-owned telecom company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam. I was right, he had. But then he said he was away in Africa for a couple of years before returning to his present job. Where was that, I asked, mildly. “Somalia,” he answered, with a sheepish smile.

Black Hawk Down

“What in the blazes was he doing there ?” I asked, visions of Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu fresh in my mind. “Well, laying a cellular phone network,” he said. “For whom,” I asked. “For one of the territories, under the control of one of the warlords.” This was amazing. I asked him whether it was simple as he made it sound. You know, rise in the morning, read papers, brush, have tea, shave, quick breakfast and off for work. “Well, not exactly,” he said.

He explained that you couldn’t be walking around on your own, you usually had the guards with you. Of course they belonged to the warlord your cellphone company owed allegiance to. “So you were walking around Somalia with gun-toting guards erecting cellphone towers ?” I asked. “Well, you could put it like that,” he said, as we sipped our coffee in the sedate ballroom of the Taj Westend in Bangalore. Somalia I discovered later had six cell phone companies and a state-of-the-art network.

Reading about the beheaded K Suryanarayana, I was reminded of my meeting with the telecom engineer, who I shall not name. Both seem similar in disposition. Suryanarayana actually quit a job at the privately owned Tata Teleservices to take up this assignment in the Middle East. Which in turn got him to Afghanistan. Where he was working on a longish assignment. One that was doomed to never return from.

Risk Vs Rewards

Its not that both these telecom engineers were not aware of the risks of working in these places. The money was obviously good, but not work risking death. And yet they were. They couldn’t be more middle class than you can get, with families. Though, reports allege Suryanarayana had more one than one family to look after. Be that as it may, the prospect of not returning home was high. Or in their god-fearing outlook of life, death wouldn't visit them unless fate commanded it. Wherever in the world.

I asked the Bangalore telecom engineer what made him take up the Somalia assignment. He said he wanted a project challenge. And somehow did not place too much emphasis on the risks that came with it. He sounded embarassed about it. I couldn't figure this one. I concluded, partly, that as always, India had failed its aspiring populace. Some aspired for money, some for challenges, some for sheer excitement of seeing the world. Their government jobs were deadening and numbing. Of course, for others, it was bliss.

So they moved out. The sad bit I thought was that they never would get a hero's welcome when they returned. Because they were not heroes in the taditional sense. And they were not exactly fighting for the flag. They would be treated with the same disdain most returning Indians are treated with, at the immigration counter. They wouldn’t mind either, waiting only to get to their homes, sometimes far away from the cities where they landed. This was just another job. Except for A Suryanarayana. Who never came back.

'These BMWs Look Abandoned'

2006-04-29T11:54:00.000+05:30

The weather in Shanghai is pleasant, mostly between 13 and 20 degrees celsius. And its great to walk around, particularly if most of what you are doing is in one part of the city. At one junction, after seeing our nth street-corner parked BMW, my friend remarked, "The way these BMWs are lying here, it looks like people have abandoned them."

Actually that's true. The number of BMWs, Audis and Mercedes cars on the road are just staggering. Remember, this is a communist country that espoused equality not too long ago. Not to mention Volkswagen Passalts. The most common car is the Volkswagen Santana. Most of the taxis here are Santanas as well.

The interesting thing is that it was not just me and my friend who gazed in amazement at another BMW 5 series that whizzed past on a busy Shanghi intersection. Our Taiwanese-Chinese associate Lee seemed to concur. "That car will cost at least a million RMB (1 RMB = Rs 6 approx)," he would say, as an Audi A8 would slow down in front of us. Or, "That one will be 1.2 million RMB," he would point at Mercedes S 350.

I Can't Figure It Out !

Lee lives in downtown Shanghai in a office cum apartment and faces one of the two major elevated roads in Shanghai - translated, a flyover that runs all around and through the city. Lee says despite knowing of all the opportunities, he himself is amazed by the amount of money people have made here. "I just can't figure it sometimes, actually most of the times," he says.

China does not have much of a stock market so this is real money then ? Yes, both my friends think so. For the early settlers, including Indian traders, China has been like a gold mine. The sheer manufacturing and production opportunities have created thousands of entrepreneurs who in turn have created maybe millions of prosperous young Chinese, who working in these very enterprises or deal with them. Like Lee.

And there are the other, state funded opportunities. The massive public cum private infrastructure spend is a strong GDP kicker. China is adding expressways like there is no tommorrow. And realtors are erecting skyscrapers like they are going out of fashion. Indeed the first thing that hits you as you enter Shanghai are the umpteen skyscrapers. "When did they build this ?" you wonder.

Living In Balance

Yet, mega cities like Shanghai live in balance. Because the transition is still on. On the way to an industrial estate on the outskirsts of the city, we drive past the equivalent of an urban slum. Brick houses with `Mangalore' tiles and narrow roads with people walking briskly, dodging cyclists. And little shop cum garages with old men frying dumplings in large cauldrons. And people standing around, buying, eating. Like the guy you might buy samosas from back home.

And there is urban poverty too. Step out of the ornate Peace Hotel and you are accosted by beggars. Ditto with Bar Street in Beijing as I discovered during my last visit. Foreigners are preferred. Despite the trappings of a somewhat tough state, beggars survive. Its pretty clear that they can be dispatched, if the authorities really wanted. Perhaps that's China's own way of reminding itself of the task ahead. And being fair. And while the BMWs and Audis may multiply, so will the beggars. Unless the growth miracle truly envelops everyone.

China: A New Story Of Balance..The Bar Rouge View !

2006-04-24T13:50:00.000+05:30

Isn't The View Spectacular ? (Travel Site Photo !)

Green & Clean Neighbourhood, Our Apartment Complex In Downtown Shanghai

From the open deck of the top floor Bar Rouge in downtown Shanghai facing the busy Huangpu River and the glittering Pudong skyline across, you realise, once again, the relentless pace with which China is growing. This breathtaking image combines everything, China's strategy, the vision and the hard work that will take it there. Except that there seems to be a greater than ever effort to balance growth and the environment.

Driving out of Pudong International Airport three days ago, I saw the new airport terminal coming up. As structures go, its futuristic, as scale, gigantic. And seems to stretch for ever. What you can see now only is the superstructure, which will be ready by 2010. By then, Pudong, along with this terminal, will have five runways and should handle 80 million passengers.

The older Hongquiao airport, which is closer to the center of Shanghai, itself will have two runways and will be able to handle 30 million passengers - just in case you wanted to compare Bombay's struggling old airport with one runway and the proposed new airport (for the last two decades ?)

Metro As Well

And yes, for the metro and train lovers, a new 13-line rail network with 512 km of lines is coming up. Yes, there is a larger objective, the 2010 World Expo. And there is another larger target, making Shanghai a global hub for business, trade and commerce. Looking out on to the ships and boats sailing purposefully past on the river, it looks like all this will happen.

Right where we are standing, braving chilly winds, a 2,000 yard stretch of the waterfront is being redeveloped. Also coming up somewhere here is a modern passenger ship terminal (so its not only about airports and fast trains) and of course the world's fastest commercial train service.

The high speed magnetic levitation line from Shanghai's Pudong airport will be extended to Hangzhou, 100 miles south. The mag lev runs only 30 km or so now and serves as an exhibit of sorts. Even so, its not often that you can travel at 430 kmph, stay on the ground and survive to tell the tale. Its a dizzying run to say the least.

Maintaining Balance ?

And for all the scorching construction and development, the city of Shanghai and its neighbourhood seems to trying to maintain a balance with the environment. Shanghai already has 4,000 skyscrapers, 2,000 more than New York. Another 1,000 are coming up. And yet, the apartment complexes, including the one we are staying are well laid out with greenery. And the air never seems polluted.

Even the Shanghai-Hangzhou expressway is lined with beautifully landscaped trees. In other industrial zones like Huzou, armies of workers are putting up thousands of transplanted trees along the main thoroughfares. Having noticed the same raw infrastructure to polish transition in cities like Shenzhen today, one thing is clear. Some lessons have been learnt somewhere. Almost quickly as the mistakes began piling up. The story of China is as much today of balance with the environment as it was of reckless growth.

As the music throbs inside the cozier confines of Bar Rouge (with a cover charge so ridiculous it can't be printed here) the brilliant lights illuminating the buildings around us begin to power down. Including at the space needle like TV tower across. Lights are out at 10.30 pm. But life on the 8th floor of Bund 18 is just begun stirring. Not a table can be had and the DJ seems to have just begun. Like the rest of the People's Republic of China, he's just warming up.

Why Did Aamir Khan Swing For Narmada ?

2006-04-18T14:00:00.000+05:30

He is not the first celebrity to do so. But he’s turned out to be the most radical, activist Bollywood filmstar by far, all in day's time..at least as far as my memory serves me.

The reasons why he would back the Narmada Bachao Aandolan
could be several. Ranging from the fact that a cousin associated with the movement influenced him to the fact that he was in and out of the Kutch for six months whilst the shooting of Lagaan.

Lets assume all that contributed significantly. Still, why join the protestors in the manner he did ? Why become a face for the movement ? Knowing well there could be consequences that may not be the most desirable.

Dammed If You Do..

To his credit, he did not buckle to the mob frenzy that followed his signing up a few days ago. Instead, he calmly called the attention of all and sundry and asked if these were really the politicians and political parties they wanted to be led by ? He even accused the political parties of trying to bully him.

There are those who debate whether the dam should have come up in the first place and others who debate on the end-use for the water that will get diverted or..dammed. And then there are the rest who are debating the resettlement of those displaced by the dam. Some 300,000 people would have been displaced as per the original roll call it appears.

Lets focus on the last angle. Going by reports, some 35,000 families are still to be accounted for. The governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madha Pradesh (the Narmada flows through all states) individually and collectively have not been able to find land to accommodate these people, at least in their own books. The option, it appears, could be to buy the land from farmers, probably rich ones. No government will do that easily, particularly when the rich farmers represent a strong lobby of their own.

The Mighty Narmada Project

Couple of asides. First, there are 29 major, 1,335 medium and 3,000 minor projects proposed with the objective of irrigating 27.55 lakh hectares of land and power generation of 3,000 MW. Of which 11 are close to completion. Of which the Sardar Sarovar Project and the Narmada Sagar Project are the big guys. These are the dams which will obviously create the maximum impact and displacement as the waters rise.

An aside, why is the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam (163 metres on completion) a key point in the controversy ? Simply because the higher it goes (present target to raise from 110 m to 121.92 m) the larger the water body becomes and the more the people that get displaced. Seen from the other side, a dam’s efficacy as a source of power generation is perhaps better as the water levels rise and the pressure increases. I am not an expert on dams. I have visited a couple though and reckon I understand the basic principles at work.

Now, my first question is why are the displaced people nobody’s problem ? As in, why does it take an Aamir Khan to step in and argue for their rights ? Or for the rest of the world to wake up when he does ? Clearly, if tribals are being evicted from land they’ve tilled and lived on for decades if not centuries, they deserve a better deal.

Whose Problem Are They ?

There are slums that came up a few years ago in Bandra (Mumbai) where I live and they sit there defiantly like they’ve always owned the land. And they’ve not. This is public property. And guess what, the politicians rush in to protect them at the slightest threat of eviction. Let me name a few. The late Sunil Dutt, the present Baba Siddqui (local MLA) among others.

Anyway, no one seems to care for the displaced thousands in Gujarat. Except of course Medha Patkar. Who does not quite grab the attention of an increasingly liberal, market-economy driven media - yes, this writer is part of it. So, either these folks can’t vote or their number is finite. Or even if they do, there is something beyond that matters more. Something is not adding up from the politician’s point of view. What precisely I would like to understand.

Medha Patkar and friends have agitated against the very concept of a dam. I am not very sure about that. My pro-development, right leaning, marketised conditioning forces me to disagree in principle. Maybe its time to have a relook and a rethink. At least so that one understands both sides. The Bhakra Nangal dam is being revisited. A three-year study of the dam and its impact on environment by Sripad Dharmadhikary has come up with some startling conclusions. Including that the dam didn’t do a fat lot of good.

Not Screaming Headlines

This report came a year ago. For obvious and not so obvious reasons, it didn’t make screaming headlines. Though it was reported on. Yes, it wasn't the subject of live and continuous coverage on national telly. At least from what I can remember. Am not debating the merit of that. Except that it slipped under the broad radar. While our school text books will continue to gush about Nehru’s temples of modern India, I now think it is only fair to mention the dissenting note as well.

To return to Aamir Khan. If I were him and you were me or him, having heard about the Narmada Bachao Andolan, maybe we would try and look at the facts as they are. And not the mass media representation of them or the lack of it.

Why does Aamir react so ? Well, he has his own reasons, I know some. They are not relevant here. The fact is that he does charge media for not doing its job. Let me quote him directly here (The Telegraph, April 9)Its partly out of context, but only partly, because he speaks about Medha Patkar here.

The problem, according to the actor, is that information on what is happening across the country and how to intervene are not readily available because of the media’s obsession with fashion and glamour.

“It is obscene, this obsession with fashion and film stars. I want to know what happened in Assam, students were fired at by the police. And I have to ask around. The newspapers don’t tell me that. They are busy writing about some fashion event,” he said. “I’m not saying that they shouldn’t do that, but isn’t their main job to inform and educate?” the actor signed off.

Do We See Things Similarly ?

So lets assume for a moment Aamir has no hidden agenda. And is not using this to `get back' at media which he well could and might. And we see things similarly. Do you see what I see ? Someone is not getting a good deal. For no fault of theirs, except that they lived in a certain place. Rather, an extremely raw one. I am still talking about displaced people. So we may want to examine the facts a little more closely. As the Supreme Court did. And then draw our own conclusions. Like the Supreme Court did. That’s what I think Aamir did. And that’s why I think he landed up next to Medha Patkar. What do you think ?

Shame On Bangalore

2006-04-13T14:30:00.000+05:30

This writer usually takes up for Bangalore and its citizens. For their determination, grit and perseverance. A city which is now on the itinerary of just about every head of state. And of course anyone to do with information technology.

Yet, its the same city where thousands of youth, among others have taken to the streets following actor Raj Kumar's demise. Pictures of mob violence are streaming in. The contrast between the engineers working in glass towers on cutting edge technology projects and the mayhem on the streets couldn't be starker. At last count, four people including a policeman were dead. The policeman was killed by mob.

The 77-year-old Rajkumar gave up acting almost a decade ago. Its tough to believe that the youth pelting stones at policemen across the city today watched too many of his films, if any. None of the television images showed them to be grieving. Instead their faces showed the thrill one usually associates with the satisfaction of inflicting damage on the establishment. Many were performing for the cameras,leaping with joy.

Shut Down Or Else..

Major IT companies including Microsoft, Infosys and Wipro have shut down their offices. Not really out of choice, considering that the option would be to see their beautiful campuses wrecked or the glass facades shattered. That happened anyway. The government is leading with a two-day state holiday that began yesterday.

Rajkumar was a giant in Kannada cinema. His career spanned almost five decades. He was a receipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke and Padma Bhushan awards and the Karnataka Ratna, the state's highest civilian award. He also won 10 Filmfare awards and recorded his loyalty to the Kannada language by not acting in films made in other languages.

His stature does not explain the burning of buses, cars and tires though. Or the beating up and killing of policemen. Mobs went on a similar rampage six years ago when the actor was kidnapped by sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. There is nothing wrong with mourning. Except that it must be voluntary and not forced. To that extent, Bangalore's mobs have proved to be no different from Shiv Sena in Bombay or the communist party cadre in West Bengal.

Poor Showing

Two points emerge. One is that the the city of Bangalore was not sufficiently prepared for the fury. As was evident by the small groups of policemen cornered by the mobs. Nor was it prepared for the sheer frustration that boils beneath. And explodes on ocassions like this. The (mostly) young men running about on the streets don't look like they work for BPO companies. Or IT firms. Many may not have jobs at all. And this is an outlet for venting their frustration. And getting away with it. Mob fury in India can achieve almost anything, without facing the consequences. Recent history has amply demonstrated this.

The second (related) point is to do with the country's image. Bangalore is India to most of the world. And rightly so. This story has already been splashed across world media. Few will note the death of Rajkumar. Most would remember that India's IT capital has been held hostage for two days. In a flat world era with processes being outsourced real time, this is not a healthy proposition. This is not a natural calamity.

Cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, among others, will have to be better prepared to deal with such contingencies in future. Because the knowledge industry depends on people moving, not machine parts. This cannot be an Infosys, TCS or a Wipro problem. State governments must work doubly hard to understand and contain their citizens.