Is the nation in a coma?
Europeans believe that Indian leaders are too blinded by new wealth and deceit
to comprehend that the day will come when the have-nots will hit the streets.
MOHAN MARUTI--INDIA
A few days ago I was in a panel discussion on mergers and acquisitions in
Frankfurt, Germany, organised by Euroforum and The Handelsblatt, one of the
most prestigious newspapers in German-speaking Europe.
The other panelists were senior officials of two of the largest carmakers and
two top insurance companies — all German multinationals operating in India.
The panel discussion was moderated by a professor from the esteemed European
Business School. The hall had an audience that exceeded a hundred well-known
European CEOs. I was the only Indian.
After the panel discussion, the floor was open for questions. That was when my
“moment of truth” turned into an hour of shame & embarrassment — when the
participants fired questions and made remarks on their experiences with the
evil of corruption in India.
The awkwardness and humiliation I went through reminded of The Moment of Truth,
the popular Anglo-American game. The more questions I answered truthfully, the
more the questions got tougher. Tougher, here means more embarrassing.
European disquiet
Questions ranged from “Is your nation in a coma?”, the corruption in
administration, even in judiciary, the possible impeachment of a judge, the 2G
telecom scam and to the money in billions, parked illegally in tax havens.
It is a fact that the problem of corruption in India has assumed enormous and
embarrassing proportions in recent years, although it has been with us for
decades. The questions and the debate that followed in the panel discussion was
indicative of the European disquiet. At the end of the Q&A session, I surmised
Europeans perceive India to be at one of those junctures where tripping over
the precipice cannot be ruled out.
Let me substantiate this further with what the European media has to say in
recent days.
In a popular prime-time television discussion in Germany, the panelist, a
member of the German Parliament quoting a blog said: “If all the scams of the
last five years are added up, they are likely to rival and exceed the British
colonial loot of India of about a trillion dollars.”
Banana Republic
One German business daily which wrote an editorial on India said: “India is
becoming a Banana Republic instead of being an economic superpower. To get the
cut motion designated out, assurances are made to political allays. Special
treatment is promised at the expense of the people. So, Ms Mayawati who is
Chief Minister of the most densely inhabited state, is calmed when an
intelligence agency probe is scrapped. The multi-million dollars fodder scam by
another former chief minister wielding enormous power is put in cold storage.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chairs over this kind of unparalleled loot.”
An article in a French newspaper titled “Playing the Game, Indian Style” wrote:
“Investigations into the shadowy financial deals of the Indian cricket league
have revealed a web of transactions across tax havens like Switzerland, the
Virgin Islands, Mauritius and Cyprus.” In the same article, the name of one
Hassan Ali of Pune is mentioned as operating with his wife a one-billion-dollar
illegal Swiss account with “sanction of the Indian regime”.
A third story narrated in the damaging article is that of the former chief
minister of Jharkhand, Madhu Koda, who was reported to have funds in various
tax havens that were partly used to buy mines in Liberia. “Unfortunately, the
Indian public do not know the status of that enquiry,” the article concluded.
“In the nastiest business scam in Indian records (Satyam) the government
adroitly covered up the political aspects of the swindle — predominantly
involving real estate,” wrote an Austrian newspaper. “If the Indian Prime
Minister knows nothing about these scandals, he is ignorant of ground realities
and does not deserve to be Prime Minister. If he does, is he a collaborator in
crime?”
The Telegraph of the UK reported the 2G scam saying: “Naturally, India's
elephantine legal system will ensure culpability, is delayed.”
Blinded by wealth
This seems true. In the European mind, caricature of a typical Indian
encompasses qualities of falsification, telling lies, being fraudulent,
dishonest, corrupt, arrogant, boastful, speaking loudly and bothering others in
public places or, while travelling, swindling when the slightest of opportunity
arises and spreading rumours about others. The list is truly incessant.
My(MOHAN'S) father, who is 81 years old, is utterly frustrated, shocked and
disgruntled with whatever is happening and said in a recent discussion that our
country's motto should truly be CHANGED TO Asatyameva Jayete.
Europeans believe that Indian leaders in politics and business are so
blissfully blinded by the new, sometimes ill-gotten, wealth and deceit that
they are living in defiance, insolence and denial to comprehend that the day
will come, sooner than later, when the have-nots would hit the streets.
In a way, it seems to have already started with the monstrous and grotesque
acts of the Maoists. And, when that rot occurs, not one political turncoat will
escape being lynched.
The drumbeats for these rebellions are going to get louder and louder as our
leaders refuse to listen to the voices of the people. Eventually, it will lead
to a revolution that will spill to streets across the whole of India, I fear.
Perhaps we are the architects of our own misfortune. It is our sab chalta hai
(everything goes) attitude that has allowed people to mislead us with impunity.
No wonder Aesop said. “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to
high office.”
(The author is former Europe Director, CII, and lives in Cologne, Germany.)
