TATA TIMES
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men......
Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;
( from ‘Hollow men’ by T S Eliot )
Today the concerns of the Nation are several—rising food prices, widespread corruption, cash for ‘confidence vote’ in Parliament, violent posturing by Maoists, farmers in peril, jpc probe . The majority of the people are preoccupied with some thoughts based on the above problems , challenges. But; our most respected industrial house thinks otherwise. These days the most prominent subject on its agenda is right to privacy. I am therefore in predicament about Tatas harping on the right to privacy bill; an important bill in a democracy but certainly an insignificant one compared to the problems in hand. The cry of Tatas for matters of privacy is like a scar on a face compared to the gravity of the current crisis which is like a terminal disease. This perhaps is the difference between a capitalist’s and common man’s minds. And Tatas did make headway in their prime concern! As recently there was a news item in the Asian Age newspaper which stated that the approval to ‘Tap’ phones will now be accorded by the Secretary level officer in Enforcement Directorate and DRI ( Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) . This change in policy was prompted by the complaint of Tatas regarding leak in the Nira Radia tapes, exposing the nexus among Industrialists- Lobbyists—Journalists –Politician etc in order to appoint favourable MP as a Minister of their choice to gain Telecom mileage.
When we were young the corporate culture was restricted to metropolitan cities and was in its infancy, computer was remotely known and Business studies were limited. The only capitalists/industrialists we heard of and read in the newspapers was that of Tatas and Birlas. At that time it was perceived that Birlas were close to the Congress and that was why the primitive vehicle; the Ambassador was the official Indian car. Despite the ideals of Socialism prevailing in University Campus there was a certain respect for Tatas for the contributions in the field of Steel and Automobiles. The face of JRD was the only corporate face respected, it is learnt that Nehru liked him too but not his ideology on economic matters. It was widely believed that Tatas did not deal in bribes and the entire Empire was made on the strength of hard work, farsightedness and luck!
The recent happenings exposing the most respectable faces of Indian public life have made me numb and compelled to reconsider my stand in public life. Is corruption an essential ingredient for progress ? Is Gandhian Dictumof ‘pure means for noble ends’ all nonsense and the Machiavellian Dictum that ‘the end justifies the means’ is all pervasive? It is now common knowledge that Industrial houses have close links with the bureaucrats and ministers and in fact they nurture them. Tatas have always been propagating that they never give bribes and we were pleased to know that one could create wealth on the basis of honesty and fair-play. Indeed, with the revelations many young minds will be shaken.
Ironically only a few days prior to the exposure of Radia tapes Mr Ratan Tata had mentioned that he was asked to give a bribe of 15 crores to a Minister to get cleared his Airline Operations proposal. However with the Radia tapes in public domain even Tatas have turned ordinary and have succumbed to the usual flaw.
We now do not need any special investigation agency to establish that Nira Radia the Head of Vaishnavi communications was employed by Ratan Tata to seek favour from the Telecom Minister. If merit alone was the criterion then why a Lobbyist was employed ? Such favours are normally done in exchange of monetary gains and therefore it can be concluded that Tatas have also given bribes indirectly to obtain favours. The times are uncertain for us and as i file this article the latest issue of ‘Outlook’ states that Tatas received favours from Shri Arun Shourie in the sale of VSNL which was sold for a ‘song’.
The fire in the ‘Bombay House’ the Headquarters of Tatas was symbolic of the decling values of the once premium house or perhaps the ‘ethical – nemesis’ of the institution which too faltered and fumbled .
Jinhe naaz hai hind par wo kahan hain?
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