Business & Politics in India

Today morning came with quite some shocking surprises to me with Jet Airways man calling off the retrenchment he had himself announced two days before. Says “I felt for the people who are a part of the Jet family”. Surprisingly none of the journalists present there raised a question to this statement--“Didn’t you have this feeling before you decided, or is it late realization?”

We have envisaged two such scenarios offlate involving different people, places and scenarios --- common being “Business & pure play Politics”. Be it Ratan Tata in Singur or Naresh Goyal now. It’s a different thing that there are lots who want to catch fish without wetting their hands. The same aviation minister who now says that his talk with Mr. Goyal made him change his mind, was acting helpless when asked about the retrenchment soon after it was declared.

A must read book by James Babb (Business & Politics in Japan) traverses through debates between business and political interests in Japan. The book provides very interesting inroads into Japanese economy and industrialization while on the other hand talks about their political stand on pressing issues. Although it’s been like this with most of the developing countries, India seems to be soon surpassing all.

I have often not understood the difference or similarity between Politics and social welfare. Politicians speak so much about social welfare being made to power by the people, of the people and for the people. Paradox being none of the social workers (Baba Amte, Medha Patkar) have ever expressed their interest in politics nor have been part of any political party. Thus, what’s the role of a politician here, to get into public issues and concerns only on advent of elections or involve and make/break agendas.

In midst of an interesting topic chaired on a drinking table someone said,” We have a tendency of visiting a religious shrine or take abode of the supreme power only when in need or despair”. Did Raj Thackeray play the role of Godfather here? Dr. Narayan Murthy’s words hit my mind -- In God we trust - all others bring data.