Political priorities
The extent to which the incubus of effete epicureanism or love of luxury has permeated the Indian establishment would shock the conscience of right-thinking people, if there were any left in Indian society. The latest outrage perpetrated by the greedy consumers of the Delhi durbar is news which received uncritical coverage on September 21 in the media — itself increasingly given to writing panegyrics to conspicuous consumption — to the effect that the Union government has taken delivery of the first three of five Brazil-built 14-seater Embraer business jet airplanes priced at a thought-provoking aggregate sum of Rs.750 crore for the vital national purpose of jetting VVIPs (i.e politicians and bureaucrats) across the country. Nor is this private fleet on permanent stand-by sufficient for this developing nation’s busy, busy, political class whose mind-blowing ‘development’ achievements include one-third of the population living on $1 per day; the world’s largest population of illiterates; lowest allocation worldwide for health (0.9 percent of GDP) and the globally longest time for business start-ups, among numerous other dubious acts of omission and commission. In the pipeline are three more Boeing business jets for the ultra VVIPs such as the president, prime minister etc with a price tag of Rs.1,000 crore.
Perfunctory calculations indicate that the aggregate sum of Rs.1,750 crore budgeted for purchase of these customised jet aircraft for the nation’s non-performing politicians and bureaucrats, could have financed the construction of at least two state-of-the-art elementary schools in each of the 593 districts of the country. A telling indicator of the development priorities of the Congress party which was returned to power at the Centre last year because of its professed bleeding heart for the aam admi (common man).
But then that’s democracy Indian style: government of politicians, by politicians, for politicians.
Apple worms
If the first all-colour September issue of EducationWorld was received later than usual by readers of this one-of-its-kind publication, the management of the Bangalore-based Apple Computer International Pvt Ltd (ACI), the Indian subsidiary of the highly inventive US-based Apple Computer Inc, is to blame. Thereby hangs an instructive tale of the self-destructive business practices of affiliates of high-brand value multinationals doing business in India. Way back in July Deepanshu Sharma, hitherto marketing manager of ACI had reserved a two-page space in EW to advertise its products. On the eve of printing the August issue this proposal was deferred to September. Right through August ACI’s advertising agency, TWB Anthem said it was working on preparing the artwork for the ad. Meanwhile circa August 25 for mysterious reasons Deepanshu Sharma quit ACI overnight even as TWB Anthem advised us to hold a two-page spread for ACI.
However on the eve of going to press, Sharma’s patently over-promoted successor Sangeeta Reddy informed EW that unmindful of the lateness of the hour, she was not bound by Sharma or TWB Anthem’s commitment and needed time to approve the rationale of advertising in EW and review the artwork de novo. Numerous appellate phone calls and fax messages to Alok Sharma, managing director of ACI asking him to intervene as EW September issue was stymied at the press, remained unanswered. Hence the delay.
Although he had been inundated with fax, telephone and e-mails on August 30-31, Alok Sharma awoke to the crisis created by ACI’s bumbling only on September 12. Even so, far from being contrite, he demanded "written evidence" that ACI had reserved ad space in EW at all, while TWB Anthem went into supine denial. Predictably, he accepted no responsibility for the delay caused to EW’s 500,000 readers countrywide, or for the heavy penalty imposed upon EW by the postal department for delay.
Even as wonder manager Steve Jobs repeatedly reinvents the parent company to save it from disaster, this is how its kiss-up and kick-down local managers ensure that Apple remains an also-ran brand in the high-potential Indian marketplace.
Lucknow certitude
Predictably as the campaigning for students union elections scheduled for September end got underway in Lucknow University, all norms were tossed out of various windows. On nomination day, student leaders staged huge processions, with one enterprising neta managing to smuggle an elephant into campus. Another candidate arrived in a number plate-less car sporting traffic beacons and emblazoned with the word Sansad (Parliament). Consequently there were traffic jams, women students were pinched and pulled and commuters thrashed, roadside vendors were short-changed and local traders coerced to down shutters. Three students were also critically injured when their supporters fired upon them.Yet policemen on duty were inert as the roughest candidates claimed support of the state’s ruling Samajwadi Party. At the slightest hint of police action, the standard preventive query was "Shall I call Akhilesh Singh Yadav?" i.e chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son and MP from Kannauj. On the other hand non-SP candidates charged that the police was unduly harsh with them.
Both Yadav senior and junior are enthusiastic supporters of student politics. While the former has often indulged student politicians as naughty boys whose shenanigans should be lovingly overlooked, the latter is the chief guest of choice at all student union functions. Unsurprisingly, Yadav senior’s ministerial colleagues openly express their support for SP-backed candidates in the student elections.
Teachers despair that the open patronage of political leaders has resulted in a virulent form of student politics. "The obscene display of money and muscle power and the state machinery’s open justification for it has been a devastating blow to campus morale," says a senior lecturer.
A.K. Bajpai, returning officer for the student union polls, has to all intents thrown in the towel before election day. "There is a model code of conduct but no one follows it. We are not sure whether reporting such matters would be prudent. The best thing is to get these elections over with as soon as possible," he says.
One certitude: the best man won’t win!