If someone were to say that in general women write better than men, I’d seriously be inclined to agree with them. Many of my favourite writers are women. I envy the fact that they are (arguably) better equipped with powers of observation, they pay more attention to detail and they have a sophisticated world view. I had read somewhere about the debut novel “Zoya Factor” by Anuja Chauhan before I left India for a year in early 2009, but never evinced much interest because I thought it had something to do with that great game our entire nation is hostage to- cricket. I thought it was chic lit, a pretty young thing trying her hand at writing, full of abbreviations, fashion trends, and youth lingo I might not be able to follow. Surprisingly, I loved this book when I got around to reading it. It is a rip roaring read. Something tells me that this writer will go a long way. Although at times I felt the book could’ve been shorter, it is peppered with interesting incidents and hilarious phrases like “trying to tell in a ‘subtle Bihari Vajpayee’ way” and analysing fielding “poishuns”. I was really impressed with the style- of cool abandon. The story is a bit contrived, of a world we don’t inhabit, the descriptions are funny and the end is altogether unexpected.
The other surprise was “Notes from an Indian Conservative” by Jaithirth Rao. Conservatives are not exactly the toast of the season in the Post Bush era. When corporate honchos of the conservative persuasion write or appear on TV, I am convinced that these guys are so divorced from reality. This book is rich in ideas and contains a lot of sensible thinking on governance, foreign policy etc- except for a few jarring notes. Goes to show that conservatives shoot from the hip- not like bleeding heart liberals who try to look good all the time.
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I never understood diplomacy- especially the concept of holding government level talks. In the year I joined the Defence Ministry, on a pleasant November morning, I went to office, as usual wearing a half sweater. When I reached my office, my boss told me she was busy and asked me to represent her in Ministry level talks with French Defence Ministry delegation. When I reached the venue, I saw that all the members of the Indian Defence Ministry have come decked up in suits- even the leader of the delegation, one of the rare senior officers who wear sweaters to Office. I panicked and felt out of place suddenly. So I told myself that the clothes one wears aren’t so important, took a deep breath and went in. In a room full of suits, I sat in the front row, wearing a half sweater, looking like a flunkey. Even the note takers were in suits.
Worse was to follow. There was a lot of talk of the deep bonds and friendship between the two countries and the need to take the relationship forward. Most of it hot air without any substance. When it was my turn, I mumbled something which sounded very trivial compared to the nice, prepared speeches which preceded mine. I came out deeply scarred by the experience. Ever since I have always been wary of such meetings. My sympathies went out to the Foreign Minister of India who is being criticized for not defending the Home Secretary in Islamabad. Damned if you do: damned if you don’t.
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We are all set to showcase India as a rising power. Have we really thought why chairs are hired at Rs 8000 and air conditioners hired at Rs 4 Lakhs a piece for the Commonwealth Games? Why aren’t we surprised or shocked? If you thought that reputable Indian companies would love to do business with the government, think again. Most middle class Indians think corruption is the biggest problem with governance. I disagree. I would rate incompetence as the biggest problem. Lace it with liberal doses of corruption and archaic procedures; you have a lethal combination- enough to take the country 50 years back in time. Any bill for material supplied to the government does not get cleared for payment in a hurry. And the self important Babus at the top are blissfully unaware of what it takes to get payments sanctioned for legitimate business done with the government. It would take many visits to decrepit government offices and the convenience of small Babus in several departments, who are eternally on tea-break or have a different interpretation of the rule or wear their honesty on their sleeve, or are corrupt until a consideration is paid or are just absent from work. We also have a complex set of rules and procedures which are a throwback to the colonial era where the natives were considered dishonest and he/she needs to be actively monitored- All in all, a system which suffers from an excess of oversight and procedure, backed by a corrupt and ill-equipped workforce. These problems at the operational level translate into serious issues of governance. So ultimately who does business /supplies goods to the government? The sleazy business person, who has inside knowledge of the mysterious workings of the government, knows how to fix the maze of issues, has deep pockets and needs to be compensated for the long wait for getting things done. So you have a situation where margins are huge, transaction costs are high and returns are unpredictable. Isn’t it a wonder that the government still runs? I hope a time will come when a good or service is supplied to the government, the sanction is done online by the official who inspects it and the payment gets credited to the suppliers bank account electronically on the same day. A percentage of such transactions could be audited every year. Probably then the best companies in India might not shy away from dealing with the government…
Still can't get away from the fact that even by our wildest and most pessimistic government standards, Rs 8000 for chairs and 4 Lakhs for air conditioners look absurd…
