ASHWINI A. writes: The Cauvery Tribunal’s final award has ignited feelings, passions, emotions in the State. For 50 days now, we have seen individuals and institutions, register their shock and protest in their own way. True, some of the Public Display of Anger has been ugly but almost everybody has had an opinion on the issue, and has not been afraid to air it.
All, except, it seems, three honourable Members of Parliament elected from our very own Karnataka. To wit, “Dr” (!) Vijay Mallya, M.A.M. Ramaswamy and Rajeev Chandrashekar. Yes, the last named did make some noises but it appeared more of an afterthought for public consumption, for he has promptly gone into hiding again.
What, for example, is the stand of Mallya? King of good times, shrewd businessman, multi-billionaire, etc etc. He is a son of the Cauvery soil. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha from the State. He is supposed to represent the people and interests of the State. What is his opinion on Cauvery ? Nobody has a clue.
Perhaps, like Marie Antoinette, he believes, “If they can’t have Cauvery water, let them have Kingfisher beer.”
But what he does he think of an issue that is so important to millions of people of the State whose representatives elected him? Are people not obliged to know what is going through his mind? Does he think injustice has been done? Does he plan to raise the issue in Parliament? Does he have a solution?
Will Mallya take a stand? I doubt it. Because he is afraid that the moment he says anything pro-Karnataka, the Tamils will take to streets asking people to stop drinking UB and Bagpiper, stop flying Kingfisher Airlines, and do things that will hurt Mallya business interests in that state.
If Mallya says anything that is seen as anti-Karnataka, one does not have tell what the consequences will be.
Ditto M/s Ramaswamy and Chandrashekhar the better. Our MLAs and MLCs bent backwards and bent every rule in the book to elect them. Yet, what does their silence eloquently say on a vital issue like Cauvery?
Put more bluntly, why does Karnataka have to suffer such public representatives?
The larger point I am trying to make is : Businesmen make lousy public representative. In fact, they are very impotent when it comes to handling issues that affects the public. They must, therefore, stop wanting to become MPs, Ministers, etc.
Whatever opinion you hold of politicians—they may be corrupt, scheming, cunning—they are at least available when people need them and can take a stand, right or wrong, without fearing the consequences.
This leads me to my final point: Businesmen are good conducting their business—no more, no less.
Their success and leadership is confined to their area of work and domain (campus). Once they are out of the comforts/challenges of their expertise and in public life space, they come a cropper as they have their business interests to protect—and that always seem to come before the public interest.
The same applies to Infosys’ N.R. Narayana Murthy whom the middle class in India and some armchair columnists and journalists consider as a “beacon of hope” among other allied nonsense.
Since his name is being tossed up, quite irresponsibly I think, for becoming President after A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, I think it’s time to debate this whole issue of corporate leaders being unfit and even dangerous being in public life. We should even consider a law barring such people from holding public office.
The Cauvery crisis gives the world a good opportunity to learn that the successes of corporate leaders are often limited to their large campuses, often grabbed from poor people and illiterate farmers, and that they are duds when they have take a stand on issues that means life or death to the people at large.
I thought Mr. Narayana Murthy is being suggested as the President of India and not Karnataka!!
Churumuri never misses a chance to berate NRN. Why so???
Because NRN is as much a ‘Do Gooder’ as any other Indian politician. That’s why!
More so b’cuz a lot has to do with ‘vatte kicchu’ of few….
:) May be…any undeserved wealth in the garb of ‘doing good by stealth’ attracts deserved envy. Besides, NRN hasn’t donned any mantle of being a Bharat Rathna, right? May be even Bharat Rathna, but he will be forever remembered as ‘Gomuka Vyaagra’ of Karnataka!
NRN is a skillful politician–but not exposed as such. Although, people are slowly realizing that companies such as his and others through unrestrained IT have ended fast effing the countryside, sapped the local economy through putting too much money in the pockets of keyboard artists.
On the one hand, NRN plays consummately by the rules of local politics–grabbing land through brownnosing the leading politician of the day. On the other, he excels playing the corporate wiz where Mallus and Kongas have multiple field days recruiting their ‘own’ with dubious credentials. That’s why he is a much hated figure and believe me he knows it!
Narayana Murthy as President of India? Perish the thought! Unless of course you’d like to see large-scale destruction of Bangalore (and other major cities), coupled with the over-utilisation of precious natural resources, to feed his (IT) expansionist dreams.
As for the Marie Antoinette quote, well, she never uttered it! The original quote is culled from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ‘Confessions’. Marie Antoinette’s attribution to the quote was current in her time in anti-royalist propaganda, most likely to hasten her way to the guillotine.
It’s similar to why no politician will serve a sportsbody well, save feathering his nest. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Das Munshi tries hard to take Indian football beyond 150 mark in world football Ratings and is bound to succeed..Ditto for Sharad Pawar whose political machinations are legendary..He did a similar thing by asking Sachin Tendulkar for hid ‘personal’ opinion about Sourav Ganguly side-stepping the captain!The backslapping Supercop is killing Hockey in the country. These chaps are like dictators- they have elected themselves for life and are answerable to none..
I am against APJ Kalam because he has not been able to stem the rot–too often he has looked the other way when the ruling party is up to no good. Examples, Afzal hanging, UPA backroom manuoveres in Bihar, UP; office for profit issue. Where he was expected to show balls upholding the constitution he has meekly lifted his dhoti to reveal he doesn’t have it. He comes off as a politician with excellent PR skills. Being a Tamil, his heart beats for the Classic Language Nation!
As compared to the politicians who promised violence, disobedience of the law and petty parochialism, I will take silence any day.
Let us first understand what the post of the President is before making statements such as
“Narayana Murthy as President of India? Perish the thought! Unless of course you’d like to see large-scale destruction of Bangalore (and other major cities), coupled with the over-utilisation of precious natural resources, to feed his (IT) expansionist dreams.”
“NRN is a skillful politician–but not exposed as such. Although, people are slowly realizing that companies such as his and others through unrestrained IT have ended fast effing the countryside, sapped the local economy through putting too much money in the pockets of keyboard artists.”
Firstly, the President of India is not like the President of the USA and has no real powers to initiate and carry out policy measures. The Indian President is only the notional head of State in whose name all actions of the Executive are carried out. The idea was to have a ‘non-political’ person who will only be a nominal centre of power, without too much independent functions.
Secondly, the reason why Mr.NRN has been proposed as a possible Presidential candidate is because he has no active links to any political party, like the current incumbent, APJ Abdul Kalam. In elections, and sensitive matters such as the MP Office of Profit law, he has acted independently, though because of Constitutional provisions, to little effect. We need another person who can act in such a manner.
Thirdly, considering that public life in our country is largely dominated by murderers, rapists, the corrupt, hate-mongers, despots, casteists, and the plain champions of nepotism, I fail to see what could go so drastically wrong with having leaders of business in charge.
Fourthly, preventing persons from holding office merely for having engaged in business at some point in their lives is against our Constitution, as carrying on business is one of th FREEDOMS guaranteed under the Constitution.
ERR
I completely agree–that oily bengalee fish monkey prick munshi is stuck on the bottom of Indian football like a leech for over a century now! Only when the bengalees leave football, India will climb into higher rankings from 150 into may be 30s.
Sharad Pawar should never have been the BCCI President. Any way, I don’t care whoever heads it because it is a body that perpetuates scams, any way.
KPS Gill should go–he has been there at the helm of IHF with no shame. He must go ungracefully at this stage. IMHO I don’t think he killed Indian hockey–the game has become unbelievably athletic as Indians we don’t have the stamina to cope with it–you don’t need any skills in hockey now.
Alok
I violently disagree. Kalam has been a disgrace. Ask around and you will be surprised. APJK can do a lot with his office instead of responding to emails and shit! He can clean up the system by insisting on basic tenets of the constitution. The man is too meek and self servicing!
where did I read this .
Cricket like hockey is moving to be a power game with more Power and Fitness required .
The traditional skills of batting,spin and bowling would be a thing of the past.
was it on churumuri or cricinfo ?
I think we need to refocus this debate a bit. The larger point that Anand makes is about the silence of the businessmen-MPs from Karnataka. At this point in time, there is nothing to show that Mallya, Ramaswamy and Chandrashekhar have been doing their job. The election of the last two was at considerable embarrassment to the integrity of our legislators. There are open accusations of MLAs being paid off for their votes by these very rich businessmen. If they haven’t taken up the Cauvery issue, we should ask why not, and we should also ask what and whose purpose their Rajya Sabha membership is serving.
On the evidence of the performance of the trio, a legitimate point can be raised not just about Narayana Murthy as president but about every other businessman who is or wants to get into power politics. It’s an endless debate but let us not kid ourselves into thinking that politics can be run on hope and fresh air. It needs cash, and the Rahl Bajajs, Anil Ambanis, Praful Patels provide just that.
But the truth also is, no one except NRN’s chamchas in the media have broached his name. And there are other political worthies (Somnath Chatterji, Deve Gowda, et al) who have thrown their hat into the ring. So, we don’t need to lose much sweat.
Politics is not just about speaking well or looking good. It is more. What, for that matter, is NRN’s stand on Cauvery? Yes, a President a largely ceremonial post. But as Kalam’s reign has shown there are several moments when a President has to show his spine. Sorry to say this, mouthing middleclass nonsense before servile television cameras does not mean having a spine.
Right said Soul Truth!
Yes, Kalam was a big let down, when he signed on the dotted line while he was away in Moscow vis vis Bihar imbroglio. In what way was he different from Mr. F.Ahmed or many others ? Imagine the tremendous loss to the exchequer because of the re- election to the state legislature. You expect some kind of proactive president not just some one who imitates Pandit Nehru and makes them take oaths which is akin to the oath taken by MP’s and Judges etc. I agree as Alok says there are sever constitutional limitations. I strongly believe he could have refereed to office of profit bill to the SC under Art.145 and stirred the hornets nest. Then the ball would have been in SC’s court and if they had declined, then one could have resigned with all the Gun’s blazing stating that the Indian constitution needs to be amended and created a national debate.
Otherwise, merely acting a role model is s self serving and not what is expected from true Bharat Ratna. Agreed he is a million time better then many who occupied Raisna Hill, but it is no consolation. It is better we abolish the post instead and a country which went back on its solemn promises to the Princely order in the name of Garibi Hatao to save mere 4 crore can ill afford such a fanciful and expensive caricature just because Mr. Ambedkar and Co despite their false claim to originality merely imitated the Westminster system and duplicated the Queen/king by a Rashtrapathi!
as,
well put. AV’s post highlights the silence of the sitting MPs on the issue. it might be worthwhile to audit water utilization of their properties. and ask if it is commensurate with the supply in the region. especially since they cannot be bothered to talk about it in parliament and when people are taking to streets.
aside…
mebbe i don’t understand marxian dialectics but what is this ‘middleclass nonsense’ that many have talked about in this discussion? what exactly is wrong with it?
Right said, Rathna Jeevi
Alok, at the outset I’d like to tell you that I am a student of Political Science and am well aware of the rights and duties of the President of India.
I rarely make a rebuttal, because it is almost always pointless and a waste of time. However in your case I differ. You seem to be an arrant fool and aren’t ashamed to parade your lack of knowledge by lecturing to us all.
‘Thirdly, considering that public life in our country is largely dominated by murderers… leaders of business in charge.’
What have you done as an individual to make a change in the system? Nothing? Then hold your horses before you spew venom thus. The problem with having ‘leaders’ from the business community at the helm of affairs is simple; they’re are ultimately wolves in sheep’s clothing.
How do you think Murthy got all those hundreds of acres of land? Without lobbying or buying over politicians for a price? Can you tell me if the great Mr. Murthy played by the rules and paid the right amount (market value) before dispossessing farmers? It’s public knowledge that he procured land at dirt cheap rates. If you don’t know this fact, it means you haven’t been reading much.
And please don’t wave the Office of Profit issue before us, we’re better informed than you obviously are. The manner in which you’ve sprung to Murthy’s rescue, I assume you’re a boot-licking IT coolie, employed in Infosys. I may be wrong… for you could be someone much worse!
Easy GreatX
You mean well–give Alok a chance.
Alok, please respond. Thanks!
Yes sir. I grant Alok all the time in the world to respond. He’s gonna need it, for he’s skating on thin ice!
DG
That probably explains why India is not doing very well. The teams that are doing well, I am sure, have better physical conditioning skills based on their youth and diet–all that anerobic and aerobic activity and such.
Bangladesh–plenty of fish; Srilanka–plenty of more fish; WI–plenty of beef and fish; OZ–beef, fish, lamb, Kangaroo steaks; and croc stakes.
Pakistan had ‘good’ diet but they were too much into bookies nookies~
What say, KP and Sunaad?
The likes of Narayana Murthy, decent humans as they are, cannot do a thing in politics as President or even Prime Minister for the simple reason that the nation’s reality of almost indecipherable complexities is as hard hitting in the solar plexus as a Mohammed Ali punch and just cannot be understood or addressed by jargon spouting software businessmen with put on American accents who inhabit another planet altogether of manicured lawns and conference halls with Roman styled pillars and shimmering swimming pools in the shape of a buxom lady’s waist!
Let us not grudge their money.
At the same time, let us not get fooled by the phantasms of Narayan Murthy or for that matter anybody else of his ilk going on to become President’s and Prime Ministers!
A computer mouse can never roar. It is not expected to. At best it can click in its own domain!
And for heaven’s sake, the ‘icon’ called India is too complicated to responding to mere clicks!
Kicks? May be!
Oh, where is that man, who will be born in the direction of east, at the crack of dawn, as Nostradamus or some such guru said, who will will lead us into the 23rd century!
For the moment, let us cry!
Great rejoinder, Sunaad. I enjoyed, …”A computer mouse can never roar. It is not expected to. At best it can click in its own domain!”
Click in its own domain is fine but the rat’s nest that is becoming apparent in the real-estate deals in towns like Mysore and others are a serious concern. As long as the computer mouse clicks in its own domain, it is fine. But when it starts chewing the domain-agnostic cheese, we are all shook up:)
TS
Middle-class nonsense could mean unnecessary political correctness; paying lip-service to serious issues; and many such inanisms loved by the salaried class that includes you and me.
After the recent Mumbai train bombings, NRN’s nephew ‘Jerry’ wrote a column in IE called ‘Mumbaikars Spirit’. When viewed in the Real World it amounted to , ‘A CxxKsucker’s Rant’. That is a prime example of middle-class inanism!
Here’s a thought…..Doddi Buddi for President!! He knows eveything.
Isn’t that nice? I appreciate your sentiment, Suresh. Thank you, seriously I am interested and I can certainly clean up the system.
Then again, if you reveal your misgivings, please be more articulate.
Absolutely no misgivings, at this time, Doddi Buddi. You seem to be confident, self assured and as I said before, seem to have many solutions for the problems of our country. We need people like you to talk the talk and walk the walk!
Sorry for the delay. Had work and sleep to counter..
DB
I am in my fourth year in law and trust me when I say this about the President.
The Constitution mandates that the President cannot do anything apart from what the PM says. If the President refuses to sign on the dotted line, that can be reason to kick him/her out of office. President Kalam sending the Bill back when it was first sent to him is the maximum that he can do. The role of the President has been pared back in the Constitution thanks to Indira Gandhi and 42nd Amendment.
Please look it up before talking of institutional change emanating from the President and so on.
greatunknown.
As I pointed out earlier, let me reproduce the relevant parts of the Constitution before I get called anything else.
Article 74:
(1) There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall (note the use of the word shall and not may) act in accordance with the advice.
I do not question your knowledge of political science, but I suggest that your statements be strengthened with a small thing called ‘evidence’.
The President cannot make a law, he cannot dismiss any official, he cannot create a new body or whatever unless the COuncil of Ministers advices him. Please read HM Seervai, MP Jain, VN Shukla (all authors on Constitutional law) among others on the basics of the President’s powers before calling me an ‘arrant fool’..
.. and since YOU make the allegations that he is hand in glove with politicians and got all his land dirt cheap, please provide documentary proof instead of humpty-dumpty type, “isn’t it obvious to everybody because I say so” kind of arguments. Point out clearly why this is NOT something that has been done by the Gowda family or the Gandhis, or why it is ONLY NRN who has benefited as against the entire IT sector.
sorry for the delay in replying. Had sleep and work to counter.
Let me, to clarify some of the confusions going around reproduce the exact provision of the Constitution:
“Article 74: (1) There shall be a Council of Minsters with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, act in accordance with the advice”
A basic principle of COnstitutionalism is that no authority is entitled to act without such power being granted by the Constitution. No provision of the Constitution gives the President ‘independent power’ to make laws or create institutions or dismiss persons. He/She has to act in accordance with the PMs advice. If he/she refuses, that itself maybe a ground for impeachment as it amounts to a violation of the COnstitution.
The ‘spirit’ of the Constitution, while Constitutional law experts as found on Churumuri may beg to differ, nowhere envisages a role for the President that is different from the PM. Please refer some of the respected authors on Constitutional law (though clearly given the level of knowledge displayed here, there is no need for that I presume) before seeking to comment on the ‘Spirit of the COnstitution’.
No one here has rebutted my earlier point that we have people in office convicted of crimes from Murder downwards, and the kind of example set by Gowdaru who believes that assault and battery is just a case of ‘boys will be boys’. I don’t deny that there are good politicians among our ranks, but the ‘goodness’ is not a function of their distance from business houses or whatever.
The above examples have come up in the newspapers and pending litigation. Please bring forth cold, hard data and documentary evidence which shows exactly what was the value of the land and what was paid before assuming that there was bribery and corruption was involved.
If course if it is a matter of fundamental belief that ALL persons who get into business are obviously corrupt, then please ignore this uncomfortable response.
mallika Sherawat for Prez…for obv reasons
I second vinay here – Mallika Sherawat for President and I propose Rakhi Sawant for the post of VP….
The Panel for the Cauvery issue, was not Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka. It was just to find an amicable soultion.
After reading this blog I realise “U have SUCH A STRONG KANNADA BAIS”, I am pretty sure u are one of those people who get out on the street and riot against all Non-Kannada in Blore.
BOY!!!!
U have such a strong Kannada Bias..
Are u one of those people who go out on the street rioting against Non-Kanadda in Blore??? I am pretty sure, u will whenever u get a chance..
Though I agree with “Murthy wont make a good prez”, though not necessarily for the same reasons.
Since we continue to evade Anand’s core question, let me add my two-bit on the Narayana Murthy issue.
A President need not know the law (he has legal advisors to assist him) but should surely have an independent mind; some charisma; a nonpartisan attitude; he should have a personality; and he should be affable enough to get along with everybody and not engender negative feelings.
On all counts, I think NRN fails majestically. He has a demonstrated record of entrepreneurial success and the nation is justifiably proud of him. He has spoken out far too much against politicians to be able to enlist their support or to deal with them without rancour or illwill when the occasion demands.
Despite his middleclass upbringing he has become the opening batsman of big business. His company sits on vast tracts of cheaply procured land (even wet land in some cases) because it will enhance its business value. He has very misgivings about reservation in the private sector, or enhanced quotas in education.
Sure, his presence will help drive home India’s image as being at the cutting edge of the IT revolution, but revolution for whom, and for how long?
Say what you will of Kalam, at least he made the Rashtrapati Bhavan accessible. Despite his hair style or maybe because of it, he could strike a chord among ordinary people. He wrote books, responded to emails, flew in a plane, met thousands of children, could quote the Thirukkural, etc. All NRN seems to do is meet the MBAs and CEOs in the airconditioned studio of an English TV channel.
But why are we discussing his Presidentship when he clearly told Economic Times in an interview two years ago that the only public office he wanted to hold was that of Ambassador to the United States? And that too he is unlikely to get because of a possible conflict of interest.
The post of the President does require its occupant to show courage and integrity even if it means that he/she is at odds with the incumbent government. Sadly, most of our presidents lacked these qualities. Even APJ Abdul Kalam whose integrity is unquestionable could have stood up to the whims and antics of the UPA. I guess that is the reason why he is not willing for a second term.
As far as NRN is concerned, yes he is a man of vision and integrity but might come under strain over some sticky issues(reservations, pro-US stand, huge business interest, to name a few) that could be difficult to handle. He never spoke about Cauvery issue either since he has business interests in Tamil Nadu as well. But to call him a Gomuka Vyaagra and harbour enormous grudge shows petty mindset. He has built a company which has provided jobs to thousands of people. Before you point finger at him just ask what your own contribution is to your country.
In one way, every big businessman does have this handicap. But if you think about it most of our presidents came from political parties or had strong affiliations which was far worse.
The better choice would be someone like Amartya Sen – knowledgeable, respected, no significant party affiliation, Nobel Laureate, understands the importance of social equities.
@ V Rao ….A Sen ?????? guruve , he is a bengali, that in itself is much more potentially dangerous than all the other attribs u have mentioned.
Vinay,
Hehe..where does it say that Bengalis cannot become presidents?
In the absence of serious, non-political contenders for the post, NRN seems the better of the lot, objections by certain sections notwithstanding.
Remember, Kalam was also supposed to be a BJP puppet, and thus a failure, but he has at least shown a semblance of integrity and independence, hampered as he is by the need to maintain Constitutional propriety.
Its all very well to demand that the President ‘stand up’ to the Cabinet or the Legislature, but he/she is not permitted to do so entirely by the Constitution itself.
Dear, dear Alok,
Thank you for having the taken the time out to explain your stand in magniloquent terms not once, but twice. If you are so keen on knowing the truth about Narayana Murthy, invoke the RTI Act and access papers pertaining to Infosys. I am not about to do the dirty work for you buddy!
I am however obliged to give you an explanation as to where I culled the info about the IT Czar getting his land at dirt cheap prices… I read an expose to this effect in Outlook magazine sometime last year. But sadly, none of the other magazine reporters took up the issue seriously, obviously under pressure from their editors, and the story died a natural death.
ಸುಮ್ನೆ ಯಾಕ್ರಿ ಅವರನ್ನ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಪದವಿ ಹುದ್ದೆಗಳ ಆಕಾಂಕ್ಶಿಗಳಂತ ಪರಿಗಣಿಸುತ್ತೀರ? ಅವರೇನು ಬಹಿರಂಗವಾಗಿ ತಾವು ಒಬ್ಬ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿ ಅಂತ ಘೋಷಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರ?
I should come to the defence of NRN. He was my old student, a brilliant one at that, would have shone in any chosen occupation and is vey polite to me even today. He comes from a humble home, struggled for years to build an IT enterprise despite the loud words of warnings from cynics and fellow travellers (he could have gone abroad as his and BE and MTech credentials were superb). This shows that he has vision and mind of his own. I agree that politics is dirty and the Indian politics is the dirtiest. Indian President is a figure head (cannot be compared the Queen of Britain as she has exercised her power silently many times in the past) as demonstrated clearly from the ineptness of Presidents with Radhakrishnan excepted. With Sonia as the queen maker ( shame that Indian tolerate her), Indians need a wily politician as the counterweight and president.
Here is what Sugata Srinivasaraju of Outlook magazine wrote sometime last year on Murthy’s desire to become Amabassador to US if not the Prez..Point driven hard and with great wit
Check it out.
>>>>
Will Narayana Murthy become India’s envoy to US?
NRN, who once was in the race to be India’s president, has made a pitch for this post in an interview. But, he won’t suit the job because diplomacy is not about middle-class rage. Also, if he could not handle a mere Deve Gowda, how can he tackle a mighty George Bush? Plus, NRN is too much in awe of the US, and Infosys has huge business interests there. This may create a conflict of interest. For US ambassadorship, you need someone who has a critical understanding of that country and its global agenda, not a full convert into its philosophy.
>>
Andy,
Hold the cigar and the brandy!
What ‘Sugata’ has said is common knowledge. ‘Point driven hard and with great wit..” !! are you on some medication, Bro?
Uttama!
Chor guru, chandala shishya kathey gnapakakke barutthey!
DB , LOL .
I will post on how the Wipro’s and Infosys operate in India and Misusing the h1B Work criteria .
I will also forward the legal battle between TCS and an IT worker wherein the TCS was with holding federal taxes of employee .Which should have gone to the IRS . The court has stuck down TCS appeal and supported the employee .
Unfortunately I cant mail from office .I have the court document for the same .
The Indian companies are runing themseleves and also reputation of country for PUDIGAASU .In order to stay in market they have lowered their billing rates and bring fresh graduates from India .
They are in the process of cutting each other neck during the process of race .They never seem to learn from history where we squabbled against each other and finally had to Live under British raj . In the name of business we are again surrendering ourselves and selling our brains for peanuts . We will just become slaves again and with no pride and respect . There would be no difference between a Mexican illegal worker who works for as less as 5$ an hour or a TCS employee who is ready to slog at 9$ an hour .
The Bubble will eventually burst .Infosys will close its shop , layoff the employees , Sell all the prime land and the NRN’s family will move to Switzerland and settle .
DG
Please write more on these injustices. I have heard several tales about Infy, TCS and others. In fact, I came across one such blogger who actually calls himself ‘IT Coolie’ and he claims he works for Infosys.
Looks like we will lose respect even quicker than I thought!
V Rayarey!
NRM has created jobs–I am not harboring a cheap mindset. My concern is the man is a politician..”Kereya neeranu keregey chelli, Varawa padey dhanthey kaaniru.” politician aatha!
The wide world has not heard of the bloggers (including myself, albeit in my nom de plume) here who are armchair critics of NRN. If Maran a bully in Thousands Lights district of Chennai could become a Central minister hobnobbing with Gates , and Devegowda with his infantile caste-tinted politics could become a prime minister, I do not see why NRN with his brilliant academic and industrial credentials cannot become President of India or Ambassador in the USA. In fact, Americans do respect some one with achievements than a political ‘yes man’ of Sonia and Singh stable. To succeed in India of the scale of NRN , one has to be shrewd and know how to feel the political temperature. I am proud of what one of my old students has achieved, and he deserves all the kudos. I remember his superb intellect and his politeness, and his sympathetic attitudes to many of his class mates. He was head and shoulders above them in intellect, but yet he was humble. I knew then that he will go very far, and I am not surprised now. He secured 4th rank in the then Mysore University, at a time when all rank holders were usually from Visweswariah Engineering College or Surathkal, and then he passed MTech in Computer Science with distinction from Kanpur IIT. He could have gone to USA or Germany or UK securing scholarship, but he did stay in India, worked hard to build an IT Company with poor funds, undaunted by set backs. How many of us can equal his achievements, I wonder.
Uttama Sahebre, your earnest comment would touch NRN. A teacher’s compliment is said to rank high.
NRN has earned his credentials over three decades. He understands the odds our state can present to the entrepreneur. He accepts the need for society to create wealth. He has shown discipline, erudition, managerial skill, and vision. He has shown an ability to think outside the box. He seems to have earned every rupee of his wealth, and he has created wealth for everybody associated with him.
We need achievers like NRN in our politics. If he has any political ambition he’d make a wonderful candidate for President. Nobody is perfect (not even famously Ram or Gandhi), so to not focus on NRN’s achievements would be cynical.
I also think Dr. Amartya Sen would also make an excellent candidate for President (as Ramchandra Guha has already suggested).
NM & Uttama
I take nothing away from NRN–except to say that he is quite capable of running with the ‘political’ hares and hunting with the ‘IT’ hounds:)
No man is perfect–but we need not go moist eyed with his achievements. All the little shabbiness in business dealings and all the pettiness in not being able to handle criticism are becoming well known.
NRN is a God to many–to me he is a God with clay feet. Any body, knowing fully well the weakness of our own governance who keeps belaboring the point on infrastructure while benefiting from the same State’s largesses, tells me loud and clear–here is another ‘IT DeveGowda’ :)
My contacts in Mysore and Bangalore tell me that ole NRN is mortally afraid of sharing his wealth–but I don’t begrudge that. Just in passing I want you to know that.
After all this, do I want him as a president? The answer is Yes.
I have a hard time accepting AmartyaSen as a human being–he comes off as some one who is put together by an academy of obscurantist leftist economists–that dude makes no sense to me! If you guys want to pickle him in a mausoleum a la Lenin style, I have no problem with that!
Nothing gives greater pleasure for a professor like me than seeing the achievements of one of his students. As far those who pass comments like ‘moist eyes’, they are mere armchair critics with words to throw at. Indians are like that- mere talkers, and NRN broke this mould. That is a unique achievement. I do not live in India/ USA, not influenced bynarrow political/sectarian forces. I have no hesitation in defending NRN as well as my other students who hhave other achievements to their credits. As I said in my earlier posting, the wide world knows NRN and AmartyaSen , and not the bloggers here.
Prof.Uttama .
Nimma maathu oppabeku .
Yes NRN was a genius , an excellant student , very humble and you love him. Well it ends there . So what ?
What is his contribution to Karnataka?
Dont tell me his Infosys empire is the greatest contribution .
What is his payback for Kannadigas?
He made use of his kannadiga tag and got huge farm lands to build his worlds best campus ? So he become richer .
What about those farmers who lost their lands? Did he give back anything to these farming community? How many kannadigas are employed in his firm? Any statistics??
Next time when you meet him can you please ask these questions?
Because last when a BONG was recruiting manager he only recruited Bongs and now a mallu is the HR manager and all mallus have been recruited including the chai shops around.
Please ask him does he have any plans to give kannadigas due representation ?
Uttama,
Where do you reside, Sir? Just curious.
Yaake DB . Near Future Indiage Hogthidheera?
DG
Yilla saar, Uttama India/USA alli illa antha helidhru! Adhakke keldthey astey!
yeno Bidi sir avarige SHISHYA VYAMOHA jaasthi . Yirle bekallva patta shishya.rank bandhidru..IITnalli vyasanga maadidhru..yeega Dodda company owner . Adikke avarige hemme haagu vyaamoha.
Naavu bari jana para kaaLaji bagge mathadtheevi .namage yellroo ondhe
namage yaava guru nu yilla shishyanu yilla . Anyayadha virudha mugilu mutto haage dhwani yethutheeve aste
Uttama Sir is blind with Love towards his pet student . Let him be. God bless Both .
d.g. and d.b.:
there might be many other reasons (search for politician) why mr. murthy might make a poor president, but the criticism (right or wrong) that he gives jobs to bengalis and malayalis at the expense of kannadigas should not be one of them. now if you had pointed out that he gives jobs to americans (he does) at the expense of indians (maybe), that might have been a better reason.
[off topic]: thanks for tarle subba’s cricket haadu. who is the singer? i trust it is not shaan or sonu nigam.
– s.b.
DG
Looks like a sainthood awaits you, if only if you were in the ‘right’ religion:)
I support all my students, from one who does good social work in Karnataka to NRN who has created jobs. Both are contributing in their own ways, certainly more than any of the politicians who simply feather their nests. I have found that often jealousy is behind some of the meaningless and silly utterances that we find here. Indians in general show this streak whether they reside in India or in USA or any where outside India.
Uttama
More than jealousy, I think it is anger about the ‘smooth operator’ tactics used by the likes of NRN. You are welcome to interpret this anger as jealousy.
Uttama, NM, and others
Since I have already christened NRN as ‘IT Devegowda’ it is only proper that he is made President of India. I am sure he will stay firm on signing all sundry bills like APJ Kalam has been busy signing. NRN is a first-rate politician–at least he will not be openly venal–that much I can honestly say!
Here is another example: just a couple of years ago, NRN was head of Bangalore International Airport Authority or whatever shit that meant, for over five years, and nobody knows what he did! One simple missive from the ever wily Devs, NRN went home crying saying, “He did not show me the courtesy of asking me first…” and shit! Well, NRN did not have much to say, that’s why! The middle-class types were horrified and they were extremely angry with DeveGowda but at the end of the day, this Sachin T of godliness in IT could not be defended:)
Uttama, please take note: this is not jealousy–this is humor.
Nr Narayanamuthy is going to be the President of India and not for Karnataka alone.He has no political connections and has come up in a hard way and has ensured that the lower and middle class had benefitted a lot .
I am confidant that he will aide more investments in our country and our country will benefit more .
we need such professionals to hold these kind of high posts
He will ban singing of jana gana mana in all private institutions !
He will cancel the Republic Day celebrations and will cut out the National Anthem part as so much of man days will be lost (52seconds * crore of people)
Next president should be a bengali and only a bengali. Bengal is the only state in India which has produced maximum nos. of nobel laureates. I think Amartya Sen would be the right candidate for president, as he understands the economics of Indian poor and can guide the Govt. of India. So leave Narayana Murthy, let us vote for Amartya Sen.
So finally a successful businessman who will be turned into successful politician by the people. Anybody can become a politician, only needs popularity. So how does get a quick and larger popularity. Controversy is a quick and effective one. Since India does have Freedom of speech, and an effective way to give out controversial statements and become popular and just before the election call for a mass-meeting with people in palace grounds and apologise and takeout a big and beautiful people oriented initiative and accuse some MP/MLA (his opposition). He finally wins and emerges as a NEW Promising leader of India..
Anyway I saw Mr. NarayanMurthy not different from any irresponsible worker during his quiting of Chairmanship of BIAL. If we can analyse what happened, Mr Infy was asked by a Govt officer (Mr Gowda) on why did the Airport project was delayed for long time. Just as any manager would ask his reportee about a report. If the reportee is professional, then he would list those points which he finds are responsible for delay. May be the Government would have used this as learning for their other projects. But instead our Mr.Infy sought to runaway by resigning. by doing this he -Got public sympathy, Blame Mr.Gowda (foe of his friend Mr.Krishna). he was in a responsible position and appointed by the govt. So being responsible means able to respond when asked for/ when required.
If Mr.Infy becomes President, I have doubts whether S/w & h/w industry will be benefitted or the Indians who remember & sing the Anthem
I propose vaattaal nagaraj for the post of cleaning the toilets of rashtrapathi bhavan. I also propose he remove his stupid hat.
– vp
“He has no political connections and has come up in a hard way and has ensured that the lower and middle class had benefitted a lot”
Above is the Quote from one of the replier,
I just want to know, What did he do for the middle class?
Do u mean his employers=middle class family?
One thing he has done from his Foundation is, constructed “Pay N use” toilets, for that also he took the publicity worth more than a rupee.
One thing is sure, He needs publicity, and he is getting it at the cost of INDIAN’s….
Please retire this man from Infosys complete, he will not only screw the company but also the country..O man.
veenaapponavan Says:
April 11th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Veena…appon..navvan..What ever that name is in Tamil according to your Blog . No doubt you all hate Vatal and his hat .
Narayamamurthy minus his wealth.
What is he?
Our Society has become apolitical.
Otherwise why a crooked businessman’s name come
to this context?
Indian reality is different.
We wanted somebody who can think about the sufferings and pains
of the common man?
Somebody who can think about ‘*the poorest man in the country’.
(*Remembering Gandhi’s words)
-Not a man who is thinking about his new campuses and his
expansion plans!
Narayanamurthy can at least do a great service to Indians.
-Tell Sudha Moorthy not to write novels to torment Indians!
Winding up….janaganamana……(instrumental)
Veenapponnavan
Look no further than your own ‘Wariginal’ Anbumani RamDoss and ole Thiru Karunanidhi. They look as if they cleaned all the toilets of India and they were so much engaged in their tasks, they forgot to clean themselves properly. Hence the good clean dark looks…:)
First the similarities. Both Abdul Kalam (AK)and Narayan Murthy(NRN) have come up from humble beginnings, both are hardworking, both are patriotic. But they have a lot of differences also.
AK is a man of the masses. He connects with the ordinary people very easily. He knows their problems. But NRN is a man whose world is just business. His vision does not go beyond the IT and the corporate world. He just cannot relate to the ordinary people. Forget about reservations. He sees everthing from a corporate point of view. For him, all problems can be solved in the manner his company solves their business related problems. He cannot understand that a country like India is too complex to limit to a boardroom kind of atmosphere. His comments on cricket debacle, Cauvery, all these are too simplistic.
He may have built a software empire, given jobs, paid taxes. Ok, this is good. But the over exposure to the media, blind admiration by his loyal fans have all gone to his head that his perfect, he cannot do anything wrong. He and his company is too publicity hungry. And the loyal English papers treat him like God. His blind admirers just cannot stand one word of criticism against him. They mouth the usual platitudes that his has built a company, given jobs. So do many others. Are they given the same attention? Many have done far better social work.
Nilekani stepping down as CEO was a big news for our papers. Such changes happen in every company, what’s so special about Infosys, why it has to hog front page news? All this media attention and loyalty from a few admirers have made NRN too arrogant soas to think that whatever he says is right. How may times he has arm twisted the government to give the land and other facilities. If not provided with what he wants, he rushes to the media crying that the government is not supporting him. His blind fans cry their heart out that politicians are out to drive him out of the country. Disgusting!!!
Absolutely agree with Anand when it comes to choosing a national level leader. Judging by the performance so far of patriotic and excellent scientist turned into president of a country, most of us would wish that he was a politician too. This political attribute would have allowed him to push for initiatives that would translate his thought provoking speech below into actions on the ground. But I guess Science+Presidency+Politics is almost an impossible combination to have in a single person, but a must for a country that wants to get led in the right direction.
That is why what worked for India in the past is PV Narsimha Rao+Manmohan Singh backed by Passive President. Reversal of this equation (Manmohan Singh+PC Chidambaram backed by Vocal President) is surely not working for India in these times. Let us not get fooled by current momentum of economy, since it has nothing to do with current govt policies. Farmers are still dying in non-fertile belts of India, while fertile lands are being snatched away from others for the price of their lives/livelihood. Huge amounts collected through education cess is still to find its rightful beneficiary. I wonder what is happening to Manmohan Singh’s pet projects: Administrative & Police reforms. Manmohan Singh is the last person that one would like to blame for this mess. It’s just that, he is right person in a wrong job. He is simply not a politician.
For all their ills, successful politicians of national level are a rare species with hard to find skills such as carrying the masses with them, being able to create consensus on ticklish issues, most of the time etc. Ultimately are they good or bad for the society is more of perception in the short run, and public memory is only short. Case in point is Laloo Prasad, who at a the time of fodder scam was bad, and when the same Laloo generates huge profits from the Railways, he gets all the admiration starting from IIMA to all the way from foreign shores.
In my opinion, very little is needed to transform India into Singapore/Japan/US, at least in terms of well behaved society. Detailed thought at political level (Even Laloo would do here), to put in place processes that would enforce existing laws, and holding sleepy IAS/IPS accountable across matrices of law enforcement, in itself could transform this country. I still remember, almost a decade ago, when Delhi Traffic Police had run a short newspaper campaign to make vehicles “Relax at Red Light” and “Stop at Stop Line”, almost everybody complied in rowdy Delhi, except a few who had to pay hefty fines. This may have gone on for couple of weeks, beyond which police got busy extracting hafta from shopkeepers and Delhi motorists got busy being rowdy. Another instance leading to successful outcome was Fire Crackers Campaign by Delhi Govt in schools, which persists during Diwali festival even now after many years and has had a huge impact on difficult to correct tradition bound habits of our populace.
Democracy at the top (methods of electing leaders, policy & law formulation based on consensus), and Autocracy at the ground/road level possibly interleaved with making people aware of the law in simple terms is what transformed Singapore/Japan/US.
My plea to Dr. Abdul Kalam: Mr. President therefore, being an Indian yourself stop blaming other Indians for their behavior. Being a past teacher yourself please start educating/making them aware through your high offices and ones below yours. For the non-compliant, organize enforcement through highly active judiciary. And finally, may be you would have brighter ideas on how to make bribery intoxicated self indulgent bureaucracy/police accountable, to ensure implementation.
For the rest of us, let’s get a seasoned politician in Rashtrapati Bhavan for the next term, rather than a celebrity, to avoid similar mistake being made twice. For a country so large and rearing to go, mistake may amount to missing a yet another bus towards journey into the tomorrow’s tri-polar world of US-China-Possibly India.
Cheers to India’s Future,
Dinesh Kumar
CEO
Divas Software
_____________________________________________________________
* The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam ‘s Speech in Hyderabad *
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice. Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture,
when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don’t work, the railways are a joke, The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name – YOURS. Give him a face – YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don’t throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don’t say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn’t dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, ‘see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.’YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, ‘Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so’s son. Take your two bucks and get lost.’ YOU wouldn’t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don’t YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don’t YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. ‘Rich people’s dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,’ he said. ‘And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.
Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?’ He’s right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? ‘It’s the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons’ rights to a dowry.’ So who’s going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the
government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to
England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one’s conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy ‘s words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
‘ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY’
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or
junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam
20 April, 2007
At the outset we tend to overlook that the President, despite being the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (the only dedicated professional guys in teh country despite certain corrupt elements), is more of an ornamental designation. In the past renowned persons of intellectua integrity had occupied that coveted post and become the residents of Rashtrapati Bhavan. And when one draws a parallel and compares about all the previous occupants and the present one, Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam is the outstanding one since he has been a man, down to earth.
Admireres of Dr.Radhakrishnan may be upset and annoyed when I say that he was an MD (Master Debauch). So much so, it is said that when he died, scores of widows attained widowhood for teh second time. Babu Rajendra Prasad was humble but not a vocal person and he was submissive to the Nehru clan. Dr.Zakir Hussain was truly a genius, an upright person. As for others, they were more of political apointees inluding K R Narayanan although he was a qualifeid diplomat. Venkatraman, Zai Singh, Shankar Dayal Sharma were nothing but bootlickers of first order. V V Giri banked on his forte as a labour leader while for Sanjeev Reddy it was more of a revenge against Indira Gandhi than occupying the hightest post in the nation.
As for the controvery over Narayan Murthy, he may be an IT Czar. But he is a misfit to occupy the majestic mansion at Raisina Hill. Yes, he is a person who rose from the next door neighbourhood to found and head a leading corporate firm. But that doesn’t mean he is suitable to head the country. For instance, Nani Palkhivala was a genius in delivering extempore post-budget speech. But that did not qualify him to be the Union Finance Minister or the Chairman of the Planning Commission.
Among Mysoreans who truly deserved to be the Presidents of India, one was Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar (leave alone his odd figure) and Dr.Raja Ramanna. Both of them were gifted in topics of philosophy, science, techmology, diplomacy etc. And Narayan Murthy can’t be bracketed with them althought he has proved to be an able corporate leader. Ruling a company with an eye on BSE and NASDQ is one thing and managing the affairs of the nation is another cup of tea.
One of your respondents has rightly said that Amratya Sen will be the right choice and he is right. However, one wonders whether he will be ever able to keep himself away from the influence of IMF, World Bank and the biggest agent of these two, Montek Singh Alhuwalia at bay.
Hence let our Dr.APJ have another term inspite of his stereotyped speeches of vision and oaths since they are not that hypocratic like the blahs-blahs orated by politicians.
Ok… I couldnt resist but join this discussion.
Lets bust a few myths here
1. NRN created jobs!!!
No statement can be more ridiculous. NRN and many others were in the right space at the right time… and the global market reality did the rest. In fact, the Infosys-Wipro-TCS greed for money brought the value for indian brain so low that many small companies had to close shop. Nilgir marada neraLinalli hullu kooda beLeyollavante… haage… NRNs values are derived from ‘Me First’ attitude. I do not know the exact number of headcount in infosis today.. but its no where close to the ‘Garments’ workers… thats employment created for common people. NRN’s “Job Creation” benefits a miniscule minority in a large country like India
2. NRN paid taxes!!!!!
Shows the double speak of NRNs ilk. NRN actively lobbied and got tax holidays way beyond their originally intended dates. In fact if you use the RTI act and dig out… you will find that NRNs company still owes ~4000 crores in sales tax to karnataka alone. (enough to fund the elevated highway to electronic city).
3. NRN is a patriot.
This is far from truth. To people like NRN, indianess is a liability. He would be more happy if we all spoke english, had no cultural bondings and worked according to american and british calenders.
NRN is a businessman… and a good one at it. Lets just leave it at that.
If he want to become the president… lets make him the president of electronic city phase2.
India’s presidentship is not for sale
Thought provoking.. Anyways, I think, atleast we (kannadigas) shud start calling and spelling it as “Kaveri” instead of “Cauvery”
Amazing