Ratan’s fall from Grace
One of the people from the corporate world that I greatly admired was Ratan Tata. I feel that India as a country does not recognize in full measure the contribution that industry captains like him bring to the country.
But latest revelations, his dialog with a go - between, rather dalal like Kenya born Nira Radia has been a big disappointment for Tata fans like me. I could believe that Ratan Tata would deign to discuss evening gowns with a woman who is today understood as a lobbyist till more skeletons are dug out.
Rajeev Chandrashekhar exposes Ratan Tata and the latter retorts with a sting and some uncharacteristic sarcasm. The purportedly shy and reticent Tata, who has usually shown restraint, poise and savoir faire in his public interface till date, now smitten, is eschewing his trademark reticence for pugilism.
I only pray, my second icon of industry – yet another person I idolize as much as Ratan Tata - Narayanmurthy - is not caught in such a blaze, having an obnoxious “business discussion” with a wheeler dealer. That too of the opposite sex – Nira Radia…. What is in the sex? If till date people refer to Kiran Bedi as the first lady IPS, or Naina Lal Kidwai as the first lady from HBS, then there is something in the sex beyond sex.
In my perspective, it is a slosh. Perhaps an indelible one on Tata. And if 1937 Mumbai born Tata is to live the legacy of the Paris born JRD even in some measure or even redeem the equity that he had over a life time himself built, he must – I don’t know how to say in English – stay Maun ( Sanskrit) . The court proceeding slotted for DEC 13, for staying the publication of tapes would actually pull his moderate indiscretion into even greater limelight, which at this juncture is best avoidable.
The moot point is the invasion of privacy. For public figures what is privacy? In return for the pedestal that people install you on, they need to know all that you stand for even in your private life. In return for the love and adoration they shower on you, they need to know whether you indeed are worthy of that. It is for this reason that they lap up all that comes in public domain about the private life of their icon and spend precious dining table hours debating and dissecting the motive of their icons indiscretion. Nobody is interested in knowing whats on in my private life.
Just imagine, what a let down for people like me, who are votaries of a Bharat Ratna for Ratan and also of his candidature for presidency of the country. Of course, the tapes not withstanding, if Pratibha Patil could become the president of India, any one can, but from my perspective, Tata could have been in the league of Kalam, and not a Patil like protégé of some Sonia whose claim to fame is by virtue of marriage to a man, whose claim to fame inturn was by virtue of birth in a particular family. But that thinking is now past.
One of the people from the corporate world that I greatly admired was Ratan Tata. I feel that India as a country does not recognize in full measure the contribution that industry captains like him bring to the country.
But latest revelations, his dialog with a go - between, rather dalal like Kenya born Nira Radia has been a big disappointment for Tata fans like me. I could believe that Ratan Tata would deign to discuss evening gowns with a woman who is today understood as a lobbyist till more skeletons are dug out.
Rajeev Chandrashekhar exposes Ratan Tata and the latter retorts with a sting and some uncharacteristic sarcasm. The purportedly shy and reticent Tata, who has usually shown restraint, poise and savoir faire in his public interface till date, now smitten, is eschewing his trademark reticence for pugilism.
I only pray, my second icon of industry – yet another person I idolize as much as Ratan Tata - Narayanmurthy - is not caught in such a blaze, having an obnoxious “business discussion” with a wheeler dealer. That too of the opposite sex – Nira Radia…. What is in the sex? If till date people refer to Kiran Bedi as the first lady IPS, or Naina Lal Kidwai as the first lady from HBS, then there is something in the sex beyond sex.
In my perspective, it is a slosh. Perhaps an indelible one on Tata. And if 1937 Mumbai born Tata is to live the legacy of the Paris born JRD even in some measure or even redeem the equity that he had over a life time himself built, he must – I don’t know how to say in English – stay Maun ( Sanskrit) . The court proceeding slotted for DEC 13, for staying the publication of tapes would actually pull his moderate indiscretion into even greater limelight, which at this juncture is best avoidable.
The moot point is the invasion of privacy. For public figures what is privacy? In return for the pedestal that people install you on, they need to know all that you stand for even in your private life. In return for the love and adoration they shower on you, they need to know whether you indeed are worthy of that. It is for this reason that they lap up all that comes in public domain about the private life of their icon and spend precious dining table hours debating and dissecting the motive of their icons indiscretion. Nobody is interested in knowing whats on in my private life.
Just imagine, what a let down for people like me, who are votaries of a Bharat Ratna for Ratan and also of his candidature for presidency of the country. Of course, the tapes not withstanding, if Pratibha Patil could become the president of India, any one can, but from my perspective, Tata could have been in the league of Kalam, and not a Patil like protégé of some Sonia whose claim to fame is by virtue of marriage to a man, whose claim to fame inturn was by virtue of birth in a particular family. But that thinking is now past.
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