Businessmen are not Gods

Having lived in Bangalore all my life, its transformation from a sleepy Public Sector Units hub to a noisy Information Technology core did not quite amuse me. While PSUs such as HAL, BEML, NGEF, ITI and the likes created jobs without interfering with the city's cultural essence, the IT lot invaded Bangalore with marked arrogance, pampered by tax-sops and the products of IT and BT boom became messiahs of the city.

Similar is the treatment businessmen received elsewhere in the country, from mere money makers to demi-Gods. I remember the mid-year time in 1999, when businessmen from Hosur Road, that houses Electronics City, taking up shovels on the road to clean up the mess that the road was in. Today it is one of the top class roads. 

In the thick of controversies and hype over crumbling Bangalore infrastructure that IT honchos indulged in, the lot got a State approval for a road on stilts - exclusively for Hosur Road, while the rest of Bangalore cried in agony over hopeless traffic.

Corporate firms that give mediamen hardly any access to information unlike government agencies, get placed on a pedestal. The Ramalinga Raju con-fest that would have gone unnoticed but for recession coupled with US lawsuits glaring in the face, gives reason to introspect.

Bangalore, reflects the mood of India Inc.

We worship our businessmen for creating jobs when we should as much as acknowledge them and leave it there. These businessmen and their businesses claiming to put India on the knowledge map of the world, somehow get interested in scooping off huge chunks of land (logic: what best insurance for a company than land?)?. They more often than not make decisions and do charity that suits their businesses.

In the aftermath of the Satyam gala loot revelations, what is appalling to see is that our businessmen and corporates have still mooted for Narendra Modi as PM!. Modi who one cringes at the thought of having as a leader, leave alone grabbing the top job. Modi whose role in the Gujarat genocide glares over the top on his CV. Modi who in all earnestness should be labelled a fascist. More shocking that even Preity Zinta moots for the chief minister who paints his state with his pictures all over.

We idolise corporates. Media rarely has stories against major firms and people who head them. We want to believe they are people of principles. We love it when they talk big. And what do they do in the bargain? 

They do what suits their businesses the best. They try to garner maximum tax-holidays to up their company profits. They have something backing them - that they create jobs. Will they take blame if they axe jobs too, with similar panache? You decide. Businessmen are not Gods, remember!