Last night, the news on UndieTV reported the launch of NR Narayana Murthy’s new book, “A Better India, A Better World.”
Murthy is the famous entrepreneur who founded the IT firm Infosys and made billions, for himself, for his employees, and his shareholders. His is the shining face of India as an IT superpower. Quite naturally, his views on anything and everything are in great demand. Indeed, many want him to occupy public office and thereby bring his entrepreneurial genius into government. His new book is a collection of his speeches, published by Penguin India. It is expected to be a huge bestseller.
However, I was rather perturbed by what Murthy said on television when asked as to what he thinks the government should do to make India a better place.
He said: The State should provide India’s children with nutrition and free education.
This ceases to be funny.
Murthy may know a lot about IT, but when he steps out of the area of his competence, to comment on matters relating to government, he is dead wrong. As we all know, in India we have a Predatory State. This State is a naked propagandist, and its education is fatal for the intellects of those exposed to it. Added to that, its predatory bureaucracy is an enemy of entrepreneurship – especially the small entrepreneur. This Predatory State is the cause of widespread poverty. We need to educate people to fight against this State, to clamour for Economic Freedom. As an entrepreneur himself, Murthy must certainly be aware of the anti-business attitude of The State. His endorsement of State education in a closed economy therefore seems to be inherently false. In addition, his idea that The State must feed poor children goes against the spirit of self-help that India’s poor people demonstrate – that which this State blocks.
Perhaps, like all our big businessmen, Murthy is also a friend of The State. If so, his views should be treated with the caution they deserve.
I was therefore not surprised to read a news report this morning saying that Narayana Murthy’s book was launched in New Delhi at the residence of the prime minister himself: Chacha Manmohan S Gandhi!
Funny old world.
There is a precise word that political scientists use to describe a State that is hand-in-glove with Big Business. That word is “fascist.”
It is because our State works together with Big Business that none of these super-rich businessmen champion free trade and free markets.
Indeed, Azim Premji, another IT czar, also champions State education. This, while the Sarjapura Road that leads to his Bangalore headquarters is a veritable disaster. India needs roads – but both these great men of IT champion State education. Perhaps because IT does not depend on a roads infrastructure. IT just need telecom.
According to me, India needs roads, Indians need Economic Freedom, and State education must be closed down.
Further, I do not think IT is the greatest thing that has happened to India.
I think the industry that should be encouraged in India is Tourism. We have 2500 miles of virgin beaches, high mountains, tropical forests, a huge desert, varied cuisine, history and culture – and we have “negative tourism”: more Indians travel abroad than foreigners come in!
To succeed, tourism needs roads and Freedom.
In Goa, they say one tourist creates 12 local jobs.
Tourism is the world’s biggest industry – bigger than civil aviation and automobiles combined. Far, far bigger than IT.
We need businessmen from the tourism industry to give their take on what policies will make India great.
And as far as education is concerned, do read my recent column, "De-mystifying Knowledge." It proves that Narayana Murthy is in serious error.
I doubt if India actually has any tpurists at all. may be a few thousands.
ReplyDeleteLets not forget that most of our tourists are NRIS and PIOS and not actual foreigners.
Read your article, absolutely mind blowing !
ReplyDeleteFor more on Narayana Murthy and his worship of Nehru, read this:
ReplyDeletehttp://chandra-porul.blogspot.com/2009/04/india-is-new-to-it-and-urbanism-but.html
The dude is a pucca Nehruvian socialist!
Ugh!
Murthy is a contradiction - a jumble of ideas. He supports everything from meritocracy to limited government to state intervention to collectivism. The ET interview Chandra links to proves that. And in this TOI interview, he blames India's leadership vacuum on 1000 years of foreign rule. Further this speech which he refers to in the ET interview shows his reverence for "the common good" (am surprised you12 didn't link to it).
ReplyDeleteYou're right. One should treat him with caution.
Hi Sauvik,
ReplyDeleteI heard you on Antiwar.com and was interested in your views. Although i am not entirely a proponent of Murthy, i feel that your solution is somewat simplistic.
Murthy has merit, in my opinion, in his statements relating to education, as increased levels of education at a local level will improve the job possibilities for those who are at the lower end of the Indian economic threshold. I also agree with you that infrastructure needs improvement, as this is critical to the modernisation of India.
I totally agree with you that the system which is in place in india currently is simply an extension of the state sponsered monopolisation which occured in india in the so call socialist period. By any stretch of the imagination it is difficult to lable this as socialism, as it was clearly designed to enrich the indian Elites. As you correctly surmise, this is more fascistic than anything else.
A complete withdrawal of state education would leave the "free Market" open to complete manipulation and domination by these elite businessmen, and would see the further monopolisation of the indian market. This would cause an even greater chasm between rich and poor, and increase the already substancial suicide rate in rural India.
Hoe can less education possibly be harmful, in a country where the knowledge gap between elites and the lower classes is already monumental. Surely more education for the disenfranchised masses would be of greater benefit to them than risk.
I am interested in your thoughs
Kenny
Bangalore
state of roads in kerala state.
ReplyDeletefreedomwalk.in
india may need roads, but india needs also pedestrian and bike paths more. after looking at alot of the pictures from freedomwalk.in, i think that the great new roads are destroying something already great.
Excellent article. management is a process of aligning people and getting them committed to work for a common goal to the maximum social benefit - in search of excellence. Major functions of a manager are planning, organizing, leading and coordinating activities -- they put different emphasis and suggest different natures of activities in the following four major functions..
ReplyDeleteThe critical question in all managers' minds is how to be effective in their job. The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad-Gita, which repeatedly proclaims that "you must try to manage yourself." The reason is that unless a manager reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness, he or she will be merely a face in the crowd.
India is truly a great place with lots of diversity among its culture and the its destinations. I am person who is closely watching the trends and developments in India tourism and always enthusiastic to know more about India. You can follow my updates on @india_tourism in twitter.
ReplyDelete