A Memorial For Chacha

Our great and illustrious leader, Chacha Manmohan S Gandhi, speaking at a conference of expatriate Indians, “promised that his government would improve infrastructure.” I wonder why they don’t make such promises to resident Indians. Perhaps because “democracy” here is a farce.

My friend Professor Cris Lingle, speaking at the Centre for Civil Society recently, said that in China, a dictator had the incentive to usher in policies which would make the people rich – so they would not overthrow the oppressive regime.

He added that in India, democracy has created the perverse incentive to keep people poor – so they would forever be kissing the butts of politicians and their baboons.

There is no better way to keep the people poor than to deny them roads, electricity and water. Especially roads. Our The Chacha State has systematically employed a “scorched earth policy” towards rural Indians by keeping them disconnected from cities and towns – and their bustling markets. I have a old humorous column on this scorched earth policy here.

Chacha Manmohan S Gandhi is of course much, much older than me. But even I recall my undergraduate years in Delhi University (1974-77) studying Economics (Hons.). Even then, a common term employed by teachers and students when referring to India’s problems was “infrastructural bottlenecks.” These bottlenecks have been with us for ages. Chacha should know. Those days, he designed the Economics syllabus.

However, the older you get, the more you think of your mortality – and how people will remember you after you are gone. Our aged Communist leader, Jyoti Basu, is very sick these days. How will Calcuttans remember him after he has gone? How will India remember Chacha?

Well, I think the best memorial for Chacha & Co. is the great big mess called New Delhi. While Chacha was promising infrastructure to expats, I was ferrying my mother to Connaught Place – and we couldn’t reach. We had to turn back after an hour’s struggle. This entire city is gridlocked – the famous “infrastructural bottleneck.”

I was thinking of Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), the great English architect, while contemplating this post. He is famous for having designed and built London’s grand St. Paul’s Cathedral. He is also buried there. And his gravestone reads:

Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice

Which translates as:

Reader, if you seek his memorial – look around you

So, if you seek Chacha’s memorial, look around your city and town, at all the “infrastructural bottlenecks.”

They are the true memorial to The Chacha State.