Deve Gowda opens a Pandora’s box

Deve Gowda opens a Pandora’s box
Daily News and Analysis

The contretemps between H D Gowda and Narayana Murthy over the latter’s alleged non-performance as chairman of the proposed Bangalore international airport project reflects the incipient contradictions in the much-vaunted private-public partnership which is said to be the way of the future for the country’s economic growth. While it is a noble idea, the truth is that there is a long way to go before both sides really find common ground and work together. Politicians view businessmen as evil profiteers and only think about votes; businessmen often do not understand local complexities and want quick results.

In his zeal for contributing to the development of Bangalore, Narayana Murthy, who has created a world-class Indian company, has been dragged into a political mess and has opened his organisation to scrutiny and criticism because Gowda has also raised questions about Infosys apparently being given state land at cheap prices.

The pity is that Gowda, who obviously is playing a much larger political game, has set back his own state capital’s growth by several years. Bangalore’s terrible infrastructure is a shame for a city that aspires to becoming India ‘s Silicon Valley; the airport project could have set things right. Any sensible technocrat will now think a hundred times before he joins hands with the government. For that we have Deve Gowda to thank.

But what began as a spat between a local politician and a businessman over a domestic issue has several other layers too and has now spilled over to Maharashtra, with governor

S M Krishna being dragged into it. Deve Gowda has claimed that governor Krishna is playing a behind-the-scenes role in trying to destabilise the Dharam Singh government. Indeed, even Singh has suggested something similar.

This is a serious charge, because it drags the holder of a constitutional appointment into politicking, something that he is not supposed to do. The governor is a presidential representative and is supposed to be far removed from the hurly burly of politics.The fact that the allegation comes from a senior politician, one who occupied the highest post in the country, demands that it be taken seriously and rebutted forcefully. If indeed there is a modicum of truth in it, then the governor’s position will become untenable. If not, Gowda will owe everyone concerned, including the people of his own state, an apology.