Gowda’s is a self-serving tirade against Murthy

Bridging the digital divide
Gowda’s is a self-serving tirade against Murthy

Financial Express

The events that led to the resignation of NR Narayana Murthy, the IT and business icon, from the chairmanship of BIAL, the new Bangalore international airport project, is a painful reminder of a deeper malaise. One, the existence of a self-serving political class and two, the fact that nothing in our country gets done in the routine course.

The collaboration encouraged by the earlier government in Karnataka between state agencies, business and citizens on projects that benefit the public had seemed worth emulating all over the country. It combined the state’s accountability to voters and its legal authority and feedback from citizens, with the professional ability of business to get things done. The spirit of that grandly-named public-private-partnership (PPP) didn’t survive the chief minister who initiated it; the current spat threatens to bury whatever is left of it.

If a man of Narayana Murthy’s stature finds it impossible to work with political leaders on projects of urgent public need, one may imagine the hopelessness of such endeavours. The episode illustrates many things that need to change, starting with the system that needs a Narayana Murthy to head a Board in order to ensure files keep moving! Karnataka is very unlike Bihar, where basics of administration and accountability are a question mark for even those in charge of government. Yet, Bangalore’s pioneering PPPs had to rope in top businessmen simply to get moving on reform of basics like sewers and road blockages to the international airport.

Clearly, in our long-functioning democracy, despite all the regular dismissals of governments by voters for non-performance, the system simply does not perform, unless overseen and pushed and kicked into doing so from outside. The institutions to involve citizens into translating their basic grievances into meaningful action are either not there or are quite inadequate. There is the related issue, that veteran politicians such as Mr Deve Gowda find it politically advantageous to lash at IT and business icons, be they as high and as regarded as Mr Murthy. A milieu, that makes the former Prime Minister believe there are more willing votes in doing so than in straightening infrastructure or setting governance right, has very little to commend. Food for thought, food for action.