I attended a meeting of the Pune chapter of my Alma mater
alumni association some days ago at the Mahratta Chamber
of Commerce hall in Pune. The highlight of the program was a panel discussion
on Make in India by the new director of my Alma mater, a once leading industrialist
in Pune, a retired head of a large automobile manufacturing company, also an
alumnus and a leading economist and professor.
The program was scheduled for 5 pm, but in true Indian tradition, it started at 5:40 pm. To be expected
with traffic in our cities being what it is, you might think. The traffic did not seem to have
delayed the audience, who had taken the effort to arrive before 5 pm out of
deference for the distinguished panelists.
In any case, traffic was an irrelevant excuse that day. All
the panelists were already in the building and had been there since noon that
day for other meetings, no doubt discussing the future of our country. The
meeting prior to the 5 o’clock event ended at 5 pm. And then of course, the
distinguished members of the panel had to repair to the VIP lounge for some tea
and biscuits. The plebs could wait.
To add insult to injury, the industrialist spoke about the
importance of discipline and of pride of work. He took the opportunity to tell
us how the Shinkansen, the Japanese bullet trains always run on time and have
not had a single accident in their 60 year history.
The Japanese culture is fueled by honour and disciplined by
shame, he said, and advised us that we need to learn to inject that sense of pride in work
here in India. The Japanese would much rather commit hara-kiri than be shamed.
Where was your sense of shame, Mr. Industrialist, when you
kept the audience waiting while you sipped your tea? And you Hon’ble Director? Was it easier to acquiesce to sloppy time keeping because the other panelists
were worthies?
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