R Gopalkrishnan*
Our Left economists seem to be miffed about the inclusion of representatives from World Bank, ADB and McKinsey. This is puzzling; it could be that they have failed to communicate their real concern, but more likely, they are inward-looking. Maybe it is a xenophobia that is so mindless that the government should ignore their tantrums. There seems to be a mindset that all Indians are nationalistic and all foreigners are anti-Indian. After all, we are not handing over the job of the chief of the armed forces!

We are only demonstrating a willingness to listen to all and learn from whatever we may think to be worthwhile! How does it matter whether the viewpoint came from a Mongolian, Russian or westerner? After all, the communists themselves are much influenced by the thoughts of foreigners like Marx, Mao and others - and nobody thinks them to be anti-national for this reason! People who think the way the Left is thinking may be shaped by one or more of four possibilities.

First, as the late Rajiv Gandhi once mused about FDI, maybe the anti-foreigner mentality lies buried in the way Britain colonised India - they came to trade and stayed to rule. Secondly, they may be convinced that Indians already have all the answers, so why have institutions whose agendas are suspect sitting around the table? This is autarky, nothing else. Third, it may reflect the view that keeping the windows of the mind open is injurious, as ill winds may also blow in. Fourth, it may just be the tantrums of some who wish to be noticed and heard.

I deeply hope that it is the last - I can live with immaturity more easily than intractability. Many years ago, when I was CEO of an ‘MNC’ tea company, which had operated in India for a century, I met the CEO of a prominent ‘Indian’ tea company. He spoke passionately about how ‘Indians’ have created a social infrastructure for the tea gardens which the British companies did not do for decades, the message being that MNCs were not socially conscious and were only profit-minded.

I told him two things: first, that many ‘Indians’ had also sucked their tea companies dry by inadequate farm practices and siphoning of profits; second, that the ‘Indians’ had gone so far with their ideas of social costs that within a decade, Indian tea would cease to be competitive. I am no clairvoyant, but my view on both counts has not been incorrect. It seems our leftists would like to prevent any progress by placing creative anarchy even before innovation. This is unfortunate.

* The writer is executive director, Tata Sons Ltd. These are his personal views