London’s Calling

The sun shone in London as parts of the United Kingdom were overwhelmed by unprecedented floods. The weather, though, has ceased to be the predominant topic of conversation in Labour’s New England, as now the Hinduja brothers’ concentrated bid for the Express Group has the city agog. Sir David Frost’s Sunday morning current affairs programme had political heavyweights like Mr Portillo being asked to rate his eminent calibre to be the next Prime Minister and Mr G P Hinduja and Mrs P Hinduja jointly hosting a few pointed queries about their latest bid for the Express Group and its near vertical integration into their existing media interest in India. I felt inordinately proud to watch them field a question on how they would bring change in the paper not just by a cash injection or a fine team of professionals but in the proud fact that they would make the paper reflect ethnic (read Indian) concerns.

On a more British topic, the brothers committed to stay involved with the religious aspect of the doomed ‘Dome’, saying they funded the Dome (to the tune of six million pounds) because they believed in the government’s commitment to ethnic and religious fusion amongst its varied populace. It was more than obvious that the brothers, while taking pride in being Indian, were firmly woven into the fabric of the British diaspora.

It does indeed seem a shame then that their homeland India is so doggedly pursuing the Bofor’s case to the point of banishing them forever to England, without a fair and just hearing.

The media have had a field day dissecting their involvement and the case is yet to see their light of day. Being partisan to the brothers may perhaps be more in the light of ‘been there, been mauled by a hostile press in my time’ syndrome, but it baffles me that when another nation, especially one like Britain, can see the contribution of this illustrious family, why are we so determined to hound them in a ‘trial by the press’ with no legal recourse. Culpable or not, the judiciary is the final arbiter and the fourth estate cannot be allowed to hijack the cause of justice with such impunity. Many years ago, a wise Q.C. told me ‘Indian’s don’t need others to destroy them’, their own race can be depended on to execute the final stab. Et tu Brute. Also the fact from the interview that stuck in my head was the introduction to the brothers.

When David Frost referred to their interest to acquire Air India, I couldn’t help but ponder: did their interest in India’s flag carrier have political repercussions vested in dragging up the dregs of Bofors? In the ‘crab pull crab’ world of Indian business, was it the controlling strings of a rival bid that pulled the strings of the political puppets? In the light of the conviction of a former Prime Minister, political favour or disfavour is not too far out of the realms of credibility. In our present Prime Minister Mr Vajpayee we have a leader who is a statesman and gentleman beyond the pale of games, but the lower echelons of power need not be as untainted the spirit of one nation, one people, one pride.

Till then, we must be prepared that in the race of life, the Indian team may still need baton passing practice. Till we have this dream team, we may never realise that only with the help of other Indians can our illustrious families in industry, commerce and media ever really flourish.