The problem is not the American and the European response to Nano, but that of Indian intellectuals who ape those opinions. Pachauri and Sunita Narayan are neo-environmentalists who'd happily echo some white-skinned writer because it is fashionable to be 'green'. In a country like India where politicians have ignored common folk and their needs for decades, is any one asking the govt. how much forest cover politicians have depleted, how many new brands of big cars they have permitted entry into the Indian market, how many miles of roads they have built, what is the state of industrial and hospital wastes, how many towns have reliable mass transport systems?
If Ratan Tata gives India a Nano, don't tell him he ought to be building roads. Infra-structure is Govt.s responsibility, but remember the scooters they made to cut into Bajaj's market, ignoring roads, power-generation and water-supply? If the govt. agrees to keep off public works, Tatas will also build motorable roads, and power=plants. And look at the intellectuals deriding Ratan Tata for thinking of just one need of common man! If he were to build roads, our Pachauri and American Friedman would talk about soil blockage and loss of ground water absorption, soil erosion due to chopping of grass. Because Indian Govt.'s priorities have been wrong, it does not mean that all of India must struggle even for inexpensive transportation till new policies are made to create an extensive mass transpoprt sy
RE:Nano and Indian intellectuals
by concerned indian on Jan 14, 2008 09:46 PM Permalink
forget everything else, just focus on one thing. people who drive cars with mileage of less than 10 KM are ridiculing this car for the global warming that this will create.. height of hypocrisy..
RE:Nano and Indian intellectuals
by Kingsley Martin on Jan 14, 2008 09:51 PM Permalink
Well said!. The rich wouldn't leave their Mercedes and blame the poor for global warming!. Let the rich stop running their ACs at home and start using public transport (by clinging to train/bus) to contribute to a green planet!
RE:Nano and Indian intellectuals
by akshay mehta on Jan 14, 2008 10:17 PM Permalink
I think you guys are missing the big picture on why US reporters are condemning Nano. The reason is simple and that is economics (which is always the driving principle in the west - just as British left India because India was no more economical to them). And the main reason for that is demand from a nation of billion people will definitely jack up the petrol prices! And since US has to depend on middle east to meet their demands they will have to shell out more (more problematic when they dont have good relations with some of the oil exporting countries). Simple and straight.
