The 'merchant princes' of Renaissance Europe amassed huge wealth, but they also spent huge portions of their wealth on public works and other philantrophic endeavors. Ditto for the 19th century 'robber barons', who amassed even larger fortunes - many by what would be considered thoroughly illegal means today. But they became some of the largest philanthrophists the world had ever seen. Now Indian 'merchant princes' too must meet thier obligation to society, not just the Tatas and Birlas, but every single one of them -it's time they stepped up to the plate - there's too much destitution and poverty for them to do otherwise.
A great post by Amit Jindal. We need our rich to think to also set high exmaple not only for money richness born out of greed but ... .. richness they add to society in terms of great example of a good role model.. ...of being worthy son of India ....making difference to society by using the influence for clean Judiciary, descipline .... support health, education system ... be world class in technology.. & so on
To me if the rich fellows do not want to do charities ,to give back to society what they have earned. They should at least do business by right methods and not subvert the system at the cost of public at large ( i.e at the cost of India). Otherwise all these billions earned by many of them ( not all ) are worse than ,the money earned by Bar Dancers .
RE:Rich Vs Poor ------ a great post by Amit Jindal!!!!!
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 03:58 PM
valid point,but do you not think that they are contributing more by paying taxes and making our gdp bigger and employing 1000's of people.We dont need them to provide charity but making navi mumbai better or buiding a new city is good enough.
RE:Rich Vs Poor ------ a great post by Amit Jindal!!!!!
by Shasikanth Malipeddi on Aug 15, 2007 02:10 AM
No one gets the chance by luck. Either these people themselves or their earlier generation have taken great pains and risks to build the empires they now rule. If you feed a hungry with a fish, he will be happy for that day but if you teach him how to fish, he will be fed for the rest of his life. Similarly the greatest contribution these tycoons can give to the Indian society is by providing oppurtunities for people to work and raise in their own rights. Generous contributions would still be required for causes like orphan care and education but to the building and beautification of cities.
Rediff has a bunch of loosers who are working for some third stupid s/w company and making money and is not sure what to do with it.They critisize and critisize and then die.These people would not start thier company or work harder to produce more goods or become politicians who would deliver but no they would rather sit and critisize.India is the new america my dear friends.This is where the opportunity lie.American dream has become a nightmare and we are in the build up of a great indian dream.This country is the future.So wake up and think optimistic.If this is a country of illeterates,its also the country that produces more millionaires and billionaires than the rest of the world.We have more educated people and are more intelligent than any other country in the world.Use your brain for things other than critisizing
RE:Indian dream
by Disco King on Aug 14, 2007 03:20 PM
Dont log on to rediff then and learn how to spell and write in proper english before you try and express yourself..Maybe you have a valid point, but, its not coming across.
RE:Indian dream
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 03:54 PM
yaar maaf karde.I dint know that I have to do a spell check even to scribble something in a public forum.Ache se read karo english jaanta hai tho sub samajh main aa jaayegi
RE:Indian dream
by Ravindra Shukla on Aug 14, 2007 07:42 PM
good reply man... if they want they can do spell check, they can do themselves or if they can not understand, they can just leave it...for sake of their angrezi!
Blue wrox, you stupid guy... there is something called conscience, if you have one... there is difference between whats legal and whats ethical. imagine you are sitting somewhere and someone next to you is dying of hunger and you have a luscious "GREAT AMERICAN" MacDonald burger in your hand. Will you devour it lustily in front of the other guy? Yes, the burger is your own. You have not stolen it. You are at all liberty to enjoy it the way you want. But, there are certain norms of civilized human behaviour, when breached will reduce us to a status no better than animals. And this thing about Mukesh Ambani generating employment and all is complete bogus and bullsh*t. You obviously don't understand the nuances of economic theory. But, to simplify that for the benfit of your dimwitted yet apparent pseudo intellectual brain, try to seek the answer to the question - which is a better development model? 30 billionaires and 30 crore poor people with nothing or 3 billionaires and much more equitable distribution of wealth. The theory of indirect wealth distribution has been thoroughly disproved by the likes of Joseph Siglitz, Jeffry Sachs and other such prominent economists, not that I expect an IDI*T like you to have heard of any of that. Don't argue foolishly without knowing anything and not understanding the spirit of what I was trying to communicate.
RE:For pseudo intellectuals luke blue wrox
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 01:35 PM
A dog would not eat your stupid burger.You want to be a cool american but you are a communist inside.Funny
RE:RE:For pseudo intellectuals luke blue wrox
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 01:38 PM
The new consciense is make money and employ more people so that we all can be happy.And Ambani way is the only way to do it.
Socialism and public sector and the crap is for dogs and old brown chinese communists in kerala and WB.
RE:For pseudo intellectuals luke blue wrox
by Latheesh Raveendran on Aug 14, 2007 06:36 PM
abe idiot...check the figures..... see the ranking of number of rupee millioniors in India.....two Kerala cities in the top 10 list... many metros r not thr at all....!!!
RE:For pseudo intellectuals luke blue wrox
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 01:41 PM
Am sure idiots like you elect this castiest,reservationist,sickularist and socialist congress party.Abhi bhugatho
RE:For pseudo intellectuals luke blue wrox
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 01:49 PM
funny you would refer american economists and not indian or chinese ones.You are all screwed up my friend.Get a life
Rediff has a bunch of loosers who are working for some third stupid s/w company and making money and is not sure what to do with it.They critisize and critisize and then die.These people would not start thier company or work harder to produce more goods or become politicians who would deliver but no they would rather sit and critisize.India is the new america my dear friends.This is where the opportunity lie.American dream has become a nightmare and we are in the build up of a great indian dream.This country is the future.So wake up and think optimistic.If this is a country of poor,its also the country that produces more millionaires and billionaires than the rest of the world.We have more educated people and are more intelligent than any other country in the world.Use your brain for things other than critisizing.
RE:For my pessimistic fellow indians
by Babloo on Aug 14, 2007 01:19 PM
Blue wrox, you stupid guy... there is something called conscience, if you have one... there is difference between whats legal and whats ethical. imagine you are sitting somewhere and someone next to you is dying of hunger and you have a luscious "GREAT AMERICAN" MacDonald burger in your hand. Will you devour it lustily in front of the other guy? Yes, the burger is your own. You have not stolen it. You are at all liberty to enjoy it the way you want. But, there are certain norms of civilized human behaviour, when breached will reduce us to a status no better than animals. And this thing about Mukesh Ambani generating employment and all is complete bogus and bullsh*t. You obviously don't understand the nuances of economic theory. But, to simplify that for the benfit of your dimwitted yet apparent pseudo intellectual brain, try to seek the answer to the question - which is a better development model? 30 billionaires and 30 crore poor people with nothing or 3 billionaires and much more equitable distribution of wealth. The theory of indirect wealth distribution has been thoroughly disproved by the likes of Joseph Siglitz, Jeffry Sachs and other such prominent economists, not that I expect an IDI*T like you to have heard of any of that. Don't argue foolishly without knowing anything and not understanding the spirit of what I was trying to communicate.
RE:For my pessimistic fellow indians
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 01:34 PM
yeah so did marx,lenin and all the bunch of others.Now to your analogy "GREAT AMERICAN" MacDonald burger is not luxury you idiot,Its marketed to be great,its greasy and old and fatty.You will die if you eat it everyday.So talk about Godiva chocolates not stupid american cheap burger you mindless idiot.It does not stand for "Conspicous consumtion" you stupid crass idiot. Now about "Mukesh Ambani generating employment and all is complete bogus and bullshit".What brains do you have? I told you he contributes 2.4% towards indias GDP.He pays more taxes directly and millions more indirectly through employees,taxes and other business India tried your stupid theory of equality for 50 years.What did we get? nothing.We were third class citizens of the world.Did you not know about wheat imports that was the quality given to cows during indiras time.We had enough of your stupid socialism and did not bring anything to us.So take it and do it in your home.We want to be a nation which is rich,powerful,strong and remember more people are getting out of poverty now than your socialism years.Thanks to ambani and tatas and the new magnates,Czars,maharajas and the likes
I was watching the panel discussion on CNBC in which Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal, Azim Premji and Kamalnath were participating. It is very ironical that all these guys talk of empowering India etc etc and give big big fundae. But, you look at their wealth they have amassed and their lifestyles, it is almost obscene. Mukesh Ambani has the (dubious) distinction of becoming India's first rupee trillionaire. Look at the multistorey bungalow he is builing in Mumbai. Even olden day maharajas won't have such palaces. I know this for a fact that his son takes his private jet for picnics with his school friends. I mean, what the hell is all this? OK, he is rich. But, such self indulgence when they are poor beggars fighting for scraps of bread in the gutters is really shameful. On top of that they get invited to such farcical talk shows where they give all their gyaan. Absurd.
RE:Hyporcrites
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 12:51 PM
he made the money by working hard.So why would he not do what he wants to do.If you feel jealous ,switch off the tv.Whats wrong with him doing whatever he wants with his money? he is not a politician and its not your money.Its his money.grow up.Whats obscene about it? He employs and provides livelihood to thousands of people.What more do you want him to do? donate all the money to the poor?? he did more to india than your entire community am sure.Remember that reliance contributes 2.4% of indias Taxes and GDP
RE:Hyporcrites
by Babloo on Aug 14, 2007 01:18 PM
Blue wrox, you stupid guy... there is something called conscience, if you have one... there is difference between whats legal and whats ethical. imagine you are sitting somewhere and someone next to you is dying of hunger and you have a luscious "GREAT AMERICAN" MacDonald burger in your hand. Will you devour it lustily in front of the other guy? Yes, the burger is your own. You have not stolen it. You are at all liberty to enjoy it the way you want. But, there are certain norms of civilized human behaviour, when breached will reduce us to a status no better than animals. And this thing about Mukesh Ambani generating employment and all is complete bogus and bullsh*t. You obviously don't understand the nuances of economic theory. But, to simplify that for the benfit of your dimwitted yet apparent pseudo intellectual brain, try to seek the answer to the question - which is a better development model? 30 billionaires and 30 crore poor people with nothing or 3 billionaires and much more equitable distribution of wealth. The theory of indirect wealth distribution has been thoroughly disproved by the likes of Joseph Siglitz, Jeffry Sachs and other such prominent economists, not that I expect an IDI*T like you to have heard of any of that. Don't argue foolishly without knowing anything and not understanding the spirit of what I was trying to communicate.
RE:Hyporcrites
by speculator on Aug 14, 2007 08:19 PM
Obviously you have never been to US else you won't talk about MCdonald with such respect.It's the most obiquitous fast food chain in US and the lowest of the low of American society go there to eat.In fact it's the Asian restaurants ( Thai, Chinese, Japanese ) that professional white collar class loves to eat at.
RE:Hyporcrites
by kadwa sach on Aug 14, 2007 11:07 PM
The way you talk and the examples you use make it clear that you have no idea about rest of the world. You are living according to beliefs made due to some information you came across - i am guessing socialist/communist brain wash that has kept India backwards all these years.
Open your mind and travel some... It will help you get in touch with reality.
RE:Hyporcrites
by Akash Shah on Aug 14, 2007 10:10 PM
My friend....that is how capitalism works. I don't understand what's your problem if he enjoys his wealth and does what ever he wants to do with it, it's not his job to look after all poor Indian people, he does his part and so he isn't questionable to anyone or does not need to answer losers like you. So stop putting silly comments and try understanding how he created this wealth and try to be a capitalist like him... maybe someday you might earn 0.0001% of what he amassed.
RE:Hyporcrites
by Anurag Shrivastava on Aug 14, 2007 12:50 PM
Its a good thing he is rich. He is an example of how hard work over two generations can transform a petrol pump attendant into a trillionaire family. These are the role models India needs - not fools who want everyone to be poor. These are the rich who give others jobs and dreams. And I pray they even get richer tomorrow.
60 years back India was the poorest, now we are wealthy, thank to the infrastructures developed by Sir M.V. It is thanks to him that Bangalore is what it is today. The country needs to remember him today
RE:Sir M.V. Greatest Indian Engineer
by Anurag Shrivastava on Aug 14, 2007 12:52 PM
The great engineer Vishveshariah who had huge dams and infrastructure built. Its a pity they don't talk about him in schools or perhaps you went a pretty lousy one.
RE:Sir M.V. Greatest Indian Engineer
by blue wrox on Aug 14, 2007 01:03 PM
But he built bangalore which is not a metropolis or our capital.So why should and would I know smarty.
