My last column on the rather callous manner in which Pepsi and Coke have their logos painted on ancient geological rocks in Himachal Pradesh, had an amazing response and the issue finds itself in the Supreme Court led by Harish Salve himself. All within a week. This is what makes any battle for getting things ?right?, worthwhile. However, Pepsi and Coke are indulging in the usual passing the buck syndrome, so typical of the ?big and
powerful?! They are blatantly blaming their franchisees. The top brass of both companies are trying, desperately hard, to wash their hands off everything. In fact, the International Herald Tribune carried a piece that appeared as though it came from the PR agencies of Pepsi and Coke ?? a disclaimer saying that both companies had nothing to do with the painting of the rocks. Yes Sir, some of us do read the IHT.
These international companies must be responsible for what their representatives do. The filing from the US of one international Public Interest Litigation against the misuse of the environment by these two multinationals and their rather mindless passing the buck, will make them stop in their tracks and have them getting their defensive act together. Maybe as a start, the government should levy a fine of many million dollars, like in the US, for this destruction of our land by trespassers. Only then will the double standards of such companies fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, they all see India as a country they can dump upon and we do not kick hard enough for it to hurt. But thankfully, where the executive fails, the courts perform…so far.
If only we could start a public environment protection fund that could be infused with fines levied against all those companies indulging in such misdemeanours, India could generate enough money to begin substantial projects to rectify the wrongs and begin serious conservation work. This is essential for pride, change, growth and more importantly, for habitable habitat.
The rest of what is happening around us continues to be sordid and depressing. Between the unraveling of high profile murders and the politics of polarisation, we seem to be in a sorry state. The only saving grace is that, this may well be the rock bottom from which we shall begin the process of rejuvenation. In contrast, sports and fashion hogged the inside pages. The grand celebrations for Kapil Dev in the capital were unending. From Lalit Suri to Amar Singh. Clearly his next avatar will be as a parliamentarian! And, the fashion fraternity have come together with their individual retail outlets at a new and extravagant ?mall? on Mahatma Gandhi Marg! The wine and cheese opening was where all the ?beautiful? people congregated and shopped madly. Parties and more parties is what Delhi has become. In the past, winter was a time for celebration but now it happens all year round. The same people who seem to have lost their individual identity and are now labels on envelopes, the same fare, predictable venues. All of it, rather uninteresting.
With a failed monsoon we are heading to the end of the summer. What is in store for us? Elections in Kashmir and maybe elections in Gujarat. For the average public who are being bombarded with stories of rape in trains, children being doped and buried for one minute, murder, corruption and suchlike, there are some heroes that stand out. Jim Lyngdoh is one. He managed to rattle the entire band of Gujarat leaders and those in Delhi responsible for Gujarat because of his no-nonsense view. Even the Governor, supposedly non-partisan, took a totally partisan position and addressed us all with his ?considered view?. It came across as a synchronised chant that exposed the insecurity of the government.
Narendra Modi has always said that the BJP will sweep the polls in his state…then why this anger? If the people believe he is the messiah, why would a few months here or there make a difference? What is the real problem for Modi? Why this eagerness to go to the polls this minute? Are his constituents having second thoughts or is he just going through a fit of pre-poll nervousness?