Ratan Tata’s death once again highlights our peculiar relationship with and attitude towards capital. The Indian psyche perceives the rich as the provider and the benevolent. Prosperity of capital automatically becomes prosperity of the nation. 1/n
Tata is being lauded for foraying into all domains of human lives- transport, communications, food etc. His company’s expansion is seen as ‘service’, and not as a corporation’s ruthless march towards monopoly and profit. And I am not even on Tata’s funding of the political right.
At some level, this Tata simping is also understandable: it’s because the current crop of corporates is so bad it makes Tata look like a saint. But there is no such thing as innocent accumulation of capital. Maximisation of profit always happens at the cost of the public. 3/n
Ambani’s vulgar wedding and Tata’s image as a philanthropist nation-builder confirms that class consciousness remains a distant dream in our society. Our deference to capital will ensure that the rich continue to profit at the cost of the marginalised and the vulnerable. n/n
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
