Greedy customs men drive away Central Asian buyers

ASHKABAD, TURKMENISTAN, July 16: Central Asia's destiny is being written in bold letters as sure as night follows day. But India, obsessed ...

ASHKABAD, TURKMENISTAN, July 16: Central Asia8217;s destiny is being written in bold letters as sure as night follows day. But India, obsessed with domestic turmoil, is in grave danger of being marginalised in these newly independent republics.

Turkmenistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan in the south, and the oil-rich Caspian Sea in the west across it is the Caucasus and then Europe, is a country fraught with the remembrance of history. Once a key staging post on the Silk Route to China, it was the last outpost of the Soviet Union before its disintegration in 1991. In the 16th century it was home to Bairam Khan, who joined fortunes with Babur8217;s army that conquered India in 1526, and stayed in the newly-won territory to become the all-powerful tutor to the young Mughal emperor, Akbar.

India for an enterprising medium-sized pharmaceuticals company called Ajanta Pharma, and a lone Indian contractor who supplied about 70-80 Indians involved in the stone-laying of the new, gold-domed Presidential Palace, continues to grapple with how best to launch a strategy to capture the virgin markets of Central Asia.

The Central Asia experience actually begins at New Delhi8217;s international airport itself. Nearly 400-500 people fly into the Capital every week, to buy Indian goods and sell them back home. These 8220;businessmen8221; are mostly women, because the menfolk already hold jobs back home. A two-day stay in Delhi costs these small traders about 2,000 each. Many of them also travel to the cities of Karachi, Teheran, Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi at least once a week.

The trouble is that at every step, these traders are confronted with customs officials demanding bribes to let their 100-150 kg consignments through. The average 8220;fee8221; is about 20, but sometimes a 5 bill is enough. This reporter heard an official telling a group of women from Turkmenistan that they did not possess the right papers for their goods. 8220;Stop these Russis,8221; one official told another, forgetting that they were Central Asians. His bullying demeanour quite showed who was the boss around there.

One woman apologised: 8220;I8217;ll never do it again8221;. Another began to cry. A third ran past the counter and tried to merge with her group, but was chased by an official. Shajken, another hapless victim of the customs officials8217; high-handedness, persisted with the story that she had no money. A fourth paid up 20. They all got onto the flight.

In the aircraft, Sonia the one who had cried started to strip, but it was only a tease. One thin, cotton Rajasthani skirt gave way to another hugging her slim waist. She plastered her face with foundation and orange lipstick, then gave this reporter an engaging gold-toothed smile. 8220;It costs as much as 5 a kilo. The customs officials take some money. So I have to do this all the time,8221; she said.