Indian idols

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal8217;s celebrated acquisition of Arcelor further manifests a trend of more and more Indians playing a pivotal role in global economy.

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal8217;s celebrated acquisition of Arcelor further manifests a trend of more and more Indians playing a pivotal role in global economy. The deal is a milestone in global steel business and is a matter of pride for Indians the world over. Mittal8217;s company may be headquartered abroad, but his business moves are nevertheless going to cast a positive impact on Indian economy and its perception all over the world.

In Europe, there would be few drawing rooms of consequence, whose inhabitants are not discussing the feats of Mittal. For the British, the Mittal-Arcelor deal may be reminiscent of Tata8217;s acquisition of Tetley Tea Company in 2000. Hundreds of such acquisitions by other prominent Indian companies8212;Vijay Mallya buying a French winery, Pramod Mittal acquiring 5 steel plants in Philippines, Nigeria and Botswana, and acquisitions by Jindals and Welspun8217;s BK Goenka8212;are proof enough that Indians have as much a stake in globalisation as the citizens of any developed western country.

Or take Bollywood; when a French newspaper reports that people stormed into a hotel lobby to catch a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan, also noting that Tom Cruise was occupying the same hotel and nobody went into frenzy over him, we realise that Indian entertainment industry can grow to be a credible adversary to US domination of global entertainment. The era is long over when size of a country8217;s army decided its rank in the global power hierarchy. Power8217;s sole global currency today is the size of a country8217;s economy and of its businesses. India will have a far better stake to a seat in the UN Security council when its economic clout will get better. LN Mittal has set a credible precedent and I hope that more Indian businesses will seek not just to compete globally, but also to buy out competition.

Simply global

Spending time at Mahatma Gandhi8217;s ashram in Wardha is a humbling experience. I had the opportunity to visit the ashram recently along with the Prime Minister, who almost meditated as he sat on the floor of Mahatma8217;s hut in a pensive mood during his four-hour stay.

Mahatma had lived in Wardha ashram for almost a decade. To think how a towering personality like him lived in a mud house and chose to brave scorching heat by discarding all amenities, is enough to baffle modern Indians. Mahatma8217;s ideals found their best manifestation in the way he conducted his public life. The simplicity of his living, as exemplified in Wardha ashram, must be a lesson for all of us in public service, be it politicians or bureaucrats.

American journalist Louis Fischer had remarked how utter chaos engulfed Rome when Mahatma visited for a round-table. All city hotels were booked with tourists who were there only to catch a glimpse of him. The home where he stayed was besieged by world press. No other leader has ever enjoyed more international popularity 8212; precisely the reason why seeing how he lived in Wardha leaves one speechless. During my recent trip to South Africa, I discovered that his struggle for South Africa was no less than India8217;s freedom struggle. An overwhelming number of books in South Africa pay a tribute to his contribution. South African leaders routinely quote his principles.

The writer is a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha