I have finally started reading Sanjaya Baru's "The Accidental Prime Minister", a memoir of his stint as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's media advisor. I shall not comment on the book (yet?) because I have not finished reading it.
Instead, I would like to point out how Baru got the job. His father was the Finance and Planning Secretary under Manmohan Singh. And, as we go on to see, Baru himself acknowledges that this must've played a role in his appointment as media advisor.
Here are some quotes from the book.
"Indeed, my father and Dr Singh had several close friends in common, most importantly, K.N. Raj, the economist; Amrik Singh, the educationist; and Mohit Sen, the communist."
"[Former PM Narasimha Rao] found it significant that Dr Singh had not opted for a political journalist or a government official as his media adviser but had chosen an economic journalist like myself. ‘Of course, he knows Vithal,’ he added, referring to my father, and suggested Dr Singh’s choice may have also been shaped by that fact."
I have recently read a book called "The Myth of Meritocracy", which argues that working class children get working class jobs not because they are less talented, but because 'networking' is crucial in getting elite jobs. In fact, it is through these 'weak ties' (acquaintances and people one gets to know through their class, caste, and other ascribed statuses) that most people are able to get jobs, a research found.
Where does that leave us in the search for "merit"?
A couple of other statements in the book really irked me. I will also quote them below.
"Narayanan paid Subbu and me the highest compliment a Malayalee possibly could when he once said to us, ‘I always thought Tamil Brahmins were the cleverest chaps, but you Telugu Brahmins have proved to be cleverer!’"
Really? That's the highest compliment? You have a really low bar, Mr Baru.
"However, in a political environment where astrology was not irrelevant, Dr Singh was no doubt fortunate to have on his staff a religiously orthodox and learned person like Subbu, who knew his Vedas, Shastras and astrology well. Very quickly Subbu and I became a team and worked in tandem."
Instead, I would like to point out how Baru got the job. His father was the Finance and Planning Secretary under Manmohan Singh. And, as we go on to see, Baru himself acknowledges that this must've played a role in his appointment as media advisor.
Here are some quotes from the book.
"Indeed, my father and Dr Singh had several close friends in common, most importantly, K.N. Raj, the economist; Amrik Singh, the educationist; and Mohit Sen, the communist."
"[Former PM Narasimha Rao] found it significant that Dr Singh had not opted for a political journalist or a government official as his media adviser but had chosen an economic journalist like myself. ‘Of course, he knows Vithal,’ he added, referring to my father, and suggested Dr Singh’s choice may have also been shaped by that fact."
I have recently read a book called "The Myth of Meritocracy", which argues that working class children get working class jobs not because they are less talented, but because 'networking' is crucial in getting elite jobs. In fact, it is through these 'weak ties' (acquaintances and people one gets to know through their class, caste, and other ascribed statuses) that most people are able to get jobs, a research found.
Where does that leave us in the search for "merit"?
A couple of other statements in the book really irked me. I will also quote them below.
"Narayanan paid Subbu and me the highest compliment a Malayalee possibly could when he once said to us, ‘I always thought Tamil Brahmins were the cleverest chaps, but you Telugu Brahmins have proved to be cleverer!’"
Really? That's the highest compliment? You have a really low bar, Mr Baru.
"However, in a political environment where astrology was not irrelevant, Dr Singh was no doubt fortunate to have on his staff a religiously orthodox and learned person like Subbu, who knew his Vedas, Shastras and astrology well. Very quickly Subbu and I became a team and worked in tandem."
Gee! Just an offhand remark about how astrology and politics are not irrelevant. How are they relevant? We shall never know. Subbu and Baru got along well only because they are Telugu Brahmins? And this is something the author is proud to say?!
After reading this last comment, I was exasperated and could not read any further. I have not given up on the book yet and hope to continue reading it. If there are any other gems that Baru reveals, I will be sure to update this post.
Comments
Post a Comment