Pollution Versus Tariffs

Gita Gopinath’s remark on pollution at Davos punctured India’s celebratory mood, exposing a far deadlier crisis than tariffs or trade wars.  

The recent World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos was expected to ruffle the feathers of Indian politicians in the least. Most were making merry there, besides attracting ‘large’ investments into India. They have succeeded in that endeavour, as we were told.

Some were there with families and must have enjoyed the beauty of the world-famous Alps region while doing expensive shopping for which Switzerland is globally known. It is a gorgeous little country that welcomes lakhs of tourists each year for the natural beauty and man-maintained cleanliness.

So, little indulgence in extravagance here and there, with personal and public money, on such official jaunts, can be condoned by the jealous Indians.

In any case, the submissive, hapless and timid lot of the Indian voter will not mind much. Our voters are also large-hearted - they do not mind deaths through water pipelines, a minister’s arrogant behaviour on camera, their refusal to resign for acts that tantamount to criminality, their changing of parties overnight; the consistent fall of rupee, or the Pahalgam attack. So why, then, would they object to those enjoying themselves in Davos?

Inconvenient Truth

But let us keep this acerbity aside for a moment. At Davos, little did our ruling politicians realize that there was one Dr. Gita Gopinath, a scholarly financial brain, who knew India better than them. She appeared as a friend of India, having had origins in this land. Those in Davos also did not probably know she was contacted by a television journalist to talk about India’s untapped potential as a global business power. On a TV interview, seated next to a top industrialist and a smart Indian minister, she suddenly sounded patriotic. Of course, she was very serious during the entire interview and gave balanced, calculated responses when the greenhorn female anchor from Delhi asked the experienced panel different questions.

That the Indian-American economist, having studied at prestigious Princeton University, had served as the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), added to her stature and significance to her remarks. In her mid-50s, Gopinath is a compelling speaker - soft-spoken, confident and erudite. She knows her subject intimately. Otherwise, after an accomplished stint at the IMF, she would scarcely have secured a teaching position at Harvard University. Fortunately, the United States does not operate under a UGC-type system.

Some people back home do make a mockery of the world-famous, 390-year-old university, but that is worth a pardonable indulgence. But how did the young, brilliant woman of global repute manage to ruffle the feathers of Indian politicians?

In truth, she made a small ‘mistake.’ She mixed business with pollution, and in doing so, inadvertently struck where it hurts the most.

Responding to a question from anchor Kalli Purie, Gopinath gently observed that India’s economic development is fraught with a serious risk of pollution - one she suggested was more pressing than the threat posed by American tariffs. “Indians should worry more about that,” she opined, firmly but without rancour.

That qualified statement from a global expert, non-aligned to any Indian political outfit in India, spoilt the Davos party suddenly.

Heretical Experts

Of course, we have our own Dr. Sunita Narain, the environmentalist who spent almost her full adult life fighting pollution and alerting governments about environmental damages. Some governments heard her; others chose to ignore. Her powerful voice got weakened over the past decade, though her crusade continues.

But Gopinath speaking about Indian pollution? That was the least expected ‘investment proposal’ from Davos. No state had inked a deal with her yet it sounded like an atom bomb. 

Did she say anything wrong? Leave Delhi for a moment, almost all Indian cities are facing a bad air quality crisis for decades which is going from bad to worse. Entire north India is reeling under it with the Government appearing clueless.

I went to Kolkata last week and saw no difference there; Bhopal, once a green capital, can see dust-layered trees which are barely able to breathe. The 2.5 PM is being inhaled by all and sundry. Indore, the cleanest city, is full of dust.

People are not dying of contaminated water alone, pollution is silently killing them, a fact Dr. Gopinath spelt out in a dignified manner.

Year after year, global lists indicate grave pollution of India but there are no concrete actions from the Government which appeared to be caught on the wrong foot when the globally acclaimed economist pointed to the problem with good intention. But some cretinous ‘bhakts’ began trolling her on social media. They accused her of changing the topic, which she did not actually do.

Its time India took the economic expert much more seriously to save thousands of lives that perish each year. Tourists have stopped coming to parts of India gradually, one hears.

Indians, especially the elderly ones and those engaged in the unorganized sector, are the most vulnerable. It is the government’s duty to care for them. After all, tariffs can be fought off tomorrow but not pollution!

(The writer is a senior journalist and author based in Bhopal. Views personal.)