<p>The recent remark by a US Senator describing Indian IT companies, particularly Infosys Technologies as ‘Chop Shops’ has rightly hurt and angered many Indians for its insolence. Many had not even heard of this phrase, let alone know about its meaning as a place where stolen goods are dismantled and their parts disposed of. <br /><br />But when looked at in the Indian context, the term seems to be a perfect description. Take stolen vehicles for instance. Our ‘gujris’ are places where the dismantled parts of the stolen vehicles are available. There have been instances of owners stumbling upon the parts of their own vehicles. There is a well organised network of vehicle lifters who then pass it on to garages and workshops which are ‘speciality centres’ for dismantling them.<br /><br />The parts are then handed over to the outlets where they are passed on to buyers. Next is stolen jewellery. Pawnbrokers specialising in such stolen items give them a coat of polish before they find their way to prospective buyers. Stolen clothes are washed and pressed neatly before appearing on the pavement. Stolen footwear, especially from places of worship and marriage halls are displayed on the footpaths after a coat of polish. The only difference in these cases is that there is no dismantling of any parts.<br /><br />The public distribution system in India is a literal Chop Shop, where foodgrains meant for the poor and BPL cardholders find their way into the hands of bureaucrats, middlemen and corrupt politicians. Floods, famines and other natural calamities are happy hunting grounds where relief material in cash and kind can be chopped into easily digestible portions for the unscrupulous. <br /><br />Various government schemes to tackle unemployment, water scarcity and poverty alleviation provide opportunities for chopping off funds. Laying roads, building dams, large construction projects, etc are all best suited for chopping off public money. And the choppers? Of course, you are right. Who else but our bureaucrats and politicians? Getting elected to office is a veritable passport to chop the public and make mincemeat of their hard earned money. There is an intangible dismantling here also. The dismantling of the faith that has been reposed in them in the hope of good, clean and honest governance. And thereby the dismantling of an entire structure based on mutual trust, leaving society embittered, cynical, distrustful and devoid of any ethics. So, is not ‘Hamara Bharat’ one big Chop Shop?</p>
<p>The recent remark by a US Senator describing Indian IT companies, particularly Infosys Technologies as ‘Chop Shops’ has rightly hurt and angered many Indians for its insolence. Many had not even heard of this phrase, let alone know about its meaning as a place where stolen goods are dismantled and their parts disposed of. <br /><br />But when looked at in the Indian context, the term seems to be a perfect description. Take stolen vehicles for instance. Our ‘gujris’ are places where the dismantled parts of the stolen vehicles are available. There have been instances of owners stumbling upon the parts of their own vehicles. There is a well organised network of vehicle lifters who then pass it on to garages and workshops which are ‘speciality centres’ for dismantling them.<br /><br />The parts are then handed over to the outlets where they are passed on to buyers. Next is stolen jewellery. Pawnbrokers specialising in such stolen items give them a coat of polish before they find their way to prospective buyers. Stolen clothes are washed and pressed neatly before appearing on the pavement. Stolen footwear, especially from places of worship and marriage halls are displayed on the footpaths after a coat of polish. The only difference in these cases is that there is no dismantling of any parts.<br /><br />The public distribution system in India is a literal Chop Shop, where foodgrains meant for the poor and BPL cardholders find their way into the hands of bureaucrats, middlemen and corrupt politicians. Floods, famines and other natural calamities are happy hunting grounds where relief material in cash and kind can be chopped into easily digestible portions for the unscrupulous. <br /><br />Various government schemes to tackle unemployment, water scarcity and poverty alleviation provide opportunities for chopping off funds. Laying roads, building dams, large construction projects, etc are all best suited for chopping off public money. And the choppers? Of course, you are right. Who else but our bureaucrats and politicians? Getting elected to office is a veritable passport to chop the public and make mincemeat of their hard earned money. There is an intangible dismantling here also. The dismantling of the faith that has been reposed in them in the hope of good, clean and honest governance. And thereby the dismantling of an entire structure based on mutual trust, leaving society embittered, cynical, distrustful and devoid of any ethics. So, is not ‘Hamara Bharat’ one big Chop Shop?</p>
