I usually love Washington Post and their news coverage – be it their reporting or journalism, I think they have pretty high standards.
Until today.
Today, as I read this piece about Infosys’s chairman Narayanmurthy retiring from the company, I couldn’t help but notice the absurdity of the report, and its innumerable references to Indian lifestyle and mannerisms. To an extent, I am pretty offended by this article, and more so because the reporter of this article is a certain Rajesh Mahapatra.
Here are some excerpts of that report, and why I think its badly written, very biased and offensive:
Throughout his career, Infosys Technologies co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy has defied the customs of his native land.
He was an entrepreneur in a nation dominated by family businesses and a modest-living executive in a country where the rich are known for their excess.
— Exactly what does that mean? “The rich known for the excess” – This is true for most rich people, India or otherwise. Larry Page and Sergie Brin are buying a Boeing 777 for partying. Perhaps its not excess is it? Why such a remark then about my country?
While Murthy’s willingness to abide by the rules of his software company would be unremarkable in the West, it is groundbreaking in India, where founders _ and often their descendants _ tend to rule their creations like lords, making rules but not following them.
— We are not a nation of Fidel Castros running their companies. And exactly where in the world do you see owners of the companies making rules and not following them? Half of America’s CEOs should have retired 10 years back. Again, this really offended me – using terms likie “rule their creation like lords” make for a very insipid and may I add pathetic writing.
“Infosys also showed India that professionals can run a company as well, if not better, than the families, many of which thrive largely through government protection.”
— Again, why a reference to anyone? The obvious digg here is Reliance, but why make it at all? If Rajesh Mahapatra has any knowledge then he would also know that lobbying is the biggest reason half the companies get away in US. Lobbying is what stopped Cigarette makers from labelling ingredients on their packs. Lobbying is what enabled Beer companies to get away with their Ads on TV.
And again, why the digg at families? The tatas, the birlas, the ambanis, HAVE led successful companies, whether familial or otherwise. This obvious digg again reeks of shoddy writing standards set by Rajesh on himself.
What seems certain, however, is that Murthy will continue to buck the trend in India and live modestly, despite his wealth that’s estimated at $1.2 billion.
Indians worth a fraction of that have servants to clean up after them, but Murthy is reputed to start each day by cleaning the toilet at his house in a middle-class neighborhood of Bangalore, India’s technology hub.
— This clearly offended me the MOST! Exactly why is it a problem that people have servants in their house to do the cleaning? Our culture is different, our lifestyle is different – and if this observation were made by a foreigner, I would have agreed – but an Indian doing the same? And please – dont berate others by showcasing Murthy’s “toilet cleaning” act as act of greatness, which we other Indians “worth a fraction of that” are incapable off.
What a shoddy piece of journalism this was. Shame on you Rajesh Mahapatra, for writing such an ill-concieved article, and shame on you Washington Post, for letting such a badly written article get by your editors.