Those who determine our national heroes, the contents of the curriculum and the media headlines are the ones that run our society. Unfortunately, many Indian naively think that who run the hardware, rum and roti shops, mini-marts and market and fish stalls are the makers and shapers of the destiny of the society.
A nation state is run on policies which are shaped by power brokers such as the cabinet, chambers of commerce, the church etc. It is cabinet that determines the creation of new laws and its enforcement, not Harilal and Kissoon sitting in a rum shop in Felicity. Cabinet decides where a road or bridge should be constructed, at what cost and who gets the contract.
Real power in a private company is in the hands of owners and shareholders. It is they who decide who shall sit as directors to formulate policies and appoint senior management including the CEO who in turn hire the employees.
The Hindu community must begin thinking like the power elite, that is, not to be a manager or supervisor but shareholders and owners.
In the State there is an absence of Indians in the decision making circle. This sector of our public endowment is filled with majority non-Indians. Similarly, in the major private companies, Indians are again underrepresented with a predominance of French Creoles and Syrians in those senior ranks.
Nevertheless, with the Indians reputation for a clerical and obedient mindset, a number of them serve well their bosses, something akin to the house slave mentality during age of African slavery.
The sole trader business structure must be expanded to limited liability company to attract greater resources and talents. Today most of Indian institutions and business houses are trapped in a tribal mold with a single leader at the top whose biggest ambition is not to be accountable to anyone. With limited talent, his modus operandi is to screen his membership to keep out anyone wwith a probing mind.
This one man showmanship does not grow the organization beyond a San Ford and Son arrangement. Like San Ford and Son, the junks that are offered to the public must now be reviewed.
One must commend those Hindus and Indians who have introduced modern day management strategies in their businesses. They are pointing the way and their success must be studied and adopted to help us realize the gains we so wanted.
