Columnist and author Shobhaa Dé, has described the Mumbai weekend event, as nothing short of a royal wedding, adding that our billionaires were the new Maharajahs. Their shareholders expect nothing less than a mega extravaganza, she told the BBC while referring to the Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant marriage being solemnized in the financial capital on Friday, with a grand reception planned for Sunday.
Without doubt Mukesh Ambani is the richest man in Asia and amongst the wealthiest people around the world. However, his personal invitation to the Gandhis to attend the celebrations, has put them in a dilemma. It is a “To be or Not to be Situation’’. Sonia Gandhi would not be able to go due to her health issues. And so far as Rahul is concerned, it is extremely unlikely that he shall be present on the occasion.
The Ambanis have reached the pinnacle of their successful journey which started with some nudges and pushes from the Congress under Indira Gandhi, and assisted by Pranab Mukherjea, P.Chidambaram and RK Dhawan amongst others. Of late, they are seen close to the current ruling dispensation and time and again Rahul Gandhi has criticized the Ambanis and Adanis to be beneficiaries of the government largesse.
The invitation which was personally handed over to Sonia Gandhi by Mukesh Ambani was viewed in political circles as the indication of changing times where the Congress was expected to once again regain its position of importance. But the issue is that if Rahul Gandhi goes to the function, it would be seen by many of his supporters as a climb down from his public posture.
The fact of the matter is that Rahul Gandhi has been consciously working overtime to transform his image that would help him to identify with the common man. He was at one stage extremely critical of Anil Ambani, but later shifted his attack on both Mukesh and the Adanis. It is said that a leading industrialist had told a senior Congress leader that if Rahul was to attack the industrialists as a group, it would be understood that it was a part of his politics, but if he singles out top bosses, it makes things uncomfortable.
Rahul is evidently not against the Ambanis and Adanis and his attacks seem to stem from the fact that they have become very close to the ruling dispensation, and had multiplied their wealth many times over in the past few years. This had been done at the expense of many others in the industry. Whether this is true or not, is a matter of debate and there can be arguments on either side. There are also many who believe that Rahul had diluted his accusations against the Ambanis marginally since many of his supporters are close to this business house, and egged him on to take on Adani in order to shift the focus. Whether this is true or not, only he alone can tell. It is another matter that Adanis too grew under the Congress regimes to begin with and are doing projects in the Congress ruled states.
However, his keeping away from the gala celebrations of the big fat Gujarati wedding which commenced four months ago in Jamnagar, and after being spread over Europe, are finally culminating in Mumbai, has a political message as well. Rahul wishes to keep his identity of being one with the common man intact. However, whether his absence would strain the relations with the Ambanis further is something which is a matter of speculation,
What needs to be understood is that the Ambanis are first businessmen and anything else later. They would never wish any associations to end since this could also have an impact on their commercial activities. In 2002, the relationship between the Gandhis and the Ambanis had reached a new low after they had supported the BJP in the Gujarat Assembly elections. But the fences were subsequently mended, thanks to many senior leaders in the Congress.
Another point that is being raised is that where was the need for Mukesh Ambani to have such a ostentatious and opulent wedding for his son, which entailed at times a vulgar display of wealth, particularly in a country where a large number of people find it difficult to make both ends meet. One argument is that it was to help them build their brand further worldwide and also give an assurance to the investors and shareholders about the overall strength of the corporate group. There is also a view point which makes one recall, the famous critique of Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, by legendary poet Sahir Ludhianvi. Sahir was amongst the very few who criticized the Mughal structure built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He had written, “Ek Shanshah ne bana kar ek Taj Mahal, hum gareebon ki mohabbat ka uraya hai Mazak’’ (By constructing the Taj Mahal, an emperor has ridiculed the love relationships of the poor). It is evident that there shall be politics when India’s top industrialist organizes a series of functions never witnessed in this country, and the scale could match even the biggest weddings around the world. The Gandhis may have not graced the occasion, but Sonia Gandhi is believed to have sent a letter wishing the newly wedded couple all the happiness and joy in their married life.
The question that arises is that are there any lessons to be learnt from this mega event? And should the weddings be politicised instead of allowing the two young people who were beginning their life together, to have a wonderful future.