Letter from Bangalore: You win some, lose some

As U.S. President George W. Bush declared war against Saddam Hussain on Thursday, the dilemma in India's technology capital, as elsewhere in India, remained a click away on television remotes.

Should they see the U.S. versus Iraq match or India versus Kenya? That was what made Bangaloreans press their television remotes so often that night. Some were worried about the future of the world, some about their relatives and friends in the Gulf and Middle East while others stuck to cricket.

Clearly, the eyeballs were fixed more on Saurav Ganguly and his boys performing in the World Cup in South Africa until the game against Kenya went into the night. Sony's Max remained the apple of the eye until the commercials shifted attention to see the world change for the worse, as one citizen put it, on CNN and the BBC.

But, the concern for human beings (in Iraq, this time) was not lost. Men and women, regardless of their religious beliefs, have expressed their anguish at the war that they believe could have been avoided. At least, as some told local newspapers, for the sake of the innocent people.

"War is not the right answer to any problem. This is something that could have been settled diplomatically. George Bush and Saddam Hussain will come out of this without a scratch, but it is the innocent people of Iraq who are going to suffer," said one call centre employee.

Their opinion, interestingly, was not any different from that of Defence Minister George Fernandes. The former trade unionist and campaigner against the U.S. was, however, subdued in his comments because he was in government and he could not convey his personal views in public.

That, however, did not prevent him from conveying his feelings. He told officials after seeing the inaugural flight of the indigenously produced intermediate jet trainer, HJT-36, that the war would only encourage "terrorism with greater intensity" and of a kind "not experienced so far."

"Iraq and the ongoing conflict has raised a number of questions for the future of our planet and for all those who have a differing opinion as a democratic polity," Fernandes said but declined to elaborate when asked at a news conference later.

"If this is the kind of world that is going to evolve then security matters will gradually start emerging," he said. He quoted Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's repeated appeals to all leaders, including U.S. President George Bush, when they called him, to prevent war. India 's stand, he maintained, was "not soft but just and right".

Asked if the U.S. was behaving like a "big bully", Fernandes said: "Developments convey their own messages and I don't think one needs to dwelve on it. Some helplessness is on display. Nations like Germany, France and Russia could not get the UN Security Council to take a decision to uphold the UN charter."

Clearly the concerns of the people are: What next? From petrol to tea and coffee, the apprehension is that prices will shoot up. Once the petrol and diesel prices go up, the transporters are expected to increase rates and, leave alone other essential commodities, tea and coffee is also going to cost more.

Exporters of coffee have a different problem. Indian coffee will cost $10 to $15 more in the global markets with shipping companies increasing freight and insurance. India exports nearly 70 per cent of its 213,000 metric tonnes of coffee to Europe and all that goes via the Suez Canal. Worse still is that the shipping companies have declined to book contracts from April.

But, the serious home economy calculations are expected to begin soon after today's World Cup final between India and Australia.

That's when advertisers will also get off the cricket bandwagon and climb into the news channels in the war for the eyeballs of a discerning audience. This is the section that would get impressed by the consumerism that has gripped the growing middle class in India. Truly, you win some, lose some.