The Lalu farce

Me and my colleague were discussing this year budget implications and gradually the topic veered towards Lalu and railways. It got into a rigorous discussion and I craved to get more info on it.

The world surely has gone gaga over Lalu and his ingenuity with with which the fate of the Indian railways has changed. First some facts:

• After getting into a terminal debt trap. the worlds second largest rail network has managed too have $2.5 billion in fund balances. And over $3billion dollars in internal resources.
• Top management colleges of the world like Harvard Business School, HEC Management School, France and IIMs have taken this subject fr their case study.
  

Picture perfect, rosy fairy tale. But isn't it too good to be true. How has a man with no formal education whatsoever brought about a change of this magnitude? The point of contention was this. He never had the wherewithal to carry out this. How would the knowledge and sagacity to forge private public partnerships come too an illiterate. I tried my best to look for resources to know whether the men behind this were the able and educated administrators who constitute the work force or it was his own brainchild. I failed to get any such resources. I can shout on top of my voice and bet that a rustic Lalu who carries on his shoulders a heritage of corruptioon, nepotism and abrasive fiefdom in his home state is playing to gallery and shamelessly taking accolades for the efforts made my his educated subordinates.
Politics, media wield great power to alter stories, make heroes out of no one. This is one such example. I will leave you with this video clipping where Lalu sings his success song...