Narendra Modi's suit, the one with his name repeated on it a thousand times along the supposed pin-stripes, was auctioned for more than 40 times the value Rahul Gandhi put on it, Rs 10 lakh. Clearly, Mr Modi has some rich admirers.
But, just to remind Mr Gandhi, his grandmother is said to have had a very rich admirer, too, in the mid-1960s. He was a physicist, poet, musician and shipping magnate called Dharma Teja.
It was alleged by the socialists then that he had given Mrs Gandhi a very expensive mink coat, which of course she had denied indignantly. But no one believed her because Teja had been very 'close' to the Nehru family.
Jawaharlal Nehru had done him a few favours which helped him become very rich. His full story, which is utterly fascinating, can be found here:http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jayanti-dharma-teja-an-unheralded-comeback/1/371491.html
Dastur-e-jahan
Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi may not have much in common - barring political style - but there is one quality that they do share: neither can be accused of personal avarice and corruption.
Yet, when the pages of history are turned - and regardless of the truth - the bespoke suit and the mink coat will pop up from time to time to remind everyone that it is best to beware the Greeks bearing gifts. Timeo danaos et donas ferente, as they said in old Italian, referring to the Trojan horse. You never know what time-bombs these gifts may contain.
The Africans and even the 'native' Americans discovered this to their cost. Whether it was bottles of rum accompanied by chicken, goats and glass beads or blankets infected with small pox, or something even more striking, giving gifts to heads of government, whether elected or self-imposed or hereditary, has been going on ever since government as an institution was invented.
It's a perk, but you are not supposed to avail of it fully. That's considered bad form. The rule in India is that you can take a maximum three items provided their value does not exceed a very low amount.
This provides the loophole. The trick lies in stating a very low value for whatever you fancy and then taking it home when end your stint by paying that low price. Everyone knows what's going on and everyone tips a wink.
There is another loophole, too, but only for the married. Expensive gifts can always be given to spouses who are usually under no obligation to declare them.
But some countries do insist on it. The rule, however, is observed only in the breach. Most countries think the issue is too petty to bother with - especially media editors who also have a rather good time via gifts.
Like I said, this gift business has been going for some time. Robert Clive was first surprised at the practice of Indian gifting and then delighted. He is believed to have told the British parliament which chastised him for being such a greedy sod - a mere 235 years or so ago - "I stand astonished at my own moderation."
Everyone who came to see him after he conquered Bengal, he told the jealous MPs, brought lovely presents. He said he simply could not refuse them without giving serious offence.
Poor fellow, imagine his dilemma. Maybe Modi (and, if she did receive the gift, Mrs Gandhi too) also felt similarly obligated.
Plus ça change...
One would have thought that the high moral ground that politicians have sought to occupy in the last 60 years would have ended the practice. No chance. As the French say, plus ça change,plus c'est la même chose (the more things change the more they remain the same).
The temptations are hard to resist. Tony Blair is supposed to have made off with gifts worth a small fortune, including expensive watches and guitars. But he had the bad luck to be detected and the British tabloid press had a field day. Others, one can be sure, must have helped themselves on the perfectly legitimate grounds that as long as it was not coming from your country's taxpayers, it was fine. That's certainly true.
In any case, it is not very clear what purpose the gifts serve in storage. It is not as if they are in a museum and people can view them.
Let me end by drawing attention to the link below which gives the gifts received by Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi during October-December 2013. Look at the declared values.
It further confirms who the real boss was.
http://mea.gov.in/images/pdf/list_of_gifts_wef__1st_October-_to_December_new1.pdf
But, just to remind Mr Gandhi, his grandmother is said to have had a very rich admirer, too, in the mid-1960s. He was a physicist, poet, musician and shipping magnate called Dharma Teja.
It was alleged by the socialists then that he had given Mrs Gandhi a very expensive mink coat, which of course she had denied indignantly. But no one believed her because Teja had been very 'close' to the Nehru family.
Jawaharlal Nehru had done him a few favours which helped him become very rich. His full story, which is utterly fascinating, can be found here:http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jayanti-dharma-teja-an-unheralded-comeback/1/371491.html
Dastur-e-jahan
Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi may not have much in common - barring political style - but there is one quality that they do share: neither can be accused of personal avarice and corruption.
Yet, when the pages of history are turned - and regardless of the truth - the bespoke suit and the mink coat will pop up from time to time to remind everyone that it is best to beware the Greeks bearing gifts. Timeo danaos et donas ferente, as they said in old Italian, referring to the Trojan horse. You never know what time-bombs these gifts may contain.
The Africans and even the 'native' Americans discovered this to their cost. Whether it was bottles of rum accompanied by chicken, goats and glass beads or blankets infected with small pox, or something even more striking, giving gifts to heads of government, whether elected or self-imposed or hereditary, has been going on ever since government as an institution was invented.
It's a perk, but you are not supposed to avail of it fully. That's considered bad form. The rule in India is that you can take a maximum three items provided their value does not exceed a very low amount.
This provides the loophole. The trick lies in stating a very low value for whatever you fancy and then taking it home when end your stint by paying that low price. Everyone knows what's going on and everyone tips a wink.
There is another loophole, too, but only for the married. Expensive gifts can always be given to spouses who are usually under no obligation to declare them.
But some countries do insist on it. The rule, however, is observed only in the breach. Most countries think the issue is too petty to bother with - especially media editors who also have a rather good time via gifts.
Like I said, this gift business has been going for some time. Robert Clive was first surprised at the practice of Indian gifting and then delighted. He is believed to have told the British parliament which chastised him for being such a greedy sod - a mere 235 years or so ago - "I stand astonished at my own moderation."
Everyone who came to see him after he conquered Bengal, he told the jealous MPs, brought lovely presents. He said he simply could not refuse them without giving serious offence.
Poor fellow, imagine his dilemma. Maybe Modi (and, if she did receive the gift, Mrs Gandhi too) also felt similarly obligated.
Plus ça change...
One would have thought that the high moral ground that politicians have sought to occupy in the last 60 years would have ended the practice. No chance. As the French say, plus ça change,plus c'est la même chose (the more things change the more they remain the same).
The temptations are hard to resist. Tony Blair is supposed to have made off with gifts worth a small fortune, including expensive watches and guitars. But he had the bad luck to be detected and the British tabloid press had a field day. Others, one can be sure, must have helped themselves on the perfectly legitimate grounds that as long as it was not coming from your country's taxpayers, it was fine. That's certainly true.
In any case, it is not very clear what purpose the gifts serve in storage. It is not as if they are in a museum and people can view them.
Let me end by drawing attention to the link below which gives the gifts received by Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi during October-December 2013. Look at the declared values.
It further confirms who the real boss was.
http://mea.gov.in/images/pdf/list_of_gifts_wef__1st_October-_to_December_new1.pdf
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