There was a horrific tragedy in Asia’s most developed state a few weeks ago. I don’t want to mention the tragedy or the state because this column isn’t about either. It’s about what happened in the aftermath, when a few disgruntled folk took offence at who was allegedly to blame. Apparently, a manufacturer of wall clocks had been given a contract to renovate a bridge, which shouldn’t have happened. They say this tragedy, which may or may not have involved the bridge, could have been avoided if the structure had been renovated by people who knew what they were doing.

It’s a good argument, this notion of people doing things only if they are qualified to. It’s also a flawed one when applied to India though, because we have a proud history of doing very little based on qualifications. Look at the people we place in charge of every aspect of our lives. Look at who runs our economy, or who is in charge of protecting our borders. Look at who manages popular sports in India; and this argument starts to feel weak very quickly.
I think it is an insult to our spirit of entrepreneurship when we start attacking people for attempting new things. We should be applauding these initiatives from the sidelines instead of moaning about nepotism, corruption, or incompetence. Yes, people may die because of these things, but does that make them bad? Without them, would our country even function? It’s a thought worth considering before we jump into the blame game that comes so naturally to us.