India, act 1, scene 1

Two recently arrived Americans find themselves at a dinner party of the important and influential.  The scene opens in the living room, with the host, a very successful business man and powerful economic voice in India, his wife who is a very successful small business owner, their friend, a successful entrepreneur from Mumbai, two high-level state bureaucrats, and our two Americans, feeling somewhat out of place, but enjoying the conversation.

Mumbai: So how are you liking India and Bangalore so far?

American 1:  We love it!  There is so much vibrancy, so much happening here.  And there is so much cultural richness, it is amazing.  Although, we are still having a hard time adjusting to all the traffic.

Mumbai: Oh, yes, the traffic.  It is horrible.  Every time I come back to Bangalore it is worse.  The city is becoming so crowded, you can’t get anything done. 

Bureaucrat 1:  Everyday the traffic is getting worse.  The city is almost at a standstill.

Host’s wife:  It doesn’t even feel like Bangalore anymore.

Mumbai:  And it’s like this all over India.  Our infrastructure – not just roads, but everything – is 20 years behind.

Bureaucrat 2:  25 years.

Mumbai:  30 years.  We will never get caught up.

Bureaucrat 1:  And nothing ever gets better.  It’s just getting worse.  The airport is only a few years old and it already needs to be rebuilt. 

Mumbai:  It is because of all the corruption.  There is so much corruption that nothing can ever get done.  And nothing ever gets done right.  India will never prosper with all this corruption.

Bureaucrat 1: But our problems are so big, nothing…

Mumbai:  No, it is corruption.  There is corruption everywhere. 

Bureaucrat 2: Yes, there is corruption everywhere.

Mumbai:  And until we get rid of corruption, we will never succeed.

Host:  Yes, that is true.  But if you are driving your daughter to her university exams, and you get stopped by the police, what will you do?  Of course you will bribe the police officer.  Unless you are Gandhi, you will bribe the police officer.  We will all offer the bribe. 

Mumbai:  Yes, yes.  Only Gandhi would not bribe the police officer.

Bureaucrat 1:  Yes, only Gandhi.