All this excitement about the Tata Small Car is fine. But have we forgotten to ask one pertinent question? Where is it all leading to? Ratan Tata (and Ambani and Mittal) need to be congratulated for bringing in a cell phone revolution in the country. It is difficult to find a person without a mobile phone and a good deal of the credit must go to these gentlemen. It has brought in a communication revolution in the country, with perceptible economic gains. Can we say the same thing about the "people's car"? Cars are not mobile phones. They need fuel and road to run - both in short supply here. And what about the environmental implications (CO2 emission included) of the mass release of an utterly affordable car? Imagine every average Indian who can manage a loan of 1 lakh buying a car...each member of a family can have a car or two. It is good to have cheap means of transport for everyone. But cheap cars are not the solution; efficient and affordable public transport is. I hope govt. people like Tata wake up to the real threat and do things that are sustainable for the people and the country.
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"There's more to life than increasing its speed" |