'The crooked politician needs the businessman to provide the funds that allow him to supply patronage to the poor and fight elections. The corrupt businessman needs the crooked politician to get public resources and contracts cheaply.' https://thewire.in/business/subrata-roy-foretold-new-indias-new-crony-capitalism
The death of Subrata Roy of the Sahara Group provides a much-needed occasion to meditate on the inseparability of the business community and the political class in modern India. Saharashri, as Roy called himself, came to personify a key facet of our political economy: that money power can thrive and prosper only if friendly ‘political power’ is available.
by Harish Khare
16/11/2023