The government of India has accepted nine of the ten demands of truck owners and appointed a Committee to go into their grievances. Businessmen, Manufacturers, and lakhs of daily-wagers lost millions of rupees owing to the ten-days strike. This could have been avoided if the two Ministers concerned had applied their minds and taken the necessary decisions in time. But in India the governments always, suffer from virus of slow decision making. They act only when it becomes unavoidable. About five year ago, airlines employees in the USA threatened to go on strike. President, Bill Clinton appeared on television and announced that he had signed an ordinance that the employees would have to negotiate, that the strike had been banned and the consequences can follow if the employees still went on strike. The strike did not take place. This can happen where the leaders understand the Value of Time and take the decision at the right time.

(Vasant J. Desai)

Note :- This letter was published on 08/05/2003 (in The Indian Express, Ahmedabda-Edition.)