Vulgarity of the rich

According to Forbes magazine India has the second largest number of billionaires in the world (forty plus). However, charity is not considered a virtue in India, and most of the rich there do not bother with it (this is in sharp contrast to USA, where philanthropy is much admired). Two recent news items highlight this selfish attitude of the rich in India. First, there is the story of the house billionaire Anil Ambani has built for himself costing around one billion dollars. This building, 27 stories high with two helicopter pads and a staff of 600 employees for upkeep, stands as a sharp contrast to the slum dwellings nearby. Wonder if an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the owner of the most expensive house in the world, was an incentive for this. The other is Ratan Tata’s donation of 50 million dollars to Harvard University to establish a school and building in his name. Harvard University has one of the richest endowment funds in the world. Millions of children in India are still uneducated and struggling to get a seat in the under-capacitated Indian education system. Obviously being remembered at Harvard was more important to him. I am disappointed.