The Hindu Business Line : Sweating petty things and petting sweaty things

MARIE Curie once advised, "Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas." But when Ambanis make non-stop news, things are getting only "Curiouser and curiouser!" as Lewis Carroll exclaimed. So, it is no surprise that the common man's head is full of queries that he is sweating to ask.

What is the sweat story?

Let me make it short and sweet. Mukesh had the option to get Rs 50 crore equity, but he now says, forget it.

Is Mukesh sweating?

He isn't, or even if he is, it may not show because it's winter. Perhaps, you are worried why he has decided to renounce so much equity. But many are wondering how he got this much sweat equity.

How?

It is too knotty. According to one story, this sweat equity was given to Mukesh when he became the MD of a small company called Macronet, about four years ago. This got renamed to Reliance Infocomm and then again as Communications Infrastructure (RCIL), but in the meantime, the value of the option grew from its original value of less than Rs 4 lakh to Rs 50 crore. Only one hitch, sweat didn't show on paper, they say.

Now that he doesn't want it, can I get a small helping?

What! Its market value now is Rs 5,000 crore, give or take a few zeroes. Just because Mukesh renounces the stuff, don't think you can lay hands on it! Company law experts say that the 12 per cent can be transferred to RCIL or simply made to disappear, whoosh.

When I ask my boss for sweat equity, he says the office is centrally air-conditioned!

That's a cool answer, to tell you that he doesn't care if you continued in the job.

Psst... what did Anil tell Chiddu?

Oh, you mean the hush-hush meeting with the FM? Naturally, he complained about his bada bhai, sources say, and it seems he stopped weeping only after being told a George Carlin quote: "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."

Auditors have given a clean chit, right?

When a pot calls a kettle black, and vice versa, it becomes necessary for someone to come up with a tissue to wipe and show where soot is. Provided the auditor swipes hard.

The whole deal is above board, isn't it?

One view is that it has gone beyond board also, so the eagerly awaited board meeting will see action, including some below the belt too, it's feared.

What is the source of all trouble?

"Ego is the source of all our troubles," wrote Anil in an article a few weeks back, as you can check in www.anildambaniforindia.com. It is the feeling of separateness, the sense of duality, the idea of being distinct and different from others, he explained. "It is an arrogant and obsessive sense of ownership, the passion of sakam, that has lost touch with dharma."

One last question, is it sweat equity or sweetie kutty?

Aarrh...

SayCheek@TheHindu.co.in

More Stories on : Trends | Corporate Disputes | Say Cheek

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
A holiday tradition

X'mas celebrations

Sweating petty things and petting sweaty things