Tavleen Singh Condemns Chief Ministers' Davos Visits as Fiscal Irresponsibility
In a scathing critique, veteran columnist Tavleen Singh has bluntly denounced the annual practice of Indian taxpayers funding chief ministers' trips to the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. Drawing from her three decades of attendance, Singh asserts these excursions serve as little more than luxurious winter holidays that politicians should finance personally.
The Staggering Cost of Davos Attendance
Actual WEF members pay over $250,000 in membership fees alone, with additional costs for forum participation. Singh argues the cumulative expenditure on sending chief ministers and their spouses could instead address pressing national issues. She highlights recent remarks by economist Gita Gopinath, who noted air pollution's detrimental impact on India's ease of doing business—a factor often overlooked in investment discussions.
"We could use the money spent on chief ministerial holidays in Davos to clean up our cities and improve the toxic air we are forced to breathe," Singh writes. The funds could also build low-cost housing for migrant workers and enhance hundreds of basic civic services, benefiting ordinary citizens who can only dream of such extravagant trips.
A Historical Perspective on Indian Participation
Recalling Davos from thirty years ago, Singh notes the sparse Indian presence then, with industrialist Rahul Bajaj hosting small dinners for the contingent. Politicians were rare attendees, often misfits delivering embarrassing, bureaucrat-written speeches. In contrast, today's delegations include large entourages, raising questions about necessity and propriety.
Singh expresses particular frustration over Maharashtra's Chief Minister boasting about a deal with the Tata group for an 'innovation city' near Mumbai, negotiated in Davos. "Why did he need to go to Davos to do this?" she questions, emphasizing that such agreements could easily be finalized domestically.
The Real Value of Davos and Political Apathy
Davos attracts global elites because it becomes a hub for discussing technological advancements, urbanization, governance, and geopolitics. Singh reminisces about sending her first email there during the internet's infancy and later debates on AI implications. However, she laments that most Indian politicians skip these substantive sessions, attending only their own, due to perceived self-importance or discomfort with Western customs and language.
Exceptions like former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who genuinely engaged with global trends, are rare. Singh recounts an incident involving former Prime Minister Deve Gowda's family holidaying in Klosters, portraying it as an unflattering image for India. She concludes that unless politicians actively learn from Davos's intellectual exchanges, they should remain home, saving public funds for critical domestic needs.
