Scary? Cool yourself with Beer or Sangria!
by Gururaja Budhya

Two days since the ADB AGM is on in Madrid. It is quite an experience to move in the Metro from point to point in Madrid. But it's good walking between the tunnels and climbing the stairs! The food and the walking remind me what I am missing from India. It is the tea, idli, vada, dosa, uppma,….. the list is long.

Dragon and the Elephant – Don't wonder what these are to do with Spain. It is the session (in the AGM) that talked about the studies carried out by the Indian and Chinese 'think tanks' (?). The studies are carried out with 'technical assistance' (actually under RETA) from ADB. The 'think tanks' are the most worrying part of the whole exercise. What the ADB is doing is to throw money into the 'think tanks' to 'find out' things that are 'interesting' to be learnt and put back into their own country. It means ADB actually make the 'think tank' say or propagate what it wants to say. So it is legitimisation process where your country's 'think tanks' will sing the 'reform' tune of ADB. Things like this scare me!

It was another wonderful day for me to enjoy the dinner at 'Antonio' on 3rd evening. The evening began with 'chilled beer and sangria'. And then the food – squid, fish, potatoes, rice, and whole lot of stuff that filled me up to the neck.

Who is it for? – This is the question I asked Nessim Ahmed in-charge of Safeguard Policy Review Process in ADB. I made it clear that it's a straight question when I asked this question in the panel discussion on 4th. The answer was also straight – 'it is to safeguard the poor'. Wow! The ADB and those working in ADB always tend to project what they do not intend to do. That has been their style to 'eradicate the poor in the name of eradicating poverty'.

Mushrooms and Tomatoes – After the 4th day long moving around the meetings with the Executive Directors of the Bank, again it was time for relaxing. It was a long drive in the bus to the 'Castle' outskirts of the city. After we got out of the city, it was the 'security' personnel through out the route. All the delegates from the Forum relaxed in the spacious lawns and enjoyed the fountains. It was business as usual, eating, chatting and plotting! There were enough 'exclusive' corners for the delicacies on mushrooms, tomatos, fruits, rice, the liquor ….whatever you name it. Enough energy for the Energy panel the next day!!!