Say it with pride: 'Burned in the USA!'
Bribery being what it is in our collective consciousness — a nudge-nudge wink-wink lubricant — the American accusation against one of India's biggest corporate names has provided, along with the standard 'Oh dear' response, the quieter, 'Heh heh, finally, we've made it to the big league!' reaction. The mega-charge joins the more obviously proud ranks of Indian movies like RRR getting Oscar applause and people of our 'mulk' gaining positions of corporate and political power in foreign countries (read: the US).
It's like telling the world that we, too, 'can Enron!' Perverse? Sure. Understandable? Maybe.
But watch out for the memes. Cloaked as jokes and jibes, they revel at the idea of, to quote the Beatles song 'Honey Pie', 'Now she's hit the big time/ In the USA'.
