Even vast wealth appears to be of limited use when Islamist militants threaten your life, as multi-billionaire and India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, tacitly admitted this week. After receiving a death threat, Ambani's personal security will now be the responsibility on a group of up to 22 elite soldiers from the Indian army.
Although a private citizen, Ambani requested that he be granted the level of protection typically given to the most senior governmental officials. His wealth has been estimated as exceeding $20 billion, and derives from his controlling stake in the sprawling conglomerate, Reliance Industries.
Ambani's home in Mumbai, which is 27 stories tall, is believed to be the most expensive private residence in the world, with a value of $1 billion dollars. Given his extensive holdings, a government spokesman made clear that it was still be discussed whether Ambani would be required to reimburse the government for the cost of the security detail.
A letter from someone claiming to be part of the Mujahidin terrorist group threatened Ambani's life due to his support for the Hindu leader, Narendra Modi. Modi is known for his own hard-line pro-Hindu views and currently serves as the Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat, where Reliance operates the largest oil refinery in the world.
Unsurprisingly, the decision by the Indian government to extend individual protection to a billionaire has drawn criticism, in light of recent issues related to ineffective policing. For example, India has made international news several times in recent months for an epidemic of brutal rapes against women. These attacks have led to large-scale protests and demonstrations. Numerous local celebrities and sports personalities are pressuring the government to make changes in the law and improve its enforcement.
The most recent scandal involves the rape of a five year old girl in Delhi last week. Police blunders were so severe that calls are now building for the police chief, Neerraj Kumar, to resign. After initially failing to investigate the case, police officials offered the girl's family 2000 rupees, worth roughly $35, in 'hush money". Kumar has been under a spotlight since December, when the rape and murder of a 23 year old women riding a bus through Delhi attracted international notoriety.
As anger at police incompetence continues to mount, the negative publicity over new incidents of sexual assault grows each week. The willingness of the Indian government to make special accommodations to protect a exceptionally wealthy man, when so many poor women and girls are suffering, strikes many critics as reprehensible.
The life of the wealthy in India is far removed from the overwhelming majority of Indians, who lack access to the security that effective law enforcement provides. In many ways, the rich and the poor live in two very different countries, both just happen to be named "India".
Interestingly, just as vast wealth is insufficient on its own to address terror threats, it is no guaranty of family tranquility. Mukesh Ambani has been involved in a longstanding feud with his brother Anil. Mukesh, the second richest man is Asia, controls Reliance Industries, and Anil, also a billionaire in his own right, helms Reliance Communications. While Reliance Industry focuses on oil refining and petrochemicals, the heavily indebted Reliance Communications operates in the telecoms and power sectors.
India is an important country that is increasingly taking a more prominent position on the world stage, both economically and politically. Despite the oppressive poverty across India, there is plenty of new wealth being produced from the "economic miracle" that is slowly transforming the country, at least in pockets.
Of course, India is not alone in wrestling with both the short- and long-term impacts of uneven prosperity. Its ongoing rivalry with China, as both contest for influence across Asia and around the world, showcases two very different approaches to tackling poverty on a large scale. The tradition of democracy and a free press in India stands in stark contrast to the approach taken by Chinese leaders.
Unfortunately, in both countries large segments of the population battle daily for subsistence under grinding poverty, while at the same time producing a regular stream of new millionaires and billionaires. These tycoons have succeeded to build businesses that effectively monetize the opportunities provided by high economic growth rates. However, life for many of the poorest still remains largely unchanged.
Mukesh Ambani's request for government protection reminds us that the threat of terror cuts across all economic classes, and is at least one area where the risks facing both the richest and the poorest continue to overlap. But, as frequently happens, governments often leap to the needs of the politically-connected elites at the expense of the needs of the rest of us.