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Wealth without responsibility dangerous: Paul

Indian-born British industrialist Swraj Paul, a member of the House of Lords, said wealth without responsibility was posing a public menace.

Speaking on 'Indian Values in the 21st Century', organised on Tuesday by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Madras centre, Paul said a system that encouraged the creation of wealth without corresponding responsibilities was like a car in motion without a driver.

"If human nature were perfect, wealth would have an in-built set of responsibilities. Since it is not perfect, society has to structure the rules," he said.

One responsibility of wealth that was difficult to accept was self-restraint. Society had an obligation to care for those who could not look after themselves. "This does not mean we have to create a welfare state," he said.

Lord Paul quoted a Hindu doctrine -- while the pursuit of wealth is permissible, attachment to it is not.

Citing his own experience, he said, "I have known tragedy in my life and all the money in the world could not prevent those tragedies."

UNI

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