Whenever Rahul Gandhi comes out of holidaying from abroad, his pet project seems to be casting aspersions on Prime Minister Modi. This time round, he talked about (in the farmers’ strike) that the PM is promoting 2-3 Udhyogpatis (big businessmen i.e., Adani, Ambani et al.). Mr Rahul Gandhi is conveniently forgetting the fact that it was the Congress regime that propped up the aforesaid businessmen initially. Nothing wrong in doing so by a government in a liberal democracy. In majority of countries in the world, the well-being of majority people depends on the willingness of these capitalist entrepreneurs to establish their companies/factories for production and creation of employment. For which, in turn, they seek their property and civil rights to be protected. In these on-going farmers’ protest- 1.0, Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Jio tower infrastructure in Punjab was attacked by these protesting farmers, as they were against big Corporates coming in to agricultural sector. This is a bad precedent and discourages businessmen within the country and foreign countries to invest in India.
Striking- farmers are taking the line of the Communist-Left – Like all liberal democracies India also encourages big businessmen, as the State/Govt. has shortage of financial capital know-how. This encouragement has been there ever since India has won independence. However, there are not many willing enthusiastic business entrepreneurs to organise production to create jobs in India, due to several reasons. The bureaucratic hurdles from the start (time of establishment) to production stage of a company, are too many for a businessman to cross. From the beginning, for any business set-up to take place, the environment was discouraging leading to despair. Communist countries, to the contrary to liberal democracies, eliminate the dependence on businessmen by organising production through the State i.e., the Government. Shri Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India Party, who is spear-heading the farmers’ agitation, is one such avowed leftist-Communist-ideology person. He conveniently backed this farmers’ protest to his advantage.
There is a wrong impression among the farmers on Corporates buying farm-produce. As a matter of fact, the farmers could get more money for their produce from Corporates than what the government gives them as minimum support price (MSP). It is wrong to assume that the Government should buy all. In case, if the farmers, because of farm-laws, are exploited by the Corporates, the Government would not be a mute spectator. It comes to the farmers’ rescue. This has been assured to the farmers and their leaders. Yet, they are unrelenting.
To take back the three-farm laws that have been legislated in the larger interest of the farmers, that have been applauded by many elite intellectuals, is a disgraceful task for the Government of India. Recently the U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration also welcomed the farm laws, as the U.S. being a liberal democracy like India, it encourages free market-economy. In fact, the U.S. officially stated that it would welcome any steps that would improve the efficiency of India’s markets and attract greater private investment. So, India need not care what pop-star Rihanna or environment activist Greta Thunberg have tweeted. They were, apparently, carried by the farmers’ agitation, without going deep into the bottom of the issue. Almost all these activists in the world, be it environmental or otherwise, are conformed Leftists. In any case, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against people supposed to be Kalisthanis that were backing and providing toolkit for farmers’ agitation to these activists.
As a matter of fact, businessmen enrich the country with their services; hence, they are promoted in any democratic country by their Governments to have land at cheaper price to establish their firm/company and also provide other amenities like electricity and water. This is all for ease of doing business. The State and Central Govts. invite businessmen with open arms in our country. For, they need more jobs to be created in the state for their young people. The Central Government is keen on the overall growth and economic development of the country. Of course, crony capitalism i.e., favouring and patronising a few groups, must be discouraged. The Congress party has been benefitted all along by encouraging cronyism. During the Congress-rule, there has been an open politician- businessmen nexus. Yet, Rahul Gandhi tries to find fault with Modi-regime. When the prime minister aspires for growth and development of the country, he has no option but to promote businessmen also.
In India’s case, there are a very few big businessmen to create jobs or wealth for the country. So, if leaders like Rahul Gandhi with his vituperative diatribe scare the businessmen, how could India progress? When his party was in power, they colluded with businessmen to improve their lot. Now, he is taking a more Communist-socialist stance. Targeting Ambanis and Adanis is not good. The country needs to encourage more such businessmen to have a healthy competition. The no-holds-barred attack on them does not augur well for India.
What happened in Venezuela, is a story by itself— When Hugo Chavez, a friend of Fidel Castro, inspired by Cuban-formula of Communist-socialism, came to power in 1970s, he made near elimination of property rights through inheritance for all rich people of the country, who do business, to discourage the rich becoming richer. So, almost all the rich left Venezuela. Then Venezuela’s rich oil reserves were all brought under the Govt. control. For a long time, Venezuela was a rich nation and the Govt. of Venezuela/State of Venezuela, saw to the welfare of people. There were no businessmen. Yet the country survived and thrived well. Of late, in 2014 under Maduro, the oil prices fell to the rock-bottom due to oil-crisis. The country went into economic recession and economic hardship. People began to starve. They went in troves to other countries, as they could not get jobs or survive in their own country.
The lesson to be learnt from Venezuelans-crisis is, that Governments alone cannot run the country. It is people, especially, the rich entrepreneurs who have to. So, the rich of the country have a role. Prime Minister Modi often tried to appeal all sections: the rich, the middle-class and the poor for their contribution to the society and the country. It is no use blaming Ambanis and Adanis. India needs more such businessmen. Knowing the need, the Budget presented in parliament for the year 2021-22, by the finance minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman saw to it, that there is a place for the rich to be entrepreneurial.
