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| India Not an Elephant, It's a Beehive: Rahul to India Inc | | | NEW DELHI: Virtually pitted in a race against Narendra Modi ahead of next Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi today unveiled his vision of inclusive development seeking partnership with corporate India but deprecated the "politics of alienating communities".
In his first structured interaction with India Inc., the 42-year-old Congress leader, widely seen as party's future Prime Minister, spoke at length on his idea of development in which government and industry can build a "brave empowered new India" with inclusiveness and compassion.
Recently promoted as party's Vice President, he said he was "not a hard-nosed politician" but happened to be in politics by accident of fate and dismissed as "irrelevant" talk about his becoming Prime Minister.
Calling for a partnership that incentivises industry to provide economic gains for the poor and aspiring middle class, Gandhi said the Congress government will ensure a "fair, rules-based and stable environment" for entrepreneurs large and small.
In a free-wheeling interaction laced with anecdotes and personal experience both in India and abroad, the young leader appeared to come hard on BJP, which he did not name.
"When you play the politics of alienating communities, you stop the flow of movement of people and ideas-and when that happens we all suffer.
"Businesses suffer, the seeds of disharmony are sown and the dreams of our people are severely disrupted. Once begun, this damage takes a very long time to reverse. It is very dangerous to leave people behind," Gandhi said.
Maintaining that inclusive growth is a win-win for everybody, he said that the biggest danger is excluding the poor, minorities and dalits.
"Anger, hatred and prejudice do not help growth. If you alienate communities, we all suffer," Gandhi said in comments that could be seen as an attack on the Gujarat Chief Minister, who has been accused of indulging in divisive politics.
At the interaction, top corporate leaders including CII President Adi Godrej, Kris Gopalakrishnan of Infosys, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal, Rahul Bajaj, Malvinder Singh and Raghupat Singhania were present in the packed hall.
Underlining that Congress is the only party which believes in taking everyone along, Gandhi said the country has witnessed the fastest economic growth under the UPA because it had greatly lowered tensions among communities and fostered harmony.
"There is a strong connection between harmony and growth...Do not underestimate the benefits of harmony," he said.
"We are committed to creating an open political architecture that is accessible to every Indian. Today, we need to forge a new business compact, a new framework that responds to the 21st century," Gandhi said.
He said businesses need not compete in the corridors of Raisina Hill but compete on the streets of the towns and villages by innovating better products and services in the environment, which the Congress would create.
Speaking about the need for building a strong infrastructure like big roads and power, he said,"Government cannot build this infrastructure alone. We are incapable of doing it alone. We need your help.
"It has to be built jointly and together we will find the models, where capital is used efficiently and without delays. And it is critical that the business environment for the creation of this dynamic infrastructure is stable and predictable."
Talking of the compact with the business, Gandhi said the industry should commit to play by the rules, protect the environment and respect the rights of people.
"We are readying ourselves by developing a new political architecture, which will incorporate in a systemic way all voices, including the voice of business.
"I have come here because I believe in you. I believe that this country cannot move forward without you. I have come here because I want to forge a partnership with you, a long-term partnership to take this country forward. Let us work together to build this brave, empowered new India."
Gandhi, who is seen as the Congress' Prime Ministerial candidate, dubbed as a "irrelevant" questions on such matter.
"I got press guys asking when you are getting married. Somebody else saying, boss, when are you going to be the Prime Minister. Somebody saying, no your are not going to be PM, somebody say may be you will be PM. There is good possibility.
"These are irrelevant questions. It's all smoke," he said, adding the only relevant question is how to empower one billion people that would solve all problems.
Describing his advent into politics as "an accident of fate" and "DNA" linkage with a particular family, Gandhi said, "I am not a hard-nosed politician... I don't want to become."
He sought to dispel the notion that "one person charging on a horse" would fix all the problems of the country. "No, it is not like that," he added.
"When I read newspapers, I get frustrated. It is always about a person, it is not about voice of people.... If we expect (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singhji or anybody else to solve everything, you are going to keep expecting. If you want to solve it, you have got to move from the person.... I am irrelevant," he said while laying stress on building structures to deal with problems.
Speaking about the country's economy, he said that the "economic vision must be about more than money. It should not leave anybody outside. It must have compassion. Embracing the excluded is essential for wealth of the nation".
He asked the industry to "unleash opportunities" as he observed that the "political system is clogged. It is not responding.
Gandhi drew parallels between the models of governance in India and China. He said China is described a dragon while India is talked about as an elephant.
"But it is not elephant but a beehive," Gandhi said.
Faulting the existing systems, Gandhi said these are "closed" as he questioned why all decisions, including smallest ones, should be taken by "the most senior guy".
Gandhi said that there are three components -- poor, business, middle class -- for the country's progress. "The country will move forward only when we stitch together all the three components," he said.
Talking about systemic problems, he said there is a tendency of solving problems in incremental manner when there is requirement of "exponential" and "radical steps".
He underlined the need for building basic infrastructure like education for empowerment of common people and asked industry to help in creating skills and jobs.
"India is bursting with dreams, optimism and brave ideas. This optimism is the spirit of India. This energy drives the consumption on which businesses are built," the Congress Vice President said and told the industry leaders, I have come here to forge long term partnership to take the country forward."
Drawing the analogy of tide and boat to impress that the development should be all inclusive, the Congress Vice President said, "A rising tide raises all the boats but a rising tide does not raise people, who do not have a boat. A rising tide is not enough."
Gandhi, whose party-led UPA government has come out with right-based schemes like Right to Education, Right to Information and Right to Food, said, "We have to give all the people a basic infrastructure. Give people a basic minimum on all the fronts, job, education, information. That is what we are trying to do with right-based policies."
Emphasising the importance of job creation, he said that in the rural areas of the country, the bottom line is a job and told the India Inc "you are the people, who going to take the lead in the creation of jobs".
"Our problem is not joblessness. It is lack of training and skill," he said pitching for a networking between universities and industries. |
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