Fear less, intolerance more

Seldom do industrialists want to be government critics but having said that we do feel that this government displays a huge amount of economic intolerance

Mumbai: At a recent Economic Times Awards function, which was addressed by Mr Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister and the number 2 in Mr Modi’s cabinet, senior industrialist Mr.Rahul Bajaj posed a candid comment for Mr.Amit Shah. He said that in the UPA rule they could abuse anyone. He told Mr. Shah, that you are doing a good job, but there is no confidence among industrialists that if we criticize you openly, you will appreciate that. He said that no industrialist will speak about it, but he said that an open environment of trust has to be created. This was the most bitter criticism of the government on a national public forum, where apart from Mr. Amit Shah, the FM Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman and Mr. Piyush Goyal, the Railway Minister was present. In a measured and admirable reply, Mr. Amit Shah said he doubted whether anybody would believe this claim of Mr. Bajaj that people are afraid of the government. He said that no one needs to fear anything, yet if Mr. Bajaj says that an atmosphere of trust has to be created, then they will have to work for improving the atmosphere as well.

But it did not end there. As expected, Rahul Bajaj’s comments invited an immediate backlash from Mr. Amit Shah’s colleagues. The FM immediately accused Mr. Bajaj of spreading his own impressions in a way that can hurt national interest. She further reiterated in the Parliament that the government is always open to criticism. The Urban Development Minister Mr. Hardeep Puri, a former diplomat accused Mr. Bajaj of weaving fake narratives and hurling invectives at the Modi government. He also labeled such criticism as sheer indiscipline. He further said that the fact that Mr. Bajaj aired his criticism on the face of Mr. Amit Shah, which instigated others to join him, clearly indicated that freedom of expression and democratic values are flourishing in India, which is what democracy is all about. The head of the BJP IT cell Amit Malviya went a step further to suggest that Rahul Bajaj is ideologically affiliated to the Congress Party. This kind of an eagerness on the part of the ministers to rush in and bash Mr. Bajaj was a self-goal that only proved that there was substance in Rahul Bajaj’s comment.

We think that while there is some merit in Rahul Bajaj’s statement, yet making a general remark that industrialists fear the government is a bit of an exaggeration. There is clearly intolerance, but calling it as general fear is extreme. If there was such fear, then the Modi government would not be the most criticized one, unlike any other previous government. The real issue is that every Indian industrialist seeks to be in a cosy crony spot with the ruling party and has been averse to criticizing the government. Even at the peak of its corruption and misgovernance in the UPA II rule, best symbolized by the 2G scam and Vodafone’s tax terror law, the Rahul Bajaj tribe of industrialists did not speak out against the government. Seldom do industrialists want to be government critics for the most obvious reasons? But having said that we do feel that this government displays a huge amount of economic intolerance. And we say that for the following reasons:-

• Dislike for adverse headlines and bogus data.
• Junking of NSSO reports on unemployment and consumer spending.
• Selective actions of ITD/ED.
• Sycophancy is on the rise for sure. Yes, men are in flavour.
• No criticism of government failure, or critical review.
• No opposition to harsh laws poorly prepared and announced schemes.
• Unrealistic tax targets not opposed.
• Hurried GST and other flagship schemes, including demonetization.
• Appointing mediocre yes men on institutions/regulators.
• Intolerance of independent institutions.

To us, if the industrialists prefer to not criticize the government and keep quiet, it is by their choice, as they seek to be in the good books of the ruling party for obvious reasons. The biggest of contracts that they seek come from the government, so do bank loans and funds and so does pardon for their violations of the law. Those who really fear the government is the common small entrepreneurs, who are unable to withstand the smallest of notices and summons from any government department, and whose voices are muted, unlike in the case of Mr Rahul Bajaj.