We need you, Rahul tells India Inc

Congress vice-president wants a new grand coalition of the poor, business and the middle class

In his first industry interaction in nine years, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday unveiled a general philosophy of less government in business rather than an economic and business manifesto for his party. He sought a responsible and inclusive industry and urged business leaders to recognise their social responsibilities. He acknowledged the government could not do everything on its own and needed industry.

Addressing the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Gandhi spelt out a new grand coalition — of the poor, business (industry) and the middle classes. “We need to stitch all three together in a coalition… I’m interested in long-term partnerships with you. Let’s work together,” he said. This was a very different note from the ‘garibi hatao’ and nationalisation rhetoric of the Congress in the 1970s and the unbridled embrace of industry in the early 1990s.

He neither confirmed nor denied his ambition to become prime minister, but, like his mother in 2004, said posts were irrelevant — “just smoke”.

He asked industry to be mindful of the aspirations of young people, especially in the areas of education and employment. “We have to give all the people a basic infrastructure... give people a basic minimum on all fronts — job, education, information. That is what we are trying to do with right-based policies.”

He emphasised that the economic vision needed to be more than money and include all sections of the society. It must have compassion; embracing the excluded was essential for wealth of the nation, he added.

He mentioned several leaders by name, who, he felt, were carrying out the party’s mandate in the government. Interestingly, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, besides old family friends now heading the manufacturing and skill development bodies — Sam Pitroda and V Krishnamurthy — were among them. Neither Congress General-Secretary Digvijaya Singh nor Finance Minister P Chidambaram found a mention in his speech.

Gandhi spoke of the kind of politics he didn’t like — excluding Biharis from Mumbai or Muslims from development. But he did not touch upon a road map of governance, either. He dwelt upon instances of being asked on campuses abroad about India as a land of elephants. He lauded industry for changing that image since 1991. He said if India Inc could dispel such notions, “you can succeed anywhere”.