All about being politically correct

Manmohan Singh's maiden interaction with industry at the inauguration of the JRD Tata Centenary Celebration today was all about political correctness, on the part of both the prime minister and the businessmen present.

In his welcome address, Assocham president Mahendra K Sanghi said there was an echo of JRD Tata's economic thought to be found in the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance.

Calling Singh the liberator of the Indian economy, Sanghi said: "I see a striking parallel between you and JRD. Both of you have created the founations upon which could be built a super structure of growth and prosperity."

On the display board behind the dias were diaplyed two quotes from JRD Tata: "Consensus is weak in some respects but strong in the long run" and "I don't want India to be an economic super power. I want India to be a happy country." The political correctness was not lost on the viewers.

The prime minister began his speech by blaming the Opposition for his inability to address industry leaders earlier. "We are living through abnormal times. Never before have the first 100 days of any government have been characterised by such turmoil in Parliament. It has cut me off from meeting people from various walks of life," he said.

Though Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata couldn't make it (a Korean delegation led by the head of the province where the Tata Motors truck plant is located had flown to India to meet him), several leading Delhi businessmen, cutting across chamber loyalties, were there to listen to the prime minister in their gleaming Mercs, Jaguars and Prados.

Onkar Singh Kanwar of Apollo Tyres, Raghupati Singhania of JK Industries and O.P. Lohia of Indo Rama listened in rapt attention while Singh's soft office floated from the public address system.

While Jawahar Lal Nehru was quick to dump the Bombay Plan developed by JRD Tata in 1944 alongwith Ghanshyam Das Birla, Purushottamdas Thakurdas, Ardeshir Dalal and John Mathai, Singh said the plan had greatly impressed him first as a student of economics and then as a practitioner in government. "In many ways, it encapsulated what all subsequent Plans have tried to achieve," he said.

Saying that his government would facilitate India's transformation into a home for MNCs of the future, Singh named Reliance, Tatas and Ranbaxy as Indian companies seeking opportunities abroad.