Monday, October 8, 2012

INTERVIEW: NARENDRA MODI

B&E's Priyanka Rai engages in an exclusive one on one with Gujarat CM Narendra Modi

B&E: If ever you are made the Prime Minister of India, what is it that you would want to do? 
NM: First of all there is no ‘if’ and ‘or’ in politics.

B&E: Any single economic policy you would like to introduce in India? 
NM: In Gujarat, the development work is moving in the right direction. I want a ‘balanced growth’ here. Balanced means 30% growth in industry, 30% in agriculture and 30% in the service sector. So that, in a situation of famine, the other two sectors can contribute. During recession, the agriculture and service sector can contribute. Secondly, I have also told the Finance Commission and the Planning Commission that the various loans given to the states should not be measured with one yard stick. It should be divided into three parts. Loans given for natural disasters should not have any interest because no one is responsible for these disasters. For development work, interest should be there but more interest should be charged from states who can''t run the state and take loan to pay salaries and fill up their homes.

B&E: Which laws do you think require amendments immediately? 
NM: You cannot run a nation smoothly by implementing laws of the 19th century in the 21st century. We must update the existing laws. Now tell me, in this era of technology, with Internet and stuff, do you require a radio license? It is irrelevant. But it is there. Supreme Court has asked that if this country is actually secular, then why is there no ‘common civil court’? Someone has to answer that question. A committee of experts should be formed to review all laws. Supreme Court has given its verdict on the ban on cow slaughter. We have implemented this. Why have other states not implemented this? Why is the Central government not doing anything in this regard? At least they should implement what is being led down in the Constitution properly. Each country has introduced tough laws to counter terrorism. Why is our country afraid of introducing tough laws? What is the reason?

B&E: How would you have handled the ‘Mumbai terror attack’, if you were the Prime Minister?
NM: First of all, take out the word Prime Minister out of your mind. If a similar thing would have happened in Gujarat, we would have handled it professionally. After the serial blasts, in Ahmedabad & Surat, we managed to crack down the case first and arrested people.

B&E:What was your initial reaction, when you heard about the ‘ Mumbai terror attack’? 
NM: It was a war that was waged against India by Pakistan.

B&E: Do you think the Government is handling it correctly? 
NM: The whole country can see how they are handling the whole situation. I have told the Prime Minister, are we going to run the country like this? Are we going to have the will to fight the terror or not?

B&E: Whenever you are in news for doing something good in Gujarat, the opposition reminds people ''not to forget the 2002 riots''. Why? 
NM: A lot of economists suggested that I should not have the ‘Vibrant Gujarat Global summit’ during this time of recession. They said I will achieve nothing. Forty countries participated in this event; we signed MOU’s worth Rs.12 trillion. This achievement attracted the attention of the whole world. But there is this small group of people, who sit in air conditioned rooms and conspire on how to shift the focus of the people from this achievement to something else.

B&E: What is being done to save the Diamond industry of Gujarat (Surat)? 
NM: I have raised this issue with the Central government. The industry needs raw material. The government has to provide them with the raw material. They have this Hindustan Diamond company, which is a government company. They can ask them to get the raw material from the world, give work to the diamond industry and keep the diamonds with them. They can sell it off when the market recovers. There is no harm in doing this and this is the only solution I can see. As far as the Gujarati government is concerned, we have removed the VAT. And we are providing free education to their kids.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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