Days after receiving criticism for his “too much democracy” comment on the farmers’ protest, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant tried to explain his position, saying that his speech was taken out of context and that what he said and what was attributed to him are polar opposites.
In an editorial published in the Indian Express on Friday, Kant wrote: “What I said and what has been attributed to me are polar opposites. My statement, with relevant parts, is that India is too democratic to reflect China’s model. The way this has been wrongly interpreted to mean that we have “too much democracy” is both shortsighted and idiosyncratic. For the most part, it is an unfounded misrepresentation of a factual statement to make it acceptable for partisan misinterpretation. “
Kant said he was “talking about the multifaceted levels of negotiation and consensus building that were required to generate innovation in policies like the Production Incentive Scheme. Our goal has been to create world champions from India. “
According to a PTI report, Kant at a virtual event organized by Swarajya magazine on Tuesday said that it is difficult to carry out tough reforms in India because there is “too much democracy.” He said that for the first time the Center has carried out tough reforms in all sectors, including mining, coal, labor, agriculture, and states must push forward the next wave of reforms.
In response to a question about protests by farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, against the Center’s new agricultural laws, Kant said the agricultural sector needs reform. “It is very important to understand this that the MSP (minimum support price) will be there, the mandis will remain … farmers must have the option to sell their products as they benefit from this,” he said.
In Friday’s editorial, Kant noted that the reforms require buy-in from all stakeholders and therefore take longer than the China model. “This is factual, it is not partisan, it is not undemocratic and it is not overtly critical. It is also a fact that this government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated the intention and drive to introduce structural reforms in all sectors. Stating a fact does not make anyone a supporter, and no one should be mischaracterized for doing so. “
He said he would rather focus on “the general path to Atma Nirbhar” and “structural reforms like the PLI ‘require a very stubborn and ground-level approach’, which is being attempted for the first time in India.” .
India, he added, is on the cusp of high growth through these structural reforms. “We should be proud of these achievements. I, for my part, definitely am. “
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