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Protests against the rising intolerance in Indian society reached new heights today with eminent personalities like RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy, music conductor Zubin Mehta, and President Pranab Mukherjee speaking out against it. They have thereby joined the writers' protest that has seen a long list of authors returning their awards to government and came out against 'cultural dictatorship' that created 'considerable fear' among the minorities in India. Check out the top 5 reactions: (Reuters)
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1. RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said tolerance and mutual respect was necessary and physical harm or verbal contempt for any particular group should not be allowed. Governor Rajan said tolerance and mutual respect was necessary to improve the environment for ideas and physical harm or verbal contempt for any particular group should not be allowed. Asserting that India's tradition of debate and an open spirit of enquiry is critical for economic growth, he said encouraging challenge to all authority and tradition would rule out anyone imposing a particular view or ideology because of power. Against the backdrop of growing intolerance in the wake of Dadri lynching and subsequent acts of violence, Rajan said tolerance means not being so insecure about one's ideas that one cannot subject them to challenge. (PTI)
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2. President Pranab Mukherjee yet again called for preserving the pluralistic character of the country as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said unity, peace and harmony is a first condition if India is to move forward and attain new heights of development. The President, who had on a number of occasions spoken against growing intolerance in the last three weeks, once again called for preserving the multiplicity and pluralistic character of the country. "Our country has thrived due to its power of assimilation and tolerance. Our pluralistic character has stood the test of time. Our ancient civilisation has over the centuries accommodated our diversities. Multiplicity is our collective strength which must be preserved at all costs. It finds reflection in the various provisions of our Constitution," Mukherjee said. (PTI)
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3. Infosys cofounder NR Narayana Murthy expressed concern that there is considerable fear in the minds of minority in India and wanted governments should bring back the sense of confidence in them. "I am not a politician, I am not interested in politics, therefore, I don't want to comment on that but the reality today is that there is considerable fear in the minds of minority in India," he said. Murthy said, "the first priority of this government, or for that matter any government, both at the Central level and the state level, is to bring back the confidence, the energy, the enthusiasm, the trust in the minds of every Indian that this is our country". (Express Photo)
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4. In its most recent report on India, the growing voices in the country against rising intolerance found an echo in Moody’s Analytics as it called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep his party members “in check or risk losing domestic and global credibility.” It also blamed the government for its failure to deliver on promised reforms. The report titled ‘India Outlook: Searching for Potential’ also said that the controversial comments from various BJP members may not just lead to a possible increase in violence but may also result in stiffer opposition for the government in the Upper House as debate turns away from economic policy. “The belligerent provocation of various Indian minorities has raised ethnic tensions. (Express Photo)
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5. The 79-year-old Mumbai-born music conductor Zubin Mehta, who lives abroad and has just concluded a multi-city concert performance in India, batted for complete freedom of expression for the writers and filmmakers saying it should be there in the world's largest democracy. "Our writers, our filmmakers do have a chance of speaking their minds. We should not ostracise them. Otherwise, we will become a dictatorship, a cultural dictatorship and that is inadmissible," he said. Mehta said: "If they write their opinion, they should not be ostracised by the government. There should be complete freedom of expression. We are the largest democracy in the world". (Express Photo)
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Economist Lord Meghnad Desai also stepped into the conversation and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must act quickly to correct India's image to prevent any threat to foreign investments. Lord Meghnad Desai said the country is experiencing a total change in political ideology of the government. He said, "Now the problem is, it is actually different ideology or it is actually intolerance? The murders of rationalists have nothing to do with BJP because they happened before BJP came to power. I think what is true is that the tone of at least the junior Ministers and MPs of BJP is very openly hostile to Muslims. It's basically the anti-Muslim tone of some of the BJP Ministers and MPs which actually for a lot of people is wrong and it is time that the leaders of BJP said so openly and clearly (on it)". (PTI)
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Another business leader who has spoken out is Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon Limited. She said "Let us face it, investors want a sort of harmonious kind of environment to invest in. If they feel there is turmoil, there is unrest, that their investments are not safe, that's what Moody's is talking about. Therefore it is important that government actually act fast and corrects this image. I think we are a country that have always celebrated diversity and unity in diversity. We have always celebrated our democracy as a very vibrant democracy, as a very tolerant society. And I think we must uphold all these values. I think that's what all of us are talking about." (Reuters)
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