ABP Southern Rising Summit 2023: Nehru Kept India United, But Had A Tragic Flaw, Says Author Gurucharan Das

According to author Gurucharan Das, India remained"economically shackled" for 40 years after Independence. He said India got "real independence" in 1991 and not 1947.

Author and intellectual Gurcharan Das feels that despite his statesmanship and policies for the newly Independent India, former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a tragic flaw that resulted in a massive loss for two generations — Nehruvian socialism.

"Today's youth are lucky that they did not live through Nehruvian socialism. Nehru did a lot of good for our country; he kept our country united. But he had a tragic flaw. Two generations of Indians lost out in terms of opportunities. Indira Gandhi did the same in the name of 'Gareebi Hatao [remove poverty]'. Very little help was given to the poor at the time," Das said while speaking at the ABP Southern Rising Summit 2023. He was speaking at the session titled 'In Search of Freedom: The Personal and Political'.

According to Gurucharan Das, India remained"economically shackled" for 40 years after Independence. "But, I do not blame Nehru for it," he said. The author said India got "real independence" in 1991 and not 1947. "We didn't get independence in 1947. We got real independence in 1991. Real independence is not just political Independence. We need to be free in work life as well," he said.

Asserting that India got economic freedom in 1991, Gurucharan Das said: "In the last 30 years, we have lifted 400 million people out of poverty. The economy has grown by 7%. However, we still have not created an industrial revolution. We have not created jobs despite having a 7% growth economy," he further said.

The noted author and management guru said he was neither a "Modi bhakt [fan]" nor a Modi hater. He also said that he was a liberal who did not trust the Congress. "The economics of the Congress will always make a false tradeoff between growth and equity. They don't realise that the real growth of the economy depends on creating jobs, investment and respecting the business world. They have contempt for the business world..."

The author said Southern states were now showing the way. "The per capita of Tamil Nadu is double that of Bihar," Gurcharan Das said. He concluded his speech by saying India can grow at more than 8% if it can create an industrial revolution. "That is what China did," he said.