Commending Modi

This newspaper has had few occasions to commend Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat. Indeed, the recent history of the state has prompt...

This newspaper has had few occasions to commend Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat. Indeed, the recent history of the state has prompted bitter words against him in these columns, everyone of which we believe is perfectly justified considering the manner he handled the most turbulent phase in Gujarat8217;s recent history. As the Supreme Court had occasion to remind him last week, Modi has failed in his responsibility to deliver justice to the riot-ravaged communities in his state and has thus flunked the test of rajdharma. The sharp communal polarisation in his state today testifies to this unhappy fact.

There is, however, one aspect of Modi8217;s governance that demands attention and, yes, commendation and that is with regard to his handling of the economy. In a climate where governments continue to regard public sector units as part of their personal fiefdoms, Modi has demonstrated an instinct for economic reform that should put parties like the Congress to shame. While the main Opposition party spouts doublespeak in Delhi and ties itself in knots over the issue of disinvestment; in Gandhinagar, Modi has quietly gone ahead and made the preliminary moves to divest the state of 54 public sector units, as this newspaper has just reported. Many of these units have come to be regarded as exemplars of Gujarati entrepreneurship, but the state government has firmly desisted the appeal of sentimentality, opting instead for a pragmatism that bodes well for its future economy. There is also some thought, imagination and pro-active wooing that is going into the business of attracting foreign investment to the state. Gujarat now plans to host a global investors summit a little later this month. As the traditional festivities of the Navratri season are showcased, so too will be the business potential of the state.

All this is to the good. But even as the Gujarat chief minister dons the guise of a committed reformer he must also consider the immense benefits that a genuine commitment to the rule of law will bring to the image of the state, one that has been considerably tarnished in recent times 8212; both in India and abroad. There is an integral link between communal harmony and a good business environment, just as there is an integral link between the rule of law and the terms of business engagement. Before Gujarat can reclaim its old position as the state with the sharpest business acumen and sense of enterprise in the country, its government would need to demonstrate a willingness to dispense justice without fear or favour to all its citizens, and an ability to maintain peace and communal harmony at all costs and under all conditions.