MUMBAI, June 2: In the passing away of Minoo Masani, India has lost one of its noblest sons, stated jurist Nani Palkhivala in a press release.Minoo, who launched his public career as a socialist, was soon disillusioned, and was humble enough to realise how mistaken he was about the notions of socialism which he had believed in, said Palkhivala. Later in life, he saw the practical wisdom of the policies of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and acknowledged how wrong he was in believing that Jawaharlal Nehru's socialism could serve as a panacea for India's poverty, added Palkhivala. Masani, who, in the last decades of his life, became a champion of economic liberalisation, was also witness to the biggest metamorphosis which came with the enunciation of the new industrial policy in July 1991, added the release. Minoo also believed that India had a great future because of its reservoir of skilled labour and abundance of capital for new projects. But he was realist enough to realise that while India ranked high ininnate intelligence, it ranked low in wisdom. Minoo's reputation as a man of total integrity in public life disqualified him from being a successful politician, added Palkhivala.
