Though a close friend of Nehru, Rajaji opposed his policy tooth and nail, writes V RAJARAMAN.
Nehru was a dominant figure in Indian politics. His economy – Nehruvian Socialist economy was the talk of the town. Few had courage and conviction to oppose his policy. C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) had both the courage and conviction to oppose him and called for dehypnotisation of the people of India from Nehruvian economy.
Rajaji believed that Nehru’s economic policy ruined India’s enterprise. Rajaji formed one Swatantra Party with Prof. Ranga as its first president. Rajaji thought that Nehru’s socialism will destroy the roots of India’s enterprise. Rajaji opposed the co-operative farming of Nehru as being unnatural, and contrary to the individual spirit of enterprise. He warned the government of encouraging statism.
But it was all in vain. Though a close friend of Nehru, Rajaji opposed his policy tooth and nail. The paradox of relationship between Nehru and Rajaji was confusing in the minds of those who looked at them as friends. But Rajaji thought that the country was more important than his friendship. Nehru was bewildered by the criticism of Rajaji but continued with his economic policy and in the process created a situation of belief that his economic policy was a panacea for all economic evils in the society.
In this he was supported by Indira Gandhi, his daughter who succeeded him as prime minister of India. Rajaji described Nehru’s government as ‘permit-license-quota Raj’. Rajaji thought that all the evils stemmed from the economic policy of Nehru. Dr. Monica Felton thought that it will be better if Nehru and Rajaji worked together but it was not going to be.
The Swatantra Party won a few seats in the parliament and the main debate in the parliament was between the forces of free enterprise and statism. The Swatantra Party president M. R. Masani and Rajaji spoke often against Nehru’s socialism but to no consequence.
Rajaji had many firsts, for instance he was among the first to perceive the inevitability of Pakistan. But on giving expression to it he became unpopular and was oblivion for years. Similarly he is the first to describe the economic policy as permit license quota raj. Gurucharan Das the famous columnist points this out in his book ‘India Grows at Night’.
The scams that led to decline of the Congress and the DMK is the result of permit license quota raj. It would have been much easier to internationalize India’s economy in the fifties and the sixties than now when the world is simmering in political trouble. Rajaji’s prescience of mind had always proved correct. But the Bhishmapitamaha has been ignored – the time has come now – will India wake up though it is late.
