Kochi: Standing firm on his controversial remarks in Rajya Sabha during the budget session of 2022, former union minister and BJP MP Alphonse Kannanthanam has told Mathrubhumi.com that we should honour all people, from Ambani and Adani to a tea shop owner, who create jobs.
On Thursday, during his speech in the Rajya Sabha, he called for worshipping Ambani and Adani as they create jobs for people, and it attracted a huge outcry as opposition leaders and critics came out against it.
“The rich have grown richer and the poor became poorer. The gap between the haves and have nots has been increasing day by day and inequality grows alarmingly. These have been the arguments of India’s socialism for the past 75 years. What did we achieve out of it? The wealth of Elon Musk has gone up 1,016 per cent. Are you aware of this? The wealth of the founder of Google, Larry Page, has gone up 126 per cent. The wealth of Jeff Bezos has gone up 67 per cent. At the same time, three billion people in the world live below five dollars a day," said Kannanthanam.
He also stated that global inequality is the reason for the mess. "What have we done to overcome this? Is destroying the private sector the solution for this? By curbing unemployment, we can make a difference. Who creates jobs in this country or anywhere in this world? Every industrialist, who invests money, creates jobs. It is not the government sector that creates jobs and the percentage of people working in the government sector is very less. The bulk of employment comes from the private sector. Should we not encourage them?" asked Kannanthanam.
In the name of fake socialism, we have destroyed the private sector, he added. "It is not the government job to do businesses; it is the private sector that does business. So, we should encourage them to have jobs for all. Any person who creates a job in this country must be honoured, must be worshipped; be it Ambani, be it Adani or be it a common man who runs a small tea shop by providing job for at least a single person," added Kannanthanam.
Economists in Kerala have also come out against the statement of Kannanthanam by citing that it poses a threat to the democratic functioning of the country. “If we blindly encourage the rich in the nation, inequality will definitely grow alarmingly up. The rich do business for acquiring wealth and income, they would not have any concern for the poor. In fact, we must frame certain policies that should ensure the distribution of wealth to the poor as well. That does not mean, the government should seize the wealth of the rich forcefully and give it to the poor," said Dr M Kunhaman, noted Kerala based economist.
The rich have the right to do acquire wealth and do business and at the same time, the poor also have the right to lead a decent life unexploited by the rich, added Kunhaman. "Using the constitutional powers, we must create an equilibrium in the distribution of wealth and income. Being an MP of BJP, which promotes corporates, there is no wonder in Kannanthanam supporting the rich. But it would not address the basic structural issues in our society," added Kunhaman.
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