Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh entered the simmering debate on intolerance on Friday. He did not just condemn the killings of dissenters and others on the basis of what they eat, he also cautioned the Modi government. “Capital is likely to be frightened away by conflict,” he said, stressing that “there can be no freeMARKET without freedom.”
In his inaugural address at a two-day conference entitled “No peace without freedom; No freedom without peace: Securing Nehru’s legacy and India’s future: Agenda for Action,” organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies, here ahead of the 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Singh linked freedom, “a foundational value that lies at the heart of the Nehruvian idea of India” to economic prosperity: “It is widely known that freedom feeds the soul and the heart. What is less appreciated is that freedom is also essential for economic development. The unimpeded flow and exchange of ideas is essential to build economic prosperity.” The prerequisite for innovation, entrepreneurship and competition is an open society and a liberal polity where individuals are free to pursue their ideas. Suppression of dissent or free speech poses a grave danger for economic development.”
“The assault or murder of thinkers for no more than disagreement with their views, or (of people) because of the food they eat, or their caste, cannot be justified on any grounds. “The nation is deeply concerned at the recent tragic instances of blatant violation of the right to freedom of thought, belief, speech and expression in our country by some violent extremist groups.”