Devil's Advocate: Kamal Nath

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Devil's Advocate: Kamal Nath

In an exclusive interview with Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, Minister of Industry and Commerce Kamal Nath discusses issues like Nandigram violence, SEZs and FDI in retail sector.

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Karan Thapar: Except for the fact that this would be leaving industry to do things in their own best interest whereas many people in the Cabinet think that industry needs to be forced to do it. Left on its own, the industry won't do it.

Kamal Nath: Well, you must understand that today, interest of industry and interest of the government converge a lot. Because industry creates employment.

Karan Thapar: You understand. But do your Cabinet colleagues?

Kamal Nath: Of course, my Cabinet colleagues understand.

Karan Thapar: Ram Vilas Paswan, Meira Kumar?

Kamal Nath: Of course, they understand.

Karan Thapar: They are determined in favour of reservations, maybe by Constitution change.

Kamal Nath: They understand that. Why are they saying reservations? Because they are seeing no other alternative.

Karan Thapar: You are offering another alternative.

Kamal Nath: Let it be seen. They feel in the end of the day it's not the process, in the end of the day it's what meets the objective better.

Karan Thapar: Then you are saying one thing else as well. You are saying that something that will help you convince your Cabinet colleagues is if industry responds positively to your ideas. Then you will be able to say that look, here is the clever idea, here is the response, accept it.

Kamal Nath: What I am saying I am very clear. That we need to incentivise. And if we can incentivise it and provide adequate attractiveness, I don't see why industry shouldn't do it.

Karan Thapar: Is the Prime Minister in agreement with your thinking?

Kamal Nath: I have not discussed with him.

Karan Thapar: At all?

Kamal Nath: No. Broadly, I have told other Cabinet colleagues that we are looking at various alternatives.

Karan Thapar: But do you have any indication that the Prime Minister believes that this could be the right way of handling it.

Kamal Nath: No, I have no indication.

Karan Thapar: So, you might discover that in fact the Prime Minister didn't like your idea at all.