Open Magazine — February 14, 2018

t the second open house with

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,

his first post-Budget interaction with

the Indian industry—held on February

2nd at the oberoi in delhi and attend-

ed by business heavyweights besides

a few of his cabinet colleagues—the

lawyer-politician gave no space for the

country’s liberal fraternity to denounce

his proposals with shibboleths such as

‘the rich get richer and the poor poorer’.

Jaitley took the wind out of their sails

with an articulate enunciation of the

Government’s inclusive yet pragmatic

policies. nibbling on slices of fruit and

other health snacks on his table, Jait-

ley played with finesse the role he is

so widely admired for: an advocate par

excellence of the narendra Modi-led national democratic Alliance’s path forward. he did this in his

inimitable style, his effectiveness enhanced by his intimate understanding of the fine balancing act

that drafting a budget for such a complex country is.

At the outset, Jaitley thanked sanjiv Goenka, chairman, RP-sanjiv Goenka Group, the parent com-

pany of Open, which organised the event, for offering such a platform to ensure “greater interaction”

with business leaders and opinion makers to discuss the Budget. the hall was well aware of its sig-

nificance, this being the Finance Minister’s last full Budget before the General election of 2019. Jaitley

proceeded to outline the philosophy behind the exercise, saying that top policymakers of the ndA had

decided to focus on parts of the economy that needed government support for sustenance. this, he said,

explained the departure from his earlier Budgets. the Government did not want to fall for the usual

temptation that all segments needed equal attention. since there are those that will do well regardless

of central support, or may even thrive in the absence of government intervention, fiscal attention was

best devoted to those who needed help to improve their lot and thus contribute to the economy of a

1.3-billion strong country. the rural sector, in particular, was in need not just of a push but a shove to

overcome a crisis and keep up with the rest of India. Much had been achieved, he said, pointing to the

dramatic success of several schemes of the Government—road connectivity to the country’s interi-

ors, for example, done with the help of state governments, as also the huge strides made in sanitation

a

By Siddharth Singh and Ullekh nP

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cover story

Photos ashish sharma and ajit krishna