Minocher Rustom Masani
| Minoo Masani | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Minocheher Rustom Masani November 20, 1905 Mumbai |
| Died |
May 27, 1998 (aged 92) Mumbai |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Known for | Promotion of liberal economy in India |
Minocheher Rustom Masani (20 November 1905-27 May 1998), popularly known as Minoo Masani, was a politician and leader of the Swatantra Party in India.
He was a member of the second, third and fourth Lok Sabha, representing Rajkot constituency in Gujarat. Masani was a Parsi from Rajkot. He was among the founders of the Indian Liberal Group, a think tank to promote Liberalism in India.[1]
A barrister trained in London, Masani joined the freedom struggle with the Quit India Movement and was drawn into the Communist Party in the 1930s. He was arrested several times by British for his participation in Indian independence movement. He was in the Nashik jail in 1930, when Jaiprakash Narayan came in contact with him and others like Prof. Dantwala, Ashok Mehta and others.[2] He was a close friend of Jawaharlal Nehru [3] and was also a member of Constituent Assembly of India, representing Indian National Congress. He was the one who introduced proposal for a Uniform Civil Code to be included in Constitution of India in 1947, which was rejected.[4]
However, he moved away to become a Socialist and a supporter of the mixed economy. He was one of the founders of Congress Socialist Party along with Jaiprakash Narayan.[5] Post Independence, Masani's political conviction propelled him to support "democratic socialism" in India as it "avoided monopoly, private or public." [6]
His public life began in the Bombay Municipal Corporation, where he was elected as Mayor in 1943. He also became a member of the Indian Legislative Assembly.[6] In August 1960, he along with C. Rajagopalachari and N. G. Ranga formed the Swatantra Party, while international Communism was at its peak. He was one of the few politicians who opposed the nationalisation of banks by Indira Gandhi.[6]
While his Swatantra Party was India's largest Opposition group, Masani often initiated debate on finance bills and forced the Congress government to work rigorously. A collection of his speeches was published as Congress Misrule and Swatantra Alternative.
He died at the age of 92 years at his home at Breach Candy. His funeral was held at Chandanwadi.[7]
Works
He was also an author and have written many books. His first book Our India was best seller and even prescribed text book in pre-independence India.[8]
- Our India (1940)
- Socialism Reconsidered (1944)
- Picture of a Plan (1945)
- A Plea for a Mixed Economy (1947)
- Our Growing Human Family (1950)
- Neutralism in India (1951)
- The Communist Party of India: A Short History (1954)
- Congress Misrule and Swatantra Alternative (1967)
- Too Much Politics, Too Little Citizenship (1969)
- Liberalism (1970)
- The Constitution, Twenty Years Later (1975)
- Bliss was it in that Dawn ... (1977)
- Against the tide (1981)
- We Indians (1989)
References
- ↑ Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung, ed. (1999). Liberal priorities for India in the 21st century. Project for Economic Education. p. 18. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ↑ Jayaprakash Narayan: A Centenary Volume By Sandip Das. 2005. p. 114.
- ↑ he Book on Trial: Fundamentalism and Censorship in India By Girja Kumar. 1997. p. 453.
- ↑ Gender and Community: Muslim Women's Rights in India By Vrinda Narain. 2001. p. 57.
- ↑ India Since Independence: Making Sense of Indian Politics By Vi Kiruṣṇā Ān̲ant. 2010. p. 125.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Indian Express dated Thursday, Apr 8, 1948, Advance Towards Democratic Socialism online
- ↑ Minoo Masani dead
- ↑
External links
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