Author: Ashok Chowgule
Publication: Hindu Vivek Kendra
Date: April 2, 2015.

Not physically, but figuratively.

In a recent interview on NDTV, the IMF Chief was asked a strange question.  It is available at:
Will Hindu males alone benefit from India's growth, student asks IMF chief
Published on Mar 16, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsmyowXjS2E
Video Duration: 1m. 46s

The blurb says: Speaking to students in New Delhi, IMF Chief Christine Lagarde said, "There should be no exclusion and no reservation or capture of the output by a particular group of people - be they of one particular gender, one particular race or one particular religion. Inclusiveness for good growth means everybody."

Transcript:
Student: Recently with the new government coming, we have noticed some disturbing trends of increasing communalism and patriarchy, and forces of communalism and patriarchy entering into (inaudible)…

Pranoy Roy (NDTV Chief): She said communalism and patriarchy.

Student: So do you think that the growth you forecasted of 7.5% will actually be inclusive, even if the growth does happen, or will it be concentrated to the Hindu male population.

Applause from the crowd.
Laughter and applause from Parnoy Roy.
Maybe a look of bewilderment on the face of the IMF Chief.  A sort of jaw drop expression.

IMF Chief: I will tell you something.  My definition of inclusiveness includes women and includes everybody.  You talk of unemployed, disabled, young people, all races and religion.  That’s my definition of inclusiveness.  That’s how growth can be best leveraged.

NDTV Chief: I think she said does it worry you a bit.

IMF Chief:  I have responded by giving my definition of inclusiveness, which I hope can be shared so that the full potential can be unleashed.

NDTV Chief to student: Are you satisfied with the answer?  Or do you want to follow-up?  She wants to follow-up.  That’s not a good sign.

IMF Chief: I will stick to my general principles.  There should be no exclusions, or no reservations, or capture of output by a particular group of people.  Be they of one particular gender, or one particular race, or one particular religion.  This is not right.  Inclusiveness means everybody.

COMMENT
A very strange question by the student.  However, it seems that the NDTV Chief was particularly happy that it was asked, and he took upon himself to emphasise the part about communalism and patriarchy.  One, therefore, has to wonder if he agreed with the tone and the intent of the question.

The IMF Chief gave her definition of inclusiveness.  But the NDTV Chief does not seem to be very happy with it, or that she did not cover a part of the question.  When he paraphrased the student’s question (he said ‘Does it worry you a bit?’) perhaps he meant that she did not deal with the issue of the supposed disturbing trends that the student talked about.  The IMF Chief reiterated her definition.

But the NDTV Chief would not let go, and so he asked the student if the latter was satisfied, and seem to be egging the student to do a follow-up.  And when the student did not take the bait, he said that the student does want a follow-up, and pronounced that it was ‘not a good sign’.

But the IMF Chief did rise to the bait, and used the opportunity to widen the definition of inclusiveness to mean that there should not be any exclusion either.

It was a very good intellectual slap on the face of the NDTV Chief.  But, I am not sure whether he understood it as a slap.  Perhaps the IMF Chief should have stood up, walked up to him, lifted him by his collar, and give some good whacks across his face.  Probably (but not certainly) he would have understood his own stupidity.