Kamal strikes wrong note

New Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath may have started off on the wrong note in declaring he wants more job opportunities for local youth rather than allowing people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to take away job opportunities. While the “Bhumiputra” principle invariably appeals to politicians, Kamal Nath, who has spent much of his political career in Delhi, should have been able to see the larger picture. It’s one thing to promote local talent, quite another to denigrate migrants from other states who have done much to build other states and the nation’s capital by taking up low-paid construction and other menial jobs that locals tend to shun. Would the MP chief minister also take a stand saying outside capital is not needed for industry in his state?

The CM’s comment followed up by the offer of incentives for industries which employ 70 per cent local workers goes against the foundational principles of our republic. His party has also been a voluble critic of members of the Shiva Sena and others in Maharashtra who whipped up feelings against migrants from the south and north to enjoy political power. It’s also clear that while most industrial workers would tend to be from the home state, no state would like to place impediments in the way of migrant workers. Any move to prevent Indians from anywhere in the country seeking jobs outside their states would be anti-democratic and discriminatory in a federal structure with a common market that has served India for decades. A seasoned politician like Kamal Nath would be well advised to keep a nationalistic outlook even while heading a state government.