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Trade unionists protest in Delhi earlier this month, one of a wave of strikes ahead of this year’s general election. Photo: EPA-EFE

Too many protests prevent India from becoming like China or Singapore, says minister. Social media erupts

  • Small business minister Giriraj Singh hit by wave of public criticism after suggesting that world’s largest democracy was being held back because it allowed public protests
  • Chinese web users question why a democratic politician ‘would make such an undemocratic speech’
India
Natalie Koh

An Indian government minister who said the country would not develop as quickly as China or Singapore because it allowed people to protest has been hit by a public backlash.

Giriraj Singh, the junior minister responsible for small enterprises, told an investor summit in Gujarat that those countries did not have places where people were able to “gather to protest against the policies of the government”.

He added: “Neither [Singapore] nor China has a Jantar Mantar” – referring to a popular site for demonstrations in the capital Delhi.

He was responding to an earlier speech by Prasoon Mukherjee, the vice-chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who contrasted Singapore’s GDP of US$70,000 per capita with the figure for India, the world’s largest democracy, which stands at around US$2,000 per head.

But the comments triggered an immediate social media backlash both in India and China.

“[Jantar Mantar is] not the real reason … the real reason is illiterate and foolish leaders like you,” read one comment on The Times of India website.

“Who said there are no protests in China? At a local level, there are thousands of protests … Right now, farmers are angry, traders are angry, local small businesses are angry,” commented another reader.

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But Singh’s words also elicited a strong reaction in China after the media picked up on the story a few days later.

One comment on the story on Guancha.cn read: “How can the leader of a democratic country make such an undemocratic speech?”

Another reader posted: “The people have hindered development! How incompetent can a leader be to say this!”

Indian police beat protesters during a demonstration in Kerala after two women entered a temple. Photo: STR/ AFP

Some commentators made fun of Indian political system, saying: “They have been democratic and free for so many years. How can they still be poor? It must be fake news!”

But some of the reaction was also more understanding.

One user on Weibo said: “To tell the truth, China's economic development is indeed related to China's lack of street protests. If we went to the streets every day to protest, who would go to work?”

This is not the first time Singh’s comments have resulted in controversy.

In 2016, he was at the receiving end of social media fury when he said families should be restricted to two children irrespective of their religion.

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India has faced several major protests in the recent months as national elections loom in April and May.

In early January, protests broke out after two women entered the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, which is traditionally closed to women aged between 10 and 50.

At the same time, protests against a Bill which allows non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to apply for citizenship, have just entered their fourth week in the northeastern state of Assam.

Delhi itself has witnessed massive protests by farmers demanding that ministers write off loans and raise procurement prices to counteract the effect of falling rural incomes.

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