The Hindu : Front Page : `Here to sell India'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 26, 2004

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Front Page

`Here to sell India'

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

NEW YORK, SEPT. 25. "I am here certainly to sell India, explain to the rest of the world what India is doing. The rest of the world knows that the bulk of the resources for India's development have always been mobilised domestically and we will continue on those lines ... But at the margins there is scope to involve the world community in supporting our development. And as Prime Minister it is my duty and obligation that whenever I come abroad I should seek to promote India."

That was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the criticism in India that he was behaving like a "salesman" during this visit. He was addressing a press conference here today.

"...I don't see anything wrong in what I have said, what I have done that Jyoti Babu [former West Bengal Chief Minister] can take exception to. Before I came here I had a very good meeting with Jyoti Babu, with Comrade Surjeet and Sitaram Yechury and I told them clearly that this is what I am going to say. I said to them I am going to tell the world community that India needs foreign direct investment and we will seek to create in our country a climate, an atmosphere, an environment conducive to greater flow of direct investments. And on that there was complete agreement between us ... as I said the common minimum programme language is reflective of where the coalition partners stand on this," Dr. Singh said.

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