Raghuram Rajan, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor, during his convocation address at IIT-Delhi on Saturday, spoke against bans as something that stifles the spirit of debate and opinion-making in India. He emphasised that its imposition as a quick resort will only shrink the space for debate and lead to a culture of intolerance. Subramanian Swamy, BJP leader, reacted to his speech by saying "PM Narendra Modi must sack him" and that Rajan had made a mess out of the RBI.
Rajan, in his address, made clear the importance of promoting mutual respect, ideas and tolerance in an environment where people can freely express themselves. He said that, “excessive political correctness stifles progress as much as excessive license and disrespect”. He also equated this need for a discourse as an Indian tradition, essential for economic progress. Debate, he believed, presents concrete evidence and logic, while bans simply speak of a culture of power and imposition.
The RBI governor joins the bandwagon of intellectuals who have spoken out against the recent culture of bans and religious intolerance in India.