Actually Gandhi’s Congress Party (and it’s successor New Congress Party) took the country in a Socialist direction.
It was not until a Hindu nationalist party took over in the mid-90’s that they really started to move towards the free market model.
As one of my Indian friends told me, “The Pakistanis did not worry about us much back when India was a Socialist country with a 2% annual economic growth rate and a 3% annual population growth rate”.
‘Actually Gandhi’s Congress Party (and it’s successor New Congress Party) took the country in a Socialist direction.”
Guess you did not read the article - the article does state that.
“It was not until a Hindu nationalist party took over in the mid-90’s that they really started to move towards the free market model.”
Not what the article says. Do you have literature to support your contention?
Gandhi actually often mocked at the socialists and communists. In fact he was very much against exorbitant government taxation. His whole civil disobedience movement (of not paying taxes, producing their own clothes and salt march) was aimed at bypassing the government protected British industries so Indian villages can create their own economic model independent of the government.
Secondly it wasn't the Hindu nationalists who moved India to free market. It was the Congress party which did it. The current Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh who was then the Finance Minister is credited at the architect of the modern Indian economy who first took India towards economic liberalization. As thus he has been elected for second term to serve as the current Prime Minister of India.
As for what your friend told you...... dont forget... of the four war that Pakistan lost against India, 3 were fought at the time of Nehru-Gandhi socialist era. Pakistan was handed their worst defeat and was dismembered in 1971 (inspite of American, Chinese and Arab military backing) at the peak of Indian socialism under Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi gave India nukes in 1974. And this woman knew how to take on terrorists both Kashmiri and Sikh.
In contrast the so-called "Hindu nationalist" sat on their ass and buckled under US pressure when Pakistan attacked Kargill (India), hijacked a place to Kandhar and after that attacked the Indian parliament.
I for one wont diss Gandhi and Congress quickly.
India started opening up its economy in the mid-late 80s with relaxation in technology import norms and some custom duties. Almost a decade before the BJP came to power. On an even keel, the BJP is more investment friendly than the Congress, but not by much; there is no such thing as a genuine business-friendly party in India. All practise a mix of cronyism and populism.