Thread by @alok_bhatt

What no one talks about is: how stupidity of Nehru-to placate & massage ego of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai- killed :
1) well developed air transport sector -48 Dakotas used to crisscross India in 1948!
2) possibility of aircraft industry-that Tata/ Walchand wanted
3) Banking/Ins/Mining

AI nationalisation was the template that Nehru used to nationalise :
- Banking
- Insurance - life and general
- Mining

AI nationalisation came despite completely opposite recommendations of Justice Rajadhyaksha Committee report set up in Feb 1950

Govt of India, prior to setting up of the interim Govt, had, in 1943, cleared The Tymms plan to provide for the post-war development of aviation in India. But Abdur Rab Nishtar, communication minister from Muslim League in interim cabinet, rejected it…

Nishtar was from Muslim League and JRD always believed that he killed Air Transport sector because he knew that Pakistan will be formed and his policies will help India suffer. Indiscriminately high no of licences were issued leading to several liquidations in 1948

Tymms plan had provided for setting up of not more than 4 airlines; but by 1948 there were more than 10 operating in India. Constitution Assembly also debated about the status of aviation sector and it was decided to keep it out of Govt purview.

However disastrous policies of Nishtar led to collapse of aviation sector with several airlines going into liquidation between 1948 and 1952. It was Patel who refused nationalisation in response to a bill moved by Sardar Mangal Singh

Rajadhyaksha Committee also supported lesser no of players and was not in favour of nationalisation but Rafi Ahmed Kidwai and his machinations proved too powerful before personal friendship of Nehru with JRD.

Nehru fondness was Kidwai was for reasons other than politics and it became a reason for disagreement between him and Patel as well after Patel complained to Nehru that Kidwai was collecting money from businessmen for the National Herald newspaper in return for official favours.

Nehru defended Kidwai and rejected Patel’s complaint. JRD, after learning of this incident, realised that his chances vis-a-vis Kidwai doesn’t stand a chance when Nehru was willing to even sacrifice his relationship with Patel for Kidwai!

And the reason for their differences between Tata and Kidwai came in the form of Tata’s opposition to his Night Airmail plan to help reduce the prices. JRD refused to sign up for this scheme and Kidwai took that as a ganging up of airline companies…

Matter became so worse that heated debate in Parliament and outside it followed. Accusations and counter accusations were made and final nail in the coffin came after a JRDs light hearted comment wasn’t taken lightly by Kidwai!

Once Kidwai visited JRDs office to consult Dr Jal Patel, at Bombay House. JRD called Patel who told him that he has Kidwai with him. To JRDs Q, he told him that Kidwai has come for medical advice. JRD replied ‘Nothing trivial, I hope.- to JRDs luck, Patel narrated it to Kidwai

The disagreement kept growing but then Kidwai was replaced by Jagjivan Ram- who completed the Nehru’s mission nationalisation of @airindiain like a loyal and devout follower- so much so that JRD was heartbroken at being treated with utter disdain by Govt!

But such an fierce nationalist JRD was that despite being robbed of his own baby, he agreed to manage @airindia and did so for 3 decades without taking a penny from the Govt and this despite the fact that he used to devote more than 50% of his daily time managing AI!

But today @narendramodi Govt has managed to undo the historic wrong of Nehru- another Nehruvian castle built on dope of Nehruvian socialism stands demolished and @airindiain is back to where it always belonged - @TataCompanies and that too with complete transparency

https://twitter.com/alok_bhatt/status/1446425461458817033

It took GoI 68 years and a @narendramodi to return @airIndia to @TataCompanies - I wish JRD was alive today to see this moment - I wish Biju Patnaik was alive too, I wish GD Birla was alive as well - all of them were robbed of their hardwork by Nehru in 1953!

I am sure @PritishNandy @milindkhandekar @tavleen_singh @rupasubramanya and @virsanghvi are all going to have a party tonight

Said @narendramodi - “yes we had and we executed it in style today and trust us- we have a plan for #CongressMuktBharat as well and we will execute that as well! 😁😁😁

https://twitter.com/incindia/status/1202881868942598144

“Your Palace in the sky” has been taken over by Talace! 😁😁😁😁; congrats @TataCompanies and kudos to @narendramodi and his team which executed it today!