April 30, 2005
Troy, Michigan, USA

Kanwal Rekhi gives USD 100,000 to Centre for Civil Society, India

Kanwal Rekhi, the sage of Silicon Valley, announced the donation of $100,000 to the Centre for Civil Society at a gathering in Troy, Michigan.  The Centre is a New Delhi based think tank working towards liberating India from the tyranny of the license-permit-quota-raid raj across the board from the industry to street hawkers to small farmers .  Mr Rekhi’s contribution would be doubled under the Challenge Grant offered to the Centre by the John Templeton Foundation.  

Under a thunderous applause, Dr Parth J Shah, president of the Centre, thanked him, “He has done it again! Kanwal is the largest individual contributor to the Centre and again this generous support demonstrates Kanwal’s commitment to creating an opportunity society in India, where everyone’s dream, from an IT entrepreneur to a street hawker, can be fulfilled.” 

Speaking at the Michigan gathering, Mr Rekhi, emphasized that India has given economic freedom to industrial entrepreneurs during the liberalization of 1991 and with that freedom the Indian industry has performed exceptionally well.  Unfortunately though the same freedom has not been given to street entrepreneurs—hawkers, small shop keepers, cycle rickshaw pullers.  They all still live under the old license-permit-quota-raid raj.  The aam admi, despite all the rhetoric and the promises, still shoulders the heavy burden of the government.  Until we free them, the poor will see little progress in their lives.  India needs swatantravad and not saamyavad!

Mr Rekhi has been a tireless and ardent supporter of liberalization, privatization, and globablisation.  On his every trip to India, he has challenged the government to get out of the way.  In a television interview in early 1990s, he gave a slogan “DOT hatao, desh bachao!” (Remove the Department of Telecom and save the country!)...and the rest in history!

The primary focus of CCS efforts is liberating India’s economy.  The unique combination of research and documentation (the Law, Liberty, and Livelihood book), Jeevika documentaries, and the demand for Livelihood Freedom Test (to be applied to all existing and new laws) won CCS the Templeton Freedom Prize for Free Market Solutions to Poverty 2004.  Our Liberty & Society Seminar had won the first prize in the Student Outreach category in 2003.

Contact Parth J Shah

Email: parth@cccsindia.org; parthjshah@gmail.com
Mobile: 001-786-302-1636 (US)/ 93122 31393 (India)

Parth J Shah with Alex Chafuen and Leonard Liggio of Atlas Foundation       Kanwal Rekhi addresses Civil Society Supporters in Detroit