‘We need people to rise above...’: Captain Gopinath highlights need for social harmony in Karnataka

Captain GR Gopinath, the Indian entrepreneur and founder of Air Deccan, recently highlighted the crucial need for peace and social harmony in Karnataka during the India Today Karnataka Roundtable 2023. The 71-year-old entrepreneur emphasised that no business can prosper without peace, and that communal and social harmony is essential for the development of the state.

Captain Gopinath identified the biggest issues hindering development in Karnataka as caste and religious divides, despite the state's large talent pool and abundant resources. He called for the elimination of ills present in both the Hindu and Muslim communities, urging people to rise above caste and religious differences and evaluate politicians based solely on their delivery of objectives.

“There is a lot of hypocrisy between both parties and we need the people to rise above our caste and religious differences and measure the politician purely on the basis of his delivery of the objectives,” he said.

The entrepreneur also spoke about the problem of corruption in politics, noting that there is a significant amount of corruption in Karnataka. He suggested that people must measure political parties based on their delivery on the ground, rather than being swayed by rhetoric or political speeches.

Captain Gopinath emphasised the need for people to be engaged, speak the truth, and have the courage to address corruption publicly. He also criticised the apathy of the middle class in Bengaluru, urging them to be more politically aware and involved.

“We need to have the courage to speak to people. We need to have businessmen to also have the courage to speak to the ministers in public forums, not just in their personal chambers. We have to speak the truth,” he added.

When asked which party he believes to be the lesser of the two evils, Captain Gopinath refrained from taking a position, stating that he was not campaigning for any political parties. He believes that people must judge parties based on their delivery on the ground and not be swayed by political speeches.