Only capitalism can combat poverty: Infosys Chief

New Delhi, Jan 6 (UNI) Pointing out that there is no ''good quality leadership'' in the country today, Founding Chairman of Infosys N R Narayana Murthy said capitalism can solve the country's problems of poverty and advocated privatisation, hire and fire labour laws, FDI in retail trade and leaving urban education and health to the private sector.

''I think, barring a few exceptions, we do not have good quality leadership in the country. That is a fact. We do not have leaders who put the interest of society above their own personal interest.

We do not have a large number of people who are connected with the modern world. We do not have people who can straddle both the worlds the urban and the rural, the rich and the poor, the educated and the ot-so-well-educated,'' the founder of one of largest IT firms in the world said in an interview, 'Devil's Advocate' to be broadcast tomorrow evening at 2030 hrs on CNN-IBN.

Mr Narayana Murthy said leaders should be able to straddle all these worlds, who understand the divide, who are modern, who can connect with what's happening outside India.

''Leaders have to lead from the front, they have to create a vision and exalt people to follow them. They have to make sure people feel an inch taller in their presence (because) then people will automatically follow them.'' Mr Narayana Murthy went on to talk about what he called ''a serious crisis'' in Indian leadership at many levels.

However, right at the end of the interview, he made a specific exception of Dr Manmohan Singh, although he added that the ''very fragile coalition'' the Prime Minister leads was holding him back.

When asked if he was saying that India did not have at the very top a leader with the vision, political capacity and courage to force through change, he responded by citing Dr Manmohan Singh as one such leaders.

''I personally think we have one such in Dr Manmohan Singh (but) unfortunately he leads a very fragile coalition if he were to lead a majority Congress Party government I have no doubt at all he would move much much faster than he has been able to. I'm hundred per cent certain.'' The Narayana Murthy interview will be broadcast tomorrow at 2030 hrs on CNN-IBN's Devil's Advocate programme and repeated at 1030 hrs and 1630 hrs on Monday.

''If India has to solve its problems of poverty we have to embrace capitalism. I believe that is the only hope we have.'' He advocated a series of sweeping radical reforms including hire and fire labour laws, privatisation of India's public sector including the Navratnas, permission for foreign direct investment in the retail sector and leaving infrastructure, urban education and urban health care to the private sector.

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