Minoo Masani

Minoo Masani

Minocher Rustom Masani (born 20 November 1905 in Mumbai, died 27 May 1998) was an Indian politician and leader of the Swatantra Party. He was a member of the second, third and fourth Lok Sabha, representing Rajkot constituency in Gujarat. Masani was a Parsi from Rajkot. Masani was a well regarded parliamentarian for his oratory skill.

A barrister trained in London, Masani joined the freedom struggle with the Quit India Movement and was drawn into the Communist Party in the 1930s. He gradually moved away from the Communist Party and became a proponent of a mixed economy system. He became Mayor of Bombay in 1943, and after Independence, he formed the Swatantra Party, which stood for free trade while international Communism was at its peak. He was one of the politicians who opposed the nationalisation of banks by Indira Gandhi. Masani was a supporter of the Soviet Union until Stalin took control. He was appalled at Stalin's brutality, and gradually his opinions underwent a paradigm shift.

Masani often initiated debate on finance bills. A collection of his speeches was published as "Congress Misrule and Swatantra Alternative." He was one of the first active advocates of a mixed economic system involving free trade in India.