Q. Consider the following statements:

1. The Bombay Manifesto signed in 1936 openly opposed the preaching of socialist ideals.
2. It evoked support from a large section of business community from all across India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2010)
Answer: 2 only
Notes: The Bombay Manifesto (1936), issued by 31 prominent Bombay businessmen including Purshottamdas Thakurdas and J.R.D. Tata, condemned socialism and communism as threats to private enterprise while pledging cooperation with Congress if it rejected socialist ideals. Thus, statement 1 is incorrect as it did not openly oppose preaching but criticized the ideologies themselves. Statement 2 is correct; it received widespread support from Indian business leaders across regions, reflecting elite capitalist concerns amid rising leftist influence.