REWIND
New Delhi, 20 July 2023
New Moves To Stop Mrs.
Gandhi
By Inder
Jit
(Released
on 15 April 1980)
Cynicism is spreading all round, thick and fast. Most
people see nothing ahead but a dark and dismal future. Some friends who may
even be described as one-man think tanks sorrowfully assert that India truly
faces a dangerous decade now. They see little hope for the country and its
poverty-stricken millions in the months and years that lie ahead unless Mrs.
Gandhi and the Opposition leaders end their confrontation and attempt much-needed
reconciliation. “Even the Almighty”, argued one, “will not be able to help much
unless we can bury the hatchet and work for a national consensus.” Happily,
however, there are some incorrigible optimists too. They are confident that
India will be able to meet the new challenges. Politically at least, they
argue, things are not as bad as they appear. Indeed, they see things looking up
notwithstanding the outward confusion which has lately seemed to get more
confounded.
The Janata Party has, no doubt, suffered a third split.
We have now a Janata, a Bharatiya Janata and a Janata (Real), whose very founder
has since sprung another farcical surprise: he has joined the Congress (U) but
not wound up the new party! Lok Dal also stands smashed into two, thanks to Mr
Raj Narain, who likes to carry his own china shop with him. Some Lohia
Socialists are still with Mr Charan Singh. But it is doubtful if Mr Madhu
Limaye and others will stay quiet for long in view of their style. Party
politics has clearly been dragged to the level of the gutter. Nevertheless,
some good may yet come out of all that has happened. Already, our people are
beginning to appreciate better the raison detre for certain healthy and
long-established democratic conventions: an Independent and fearless judiciary,
an impartial and apolitical civil service and a free and responsible Press.
There is also welcome evidence that the spirit of 1977 is still alive --- and
is not without vigour.
All democrats and right thinking people in the country
feel deeply distressed over the state of affairs. The 1977 poll roused hopes of
taking India towards a healthy two-party democracy. But top Janata leaders
shamelessly put self before the country and enabled Mrs Gandhi to return
triumphantly to power before the system could be stabilised. In July last, the
Janata and the Lok Dal leaders bitterly attacked each other for the split.
Today, the Janata and the Bharatiya Janata leaders are likewise accusing each
other for the latest split. Both are right and both are wrong. The truth is
that neither the first split, nor the second and nor still the third was
inevitable or unavoidable. Again, no single group is entirely to blame. All are
equally responsible, some more, some less for allowing their personal
ambitions, deep-rooted prejudices, mutual suspicions and a false sense of
honour to run away with their good sense.
Little purpose is served, at any rate, by holding a
post-mortem, All that has happened belongs to the dead past. What is important now
for the parties is to ask themselves where do we go from here? Many veteran
observers feel that perhaps it is all to the good that the 1977 marriage of
convenience (or circumstances) between the Congress (O), Jana Sangh, B.L.D., Socialists
and C.F.D, has broken up. Mutual lack of faith has destroyed the marriage even
before it was consummated. Today, however, life and enthusiasm are once again
beginning to pulsate among some of the constituents, if what I experienced at
the inaugural session of the Bharatiya Janata Party is any indication. Over
4000 delegates attended the convention at short notice and heard the speeches
in pin-drop silence. Some Rs. 25,000 was collected through impromptu donations.
For the first time in many months, I saw something of the spirit of 1977, its
purposefulness and dedication.
Not only that, all the parties are today in the throes of
an agonising reappraisal heart-searching. (“All of us have let off enough steam
and traded enough abuses”, explained one leader, “It is now time for some cool
thinking”). What was considered unthinkable until yesterday has even happened. Mr.
Chandra Shekhar and Mr. Charan Singh have met, to mention but one thing. In addition,
the CPI (Marxist) has done some hard thinking and there is great regret (even
anger) and restiveness among the rank and file over the role played by some of
its top leaders in helping Mrs Gandhi to return to power. (“CPM Ministries in
the State now face a threat, thanks to that stupidity,” said one leader.) In
fact, another CPM leader, known for his dynamism, has recently met the top leaders
of other parties separately to plead: “For God's sake, face facts. If we lose
the poll in the States, it will mean the funeral of polities and democracy in
India. We must stop Mrs. Gandhi from becoming a General Franco. Remember, united we survive, divided we hang.”
The response so far has been “reasonably positive and encouraging.”
All the leaders are clear without exception that they do not have all the time
in the world on their side. They did talk at one stage in terms of five years. But
not any more They now talk in terms of six to ten weeks, namely until after the
elections to the State Assemblies. Mrs Gandhi, they apprehend, is interested not
only in winning the poll but, what is more, in acquiring a two-thirds majority
in the Rajya Sabha. This majority, it is further is apprehended, “is desired
not to serve the people but herself and her family.” Mrs Gandhi is expected to use
this majority to switch over to the Presidential system and thereby consolidate
her hold over the country. Significantly, Nehru’s views on the Presidential
system are recalled. Nehru was fearful that the President might become a
dictator in a country like India with its feudal traditions and outlook.
The broad approach is pragmatic, not idealistic. Wiser
by bitter experience, no one talks glibly about an alliance or merger. The emphasis
is on adjustments, preferably on a local basis. The opposition leaders appear
agreed in principle that it would be best to have one candidate (not
necessarily a common candidate) to oppose each Congress (I) nominee. But difficulties have arisen even as the Opposition
leaders individually assert: “Let someone draw up an honest and acceptable
formula.” Each leader and party have an identical complaint or grouse as
typified in the remark “we slogged for the others and helped them win. But they
did not support our men and let us down.” There are other problems too. Even as
the CPM appears willing to enter into local adjustments with the BJP, the
latter asks: “What about Kerala? Our workers are being persecuted.” Many in BJP,
for their part, ask: “How can we have any truck with the Congress (U). What is
the assurance that those we help get elected will not then jump over to Mrs.
Gandhi’s bandwagon?”
Quiet soundings have nonetheless been on for possible
alliances or mergers. An alliance or eventual merger between the Janata and the
Congress (U) in stages is, for instance, on the cards although the decision of
Mr Devaraj Urs to admit Mr Jagjivan to his party has queered the pitch. (Mr
Jagjivan Ram’s sudden and latest somersault is said to have been prompted by
two factors. First, Mr Suresh Ram’s failure to “click” with Mr Sanjay Gandhi
and to get for his father and himself something worthwhile. Second, Mr Jagjivan
Ram’s anxiety to secure the membership of the only other Congress before its “expected”
alliance with the Janata!) A couple of Lok Dal leaders have approached the
Janata for a merger under the leadership of Mr Charan Singh. But the former is firmly
opposed to any deal with the “betrayers”. Some experts are of the view that
both the Janata and the Lok Dal may before long seek a deal with the Bharatiya
Janata, a party with a cadre and considerable growth potential, especially in
UP and Bihar.
Mrs Gandhi, for her part, is not greatly bothered.
Unlike the Opposition, she is not resting content with the support her party
enjoys at present and is busy rejuvenating it and enlarging its base by seeking
lately the support of the upper castes the Lingayats and the Vokkaligas in
Karnataka, for instance, and the Bhumihars in Bihar. In sum, however, much will
depend upon the capacity of the Opposition leaders to exploit the growing
disenchantment of the people with Mrs Gandhi and her failure so far to give a
Government that works and the success with which they can prevent their vote
from getting split. The latter is crucial and brings to mind something both
relevant and interesting that I picked up at a dinner hosted by the Lok Sabha
Speaker, Mr Bal Ram, for Norwegian Parliamentarians recently. There was great
rivalry, it was told, between the Scandinavian countries in all fields. Each
country sought to bag the top awards for itself. But the Norwegians and the
Finns were agreed on one basic point even as they fought each other: The Swedes
must be defeated happen what may. --- INFA.
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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