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)