Is a Federal Party Possible?
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Established 1946 1 Pages 16 Price : Rupees Five Vol. 73 No. 10 Is a Federal Party Possible? April 1, 2018 Kuldip Nayar BJP’s Forays in North Eastern States and When former Congress President underline the Congress cooperation, Anti Minority Agenda Sonia Gandhi said that they would Mamata has said that she is daily in Ram Puniyani not allow the Bhartiya Janata Party touch with Sonia Gandhi. In fact, (BJP) to return to power, she hinted the leaders from other non-BJP ruled at a joint action on the part of the states are constantly in touch with India Needs Draupadi And Opposition. It also means that each other to see the possibility of a Not Savitri she does not want Prime Minister federal structure. Rajindar Sachar Narendra Modi to for the second If you recall, the Janata Party term. On its own, the Congress does was a federal structure. It did not not have the numbers to pose any last its course and fell because the Anti-Muslim Riots threat to the BJP-run government then leaders, particularly the top in Sri Lanka or Modi. ones like Morarji Desai and Chanran Irfan Engineer In all probability, as things Singh, quarrelling in public all the stand today, Modi looks good time, much to the exasperation of the enough to returning to power. people. Then the Jana Sangh wielded The three reverses in recent by- power because the opponents were Arvind Kejriwal’s Apology elections to the Lok Sabha and a divided lot. Once the non-Jana Letter and Middle Class Standard of Ethics state assemblies notwithstanding, Sangh parties came together, the Nishikant Mohapatra the BJP is capturing power in state Jana Sangh government was reduced after state and spreading its tentacles to a minority. slowly but surely. Yet, 2019 general The federal structure that would Editor : elections are some way to go and come up, courtesy the top leaders the impending state election in like Sonia Gandhi or, for that matter, G. G. Parikh Karnataka and the subsequent ones Mamata Banerjee, has to take a leaf Managing Editor : Guddi in other states later this year would out of the book of the Janata Party be the real test to assess Modi’s and learn to work together. The moot D-15, Ganesh Prasad, strengths and weaknesses. question would be who among the Naushir Bharucha Marg, West Bengal chief minister leaders has enough support to be the Mumbai - 400 007. Mamata Banerjee has taken the Prime Minister. Once this question is initiative to get the non-BJP parties settled, things will fall into place and Email : [email protected] together for a federal structure to the federal structure could survive. Website:www.janataweekly.org contest against the BJP in 2019. To The question the country faces 2 JANATA, April 1, 2018 today is that if pluralism, the nation’s Ali Jinnah, who was an apostle of Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru ethos, is defeated which forces Hindu-Muslim unity, said that he and Sardar Patel saw to it that would come to power. The BJP is could not trust the majority, the there would be no Hindutva. They determined to divide the people. Hindus. This mistrust is the reason converted the then assembly into They have been trying for a pro- why people left their homes after a constituent assembly to have a Hindu government in some shape partition. One million were killed on constitution. India is ruled today or the other. The RSS, which is the both sides and Hindus and Muslims not by the 80 percent but by the mentor of the BJP, is playing its went apart further. constitution which assures one vote role to perfection to help realize the The RSS looks like copying to one individual. Even when the dreams of Modi. the idea of division. Its philosophy Hindus are in a majority, they cannot This is where the new federal is nothing but making a mockery subvert the idea of India because the combination has to be careful about. of Gandhi’s preaching. The RSS constitution is supreme. It is better they come up with a elements did not succeed as the Minimum Common Programme communal forces could not silence Email: [email protected] with all parties endorsing the views Gandhi. They had to ultimately kill and aspirations of all leaders. This him so that the same voice which is just one important issue which the people heard and respected. I the top leaders of non-BJP have had seen the letter which Nathuram to address as the people’s interests Godse wrote in defence of what he Janata should the above everything else. did. He avowed respect to Gandhiji is available at For the idea of India, which but argued that the country would is founded on secularism and suffer if the Mahatma had lived www.lohiatoday.com democracy, the parties based on longer. religion or castes should have no I recall one incident from his place in the federal structure. The prayer meetings. I was present danger is that the various elements when, before the Mahatma started would try to pull in different his meeting, one person from Punjab directions to corner power. Even got up and said that he would not Janata Subscription individual leaders should keep the listen to the Quran. At the meeting country’s unity ahead of personal or all the three scriptures—the Gita, Annual Rs. : 260/- their party interests. Quran and the Bible—were read. If they learn to live together, the Gandhi said that there would be no Three Years : 750/- warning about their disarray would meeting until the objector withdrew Demand Draft / be repulsed. Secularism would have his dissent. For days, there was gone through the fire to prove its no prayer congregation. It was Cheque intrinsic strength. With coalition resumed only after the person finally on politics inevitable in India, the best withdrew his objection. possible way to defeat the idea of Today, when the fanatic Mumbai Bank BJP or, for that matter, Modi and his RSS guides the government in in favour of cohorts is stay together and learn in appointment of teachers, librarians the process to rule together. and heads of academic institutions, JANATA TRUST The BJP cannot defeat the there is little hope for merit to take ideas of Mahatma Gandhi, unity in over. Under the circumstances, how D-15, Ganesh Prasad, diversity. In fact, what it has done is can a federal party fight against such Naushir Bharucha Marg, to prove Gandhi right. Unity of India elements? The danger to the nation Grant Road (W), could face the danger of separatism. is from those who think that since Pakistan whom I wish well is the the country has 80 percent of Hindu Mumbai 400 007. fallout of the mistrust in the Hindu population, they have the right to majority. Qaid-e-Azam Mohammad rule. JANATA, April 1, 2018 3 BJP’s Forays in North Eastern States and Anti Minority Agenda Ram Puniyani Over the last couple of decades, will be reduced to a minority. It was opening schools, etc. and thus one is coming across pamphlets, clever enough to strike alliances succeeded in turning the tables, leaflets and other material containing even with separatist organisations. taking advantage of the fact that the the propaganda that Christian Most of the regional organisations Manik Sarkar Government failed to missionaries are converting people in the area look at Congress as the address the needs of tribals in matters at a rapid pace. The examples mostly party which has not focused on of opportunities. In matters of beef, given have been those of the North development work. The BJP, while BJP openly took a hypocritical line Eastern states. This propaganda has it abuses those differing with its that their ban on cow slaughter and been extensively used at pan-India ideology as ‘anti-nationals’, has no eating beef, which is being imposed level, particularly before elections compunctions at all in allying with in different parts of country, will not in most of the States. It is this those who have been talking of a be enforced in North East. It is by propaganda which formed the base separate State or even secession. now well established that like most of hate against Christians and we In Tripura, the left government, other issues raised by the RSS–BJP witnessed the ghastly murder of despite its clean record, failed to combine, holy cow is a political tool Pastor Graham Stewart Stains, the fulfill the aspirations of tribal and for dividing society, and when the horrific Kandhmal violence, and low OBCs in matters of reservation. It crunch comes they manipulate the intensity anti-Christian violence and also failed miserably in creating issue as they have done in Kerala attacks on Churches in different parts employment opportunities for the and Goa. of the country. So how come BJP, the youth which gave the ground to BJP In a very loud manner, towering party flaunting Ram Temple, Mother to promise and create the illusion of over Christian voters, Mr. Modi cow and Hindu nationalism, could development. talked of rescuing 46 nurses in make inroads into an area where in The BJP here mainly harped ISIS captivity in Iraq and Father many States Christianity has a good on two major factors. One is the Alex Prem Kumar from Taliban presence, where beef eating is part of promise of development. While in captivity. What can one say on these the people’s dietary habits and where the rest of the country its slogan of issues? Were they rescued as they different tribes with diverse and development stands exposed as a were Indians or were they rescued clashing political interests articulate mere vote catching slogan, in the because they belonged to a particular their aspirations by forming various North East it could still sell Modi religion? As is the wont with Modi groups which have been asking for a as a development man.