19th June, 2000

Dear Shri Rajendrasinghji,

The Gujarat Pradesh BJP has organised a function to honour the fighters against Emergency under the auspices of the "Committee to felicitate the promoters of democracy". This committee also invites me since activists like me "stood up to the emergency and were jailed for it".

While thanking you sincerely and expressing my regret at not being able to accept this invitation, I do hope you will accept my sincere and humble sentiments why I decline this honour and try to understand my viewpoint.

As concerned non–political citizens and also as Jan Sangh, Socialist party and Congress (O) members we came together. As followers of JP, we are glad to have shouldered our historical responsibility in the role of catalysts. And feel satisfied that if not in the first struggle of Swaraj, at least in the second struggle. We could participate in it and as companions in the struggle as well as companions in jail, I recall the shared memories of our jail life together.

But I would like to remind you that the JP movement and the fight against emergency was the polarisation of people’s struggle against authoritarian rule to safeguard democracy. Any effort to rally the people in this 25th anniversary year of the Emergency has to be done on the basis of a wider citizens’ committee and not by a party committee as you have planned. (Kirit Bhatt of ‘Baroda Dynamite Case’ fame and his companions have planned such a programme on the basis of people’s participation at Vadodara. Among other things, they want to discuss the implications of a possible Emergency during the reign of those who had opposed Emergency at one time).

Although your programme is not based on people’s participation, this is not the only reason for me to decline your invitation. The most important and decisive reason for me is that during the last twelve years, especially since the time of the Rath Yatra of L.K. Advani, BJP has assumed an avatar which is a total negation of the values and the process initiated by JP. Both are now poles apart. Consequently, the BJP has since long forfeited the moral authority to celebrate such occasions in the name of the people.

The fact is that we have received this inheritance and responsibility through people’s struggle against authoritarian rule. The effort of the BJP to divide the people on communal lines in the name of nationalism and the way it is being promoted by BJP are not in accordance with this heritage but is really opposed to it.

The emergent mentality after the Ayodhya episode is not only communalist, it also displays terrifying possibilities of Nazism and fascism. As a people we may be able to see through the state authoritarianism, but at times we fail to see and understand authoritarianism emanating from society in the name of the people. Those groups who have received the heritage of organising resistance to the authoritarian rule of the state and the greed for power of the individual have to remain alert against any manifestation of oppression by any particular group in the name of society. And they should be in the forefront of people’s resistance to such potentially fascist manifestations of power. When placed against this yardstick, those friends of 1974–77 who fought together for a just and free India are disappointed by the BJP.

Since you have been elected to power in Delhi and in Gandhinagar, you can ask us "how you could best represent the sentiments of the people?" Sir, your power at the Centre is due to the NDA. Even though you have been shouting in the name of the Hindu majority, you could muster only 20 to 25 per cent of votes and you could get a majority only with the help of other parties.

This was one of the tactics adopted by the Janata Morcha and Janata Party, you may retort. In this context, in view of the ethical practice in public life, I want to make a small point: what is the credibility of the NDA in the context of people’s resistance to authoritarianism and the movements for social change? You have placed in the cold storage what you considered your most important agenda. As a ruling party, you find safety as a member of NDA partners. Advaniji, your main ideologue, says "these tactics are nothing new for us. Earlier during the time of JP’s movement and later during the movement of VP Singh, we have kept aside our main ideological points".

Yes, exactly here, as a humble volunteer of 1974–77, my disagreement with you is that the joining of Jana Sangh in JP’s movement was only a tactics for you? In fact, all the various forces that joined this movement were subjected to the trial by fire, as part of the process of revival of values. I remember in March 1979, JP addressed the open session of the Jana Sangh. At that time, while giving the vote of thanks, Vajpayeejee had expressed such sentiments. He had said that the party men are normally of middle–class mentality, but now that they have joined the movement led by JP, their thoughts and mentality are undergoing change. He summarised his conclusion in the following words: "Our character is getting transformed".

As I listened to Vajpayeejee, I remembered the popular novelist Rajendra Yadav, who in his famous novel, Sara Akash, effectively portrayed the middle class mentality of the average member of the Sangh. I thought Vajpayeejee might be remembering this episode and his own formative years (in the RSS), the mould he might have passed through. Re-examining and having a fresh look at this past, he may understand the formative nature of the JP movement. I had preferred to think that his confession that "our character is getting transformed", contained the expression of gratitude to JP and also the expression of the inner feelings of acceptance of the movement. Is there any comparison, Rajendrasinghji, with your present cold storage strategy and the 1975 expression of Vajpayeejee?

In recent years I have been critical of the communal politics of our party. While doing this fearlessly and unrelentingly, the speech of JP in 1975 and Vajpayeejee’s vote of thanks are at the back of my mind. I have noticed that the sangh parivar, including the BJP, has no intention of introspecting. You have regressed to the same past mentality, narrow nationalistic attitude and fanatic mindset of pre–JP movement era.

As I see it, you are bent upon taking authoritarian steps such as the proposed new TADA, which can potentially even out–MISA the earlier MISA. It is an indication of the sort of undeclared Emergency under constitutional garb. This approach certainly disqualifies you to speak in the name of popular resistance to Mrs. Gandhi’s authoritarian rule?

I would be failing in my duty as a fellow–fighter of earlier days if I don’t convey my assessment and apprehension to you. And hence this letter to you following the dictates of my conscience.

Hopefully, you will appreciate my decision of not accepting your invitation to participate in your programme.

With ward regards,

Yours sincerely