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Shri L.K. Advani's speech while inaugurating the two-day meeting of
the BJP National Executive in New Delhi on April 5, 1997:
Dear Colleagues,
I welcome you all to this extremely important meeting of the
National Executive of the Party. We are meeting after a gap of
nearly four months. Many important developments concerning the
Party and the nation have taken place since the National
Executive's last session in Jaipur (November 17, 18 & 19, 1996).
Let us deliberate on these events, and chart out the right course
of action in the light of our long-term goals and short-term
objectives.
All of you know the circumstances which made us decide to meet now
and here in Delhi. Had our original plan remained unaltered, all
of us would have now been in Thiruvananthapuram, beginning the
second day's deliberations of the Party's National Council.
These political developments in the capital-triggered by the sudden
withdrawal of the Congress Party's support to the 10-month-old
United Front Government last Sunday-were so important that we were
even compelled to defer the scheduled session of the National
Council. I, however, take this opportunity to thank and applaud all
the thousands of activists of the Kerala unit of the Party who had
made such stupendous efforts to make the National Council session a
grand success. Let us, therefore, first give them a big hand.
A Monumental Lie Stands Exposed
Friends, the political developments of the past week are not of an
ordinary or routine nature. Suddenly, a falsehood has come
crashing down. Suddenly, a monumental lie is lying exposed in the
precincts of power, frantically and desperately trying to cover
itself up in tatters that cannot hide the shame, no matter which
expert clothier takes upon himself to stitch together a new ruling
coalition. Suddenly, in the span of a week, the truth has asserted
itself, scorching the peddlers of falsehood with its heat, and
reassuring its brave upholders with its light.
What is that falsehood that has come crashing down? And what is
that truth of history which has illuminated the national political
scene as if in a flash?
The falsehood is the so-called unity of the self-styled
"anti-communal" forces. The falsehood is their so-called commitment
to secularism 3/4 even to their own fundamentally flawed concept of
secularism! The falsehood is what our adversaries-both the Congress
and the so-called United Front-told the nation was the reason for
keeping the BJP out of power after the last Lok Sabha elections,
whose clear mandate was that the BJP should be at the centre of a
new governing set-up. The falsehood was their shrill, almost
paranoiac, propaganda that Indian had to be saved from the threat
of "fascism and national disintegration".
That falsehood was born on May 12. 1996 when the Congress party,
under the presidentship of Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao, gave its
unconditional support to the United Front's bid to form the
Government. And it stood exposed when the very same Congress
party, now under the presidentship of Shri Sitaram Kesri, withdrew
its support to Shri H.D. Deve Gowda's Government on March 30, 1997.
What passed off for Government during the intervening period was a
sham and a shame on the principle of representative democracy. At
no time in independent India's history had people seen such an
unnatural, unrepresentative, unstable and incompetent ruling outfit
at the Centre. Such a government had to go.
The while nation, including those social intellectual and media
circles which are not traditional supporters of the BJP, have now
seen through this falsehood and fraud. It is now clear beyond the
shadow of a doubt that the real concern of the UF and the Congress
was not secularism, national unity or any of these lofty
principles, but pure and simple lust for power. They wanted power
even when the people had rejected them.
The Wages of Barren Anti-BJPism
Hence they invented a ruse-the ruse of ',saving the country from
the communal danger", which only meant grabbing power by keeping
the BJP at bay. Just recall all the high-sounding arguments
advanced by the leaders of the Congress and the UF to justify their
'keep-the-BJP-out' line during the famous debate in Parliament on
the vote of confidence motion moved by Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee.
How hollow, hypocritical and laughable they sound today!
And upon this foundation of trickery was hurriedly built the
rickety superstructure of the so-called United Front propped up in
power by the very party, Congress, which had been rejected by the
people at the hustings. Barren anti-BJPism and a desperate
cringing for power were the only ingredients of the glue that held
the UF together, as also the UF and the Congress together.
But this glue had to give way sooner or later. And, in the end, it
did give way sooner than many had expected. I had been telling
mediapersons, who used to ask me about the longevity of the UF
Government, that it would not last beyond a year and certainly not
beyond the calendar year of 1997. But in the end, it was not just
the suddenness but also its cloak-and-dagger setting which marked
the collapse of the UF government as a particularly nauseous
development.
The manner in which Congress president Shri Sitaram Kesri withdrew
his party's support to the United Front government, the manner in
which Prime Minister Shri Deve Gowda tried to pre-empt it, the
countless credible stories that are making the rounds in the
capital describing the real motives of the main players in the
UF-Congress fallout-all these are so murky as to make any
self-respecting Indian hang his head in shame.
One experiment in barren anti-BJPism has collapsed. The second may
not take off. Even if it does, there is little doubt that this too
will crash-land soon.
I had remarked at the Party's National Executive meeting in Bhopal
in July last year, that what passes off for Government at the
Centre is nothing but a mutual protection racket. But since then,
the scamsters and the racketeers have progressed so far down the
path of malgovernance that, sensing that their days are numbered,
they have launched a mutual grave-digging racket.
Thus not a day passes without some constituent of the United
Front-and, often. warring factions within the same
constituent-plotting moves against the other. Thus, not a day
passes without the UF and the Congress blackmailing each other.
Similarly. riot a day passes without one faction of the Congress
itself plotting moves against the other with the use of one or the
other faction of the UF.
Within the Union cabinet itself, discord and disorder have been the
order of the day. Collective responsibility as a fundamental
principle of sound Cabinet functioning had been conspicuous by its
absence since the very inception of' the UF Government. The Lok
Sabha Speaker himself has had to admonish the Government for this.
In the previous Government headed by Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao. we
knew that the Home Minister and his deputy were not on talking
terms. But the UF Government has done one better- even the Prime
Minister and his Home Minister were not on talking terms on such
important issues as appointment of' governors or dealing with
insurgents in Kashmir and the North-East.
Perhaps the most graphic description of the state of affairs in the
ruling coalition came from one of its own veteran leaders, Shri
Biju Patnaik, who called the United Front "a cluster of lobsters
clawing at one another". Government as such had ceased to exist in
New Delhi. Clearly, Shri Deve Gowda's ministry was subsisting from
day to day.
The worst predicament was that of' the Congress and CPI(M). They
could neither swallow nor spit out what they had bitten. They knew
that they were losing out on their already shrinking mass bases by
supporting an ill-governing and rickety outfit at the Centre. At
the same time, they dreaded the thought of withdrawing support to
the UF government for that would inevitably bring the BJP back to
power at the Centre, this time with a really resounding mandate.
As a result, for a long time all that the Congress and the
communists were left with was hypocritical posturing. For the sake
of public consumption, they were making some noises here and there
against the UF government's policies and performance. But,
privately, their leaders were busy collecting commissions and
favours-or plotting conspiracies against their rivals-for their
support to the very same Government.
Ultimately, it was on account of the cumulative result of these
conspiracies and contradictions within the Congress, within the UF,
within some of the principal constituents of the UF and the
Congress president, that Shri Kesri decided to pull the rug from
the under the feet of Shri Deve Gowda.
Inexorable Outcome
What the foregoing analysis points to is an unprecedented
opportunity for the BJP, and also an equally unparalleled
challenge. The chaos and stasis in the governing structures at the
national level illustrate just one stark fact: The centre of Indian
polity is hollowing out and the BJP will be sucked in to fill the
vacuum. Yes, we will soon be sucked in to take on the onerous
responsibility. This will be the inexorable and unstoppable
denouement of the dynamics of the present political developments in
the country.
This time round no amount of falsehood and fakery about the
"fascist and communal" threat from the BJP is going to cut any ice
with the electorate. And if people are given a chance to elect a
new Lok Sabha, they might even give a landslide victory to a single
party, the only national party which, they think, can form a stable
government at the Centre.
What is the basis of my optimism? In a democracy, a political
party that aspires to come to power must first establish its rule
in the hearts and minds of the majority of the people before it
actually begins to rule. By this yardstick, the BJP is already the
sole ruling national party. And by the same all-important
yardstick, no anti-BJP front has any right to continue to rule at
the Centre.
Let's Get Ready for Governance!
Dear colleagues, what message and slogan should the National
Executive give to the Party at this crucial juncture? It is: Let
us get ready for governance. Let us begin, in right earnest, our
internal preparations as well as our work among the people for the
mid-term polls to the Lok Sabha which may take place any time
hereafter.
Our aim is to win a clear majority in the next trial of strength so
that we can provide a stable and purposive rule for full five
years. It is with this objective in mind that we have to deal with
the unstable and volatile situation that has been precipitated by
the Congress Party's decision of last Sunday.
I am confident that the meeting of- the Parliamentary Party on
April 10 will devise an appropriate response to the situation-a
response that is clear about objectives, firm on strategy and
flexible on tactics.
Irrespective of what actually happens on April 11, irrespective of
whether the Deve Gowda government survives or falls and
irrespective of when the mid-term polls are announced, at the end
of this chapter, the prestige and credibility of the United Front
and the Congress Party would be in a shambles.
The famous French writer Victor Hugo once said : "Greater than the
tread of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come". When I
affirm that the BJP is sure to come power in New Delhi it is
because I hold that BJP as the party of governance at the Centre is
an idea whose time has indeed come!
Golden Jubilee of India's Independence
Dear Party colleagues, the fact that our country has been pushed to
the brink of a deep political turmoil in the very year which marks
the 50th year of India's independence is a sad irony. For all of
us in the BJP. this should be a cause for serious thought and
dedicated action. We are, neither cynical nor pessimistic about the
situation. For we are proud to espouse a robust nationalistic, and
reformative ideology. We are equally proud to belong to a tradition
of service and sacrifice for the cause of the nation and the common
man when all other parties have jettisoned it for considerations of
vote-bank politics.
When a fortnight back I visited Hyderabad, Archbishop Arlappa met
me and discussed with me various issues. I felt gratified to hear
him firmly endorse our concept of Cultural Nationalism. He
affirmed: "I am an Indian by nationality, I am a Christian by
religion, but I am a Hindu by culture"! Decrying vote-bank
politics, he strongly expressed himself against the move to confer
reservations on "Dalit Christians".
Hindutva or Cultural Nationalism, thus understood, is not only not
violative of secularism, national unity, democracy, egalitarianism
and other preambular principles of the Indian Constitution, but
invests all of them with a deeper, inspiring, illuminating and
energising content. Indeed, all that is positive and
life-nourishing in the Indian tradition, from the ancient times to
now, can be embraced and integrated only by Cultural Nationalism.
Our continued commitment to the Ayodhya movement, which
incidentally was the biggest mass movement in India's
post-independence history, should be seen in this light.
It is this unshakable confidence in our ideology which enables us
to have a great vision for our beloved Motherland for the next 50
years. Let us strive to provide such firm and far-sighted
political leadership to the nation as will inspire and enable our
kisans, workers, artisans, students, teachers, women,
professionals, scientists, administrators, businessmen and
industrialists to give out their best for the common cause of
building a strong, prosperous and all-sidedly developed India. The
BJP is resolved to create an India that is free of poverty, free of
illiteracy, free of homelessness and hunger, free of caste and
communal violence, free of injustice against women, dalits, tribals
and other sections of the downtrodden, and free, above all, of the
debilitating sense of disunity. Vote-bank politics has badly
divided and subdivided Indian society. Let BJP become the great
social unifier.
Six Political Directions
The political situation is rapidly turning in our favour. Our
adversaries are, indeed, doing half the job for us through their
squabbles, mutual conspiracies, and, of course, appalling
malgovernance at the Centre and in states like Bihar. Yet, our task
is cut out for us. In the coming weeks or months leading up to the
declaration of the mid-term polls, the BJP must put the entire
weight of its organisation-right from the highest to the lowest
levels-to highlight the following six points of its political
campaign.
Let us educate the people on the gross culpability of the UF and
the Congress in pushing the country on the brink of instability
through their - unscrupulous and opportunistic power-struggles. We
should highlight the unaffordable social and economic costs of
instability at the Centre. In the same context, we should
persuasively make out the case that the electorate should give a
clear majority to the BJP, since it alone can provide both
stability and good governance.
The BJP should tear apart the mask of phony secularism of our
adversaries-Congress, communists, Samajwadi Party and Janata
Dal-and expose it for it truly is: a pretext for grabbing power.
Let us propagate our superior concept of, and deeper commitment to,
Social Justice based on the principle of Samajik Samarasata. The
true essence and the wider significance of our alliance with the
Akalis in Punjab and the Bahujan Samaj Party in UP should be the
focal point our campaign in the social sphere.
We must resolutely debunk the propaganda that ours is an anti-dalit
or anti-minority party. Suffice it to recall what Pandit Deendayal
Upadhyaya proclaimed as the core of our social philosophy nearly 30
years ago: "We are pledged to the service not of any particular
community or section but of the entire nation. Every countryman is
blood of our blood and flesh of our flesh. We shall not rest till
we are able to give to every one of them a sense of pride that they
are children of Bharatmata."
Our Party should evolve a sound view on all the major developmental
issues-in the spheres of physical infrastructure, social
infrastructure, industry. agriculture, services, and internal and
external trade. In each case, the test of soundness must be
applied against five criteria: Is the policy or the programme (1)
Pro-nation? (2) Pro-poor? (3) Pro-growth? (4) Pro-employment
generation? and (5) Pro-environment?
In the southern and eastern states (mainly but not in them alone),
the BJP strongly ally itself with regional pride, aspirations and
concerns in the spheres of language, culture and socio-economic
development without, however. succumbing to the pressures of
regional chauvinism. We must continue to strengthen our ties with
our allies in Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar. Haryana and UP.
Su-Raj is Our Commitment
Dear colleagues, tomorrow, April 6, marks the 17th birthday of out
beloved Party. It was on April 6, 1980, that the Bharatiya Janata
Party was born. April 6, 1980 was Easter Sunday, the Day of
Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Janata Party resolution on Dual
Membership throwing out all Jana Sangh members on the ground that
they were linked with the RSS was passed on April 4 which
significantly, was Good Friday, the Day of Crucifixion.
At the inaugural session at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in Delhi,
held under the presidentship of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, was
resolved to build a "Party with a difference". We can take
legitimate pride in the fact that we have indeed built a Party with
a difference - in a substantial measure, if not to the extent we
would like it to be.
Both in Punjab and UP, the BJP has succeeded in coming out of the
externally imposed shackles of political untouchability because of
its ability to articulate a nationalist vision and reformative
social agenda within a flexible political strategy. And I have no
doubts whatsoever that our Party shall demonstrate this ability
once again during the present crisis before the nation.
No one, and nothing - except out own organisational weaknesses -
can now stop the BJP from coming to power at the Centre. But we
cannot be satisfied merely with the opportunity to govern at the
Centre. Out aim is Governance, but out commitment is Good
Governance or Su-Raj.
Let this crucial meeting of the National Executive once again
reiterate out dedication to this vision of India's future and
enable us to worthily contribute to the realisation of this vision,
even as we ready ourselves to face the challenges of the imminent
mid-term polls.
Vande Mataram!
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