HVK Archives: The blueprint for a new BJP
The blueprint for a new BJP - The Observer
Sudheer
()
April 16, 1998
Title: The blueprint for a new BJP
Author: Sudheer
Publication: The Observer
Date: April 16, 1998
BJP president L K Advani's inaugural speech in the recently-held
working committee meeting of the party was a good strategic move
on his part to apply and operational correctives suitable to the
new political era. He addressed and challenges thrown by
opponents with a clear vision and reason. His attracted a wide
range of comments friends, foes and the media. Some of comments
may be interesting to go
Commenting on the speech, the editorial in The Asian Age said:
"While an objective assessment of Mr L K Advani's contribution as
the Bharatiya Janata Party president must wait for some more
time, it can be safely said that in spite of the myriad
controversies surrounding many of his pronouncements and actions,
Mr Advani's was a crucial role ... Be that as it may, it will be
quite tempting for Mr Advani's biographers to relate the quite
dramatic rise in the fortunes of the BJP to their subject's
personality. As someone who has been at the helm for more years
than anyone else in the party, Mr Advani may concur with such an
assessment."
A journalist belonging to a small group of keen BJP-watchers,
Ajay Singh, wrote about Advani's speech: "No politician has tried
to strike as bold a conciliation between realism and idealism, in
contemporary politics, as Bhartiya Janata Party president L K
Advani did on Saturday last. His inaugural speech at the party's
two-day national executive war, path-breaking, bold and
pragmatic.Whether the traditional power politics fans within the
purview of the thical parameters' could be a matter of debate.
But Advani has clearly set out a distinctly different path for
the party's future."
The Times of India editorial too was noteworthy. It said: "On the
opening day of the BJP's first national executive meeting since
assuming office, outgoing party president L K Advani promised a
vision that, on a first reading, seemed remarkably free from
earlier dogmas. Arguing that good governance was possible only
when it was 'de-ideologised and de-politicised,' Mr Advani
advocated a old new approach ' to the contentious issues of the
past, in particular Ayodhya, which he said must be resolved only
through dialogue. Barely had the assemblage applauded these w S.'
when Mr Advani reverted to the Ram Mandir. He spoke of building a
magnificent Rashtra Mandir where the citizenry would ]live in
'peace, prosperity and security.' " In a forthright editorial,
The Pioneer opined: "The call by outgoing president L K Advani
for a 'new BJP ' at the party's national executive meet sends out
significant signals on three fronts - the relationship between
the party and governments: the party and its 'core' agenda: and
the party and its allies. On the first count, Mr Advani has done
well to drive home that the BJP is no longer the party-in-
opposition, nor ever the party-on-the-make: it is now the party-
in-government. Therefore, party men will have to acknowledge the
'responsibility' of governance, that they can no longer afford
the luxury of reckless confrontationism. The architect of the
party's transformation has clearly enunciated that the BJP must
deliver on its promise of good and stable governance.
Almost all the newspapers commented on Advani's speech at the
crucial turn of the Indian polity. The comments ranged from
laudatory to critical, but no one seriously ignored it.
As outgoing president Advani had an obligation to clarify as to
why issues like Ayodhya, Article 370 and common civil code did
not find place in the National Agenda while they were very much
there in party's election manifesto. He gave a valid and
convincing explanation. He said that, "Everything we hold dear
and everything we espoused in our existence find its expression
in the broad rubric of nationalism. Thus democracy, secularism,
good governance, distributive justice, social justice, gender
justice, greater power to the states and panchayat bodies, all
this and others carry meaning for us not as separate principles,
but as canons which are harmonised in all-embracing commitment to
nationalism. "He further reasoned that "individual principles do
not carry any abstract meaning in, themselves rather their
significance and their relative importance in overall scheme of
things are determined by the higher imperatives of nationalism.
The imperative of nationalism ... is to arm India with a stable,
strong and honest government."
He argued that in the absence of clear mandate, the ruling
alliance naturally could agree to keep only consensual issues in
the "National Agenda for Governance." He went deeper saying that,
"A large area of governance has little to do with ideology - any
ideology - except the overriding principle of national interests.
Indeed, good governance in most spheres of national life becomes
possible only when it is deideologised and de-politicised. Thus,
If any issue, in spite of its inherent validity, acquire a
strongly ideological character - in fact, so strong an
ideological character as to make coalition governance, and hence
stable governance, difficult - it is only proper to leave it out.
This is precisely what we have done in the National Agenda.
Advani devoted a lot of thinking to making the party realise
fully the magnitude and historic nature of responsibility of the
leaders and workers at all levels. He emphasised further
strengthening the unity, cohesiveness and discipline hi the party
at all levels, particularly at the top, central and state level.
He warned that, Arrogance of power and temptation to use the
machinery of states for personal aims must be resisted since
these are the vices which brought so much disgrace to the
Congress party. He called for adherence to of coalition politics
and laid down a premise that "the interests of the coalition at
the Centre are paramount. The party's strategies in states must
be subordinate to its national strategy." On the organisational
front, he said that party must closely watch and monitor the
performance of various ministries and departments and also build
a proper relationship between government and the party by
creating structures, mechanisms and channels of communication.
The contents of Advani's speech clearly demonstrate the
confidence of the BJP to march forward through the two-tier
strategy of providing good governance and achieving the target
set by NAG in a time-bound manner to fulfil the hopes of the
masses and solve their problems. The combined expression that he
gave is building "Rashtra Mandir." On the organisational front,
he said: "What this means in specific terms is that the BJP must
consciously and systematically transform itself as a party
embracing all sections of society and all regions of India.
Every Indian, irrespective of their caste, religion, region, race
and language must find the same place in our individual and
collective mindscape.
Back
Top
|
