It's time for resurgence of secular, democratic forces : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 It's time for resurgence of secular, democratic forces

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Hans India (02-10-2022)

According to media reports Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is busy with drawing his strategy of launching a National Party shortly. Some papers have also indicated date and time. Whether the announcement comes now or little later, KCR time and again, has been very critical of divisive politics and politics of concentration of power in the center pursued by the BJP government. Underscoring that secular and democratic thinking intellectuals are feeling very bad for this, KCR makes it clear that, only people are supreme in a democracy like India.  

KCR reminds how various democratic and Left forces came together under the leadership of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) to trounce the dictator ruler of the day and coming to power in just 40-50 days hinting at the repeating of similar when needed. Arrogance on the part of BJP will no more be tolerated warned KCR, citing the downfalls of dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini and Napoleon. KCR also predicted that BJP would be ousted from power within next 18 months. The inference is another JP in the form of KCR is in offing with his alternate agenda.

When the very existence of democracy, secularism, pluralistic society, socialist pattern, peace and harmony of this great country are at stake and with no light end of the tunnel, people often ask, what will happen? What next? For all those prophets of doom and pessimists, there is nothing to get worry or agitated about. The beauty of Indian democracy, the largest in the world and perhaps one and only country that won freedom from colonial rule and sustained democracy, lies in its course correction. Like the proverbial Phoenix, India as a democratic entity, has the ability with right leadership to correct itself and move forward with no regrets. This is exactly where people are looking at KCR and for the right time for launching his National Party.  

In Post-Independence Indian politics and governance people by and large got accustomed to a level of tolerance. When the limits are exceeded by the party or leader at the helm of affairs, be it in the form of exhibiting dictatorial tendencies or moving towards extreme left or right, or signs of instability, alternate leadership automatically emerged. When Indira Gandhi got rid of syndicate, the earliest seeds of right-wing domination in her own party; when she herself turned dictatorial, and was trounced by a combination of left-right combination led by Jayaprakash Narayan; when unstable Janata government was defeated by Indira; when NT Rama Rao’s National Front defeated Rajiv Gandhi who got involved in corruption charges like Bofors and VP Singh becoming Prime Minister; this was proved beyond doubt. The repetition of either Congress led UPA or BJP led NDA forming governments alternately in center needs to be done away.    

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister who commanded the respect of persons of diverse ideologies-left, right and moderate was undeniably an ardent secular in appeal but conscientiously followed his religious beliefs. He never exhibited fanatism. Nehru believed in socialistic pattern of society and thus was at equidistance from Capitalist and Communist ideologies and followed the tolerant midway ideologue. That was how the journey of parliamentary democracy with secular and socialistic spirit commenced in India 75 years ago. Lal bahadur Shastri succeeded Nehru and was in office for just 19 months. With the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan’, he broke Pakistan's arrogance forever in the 1965 war.

Indira Gandhi succeeded Shastri amidst expectations of Syndicate wing of congress party, who were bye and large followers of right-wing ideology, that they can control her remotely. Initially, Indira Gandhi too played their game. Her support to VV Giri, against the official Congress party candidate Neelam Sanjiva Reddy in the Presidential Election in 1969, was the major turning point in Indian politics. The divisive forces were fought successfully for the first time by Indira Gandhi. Her progressive decisions like bank nationalization led to her expulsion and split in party.

President Giri dissolved Lok Sabha and elections were held in March 1971 and Indira Gandhi won against Grand Alliance represented by anti-progressive, anti-democratic and divisive forces a pre-poll alliance with SSP, PSP, the Swatantra Party and Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Following Allahabad High Court historical judgment and Supreme Court partial stay, Indira Gandhi riding high over her popularity, imposed emergency and got arrested many opposition leaders. To fight the dictatorial arrogance of Indira Gandhi people raised to the occasion and leadership came in the form of Jayaprakash Narayan (JP). Indira lost power in the elections held two years after imposition of emergency. Extreme rightwing Jana Sangh to the extreme left parties came under one Umbrella. Morarji Desai became Prime Minister.

Janata coalition headed by Morarji Desai, which included right wing Hindu Nationalists with loyalties to RSS, was united mainly by its hatred of Indira Gandhi rather than fighting dictatorial tendencies. Government lost majority in infighting and Charan Singh replaced him. In the subsequent elections Indira Gandhi swept back into power with the slogan vote for Stability. People preferred Indira over right-wing Hindu Nationalists and unstable governments.

Rajiv Gandhi succeeded Indira and in the elections that followed he won the largest majority in history. After five years he was defeated by National Front an opposition coalition headed by NT Rama Rao. VP Singh who uncovered political corruption of Rajiv became the Prime Minister. BJP and left parties extended outside support but BJP withdrew after few months over the Ram temple issue causing its collapse. Chandrashekhar succeeded VP Singh.

After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination amidst election campaign, in May 1991, PV Narasimha Rao succeeded Chandrashekhar as prime minister after the general elections in June. Rao began efforts to restructure India’s economy from day one. His years as Prime Minister saw the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as alternative to Congress.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee of BJP was Prime Minister of India thrice. Between Vajpayee first and second terms, there were two instable United Front Governments headed by HD Devegowda, IK Gujral for less than two years put together. Vajpayee was the first Indian prime minister not of the Indian National Congress to serve a full term in office.

In 2004 elections Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi, emerged as the single largest party and formed the United Progressive Alliance. The UPA, with the outside support of Communist Parties, formed the next government headed by Manmohan Singh. 2009 general election saw the UPA return with an increased mandate, with Singh continuing as Prime Minister.

In 2014 elections Narendra Modi led the BJP to victory and won majority of seats on its own and became Prime Minister. Second time he became Prime Minister following his party's and NDA’s grand victory in 2019 elections. However, as the years passed, Modi is being criticized for centralizing power and belittling cooperative federalism and thereby systematically eroding federal structure. He controversially initiated demonetization of high-denomination banknotes and farm laws. Modi remains a figure of controversy by his opponents over his Hindu nationalist beliefs, democratic relapsing, bulldozing every institution, basic rights of democracy, secular fabric of the nation, besides ruthlessly, arrogantly and unethically trying to silence the opposition, immorally and illegally toppling the democratically elected state governments.

KCR’s proposed National Party seems to be fully gearing up to shoulder the responsibility and take lead to enlist the support of non-congress, non-BJP parties for 'BJP-Mukt Bharat' to protect the country from the harmful divisive forces and to restore the country back to its glorious past of secularist tradition and commitment to diversity. It also will be the beginning to lay a strong foundation for the country to once again stand tall with true democratic and secular values and become an economic power in Asia as well as in the world. END