The 13th Lok Sabha will have two major issues before it. First of them is the issue of communalism and the threat it poses to national unity. Despite the repeated pronouncements of good intentions by BJP leaders, the fact is that they are believed by nobody, least of all by the minorities. Even during the elections, at Lucknow, Vajpayee's own constituency, Professor Rajendra Singh had said that the RSS had not given up its goal of temple construction at the Babari site, and also "advised" the Muslims to willingly give up their claims on the mosques at Mathura and Varanasi. At that time Vajpayec or any other BJP leader did not show the guts to oppose the RSS chief's contention of even distance himself from it.

And now the VHP and Bajrang Dal have unleashed an intense campaign against the Christians. Their immediate target is the scheduled visit to India by Pope John Paul II, religious head of the Catholic Christians. The latest issue of the Organiser has also carried as many as three, highly vituperative articles against the Pope's visit. The VHP and Bajrang Dal have even started a yatra from Goa in order to incite anti-Christian sentiments; the yatra will reach Delhi on November 4, one day before the Pope's visit commences. Initially, these communal organisations were opposed to the visit itself.

But seeing no favourable response, they changed their tune; now they are making all sorts of preposterous demands, like the Pope should apologise for the atrocities committed by the Portuguese in Goa three or four centuries ago, he should pronounce against "forcible" conversions, or the Vatican should "stop aiding the ultra groups in the North East", and so on. All this has sent a wave of panic among the Christian and other minorities.

It should be noted here that India has a very big population of the minority communities, something like 180 millions, and that if these minorities get isolated from the national mainstream, this is bound to have severe repercussions for the nation's unity and stability.

It is here that the BJP's allies will be facing a tough test. Most of these allies, barring the Shiv Sena, have been professing secularism, and in the days to come the people will be watching to see how far these allies are prepared to go to ward off the impending dangers to the nation's unity and stability. Some of them did try to rebuke the VHP's campaign against the Pope's campaign against the Pope's visit, but in a very muted voice which was almost unnoticeable.

Apart from secularism, many of the BJP's allies have been ardent champions of federalism also, the second pillar of India's unity. They have been correct in thinking that secularism and federalism are essential ingredients of any polity, particuiarly in a multi- religious, multi-lingual and multi-ethnic country like India. But, if one goes. By their record during the earlier tenure of the BJP-led government, one only gets disappointed by their performance. Even when blatant anti-federal authoritarian steps were being taken by the centre, like the two attempts to dislodge the elected Bihar government through the misuse of Article 356,the BJP's allies chose to remain tight-lipped. But their role will assume extra significance in the days to come. For, if they wish, by their sheer numbers they an prevent the government from taking any anti-democratic and anti-secular step. It is because of this fact that the people of the country will by keenly observing their performance ... (Source: The People's Democracy, 24 October, 1999)

CPI(M): Central Committee Statement, 12 October, 1999

The BJP-led government assuming office is based on a heterogeneous alliance. Unlike the BJP, its major supporters the TDP and its ally the DMK do not share the Hindutva ideology, even though they collaborated with the BJP. They have their own regional identities and aspirations. The disparate and conflicting aims of the alliance partners will bring to the fore contradictions.

Despite what is professed by the National Democratic Alliance and stated by the Prime Minister, the RSS and its organisations are determined to push forward the Hindutva agenda. They will make covert and systematic efforts to advance their aims ... In such a situation, the Central Committee decided that it will resolutely oppose any attempt to push through the Hindutva agenda and the penetration of the State apparatus by the communal forces ...

The Central Committee reiterated the need to reforge the unity of the Left, democratic and secular forces so as to present an effective third alternative ... (Source: The People's Democracy,17 October, 1999