SECULARISM

CWC(I): Working Committee Resolutions

27 September, 1997

The ruling UF does not present the picture of homogeneity and cohesion. The basic principle of collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers has been greatly undermined. The growing decline in the political authority and will to govern has distorted the delicate balance between different organs of our democratic polity.

The communal forces have begun to intensify their activities once again. The return of BJP as the head of the Government in UP and the whipping up of communal passion by the newly appointed Chief Minister on Ayodhya issue is an alarm signal. UF supposed to combat the consolidation of communal forces has not been able to do so because of its inept handling of major political issues.

On the whole, picture is not at all encouraging. On a number of occasions Congress President has assured the Government of our support but despite our support the functioning of the Government is not satisfactory. It is now recognised that the experiments with coalition Government in India at Centre have failed to deliver goods. Governance of a country of India's magnitude and complexity cannot be discharged casually. The present political environment where the Indian state appears to have been reduced to a rudderless ship is disturbing. No basic problem can be solved in a situation like this. Congress cannot allow the situation to drift further. This meeting of the CWC urges upon the United Front Government to take appropriate measures to discharge its responsibility of governing the country.

9 November, 1997

"The CWC notes with grave concern the unfortunate developments in U.P. where by engineering large-scale defection BJP has captured power in the State.

Anti-Congressism was prevalent in a section of the United Front leading to a political stalemate in the State immediately after the election in October 1996. No political party got clear majority but there was a possibility of formation of a non-BJP Government in UP if the suggestion of Congress President was accepted by the UF. Refusal of UF to give priority to consolidation of secular forces led to the subsequent developments.

"When the BJP-BSP alliance collapsed in U.P. UF Government did not act to impose President's rule immediately. The Governor gave 48 hours’ time to the BJP to prove its majority on the floor of the House, thus giving to it an opportunity for horse trading and engineering defections. What happened after that is known to everybody. "The BJP has projected the U.P. developments as a victory. It has launched psychological warfare through media to spread confusion in the Congress ranks by circulating rumours and false claims of defection by Congress MP's.

It is openly offering inducements and shamelessly trying to misguide the Congress MP's. We are confident that no Congress MP will oblige the BJP and a united CPP will decisively give a befitting reply to BJF Congress is committed to fight forces of communalism, disruption and disunity.  A party unable to keep its flock together in a state even after getting two thirds majority in the elections is shamelessly talking of the split of another party. It speaks of its own degeneration. "The CWC notes with satisfaction that the Government has accepted its demand and decided to lay the Jain Commission Report on the opening day off Winter Session ... The CWC calls upon the Government to supply all documents to the Commission “The Congress party has been lending support to U.F. meticulously. It is essential however that to rationalise and strengthen this relationship a board, deep and continuous dialogue between the Congress and U.F. is institutionalised at the earliest possible, to avoid friction in the future."

UF Leadership Rebuts Congress Charge

The Steering Committee expressed grave concern "at the way" UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh has promised to build the Pim temple at the disputed site and the way former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has supported the proposal. The committee clarified and reaffirmed its commitment to prevent anybody in the country from defying the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution or the rule of law. The committee asked the Government to be on the guard against these threats. The UF leaders took a serious view of the references made by RSS chief Rajendra Singh to the so-called controversy in Mathura and Kanshi.

The UF committee felt the Sangh Parivar was trying to create a communal divide to exploit it for electoral purposes as it was convinced of its political and programmatic insolvency.

(Source: The Hindustan Times, 4 October, 1997)

The Vice-President and Sai Baba

A Sai Baba crony, Shri Krishna Kant, the Vice-President of India, after being elected dashed to Puttaparthi and fell at the feet of Sai Baba, and not: the people of India!

N.T. Rama Rao's widow has stated that as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Krishna Kant played Brutus in dethroning N.T.R. and making Chandrababu Naidu the Chief Minister of A.P. who closed the case files of the 6 murders in Sai Baba's bedroom by a confidential G.O.!