NATIONAL POLITICS

Insaf Morcha: National Convener

Shahabuddin's Appeal to UP Voters,2 Sep'96

"In election season, parties and alliances sprout like wild grass. Most of them have no ideological pretention or organizational foundation. To attract attention, they make emotional appeals and impossible demands! But really, they have one purpose only to make a deal - votes vs tickets with established political formations. Sometimes the motive is worse: diversion of votes against money.

Muslim votes are the particular target of such wheeler-dealers, because as caste polarization increases, Muslim votes are the only floating and divided votes available for positive delivery or for negative diversion. One does not know what is their real motive and who is manipulating them from behind the scene.

Today, in UP, clearly the electoral contest has become triangular the BJP, the BSP-Congress (1), the SP-UF, the last two can, in the Indian context and relative to the BJP, claim to be secular formations with varying degrees of credibility. Their common objective is not to allow BJP to gain an overall majority (213 is the magic number), in fact, to contain it within 175!

Neither of these two formations have the strength to defeat the BJP in all constituencies. Their strength varies from region to region and from constituency to constituency, depending upon the strength of the party, the caste-combination and the status of the candidate. Generally speaking, the higher castes (Brahmins, Rajputs and Vaishyas) and the forward section of the Shudras (OBC's) particularly the Kurmis, the Lodhs and a smaller section of the SC's are inclined towards the BJP. One forward section of the OBC's, the Yadavs, form the base of the SP, with some MBC's, some SC's and an overwhelming majority of the Muslims. The BSP controls the most of the SC's, particularly the Chamars and some MBC's and a small proportion of the Muslims. One does not quite know whether the Congress commands any specific support but, Ali said and done, for historical reasons, it still commands 5-10% votes everywhere.

It is clear, therefore, that in many constituencies, the SP-UF may be in a position to defeat the BJP provided they distribute their tickets wisely and equitably, pick up the right person of the right social group in the right place. As such, the SP-UF deserves full support in these constituencies of all secular voters, who must vote massively and unitedly.

But there would still be some constituencies in which the main challenge to the BJP comes from the BSP-Cong candidate because the SP-UF candidate may be weaker in terms of caste, personality and credibility. In such constituencies, the secular voters must assess the relative strength of the candidates of both the secular formations and vote for the real and effective challenger to BJP, rising above religion and caste.

The enlightened secular electorate of UP must, therefore, ignore the small parties and independents as well as new formations and alliances, and decide constituency by constituency between SP-UF and BSP- Congress only, vote massively and unitedly for the winning candidate and use its electoral power positively to defeat the BJP and to install a secular government in UP."

JD: National Executive Resolutions,

31 August, 1996 (Extracts) On Political Situation

The National Executive of the Janata Dal warmly greats the historic consolidation and the consequent victory of the Parties and groups dedicated to secularism, social justice and federalism achieved in the wake of the Parliamentary General Elections over the divisive forces of communalism.

. The National Executive. appeals to all the people to close ranks to fight against the common adversary. It calls upon all those colleagues who share this perspective to help in this historic struggle. Reservation

On The announcement made by the Prime Minister about provision of 10% reservation for the economically backwards among the forward castes is a welcome reiteration of the promise made by Shri V.P. Singh in 1990 as Prime Minister of NF Government. It would however necessarily require all party consultation for a constitutional amendment, enabling Legislatures to go beyond the Supreme Court ban on reserving more than 50% of public jobs.

Reservation for the SC's and ST's will also have to be increased to correspond with their actual population including non-Hindu Dalits.

Extension of the principle of social justice to the private sector too has become more urgent in the context of the privatization programmes.

The National Executive reiterates that while it favours reservations for religious minorities without disturbing the reservations already given to the backward sections among them, it also recommends that steps should be taken to ensure that reservation already given is actually realized. A Committee may be appointed to determine the quantum of reservation.

While TADA has been repealed, those detained under it are still prosecuted under its provisions. This injustice should be set right.

The JD believe Government's initiatives on holding the General Election to the J&K assembly and various policy announcements and programmes of socio- economic development by the Prime Minister would certainly resolve the complicated problems in the State. The highest priority has to be given to ensuring the fairness of the elections and maximizing the people's voluntary participation.

The National Executive would like to appeal to all those colleagues who left the Party before the Parliamentary General Election to rejoin us in this quest.