Public memory is short. Some people have been questioning BJP leader Narendra Modi on joining hands with die-hard opponents belonging to the Congress party and even Communists. They forget the political history of odd combinations and Ayaram Gayaram (defections) during the last seven decades of free India. Gujarat has a long history of Gandhian leaders adopting un-Gandhian methods to fulfill their ambitions.
In the Gujarat Assembly election of 1972, Congress won majority seats i.e. 140 out of 168. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi nominated Ghanshyam Oza as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party, to be the Chief Minister, which was resisted by Chimanbhai Patel. He claimed to have majority with him. Some of the elected MLAs and Congress leaders never wanted Patel to be the CM but he held a conclave of majority MLAs at Panchwati farmhouse near Gandhinagar. There were widespread allegations of Chimanbhai Patel being involved in corrupt practices and buying the MLAs. He could muster the support of majority and became the Chief Minister.
The students and education fraternity as such was agitated over various issues and influence of Patel on the managements of various colleges in the State. Some 33 years ago, the students initiated a Navnirman agitation to get rid of corruption in public life by removing the unprincipled leadership of Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel of Congress headed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. On December 20, 1973, the LD Engineering College Hostels' mess bill issue became a spark for the agitation. It spread like wildfire. The police atrocities fuelled it. Student leaders were arrested under draconian provisions of MISA. The people of Gujarat agitated over price rise and prevailing corruption, thanks to the mismanagement of the State Government. They were sympathetic to students' demands. The Government tried to use force, offered to win over student leaders but in vain. Within 77 days, the statewide student agitation under the leadership of Manishi Jani brought down not only the Patel Government but even the Gujarat Legislative Assembly was dissolved. This was a result of the agitation supported by Members of Parliament Dr Umashankar Joshi and P G Mavalankar as well as the indefinite hunger strike by Congress (Organisation) Supremo Morarji Desai. The support of Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan inspired students to agitate for Sampoorn Kranti (Complete Change). Dr Amita Shah has made an in-depth and interesting study in chronological order of Navnirman agitation titled “Youth Power in Gujarat” .
Despite open resistance from the Navnirman Committee headed by Manishi Jani and Rajya Sabha MP as well as a celebrated literary figure Dr Umashankar Joshi, the principled man Morarji put aside his principles and joined hands with Chimanbhai Patel, the same man whom he called most corrupt and unfit to rule Gujarat! Manishi says, “Jaiprakash Narayan tried to cool me down.” He reminds that though Jan Sangh and Sangh organisations opposed the Gujarat Bandh call, they were eager to enjoy fruits of the agitation. Most of the student leaders of Navnirman agitation joined Congress and power politics, but Jani remained exception till date. He never joined any political party. Even JP tried to convince him but he remained adamant. Precisely that must be the reason why he is well respected even today.
The Assembly election in 1975 was held with understanding between Congress (O), Socialists, Jan Sangh and BKD of Chaudhary Charan Singh on separate election symbols. Despite Navnirman agitation against the Congress (R ), it emerged as the largest single party with 75 seats in the 182-member Assembly. Political scientist Prof Nagindas Sanghavi states in “Gujarat: A Political Analysis” - Janata Front tom-tommed as an embodiment of popular will, could secure only 79 seats (Congress-O : 56, Jan Sangh: 18, Socialists: 2, BKD: 2 and National Labour Party: 1) and it was promised support by 8 out of 14 Independents. It still fell 4 short of majority. Chimanbhai Patel who was kicked out from Congress (R) formed a new regional political party i.e. Kisan Mazdoor Lok Paksh (KIMLOP) and contested the election. He himself lost but his party could win 12 seats. He offered unconditional support to Janata Morcha (People's Front) to form the government which had not sufficient number of seats to reach majority. The God-father of Janata Front Morarji Desai was all for KIMLOP support. His loyalist Babubhai Jashbhai Patel became the Chief Minister with much-maligned Chimanbhai Patel's support! Even BJP joined the Government headed by Chimanbhai Patel in 1990.
The 1967 Lok Sabha election proved to be weakening Congress Government headed by Indira Gandhi. Some of the northern States had experimented Governments formed by the Congress defectors joining hand with Jan Sangh, Socialists and even Communists, thanks to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Dr Rammanohar Lohia reaching a broader consensus on anti-Congress front. Late BJP Vice President Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia was very close to Mrs Gandhi and was a Congress MP. She played a key role in forming anti-Congress governments in UP, MP, Bihar and Rajasthan, though for a short period. The 1967 experience was a shock to Congress but 1977 Lok Sabha results proved that a non-Congress Government can be formed. This confidence and formula was provided by Gujarat.
Late PM Morarji Desai was known for his arrogance. Even before he was gaining momentum to be the leader of yet to be born Janata Party, he started casting aspersions on persons like Umashankar. Manishi has recorded such incidents in “Umashankar Joshini Vicharyatra”, the book edited by Manishi and Chandu Maheriya along with daughter of Umashankar Prof Swati Joshi. When Manishi met Umashankar in those days, he was definitely found hurt but never gave up efforts to make the candidates of anti-Congress front win. Even after his resignation as PM, Morarji had made certain nasty comments about Jaiprakash Narayan, the person who along with J B Kripalani was instrumental in making him the PM. Some times honest people develop ego for being honest.
National leader Sharad Pawar, who spent most of his political life with Congress, rightly stated in 1997: “In the pre-independence era and up to about 1960, the Congress was sustained not merely because of its political management, but because large sections of Congress persons were involved in what came to be designated as constructive work.” The reasoning of elevation of BJP at the national level can be found in Pawar doctrine. The RSS and affiliated organisations have been doing what Congress used to do. Their political management clubbed with constructive work has made BJP capable enough so that Narendra Modi can be at the helm of the affairs.
Next Column: Politics of Southern India: From Periyar to Jayalalithaa
(The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail: [email protected])
