The Hindu : Defeat BJP, says citizens forum

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

National

National

Defeat BJP, says citizens forum

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 30. A group of citizens has come together to join the "struggle" to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the general elections so that the "country is saved from the pernicious ideology and practice of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)."

Addressing a press conference here today, the forum, comprising historians, lawyers, academicians and social workers, said that this was the most crucial election since Independence as at stake was the survival of the country's republican Constitution and the plural, democratic conception of society on which it was based.

It alleged that the BJP-led NDA Government had been an "instrument for the consolidation of the communal-fascist agenda of the RSS," which was accountable to none and was "exerting a dangerous extra-constitutional authority."

"Breaking with the constitutional tradition of neutrality of gubernatorial positions, almost all Governors of the States are RSS members."

In the sphere of education and culture, the Government was propagating the RSS ideology by enforcing changes in the school curriculum, initiating reactionary programmes in colleges and universities, and installing RSS members and supporters in academic and cultural institutions of national importance, it charged.

The economic policies had at once led to "immense concentration of wealth and to the impoverishment of vast masses of people."

Indiscriminate privatisation, particularly of the social sectors, and disinvestment of even profit-making public sector undertakings and those in strategic sectors, had added to the people's burden, it said.

"The BJP has been able to implement this programme because of its electoral gains in the last two general elections. The division of secular vote has contributed significantly to these gains in many constituencies. In this context, the people's initiative is urgently needed."

"We appeal to all political parties and groups to avoid division of votes and strive for the maximum possible adjustments among secular parties and forces. The electoral scene in Uttar Pradesh, in particular, calls for maximum maturity and restraint on the part of the parties such as the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party,'' it said.

If the parties and groups, for whatever reason, were unable to arrive at a satisfactory understanding, it appealed to the voters to choose the strongest candidate and mobilise votes in his/her favour to ensure the defeat of the BJP and its allies.

The forum members are Prem Shankar Jha, Sita Hariharan, Saswati Majumdar, Manoranjan Mohanty, Badri Raina and several student unions.

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