IS JP RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RSS-BJP RAJ TODAY ? Lohiaji was the father of the anti-Congress front

Prabhakar Sinha

There are many who blame JP for the spectacular rise of the RSS-BJP today. They have a right to think so, but I find little substance in their opinion.

First, it is knowingly or unknowingly misleading to allege that JP gave the Jan Sangh ( the BJP's parent ) the respectability it was denied earlier insinuating that earlier it was a pariah which the political parties avoided.

They conceal the fact that the Jan Sangh was a partner in the United Front government in Bihar in 1967.

The Sanyukt Socialist Party and the CPI were also constituents of the United Front government headed by Mahamaya Babu. Karpoori Thakur was the Deputy Chief Minister. Two Jan Sangh and two CPI members were cabinet Ministers.

Lohiaji was the father of the anti-Congress front because he considered the Congress regime baneful for India.

Lohiaji's policy of 'Gair Congress-wad ( anti Congress-ism ) was made in utmost freedom.

JP had taken 'Sanyas '(retirement ) from party politics and had joined the Bhoodan Movement under Binova Bhave. During 1974 Bihar movement, he had been trying hard to keep the political parties out of it.

In 1977(during the emergency ), when Indira Gandhi declared the election for Lok Sabha , JP either could decide to keep out of the polls or to accept her challenge. He chose to accept the challenge. He had to choose between either letting the political parties fight the election separately and losing as they had been doing or to end his Sanyas, take the initiative to ensure that the anti-Indira votes were not split.

It was also a choice between defeating Indira Gandhi and saving democracy or lose the election and establish and legitimate her authoritarian rule. If one considers his choice without taking into consideration its context and its consequences one can come to any conclusion , but not if one takes into account the consequences for India if the opposition lost.

It is also not easy to attribute ( forgetting the loss and gain of the BJP for the next 15 years or more since 1977) the spectacular rise of the BJP to the inclusion of the Jan Sangh in the Janata Party at JP's initiative. Seven years after the formation of the Janata Party in 1977 and vesting the Jan Sangh with the alleged honour , its successor the BJP, was reduced to just two seats in the Lok Sabha. The BJP had to wait for almost 20 years after its induction in the Janata Party before it came to power at the center.

The fact is that the RSS has been working tirelessly and with singleness of purpose to achieve its coveted goal of making India a Hindu Rashtra while the others have been working with the same zeal to serve their petty personal interests.

It is not fair to shift the blame of one's failure on JP who fought for democracy from his death-bed and saved it.