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The RSS and the BJP

Ranabir Ray Choudhury

THE latest `slanging match' between the RSS and its `political outfit', the BJP, is important not so much because of the impact it could have on the future of the Government at the Centre (which is important no doubt) but because of the impact the `diffe rences' could have on the (ideological) health of the BJP itself.

One may ask why the `ideological health' of the BJP is so important as opposed to its `political' health. To answer this crucial question, one has to go back to the issue of the `slanging match', the ultimate resolution of which will probably determine n ot only the future of the BJP but also the political future of the country itself.

Some may see this link between the fate of a single political party and the future of the Indian political system as too far-fetched and, therefore, unrealistic on the ground that the country's political future is a much bigger subject, depending on many factors other than the future of a single political party.

The reasoning is conventionally correct. However, when applied to the current political situation, and also to the trend visible over the past six or seven years, it does not appear to be particularly appropriate for at least one main reason.

This is that since the present Indian political system has come to be governed by coalitions, the health of that system will depend primarily on the `stability' of coalition Governments at the Centre.

It is clear from recent experience (which appears to be setting the framework for the Indian political system for at least the next 10-15 years) that no coalition at the Centre can be stable unless at least one constituent is powerful enough to call the shots and get the other, smaller, regional political outfits into line, in a manner of speaking.

Currently,this role is performed by the BJP, though it is entirely possible that within the next few years the Congress(I) could be doing the same thing (as head of another, rival coalition).

There is no reason why coalition Governments at the Centre should not be welcomed provided they are `healthy'. However, as argued above, this `health' is solely dependent on the health of the leading partner, in the present case the BJP.

The question is: will the BJP remain healthy if it cuts off, or loosens, its ideological roots, which are firmly implanted in the RSS, the spring of all the values and ideals that Mr Vajpayee's party flaunts before the nation?

Modern history shows that any political party worth its salt must remain true to its organisational precepts if it is to play an important role in a nation's affairs for a sufficiently long period of time.

Conversely, no political party without strong and vibrant organisational roots can hope to make a lasting mark on the politics of its time. If this view is correct, in the case of the BJP, as also in the case of the Congress(I), the organisation must ret ain the supreme position, its political wing running a Government unequivocally playing second fiddle.

If the BJP cannot accept this formulation for whatever reason, the party as a political outfit (as we know it today) will not be able to play the sort of role it is playing today. Among other things, a split is inevitable, if one is to go by precedence.

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