[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

The document is a brief handwritten cover letter from J. Ramabhadran of the Swatantra Party Ad-hoc Committee Office (4, V. S. Mudaly Street, Saidapet, Madras) to Minoo Masani at 148 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bombay, dated 29 September 1981. Ramabhadran thanks Masani for his telegram of 14 September 1981 conveying best wishes, encloses the proceedings of the 20 September meeting, and promises to report often on the committee’s activities.

The enclosed typewritten proceedings, signed by S. Krishnan on 26 September 1981, record a preparatory meeting of erstwhile Swatantra Party workers held at Srinivasa Sastry Hall, Luz, Mylapore, Madras, on Sunday 20 September 1981 at 4:15 p.m. to consider reviving the Swatantra Party. S. Krishnan presided; P. T. Raghavan opened with a prayer; P. C. Satagopan welcomed the gathering and argued that only Swatantra policies could bring salvation to the country in all spheres, political, economic and moral. Ramabhadran read out letters and telegrams of support received for the move, chief among them a telegram of best wishes from M. R. Masani and letters and assurances from Sri Saw Ganesan and others.

In his presidential address Krishnan exhorted members that, despite heavy odds, it was their imperative duty to uphold and propagate Swatantra ideals in the name of Rajaji, who had started the party when he was eighty. Delegates attended from Ramnad, Madurai, Trichy, Tanjore, Periyar, Coimbatore, North Arcot, Chingleput and Madras districts; most spoke to assess conditions in their areas and strongly advocated revival. An Ad-hoc Committee was constituted with S. Krishnan, P. C. Satagopan and J. Ramabhadran as conveners, empowered to co-opt members, form ad-hoc committees wherever possible, and organise a convention for the formal revival of the party. A resolution was passed unanimously: ‘This meeting of erstwhile Swatantra Workers resolves to revive and activise the Swatantra Party.’ Trichy district workers offered to host the Revival Convention at their headquarters; annual subscription was fixed at Re. 1/-, and members made spontaneous donations, some pledging monthly contributions. The meeting concluded at 8:30 p.m. with a vote of thanks moved by Ramabhadran.

Key points

• Handwritten cover letter dated 29 September 1981 from J. Ramabhadran, sent from the Swatantra Party Ad-hoc Committee Office in Saidapet, Madras, to Minoo Masani in Bombay, forwarding the proceedings of the 20 September preparatory meeting.
• Ramabhadran acknowledges Masani’s telegram of 14 September 1981 conveying best wishes and undertakes to report often on the committee’s activities.
• The enclosed proceedings document a meeting of erstwhile Swatantra Party workers held on 20 September 1981 at Srinivasa Sastry Hall, Mylapore, Madras, called to consider reviving the party.
• S. Krishnan presided; P. C. Satagopan argued that only Swatantra policies could bring political, economic and moral salvation to the country; Ramabhadran read out letters and telegrams of support, including one from M. R. Masani.
• Krishnan’s presidential address invoked Rajaji, ‘who undertook the responsibility of starting the Party when he was eighty,’ as the moral anchor for the revival attempt against ‘political chaos and economic crisis.’
• An Ad-hoc Committee with Krishnan, Satagopan and Ramabhadran as conveners was formed with powers to co-opt members and organise a formal Revival Convention, hosted by Trichy workers.
• A unanimous resolution — ‘This meeting of erstwhile Swatantra Workers resolves to revive and activise the Swatantra Party’ — was passed; annual subscription was set at Re. 1/- and members contributed spontaneous donations.
• District attendance is recorded from Ramnad, Madurai, Trichy, Tanjore, Periyar, Coimbatore, North Arcot, Chingleput and Madras — evidence that the revival attempt drew primarily on the Tamil Nadu Swatantra cadre.