Minutes of the meeting of the National Executive of the Swatantra party held in Bombay on June 29, 1976

Summary

These are the minutes of the National Executive of the Swatantra Party, held in Bombay on 29 June 1976 during the Emergency and dated Madras, 4 September 1976. G. K. Sundaram took the chair, and nine members attended. The Executive first considered the Ruling Party’s proposed amendments to the Constitution — drawing on an Interim Report prepared by a committee of MPs, leaders of political parties, and public men convened by Jayaprakash Narayan — and adopted a resolution declaring the amendments “wholly uncalled for” apart from those relating to territorial matters, and reaffirming faith in the Constitution as originally framed by the Constituent Assembly.

The resolution located the country’s troubles in “poor government and mismanagement of the economy,” not in the Constitution, which it accused the ruling party of scapegoating for the failure of its own policies. The Executive further reiterated its “oft-repeated position that in a democracy the politics of extra/unconstitutional agitation can have no part.”

The bulk of the meeting concerned the proposed formation of a new party announced by Jayaprakash Narayan. S. V. Raju read out a letter he had received from Bhanu Pratap Singh, Acting General Secretary of the BLD, together with a copy of Singh’s letter to N. K. Ganesan and a draft policy statement the BLD preferred over the one drafted by JP’s Steering Committee. The Executive resolved to welcome the initiative under JP’s guidance and to accept many of the economic solutions on offer, but declined to dissolve the Swatantra Party unless (a) the programme of the new party and (b) an assurance that this would produce a single non-communist national alternative were both satisfied.

On the question of general elections, the Executive held that fair and free elections would only be possible once the Emergency and its attendant Acts were withdrawn, fundamental rights and freedoms restored, and the press freed from all forms of censorship; under present conditions, elections “would be nothing short of fraud.” An alternate draft of the new party’s programme received from the BLD (for a proposed “Janata Party”) was described as closer to the Swatantra position but still needing clarification. The Executive further resolved that the Emergency did not prevent party units from holding study circles and group discussions among members, and directed that such meetings be called on questions of party organisation and policy. The minutes were signed by V. S. Srikumar, Joint Secretary.

Key points

• Meeting of the Swatantra Party National Executive held in Bombay on 29 June 1976 during the Emergency; minutes issued from All India Swatantra Party National Headquarters, Madras, on 4 September 1976, and signed by V. S. Srikumar as Joint Secretary.
• Executive rejected the Ruling Party’s proposed constitutional amendments (except those on territorial matters) as “wholly uncalled for,” and reaffirmed faith in the Constitution as originally framed by the Constituent Assembly.
• Blamed the country’s difficulties on poor government and mismanagement of the economy, not on the Constitution, which it charged the ruling party with making the scapegoat for the failure of wrong policies.
• Considered an Interim Report on the working of the Indian Constitution prepared by a committee of MPs, party leaders, and public men convened by Jayaprakash Narayan.
• Welcomed JP’s initiative to form a new party and committed the Swatantra Party to work for a unified democratic national alternative, but refused to dissolve itself unless the new party’s programme was acceptable and a single non-communist alternative was assured.
• Held that in a democracy the politics of extra-constitutional or unconstitutional agitation can have no legitimate role.
• Rejected the legitimacy of general elections while the Emergency, its attendant Acts, restrictions on fundamental rights, and press censorship remained in place, declaring such elections “nothing short of fraud.”
• Considered an alternate draft for a new “Janata Party” received from the BLD as closer to the Swatantra position but needing clarification, and directed party units to hold study circles and group discussions on party organisation and policy despite the Emergency.