[Letter from SV Raju]

Summary

In this letter dated December 29, 1976, S. V. Raju congratulates the recipient on his release from detention and resignation from the DMK. Referring to a report in The Times of India, Raju notes that the detention had been described as “God’s punishment for deserting Rajaji,” and says this sentence dispelled any disappointment he may have felt about the recipient’s resignation from the party.

Raju characterizes the Swatantra Party as “mortally wounded,” blaming not its foes but those who claimed to be its votaries. He encloses an article he wrote in Freedom First about the party’s last National Convention, while clarifying that he is not urging the recipient to join the Swatantra Party again. The letter closes with Raju’s admission that he made a mistake in trying to build up Hande, followed by the reflective line, “We all live and learn!”

Key points

• The letter is dated December 29, 1976, and is signed by S. V. Raju.
• Raju welcomes the recipient’s release from detention and resignation from the DMK.
• He quotes The Times of India’s description of the detention as “God’s punishment for deserting Rajaji.”
• He argues that the Swatantra Party is “mortally wounded” because of its alleged votaries rather than its opponents.
• He encloses an article published in or submitted to Freedom First concerning the Swatantra Party’s last National Convention.
• He explicitly says that the enclosure is not a suggestion that the recipient rejoin the Swatantra Party.
• Raju acknowledges his own mistake in trying to build up Hande and ends on a note of self-correction.