[Letter to SV Raju]

Summary

This handwritten letter, dated 27 April 1974 and sent from Tamil Fortnightly’s Madras office to S. V. Raju, discusses the proposed merger of the Swatantra Party with a new party. The unidentified sender explains repeated unsuccessful attempts to reach Raju by telephone and asks for his assessment of the merger decision taken at Delhi, including how Minoo Masani received it.

The letter focuses on the party’s internal constitutional and procedural difficulties. It notes that the party has been without a General Secretary and an important executive for six months, questions whether the Executive Committee can make decisions in those circumstances, and argues that the General Council should discuss the proposed merger before it is finalized. The sender also recalls the party’s 1971 electoral debacle, criticizes the non-democratic removal of H. M. Patel from the presidency, and asks Raju to suggest alternate telephone numbers. The sender’s signature is present but not confidently legible.

Key points

• The letter concerns the proposed merger of the Swatantra Party with a new political party.
• The sender asks S. V. Raju about the decision reportedly taken in Delhi and Minoo Masani’s reaction.
• The party is described as having lacked a General Secretary and an important executive for six months.
• The sender questions whether the Executive Committee can legitimately decide on the merger under those circumstances.
• The letter calls for the General Council to discuss the merger before a decision is made.
• The sender recalls the party’s 1971 electoral defeat and criticizes H. M. Patel’s removal from the presidency as undemocratic.
• The letter also records unsuccessful efforts to contact Raju by telephone and requests alternate numbers.