PREPARATORY MEETING TO CONSIDER REVIVAL OF SWATANTRA PARTY.

Summary

This two-page letter, dated 29 August 1981 and signed by J. Ramabhadran, calls for the revival of the Swatantra Party. Recalling an earlier meeting of C. Rajagopalachari’s followers at Srinivasa Sastri Hall in Madras, it reports that participants saw an urgent need to restore the party and that Bhanu Pratap Singh had undertaken to consult like-minded people in other states. The letter presents the party’s founding in 1959 as a major post-Independence political event, arguing that Rajaji rekindled freedom in opposition to statism and socialist policies, before noting the party’s later setback and merger with the Janata Party in 1977.

The appeal frames the political situation in 1981 as a crisis marked by authoritarianism, corruption, economic disorder, and emerging communal and caste conflicts. It urges former Swatantra supporters to reject passivity, mobilise nationalist elders and others associated with Rajaji, and prepare for a meeting in September 1981. That meeting was intended to assess the situation and initiate preparations for a national-level gathering to formally revive the party. The letter closes by invoking Rajaji’s decision to launch the party at the age of 80 and asking recipients to attend and submit suggestions.

Key points

• The letter reports an August 1981 meeting in Madras that considered reviving the Swatantra Party.
• It attributes the party’s original importance to Rajaji’s opposition to statism and socialism.
• It describes India’s contemporary condition as involving authoritarianism, corruption, economic distress, and communal and caste conflict.
• It calls on former Swatantra supporters and like-minded elders to take active responsibility for political renewal.
• It announces a proposed September 1981 meeting to assess the situation and prepare a national revival meeting.
• It presents Rajaji’s founding of the party at age 80 as a model of political courage and conscience.