[Telegram to Mr Girish Munshi]

Summary

This five-page correspondence file contains two related letters from V. S. Srikumar, Joint Secretary of the Swatantra Party, to Girish Munshi, dated 20 and 23 June 1975. The letters discuss a proposal that Jayaprakash Narayan lead or coordinate a united non-Communist opposition. Srikumar distinguishes between an immediate merger of opposition parties and a looser federation, arguing that premature merger could create friction and damage the parties’ credibility.

Key points

• The correspondence considers how non-Communist opposition parties should cooperate in 1975.
• Srikumar argues that outright merger without prior preparation could produce day-to-day friction and leadership conflicts.
• He recommends a federal organisation with a common minimum programme and coordinated legislative action.
• The letters propose that parties retain separate identities outside legislatures while functioning as one bloc inside them.
• Jayaprakash Narayan is presented as a respected moral leader whose public standing might be damaged by becoming a conventional party politician.
• Srikumar suggests that sustained joint working over three to five years could make eventual merger more practicable.
• The correspondence asks Munshi to seek Jayaprakash Narayan’s leadership or guidance for the proposed federation.