[Letter Form Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

In this letter dated November 1, 1967, M. R. Masani congratulates an unnamed colleague on election to the Swatantra Party’s General Council and discusses the forthcoming election of party office-bearers. After seven years as General Secretary, Masani argues that the party should rotate its leadership just as parliamentary democracy benefits from changes of government. He compares this principle to job rotation in industrial management and asks the party president and Rajaji not to retain him in the post.

Key points

• Masani writes after the recipient’s election to the Swatantra Party’s General Council.
• He advocates changing the party’s office-bearers after his own seven-year tenure as General Secretary.
• He links internal party rotation to the democratic value of avoiding excessively prolonged governments.
• He recommends that Mr. Dandekar, who had acted as General Secretary during Masani’s leave, succeed him for two years.
• Masani argues that a political party needs a broad, disciplined cadre rather than relying almost entirely on its office-bearers.
• He offers to continue serving the party in Parliament and outside it through speeches and writing.