BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Summary

The editorial welcomes the Swatantra Party’s decision to join the National Democratic Front, arguing that the alliance offers a clearer democratic alternative to the increasingly authoritarian direction of Indira Gandhi’s government. It portrays the government as combining a continuing monopoly of power with administrative and political manoeuvre, while seeking legitimacy through promises of popular participation and socialist rhetoric.

The article acknowledges that the opposition parties have not yet articulated a fully agreed common programme, but argues that remaining outside the alliance would have weakened their shared interests. It presents Minoo Masani’s insistence on a common programme as reasonable while accepting that political circumstances require the alliance to develop its programme over time. The editorial concludes that the coalition’s immediate value lies in consolidating democratic forces and providing a safeguard against an unprincipled adjustment between the SSP and CPI(M).

Key points

• Welcomes the Swatantra Party’s entry into the National Democratic Front.
• Criticises Indira Gandhi’s government as increasingly authoritarian and politically manoeuvring.
• Argues that opposition parties need to present a united democratic challenge.
• Acknowledges the absence of a fully formulated common programme among the allied parties.
• Defends Minoo Masani’s demand for an agreed programme while recognising political constraints.
• Maintains that shared fundamental aims should take precedence over sectarian or tactical interests.
• Treats Swatantra’s participation as a safeguard against an unprincipled SSP–CPI(M) arrangement.