[Swatantra Party General Council]

Summary

This two-page reproduced letter contains comments and suggestions by Mr. N. Parthasarathy, a Swatantra Party parliamentary candidate from Tamil Nadu, addressed to Mr. Masani and dated 6 April 1971. Parthasarathy argues that the party should avoid electoral alliances because they blur its separate identity, divert its resources toward other parties, and expose its weak organisation. He proposes rebuilding the party around four independent wings: agriculturists; small traders and merchants; professionals; and industrialists, with organisational units extending from local or district bases to state and national committees.

The letter sets out two guiding principles for the party: an individual right to property and freedom of speech and action, subject to accepted social traditions and culture. It also recommends that economic policy be developed through consultation between the party leadership and the four wings, allowing policies to remain flexible and acquire mass support. Electoral candidates should be distributed proportionally among the wings according to their share of the Indian population, with each wing raising its own election funds. The letter concludes by asking Mr. Masani to reconsider his stated irrevocable resignation.

Key points

• Parthasarathy opposes future electoral alliances on the grounds that they damage the Swatantra Party’s independent identity and organisation.
• He proposes four organisational wings: agriculturists, small traders and merchants, professionals, and industrialists.
• The agricultural wing would be organised through assembly constituency units and village-level branches, while the other wings would use district or state bases.
• The labour class would not have a separate wing, but would be represented through the agricultural and industrial wings.
• The party’s guiding principles should be the fundamental right to individual property and freedom of speech and action.
• Economic policy should be developed through two-way consultation between party leaders, sectional wings, and the relevant social groups.
• Candidates and election expenses should be distributed among the four wings in proportion to their representation in India’s population and organisational base.