[Letter to Mr Girish Munshi]

Summary

This three-page English-language record is a letter from V. B. Bhatia, Executive Secretary at the Swatantra Party’s National Headquarters in Bombay, to Girish Munshi, dated August 27, 1974. Bhatia responds to Munshi’s request that the party headquarters be handed over because the Swatantra Party was expected to cease to exist. He explains that the party’s National Convention had welcomed the formation of a National Alternative through the amalgamation of political forces other than the ruling Congress and Communist parties, and that the proposed Bharatiya Lok Dal had developed a programme acceptable to the Swatantra Party.

The attached two-page draft resolution records the party’s effort to create a two-party system in India, which it presents as a way to remove political chaos and electoral confusion. It authorises President Piloo Mody to pursue negotiations, describes discussions with several senior party figures, and approves the proposed merger in principle while allowing members who do not join the new party to continue non-partisan activities under another name. The letter itself postpones any immediate transfer of the headquarters until the National Executive has completed its review and Piloo Mody has clarified the necessary arrangements.

Key points

• V. B. Bhatia’s August 27, 1974 letter answers a request from Girish Munshi concerning the Swatantra Party’s Bombay headquarters.
• The letter cites a National Convention resolution welcoming a National Alternative formed from political forces other than Congress and the Communist parties.
• The proposed new organisation is identified as Bharatiya Lok Dal, or the People’s Party of India.
• The attached resolution frames a two-party system as a remedy for political chaos and confusion among voters.
• The Swatantra Party conditionally accepts a common programme and prepares for its own dissolution and merger.
• Members declining to join the new party are permitted to continue non-partisan activities under another name.
• The letter advises Munshi to await the National Executive’s review and consult Piloo Mody before transferring or otherwise dealing with the headquarters.