[Letter to R M Totala]

Summary

This seven-page archival correspondence file, dated August–September 1967, concerns invitations and responses related to the inaugural national convention of the Bhartiya Kranti Dal at Indore. Rameshwardayal M. Totala asks N. Dandekar to contribute an article to a souvenir and outlines the proposed symposium theme: “Future of Political Parties in India. Will Democracy survive? Whether the cause of Democratic can be helped?” A subsequent letter invites Dandekar to write on “Foreign Policy under Congress Rule,” while the final reply, dated 4 September, declines the request because of illness, heavy work pressure, and an impending operation.

Key points

• The file records Bhartiya Kranti Dal convention correspondence from August and September 1967.
• The inaugural national convention was scheduled for 1–2 October 1967 at Indore.
• The proposed souvenir was intended to collect views from political parties and independent intellectuals.
• The symposium’s stated concerns included the future of political parties, the survival of Indian democracy, and democratic reform.
• One invitation requested an article on foreign policy under Congress rule; another invited a contribution on politics, political philosophy, administration, economics, industry, and fiscal policy.
• The enclosed draft, “The Future of Democracy,” argues that the 1967 elections ended the assumption of Congress invincibility.
• The draft distinguishes principle-based coalition government, illustrated by Orissa, from opportunistic post-election defections in Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Handwritten routing notes indicate that the correspondence and draft circulated for editorial or organisational decisions.