[Letter to George Fernanded]

Summary

This one-page English letter, dated May 4, 1970, was sent from Swatantra Party National Headquarters in Bombay by General Secretary R. C. Cooper to George Fernandes, General Secretary of the Samyukta Socialist Party. Cooper reports that the Swatantra Party’s National Executive agreed that dialogue with Fernandes’s party should be preceded by agreement on a common programme. The Executive also reaffirmed that dialogue would be meaningful and successful only when a viable alternative to the present government was available, requiring an Opposition Front with an agreed programme.

The letter nevertheless supports continuing bilateral talks with Fernandes’s party. Cooper encloses two notes for discussion: “Towards a better future,” attributed to Piloo Mody, and a draft “Economic Policy” paper prepared by the Working Group on Economic Policy. He asks Fernandes to respond to the contents of both notes and copies M. R. Pai.

Key points

• The letter records the Swatantra Party’s response to George Fernandes’s March 11 correspondence.
• The Swatantra Party placed its letter before its National Executive at meetings held in New Delhi on April 11.
• The party argued that dialogue with the present government should follow agreement on a common programme.
• It maintained that meaningful dialogue required a viable alternative and an Opposition Front with an agreed programme.
• The party supported continuing bilateral talks with Fernandes’s party.
• Two discussion notes were enclosed: “Towards a better future” by Piloo Mody and a draft “Economic Policy” paper.
• M. R. Pai was copied on the correspondence.