[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

This handwritten letter, dated 4 November 1974 and sent from the Swatantra Party in Bombay to M. R. Masani, concerns a memorandum submitted to the Governor on behalf of a citizens’ committee of which Masani was a member. The writer asks Masani to give attention to the issues raised in the memorandum and seeks information about an impending national convention.

The letter places its proposal in the context of Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement to save democracy and invokes work previously undertaken by Rajaji. It urges a small group of dedicated workers to convene a National Convention from 8 to 23 December, provide a lead in forming a two-party system, and participate in the movement for the dissolution of the House of the People and related programmes. The sender says a copy of the memorandum will be sent to Masani and closes by asking for information about the convention. The handwritten signature is not legible enough to establish the sender’s identity.

Key points

• The letter is dated 4 November 1974 and is addressed to M. R. Masani in Bombay.
• The writer reports sending a memorandum to the Governor on behalf of a citizens’ committee.
• The proposal is framed as a response to Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement for saving democracy.
• The letter recalls Rajaji’s earlier work and calls for action by a few dedicated workers.
• A National Convention is proposed for 8–23 December.
• The convention is asked to give the nation a lead toward forming a two-party system.
• The writer supports participation in a movement for dissolution of the House of the People and related programmes.