[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

This dated 12 August 1974 letter from the Karnataka State Swatantra Party’s treasurer P. S. Sridhara Murthy and joint secretary A. S. Nagabhushana Rao to M. R. Masani, editor of Freedom First, objects to the proposed merger of the Swatantra Party with the B.A.D. The writers explain that they could not attend the Delhi convention and announce a Karnataka meeting for 18 August to discuss the disadvantages of merger and the way the convention was conducted. They enclose a Kannada meeting notice and refer to a further letter addressed to N. K. Ganapaiah.

The letter reports that five state units have opposed the merger and declared their intention to retain Swatantra’s name, flag, and symbol. It asks Masani to coordinate the state units that reject the merger and to keep the Karnataka authors informed of any steps taken. The final page is a Swatantra Party letterhead fragment bearing the slogan “DEFEND YOUR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS” and an attribution to Rajaji; the rendered pages also include a Kannada enclosure whose full contents are not translated here.

Key points

• The authors oppose the proposed merger of the Swatantra Party with the B.A.D.
• They were unable to attend the Delhi convention and criticize both the merger proposal and the conduct of the convention.
• A meeting of Karnataka state council members and important party workers was planned for 18 August 1974.
• The letter states that five state units opposed the merger and intended to retain Swatantra’s name, flag, and symbol.
• The authors ask M. R. Masani to help establish liaison among anti-merger state units.
• The enclosures include a Kannada meeting notice and a letter addressed to N. K. Ganapaiah.
• The party letterhead fragment foregrounds the defence of fundamental rights and attributes the slogan to Rajaji.