BJP may endorse Govt.'s economic agenda

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, AUG. 20. With the attack on the Government's economic policies from its saffron `swadeshi' fellow-travellers showing no signs of abatement, the BJP has re-worked its strategy for the coming national council meeting in Nagpur.

It may now go all out to endorse the Government's economic agenda and virtually announce, directly or indirectly, that the liberalisation-globalisation process is irreversible. Though 10 days ago, there were firm indications that there would be no economic resolution, the party leadership now feels that silence on the issue may send a wrong signal as the RSS `swadeshi' lobby continues to lambast the Government for betraying the economic agenda and following ``anti-national'' policies.

It is felt that silence on economic issues could be wrongly construed as the party's deep resentment or even opposition to Government policies. Hence, it has been decided that the national council would adopt a resolution to put on record that the party is all praise for Government policy on economic issues. The party president, Mr. Bangaru Lakshman, who will take over from the outgoing chief, Mr. Kushabhau Thakre, will therefore begin his tenure by singing hallelujah in praise of Government policies, political as well as economic.

As recently as August 10, the Swadeshi magazine, the mouthpiece of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an RSS outfit, named Mr. A.B.Vajpayee, described his Government as following ``anti- national'' policies, and suggested ``immediate surgery'' as the remedy for the disease afflicting his Government. A cartoon, accompanying the main editorial article, showed Mr. Vajpayee, and below the caption describes his Government's policies as a somersault (`mahan ulatbaazi') and a betrayal of faith (`vishwas hanan hai').

The article in Swadeshi - the magazine is apparently published from the residence of the Minister for Culture, Mr. Ananth Kumar, who has lent a portion of his official bungalow to the SJM - denounced the Government policies on foreign investment, attacked its attitude towards multinationals, and said that nothing had been done to change the adverse effects of the World Trade Organisation. The Government and its Ministers, including the Prime Minister, were ``power drunk,'' (`raj mad'), the editorial had said.

The definite impression was that the RSS and its `swadeshi' lobby were quite fed up with the Vajpayee Government's imperviousness to their pleas for a return to the `swadeshi' path of growth. The editorial ended with the suggestion that the Government should admit its fault, and show the courage to embrace `swadeshi' economic policies.

But now it seems that BJP strategists have decided that party at the national council session, which is the supreme body, must re- write its earlier economic policies and own up the Government's economic agenda as its own, not just that of a National Democratic Alliance coalition Government led by it.

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