The Hindu : `Parivartan' for a change

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2003

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`Parivartan' for a change

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JULY 22. What prompted the Delhi BJP president, Madan Lal Khurana, to change the name of his proposed rath yatra beginning August 16 in protest against "misrule'' of the Sheila Dikshit Government from "Nyaya Yatra'' to "Parivartan Yatra''? It was not astrological calculations or planetary numerations which resulted in this change but voices within the party which resulted in a new name for the all-Delhi yatra.

Sources in the party revealed that during the meeting of the working committee, it was pointed out by some senior leaders that the use of word Nyaya was wrong and it sent a wrong signal among the people. The leaders pointed out that taking out a "Nyaya Yatra'' would somehow project a picture where Mr.Khurana would be pitted against the BJP-led Central Government as majority of the demands relating to Delhi and raised by the Delhi BJP chief concerned the Central Government and not the Delhi Government.

In this context, it was stated that it would be better if the word Nyaya is replaced by a call for change and thus the word "Parivartan'' would be more appropriate.

Sources said an impression is already prevailing within the party and somewhat among the party cadres that Mr. Khurana has the tendency to go against the decisions of the NDA Government. It has been often seen that Mr. Khurana has been speaking in a different voice from that of the Union Government and the recent protests on the issue of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Conditional Access System (CAS) for cable TV are a pointers in this regard. Therefore, it was felt that using the word Nyaya would somehow create an impression that the struggle for justice by the Delhi BJP is against its own Central Government which would have harmed the cause of the party.

In fact, many within the party are divided over the timing of the rath yatra being undertaken by Mr. Khurana. It is felt by some leaders that it was too early to undertake the yatra as the elections are likely to be held sometime in the last week of November or first week of December. This would result in the party campaign peaking too early and it could run out of steam when the time for real action comes. "The yatra should have begun in the first week of October which is a festival month and with more people venturing out. The month of August and September are too humid and hot for people to come out in large numbers and witness yatra,'' a senior leader stated.

Interestingly, the month long `satyagraha' launched by the party with much fanfare has failed to generate enthusiasm among the party workers. Not only the common man has stayed away from this programme but even the poor attendance of partymen at some of the venues is a cause for concern for the party. It is felt that instead of taking up issues affecting the common man, the party was concentrating on populist matters which are unlikely to help it regain a foothold in the city politics.

The almost month-long rath yatra is aimed at reviving the fortunes of BJP in Delhi and boost the morale of the party workers. The rath yatra would cover all the 70 Assembly constituencies in an effort to create mass awareness among the people about the failures of the Sheila Dikshit Government on various fronts.

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