Walter Crocker, Australia's High Commissioner in India in the early 1960s and the author of 'Nehru: A Contemporary's Estimate' and Swapan Dasgupta (TOI,16/11) have missed one important aspect of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru – that he was a consummate politician. As soon as Sardar Patel passed away, he removed Purushottamdas Tandon who was the duly elected president of the Congress and brought in Acharya Kripalani in his place to establish his supremacy. There was no strong opposition at that time and most of the English press was against some of his policies, especially economic policies. He blunted its attack by calling it " jute press" as some of the press barons were owners of jute mills.
When BJS was formed by Shyma Prasad Mukherjee to protect the Hindu interests after the refugee flood came from East Bengal, he said 'majority communalism is worse than the minority communalism' and branded it 'communal' which is still the Congress policy. He controlled the aggression/ expansion of the Communist Party with his friendship with Soviet Russia. He enfeebled the Socialist Party by adopting the policy of 'Socialist Pattern of Society' by the Congress. It was no less than stealing the thunder or stealing the dress – vastrapaharana. Ashok Mehta joined the Planning Commission citing 'the compulsion of a backward economy'. Jaya Pakash Narayan joined Vinobha Bhave in Bhoodan movement. Only Ram Manohar Lohia took the socialist party flag with his trenchant criticism saying poor do not earn as much as it costs Nehru feed his dog. He deflated Swatantra Party of Rajaji and Minoo Masani by calling it, 'Maharaja's Party' as it had many from the royal families.
Real opposition started when Ram Manohar Lohia initiated his movement for a 'non-Congress government' as Congress never received more than 50 percent in almost any election except when Rajiv Gandhi garnered sympathy vote. The victory of Janata Party is the culmination of Lohia's strategy though it was headed by Jaya Prakash Narayan. Of course, emergency created the right environment. His strategy of Brahmin-Dalit-Muslim vote bank is still the mainstay of the party which was dented after the fall of Babri Masjid/Ram Temple. He is the architect of 50 years of Congress rule.
November 23,2008
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